Chapter 18: The Origins of the Cold Food Festival Customs

Upon arriving in the State of Qin, Chong'er was treated with the utmost respect by Duke Mu of Qin, who even presented him with five women from the royal clan, including Huai Ying, who had previously been married to Duke Huai of Jin. At this time, Chong'er was over sixty years old, roughly the same age as Duke Mu, and felt it shameful to take his daughter as a wife. Furthermore, because Huai Ying was the wife of his own nephew, marrying her would be considered a violation of ritual, as it would mean an uncle usurping his nephew's spouse. For these reasons, he was reluctant to accept the union.

His advisor, Shu Chen, persuaded him, saying, "You have come to Qin seeking aid to return and reclaim Jin from your nephew. Why fret over taking his wife now? Moreover, we have already sacrificed much of our dignity by coming to Qin to seek a path home; why abandon our goal for the sake of petty scruples?" Thus, Chong'er married Huai Ying.

During a banquet hosted by Duke Mu, Hu Yan remarked, "I am not as quick-witted as Zhao Cui; please take him to the feast instead." During the meal, Chong'er recited lines from the *Classic of Poetry*: "The Yellow River flows broad and deep, rolling northward in its vigor," to express his admiration for Duke Mu. In return, Duke Mu recited the poem "June" from the *Classic of Poetry*, which recounts King Xuan of Zhou’s northern campaign against the Xianyun, hinting at his willingness to support Chong'er’s return to the throne so that he might serve the Son of Heaven and restore the royal house. Zhao Cui perceived the Duke's subtext and immediately spoke on Chong'er’s behalf: "Chong'er accepts this honor!" Chong'er then descended the stairs to perform the formal kowtow, and Duke Mu descended one step to return the courtesy. Zhao Cui spoke again for Chong'er: "Since the Duke encourages Chong'er with the great responsibility of assisting the Son of Heaven, how could Chong'er dare not to bow?"

Seeing that Chong'er was so respectful and grateful, Duke Mu concluded that he would not be as ungrateful as Duke Hui of Jin and his son, and thus decided to send Chong'er back to Jin. After Duke Huai of Jin ascended the throne, he was deeply unpopular. Fearing that Chong'er’s presence abroad threatened his position, he ordered the families of the ministers following Chong'er to recall them, threatening to execute their entire households if they failed to return. Hu Tu, Chong'er’s maternal grandfather, refused to recall his two sons, Hu Mao and Hu Yan, declaring, "If a father teaches his son to serve his lord with loyalty, how can he then teach him to be double-minded?" For his refusal, he was executed by Duke Huai.

Hu Tu was a highly respected elder statesman in Jin, and since Prince Shensheng, Chong'er, and Yiwu were all his grandsons, his death for the sake of righteousness filled the other ministers with grief and indignation. They grew further alienated from Duke Huai and hoped for Chong'er’s return. The ministers Luan and Xi, hearing that Chong'er had reached Qin, secretly sent envoys to urge him to return with his followers, promising to act as his agents within Jin.

In the twenty-fourth year of Duke Xi of Lu (636 BCE), Duke Mu of Qin personally led an army to escort Chong'er back to Jin. Upon reaching the banks of the Yellow River, Duke Mu divided his forces, giving half to Chong'er while keeping the other half on the western bank to provide support. As they boarded the ships, Chong'er’s followers began loading all the humble belongings they had used during their long exile, unwilling to leave anything behind. Seeing this, Chong'er remarked, "Once I return as ruler, I shall have everything I desire. Why should I keep these tattered things?" He ordered them to be discarded on the bank.

Hu Yan, Chong'er’s uncle, watched this with deep sorrow. He thought to himself that if a prince forgets his humble beginnings before even attaining prosperity, how could he ever be a good ruler? He held up his own jade disc and said to Chong'er, "Now that you are crossing the river, the State of Jin lies just ahead. You have ministers within and the State of Qin without, so I shall remain here."

Surprised, Chong'er replied, "I owe all that I have today to your help. We have endured nineteen years of hardship together abroad; now that we are returning to share in prosperity, how can you not return? And how could I ever repay you?"

Hu Yan replied, "In all these years of following you across the world, I have committed countless mistakes—I know it, and you have seen it. When you were in distress, I was of some use. Now that you are returning to be king, you will naturally have new men to assist you. We are like these old belongings: not only are we worn out and useless, but we will only remind you of the bitter past. Why take us back?"

Chong'er understood that Hu Yan and the others had often used forceful methods—such as dragging him away from Qi—to ensure he sought aid, and they now feared he might seek vengeance for these past actions once he was on the throne. Sincerely, Chong'er vowed, "If I do not remain of one heart with my uncle, may the White River be my witness!" He then tossed his jade disc into the Yellow River, and only then did Hu Yan feel at ease enough to accompany him across.

Once Chong'er led the Qin army into Jin territory, Duke Huai hastily sent troops to resist, but everyone knew it was Prince Chong'er returning, and no one fought with true conviction. The army advanced like bamboo splitting, closing in on the capital. Seeing the situation was lost, Duke Huai fled, only to be killed later by men sent by Chong'er.

After Duke Huai’s death, Chong'er ascended the throne as the rightful ruler, known in history as Duke Wen of Jin. He was sixty-two years old. Having fled Jin at forty-three, he had spent nineteen years in arduous exile before finally stepping onto the soil of his homeland in glory.

Although Duke Wen had ascended the throne, forces loyal to Duke Hui and Duke Huai remained, including their former favorites, Lü Sheng and Xi Rui. Fearing that Duke Wen would purge them, they decided to strike first, setting fire to the palace and attempting to kill him in the chaos. To ensure success, they consulted with the eunuch Pi, an assassin once sent by Duke Xian to kill Chong'er. However, the eunuch Pi did not favor their plan and instead sought an audience with Duke Wen to report the plot.

Years ago, when the eunuch Pi was sent to assassinate Chong'er, Duke Xian had given him three days to complete the task, but he arrived in two, forcing Chong'er to flee for his life and losing a sleeve to the assassin’s blade. Duke Wen still held this grudge and refused to see him, sending a messenger to scold him: "When my father ordered you to kill me, he gave you three days, yet you arrived in two. While this was the command of my lord, were you not too impatient? The sleeve you cut off is still here; you should leave at once."

The eunuch Pi laughed and said, "Obeying the ruler’s command is a tradition from antiquity. As a servant, one must do his utmost to remove those the ruler despises. Guan Zhong once served Prince Jiu and shot an arrow at Duke Huan of Qi, yet Duke Huan did not hold a grudge and appointed him as Prime Minister. Now that you are the ruler, I will serve you with all my heart. If you insist on dwelling on the past, there are far too many ministers who have wronged you for you to stop with me."

Upon hearing these words, Duke Wen found them reasonable and granted an audience. The eunuch Pi revealed the conspiracy of Lü Sheng and Xi Rui. Duke Wen secretly consulted with Duke Mu of Qin, and they devised a plan. On the day the eunuch Pi had predicted, the palace was indeed set ablaze. Lü Sheng and Xi Rui rushed in to find Duke Wen, but failed. They pursued him to the banks of the Yellow River, where Duke Mu had already set an ambush, capturing and executing them both.

In this campaign, Duke Wen purged the remaining influence of Duke Hui and his son, intimidated treacherous ministers, and solidified his rule. Afterward, he welcomed his five wives of the Ying clan back to the state, and Duke Mu left three thousand guards to help stabilize the realm.

Among the many capable ministers who followed Duke Wen during his nineteen years of exile, such as Hu Yan and Zhao Cui, there was also a virtuous man named Jie Zitui, who was remembered in history for his loyalty and his disdain for fame and wealth.

From the moment Chong'er left Jin, his life was one of constant danger and uncertainty. His father, Duke Xian, misled by the slanders of Li Ji, repeatedly sent assassins after him. After Duke Xian’s death, Duke Huai continued the pursuit to eliminate the threat to his throne. However, thanks to his loyal followers and the proximity of the State of Di to Jin, Chong'er lived in relative peace for a time in Di.

But Di was not a place to stay forever. After deliberation, Chong'er led his followers, carrying the wealth accumulated over twelve years in Di, to seek support from other states. This treasure was entrusted to a servant named Tou Xu, who seized the opportunity to steal everything and flee. When Chong'er and his men arrived in the State of Wei, destitute and starving, they appealed to Duke Wen of Wei for help. However, the Duke of Wei, holding a grudge against Jin for past offenses, turned them away.

Having lost all their wealth and unable to find food, Chong'er and his men were driven out of the Wei capital, famished. As they neared starvation, Jie Zitui, in order to save Chong'er’s life, sliced the flesh from his own thigh and boiled it into a soup for him. Chong'er survived, eventually returning to Jin to achieve hegemony. This is the famous historical tale of "cutting one's thigh to feed the lord."

Though Jie Zitui was fiercely loyal, he was not a man who sought power or glory. He was aloof and lacked the social graces of the other ministers, making him less prominent among them. After years of wandering, Chong'er finally secured the support of Duke Mu of Qin. Upon reaching the Yellow River, Hu Yan, fearing his fate upon returning to Jin, offered his jade disc to Chong'er to test his attitude.

Jie Zitui, witnessing this, held it in utter contempt. He sneered, "Heaven has protected the Prince, which is why he has reached this day. Yet Hu Yan thinks it is his own merit and uses this offering to coerce the Prince. This is truly shameless. I refuse to serve with such people." He then departed from the group and went into seclusion.

Once he became ruler, Duke Wen implemented policies to benefit the people and rewarded his followers. However, he did not reward everyone. When King Xiang of Zhou was forced to flee to Zheng due to a rebellion by his brother, he appealed to Jin for aid. Duke Wen wanted to send troops but feared that leaving so soon after his ascension would invite internal chaos.

Duke Wen again rewarded his followers, charging them with the defense of Jin. Seeing that the others had been rewarded, Tou Xu, who had stolen the wealth and abandoned Chong'er, returned to seek an official post. Duke Wen held a deep grudge, as Tou Xu’s betrayal had nearly caused him to starve to death, and he was reluctant to see him. Yet he feared that an outright refusal would alienate his other ministers. He sent word that he was washing his hair and could not meet him while unkempt.

Tou Xu, quick-witted, replied: "When washing one's hair, the head is lowered, and the heart is turned upside down; it is only right that you do not see me. When you were in exile, those who stayed behind were protecting the state, while those who followed you were mere servants holding the reins. Why blame only those who stayed? If you, as a ruler, harbor hatred for a common man, I fear many will live in terror."

Hearing this veiled accusation of ingratitude, and fearing that such talk would stir unrest, Duke Wen granted him an audience. Tou Xu claimed that stealing the money was not betrayal, but a way to use the funds to build connections and seek aid for him abroad. Though still displeased, Duke Wen was forced to reward him.

Later, Hu Shu, a servant who had followed Duke Wen, complained, "You have rewarded the ministers three times since returning, yet you have not rewarded me. What have I done to offend you?"

Duke Wen replied, "Those who guided me with righteousness and virtue, I rewarded with the highest honor. Those who exhausted their minds to help me return, I gave the second rank. Those who risked their lives in battle, I gave the third. Those who served me diligently but offered no counsel to correct my faults, I gave the lowest. That is why, despite three rounds of rewards, I have not rewarded you."

Because Jie Zitui had gone into seclusion, he was not included in these rewards, nor would he ever seek them like Hu Shu or Tou Xu. He told his mother, "Of the nine sons of Duke Xian, only our current ruler survives. Dukes Hui and Huai could not pacify the people and were rejected by all. Who else but our ruler could have been chosen by Heaven to hold the state? His ascension is the grace of Heaven, yet these men claim it as their own merit. To steal is a crime, but to claim the credit of Heaven is far worse. I cannot live in a country where the ruler rewards such treachery."

When his mother urged him to seek an audience, Jie Zitui refused, saying, "To know a thing is wrong and yet follow it is a greater error. I will not compromise my integrity." He then led his mother into the mountains to live as a recluse.

Later, someone sympathetic to Jie Zitui’s plight wrote a poem and hung it on the palace gate: "The dragon sought the heavens, with five snakes as his guides. Once the dragon ascended the clouds, the four snakes each found their place; one snake remains alone in resentment, its location unknown." Seeing this, Duke Wen realized it referred to Jie Zitui and regretted not rewarding him. He sent men to summon him, but Jie Zitui had vanished into Mount Mian. Duke Wen designated the mountain as a fief for him, renaming it Mount Jie, saying, "To remember my own failings and honor a virtuous man."

Another legend states that when Duke Wen went to the mountain to invite him out, Jie Zitui refused. Someone suggested that the Duke set fire to the mountain to force him out. Duke Wen agreed, but the fire burned for three days and nights, and Jie Zitui never emerged. He and his mother were found dead. Filled with remorse, Duke Wen ordered that no fires be lit on the anniversary of his death, and the people ate only cold food—a custom that became the Cold Food Festival.