Uncle Guan Xian and Uncle Cai Du, both were sons of King Wen of Zhou and younger brothers of King Wu of Zhou. King Wu had ten full-blooded brothers, all born to their mother, Tai Si, who was King Wen’s legitimate wife. Her eldest son was Bo Yikao, followed by Wu Wang Fa, Guan Shu Xian, Duke of Zhou Dan, Cai Shu Zhen, Cao Shu Zhenduo, Cheng Shu Wu, Huo Shu Chu, Kang Shu Feng, and the youngest, Ran Ji Zai. Among these ten brothers, only Wu Wang Fa and Duke Zhou Dan were known for their virtue and talent, and they were the right and left arms of King Wen in supporting him. Therefore, King Wen did not appoint his eldest son, Bo Yikao, as the heir, but instead named his second son, Fa, as Crown Prince. Before King Wen passed away, Bo Yikao had already died.
After King Wu defeated King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty and unified the world, he granted titles to his loyal ministers and brothers. He assigned the Guan region to his brother Shu Xian and the Cai region to his brother Shu Du. He also made both of them ministers of the former Shang prince Wu Geng, entrusting them to govern the remaining Shang people. The Lu region was granted to Duke Zhou Dan, who was made the Prime Minister of the Zhou Dynasty, earning him the title of Duke Zhou. Shu Zhenduo was granted the land of Cao, Shu Wu received Cheng, and Shu Chu was given the territory of Huo. At that time, Kang Shu and Ran Ji Zai were too young and did not receive land.
After King Wu’s death, his young son, King Cheng, succeeded to the throne, and Duke Zhou Dan held the real power of the state. Uncles Guan and Cai, suspecting that Duke Zhou’s actions were detrimental to King Cheng, supported Wu Geng in a rebellion. Duke Zhou, following King Cheng’s orders, led an army to suppress the rebels, executing Wu Geng, killing Uncle Guan, and exiling Uncle Cai. During his exile, Uncle Cai was only given ten chariots and seventy convicts as his companions. Additionally, the people of the southern states were divided into two groups: part of the Song land was granted to Wei Zi Qi to continue the Shang dynasty’s ancestral rites, and part of the Wei land was given to Kang Shu, who was made the ruler of the State of Wei, known as Wei Kang Shu. Ran Ji Zai was granted the land of Ran. Both Ran Ji and Kang Shu were virtuous, so Duke Zhou recommended Kang Shu to be the Minister of Justice for King Cheng, and Ran Ji became the Minister of Works. The two assisted King Cheng in governing the state, earning widespread praise.
After Uncle Cai died in exile, his son Hu rose to prominence, completely changing his father’s ways by showing respect for virtue and goodness. When Duke Zhou heard of this, he recommended Hu as a prominent official in the State of Lu, which flourished under his governance. Duke Zhou advised King Cheng to grant Hu the Cai land so that the annual sacrificial rites of Cai Shu could be continued. Hu was thus made Cai Zhong. The other five brothers returned to their respective fiefs, no longer serving in the Zhou court.
After Cai Zhong’s death, his son Cai Bo Huang succeeded him, followed by his son Gong Hou, then Gong Hou’s son Li Hou, and finally, Li Hou’s son Wu Hou. During Wu Hou’s reign, King Li of Zhou lost his throne and fled to the region of Zhi, with Duke Zhou and Duke Zhao jointly taking charge of the government, while many vassal states turned against the Zhou.
Wu Hou’s son, Yi Hou, succeeded him, and in the 11th year of Yi Hou’s reign (827 BCE), King Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne. In the 28th year of King Xuan’s reign (810 BCE), Yi Hou died, and his son, Li Hou (Xi Hou), succeeded him.
In the 39th year of Li Hou’s reign (771 BCE), King You of Zhou was killed by the Quanrong tribe, leading to the decline of the Zhou dynasty and its relocation eastward. The state of Qin was elevated to vassal status.
In the 48th year of Li Hou’s reign (762 BCE), Li Hou died, and his son Gong Hou Xing succeeded him. Gong Hou ruled for two years (760 BCE) before he passed away, and his son Dai Hou succeeded him. Dai Hou reigned for ten years (750 BCE) before his death, and his son Xuan Hou Cuo Fu ascended the throne.
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In the 28th year of Xuan Hou’s reign (722 BCE), Duke Yin of Lu became the ruler. In the 35th year of Xuan Hou’s reign (715 BCE), Xuan Hou passed away, and his son Huan Hou Feng Ren succeeded him. Three years later (712 BCE), Duke Yin was assassinated by the people of Lu. In the 20th year (695 BCE), Huan Hou died, and his younger brother Ai Hou Xian Wu took the throne.
In the 11th year of Ai Hou’s reign (684 BCE), Ai Hou’s wife, whom he had taken from the State of Chen, had a dispute with him. That year, another noble from Chen, Xi Hou, married a wife from Chen as well, and the wife passed through the State of Cai, where Ai Hou showed disrespect. Xi Hou, furious, sought aid from King Wen of Chu, urging him to invade Cai. He promised Cai would come to aid, and with this excuse, Chu attacked Cai and defeated them. Ai Hou was captured and brought back to Chu, where he remained in captivity for nine years before dying in Chu. He had ruled for 20 years. The people of Cai then appointed Ai Hou’s son Xi (also known as Miao Hou) as the ruler.
Miao Hou married his sister to Duke Huan of Qi. In the 18th year (657 BCE), Duke Huan and his wife, the Cai lady, were sailing, and she shook the boat persistently. Despite his pleas, she refused to stop. Furious, Duke Huan sent her back to her family but kept their relationship. Cai Hou, enraged, gave his sister in marriage to another man. In retaliation, Duke Huan of Qi attacked Cai, defeating them thoroughly. Miao Hou was captured, and Qi moved south to attack Chu. Later, other vassals intervened, and Duke Huan of Qi released Miao Hou. Miao Hou ruled for 29 years (646 BCE) before passing away, and his son Zhuang Hou Jia Wu succeeded him.
In the 3rd year of Duke Zhuang’s reign (643 BCE), Duke Huan of Qi passed away. In the 14th year (632 BCE), Duke Wen of Jin decisively defeated the Chu army at Chengpu. In the 20th year (626 BCE), the crown prince of Chu, Shangchen, killed his father, King Cheng, and ascended to the throne as the new ruler. In the 25th year (621 BCE), Duke Mu of Qin died. In the 33rd year (613 BCE), King Zhuang of Chu took the throne. In the 34th year (612 BCE), Duke Zhuang passed away, and his son, Duke Wen, succeeded him.
In the 14th year of Duke Wen’s reign (598 BCE), King Zhuang of Chu attacked the state of Chen and killed the official Xia Zhengshu. In the 15th year (597 BCE), Chu laid siege to the state of Zheng. After the ruler of Zheng surrendered, Chu released him. In the 20th year (592 BCE), Duke Wen passed away, and his son, Duke Jing, succeeded him.
In the 1st year of Duke Jing’s reign (591 BCE), King Zhuang of Chu died. In the 49th year (543 BCE), Duke Jing arranged for Crown Prince Ban to marry a woman from Chu. However, Duke Jing also had an affair with his daughter-in-law. In response, the crown prince killed Duke Jing and declared himself the ruler, taking the title of Duke Ling.
In the 2nd year of Duke Ling’s reign (541 BCE), a nobleman in Chu named Wei killed King Gao (Jia) and declared himself King Ling of Chu. In the 9th year (534 BCE), the official Zhaoqiu of Chen killed Duke Ai of Chen. In response, the Chu army, led by Prince Qiji, took control of the state of Chen, which led to its destruction.
In the 12th year (531 BCE), King Ling of Chu, under the pretext of seeking revenge for his father’s death at the hands of King Ling of Cai, tricked King Ling of Cai into coming to Shen. There, Chu had prepared an ambush, killing King Ling with poisoned wine and executing his seventy soldiers.
In the 12th year of Duke Ling’s reign (481 BCE), after King Zhuang of Chu died, the state of Qi under King Tian Chang successfully defeated Chu in a joint military campaign. Duke Zhao, with the help of the forces of Wu, took the capital city of Chu, Ying. However, due to the presence of the nobleman Zichang, who was afraid of the advancing forces, he fled to the state of Zheng.
In the 14th year (479 BCE), Confucius died. In the 28th year (465 BCE), King Ling of Chu died. His son, Duke Ping, succeeded him. In the 19th year of Duke Ping’s reign (453 BCE), the three prominent families of Han, Zhao, and Wei overthrew the Zhi family. These three families began to dominate the region.
In the 15th year (450 BCE), Duke Ping died, and Duke Cheng ascended the throne. Duke Cheng ruled for 16 years (434 BCE) before passing away. Duke Min then succeeded him. In the 31st year of Duke Min’s reign (403 BCE), he died, and Duke Xi succeeded him. This was the year when Han, Zhao, and Wei were formally recognized as feudal lords by the Zhou dynasty.
In the 30th year of Duke Xi’s reign (373 BCE), the state of Yan successfully defeated Qi in battle. In the 11th year (362 BCE), Duke Huan of Qi passed away, and Duke Wen succeeded him. That year, King Xian of Qin passed away, and Qin began to grow stronger.
In the 19th year of Duke Wen’s reign (343 BCE), King Wei of Qi died. In the 28th year (334 BCE), Su Qin arrived in Yan for the first time, where he began advocating for an alliance of the six states against Qin. Duke Wen rewarded him with valuable gifts and sent him to Zhao, where Lord Su embraced him and gave him great influence. Su Qin succeeded in uniting the six states to resist Qin and became the leader of the alliance. At this time, King Hui of Qin married his daughter to the crown prince of Yan.
In the 29th year (333 BCE), Duke Wen passed away, and his son ascended to the throne as King Yi. Shortly after King Yi took power, King Xuan of Qi seized the opportunity during the mourning period for Duke Wen to launch an attack on Yan, capturing ten cities. However, Su Qin managed to persuade King Xuan to return the cities to Yan.
In the 10th year (323 BCE), the ruler of Yan officially declared himself king. Su Qin, fearing for his life due to his affair with the queen of Yan, requested to be sent to Qi as a diplomatic envoy to create dissension and disrupt Qi’s internal order. In the 12th year (321 BCE), King Yi died, and his son, King Kuo, succeeded him.
When King Kuo ascended the throne, Qi executed Su Qin. While Su Qin was in Yan, he had arranged for his children to marry into the Zizhi family, and his younger brother, Su Dai, had formed close ties with Zizhi. After Su Qin’s death, King Xuan of Qi appointed Su Dai as a minister.
In the 3rd year of King Kuo’s reign (318 BCE), Yan, in alliance with Chu, Han, Zhao, and Wei, attacked Qin but failed to achieve victory and returned to their land. At the time, Zizhi held the powerful position of chief minister in Yan, making all major state decisions. Su Dai, serving as a diplomatic envoy of Qi to Yan, was asked by King Kuo, “What do you think of King Xuan of Qi?” Su Dai replied, “He can certainly not become the hegemon.” King Kuo asked, “Why?” Su Dai answered, “Because he does not trust his ministers.” Su Dai used this remark to provoke King Kuo into respecting Zizhi. As a result, King Kuo trusted Zizhi greatly, and Zizhi gave Su Dai a generous gift of 100 jin of gold for him to use as he wished.
Lu Mao Shou advised King Kuo, “You might as well entrust the state to your chief minister Zizhi. People praise Emperor Yao for his virtue, as he once offered the world to Xu You, who refused, allowing Yao to maintain his virtuous reputation while still controlling the empire. If you entrust the state to Zizhi, he will certainly refuse, which will elevate your moral standing.” Following this counsel, King Kuo handed the reins of the state to Zizhi, and his position became increasingly powerful. Later, King Kuo’s ministers remarked, “In the past, Emperor Yu appointed Bo Yi as his successor but then placed Qi’s ministers in charge of government affairs. When Yu grew old, he thought Qi was not fit to govern and transferred the throne to Bo Yi. However, Qi and his followers attacked Bo Yi and regained the throne. Now, you say you are entrusting the state to Zizhi, yet all the officials are from the royal family, essentially leaving the state in the hands of the crown prince.” Consequently, King Kuo handed over the seals of all ministers earning more than 300 shi to Zizhi. Zizhi then took the royal seat, exercising full authority as the ruler, while King Kuo, now elderly, ceased to deal with state affairs, effectively becoming a subordinate, with Zizhi ruling the state in his stead.
The Descendants of the Early Zhou Nobility and the Succession of States
The descendants of Bo Yikao, the son of King Wen of Zhou, are unknown in terms of their later fiefdoms. The descendants of King Wu of Zhou are known as the Zhou kings, as recorded in the Chronicles (Benji). Guan Shuxian’s descendants were exterminated due to his rebellion. The descendants of Duke Zhou, Zhou Gong Dan, became the rulers of the state of Lu, as documented in the Shijia (Families of the States). The descendants of Cai Shudu became the rulers of Cai, as recorded in the Shijia. The descendants of Cao Shuzhenduo became the rulers of Cao, also recorded in the Shijia. The descendants of Cheng Shuwu are unknown. The descendants of Huo Shuchu were initially granted lands in Huo, but were later destroyed by Duke Xian of Jin. The descendants of Kang Shuxiang were the rulers of the state of Wei, as documented in the Shijia. The descendants of Ran Jizai are untraceable.
The Grand Historian Sima Qian remarks: “The rebellions of Guan Shuxian and Cai Shudu are not noteworthy enough to be recorded in detail. However, after King Wu of Zhou died, and with King Cheng still a child, the people of the world began to doubt the authority of Duke Zhou. It was only through the assistance of Cheng Shuxiang, Ran Jizai, and the other ten brothers that the various feudal lords united to support the Zhou dynasty. Hence, their deeds are recorded in the Shijia.”
Cao Shuzhenduo’s Descendants
Cao Shuzhenduo, the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, was given the land of Cao after King Wu’s victory over King Zhou of Shang.
After Shuzhenduo’s death, his son Tai Bo Pi succeeded him. Tai Bo Pi’s son, Zhong Junping, followed him as ruler. Zhong Junping was succeeded by his son, Xian Bo Hou. Xian Bo Hou was succeeded by his son, Xiao Bo Yun. Xiao Bo Yun’s son, Yi Bo Xi, then succeeded him.
The Reign of Yi Bo and the Events of the 23rd Year (842 BCE)
In the 23rd year of Yi Bo (842 BCE), King Li of Zhou fled to Zhi. In the 30th year (835 BCE), Yi Bo died, and his brother You Bo Qiang succeeded him. However, in the 9th year (826 BCE), his brother Su killed You Bo and seized the throne, becoming Dai Bo. In the 1st year of Dai Bo’s reign (825 BCE), King Xuan of Zhou had been on the throne for three years. Dai Bo ruled until the 30th year of his reign (796 BCE), when he died, and his son, Hui Bo Si, succeeded him.
Hui Bo’s Reign and the Decline of the Zhou Dynasty
In the 25th year of Hui Bo’s reign (771 BCE), King You of Zhou was killed by the Quanrong nomads, leading to the Zhou royal family’s relocation eastward, marking a period of decline. Many feudal lords rebelled, and the state of Qin was officially recognized as a vassal by the Zhou in the same year.
Hui Bo died in the 36th year of his reign (760 BCE), and his son, Shi Fu, succeeded him. However, Shi Fu was murdered by his brother, Wu, who became Duke Miao of the state. Duke Miao ruled for three years (757 BCE) before his death, and his son, Duke Huan, succeeded him.
The Succession of Duke Huan
Duke Huan reigned for 35 years (722 BCE) before Duke Yin of Lu succeeded him. Duke Yin was assassinated by the people of Lu in the 45th year of his reign (712 BCE). In the 46th year (711 BCE), Hua Fudu of the state of Song killed Duke Shang of Song and the noble Kong Fu. In the 55th year of Duke Huan’s reign (702 BCE), Duke Huan of Chu died, and his son, Duke Zhuang of Chu, succeeded him.
The Rise of Duke Zhuang and the Power of Qi
In the 23rd year of Duke Zhuang’s reign (679 BCE), Duke Huan of Qi began to dominate the feudal lords, calling himself the overlord of the world. In the 31st year (671 BCE), Duke Zhuang died, and his son, Duke Li of Qi, succeeded him. Duke Li ruled for nine years (662 BCE) until his death. He was succeeded by his son, Duke Zhao of Qi.
Duke Zhao’s Battle Against the State of Cai
In the 6th year (656 BCE), Duke Zhao of Qi defeated the state of Cai and advanced toward the state of Chu. By the 9th year (653 BCE), Duke Zhao died, and his son, Duke Gong Xiang, succeeded him.
The Conflict Between the States of Cao and Jin
In the 16th year (637 BCE) of Duke Gong’s reign, during a time of unrest, Jin Prince Chong’er fled through the state of Cao. Cao Gong was impolite towards him, even wanting to examine his ribs. Cao minister Li Fuji advised against this but was ignored. After many years, in the 21st year (632 BCE), Duke Wen of Jin defeated Cao and captured Cao Gong. However, he ordered his army not to disturb the lands of the Li family. Some advisors to Duke Wen remarked, “When Duke Huan of Qi held a grand assembly of lords, even states of different surnames assisted him in restoring his power. Now, by capturing the Cao ruler, you risk alienating your allies.” As a result, Duke Wen released Cao Gong.