Chen Hu Gongman was a descendant of the illustrious Emperor Shun. In his early days, when Shun was but an ordinary man, the sage-king Yao bestowed his two daughters upon him in marriage. Residing at Guirui, Shun’s progeny thereafter adopted the name of that locale as their family name, hence the surname Gui. After Shun’s passing, the mandate of heaven was conferred upon Yu, while Shun’s son, Shangjun, became one of the feudal lords. During the Xia dynasty, the hereditary marquessate of Shun’s descendants experienced intermittent continuity.
Following King Wu of Zhou’s triumph over the tyrant King Zhou of Shang, the new regime set out to locate Shun’s remaining kin. Their search culminated in the discovery of Gui Man, whom they enfeoffed in the State of Chen to oversee the seasonal ceremonial rites venerating Emperor Shun—thus earning him the title of Marquis Hu.
Upon Marquis Hu’s death, his son, Shen Gong Xihou, ascended to the throne. After Shen Gong’s demise, his brother, Xiang Gong Gaoyang, assumed rulership. Later, following Xiang Gong’s death, Shen Gong’s son, Tu, was enthroned, known posthumously as Marquis Xiao. After Marquis Xiao’s passing, his son, Marquis Shen Yourong, succeeded him during the reign of King Li of Zhou; upon Shen Yourong’s death, his son, You Gong Ning, took the mantle.
In the twentieth year of You Gong’s reign (841 BC), King Li of Zhou was forced to flee to the land of the Zhì people. Three years later (832 BC), You Gong died, and his son, Marquis Li Xiao, ascended. In the sixth year of his reign (828 BC), King Xuan of Zhou assumed the throne. Thirty-six years later (796 BC), Marquis Li passed away, and his son, Marquis Wu Ling, succeeded him. In the fifteenth year of Wu Ling’s reign (781 BC), he died, and his son, Marquis Yi Shuo, ascended, coinciding with the accession of King You of Zhou. In the third year of Marquis Yi’s reign (778 BC), he died, and his brother, Marquis Ping Xie, was installed. In the seventh year of Ping’s rule (771 BC), King You of Zhou was slain by the Dog Barbarians (Quanrong), prompting the Zhou court to relocate its capital eastward to Luoyang; it was at this juncture that the state of Qin began its rise among the feudal lords.
In the twenty-third year (755 BC), Marquis Ping died, and his son, Marquis Wen Yu, succeeded him. In the first year of Wen Yu’s reign (754 BC), he married a maiden from the state of Cai, who bore him a son named Tuo. Ten years later (745 BC), Wen Yu passed away, and his eldest son, Marquis Huan Bao, assumed the throne.
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In the twenty-third year of Marquis Huan’s reign (722 BC), Duke Yin of Lu was enthroned. In the twenty-sixth year (719 BC), the subjects of Wei assassinated their ruler, Zhou Xu. In the thirty-third year (712 BC), the people of Lu killed Duke Yin. Then, in the thirty-eighth year (707 BC), on a day marked in the lunar calendar as Jia Xu and Ji Chou in the first month, Marquis Huan Bao died. Because Tuo’s mother was a daughter of Cai, the Cai people conspired to have Tuo eliminate the five paternal figures and the crown prince, Mian, thereby installing him as the sovereign—he came to be known as Marquis Li.
Marquis Li reigned for a mere five months before his untimely death; his second brother, Lin, succeeded him and became known as Marquis Zhuang. In the seventh year of Marquis Zhuang’s rule (693 BC), he died, and his youngest brother, Chuju, ascended the throne as Marquis Xuan.
In the third year of Marquis Xuan’s reign (690 BC), King Wu of Chu died, marking the burgeoning strength of the Chu state. In the seventeenth year (676 BC), King Hui of Zhou married a daughter of the Chen ruler, elevating her to queen consort.
In the twenty-first year (672 BC), Marquis Xuan’s favored concubine bore him a son named Kuan. Determined to designate Kuan as his crown prince, Marquis Xuan had the original crown prince, Yu Kou, executed. Yu Kou had long been favored by Marquis Li’s son, Wan, and fearful that calamity might also befall him, Wan sought refuge in the state of Qi. There, Duke Huan of Qi wished to appoint Wan to a high ministerial post, but Wan humbly replied, “As an exile in service, it is a privilege to be spared the burdens of hard labor—a kindness bestowed upon me by your grace—and I dare not assume such a lofty office.” Consequently, Duke Huan entrusted him with a position of moderate responsibility. Later, Duke Yi Zhong of Qi proposed to wed his daughter to Wan and, seeking divine counsel through the I Ching, received an auspicious oracle:
“Just as a pair of phoenixes, male and female, soar together in harmonious flight with resonant calls, so too shall the descendants bearing the surname Gui flourish in the realm of the Jiang. In five generations, they will ascend to eminence, their stature rivaling that of the highest ministers; in eight generations, none shall equal their renown.”
In the 37th year (656 BC), Duke Huan of Qi launched a punitive campaign against the State of Cai, which was decisively vanquished. Seizing the moment, Qi’s troops advanced into Chu territory—marching southward as far as Shaoling—and on their return to Qi, they passed through the State of Chen. A Chen minister by the name of Yuan Taotu, disapproving of the Qi army’s disruptive transit, deceitfully advised Duke Huan that an eastern coastal route would be preferable. When Duke Huan discerned the ruse, he was incensed and promptly had Yuan Taotu arrested. In that same year, Duke Xian of Jin compelled his own crown prince, Shen Sheng, to die.
In the 45th year (648 BC), Duke Xuan died, and his son Kuan ascended the throne, later known as Duke Mu. In the 5th year of Duke Mu’s reign (643 BC), Duke Huan of Qi passed away. In the 16th year (632 BC), Duke Wen of Jin inflicted a crushing defeat on the Chu forces at Chengpu. That same year, Duke Mu of Chen died, and his son, Duke Gong Shuo, succeeded him. In the 6th year of Duke Gong’s reign (626 BC), the Chu crown prince Shangchen assassinated his father, King Cheng of Chu, and declared himself ruler—thus becoming King Mu of Chu. In the 11th year (621 BC), Duke Mu of Qin died, and in the 18th year (614 BC), Duke Gong of Chen died, his son Duke Ling ascending the throne.
In the first year of Duke Ling of Chen’s reign (613 BC), King Zhuang of Chu ascended the throne. Six years later (608 BC), Chu embarked upon a military expedition against Chen, and by the 10th year (604 BC), the two states had reconciled and concluded a peace.
In the 14th year (600 BC), Duke Ling of Chen, together with his ministers Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu, engaged in adulterous liaisons with a woman named Xia Ji—so brazenly that they even wore her garments and cavorted in the court. A minister named Xie Ye admonished, “How can the people emulate such debauchery when their sovereign and his ministers behave in this lewd manner?” Duke Ling relayed these reproaches to Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu, who then demanded that Xie Ye be executed. With the duke offering no resistance, the two carried out the deed. In the following year (599 BC), while reveling at Xia Ji’s residence, Duke Ling jested to Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu, “Xia Zhengshu bears a striking resemblance to you both.” They retorted in kind, “He bears a likeness to you as well.” Incensed by this exchange, Xia Zhengshu concealed himself near the stable and, upon Duke Ling’s emergence after the feast, shot him with an arrow. Overcome with terror, Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu fled to Chu, while the crown prince Wu of Chen escaped to Jin. Seizing the opportunity, Xia Zhengshu declared himself the Marquis of Chen. (It is worth noting that Xia Zhengshu had formerly served as a minister in Chen, and that Xia Ji was the wife of Yu Shu and his mother.)
In the winter of the first year of Duke Cheng of Chen’s reign (598 BC), King Zhuang of Chu, citing the killing of Duke Ling as justification, mobilized the armies of various feudal lords to attack Chen. He reassured the Chen people, “Fear not—I am merely executing Xia Zhengshu.” Yet, after having slain Xia Zhengshu, King Zhuang exploited the situation to annex Chen, incorporating it as a county within Chu’s domain. This act of opportunism was met with widespread approbation among Chu’s ministers. However, when Shen Shushi, returning from an envoy mission in Qi, refrained from offering congratulations, King Zhuang inquired as to his motives. Shen Shushi replied, “As an old proverb goes: if one leads a cow along a shortcut and tramples another’s field, the landowner chases after him and seizes the cow for himself. While trespassing and damaging the field is indeed a transgression, confiscating his cow is far too excessive. Now, Your Majesty decries Xia Zhengshu’s treachery by assembling feudal armies to avenge a sovereign, yet afterward covets Chen’s lands—how then can one command respect throughout the realm? For that reason, I cannot offer my congratulations.” King Zhuang acknowledged the wisdom in his words, exclaiming, “Well spoken!” Consequently, he recalled from Jin the crown prince Gui Wu—the heir of Duke Ling of Chen—and installed him as ruler, thereby restoring Chen’s traditional governance under the new Duke Cheng. Confucius, upon reading the account of Chu’s restoration of Chen’s sovereignty, remarked, “King Zhuang of Chu indeed exemplifies virtue; he scorns even a mighty state of a thousand chariots in favor of a single piece of sound counsel.”
In the 8th year (591 BC), King Zhuang of Chu died. In the 29th year (570 BC), the State of Chen betrayed its alliance with Chu, and in the 30th year (569 BC), King Gong of Chu launched an expedition against Chen. That same year, Duke Cheng of Chen died, and his son—a feeble successor known as Duke Ai—ascended the throne. Observing the mourning in Chen, the Chu king temporarily halted his military campaign and withdrew his forces.
In the 3rd year of Duke Ai’s reign (566 BC), Chu forces laid siege to Chen, though they eventually showed clemency. Later, in the 28th year (541 BC), a Chu prince besieged and killed King Jia Ao of Chu—also known as Yangping’s Jia Ao—and subsequently declared himself King Ling of Chu.
In the 34th year (535 BC), earlier events recounted that Duke Ai of Chen had wed a woman from Zheng; by her, his elder consort bore a posthumously lamented crown prince named Shi, while his younger consort bore a son called Yan. Additionally, Duke Ai kept two favored concubines—one of whom bore a son named Liu, and the other a son named Sheng. Cherishing Liu above all, Duke Ai entrusted him to the care of his younger brother, Situ Zhao. When Duke Ai fell gravely ill in March, Situ Zhao executed the deceased crown prince and proclaimed Liu as the new crown prince. Enraged, Duke Ai sought to slay Situ Zhao, who then mustered his troops and besieged the duke; overwhelmed by the tumult, Duke Ai ultimately took his own life by hanging. In the end, Situ Zhao confirmed Liu as the sovereign. In the following month, Chen dispatched envoys to Chu to announce the state’s mourning. Upon learning of the internal turmoil in Chen, King Ling of Chu executed the Chen envoys and ordered his own son, Prince Qi Ji, to lead an expedition against Chen. As a result, Liu, the ruler of Chen, fled to Zheng. By September, Chu forces had encircled Chen, and in November, they annihilated the state, subsequently appointing Prince Qi Ji as the new Duke of Chen.
When Zhao executed Crown Prince Dao, the prince’s son, Wu, fled to the State of Jin. Duke Ping of Jin then inquired of the court diviner Zhao, “Has the State of Chen now met its ultimate end?” The diviner replied, “Chen is descended from Zhuanxu. Only when the Chen clan rises to power in Qi will the original State of Chen truly be extinguished. From the era of Mu through that of the venerable Gu Sou, the ancestors of Chen never defied the Mandate of Heaven. Moreover, the flawless virtue of Emperor Shun—cherished and emulated by successive generations—has been upheld without deviation. When the time of Marquis Hu arrives, the Son of Heaven from Zhou will confer a surname upon him and command that he officiate the ancestral rites for Emperor Shun. Indeed, a person of such meritorious character deserves to be venerated for a hundred generations. Since the hundred-generation veneration of Emperor Shun in Yu has not yet been fulfilled, it is likely that his rites will continue in Qi.”
In the fifth year following King Ling of Chu’s subjugation of Chen, a Chu prince named Qi Ji assassinated King Ling and proclaimed himself King of Chu, later known as King Ping. Fresh on the throne and desirous of cultivating amicable relations among the feudal lords, King Ping sought out Wu—the son of the late Crown Prince Dao of Chen—and installed him as the Marquis of Chen, thereafter known as Marquis Hui. Upon his accession, Marquis Hui retroactively reset the Chen regnal calendar to commence from the year of Duke Ai’s demise, thereby artificially appending an extra five years.
In the 10th year (524 BC), a devastating fire ravaged the State of Chen. In the 15th year (519 BC), King Liao of Wu dispatched his son Guang to attack Chen, seizing the cities of Hu and Shen before returning in triumph. In the 28th year (506 BC), King Helu of Wu, together with the illustrious Wu Zixu, vanquished the forces of Chu and advanced into the capital, Yingdu. That very year, Marquis Hui of Chen died, and his son, Duke Huai, succeeded him.
In the first year of Duke Huai’s reign (505 BC), after King Wu had overpowered Chu and established his garrison at Yingdu, he summoned Duke Huai of Chen. Though Duke Huai wished to comply, a Chen minister cautioned, “King Wu is presently intoxicated with recent victories; while the Chu king may have fled, he remains an old friend of Chen—we must not betray the historic ties between Chen and Chu.” Consequently, Duke Huai excused himself on account of illness. In the 4th year (502 BC), when King Wu again summoned him, Duke Huai, fearful of reprisal, had no choice but to journey to Wu. Incensed by his earlier refusal, King Wu detained him, and Duke Huai eventually perished in Wu. In response, Chen installed Duke Huai’s son, Yue, as ruler—known henceforth as Duke Min of Chen.
In the 6th year of Duke Min’s reign (496 BC), Confucius visited Chen. Meanwhile, King Fuchai of Wu launched a military campaign against Chen, seizing three cities before returning. In the 13th year (489 BC), Wu renewed its aggression toward Chen. Facing imminent peril, Chen urgently entreated Chu for assistance. King Zhaoxiang of Chu promptly dispatched his troops to relieve Chen, garrisoning them at Chengfu and forcing the Wu army to withdraw. That very year, King Zhaoxiang of Chu died at Chengfu, while Confucius remained in Chen. In the 15th year (487 BC), the State of Song obliterated the State of Cao. The following year (486 BC), King Fuchai of Wu embarked on a northern expedition against Qi, inflicting a decisive defeat on the Qi forces at Ai Ling, and once more sent envoys to summon the Chen marquis. Alarmed, Duke Min of Chen ventured to Wu—a move that incited Chu to declare war on Chen. In the 21st year (481 BC), a Qi minister named Tian Chang assassinated Duke Jian of Qi. In the 23rd year (479 BC), a Chu noble, Bai Gongsheng, slew the ministers Zi Xi and Zi Qi and attacked King Hui of Chu; subsequently, Duke Ye of Chu defeated Bai Gongsheng, who then committed suicide.
In the 24th year (478 BC), King Hui of Chu reconstituted his realm and launched a northern campaign, during which Duke Min of Chen was slain. The State of Chen was thereby extinguished and absorbed into Chu. That same year, Confucius departed from this world.
Lastly, Donglou Gong of the State of Qi was a descendant of the great Yu of the Xia dynasty. During the Shang period, his fiefdom was intermittently maintained. After King Wu of Zhou triumphed over the tyrant of Shang, he sought out Yu’s progeny. Upon discovering Donglou Gong, he enfeoffed him in Qi, tasking him with the sacred duty of conducting the ancestral rites for the Xia Hou clan.