Chapter 5: Lord Xi
It was the duke's first year, the spring, the king's first month.
Why does the Annals not state that the Lord "ascended the throne"? When succeeding a lord who was assassinated, a son does not state that he ascended the throne. He was not the son, so why is he treated here as a son? The principle for a minister and a son is one and the same in this context.
The armies of Qi, Song, and Cao halted at Niebei to rescue Xing.
An action of rescue does not normally mention a "halt." Why does it mention a "halt" here? Because they were too late for the event. What does "too late for the event" mean? Xing had already perished. Who destroyed it? It was probably the Di barbarians who destroyed it. Why does the Annals not explicitly state that the Di destroyed it? It is to conceal the failure on behalf of Lord Huan. Why conceal it for Lord Huan? Above there was no powerful Son of Heaven, and below there was no leader among the feudal lords. When the lords of the world destroyed one another, and Lord Huan failed to rescue them, Lord Huan considered it a disgrace. Why is the "halt" mentioned before the "rescue"? Because the rulers personally led the armies. If the rulers led them, why does the text only refer to them as "armies"? It is because the Annals does not grant feudal lords the right to arbitrarily enfeoff or re-establish states. Why not grant it? In reality, Lord Huan granted it, but the text does not grant it. Why does the wording not grant it? According to the righteousness of feudal lords, they are not permitted to arbitrarily enfeoff states. If their righteousness does not permit arbitrary enfeoffment, then why is it said that he "in reality granted it"? Above there was no Son of Heaven, and below there was no leader among the lords. If a state among the lords of the world was about to perish, and one had the power to rescue it, then rescuing it was permissible.
In summer, the sixth month, Xing was relocated to Chenyi.
What is meant by "relocate"? It means it was done by their own will. What is meant by "relocated"? It means it was against their own will.
The armies of Qi, Song, and Cao built walls for Xing.
This and the previous entry belong to the same continuous undertaking. Why are "the armies of Qi, Song, and Cao" mentioned again? If "the armies" were not repeated, there would be no way for the reader to know that this was part of the exact same continuous achievement.
In autumn, the seventh month, on the wuchen day, the Lord's wife, Lady Jiang, passed away in Yi, and the people of Qi took her remains back.
What was Yi? It was Qi territory. Since it was Qi territory, why does the text say "the people of Qi took her back"? Because the Lady passed away in Yi, the people of Qi consequently took her back. The Lady passed away on Qi territory, but why did the people of Qi take her back? Lord Huan summoned her there and had her strangled to death. The people of Chu attacked Zheng. In the eighth month, the Lord met with the Marquis of Qi, the Duke of Song, the Earl of Zheng, the Earl of Cao, and a person of Zhulou at Ting.
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