Chapter 5: Lord Xi
The first year, spring, the royal first month.
When succeeding a murdered ruler, not mentioning 'ascending the throne' is correct.
The armies of Qi, Song, and Cao halted at Niebei to rescue Xing.
An action of rescue does not normally mention a "halt". If it mentions a "halt," it means it was not a genuine rescue. If it was not a rescue, why does the text use the word "rescue"? It is to comply with and satisfy the intent of the Marquis of Qi. Was this entirely the Marquis of Qi's doing? Yes, it was the Marquis of Qi. How do we see that it was the Marquis of Qi? Cao actually had no army there; what is referred to as "the army of Cao" was merely the Earl of Cao himself. Why does the text not explicitly say "the Earl of Cao"? Because since the text did not explicitly mention the leader, the "Marquis of Qi," it could not inappropriately mention his follower, the "Earl of Cao." Why did it not explicitly mention the "Marquis of Qi"? Because his actions were not worthy of praise, the text does not mention the title "Marquis of Qi."
In summer, the sixth month, Xing relocated to Yiyi.
"Relocated" implies that they were still able to take their state institutions, altars, and people along with them. By explicitly naming the location, it signifies that the state of Xing re-manifested and survived in this new territory.
The armies of Qi, Song, and Cao built walls for Xing.
This was the very army that had previously attacked Xiang. Deploying them again felt like an entirely new enterprise, which praises the great achievement of the Marquis of Qi.
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.
When the Lord's wife passes away, the Annals normally does not explicitly name the location of her death. Naming the location indicates that her death was due to an abnormal cause. Because they did not actually return her as a deceased lady in a proper funeral manner; the text merely applied the term "funeral/remains" to her retrospectively out of courtesy. The text is concealing the shameful fact that she was extradited and brought back. By stating that the people of Qi "took her back," the text treats her death as the ultimate outcome that legally defined the return.
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 Zhu at Cheng.
In the ninth month, the Lord defeated the army of Zhu at Yan.
Not recording the day suggests uncertainty about the battle. Despite the uncertainty, calling it a defeat indicates that the home state was victorious.
In winter, the tenth month, on the renwu day, Prince You led the army and defeated the army of Ju at Li, capturing Ju Na.
The state of Ju normally does not have recognized grand masters, so why is this person explicitly named as "Ju Na"? It is because our state captured him, so he is identified specifically to emphasize the capture. The Annals normally does not use the word "captured" for internal operations, so why is it used here? It is to condemn the deception practiced by the Prince. What was this deception? Prince You said to Ju Na: "The two of us are displeased with one another, but what crime have our soldiers committed?" They dismissed their attendants and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Prince You was pinned underneath, whereupon his hidden attendants called out, "Meng Lao!" Meng Lao being a legendary prized dagger of Lu. Prince You used it to kill Ju Na. If so, why does the Annals condemn this deception? Because it is a total abandonment of the righteous way of commanding an army.
In the twelfth month, on the dingsi day, the remains of the Lord's wife arrived from Qi.
Omitting her clan name Jiang serves to condemn her for the murder of the two princes. Others say it was to conceal the taboo of Lord Huan killing his own kinsmen.
In the second year, spring, the royal first month, the wall of Chu Qiu was built.
What was Chuqiu? It was a city of the state of Wei. Usually, the term "built walls" is used for a capital state, but this was merely a city; why does the text say "built walls"? Because it was the enfeoffment and reconstitution of the state of Wei. Then why does the text not simply say "built walls for Wei"? Because the state of Wei had not yet officially relocated there. Why does it not mention Wei's relocation? It is to avoid granting the Marquis of Qi the right to arbitrarily enfeoff or re-establish a state. Writing "built walls" is an expression of arbitrary, unilateral action. Therefore, none but the Son of Heaven may arbitrarily enfeoff lords, and feudal lords have no right to arbitrarily enfeoff other lords. Although the Annals acknowledges the benevolence of his action, out of supreme justice, it does not grant him the formal right. Hence it is said: "Benevolence cannot be allowed to override the Way."
In summer, the fifth month, on the xinsi day, our Lord's wife, Lady Aijiang, was buried.
The armies of Yu and Jin destroyed Xiayang.
Xiayang was not a capital state, yet the text uses the word "destroyed." Why? It is to emphasize the critical weight and strategic importance of Xiayang. Yu did not actually possess a full, standard army. Why does the text refer to it as an "army"? Because the state of Yu is listed before Jin in the phrasing, it was syntactically impossible not to use the word "army." Why is Yu placed before Jin? To condemn Yu as the primary instigator and collaborator in the destruction of Xiayang. Xiayang was a heavily fortified border town situated between Yu and Guo; with the fall of Xiayang, both Yu and Guo would inevitably be seized. Why did Yu act as the primary collaborator in destroying Xiayang? Duke Xian of Jin desired to launch a military campaign against Guo. His minister, Xun Xi, advised him: "Why does my Lord not offer the famed team of horses from Quchan and the precious jade disk of Chuiji to request a right of passage through the state of Yu?" The Duke replied: "These are the supreme treasures of the State of Jin. What if the Duke of Yu accepts our gifts but refuses to grant us the right of passage?" Xun Xi answered: "This is exactly how a small state serves a great state. If he intends to deny us passage, he will certainly not dare to accept our gifts. If he does accept our gifts and grants us passage, it is merely equivalent to taking our treasures from our inner treasury to store them in our outer treasury, or taking our horses from our inner stable to place them in our outer stable." The Duke objected: "Gong Zhiqi is present at the Yu court; he will surely never allow the Duke of Yu to accept them." Xun Xi responded: "As for the character of Gong Zhiqi, he is intellectually clear but faint-hearted, and moreover, he grew up alongside the Duke of Yu. Because his mind is clear, his speeches are concise and easily ignored; because he is faint-hearted, he is incapable of severe remonstrance; and because he grew up with the Duke, the Duke treats him lightly. Furthermore, when delightful playthings are right before one's eyes and ears, while a catastrophic threat lies far behind the security of the whole nation, none but those of above-average intelligence can foresee it. I assess the Duke of Yu to be of below-average intelligence." The Duke of Jin subsequently requested the path and attacked Guo. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated, saying: "The words of the Jin envoy are humble, yet their gifts are excessively heavy; this will surely bring no benefit to Yu." The Duke of Yu refused to listen; he accepted the gifts and granted them the right of passage. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated again, saying: "An old proverb says, 'If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' Is this not exactly what it means!" He then packed up and took his wife and children to flee to the state of Cao. Duke Xian of Jin successfully destroyed Guo, and five years later, he swallowed up Yu as well. Xun Xi then led the horses and held the jade disk as he stepped forward to the Duke of Jin, saying: "The jade disk remains exactly as it was, but the horses' teeth have grown a bit older!"
In autumn, the ninth month, the Marquis of Qi, the Duke of Song, a person of Jiang, and a person of Huang made a covenant at Guan.
Regarding the covenant at Guan, those who arrived voluntarily without prior appointment were the people of Jiang and the people of Huang. The phrasing "the people of Jiang and the people of Huang" is an expression reserved for distant states. The Central States are referred to as "Qi" and "Song," while the distant states are referred to as "Jiang" and "Huang"; this is to demonstrate that the feudal lords from all over the world, even from afar, came to attend.
In winter, the tenth month, it did not rain.
Writing "it did not rain" is an expression of deep anxiety and earnest longing for rain.
The people of Chu invaded Zheng.
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