《穆天子传》

The Traditions of King Mu of Zhou was unearthed from a tomb in Ji, the ancient writings found in the tomb of a king of Wei from the Warring States period. In the Jin dynasty, Xun Xu arranged and edited it into six scrolls. A preface at the beginning of the book says that, although the events it records do not conform to the standards of the classics, its language is very old and the book is worth reading. In his preface, Zimei writes that King Mu of Zhou ruled for a hundred years and became old and muddled in his later years. The Grand Historian’s account of King Mu’s meeting with the Queen Mother of the West also agrees with most other traditions. The book, then, probably gives a detailed record of events from that time and should not be dismissed lightly as absurd.

During the Spring and Autumn period, each feudal state kept its own histories, and these often included many confused accounts. By the Warring States period, the Zhou royal house had declined, the words of sages and worthies were gradually lost, and recluses began offering their own opinions. Various competing teachings arose, each presenting a complete system of its own. How could the records possibly have remained entirely free of confusion?

The book records King Mu traveling throughout the realm with the Seven Companies of Men, his attendants and guards. This suggests that his escort was small and that he made little demand on the people’s labor. He was unlike the emperors of the Qin and Han, whose tours involved thousands of cavalry and tens of thousands of chariots, with the whole country expended to support their journeys. King Mu took stock of his own faults and accepted the Seven Companies’ admonitions; the book does not say that he resented them.

When King Mu climbed Mount Tanyu, he ordered the Marquis of Xing to collect jade, but did not accept the provisions offered to him. This reflects the former kings’ concern for the people. When rain and snow came, he let his attendants rest while he rode ahead on the Eight Steeds and waited for them. Ten days passed before he resumed the journey, and he did not press the others to hurry. These records show that King Mu inherited the peace and prosperity of the reigns of Kings Cheng and Kang, and that the people lived in tranquillity. Even though King Yan of Xu strove to practice benevolence and righteousness, this was not enough to let him use those ideals to rally and unsettle the realm. From this, we can see that King Mu issued no tyrannical decrees and committed no acts of oppression.

Yet gentlemen still considered it fortunate that King Mu ultimately died at Qigong, the name of a palace. This shows how deeply people of the time feared him. How could such conduct be imitated? How could it be imitated? Preserving this book can indeed help us understand ancient events; but if we cite it to verify history, we must also distinguish what in it is right from what is wrong.

Liu Zhenting of Haidai, an official in the Southern Terrace Bureau, had long kept a copy of this book. Worried that it would be lost, he used his leisure time to sort and correct its errors, then commissioned the government school in Jinling to reprint it so that it could be shared with learned and cultivated readers. I have therefore written this piece and placed it at the beginning of the book.

On the twenty-seventh day of the second lunar month, the Renzi day, in the spring of the tenth year of Zhizheng, the Gengyin year (1350), written by Wang Jian, styled Xuanhan, of Beiyue.

This preface says that The Biography of King Mu was discovered in the second year of the Taikang era (281 CE), when people from Ji County robbed an ancient tomb. The text was written on bamboo slips bound together with plain silk. According to the ancient measurements established by Xun Xu, each slip was two chi and four cun long, with the characters written in ink, forty to a slip. During the Warring States period, Ji County belonged to the state of Wei.

Judging from the dates recorded in the book, the tomb was probably that of King Ling, son of King Hui of Wei. According to The Genealogies of the Generations, however, the tomb’s occupant should have been King Xiang of Wei. From the twenty-first year of King Ling’s reign to the thirty-fourth year of the First Emperor of Qin was a span of eighty-six years. By the time the book was discovered in the second year of the Taikang era, 579 years had passed. The book records King Mu of Zhou’s travels. The Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals says that King Mu of Zhou wished to satisfy his desires to the fullest and travel throughout the realm, hoping that every region would have chariots and horses ready for his use. This book records just such events.

King Mu of Zhou loved to travel. He acquired fine horses called “Dao Li” and “Green Ear,” and had Zao Fu drive him as he surveyed the four directions. He went north across the Flowing Sands and west up Mount Kunlun, where he met the Queen Mother of the West. These accounts agree with those of the Grand Historian. The people of Ji Commandery were not careful when storing the unearthed bamboo slips, and many had already been damaged or broken. Although the wording of the book does not conform to the familiar elegant literary style, it is an ancient text, after all, and still contains much worth reading. Xun Xu respectfully copied it onto yellow paper two chi long and submitted a request that, once matters had settled, both the original bamboo slips and the new copy be handed to the Secretariat for transcription. The master copy was to be kept in the Central Classics collection, and the duplicate stored in the Three Pavilions.

The Biography of King Mu, Volume One

Annotations by Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty.

Ancient Text

The Son of Heaven drank wine at Zhuoyinjuan Mountain. On the day wuyin, the Son of Heaven set out northward, then crossed the Zhang River. “Cross” means to go over. The Zhang River is now in the area of Ye County. On the day gengchen, the Son of Heaven reached □ and raised a cup to drink…

The Son of Heaven drank wine on Juan Mountain. On the day wuyin, he set out on a northern campaign and crossed the Zhang River. “Jue” means to cross. The Zhang River today is in the area of Ye County.

On the day gengchen, the Son of Heaven arrived at a place whose name is missing. Someone offered him wine on a flat rock. “Shang” means to serve wine. The Son of Heaven then performed the Grand Music, a magnificent and expansive dance and musical performance. The Records of the Grand Historian recounts that Zhao Jianzi, after falling into a coma for seven days during an illness, awoke and said he had gone to the place where the Celestial Emperor lived. He had been very happy, traveling with the myriad spirits in Jun Heaven, where he heard the Grand Music performed nine times, along with the Myriad Dances. Its sound differed from the music of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties and could move the heart. This account helps explain the meaning of “Grand Music.” The Son of Heaven stood in his carriage without getting down and continued on, reaching the foot of Mount Xing. Mount Xing today is in the area of Shiyi County, Changshan Commandery. “Xing” is pronounced like “Xing” in the character for “to travel.”

On the day guiwei, rain and snow began to fall. The Son of Heaven hunted on the western slope of Mount Xing and reached the steep valley pass at Mount Jueping. “Dui” refers to a difficult stretch of road through a valley and is pronounced “sui.” The Son of Heaven then traveled along the north bank of the Motuo River. The Motuo River today is in the area of Tengmenlu County.

On the day yǒu, the Son of Heaven climbed north to a place whose name is missing, then continued north toward the Quanrong. According to the Discourses of the States, when King Mu of Zhou campaigned against the Quanrong, the Grand Mentor Ji Gongmoufu tried to dissuade him, but the king would not listen. He went on the campaign and returned with four white wolves and four white deer. After this, the tribes of the remote frontier regions no longer came to pay court. The Bamboo Annals also says that King Mu took five Quanrong chiefs with him and returned east.

The Quanrong offered the Son of Heaven wine on the north bank of the Dang River. Pleased by what he heard, he rewarded the Seven Companies of Warriors—a personal guard made up of capable and valiant men—and sent them into battle. On the day gengyin, a northerly wind rose, and rain and snow fell together. Because of the cold, the Son of Heaven ordered his attendants to rest. On the day jiawu, he set out westward and crossed the mountain slope at Yu Pass. “Deng” refers to a hillside.

The terrain around “Beiling” was rugged and difficult to traverse. The dangerous place to the west was called “Xiji-hai” and belonged to Menshan. The route then reached Yanju, Yuzhi, and other places, all names of states.

On the xinchou day, the Son of Heaven set out westward on an expedition and arrived in the land of the Na people. Na was the name of a state. Naxiang Xu, a descendant of the River Ancestor, came to welcome the Son of Heaven. Xu was his personal name, and his noble rank was earl. He waited for the Son of Heaven at a place in Zhi, offering ten leopard skins and twenty-six fine horses. In ancient times, people customarily presented gifts before performing a formal greeting. The Commentary says, “First came the four horses,” meaning that four horses were offered first. The Son of Heaven ordered Jing Li to accept the gifts. Jing Li was a trusted minister of King Mu.

On the guiyou day, the Son of Heaven lodged at Qishi. The next day, he went west to the riverbank to fish and admire the local scenery. On the jiachen day, he hunted at Shenze and captured a white fox and dark-colored beasts, which he used in a sacrifice to the River Ancestor. The Son of Heaven was about to hold a riverbank ritual and considered this hunt an especially notable one, so he made the animals offerings.

On the bingwu day, the Son of Heaven drank by the river and assembled the troops of the Six Armies in the area of Shenze, south of a neighboring state. Here, “assemble” means to gather together.

On the wuyin day, the Son of Heaven continued westward, driving his chariot to Mount Yangyu. This was said to be the home of the Earl of the River, Wuyi—Fengyi, the legendary river god—and the seat of the River Ancestor clan. The clan took its name from the river and held a position comparable to that of a head of the waters in the four directions. Qiao Yao of the River Ancestor clan came to welcome the Son of Heaven. At Mount Yanyan, he held a banquet and presented him with lengths of silk and jade bi disks as tokens of welcome and consolation. Here, “welcoming and consoling” means receiving visitors in the countryside and offering them hospitality.

Each bundle consisted of five liang. The liang was a unit of length at the time, equivalent to about two zhang today. The Son of Heaven first handed the white object to Linfu. Zoufu was Zou Gong Moufu, who composed the poem “Qizhao.”

On the day guichou, the Son of Heaven held a grand court assembly beside the Yan□ Mountains and the Yellow River. He summoned officials of every rank and announced that he would sacrifice to the Yellow River. He then ordered Jing Li, Liang Gu, and the Grandee of Liangmen to lead the Six Armies. Here, “yu” means “thereupon,” while “you” is interchangeable with “ri.” The Son of Heaven selected the day wuwu as auspicious. The Book of Songs speaks of “the auspicious day gengwu.”

The Son of Heaven wore full ceremonial dress: a crown and an upper robe. The commentary holds that this was the Queen’s finest ceremonial attire, though the Son of Heaven wore it here; the reason is unknown. “Zhang” is read as “hui.” He fastened a qi sash, wore two jade pendants, and held a bi disc as he stood facing south at “Hanxia.” The precise location meant by “Hanxia” is unknown. The Zeng Zhu assisted him. “Zeng” carries the sense of repetition. Officials arranged the sacrificial animals, with cattle, sheep, and other livestock all present and intact. “Sheng” refers to the kinds of livestock, and “quan” means that their limbs were whole. Another interpretation takes “complete color” to mean that the animals had uniformly colored coats.

The Son of Heaven handed the bi disc to Boyao, the Earl of the Yellow River. Facing west, Boyao sank the disc into the Yellow River. The spirit’s shrine was located at Kunlun. Boyao bowed and prostrated himself again, made an invocation, and then sank cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep into the river as offerings.

The River Deity, acting on Heaven’s command, delivered a message to the Son of Heaven, addressing him as “King Mu.” The king called himself “Mu Man,” using his personal name as a gesture of humility. The “Mu Man” recorded in the text may be the name used by a later chronicler. The River Deity admonished King Mu to govern worldly affairs for a long time. King Mu faced south and bowed in thanks again.

The River Deity then delivered another message to the Son of Heaven: “Mu Man, I will show you the fine jade of Mount Chong.” The Classic of Mountains and Seas writes “Mount Chong” as “Mount Lu”; the characters differ in form but have the same pronunciation. The text says that Mount Chong contains many treasures and strange things. The River Deity also told him that Kunlun had four level places to dwell and seventy springs.

This passage mainly describes the exchanges between King Mu and the River Earl, the river deity, as well as the treasures and objects found around Mount Kunlun.

King Mu came to the hills of Mount Kunlun to view the fine jade produced at Mount Chun. The dialogue in the passage is all between the River Earl and King Mu. The River Earl bestowed a blessing on King Mu, wishing him a full measure of good fortune at the end of the year. King Mu accepted the River Earl’s command and performed a double bow facing south to show his respect.

On the day of Jiwei, King Mu held a grand court ceremony at Mount Huang. He prepared to perform a sacrifice to the river deity before departing. He opened maps and books to examine the treasures and objects used by the Son of Heaven, and inspected the deity’s dwelling place and the associated ritual designs. The “jade treasures of the Son of Heaven” mentioned in the text include jade fruit, precious objects resembling fine jade; Xuan pearls, beads and jades of the Xuan-jade kind; candle-bright silver; and the essence of gold, a phrase akin to the expression “jade cream.” These treasures were assigned prices according to rank and status: those used by the Son of Heaven were worth ten thousand gold pieces, while the other ranks were valued successively at one hundred, fifty, and ten gold pieces. The original text is incomplete here. The commentator surmises that it should have listed ranks such as nobles and high officials, but does not supply them.

The text also lists the Son of Heaven’s bow, archers, foot sword, oxen and horses, and rhinoceros-made objects, saying that these were worth a thousand gold pieces. The meaning of “foot sword” is unclear; the commentator guesses it may refer to a sword used by Buxian. The rhinoceros is an animal resembling a water buffalo, with triangular features on its feet and a black coloring. The Son of Heaven’s horses could travel a thousand miles in a day and surpass both people and fierce beasts. His dogs could run a hundred miles and catch tigers and leopards, descriptions that portray them as powerful and fierce.

At the end, the passage mentions several kinds of birds and beasts. Wuy ao says, “The expeditionary crow uses its wings,” apparently referring to the wings of a bird like a crow. The “crane chicken” could fly eight hundred miles; the commentator believes it was a kind of swan. Several characters in the original are unclear or corrupted in transmission, so these names and phrases can only be understood from the text as it survives.

Rare and remarkable beasts can lend people their strength, allowing them to travel a thousand li in a day. The suanni, a legendary lion, and the wild horse can travel five hundred li a day. The suanni is simply a lion, and can eat tigers and leopards. The wild horse resembles a horse but is smaller, and belongs to the swan family. Qiongqiong, a legendary equine beast, and juxu, another mythical horse, can travel a hundred li a day. The Shizi says that Julu runs without choosing a road; the Classic of Mountains and Seas also records the Manying and Juxu. These accounts all describe their running abilities. The elk can travel twenty li. From the Chen onward, the text seems to list the running distances of various beasts in sequence.

Boyao and the others all presented the Son of Heaven with charts and records from the Yellow River. “Records” here means ritual observances. The things mentioned earlier were all recorded in the numerical patterns of the Yellow River charts; the Earl of the Yellow River presented them as gifts to King Mu. King Mu then rode in a carriage drawn by horses named Quhuang, which he sent ahead of the imperial procession to lead the way toward the western frontier.

On the day yichou, the Son of Heaven crossed the Yellow River to the west and arrived at a warm valley and a pleasant place to live. Winters here were mild. In the land of Yan there was another valley, a cold one, where even the grains could not grow. This was a place where the clan of the Earl of the Yellow River traveled and dwelled, and it was the district to which Boyao belonged.

On the day bingyin, the Son of Heaven ordered his attendants to count the objects, assemble the officials, and inspect the precious things they had obtained, including fine jade. He then instructed Zheng Gong Jiaofu to receive his orders and manage the arrangements. Zheng Gong was one of the three high ministers on whom the Son of Heaven relied. The Son of Heaven also ordered that a carriage be prepared for the Eight Steeds, and went to water the horses at Zhizhi, a small island formed where the river divides. This place lay on the banks of the Yellow River south of Mount Jishi, the name of a mountain.

Among the Son of Heaven’s steeds, Chiji, Daoli, and Baiyi were all famous horses. Daoli was black, with a slender neck; Baiyi was also a famous horse.

This is now in the area of Wen County, Jincheng River. The Nan River rises in the northern mountains and flows southeast.

“Fine steed” is a term of praise for an excellent horse. Chiji, Qiji as people commonly call it, and Daoli are all names of horses. Daoli had a slender build and a fine neck; “li” means black. Baiyi, Yulun, Shanzi, Quhuang, and Hualiu are also horse names. Hualiu had a patterned coat of reddish color and is now called “Mabiao.” A red horse is called Zaoli; “zao” means red. One account says that Lü’er was the foal of a black horse presented by the ruler of Beitang when he came to pay court. During the Wei dynasty, the Xianbei presented a thousand-li horse that was entirely white with yellow ears; some also called it Huang’er. The names of the Eight Steeds all derive from their coat colors.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Zaofu once obtained horses including Daoli, Hualiu, and Lü’er for King Mu. He drove the king westward to visit the Queen Mother of the West, and they were so engrossed in their pleasures that they forgot to return. These accounts are all the same as the ones given here, as if they matched perfectly. Dog Zhonggong, Cheshen, Huanjia, □huang, Nan□, and Laibai are all names of hounds used for imperial hunts, like Songque and other hunting dogs.

The emperor’s charioteers included Zaofu, Sanbai, Geng Xiao, and Shaoji. The text later also says that Sanbai was a charioteer. Zaofu was skilled at driving, and King Mu enfeoffed him with the city of Zhao. No record survives of the others.

The scripture says: “The Son of Heaven then went with them in and out among the mountains, wilderness, and marshland, hunting, fishing, and shooting birds.” “Shooting” means using a corded arrow to bring down birds. The Son of Heaven sighed: “Alas, my virtue is not yet sufficient, yet I think only of pleasure. Will later generations repeatedly recount my faults?” King Mu traveled excessively and often forgot to return, so he spoke these words to warn himself.

The Seven Companies of Warriors, the emperor’s guards, advised him: “What later generations hope for is that people will not depart from the regular course of Heaven: that they will follow the seasonal order of the six periods of the year, so that farming and craftwork can both be completed and harvests will be abundant year after year; that men and women will have clothing and food and suffer neither hunger nor cold; and that the people will live in peace and prosperity while officials and functionaries each fulfill their duties. If these things are achieved, then even when the seasons are unfavorable, the people will hope that later generations do not abandon Heaven’s regular course and continue to follow the four seasons.”

Farmers and craftsmen all had their proper place, and the harvests were abundant. Men and women had clothing to wear and food to eat, and no longer suffered hunger or cold. The people lived in peace and prosperity. Officials each fulfilled their duties and attended to the affairs within their charge.

Thus, even when the seasons brought disasters, the people could still live in peace and contentment. Why, then, would anyone need to seek pleasure deliberately? The meaning is that when pleasure is not pursued deliberately, ease and contentment come of their own accord. How was it possible to forget personal desires? By remaining ever mindful in cultivating De. Ruler and people shared in its benefits, making this their custom from generation to generation.

The Son of Heaven praised him, saying that his words were good, and bestowed on him a splendid jade pendant to wear on his left side. The “Jade Flower Pendant” was an exquisite ornament. He then bowed again in thanks, touching his head to the ground in greeting.

End of Volume One of The Biography of King Mu of Zhou.

The Biography of King Mu of Zhou, Volume Two

Commentary by Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty.

Ancient text

□ Wuyao said, “□ Feng Mozhou performed a sealing sacrifice on the north bank of the River. Mozhou is a personal name, possibly pronounced ‘Mo.’ He was appointed the chief officiant for the Yin people. Here, ‘chief’ means the person who presides over a particular sacrifice; it refers to someone of the same surname.”

Wu Yao said, “Feng Mo-Zhou was on the northern bank of the Yellow River. Mo-Zhou was a personal name, probably pronounced something like ‘Mo Zhou,’ and he is thought to have been a leader among the Yin people. Calling him ‘lord’ here may mean that he presided over a certain sacrifice. The reference to Qi is connected with the notion of sharing the same surname.”

On the day of Ding-Si, the Son of Heaven traveled southwest and climbed Mount □. He arrived at the place where the person who presided over the sacrifices lived and stayed there, in memory of the places where worthy sages of antiquity had once resided. Tall trees and wild animals could be found there, making it suitable for hunting.

On the day of Wu-Wu, Julu of the people of □ presented the Son of Heaven with a hundred wine vessels. After drinking, the Son of Heaven continued on his way and eventually lodged on the slope of Kunlun Mountain, on the north bank of the Red River. Legend says that Kunlun Mountain has waters of five colors, and that the Red River flows out from its southeastern corner and runs northeast. These accounts all appear in the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhai Jing). There was also Yingwu Mountain, with Yingwu pronounced like “Zhen”; it was also called Mei Mountain. The Son of Heaven stayed at Yingwu Mountain for three days.

Choosing the auspicious day of Xin-You, the Son of Heaven climbed Kunlun Hill and gazed upon the palace of the Yellow Emperor. Legend says that the Yellow Emperor traveled through the four quarters, climbed Kunlun Mountain, and built a palace there. The Son of Heaven also had a tomb built for Fenglong, a spirit who governed clouds and rain and later became the Thunder God. The character before “Fenglong’s burial” in the text may be corrupt. When the tomb was built, earth was heaped over it to make it rise prominently, thereby marking it for later generations.

On the day of Gui-Hai, the Son of Heaven prepared pure sacrificial animals and performed a sacrifice on Kunlun Hill. In the text, “juan” means pure, “qi” refers to ritual abstinence before a sacrifice, and “yin” means making offerings to the spirits.

On the day of Jia-Zi, the Son of Heaven set out north and lodged at Pearl Marsh. The place was named for its pearls. The commentator notes that green pearls were also produced in the marshes of Yue-Lun Ping. The Son of Heaven fished in the flowing water. The marsh at Pearl Marsh extended thirty li in every direction. A wetland overgrown with grass is called a “sou.” Aquatic plants such as quwei and guanpu grew there, as did plants called yu, jia, and huang. The character “huang” is now written as “pu” and pronounced something like “bei.”

“Jian” refers to jianhe, a plant resembling qucai but with finer leaves. “Po” belongs to the category of weeds. The Book of Songs says, “In the fourth month, yao comes into bloom.” Some words are missing from the text, so their precise referents can no longer be identified. “Wanpu” may also be a collective term for two kinds of grass; in the Guanzhong region, wan is pronounced “wan.” In the term “yujia,” the character jia appears as pu in the received edition and is pronounced “bei.”

The local people presented white jade and other objects, along with vessels for use in sacrifice or washing and bathing. They also offered food and wine. The names and quantities of some items are missing from the text and cannot be determined. They then presented three hundred horses for the royal kitchen, as well as three thousand head of cattle and sheep.

The Son of Heaven went to Mount Kunlun. This passage seems to say that an official responsible for the frontier was stationed beside Mount Kunlun to guard the palace of the Yellow Emperor: to the south, he watched over the Red River; to the north, the treasures of Mount Chong. This was meant to honor the virtue of a sage king and, in doing so, to proclaim his achievements.

The Son of Heaven bestowed on the local people gold rings, vermilion belts decorated with shells, and goods produced in Gongbu. The local people accepted the gifts after performing the kowtow. This was a solemn rite in which the person paying respect raised their hands to their head. The Son of Heaven also gave them twelve yellow oxen as breeding stock for sacrificial use and assigned thirty people to remain at Kunlun Mound. Some words concerning the gifts and the number of people are missing from the text.

On the dingmao day of the final summer month, the Son of Heaven climbed Mount Chong and looked out in every direction. He said, “Mount Chong is the highest mountain under Heaven.” On the mountain grew the zi tree, which blossoms without fear of wind or snow. The Son of Heaven therefore gathered its flowers and took them back to plant. Zi is pronounced “zi.”

The Son of Heaven also said, “Clear springs well up in the marshlands of Mount Chong. The climate is mild, there is no wind, and black-striped grass grows well there. Birds and beasts all come here to drink and forage.” The “Hanging Garden” spoken of by the ancient kings refers to a place like this. The Huainanzi records that Mount Kunlun stands eleven thousand li above the earth and has nine tiers of walled cities; above them is a place twice as high, called “Ban Feng.”

Traveling twice as far again, he reached a place called Xuánpǔ, a mythical realm of immortals. From there, the route continued downward in sequence. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says that Míngmíng, Kūnlún, and Jīngpǔ were three separate mountains lying close together. It also says that this place was actually the Heavenly Emperor’s Píngpǔ, his garden.

The Son of Heaven then obtained the essence of the jade stalks of Zī. “Essence” means the finest part of the jade. The Master of the Corpse says that Longquan produces jade essence. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says that the Yellow Emperor once took jade stalks from Mì Mountain and cast them to the south of Zhōng Mountain; this is the event being described.

Chōng Mountain was a gathering place for wild beasts and a roosting ground for birds. One kind of beast there preyed on tigers and leopards. It resembled a sika deer, had a bony plate on its body, and looked like a Tang beast, with a small head and a large nose. The mountain was also home to red leopards, white tigers, bears, jackals, wolves, wild horses, wild cattle, mountain goats, and wild boars. Wild cattle and mountain goats can still be found on Huáyīn Mountain today, and each can weigh as much as a thousand jin.

There were also white crows and blue peng birds, which could prey on dogs, sheep, pigs, and deer. Today’s peng birds have reddish bodies and can eat muntjacs and deer. The Son of Heaven surveyed Chōng Mountain for five days, then had an inscription carved at Xuánpǔ, the immortal realm on the mountain, to make his deeds known to later generations. In other words, he had his achievements recorded in stone, as Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han did when they traveled through the realm and erected inscribed steles on famous mountains.

On the day Rénshēn, the Son of Heaven set out on a campaign to the west. On the day Jiǎxū, he arrived in the territory of the Zǐ Chìwū people. They presented a thousand hu of wine, nine hundred horses for food, three thousand sheep and cattle, and a hundred carts of naked barley. Naked barley resembles millet, but its husk is difficult to remove. The Son of Heaven sent Jìfù to accept the tribute and said, “The Chìwū clan originally came from the Zhou people and shares an ancestor with them.”

King Wang Zhifu was the courtesy name of Gugong Zhifu. His power first rose in the west, where he established his foundation below Mount Qi. His city is now in Meiyang County, Fufeng Commandery. Gugong Zhifu enfeoffed his eldest son, Hao Taibo, in Donghao. Taibo yielded the throne and went to Hao, where he was enfeoffed.

The Son of Heaven ordered that he be treated with punishment by a blade of metal. The metal of the south was fine and sharp, so “blade of metal” here refers to the law’s punishments. The gift was a jade disc from the Zhou royal house. “Gifts” means presents that are given.

The Son of Heaven enfeoffed Yuan Bi Chen Jichuo at Zhi of Mount Chong, married his eldest daughter to him, and ordered that he be treated with punishment by jade. Kunlun produces fine jade, so “jade” here stands for such punishment. The Son of Heaven appointed him steward of the Zhou royal house.

The Son of Heaven then bestowed on the Red Crow people a black carriage and four horses. Under Zhou ritual, grandees rode in black carriages. He also gave them forty yi of gold, with one yi equal to twenty liang; fifty shell belts; and three hundred bundles of vermilion. Yuan performed a full prostration before the Son of Heaven and accepted the gifts. According to the commentary, “bundles” means “crossings.” Yuan was the name of the Red Crow people’s leader.

Yuan said, “□ Mountain is a fine mountain under Heaven. It produces precious jade and good grain, and its vegetation is lush and beautiful.” The Son of Heaven then gathered some fine grain and took it back to plant in the Central Plain. Emperor Wu of Han had also brought foreign fragrant herbs and vegetables back to the Central Plain for cultivation.

The Son of Heaven rested for five days below □ Mountain and had grand music performed. Yuan of the Red Crow people delighted in presenting women to the Son of Heaven, using this to establish ties and strengthen friendship. Nü Ting and Nü Lie were called “jade women.” The commentary says that one woman’s name has been lost.

Yuan said, “The Red Crow people’s land abounds in beautiful women and is also a place where precious jade is found.”

On the day of Jimao, the Son of Heaven marched north, traveling swiftly and stopping to rest after every thirty li. On the day of Gengchen, he crossed the Yang River, which rises in the Kunlun Mountains.

The people of Zhao continued quickly onward, covering another thirty li. On the day Gengchen, King Mu of Zhou crossed the Yang River. It rises at the northwestern edge of the Kunlun Mountains and flows east. “Yang” is pronounced “xiang.”

On the day Xinsi, King Mu entered the lands of the Caonu people. The people of the Xi state held a banquet for the king by the Yang River and presented him with nine hundred horses for food, seven thousand cattle and sheep, and one hundred carts of barley. The king ordered Feng Gu, an official of the Zhou court, to accept these gifts. He then bestowed on the people of Xi precious items, including golden deer, silver vessels, forty shell belts, and four hundred packets of cinnabar. The people of Xi bowed and accepted the gifts.

On the day Renwu, the king traveled north, then turned east and began his return journey. On the day Jiashen, he reached the Black River. This river also rises at the northwestern edge of the Kunlun Mountains and flows southeast. The Ximo people called it “Honglu” (“Swan”). “Ximo” refers to peoples beyond the frontier in desert regions, whose names and customs differed from those of the Central Plain. Here the text also cites the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Commentary of Guliang to explain that ancient books sometimes used Central Plain names for places known by different names among foreign peoples.

It rained continuously for seven days. The king left his six divisions and their attendants here. King Mu’s horses were strong, and his charioteers skilled, so his carriage often traveled ahead of the main group. The king therefore enfeoffed the Longarm people on the western bank of the Black River. The Longarms were people with long arms; their bodies resembled those of people from the Central Plain, but their arms were three zhang long. The Classic of Mountains and Seas also records that Longarm people lived in the Red Sea, while Longleg people lived east of it. This place lay north of Honglu. King Mu placed it under the Zhou royal house’s jurisdiction, named it “Land of the Left-Behind Bones,” and used that as the place-name.

On the day Xinmao, the king again traveled north, then turned east and followed the Black River. On the day Guisi, he reached Mount Caoyu, also known as Mount Zhangyu in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, where the Queen Mother of the West was said to live. The Rong clan guarded this place, which was called “Sun-Dried Jade Fields.”

Legend says that the mountain where the Queen Mother of the West lived was level, with no steep or dangerous terrain. Its broad, straight sides seemed to have been measured with a carpenter’s line. This mountain was called the Mountain of the Former Kings. It was also guarded by the Rong□ clan, and there lay the Sun-Drought Jade Fields. The mountain was known as the “archives of the ancient emperors”: rulers of the past kept their books there, in what was called “storing them in a famous mountain.” The mountain had almost no plants or trees, and no birds or beasts. It was said to be covered everywhere with jade. A certain tree also grew there, which the people of Ximo called □.

The Son of Heaven took three carts of jade from the mountain, along with jade objects and items of adornment and dress, such as rings and pendants. Altogether, the load amounted to ten thousand measures of jade. An ancient book says, “A measure of jade is a valley”; see the Zuo Tradition. The Son of Heaven rested for four days on Jade-Grass Mountain. “Rest” here means to stroll and take one’s ease. He then ordered the Marquis of Xing to remain there and oversee the jade gatherers.

On the Dingyou day of early autumn, the Son of Heaven traveled north. The people of □, Qianshi, hosted a banquet for him on Feather Mound Mountain and presented fine horses, cattle, and sheep. Since the people of their state made their living by mining and working jade, the Son of Heaven declined their sacrificial offerings, so they would not incur too great an expense. Wu Yao said, “The □ clan are descendants of Kan□.” The Son of Heaven then bestowed on them thirty-six golden jars, a kind of vessel, and three hundred bundles of vermilion. Qianshi respectfully bowed and accepted the gifts.

On the Wuxu day, the Son of Heaven traveled west; on the Xinchou day, he arrived in the land of the Zhiwen clan. He ordered the Zhiwen clan to provide food for the Six Armies. The Book of Songs says, “The King of Zhou goes forth, and the Six Armies follow.” On the Renyin day, the Son of Heaven climbed Iron Mountain. He ordered the sacrificial vessels to be cleared away and gave the Zhiwen clan the leftovers from the sacrifice. Wengui respectfully bowed and received them.

Wengui came forward, bowed, and accepted the Son of Heaven’s gifts. Wengui is a personal name.

After completing the sacrifice, the Son of Heaven continued on his journey, traveling west. On the bingwu day, he reached the lands of the Yinghan clan. There lay Leyuan, a mild-climate region where plants grew thick across the fields and wheat flourished. Dogs, horses, cattle, and sheep were plentiful, and the region also produced precious stones and jade.

On the dingwei day, the Son of Heaven held a grand audience at Pingyan, a broad, level place, and ordered the soldiers of the Six Armies to rest. On the jiyou day, he held a great banquet at Pingyan for the Chief Ministers, the feudal lords, royal officials, and the men of the Seven Companies, his personal guard. Wuliang of the Yinghan people presented one hundred fine horses, three hundred work oxen, seven thousand well-trained hunting dogs, two hundred fang cattle, three hundred wild horses, two thousand cattle and sheep, and three hundred cartloads of naked barley.

The Son of Heaven gave them gold and silver vessels, four sets of seven each, fifty shell-decorated belts, three hundred packets of cinnabar, and other gifts. When the Yinghan officials saw the gifts, they bowed and accepted them.

On the gengxu day, the Son of Heaven traveled west to Xuanchi and rested beside the pool for three days, with grand music performed until the third day ended. He called that day “Medicine Pool” and renamed the pool “Expansive Music Pool.” He then planted bamboo beside it, so the place came to be called the Bamboo Grove.

On the guichou day, the Son of Heaven continued west. On the bingchen day, he reached Kushan, which the Ximo people called Maoyuan. He rested and hunted there, and ate the edible plant known as kukuku.

On the dingsi day, the Son of Heaven continued west. On the jiwei day, he lodged west of Huangshu Mountain, then set out again. On the guihai day, he reached the land of the Queen Mother of the West.

This concludes Book Two of The Biography of King Mu.

The Son of Heaven made a western tour. On the day jiwei, he stayed at □, west of Yellow Mouse Mountain, then continued westward. On the day guihai, he arrived in the land of the Queen Mother of the West.

The original text is missing a character at □.

On the auspicious day of Jiazi, King Mu of Zhou received the Queen Mother of the West as a guest. She had a humanlike appearance but tiger’s teeth, disheveled hair, and a sheng, a kind of hair ornament. Her voice sounded like a long whistle.

The Chronicles of the Bamboo Books records that in the seventeenth year of King Mu’s reign, he journeyed west as far as Kunlun Mound and met the Queen Mother of the West. That same year, he also visited Lord Zhao as a guest.

King Mu brought a white jade tablet and a dark jade disc to pay his respects to the Queen Mother of the West, accompanied by an attendant who assisted with the ceremony and offered respectful greetings. He presented one hundred lengths of brocade ribbons and three hundred lengths of □ ribbons. Chun was a unit for measuring the length of cloth; the Rites of Zhou says that a length of plain silk did not exceed five liang. Zu refers to a kind of woven silk ribbon. The Queen Mother of the West bowed twice and accepted the gifts.

On the day of Yichou, King Mu held a banquet for the Queen Mother of the West above the Jade Pool. She sang him an unaccompanied song: “White clouds drift across the sky; lofty ridges rise steeply. The road is long, and mountains and rivers lie between us. Please do not die; come visit me again.”

King Mu replied: “When I return east, I will bring order to the states of Xia and give peace to the people. I will come to see you again. In three years, I will return here and meet you.”

Then King Mu drove his chariot up Huishan, also known as Yizi Mountain, the place where the sun sets. He recorded his journey on the rocks, carved an inscription, and planted a locust tree. He named the place “Mountain of the Queen Mother of the West,” marking it as the mountain where she dwelled.

After returning from the Mountain of the Queen Mother of the West, people sang sorrowfully: “I will journey west to the ancestral homeland and dwell there in the wilderness, among tigers and leopards, and with crows and magpies. The blessed Mandate of Heaven will not change; I will remain here in this place. My thoughts are with the Heavenly Emperor. The great Mandate received by the Son of Heaven is beyond all words.”

Remembering the kindness of the people across generations, he could not help weeping with sorrow. He played the sheng, setting its reeds in motion. The reeds were fitted inside the sheng, whose sound rang out melodiously, while his heart remained weighed down by unending grief. The descendants of the people across generations could only look up to Heaven and place their hopes there; everyone also looked up to the Son of Heaven.

On the dingwei day, the Son of Heaven drank wine at Wenshan and □ examined the crow. The Annals of the Bamboo Books records: “King Mu met the Queen Mother of the West. She tried to detain him, saying, ‘There is a crow that boasts of its people.’” Commentators suspect this refers to the crow mentioned here, but the text has fallen out, so it is no longer possible to know for certain.

On the jiyou day, the Son of Heaven drank wine beside the Hu River. The character tao should be read as shu. He then issued an order commanding the soldiers of the Six Armies—the Son of Heaven’s forces—to □□ their feathers. There were marshlands rich in water and grasses, as well as hills, plains, and high ground. A large earthen mound was called a “ridge,” while a high, level place was called a “height.” There were also large crows and other birds. The soldiers of the Six Armies all came to the open plain, preparing to hunt there. The text below says that the wilderness of the open plain was where birds shed their feathers. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that a great marsh, a thousand li around, was where the Shen crows lived and molted. The Annals of the Bamboo Books records that King Mu campaigned north and passed through a place called “Accumulated Feathers, a Thousand Li”; both accounts may refer to this plain.

The Son of Heaven said, “In the third month, we will camp at the open plain.” He held a great feast for Lord Zheng and the feudal kings, and rewarded the Seven Companies of Warriors, his elite guards, at Yuchen. The text below mentions Yuling, which may be the same place. Then a grand piece of music was performed, and the soldiers of the Six Armies were ordered to ride out and hunt across the open plain. “Soaring” means riding about on patrol. They caught game in countless numbers, capturing all the birds and beasts.

The soldiers of the Six Armies hunted on a large scale for nine days, then camped at □ in the land of feathers. They gathered the animal hides and recorded the game by the color of its fur; the Book of Songs has the phrase “ninety kinds of creatures.” “Borrowed carts” means carts that had been borrowed. The Son of Heaven then loaded a hundred carts with feathers.

Ten feathers woven together make a “zhen”; one hundred feathers woven together make a “fu”; and one thousand bundles of “fu” are called “yi.” This passage appears in the Zhouguan.

On the jǐhài day, the Son of Heaven returned eastward, and the Six Armies—the Son of Heaven’s forces—set out. On the gēngzǐ day, he reached □ Mountain and rested, waiting for the men and horses of the Six Armies. On the gēngchén day, he continued east. On the guǐwèi day, he reached Wù□ Mountain, where the Zhi clan lived.

The Zhi clan went to Wù□ Mountain to welcome the Son of Heaven and presented gifts to honor him: two bolts of white glue, shān (a silk textile), and horses for riding; as well as forty wild horses and wild oxen, and seventy guard dogs. Those animals were tended by the people responsible for guarding the area. The Zhi clan also presented four hundred horses for food and three thousand cattle and sheep. That day, they offered the Son of Heaven one hundred □ of wine.

As the Son of Heaven traveled north through the marshland of Lun Zi, the husband of the Zhi clan’s leader offered him wine. The Son of Heaven bestowed on him dogs, li cai (an obscure term, possibly an object or a type of jade), eighteen gold vessels, forty shell-decorated belts, three hundred packets of vermilion, and one hundred □ of cassia and ginger. He knelt and performed the rites, then accepted the gifts.

On the yǐyǒu day, the Son of Heaven traveled south, then turned east. On the jǐchǒu day, he reached Xian River. After drinking, he continued eastward, then proceeded southeast. On the jǐhài day, he reached Gualu Mountain. Three rings of ridges surrounded it, shaped like city walls; the Guan and Hu clans guarded the place. The Son of Heaven continued east, then crossed south through Shayan, a sandy marshland.

On the xīnchǒu day, the Son of Heaven became thirsty at Shayan, but there was no water in the sand. He sent people to search, but they had not yet found any. Gao Benrong, one of the Seven Bands of Warriors who served the Son of Heaven, pierced the left side of his horse’s neck and drew out blue blood to quench the Son of Heaven’s thirst. The Son of Heaven praised him and gave him a jade pendant. Gao Benrong bowed again in thanks and performed a kowtow. The Son of Heaven then continued south.

On the jiachen day, King Mu of Zhou arrived in the Jishan area. A man named Minghuai offered wine to the Son of Heaven. The king rewarded him with golden wine vessels, a belt decorated with shell ornaments, and seventy packets of cinnabar. Minghuai performed a prostration and accepted the gifts.

On the yisi day, Zhujian offered wine to the Son of Heaven. Zhujian was also a person’s name, pronounced like the jian in “healthy ox.” The king rewarded him with golden wine vessels, a belt decorated with shell ornaments, and seventy packets of cinnabar. Zhujian performed a prostration and accepted the gifts.

On the gengchen day, King Mu of Zhou arrived at the Tao River, where the Zhuoyou people lived and made their living. The Classic of Mountains and Seas also contains a related account.

On the gengchen day, the Son of Heaven arrived at the Tao River, where the Zhuoyou clan lived and made their living from local resources. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records a river called Sandiao, where the Kunwu clan lived; the situation here was similar.

On the xinsi day, the Son of Heaven traveled east. On the guǐwèi day, he arrived at the place where the Suming and Gujian clans lived. The plants and trees in the valleys there had bark that could be made into clothing and bedding.

The Son of Heaven then traveled south, before turning east again. On the bingxu day, he arrived at Changdan, the western boundary of the Chong-Y clan. “Jiang” means boundary. On the dinghai day, the Son of Heaven climbed Changdan and continued east. On the gengyin day, he reached the banks of the Black River in Chong-Y territory. There, wild wheat grew, along with a plant called “Da Dong.” In the Ximo region it was called “wood millet.” It belonged to the millet family and grew about five xun long and five wei around. The Chong-Y clan lived on these grains.

There was also a quarry mountain that yielded patterned stone and was guarded by the Chong-Y clan. The mountain produced many kinds of fine stone: Zhisi, Xuanguai (a kind of jade), X Yao, Langgan (a beadlike stone), Ling U, W R, Ling T, and Yuqi. Beautiful stone and jade objects all came from this mountain.

On the guisi day of the first autumn month, the Son of Heaven ordered the Chong-Y clan to provide food for his attendants. This refers to provisions for the Son of Heaven’s party and does not include the Six Armies, his troops. Five days later, on the dingyou day, the Son of Heaven climbed Quarry Mountain and gathered stone there. He also ordered the Chong-Y people to work the stone into objects beside the Black River. Their vessels, clothing, ornaments, and precious trinkets were abundant beyond measure. The Son of Heaven said, “Let us rest for a month.”

In autumn, on the Guihai day, the Son of Heaven held a banquet for Guan Z of the Chong Y clan. He bestowed eighteen gold drinking vessels, one silver crow, fifty belts adorned with shell ornaments, seven hundred packets of cinnabar, as well as bamboo slips, arrows, and one hundred portions each of cinnamon and ginger, together with silk and carved ornaments. Guan Z bowed and accepted the gifts.

On the Yichou day, the Son of Heaven set out eastward. Guan Z accompanied him as far as Changsha Mountain. Someone presented a silver crow, and the Son of Heaven told Wu Yao to accept it. Wu Yao said, “The ancestors of the Chong Y clan were a branch of the Sanmiao people who were relocated here.” They made offerings of yellow wood, wax, silver, and other items, then bowed and accepted the gifts. According to legend, Shun once banished the Sanmiao to Mount Sanwei.

On the Bingyin day, the Son of Heaven continued eastward, then turned back south. On the Jisi day, he arrived at Wen Mountain. The Ximo people invited him to feast at Wen Mountain and presented three hundred horses for food, two thousand head of cattle and sheep, and one thousand cartloads of naked millet. The Son of Heaven ordered Bi Ju to accept them. He explored Wen Mountain for three days and gathered colored stones, which gave the mountain its name.

On the Renyin day, the Son of Heaven feasted beneath Wen Mountain. The people of Wen Mountain, Guiyi, presented forty teams of fine horses (four to a team), three hundred head of cattle, ninety guard dogs, and two hundred fang cattle to help the party cross the shifting sands. Fang cattle could walk across the sands like camels. The Son of Heaven also traveled with hao horses, hao cattle, hao dogs, and hao sheep; “hao” means long, shaggy fur. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that the zi horse resembled a horse, with long hair at the joints of all four legs. The mang dog was a fierce, shaggy dog; some also say that “wei” was a name for a dog. Hao sheep resembled the mao ox.

The Son of Heaven sacrificed thirty animals to Wen Mountain and bestowed eighteen gold drinking vessels, thirty belts adorned with shell ornaments, three hundred packets of cinnabar, and one hundred portions of cinnamon and ginger. Guiyi bowed and accepted the gifts.

On the day Guǐyǒu, the Son of Heaven ordered the chariot prepared and set out in a carriage drawn by eight fine horses. On the right were Díliú, Yípì, and Xùnzi; on the left were Lǜ’ěr, Jiāo, Chìlóng, Gǔjì, and Báiyí. Gǔyì served as the Son of Heaven’s chariot attendant, Zàofǔ drove, and Qūgù rode on the right, seated in the chariot to guard it.

The accompanying carriage was drawn by Qúhuáng, Yúlún, Dàolí, and Shānzi. Wúyāo served as its attendant, Cānbǎi drove, and Bēnróng rode on the right. The Son of Heaven then sped southeast, covering a thousand li at a gallop. He urged the horses on with his whip, and the chariot flew along as if in flight.

The Son of Heaven arrived at the residence of Gòunú, a subject of the Chénsōu people. Gòunú presented the blood of a white swan for the Son of Heaven to drink. This blood was said to increase a person’s physical strength. Next, ox and sheep milk was prepared to wash the Son of Heaven’s feet, leaving his skin smooth. The feet of those riding in the main and accompanying carriages were washed as well.

On the day Jiǎxū, Gòunú of the Jùsōu people hosted a banquet for the Son of Heaven at Mount Fénliú. He presented three hundred horses, five thousand head of cattle and sheep, a thousand carts of grain from the autumn harvest, and thirty carts of millet and broomcorn millet. The Son of Heaven sent Xiàngyāo to accept these gifts.

Gòunú also presented forty pieces of stone from Zhīsī, the finest of which were called Yīng Xúnmèi and Guìjué; one hundred pieces of Mìpèi, forty pieces of Lángyá, and ten baskets of “sōutǎng,” a term whose meaning in the original text is unclear. The Son of Heaven sent Zàofǔ to accept these gifts. He then bestowed on Gòunú silverwood, fabrics in various colors, eighteen golden jars, forty belts ornamented with shells, three hundred packets of cinnabar, and one hundred bundles of cassia ginger. Gòunú performed a prostration and accepted the gifts.

On the day Yǐhài, the Son of Heaven traveled south to the eastern side of Yángyū, to the tail of the mountain range. He then crossed a valley and reached high ground on the north bank of the Jué River. There was a Sōuzhī □ there, said to be a grandson of the River Earl.

The Son of Heaven arrived at Mount Shihuang, where a tree called Mojin grew. On the yiyou day, he traveled south to the eastern side of Yangyu Mountain, at the end of its ridge. Here, “end” means the rear part of the mountain. He then crossed a valley and reached the high ground on the north bank of the Qiong River. A place there is called “Souzhi □” (one character is missing from the original). The River Earl’s descendants lived to the west, around the state of Qusou; the character “Qu” may also be doubtful.

At Mount Shihuang grew a tree called Mojin. Its leaves could be eaten, and were said to make a ruler perceptive and wise. Here, “lord” means ruler, and “jin” is pronounced “jin,” with the tone of “caution.” The Son of Heaven praised Baiyao and bestowed on him a jade pendant. Baiyao bowed twice, touching his head to the ground, to give thanks.

On the guichou day, the Son of Heaven set out eastward, and Baiyao escorted him as far as the land of the Peng people. Count Peng Xu hosted a banquet for the Son of Heaven on the bank of Zaoze. “Na” means the waterside; there the river bends southward. The Son of Heaven rested at Zaoze for five days, waiting for the six armies—the Son of Heaven’s troops—to assemble.

On the wuwu day, the Son of Heaven continued eastward and ordered Baiyao to return to Wubang. The Son of Heaven said, “The River Earl is upright.” Xiangyao bowed twice, touching his head to the ground, at the edge of the marsh, then took his leave.

The Son of Heaven turned south and climbed Chang Song Slope. On the renxu day in the first month of winter, he reached Mount Leishou. The Quanrong Hu people hosted a banquet for him on the slope of the mountain and offered forty horses. The Son of Heaven sent Kong Ya to accept them, saying, “The region of the Lei River is cold. I have dogs, horses, sheep, and cattle there. There are black cattle with white horns, and black sheep with white blood.” This records unusual local features.

On the guihai day, the Son of Heaven continued south and climbed Zi Slope. “Zi” is pronounced “Zi,” with the tone of “assess.” On the bingyin day, he reached the pass at Mount Xing, climbed eastward over the Three Slopes, and camped at Erbian. He ordered Mao Ban and the others to go ahead. Mao Ban was Count Mao and an ancestor of the state of Wei. Feng Gu arrived first in Zhou territory and waited for the Son of Heaven’s orders.

On the guiyou day, the Son of Heaven ordered the chariot to be prepared. He rode in a carriage drawn by eight fine horses, including a team of four red steeds called Chiji, driven by Zaofu, and sped southward. They crossed the Di Route. The Di Route lay in the Longxi region; here the account describes a journey across the Long Slope.

The Son of Heaven set out from Zongzhou and traveled northwest to the Great Wilderness. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records two marshlands where flocks of birds gather: one a hundred li across and the other a thousand li across. The Great Wilderness mentioned here is one of them. The Son of Heaven traveled about fourteen thousand li, then turned back. He next went southeast to Yangyu, covering seven thousand li, then returned to Zhou, traveling another three thousand li. Taken together, the Son of Heaven’s journey totaled thirty-five thousand li.

On the jiashen day, the Son of Heaven performed a sacrifice at the ancestral temple in Zongzhou and reported his return from the journey. The Great Commentary on the Book of Documents says that those returning from a journey must report to the ancestral temple. On the yiyou day, the Son of Heaven stationed the troops of the Six Armies beside the Luo River. On the dinghai day, he crossed the Yellow River heading north, then traveled northwest from a ferry crossing to the high ground around Mengmen and the Nine Rivers. Mount Mengmen is in present-day Hebei. The Master Shi says that the Yellow River rises on Mount Mengmen. The Son of Heaven then continued southwest.

On the renchen day in midwinter, the Son of Heaven arrived atop Mount Xiao and held a grand musical performance there. It lasted three days. On the dingyou day, he entered Nanzheng, which is today’s Zheng County in the Jingzhao region. The Annals of the Bamboo Books records that in the first year of King Mu, a Zhi Palace was built at Nanzheng. The Record of King Mu’s Journey says that King Mu later died at the Zhi Palace.

Bao Chu said, “The Son of Heaven rested for four days at Hu Ze, which is today’s Hu Ze County in Pingyang. ‘Hu’ is pronounced ‘te.’” During this time, the Son of Heaven shot crows and hunted beasts. On the day Dingchou, the Son of Heaven □ two, then arrived here.

Ji Fu came from Pu Zheng to pay his respects. Zheng had a hunting park, so it was called “Pu Zheng.” “To pay respects” means to report to someone and appear before them. Liu Kun presented one hundred jade pieces. Liu Kun was a state mentioned in the Annals of the Bamboo Books. Ling Di presented gifts: one hundred teams of fine horses, each team consisting of four horses. The Record of the Son of Heaven’s Journey calls them “one hundred teams of patterned horses.” Ling Di also returned the treasure of the state of Bi, seeking reconciliation. Here, “settlement” means making peace and ending a dispute. “Bi” is the name of a state; the commentary says that Ling Di had previously taken this treasure. Here, “tribute” carries the sense of demanding an explanation or reclaiming what was taken.

Junzi Hu □ presented an eastern male. Among the Yi and Di peoples, a virtuous man could be called “zi”; “Chou” was Hu’s personal name. The Son of Heaven received the lord of Xu beside the Wei River. “Lord” was a noble rank. The state of Xu lay roughly in the area of present-day Xuchang, through which the Xiao River flows.

Acting on the Son of Heaven’s command, Ji Fu conveyed this message: “Please put away this lamb and use jade and silk instead for the greeting ceremony.” According to ritual, a lord of the feudal states should hold a cattail-patterned jade disc. The lord of Xu had offered a lamb to show his humility. He did not dare refuse and obeyed the royal command. He returned to fetch silk from the east and added it to the jade disc, while Duke Mao raised the jade and silk to perform the rite. Duke Mao was Mao Ban.

That day, the Son of Heaven hosted the lord of Xu beside the Wei River and said, “I am not the ruler of Xu, yet I am concerned for its people □.” During the feast, the Son of Heaven addressed the lord of Xu as “Lord Jiu.” “Jiu” is interchangeable with “maternal uncle”; by ritual convention, the Son of Heaven called feudal lords of other surnames “uncle lords.” The word “feast” indicates a private meeting rather than a formal ceremony. The Guanzi says, “An uncle lord need not bow low.” The lord of Xu did not dare refuse, and took his seat among the feudal lords. The banquet was set beside the Chu Zun vessel. The Book of Rites says, “When the Chu Zun is placed with its patterned side turned back, it is only for friendly relations between the rulers of two states.”

After the main rites were complete, the Son of Heaven handed back the wine cup, and Dian came out from beside the wine vessel. The scene was probably like this: the lord of Xu was seated beside the wine vessel and appointed “chief drinker”—the person who led the drinking and enlivened the banquet—so that he could drink freely. A feast with music followed, that is, a small banquet. The Son of Heaven awarded the lord of Xu sixteen fine horses. “Fine” here means prized, excellent horses. The lord of Xu descended the steps and bowed twice, performing the kowtow bow, in which the head touched the ground. The Rites of Zhou says that the kowtow bow was performed once every three days. He then ascended the hall and sat level with the Son of Heaven. At dusk, the Son of Heaven escorted the lord of Xu back.

On the day guihai, the Son of Heaven went boating on the great marsh in a vessel shaped like a raven and a dragon. Here, “marsh” means a pond. In ancient times, boats were often decorated in the shapes of dragons and ravens. The Blue Sparrow pleasure boat of later periods, decorated in the shape of a blue sparrow, may have carried on this old tradition.

On the gengwu day in summer, the Son of Heaven drank by the Wei River, then sent Jifu to Puzheng to use □ to □ the feudal lords. On the xinwei day, the Son of Heaven returned north, fished in Jianze, and ate fish at Sangye. On the dingchou day, the Son of Heaven inspected the roads through Putian, marked out the boundaries of the gardens, designated them as a hunting park, and ordered the official responsible for mountains, forests, rivers, and marshes to guard them.

The park extended east to Fangdi. Fang means “house”; the area belonged to the state of Zhao and contained Zuan Mountain. It extended west to □qiu, south to Sangye, and north to the marshes around Jinglin and Zhu□. From north to south it measured fifty □ ten yu. The eastern yu district was called Tutai, the western one Liqueqiu—Liqueqiu is in the area of present-day Yangdi County, Henan—the southern one □fuqiu, and the northern one Xiangqiyu. The official responsible for the mountains, forests, rivers, and marshes said, “□ come to the ten yu districts.”

On the □chen day, the Son of Heaven camped at Junqiu and hunted in the marshland □. On the jiayin day, he settled at Fanggong, an outlying palace beyond the capital, and watched the gathering of mulberry leaves. The line from the poem quoted in the text, “The mulberry gatherers go busily about,” refers to those picking mulberry leaves. The Son of Heaven drank in Sangzhong, that is, among the mulberry groves. He ordered the official in charge of the mulberry groves to lead the gatherers in and out, and sent people to prevent abuses and forbid the indiscriminate felling of mulberry trees.

On the jiashen day in midsummer, the Son of Heaven □. On the gengyin day, he traveled west. The text again quotes the line from the poem: “The mulberry gatherers go busily about.”

The Son of Heaven drank in the Mulberry Grove and ordered the official responsible for the mulberry trees to oversee the grove. Guards were to keep order among those entering and leaving, prevent violence, and forbid anyone from carving into or otherwise damaging the trees.

On a jia-shen day in midsummer, the Son of Heaven arrived at a place. On a geng-yin day, he traveled west and spent the night at Jidi. Ji was the fief of the Duke of Ji. On a ren-chen day, the Duke of Ji hosted a banquet for the Son of Heaven and sang a poem praising Heaven. The Book of Songs, “Hymns of Zhou,” says, “Heaven has established its mandate; the two kings received it. King Cheng did not dare to seek ease.” This means that Heaven had already issued its command, Kings Wen and Wu received the Mandate of Heaven, and King Cheng did not dare to indulge in comfort. The commentator speculates that the Duke of Ji may have used this poem to admonish the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven ordered someone to sing “The Southern Mountain Is Bright” in reply. The Book of Songs, “Minor Odes,” says, “The southern mountain has its terraces; how joyful is the noble one, the foundation of the state and royal house,” praising the noble one as the foundation of the state. Since many of these lines use archaic characters, their precise intent is difficult to establish. The banquet and music then continued. “Shao” means “to continue.”

On a ding-you day, the Son of Heaven built a high terrace to serve as a residence in the west. On a ren-yin day, he traveled east and reached Que Bridge. On a jia-chen day, he crossed the Rong River by boat; the commentator identifies it with the area around present-day Rongyang and Rongze. Grand music was then performed, and the banquet and music continued.

On a geng-□ day in late summer, the Son of Heaven rested at Fan Palace. On a ding-si day in mid-autumn, he hunted deer in the woods. Afterward, he drank at the home of the Meng clan and had performers dance. The dancers formed two rows of eight and performed the “White Crane Dance.” The commentator notes that cranes and peacocks raised in captivity can also be trained to dance to the beat of drums. The Son of Heaven returned to Que Bridge to spend the night.

On a xin-si day in late autumn, the Son of Heaven reviewed the troops at □lai, with the forest officials waiting on either side in order. Here, “in attendance by turns” means that they took turns serving him, ready to respond to his questions at any time. In midwinter, when crows fly south, they called and took to the air. The king’s ministers □ hunted with bows. From what follows, the commentator infers that “the king’s ministers” refers to feudal lords of the Ji clan, and that “clan” may have been the title of a female official.

On a ding-you day in midwinter, the Son of Heaven hunted wild animals and rested at Shengu. “Qu” refers to a medicinal herb that grows in the land of Wei. The hunt yielded a total of four hundred and twenty elk, wild boar, and deer, as well as two tigers and nine wolves. The Son of Heaven then sacrificed to the former kings and ordered the cook in charge of provisions to boil the game.

On a wu-xu day, the Son of Heaven traveled west and hunted at Zhong□. The plants and trees had just begun to grow, so he ordered the forest officials to fell trees and clear the marshes, leaving the timber for the people to use. Here, “lue” means “to fell.”

On this day, the Son of Heaven traveled north into the area around You and Li. Li was a border town of the state of Zheng. He then journeyed west and hunted at Zhong□. The trees and grasses had only just grown lush, so the Son of Heaven ordered the foresters—officials in charge of woodlands and hunting—to fell trees and clear the marshes, leaving the timber for the people to use. Here, “lue” means to cut down trees.

On this day, the Son of Heaven traveled north into the area around You and Li and played chess with Duke Bing. They played for three days before a winner emerged. Duke Bing was probably a talented and virtuous recluse, which is why King Mu went to spend time with him.

On the day Xinchou, the Son of Heaven reached Sai. The defenses there differed from those of earlier times; only later was the place established as a pass. The Son of Heaven came to the raised ground just as the weather grew intensely hot. He stayed there to escape the heat while attending to affairs throughout the realm. People from distant lands brought various goods, and many people accompanied the Son of Heaven.

The Son of Heaven chose the young Yin Le to travel with him in his carriage. Yin Le was skilled at observing and interpreting celestial signs and knew the arts of divination by celestial omens. The Son of Heaven watched and made forecasts. He took an interest in this practice and admired Yin Le’s skill, so he appointed him to the appropriate office and had him demonstrate his abilities at regular intervals.

Someone reported that a tiger was hiding among the reeds. As the Son of Heaven was about to arrive, Gao Benrong, one of the Seven Elite Guards who served at his side, asked to capture the tiger alive and promised not to harm it. He then captured it alive as promised and presented it to the Son of Heaven. This is like the line in the Book of Songs: “Bare-armed, he wrestles a tiger and presents it at the lord’s hall.” It means stripping off one’s upper garment, grappling with a tiger bare-handed, and presenting it to the ruler.

The Son of Heaven ordered the tiger shut in a jia, a wooden cage or enclosure for holding fierce beasts, and kept it at Dongyu. The place was therefore called Tiger Prison. The Son of Heaven awarded Gao Benrong forty hunting horses and a taolao—a sacrificial offering of cattle, sheep, and pigs, or a lavish reward. Gao Benrong bowed in thanks, touching his forehead to the ground.

On the day Bingchen, the Son of Heaven traveled north to visit the woodlands. After receiving an elaborate formal charge, he returned. On the day Jiaxu in mid-autumn, the Son of Heaven set out east and camped at Que Bridge. Staying one night was called “she,” staying two nights “xin,” and staying longer than two nights “ci.”

The Son of Heaven spread books out to dry at Yulin to keep bookworms from infesting them. For this reason, the place was called “Worm-Eaten Books.”

In late autumn, the Son of Heaven camped at Fang. The Bi people sent word to the Rong, warning them that they were in danger: the Rong of Fangdi were coming to raid them. The Son of Heaven sent Meng Nian to attack the Rong in Bi. “Nian” is read as “Yu.” In the past, the Marquis of Huo had reported that he was about to die. Huo is now southwest of Yong’an County in Pingyang, where there is a walled city. The Son of Heaven arrived at Junqiu and hunted in the marsh.

On the jiaxu day at the end of winter, the Son of Heaven traveled east. He drank at Liuqi, hunted at Lihu, and read at Puqiu. The actions of these rulers are all recorded. “Qi” is read as “Li.” Someone offered the Son of Heaven wine, after which grand music was performed. The Son of Heaven lost his spirit drum, and it turned into a yellow snake. The Rites of Zhou says that the spirit drum had four faces. The “drum anomaly” mentioned in the Great Plan refers to this kind of strange occurrence. That day, the Son of Heaven beat a drum as he traveled, its sound low and like a crow’s call. This was because the lost drum had been found and struck again. When it fell to the ground, it made a sound like a crow. Han Fei says the sound came from the south. People then planted paulownia trees, since paulownia is also a wood that makes sound. If used to make a drum, it would produce a loud, spirit-like sound and also be useful in campaigns against the Rong; it would also be well suited to making a zither.

The Son of Heaven arrived at Huangze, traveled east through Huangze, and spent the night at Quluo. Quluo is the name of a place where the Luo River bends. The Son of Heaven ordered the musicians to sing a ballad. It went: “At the pool of Huang, his horses drink on the sand; the bearing of the august man is solemn. At the marsh of Huang, his horses drink from fine jade; the august man receives grain.” These lines are all satirical in tone. “Grain” carries the sense of growth.

On the bingchen day, the Son of Heaven traveled south to the hill of Huang □ Shi and viewed the place where Xia Hou Qi had lived. This probably refers to the hill of Taishi, that is, Mount Song. According to legend, Qi’s mother turned into stone on this mountain, and Qi also ascended to immortality; hence the mountain has a Qishi chamber. These accounts appear in the Guicang and the Huainanzi.

The Son of Heaven divined in the Hall of Initiation, asking whether it would be auspicious to hunt at Huaze. The result was the Dispute hexagram, with Water below and Heaven above. Feng Gong interpreted it for him: “This is the Dispute hexagram changing into the Suspended hexagram, which has a corresponding line statement. The waters and marshes stretch wide, and the plants and trees grow thickly. In this setting … it is fitting to act with integrity and fairness. Applied to military affairs, it means setting out on a campaign: the nature of water is calm, and the Way of Heaven is impartial. So long as one does not act perversely or recklessly, the campaign will go smoothly. Applied to sacrifice, it promises good fortune; applied to hunting, it promises a catch.”

The Son of Heaven hosted Feng Gong at a feast and bestowed on him sixteen fine horses and thirty baskets of exquisite ramie cloth. Feng Gong bowed in gratitude. The diviner in charge of the yarrow stalks was then also rewarded. The fox … rain was approaching; when a dream showed a spirit giving an omen, a sacrifice should be held. This was called “Double Yin,” and the matter was recorded.

The Son of Heaven stopped to rest. At midday the weather grew bitterly cold. The north wind drove rain and snow, and some people could not bear the freezing conditions. The Son of Heaven composed three stanzas of poetry, expressing pity for the people suffering in the cold. The poem says:

“My ancestor, the Yellow Emperor … the whole world is gripped by the cold. The Supreme Lord gathers in the ways of the nine directions.

Alas, my dukes and lords, all you chiefs and ministers,

and all my people—

by day and night, I have never forgotten them.”

“Ways of the nine directions” refers to the ways of the nine regions. “By day and night, never forgotten” means that the people are constantly on his mind.

The poem also says:

“My ancestor, the Yellow Emperor … the whole world is gripped by the cold. The Supreme Lord gathers in the ways of the nine directions.

Alas, my dukes and lords, all you chiefs and ministers,

and all my people—

may they never fall into hardship, by day or night.”

The poem continues: “A pure white luo bird flutters lightly through the air.” Then it laments: “Alas, my dukes and lords … each must choose wisely.” The following lines seem to urge people to choose where to live. Rather than remain in one place with little enjoyment, one should choose a suitable place to dwell. Instead of seeking comfort above all, one should use ritual and music to educate the people. The Son of Heaven said, “As Son of Heaven, if I concern myself only with myself, I indulge my own desires and neglect the people.”

The Son of Heaven said, “I have been far too indulgent, absorbed in outings and pleasures, and have failed to care for the people.” Later, he climbed Huangzhu Mountain and spent the night there.

The Son of Heaven dreamed that Yi was shooting arrows at Tushan. Yi was ruler of the Youqiong clan and was renowned for his skill with the bow. The Duke of Ji divined the meaning of the dream, but some characters in the divination text are missing, so its precise wording can no longer be determined. Afterward, the Son of Heaven stayed at Qushan.

On the day ren-shen, the Son of Heaven climbed westward up Qushan. He then continued west and climbed Jiua. The commentators suggest that this was probably the area around Jiupi, near present-day Xi’an County. The Son of Heaven traveled south and stayed at Danhuang.

On the day wu-yin, the Son of Heaven climbed westward up Yang □, passing the place of Ling □ Jing Gongbo. King Mu often traveled with Jing Gongbo on his journeys, suggesting that Jing Gongbo was a man of virtue. The Son of Heaven also rode deer on the mountain for pleasure, set up a stone marker for him, and left a record reading “□ shi gan.” The commentators believe this refers to Ganpi, in the area of present-day Dayang County in Hedong. The Tradition also records that the Son of Heaven entered “Moling”; the commentators read the associated place name as either “Douling” or “Dianling.” The Son of Heaven then camped on the north bank of the Huan River, at what is now Huanjin, in the area of Hebei County in Hedong.

The day ding-hai was auspicious, and the Son of Heaven entered Nanzheng.

This concludes Scroll Five of the Tradition of King Mu.

Scroll Six of the Tradition of King Mu

Commentary by Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty.

An ancient text records: “At Zhi Xu, the Emperor’s report; the Son of Heaven entered Nanzheng.” The meaning of “At Zhi Xu, the Emperor’s report” is unclear; the final clause says that the Son of Heaven entered Nanzheng.

The Son of Heaven came to Xu Di and heard that its ruler—an ancient title for a sovereign—had once ordered Master Jiuguan, whose identity is unknown, to compose an inscription admonishing later generations. This was presumably another occasion on which he climbed a famous mountain, had words carved in stone, and performed a fengshan rite. Much of the original text is damaged, so its meaning can no longer be established.

On the day jisi, the Son of Heaven □ set out and stopped at Zhitai. On the day xinwei, the beast of Niuzhi. The Guanzi says that “zhi” means the soil of a vegetable plot. The people of Hao today also use “zhi” for places overgrown with grass where hunts are held. At that moment, a white deer suddenly broke free and fled—that is, it burst out of the encirclement. “Wu” means to touch the ground; some say that the deer drawing the chariot was still there, but had been startled. The Son of Heaven rode in a chariot drawn by Quhuang, □. These lines seem to describe the pursuit of a white deer and its eventual capture.

The Son of Heaven named this place “Qiu.” “Qiu” is a dialect word for naming a location. The place was called “Wulu Guaren,” and was also known as “Zhikou Qiu.” Its hide was removed and called □ hide; its meat was salted and dried, and called □ jerky. The Son of Heaven drank by the Luo River. This is the river in the area of Luoyin County in Jiyin Commandery today; its name is pronounced “yao.” Guaren offered the deer meat to the Son of Heaven, who found it delicious, so he called it “Gan,” meaning “sweet.” The place was named after it. The stripped hide and dried venison also each had a corresponding name, but the characters are missing from the original and cannot be made out. These place names all commemorate stories about the deer. Today, Wulu Market lies east of Yuancheng County’s outer wall. It is said to be where Duke Wen of Jin once begged the local people for food in the wilderness.

On the day guǐyǒu, the Son of Heaven made an offering to the white deer beside the Luo River. He then went west to drink in the open country, where grand music was performed. The place was called “Leren,” also recording the location through this event.

On the day jiǎxū, the Son of Heaven went northwest □. The Ji surname refers to the Ji clan. Shengwu was the son of the ruler of Sheng; “Sheng” was the name of a state. This passage probably concerns the Ji clan. The Gongyang Commentary says that “Cheng” stands for “Sheng,” a substituted name used to avoid a taboo; “Qi” refers to a person of the same surname. The Son of Heaven bestowed on him the title “Chief of the Upper Ji.” This means that Shengwu, as the head of the Ji clan, held the highest position. The place was therefore called “Sheng Gate.” The Son of Heaven…

The Gongyang Commentary asks, “What does ‘cheng’ mean?” It means grandeur and distinction. Here, out of respect for a taboo, the word “sheng” was changed to “qi.” It refers to someone of the same surname. The Son of Heaven bestowed upon her the highest-ranking woman among the Ji clan. Sheng Wu was now the senior member of the Ji clan and of noble standing, so she was called “the illustrious house.” The Son of Heaven then had a high terrace built for her, called the Terrace of Layered Jades, meaning that its shape resembled jade discs piled one upon another.

On the day wuyin, as the Son of Heaven traveled east through the marsh, he encountered cold weather and fell ill. The commentator holds that Sheng Ji also caught cold here and became sick. The Son of Heaven stayed overnight in the marsh, and Sheng Ji reported her condition to him. Taking pity on her, he named the place, which was known for its cold weather, “Cold Clan.” Sheng Ji wanted a drink, so the Son of Heaven ordered someone to fetch her fermented grain water, which was brought swiftly. The Commentary praises this, asking, “How was it brought so quickly?” The incident was called “Hu Lun.” “Hu” is the name of a vessel; “lun” is read as “yi” and means to deliver something swiftly.

The Son of Heaven traveled west to the Terrace of Layered Jades, where Sheng Ji’s illness worsened. Grief-stricken, he established a place for mourning, called the “Mourning Station.” The Son of Heaven then held Sheng Ji’s funeral rites at the ancestral temple in Guqiu. Some temples to the former kings were established there, and during the Han dynasty, ancestral temples were also set up in various regions.

On the day renyin, the Son of Heaven ordered mourning to begin and had the Caocan officials conduct an elaborate mourning ceremony. Qi served as chief mourner, the person who presided over the funeral; Yi Hu, mentioned later, also officiated at the rites. Ji Fu was in charge of funeral rites for the guests and assisted with the ceremony. The Son of Heaven’s daughter Shuzhi also served as chief mourner. “Shu” was her surname, and Shuzhi was King Mu’s daughter.

The Son of Heaven ordered those responsible for guest rites to carry out the funeral rites in sequence and to observe mourning through to the end, in accordance with ritual. The rites for the deceased and the mourning observances were then performed. “Shang” refers to the funeral rites for someone who died before reaching adulthood; the commentator holds that Sheng Ji was still young. The Interior Scribe held the written record and documented gifts and other matters. The Interior Scribe was an official responsible for documents and conveying orders. The officials each carried out their duties, while the Zengzhu spread the mats and set out the tables. “Fu” means to spread out. The Rites of Zhou says that objects used in funeral rites should be set out repeatedly. Once the funeral implements for Sheng Ji had been assembled, the sacrificial offerings were arranged; the text also mentions offerings such as lung and broth.

The officials and ritual specialists spread out mats, set up tables, and prepared all the offerings: lungs, meat broth, dried meat, dates, porridge, meat sauce, dried fish, chilled porridge, chives, and other foods, showing that the offerings were complete. They then set out twelve stands for raw meat, ninety portions of dried meat, and forty ritual vessels, including tripods, covered food containers, pots, and wine vessels, along with various other utensils.

The chief ritual assistant presided over the sacrificial food. Although this was a rite performed at a funeral, the food offering was made first to show respect for the spirits or ancestors. They then presented offerings of lung and meat, poured libations, and used lung in place of salt during the rite. The action of raising an offering and making a gesture of reverence toward the place of sacrifice was called “raising the offering.” They next offered wine to Yihu, the chief mourner, who bowed in thanks and accepted it; then they offered wine to Shuzhi, the female chief mourner, who also bowed in thanks and accepted it. The ritual officiant returned the sacrificial wine to the Grand Musician, the official in charge of music, after which everyone took their places and wept in mourning.

After the weeping, the Inner Historian held the written record and wept in offering; the chief ritual assistant held the offerings in both hands and wept in offering, while the attendants also prayed and wept. The officiants raised wine cups and wept in offering, and their assistants held water ladles and wept in offering. Those who had helped prepare the body for burial also wept there. People dressed in ceremonial robes and ornaments wept in offering. The music officials arranged zithers, lutes, mouth organs, flutes, and other instruments, and played as they wept in offering. Officials of every rank took part in the mourning according to their duties. Finally, the men and women alternated in kneeling, bowing, stamping their feet, and wailing in grief. The rite ended after nine rounds.

“Cuò” means to alternate or take turns. During the mourning, after each round of wailing, the mourners performed yong—stamping and leaping to express their grief—three times. There were three rounds of wailing and nine leaps in all; this was called “completing the yong.”

During the mourning, the officials and gathered people each carried out their duties and wept together. Here, “the gathered people” refers to people of the various clans. The men and women took turns leaping and wailing. The mourning ended after nine rounds.

The chief mourner, Yi Hu, wept as he left the mourning hall and went to rest in the yi lu, the simple hut where mourners stayed. His father and elder brothers, members of his clan, and serving officials followed him. Those assisting with the funeral wept and helped prepare the body for burial. They also removed the funeral equipment and the ritual vessels, including pots, cauldrons, stands, and dishes. The palace attendants left weeping, each according to their assigned duties. When everything was finished, Jing Li came out last to put things away. He was the last to leave because he was responsible for managing and gathering up the vessels used in the funeral rites. Another explanation is that he moved slowly and could not keep up with the others, so he was left behind to tidy up.

On the guimao day, everyone gathered to wail, held the mourning rites for Sheng Ji, and placed her coffin on a carriage. “Placing” here refers to the ancestral procession: setting the coffin on the carriage before the funeral procession departed. On the jiachen day, the Son of Heaven buried Sheng Ji south of Music Lake, also known as Dark Lake.

The Son of Heaven ordered that Sheng Ji’s funeral be conducted according to the standards for an empress’s burial. “As” means “in comparison with.” The text then says, “not making her a state’s queen among the feudal lords.” The wording seems corrupt, and its meaning is difficult to determine.

The region between the He and Ji rivers supplied what was needed for the funeral. The soldiers of the three states of Wei, Gu, and Huang took part in the funeral procession. They brought out carriage vehicles to transport the coffin and mobilized people from all three states to display the grandeur of the burial.

Among the Seven Garrisons, those responsible for lifting carried the coffin onto the carriage. The Zeng Blesser walked ahead of it to lead the way, while the Chief Artisan guided the procession alongside the coffin. The Rites of Zhou says that a funeral invoker led the coffin; the Book of Rites also says that when a feudal lord escorted a coffin, someone walked ahead holding a feather to signal when the procession should move or stop. The procession’s banners were painted with the sun, moon, and the Northern Dipper. Drums and bells sounded during the burial rites.

A □ hangs from the dragon banner. A large drum is mounted on the black banner, a great bell on the beast banner, and another banner on the dragon banner. The order of the various processional standards at the sun’s funeral, and the arrangement of those who weep and leap in grief, must follow the prescribed rules. Bells are also fitted to the banners. The Book of Rites says that the sun and moon may also serve as names for banners. Drums and bells are used in funeral processions.

A □ hangs from the dragon banner. A large drum is mounted on the black banner, a great bell on the beast banner, and another banner on the dragon banner. The order of the various processional standards at the sun’s funeral, and the arrangement of those who weep and leap in grief, must be prepared according to the rules. The □ and the hundred kinds of funeral implements are managed by Jingli and arranged in the funeral procession, with nothing omitted. Here, “procession” refers to the lines or train. Beating the drum leads the funeral train forward; raising the banner urges everyone to give full expression to their grief. When the bell is struck, the weeping stops, and the banner is lowered to show restraint. “Rhythm” refers to the beat, while “lower” means to bring down.

During the rites for the sun’s funeral, everyone must weep loudly nine times, after which that day’s mourning rites conclude. Once the procession leaves the gate, the chief mourner takes his place and weeps at the designated mourning station. The Zhou royal family’s fathers, brothers, and sons are arranged in two lines, with their numbers doubled. The clan members and sons of the feudal lords are likewise arranged in two lines. Royal officials, officers responsible for external affairs, and the Seven Cui warriors—the king’s personal guard—are all arranged in two lines. So too are the sons of the Ji clan, Sheng Ji’s kinsmen, and those carrying out the ritual duties. The officials and assembled people are arranged in seven lines, with the mourners divided into seven tiers. Those who leap in grief form thirty rows, each containing one hundred people.

After the chief wife takes her place, the bì women—women favored by the ruler—and the Cao women are also arranged in two lines. Among the king’s female attendants, women of the Ji clan—possibly women of the same clan married to ministers or officers, that is, the inner-clan women—along with palace women officials and virtuous concubines are arranged in two lines. The mourners form five lines, followed in turn by those who leap in grief.

The Son of Heaven orders that whenever the funeral procession advances one li, the bell be struck to stop the weeping. Officials and commoners weep from their carriages, while the drivers escorting the coffin must not get down. The zengzhu, the officiant who presides over the funeral rites, weeps at the head of the procession, while the Seven Cui warriors weep at the place of burial.

Each day, the mourners wept and stamped their feet once; after stamping three times, they set off again, stopping to rest after traveling five li. Here, “time” means a pause. Each day, the funeral procession traveled only three she, reaching a place called “the Sorrowful Rest.” After traveling another five she, it arrived at Chongbi Terrace. One she equals thirty li, so three she amount to ninety li. This is also the meaning of the old saying, “Avoid the ruler by three she.” They then stopped to rest; “rest” here means to remain in place.

The Son of Heaven ordered people to make the waters of Gu County flow around the funeral carriage. Here, “county” is read as “distant,” and is interchangeable with that word; “encircle” means to make the water flow around something. That day, they drew a design for the carriage and used water as a signal, calling the rite “the Sacrifice for the Dead”—a further sacrifice performed at this place.

On the xinhai day of the first winter month, the Marquis of Xing and the Marquis of Cao came to offer condolences. The state of Cao lay around Dingtao County in Jiyin, in what is now Shandong. The Interior Scribe escorted them to see the Son of Heaven, who pleaded illness and declined to receive them. “Not in good health” here means declining on the grounds of illness. The Book of Documents says, “King Wu was not in good health.”

The Marquis of Xing and the Marquis of Cao then went to offer condolences to the Crown Prince. Weeping, the Crown Prince came out through the temple gate to greet the Marquis of Xing and bowed twice, asking after the hardships of his journey. The Marquis of Xing did not return the bows, out of deference and reluctance to perform a rite on equal terms with the Crown Prince. The Marquis of Xing entered the temple and wept in mourning. The Crown Prince entered first, weeping, and took his place facing west; the Interior Scribe, serving as the usher who conducted the guests’ rites, stood facing north. Everyone wept aloud nine times. The Marquis of Xing stamped his feet three times and stopped, then exchanged kneeling bows with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince escorted him to the temple gate; as the Marquis of Xing departed, the Crown Prince bowed twice again to see him off. The Marquis of Cao entered the temple to mourn, and the Crown Prince escorted him according to the same rites. Though the two marquises’ visits of condolence differed in some respects, the rites were the same.

On the renzi day, the Son of Heaven made the necessary ceremonial arrangements and received the Marquis of Xing and the Marquis of Cao. “To make the ceremonial arrangements” means to prepare the rites and formally receive them. The Son of Heaven then set out on his return journey. The Marquis of Xing and the Marquis of Cao came to pay their respects to him, supporting his feet as they performed the rite. The original text does not explain the meaning of this gesture.

After seeing the person in question, the Son of Heaven sent the Marquis of Xing and the Marquis of Cao back to their respective fiefs. The royal officials received the two marquises with the usual rites. This shows that even while away from the capital, the Son of Heaven was to issue decrees and observe ritual propriety. Funeral circumstances did not excuse the abandonment of ritual. The text mentions giving garments as a gift to express condolences. Here, “ta” refers to clothing and is pronounced “sui.”

On the day of Guichou, everyone wept aloud. They then performed the sacrifice for a young person, followed by another round of loud mourning in accordance with funeral rites. The funeral procession remained at the Grand Encampment, a temporary camp for resting and staying overnight, for five she. According to the text, they then stayed for another three days. The sacrifice for the young person was performed according to the earlier ritual.

On the day of Xinyou, all the items needed for the funeral had been prepared. On the day of Renxu, they buried Shilu County. The people conducted the ceremony with ritual instruments such as drums and bells, then lowered the coffin into the grave. The Seven Companies of Warriors, the Son of Heaven’s guards, as well as men and women, took part in the funeral. Everyone mourned and leapt in grief according to ritual.

At daybreak, the Son of Heaven sent gifts: nine robes of figured brocade, called “bright garments,” symbolically intended as clothing for the dead. The chief mourner, Yi Hu, presented a change of clothes, while the female head of the household, Shu Cuo, presented padded bedding. The hundred officials and soldiers who took part in presenting gifts all completed the ceremony. “Jingli” then placed the items in the tomb. The mourners returned to the Grand Encampment to grieve. After the blessing rites, including those called “Xiangke,” they stopped weeping, took leave of the guests who had come from afar, and saw them off.

The Son of Heaven gave Sheng Ji the posthumous title “Worthy Lady.” According to the text, one who was respectful and virtuous but died young could be given the posthumous title “Lamented.” The Son of Heaven also ordered that the burial mound be named. That day, it was called “Worthy Lady’s Mound.”

On the day of Yichou, the Son of Heaven traveled east and camped at Wulu. The people of the Shu clan, remembering Sheng Ji, wept in sorrow. That day was also called “Lady Cuo’s Mound”; later, the place came to be known by the name Wulu.

On the Dingmao day, the Son of Heaven traveled east and fished in the Luo River. He used the fish he caught to make an offering to the Worthy Lady, a virtuous woman, and that same day also sacrificed to the spirit of a hill. On the Jisi day, the Son of Heaven traveled east to the Luo River, where he fed his horses and then beat a drum. A ceremony honoring the Lord of Horses was held that day. The meaning of this passage is unclear.

On the Damu-you day, the Son of Heaven traveled south and arrived at Zhizhou. On the Jiaxu day in midwinter, he traveled west and arrived at Yinshi, the name of a state. The Son of Heaven fished in the Yellow River and admired a great tree in Gu County, which was known for its great trees. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says, “The Xun tree stretches for a thousand li and grows by the sea.” The great tree in Gu County was probably of this kind.

On the Dingchou day, the Son of Heaven traveled north. On the Wuyin day, he camped by the Yellow River and summoned fathers and elder brothers, sons and younger brothers, and the king’s ministers to perform a sacrifice for a woman of the Ji clan. When the sacrifice was over, everyone mourned at the bier. The Son of Heaven kept vigil at the funeral in Xiaoshi until the mourning period ended and he removed his mourning clothes. On the Jimao day, he crossed the Yellow River heading west and went to the walled town of Xiaoshi. On the Gengchen day, he camped at Maoci. A ceremony marking the end of mourning was held there, and music began to play. The Son of Heaven returned dressed in plain clothes, still mindful of his grief. That day he arrived at Sushi, then continued southwest.

On the Guiwei day, the Son of Heaven arrived at Yewang, which is today’s Hanoi County. On the Jiashen day, he climbed the heights of Dabei, then rested beneath the two bridges. Dabei may have been Mount Taihang; the text seems to indicate that there were two bridges at the place called “Two Bridges.” The Son of Heaven longed for the late Sheng Ji, his favored consort, and wept in sorrow.

Poyu, a warrior among the Seven Bands who served the Son of Heaven, remonstrated with him: “Since ancient times, all people have lived and died. Was the Worthy Lady the only one to meet this fate? The Son of Heaven grieves and finds no joy, sunk in prolonged longing. It is right to remember the dead, but do not forget the living.” His words urged the Son of Heaven not to remain lost in grief, but to find the strength to carry on. Yet after hearing him, the Son of Heaven remained deeply sorrowful and wept again. Thinking of Sheng Ji, he halted his journey.

On the Yiyou day of the Jiwei period, the Son of Heaven crossed Mount Xingdeng to the west and arrived on a slope of Mount Yan. On the Guisi day, he toured Mount Jingyan; it was an auspicious day. Afterward, the Son of Heaven continued southwest.

On the Wuzi day, the Son of Heaven reached Fu territory and traveled throughout the area around Beichi. Beichi was near present-day Jie County in Hedong. The character “salt” is pronounced like “gu.”

On the Jichou day, the Son of Heaven climbed south along the steep mountain road around Shigan on Mount Bao. This place lay southwest of present-day Ganqiao. The mountains were precipitous, with two roads running through them. The Son of Heaven then spent the night in Yu territory. Yu was the name of a state in the area of present-day Taiyang County.

On the Gengshen day, the Son of Heaven led an expedition south. On the auspicious Xinmao day, he entered Nanzheng.

This concludes volume six of The Biography of King Mu.