《淮南鴻烈解》Vol. 10

Explanation of the Huainan Honglie · Shize xun (Part Two) · The First Month of Autumn

Volume Ten (Dong Eight)

Annotations: recorded by the Grand Commandant’s Libationer, His Subject Xu Shen, and others.

The First Month of Autumn (Mengqiu)

Astronomical Signs and Calendar Position

In the month of Mengqiu, the Dipper’s handle (Zhaoyao) points to the shen position. At dusk the Dou mansion is culminating in the south; at dawn the Bi mansion is culminating in the south. (Dou is one of the seven mansions of the Northern Black Tortoise; Bi is one of the seven mansions of the Western White Tiger.) Its direction is the west; its days in the sexagenary cycle are geng and xin; the governing De (Virtue/Power) is Metal. (The deity Shaohao governs the west; geng and xin belong to Metal; the De of Metal flourishes and governs the west.)

Correspondences of the Myriad Things

Its creatures are the hairy creatures (in cold weather, creatures with much hair; the tiger is chief of the hairy creatures); its note is Shang (the Metal note, located in the west). Its pitch-pipe corresponds to Yize (“yi” means injury, “ze” means law; in this month Yang declines and Yin flourishes, the myriad things wither and are injured, and each responds to the rule and completes its nature, hence the name Yize). Its number is nine (in the numbers of the Five Phases, Metal occupies the fourth; it matches the numbers nine and five, so nine is taken). Its taste is pungent, and its Qi is rank (the taste of Metal is pungent; the Qi of Metal is rank).

Sacrifice

Its sacrifice is to the gate, and at the sacrifice the liver is offered first. (In the first month of autumn the Yang Qi withdraws inward and enters through the gate, so the gate is sacrificed to; the liver belongs to Wood, and the offering takes the sense of the Five Phases overcoming one another; another account says the liver is submerged in Metal Qi, so one uses what the organ itself governs.)

Seasonal Signs

Cool winds arrive, white dew descends, and cold cicadas sing; hawks begin to strike and kill birds and beasts—the ancients called the hawk at this time “sacrificing birds,” and so [the ruler] also begins to carry out the government of killing. (In this month hawks catch and kill birds and beasts in the great marshes and display them on all four sides; the world called this “sacrificing birds”; emperors also began to use executions this month in order to accord with the autumn Qi.)

Ritual Protocol of the Son of Heaven

The Son of Heaven wears white garments, rides a white horse (a white horse with a black mane is called luo), wears white jade, and sets up white banners (white accords with the De of Metal). He eats hemp and dog (according to the correspondences of the first month of autumn). He takes the water of the eight winds and uses cudrania wood as fuel and fire obtained by the fire-making method to cook the sacrifices. He resides in the Western Palace; the female attendants wear white clothes and white ornaments, and white bells are struck (Metal flourishes in the west, so he dwells in the Western Palace). Its weapon is the ge (dagger-axe); its domestic animal is the dog (the animal of Metal).

Issuing Ordinances

The Son of Heaven holds court in the left-hand chamber of the Zongzhang Palace in order to promulgate the autumn ordinances. (Zongzhang is the west-facing hall; in the west the myriad things are harvested and made manifest, hence the name. The “left compartment” refers to the south-end chamber. He dwells in this chamber to carry out the ordinances of this month. The dog is the animal of Metal.)

Government and Punishment

He searches out and seizes people who are unfilial or lacking in fraternal respect, and executes the violent, arrogant, and fierce (in accordance with the killing Qi of autumn).

Note: This chapter belongs to the monthly-ordinance genre of the “Shize” (Seasonal Rules) series in the Huainanzi, organizing astronomy, phenology, the Five Phases, ritual institutions, and penal government into a one-month outline for “acting in accordance with Heaven”; the material in parentheses consists of original annotations and brief explanations of names added by the modern translation.

A Vernacular Reading of the Huainan Honglie Jie

Use penal punishments to accord with and reinforce the contracting Qi (sunqi, the diminishing Qi), that is, Yin Qi. On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the Son of Heaven personally led the Three Excellencies, the Nine Ministers, and the Grand Officers to the western suburbs—the open country beyond the capital and outside the ward system—to welcome autumn. After returning to court, in the court hall he bestowed rewards on military commanders and martial officers (military commanders means generals; martial men means brave men who have won military merit).

He ordered generals to lead troops: to select soldiers, sharpen weapons, choose and train outstanding talents, and specially employ those with merit to punish the unrighteous, to interrogate and punish the violent and arrogant, and to bring order to the four quarters (shun means following principle and establishing stability; the four quarters means all under Heaven).

He ordered the relevant officials to revise the laws and regulations, repair prisons, prohibit wickedness and block evil ways, and carefully adjudicate criminal cases and settle litigation (jue means to decide; ping means to settle fairly).

Heaven and Earth begin their austere killing (the Qi of austere killing first arises); one must not be excessively full or flourishing (ying means overabundant, hence the warning “must not”).

In this month the crops begin to ripen; the Son of Heaven tastes the new harvest and first offers it in the ancestral temple (sheng means to ripen; jian means to present).

He ordered the hundred officials to begin collecting revenues (the first month of autumn is when inward gathering begins). Repair dikes and embankments, tighten passes and barriers to prepare for floods, repair city walls, and maintain palaces and chambers (this month the lunar mansion is Bi, with much heavy rain, so one guards against waterlogging).

Do not enfeoff marquises, appoint high officials, distribute heavy gifts, or dispatch great envoys. In carrying out the ordinances of this month: cool winds arrive and continue for three ten-day periods. (Enfeoffing a marquis means dividing out land; high officials are nobles of the nine orders; heavy gifts means gold and silk; great envoys are envoys of the qing rank. The Qi of Metal is contracting, so no affair is suited to long travel; hence it says “do not.”)

If in the first month of autumn the winter ordinances are put into practice, Yin Qi will greatly prevail, shelled insects will destroy the five grains, and armed troops will come to invade. (The first month of autumn originally belongs to Yin; if the ordinances of winter Water, which is in its ruling phase, are additionally carried out, Yin Qi becomes excessive; shelled insects ruin the grain; Yin Qi gathers together, and hence armed troops come.)

If the spring ordinances are put into practice, the state will suffer drought, Yang Qi will return again, and the five grains will not fill out. (Spring Yang is excessively dry, and if its ordinances are carried out there will be drought; this month should have cool winds, yet if the ordinances of warm winds are carried out instead, the five grains will produce no grain.)

If the summer ordinances are put into practice, there will be many fires in winter, cold and heat will fall out of balance, and the common people will suffer much from malaria. (Summer Fire is in its ruling phase; if its ordinances are carried out, there will be many fires. Cold and heat encroach on each other, hence the imbalance; malaria arises from the disorder of cold and heat.)

Huainan Honglie Jie: Monthly Ordinances for the Seventh Month and Mid-Autumn (Plain-Language Interpretation)

The seventh month corresponds to the government’s armory (weapons are put in order in autumn, so the storehouse is used as the name of the monthly ordinance). The tree symbolizing this month is the chinaberry (lian; its fruit is what phoenixes eat; many chinaberries grow beside Luoyang, and their fruit ripens in autumn, so the chinaberry is taken as the tree of the seventh month. The character lian is pronounced like lian in “lian-dyeing”).

In the mid-autumn month, the Zhaoyao star points to the You direction. At dusk the Qianniu star culminates in the south; at dawn the Zixi (one of the seven lunar mansions of the White Tiger of the West) culminates in the south.

Its correspondences are the west; the heavenly stems Geng and Xin (belonging to Metal); hairy creatures (beasts); the Shang note; the pitch pipe Nanlü (yang Qi sojourns and assists yin in completing affairs, so the myriad things ripen thereby); the number nine; the pungent flavor; and the rank odor.

Sacrifices are offered to the gate, with liver as the first offering.

Phenology: cool winds arrive; migratory geese (which follow the season and fly south from the northern deserts through the Zhou capital Luoyang to the Pengli region); the dark bird or swallow returns to its nest (after the autumn equinox it returns to its hibernation place); and flocks of birds soar (cold is about to arrive, birds grow plump and try their wings in high flight; xiang means flying without moving the six wing-quills; a variant reading is yang, “to nurture,” meaning to nurture the feathers).

The Son of Heaven’s rites: he wears white robes, rides a white horse, wears white jade, and sets up white banners; he eats hemp and dog meat; drinks the “water of the eight winds”; kindles fire with zhe wood; resides in the western palace, where the palace women wear white and white-colored silks; strikes white bells; uses the ge dagger-axe as his weapon; gives priority to dogs in animal husbandry; and holds audience at Zongzhang (the west-facing hall) and the Grand Ancestral Temple (the central chamber).

Government orders: the officials are commanded to reiterate severe punishments—executions must fit the crime, and the weak must not be wronged (“wang” means crooked, “nao” means weak; this says that law enforcement should be straight and even). If legal cases are decided improperly, the presiding judge will receive the calamity in return (“fan” means requital).

In the same month, the elderly are cared for and respected; they are given armrests and staves, and thick gruel is distributed. The steward and the invocator are also commanded to prepare sacrificial victims, register fodder-fed and grain-fed animals in the ledgers (grass-fed is chu, grain-fed is huan; huan here is pronounced like huan in “official study”), inspect their fatness or leanness, requiring them to be whole and strong and their coat color pure (“complete” means without defect, “pure” means uniform coat color; cui is pronounced like sui in “calamity”); and check them by color, category, size, and length, all of which must fit the standard.

The Son of Heaven then performs the Nuo exorcism to welcome the autumn Qi (to drive away pestilence and guard against autumn).

The above exposition follows the original text and the sense of the parenthetical notes; proper nouns, lunar mansions, and ritual terminology have been briefly explained at first occurrence.

This passage comes from the monthly-ordinance commentary associated with the Huainanzi; it discusses what should be done in each month of autumn and the disasters that come from violating the seasonal order.

On “Qi” and expelling epidemics: “Qi” here is close in meaning to “Nuo” (a ritual for expelling epidemics), that is, to expel or stop—to stop the autumn Qi so that it does not harm people. “Nuo” is pronounced “náo.” Some editions write “Qi” as “bing.”

As for building walls and granaries: in this month one may build city walls and establish capitals (one with the ancestral temples of former rulers is called a “du”; one without is called a “yi”; a city is called “cheng,” and a settlement is called “zhu”); dig channels and build granaries (channels are dug to drain water and avoid damp ground; cellars are used to store grain. “Jiao” means a cellar for storing goods).

As for agriculture and decrees: thereupon officials are ordered to urge the people to harvest and accumulate grain, and to encourage the planting of winter wheat (sumai). If the farming season is missed, punishment according to law should not be delayed.

As for mid-autumn nature and phenology: in this month thunder begins to withdraw its sound, hibernating insects block their burrows and hide, Yin Qi gradually flourishes, Yang Qi declines day by day, and water begins to dry up (dry up, congeal, and be exhausted; some editions have “flourish,” meaning Yin is flourishing). Day and night are equal; one must calibrate measures of length and volume, weights and balances, the jun and shi, dou measures, and scales; regulate passes and markets; attract merchants and travelers (“regulate” means to clear and smooth); let goods circulate; benefit the people’s livelihood; cause goods from the four directions to gather and distant guests all to arrive; ensure that goods and wealth are not lacking and the court does not lack expenditures, so that all affairs can be completed (“sui” means to accomplish).

The harm of violating the ordinances (mid-autumn): if spring ordinances are carried out in mid-autumn, autumn rains will not fall, grasses and trees will anomalously bloom and flourish, and the state will experience great fear (spring belongs to Yang; when its ordinances are carried out, rain is untimely, and because it is warm and genial like benevolence, plants flourish; when Qi is contrary, calamity and blame inevitably follow, hence great fear in the state). If summer ordinances are carried out, there will be severe drought in the state, hibernating insects will not hide, and the five grains will sprout again (carrying out the ordinances of blazing Yang causes drought; because the Qi is hot, hibernating insects do not hide and the five grains regenerate). If winter ordinances are carried out, wind disasters will repeatedly arise, thunder will cease its sound early, and plants will wither early (winter’s cold Qi stimulates them, hence wind disasters; winter governs closing and storing, hence thunder is gathered early and plants die early).

The eighth-month official commandant and the zhe tree: in the eighth month, the official commandant (wei is a military office; because troops are managed in this month, there is an official commandant; tradition has the saying that the Yangshe Dafu was a middle-army commandant); its corresponding tree is the zhe (there is no detailed record of the zhe explanation).

The month of Jiqiu (late autumn): Zhaoyao (the Year Star) points to Xu; at dusk the Xu mansion culminates in the south, and at dawn the Liu mansion culminates (Xu is a mansion of the Northern Black Tortoise; in this month at dusk it is in the south; Liu is a mansion of the Southern Vermilion Bird; in this month at dawn it is in the south).

(If there are further “Jiqiu” monthly ordinance provisions later, you may continue sending them, and I will translate them in the same format.)

Selections from a Plain-Language Reading of the Huainan Honglie Jie

This passage discusses the directional position, pitch, seasonal phenomena, and the duties of the Son of Heaven and the court in the eighth lunar month (mid-autumn) within the ancient calendrical system.

Direction and Calendar

In the eighth month, the direction is the West; the corresponding Heavenly Stems are Geng and Xin; the animals associated with this season mostly belong to the “furry” category (beasts); the pitch is Shang; among the pitch pipes, Wuyi is taken as the central one. (The commentary says: at this time Yin qi rises and Yang qi descends; the myriad things withdraw and go into hiding as Yang qi retreats, and the name Wuyi means that Yang qi is concealed and no longer manifests outwardly.)

The number is nine; the flavor tends to the pungent; the odor is mostly rank or fishy; sacrifice is at the gate; at the sacrifice, the liver is offered first.

Seasonal Phenomena

Wild geese come south; sparrows also have a seasonal “entering” change—popular tradition says, “Sparrows enter the great water and become clams.” (Commentary: in the eighth month, migrant geese fly from the northern deserts to the great marshes of the south. Some say those that come first are adults and those that fly later are young, whose feathers are still soft, so they lag behind. The so-called “guest sparrows” are old sparrows that often roost in people’s halls, like guests, hence the name. “Great water” means the sea.)

Chrysanthemums bloom and turn yellow; jackals at this time often kill birds and beasts and lay out the prey as if making a sacrifice, so it is called “sacrificing beasts” and “slaughtering birds.” (Commentary: the jackal resembles a dog but has a long tail and yellow color; in this month the jackal kills beasts and displays them on four sides; people call it sacrificing beasts. “Slaughter” means to kill.)

The Son of Heaven and Court Ritual

The Son of Heaven wears white garments, rides a white luo (a white camel-like animal), wears white jade, and sets up white banners; for food and drink he uses hemp and dog meat; he drinks “eight-wind water”; he uses cudrania wood to kindle the fire-drill fire; the consorts of the Western Palace wear white clothes and white ornaments and strike white bells; weapons use the dagger-axe; domestic animals are symbolized by dogs.

The Son of Heaven holds audience in the chamber on the right side of the Zongzhang Palace (the room north of the west-facing hall, called the “right side chamber”).

Governance and Agriculture

He orders: all officials, noble and lowly, must take collecting and storing as fundamental, conforming to the closing and hiding qi of Heaven and Earth; they must not arbitrarily start construction, disperse wealth, or make outward display.

He also commands the Zhongzai (chief minister): as agricultural work concludes, register the harvest of the Five Grains and take the grain from the Son of Heaven’s ceremonial field into the Divine Granary (the Son of Heaven has a thousand-mu ceremonial field, hence “the harvest of the imperial field”; the Divine Granary is the granary storing the sacred grain).

Frost Descent and the Hundred Craftsmen

In this month frost first descends; the weather turns cold, lacquerware dries with difficulty, and the hundred craftsmen stop work and no longer make implements.

He orders the officials: as cold qi gradually intensifies and the people’s strength cannot bear it, all commoners should enter their houses and dwell in peace. (The Book of Songs has the phrase “enter this house and dwell.”)

First Ding Day: Ritual Practice, Sacrifice, and the Feudal Lords

On the first ding day of the month, they enter the school to practice blowing (sheng, yu, and other wind instruments); there is a great offering to the High God; sacrificial victims are used; the feudal lords are assembled; the system of the hundred counties is established. (Commentary: on the first ding day of the month they enter the school to blow the sheng and yu and practice ritual and music; in sacrificing to the High God they use victims of a single color.)

Note: The original intermingles Han Confucian monthly-ordinance conventions with later commentary (the parenthetical material is mostly exegesis). This plain-language account follows the “eighth-month monthly ordinance” continuously; proper terms are retained and briefly explained.

A Vernacular Reading of the Huainan Honglie Jie

The following passage discusses the ancient ritual order and governmental affairs carried out according to the months; its general meaning is as follows.

Rectifying the Institutions of the Feudal Lords

The institutions of the feudal lords were to be verified: the grades of carriages, horses, clothing, and ornaments were all distinguished in graded multiples according to the “number of commands” (ming shu) fixed for each noble rank; ming shu refers to the rank and treatment standards bestowed on the lords by the Son of Heaven.

The “hundred counties” refers to counties within the capital region; “hundred” is a rounded expression for the full number. The local organization of districts and villages was as follows: five households made a lin, five lin made a li, four li made a zan, four zan made a bi, and four bi made a county; by this calculation, a county came to about 2,500 households.

The Calendar for the Coming Year and Tribute and Taxes

Preparations were made for the next year’s “receiving of the first day of the month” (shou shuo), that is, the promulgation of the new calendar on the first day of the first month, and the lightness or heaviness of the taxes the feudal lords levied on the people and the amounts of annual tribute were determined; standards were to be set according to the distance of the route and the suitability of the land.

Lai sui means next year; shou shuo ri was like the present-day accounting officials’ entering court to congratulate the New Year and presenting in advance the calendar for the following year. Du means that the amounts of regular tribute and tax tribute were governed by fixed rules.

Hunting as Military Training

Thereupon, by means of hunting, people were taught to become familiar with the “Five Weapons” (wu rong: knife, sword, spear, halberd, and arrow).

The Grand Coachman and seven horse officials were ordered to drive the carriages together; everyone wore a ren (a woven straw object) on the head, and carriages were assigned according to rank. The vehicles were arranged by grade and displayed in proper order outside the “screen.” Ji means rank; the “screen” outside the palace gate of the Son of Heaven was a barrier made by planting trees as a wall; according to the Erya, an earthen wall inside the gate is called a “tree wall.”

The Situ tucked the pu (a teaching staff) into his belt, faced north, and assisted the rites. Jin means to insert; the pu was used for instruction; inserting it between the belt straps lent dignity to the ceremonial bearing. The Situ was in charge of instruction and transformation, and so presided over this matter.

The Son of Heaven wore the awe-inspiring li fu (stern martial attire), widened his ornaments, and, holding bow and arrows, went hunting. Because in this month the Son of Heaven honored military affairs, he wore fierce, stern attire and enlarged his ornaments so as to facilitate shooting and hunting game.

He also ordered the official in charge of sacrifices to offer the captured game in sacrifice to the four directions. Zhu ci was the official who managed sacrifices; sacrificing game to the four directions was to repay the merit of the first creation of hunting; since it was not known where the spirits were, sacrifices were offered broadly in the four directions to seek them.

Mid-Autumn Agricultural Work and Penal Administration

In this month plants and trees turn yellow and shed their leaves, so one may cut firewood and burn charcoal; hibernating insects all lie hidden (mian means to lie prone; in the Qingzhou dialect mian means “to hide”).

Then legal cases and litigation were to be handled promptly; those guilty and due for judgment were not to be kept in detention (“do not retain” means they should not be delayed; when a decision should be made, make it).

Stipends that were improper were recovered, as were the shares for ancestral temples and clan relatives that should no longer be supported. “Improper” means receiving stipends without virtue; “unsuitable” refers to unfiliality and the like. Another explanation is: if those supported had no merit to the state and their ancestors also lacked virtuous conduct, it was unsuitable to support them further, and so the support was recovered.

At the same time, roads were opened and thoroughfares within the territory were put in order.

Note

The interlinear notes in the original are mostly Han-dynasty exegetical glosses and explanations of names and objects (such as the Five Weapons, the screen, the pu, and mian); in this vernacular explanation they have been integrated into the meaning of the sentences as far as possible.

Vernacular Explanation of the Monthly Ordinances Entries in the Huainan Honglie Jie

(Note: the original mixes main text with interlinear commentary, and some characters appear fragmentary or erroneous; the following translates it coherently according to the common monthly-ordinance format.)

The Son of Heaven first arrives at the capital and then performs the rites of the month. In this month the Son of Heaven has a dog taste the new hemp first and offers it first in the qinmiao (ancestral shrine)—sacrifices in the qinmiao are the utmost expression of filial piety.

In the last month of autumn, if the ordinances of summer are carried out, the state is prone to great floods; goods stored for winter mildew and rot; and the common people suffer much from qiuzhi (nasal congestion and similar nasal ailments). This is because the last month of autumn is governed by yin qi; if the rainy ordinances of summer are still carried out, water qi becomes excessive; water qi in turn assists fire, so winter stores suffer damage. Metal and wood qi overcome each other, and people often suffer nasal illnesses. Note: there is a view that “qiu” is pronounced like “chou.”

In the last month of autumn, if the ordinances of winter are carried out, the state will have many bandits, the borders will be unsettled, and land will be split and encroached upon. Winter belongs to pure water and yin, easily breeding secret plots and wickedness, hence many bandits and unsettled border people; the territory also suffers encroachment and partition by neighboring states.

In the last month of autumn, if the ordinances of spring are carried out, warm winds arrive early, the people’s qi becomes slack and dispersed, and the army and the lü companies are set in motion together. Spring qi is yang and warm, so warm winds arrive and the people’s qi slackens and falls away; wood overcomes metal, hence shi and lü are raised together. (In antiquity, 2,500 men formed one shi and 500 men one lü.)

In the ninth month, officials watch over their locust trees. “Hou” means watching and guarding, and phenological observation. In this month they repair defenses, hence it is called “official watching.” The locust tree (huai) carries the sense of “huai” (to embrace), and can embrace and receive people from afar.

In the first month of winter (the tenth lunar month), Zhaoyao (the name for the year star’s measured course; in this month it points to the hai position) points to hai. At dusk the Wei Mansion culminates; at dawn Qixing (Seven Stars) culminates. Wei is one of the seven mansions of the Northern Dark Warrior (Xuanwu). This month at dusk, the Wei Mansion is in the center of the southern sky; at daybreak, Qixing (Seven Stars), one of the seven mansions of the Southern Vermilion Bird, is in the center of the southern sky.

Its emperor is in the north; its days are ren and gui; its flourishing De is in water (among the Five Thearchs, the spirit Zhuanxu governs the north; ren and gui are water days; the water De reigns in the north). Its creatures are shelled creatures (armored creatures, symbolizing winter’s closing and storage and thick, firm shells; among armored creatures the turtle is chief). Its note is yu (the yu note belongs to water). Its pitch corresponds to Yingzhong (yin responding to yang, the achievement of all things gathering to completion; hence it is called Yingzhong). Its number is six (the Five Phases have the number five; water occupies one and also completes it, hence six is mentioned). Its flavor is salty; its odor is putrid (water’s flavor is salty; water’s odor is putrid).

Its sacrifice is to the well, and in the offering the kidney is given precedence (well water moistens and generates the myriad things, hence the well is sacrificed to; some editions have “xing”—xing is the courtyard inside the gate. In winter one sacrifices to the kidney, corresponding to the Five Phases associations).

Vernacular summary: This passage belongs to the ancient “monthly ordinances” system: month by month it explains celestial phenomena, directions, the Five Phases, pitch standards, sacrifices, and phenology, and warns that disorder in the governmental ordinances of the four seasons (such as carrying out summer ordinances in autumn) will bring disasters such as floods and droughts, bandits, and military unrest; it also sets out the astronomical correspondences of the first month of winter, the attribution of the Five De to water, and practices such as sacrificing to the well, observing the locust tree, and repairing defenses.

Huainan Honglie Jie: A Vernacular Interpretation

(Guarding is within, hence the sacrifices; the kidneys belong to Water, and Water naturally opens its storehouse.)

Water begins to freeze, and the earth begins to harden; pheasants enter the great waters and transform into shen (large clams), and rainbows hide and disappear.

(Shen are a kind of clam; the “great waters” refers to the Huai River. An ancient legend says that pheasants entering the Huai turn into shen; the rainbow is Yang within Yin, and so it is thus.)

(When the moon’s Yin is at its height, rainbows do not appear.)

The Son of Heaven wears black robes, rides a black horse, wears dark jade, and sets up a dark banner.

(This accords with the virtue of Water. Bears and tigers are depicted on the banner.)

He eats millet and pork, drinks the water of the “Eight Winds,” and uses pine branches as firewood.

The Fire God presides over the north; palace women wear black clothing and black ornaments and strike stone chimes.

(Water is king in the north, hence he dwells in the Northern Palace.)

Weapons are made of wrought iron, and pigs are raised.

(Forging has the image of inward contraction, which accords with the closure of Yin; pigs are a Water domestic animal.)

He holds court in the left side chamber of the Dark Hall and issues the winter ordinances.

(The hall faces north; the westernmost side room is called the “left compartment”; he stays in this chamber to carry out this month’s governmental orders.)

He commands the relevant officials to rectify all prohibitions.

(In accord with the closing and storing of Yin Qi, whatever should be prohibited is enforced by the responsible officials.)

He forbids people from moving or going out at will; city gates and lane gates are tightly closed, and outside visitors are strictly searched.

(Ancient tradition says: old guests are forbidden to stay, to prevent leaks of secrets; new guests must be searched and escorted out, so as to observe their movements. “Gate” refers to the city gate; lü refers to the lane gate; they are tightly closed for defense.)

He decides penalties and executes those whose capital crimes warrant death.

(Those who should be sentenced are sentenced at once; those whose crimes truly warrant death are put to death.)

Those who flatter their superiors and disrupt the law are punished according to law.

(For those who curry favor by bending their will and who ruin the law and disrupt discipline, zhu means to punish.)

On the day of the Beginning of Winter, the Son of Heaven personally leads the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers, and Grand Officers to the northern suburbs to welcome the year god; after returning to court, he rewards those who died for the state and comforts orphans and widows.

(Those who died in loyal service to the king’s affairs are rewarded in their descendants. The young without a father are orphans; women without a husband are widows; all are inquired after and shown compassion.)

This month he commands the Grand Invocator to pray and sacrifice at the spirit altars, to burn turtle shells and consult yarrow stalks, and to examine the hexagram omens so as to discern good and bad fortune.

Thereupon the Son of Heaven begins to wear fur garments and orders the hundred officials to carefully guard the stores.

He commands the Minister of Education to encourage and supervise the accumulation of stores, repair the inner and outer city walls, guard the gates and lanes, repair bolts and locks, be cautious with keys, and secure seals.

(“Sealing” refers to sealing doors; “seals” refers to official seals and tokens.)

Repair the borders, keep the strategic passes intact, and cut off small paths.

He regulates the funeral and mourning system and examines the thickness of inner and outer coffins and burial garments.

(“Shi” means to regulate; “ji” means standards, referring to rules such as the number of months for mourning rites.)

In this month, the thickness and grade of coffins, outer coffins, burial garments, and quilts each follow a fixed rank, and must be carefully verified. The size and height of tomb mounds are likewise divided by noble and humble status, each with prescribed dimensions.

In this month, craftsmen inspect the quality of what they have made and display ritual vessels for sacrifice, checking whether they are solid and finely finished according to standard; those excellently made are ranked as top grade. Those shoddy or not sturdy, or excessively odd in design, are punished according to law.

In this month grand feasts and winter sacrifices are held; the Son of Heaven prays to the celestial spirits for blessings in the year to come. “Heavenly Ancestors” (tianzong) here means sun, moon, stars, and other heavenly deities. Earth (Houtu, lord of the soil) is also sacrificed at the communal altar, and the imperial ancestors are offered to; the communal altar and ancestors are served first, private concerns afterward.

Farmers are comforted and given rest. Generals are ordered to drill in martial arts—archery, charioteering, and wrestling (contests of strength). Water officials (shu yu) and fishing masters (yu shi) are then ordered to collect levies from springs, ponds, and lakes and marshes, with no one allowed to over-collect.

If in the first month of winter (Mengdong) the ordinances of spring were followed, the ground would not freeze firmly, earth-qi would leak outward, and the people would flee in large numbers. If summer’s ordinances were followed, violent storms would be frequent; when winter should be cold it would not be, and hibernating insects would emerge again. If autumn’s ordinances were followed, the seasons of snow and frost would be wrong, small wars would break out often, and territory would be invaded.

In the tenth month, the presiding official is the Minister of War (Sima).

Huainan Honglie Jie · The Month of Midwinter (Vernacular Explanation)

Season and Celestial Phenomena

In midwinter (the eleventh lunar month), the year star Zhaoyao points to the zi position. At dusk the Eastern Wall Mansion (Dongbi; one of the seven mansions of the Northern Black Tortoise) culminates at the meridian; at dawn the Zhen Mansion of the Southern Vermilion Bird culminates at the meridian.

Five Phases and Seasonal Phenomena

This month belongs to the north; its Heavenly Stems are Ren and Gui; it corresponds to shelled or armored creatures; in pitch it belongs to Yu, and its pitch pipe corresponds to Huangzhong (Yellow Bell) — yang qi gathers underground, yin qi flourishes above ground, and the myriad things stir within the yellow earth, hence the name Yellow Bell; its number is six; its flavor is salty; its qi is putrid; sacrifices are made to the well, and the first offering is to the kidneys. Water qi becomes still stronger, and the earth begins to freeze and crack. The jianju bird (a mountain bird, belonging to yang), because yin qi is dominant, does not call. The tiger (which contains yin within yang), because yin qi is dominant, begins to mate (the word jiao is read like xiao).

Rituals of the Son of Heaven

The Son of Heaven wears black clothing, rides black horses, wears dark jade, and sets up dark banners; he eats millet and pork; he bathes in the eight winds; he uses pine wood to kindle fire; he dwells in the Northern Palace; palace women wear black clothing and black ornaments and strike stone chimes; weapons are the sha; livestock are pigs. He holds court and sacrifices at the Xuantang (Dark Hall) and the Taimiao (Great Temple) — the central chamber of the north-facing hall, hence called the Great Temple.

Prohibitions

He orders the officials: no earthworks are to be undertaken; do not disturb the earth; do not raise large levies of people — otherwise this is called “opening the storehouse of Heaven and Earth,” hibernating insects will die, the people will suffer many epidemics, and deaths will follow. Urgently arrest thieves and robbers, and punish the licentious, idle, deceitful, and false. This month is named “Changyue” (Chang Month) — yin qi is above, and the people have leisure, hence it is called Chang Month.

Palace Restrictions and Brewing

He orders the Yan Yin (yan denotes the office, yin the chief) to reiterate the palace regulations: inspect the gates, be careful with the chambers, and certainly double-close doors and gates (to assist the yin qi in closing and storing). He examines women’s affairs. He also orders the Daqiu (the official in charge of brewing): glutinous millet and rice must be harmonized and proportioned (the character qi is read in the sense of harmonizing and combining); the fermentation starter and malt must be timely (the brewing rice and starter must accord with the season; if not timely, it will not succeed); steeping and cooking must be clean, and the spring water must be fragrant (when the water used is clear, the wine will be good).

Note: This entry follows the ancient “monthly ordinances” (Yueling) format, combining midwinter with celestial phenomena, seasonal phenomena, pitch standards, sacrifices, the Son of Heaven’s colors, prohibitions, palace restrictions, and brewing seasons in one place; it belongs to ritual and agricultural calendrical literature, not a cultivation formula. Phrases in the text such as “assisting yin qi” and “opening the storehouse of Heaven and Earth” are administrative language concerning the cosmic closing and storing and the injunction not to disturb earthworks.

This passage describes the natural phenomena and corresponding governmental decrees during the eleventh lunar month (midwinter) in ancient times, covering three main aspects:

First are the seasonal characteristics of midwinter. During this period, daylight is shortest, with yin and yang energies in contention (yin-yang zheng). The iris grass begins to grow, artemisia sprouts, earthworms curl up, and deer antlers start shedding. These natural phenomena all signify the subtle stirring of yang energy. When springs begin flowing, people may fell trees and harvest bamboo, while officials should streamline idle or redundant ceremonial vessels in government offices.

Next are the important rituals and decrees for this month. The Son of Heaven commands officials to offer sacrifices to the four seas, major rivers, and renowned lakes (as these bodies govern cloud formation and rainfall). Farmers who haven't stored their harvest in time or have lost livestock may retrieve them without penalty. However, those gathering food or hunting in mountains and marshes must follow instructions from wilderness overseers (yeyu), with severe punishments for plundering.

Finally, the text emphasizes taboos and consequences for violating seasonal ordinances. Noblemen should observe purification rituals, retreat to quietude, abstain from sensual pleasures, curb desires, and maintain mental tranquility. Implementing summer policies in midwinter would bring droughts, heavy fog, and unseasonal thunder; autumn policies would cause excessive rain, unripe fruits, and potential warfare; spring policies would invite insect plagues, dried-up springs, and epidemics. The official overseeing this month is the Capital Commandant (duwei), and its symbolic tree is the jujube (zao).

This passage comes from the Huainan Honglie Jie (Commentary on the Huainanzi). It discusses the patterns of heaven and earth, the changes of seasonal phenomena, and what the Son of Heaven and the court should do during the twelfth lunar month—late winter (Jidong).

In the month of late winter, the Year Star (Suixing) is located in chou; at dusk the Lou lunar mansion culminates due south, and at dawn the Di lunar mansion culminates due south. (The Lou mansion belongs to the White Tiger of the West; the Di mansion belongs to the Azure Dragon of the East.)

This month corresponds to the north; its days are ren and gui; among creatures it is represented by shelled creatures; its pitch is yu; its pitch-pipe is Dalu. (“Lü” carries the sense of travel and multitude: the myriad things stir in the Yellow Springs but have not yet appeared, like a traveling multitude leaving yin and tending toward yang, helping to complete the vital process; hence it is called Dalu.) Its number is six; its flavor is salty; its odor is putrid; its sacrificial object is the well, and what is sacrificed to is the kidney.

Wild geese fly north; magpies begin to add to their nests. (Geese fly north from the waters around Pengli and are about to go to the northern desert; magpies are moved by yang qi (yang vital energy) and build upon their nests.) Pheasants call at dawn; chickens crow to seek mates. (The Book of Songs says, “The pheasant calls at dawn,” meaning the male pheasant calls in the morning to court the female; the crowing of chickens is likewise a response to yang and belongs to the season of laying eggs and rearing chicks.)

The Son of Heaven wears black robes, rides a carriage with iron-black steeds, wears dark jade, and sets up dark banners; he eats wheat and pork and drinks Bafeng water (water of the eight winds); for hearth fire he uses pinewood and fire from the fire-drill; the consorts and attendants of the Northern Palace wear black clothing and black ornaments; stone chimes are struck for music. Weapons are of wrought iron, and among domestic animals the pig is representative. The Son of Heaven holds audience with the assembled ministers in the right compartment of the Dark Hall (a chamber at the eastern end of the Dark Hall).

He orders the responsible officials to conduct the Great Exorcism (Danuo)—that is, what today is the driving away of epidemic and the welcoming of yang; the Pangzhe, killing dogs and sheep on the four sides to avert diseases and epidemics from the four quarters; and also to bring out the earth ox—that is, the earth ox that in today’s towns and counties is brought out to encourage farming.

He commands the master of fisheries to begin fishing (because fishing is to be conducted this month, their leader is ordered; for fishing matters one may consult the relevant record in the Analects). The Son of Heaven personally goes hunting and fishing, and first offers what is caught at the ancestral temple. He orders the common people to prepare the five grains fully, orders the agricultural officials to keep account of paired plowing, and to repair farm implements such as the lei and si.

He orders the music master to make a great joint performance of wind instruments and then stop the music. He also orders the four inspectors to collect the stipulated firewood, to provide for the ancestral temple and for the burnt offerings of the hundred rites.

In this month the sun reaches the place where the next station is exhausted at the year’s marker (the region of the Qianniu mansion among the twelve celestial stations); the way of heaven completes a full circuit at the old mansion, and the year’s record is about to end.

Brief background: This passage binds together astronomy (Zhaoyao and the lunar mansions), the Five Phases (Wuxing) correspondences (north, ren and gui, yu, saltiness), phenology (geese, magpies, pheasants, chickens), and ritual institutions (black clothing, the Dark Hall, the Great Exorcism, bringing out the earth ox, fishing and hunting, paired plowing). It embodies the ancient idea of “monthly ordinances” (yueling): people conduct administration according to the seasons of heaven, welcoming the end of the year, preparing for spring plowing, and averting pestilence while welcoming yang.

This passage describes how ancient emperors aligned governance with seasonal cycles during year-end transitions, and the calamities that arose from violating natural timings.

At the turn of the year, the Son of Heaven would suspend corvée labor to let farmers rest. He convened ministers to revise state protocols, discuss seasonal patterns, and prepare for the coming year. The Grand Historian was ordered to tally feudal lords' tributes and allocate sacrificial animals for offerings to the Supreme Heaven Deity and the Gods of Soil and Grain. Women from royal clans oversaw ancestral temple rites, while officials and commoners conducted sacrifices to mountain and river deities.

The text particularly warns against implementing out-of-season governance during winter's final month (Jidong): Autumn policies would cause untimely frosts and crustacean plagues, forcing border inhabitants to flee to walled cities; Spring ordinances would increase miscarriages and chronic illnesses among the people—a condition called "rebellious Qi"; Summer decrees brought floods, with snow failing to fall and ice refusing to form, all signs of heavenly disharmony.

This twelfth month falls under prison officials' jurisdiction, when planting oaks (valued for wheel-making hardwood) was auspicious. A vivid description follows of the eastern territories: stretching from Mount Jieshi through Korea, across the Land of Giants to Fusang—the sacred sunrise tree where verdant forests thrive under the joint governance of Taihao (Fuxi, the Wood-virtue Emperor of the East) and Goumang (Wood Spirit), spanning twelve thousand li. Here, governance meant lifting prohibitions, unblocking obstructions, and removing barriers.

(Note: "Taihao" refers to Fuxi; "Goumang" is the deity governing plant growth; "Fusang" is the mythical solar tree at sunrise.)

A Vernacular Reading of the Huainan Honglie Jie

I. The De (Virtue/Power) of Governing the State (General Outline)

Governance should be calm and magnanimous: set aside resentments and grudges, remit crimes and punishments, remove the people’s worries and troubles, stop harsh penalties, open passes and bridges, and broadly spread virtuous government. Distribute wealth to relieve the multitude, dissolve accumulated resentments, and pacify the four quarters; practice yielding gentleness and gracious benefit, and stop the strong from oppressing the weak and seizing from others. What is called “prohibition” is restraining conduct that does not follow law and order and that relies on power to bully others.

II. The South: Under the Jurisdiction of Chidi (the Red Emperor) and Zhurong

The southern limit lies beyond Beihusun (a country name; because the sun’s shadow there points north, it is called “North Door”), passes through the land of Zhuanxu, and reaches south to the wilds of Weihuo and Yanfeng—about twelve thousand li—and is presided over by Chidi and Zhurong.

Chidi is Yandi, son of Shaodian; by virtue of the De of Fire he is called Shennong. Zhurong was Wu Hui, son of Laotong and grandson of Zhuanxu; he was also named Li. He once served as Fire Officer under Gaoxin, was titled Zhurong, and after death became the Fire God.

The Ordinances of the South (corresponding to summer and the De of Fire) are these: confer ranks and rewards on the virtuous and meritorious; show kindness and love to the worthy and good; relieve hunger and thirst; encourage diligent farming; relieve the poor, aid orphans, and comfort the old, weak, sick, and disabled; issue great stipends and bestow great rewards; restore ruined clan lines and establish heirs for those without descendants; enfeoff the feudal lords and set up the worthy as assistants. All these are emblems of Yang-bestowal and the distribution of grace.

III. The Center: Under the Jurisdiction of Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) and Houtu

The central limit runs from Kunlun eastward, passing the Lianghuan Mountains (“huan” means constant or enduring; the Lianghuan Mountains may refer to mountains traversed by the constant Dao, though old accounts do not specify the exact place). It is the path of the sun and moon’s movement, the land where the Yangtze and Han rivers rise, the wilds of the many peoples, and where the Five Grains are suited. There is also the account that Longmen connects with the He and Ji rivers and that Xirang was used to dam the region of the great flood; eastward it reaches Jieshi—about twelve thousand li—and is presided over by Huangdi and Houtu.

Huangdi was the son of Shaodian; he rectified the world by the De of Earth, was titled Xuanyuan, and is the emperor of the Center with the De of Earth. Houtu was the son of the Goulong clan, named Houtu; he was able to pacify the Nine Provinces, and after death was worshipped as the Earth God.

The Ordinances of the Center (corresponding to the De of Earth) are these: be fair and upright without partiality, discerning without harshness; like the great earth that wraps and moistens all things, be widespread and impartial without self-interest; take upright stillness and harmonious union as conduct; provide thin gruel to care for the aged; mourn and condole for the dead; inquire after the sick; and send the myriad things back to their root. Earth is the master of the four quarters, and so it is said to be where all things return.

Summary

This passage follows the Five Directions to describe the territories and seasonal governance under Chidi–Zhurong in the South and Huangdi–Houtu in the Center: the South stresses rewarding merit, benefiting the worthy, strengthening agriculture, and relieving famine; the Center stresses fairness, covering and moistening all, and caring for the aged and attending to the dead, in accord with the Fire De’s Yang-bestowal and the Earth De’s inclusiveness.

Vernacular Interpretation

The Western Extremity

At the western limit, beginning from Mount Kunlun, crossing the Flowing Sands and Sinking Feathers, one reaches as far as the land of Sanwei (the Flowing Sands lie roughly to the southwest of Kunlun). There are stone walls and golden chambers, a people who imbibe Qi (vital energy), and fields of deathlessness. It is governed by Shaohao (Qingyang, son of the Yellow Emperor, who ruled as king by Metal De, was titled Jintian-shi, and after death became the Shen (spirit) of the Western Metal De) and Rushou (a descendant of the Jintian clan, named Xiuli, who after death became the Metal Shen), over a domain of twelve thousand li.

The general purport of their ordinances: make laws and measures strict, so that punishments inevitably reach the guilty; guard against robbers and thieves and prohibit wickedness and depravity; rectify pastoral governance and carefully register settlements; repair city walls, mend dikes and defenses, block passages, and obstruct shortcuts; check disorderly currents and choke streams and valleys; strictly guard the city gates and display weapons and armor; select the hundred officials and punish lawlessness (corresponding to Metal De and the meaning of judgment and severance).

The Northern Extremity

At the northern limit, from the Nine Marshes, Qiongxia, and the extremity of Hui, one reaches as far as the Valley of Lingzheng (the Nine Marshes are the great marshes of the north; xia means “great,” and hui means “dark”). There are severe cold, accumulated ice, snow, hail, frost, and sleet, as well as plains that drift over and moisten the many waters. It is governed by Zhuanxu (grandson of the Yellow Emperor, who ruled as king by Water De, was titled Gaoyang-shi, and after death became the Shen of the Northern Water De) and Xuanming (a descendant of the Jintian clan, named Mei, teacher of Xuanming, and after death the Shen presiding over water), also over a domain of twelve thousand li.

The general purport of their ordinances: clarify prohibitions and firmly seal storehouses and treasuries; repair barriers and fortifications and put passes and bridges in order; prohibit outward migration; carry out punishments, killing those whose crimes warrant it; close the passes and conduct strict inspections, making a great search for outsiders; prohibit casual intercourse; ban nighttime feasting and music, closing the gates early and opening them late, in order to block the paths of the wicked; once one’s own De has been grasped, one must hold it firmly; when the heavenly seasons and ordinances have drawn near, punishments and executions are not to be remitted; even if there are noble relatives, deal with them according to law; do not undertake water works, do not open the storehouses, and do not release criminals (corresponding to Yin Qi and the meaning of stern execution).

The Six Correspondences

The first month of spring corresponds to the first month of autumn; the second month of spring to the second month of autumn; the third month of spring to the third month of autumn. The first month of summer corresponds to the first month of winter; the second month of summer to the second month of winter; the third month of summer to the third month of winter.

In the first month of spring, Yang Qi begins to grow; in the first month of autumn, Yang Qi begins to contract. In the second month of spring, the myriad things begin to emerge; in the second month of autumn, the myriad things begin to withdraw within (chu refers to sowing in the second month; na refers to gathering in the eighth month). In the third month of spring ... (the original appears to have a lacuna or a separate passage here; according to the received text, what generally follows is the ordinance of the third month of spring, omitted here).

Note: The material in parentheses consists of original annotations or explanations and has been integrated into the above.

This passage mainly describes the correspondences between seasonal change and natural phenomena, and the climatic anomalies that can result from improper government decrees. It uses “De” to represent the growth of Yang Qi and “punishment” to represent the Yin Qi that brings harshness and decline, holding that the turning of the four seasons follows natural patterns.

In the third month of autumn, Yang Qi begins to gather in; in the first month of summer, it begins to grow mild; and in the first month of winter, it begins to grow severe. When Yang Qi reaches its peak in the second month of summer, the days are longest; when Yin Qi is at its height in the second month of winter, the days are shortest. In the third month of summer, the movement of Yang Qi runs its course; in the third month of winter, the movement of Yin Qi runs its course.

If government decrees are improper in a given month, the corresponding climate may become abnormal. For example, improper decrees in the first month mean there will be no cool breeze in the seventh month; improper decrees in the second month mean thunder will not cease in the eighth; and improper decrees in the third month mean frost will not fall in the ninth. The same pattern continues through the year. Such anomalies include plants failing to wither, the east wind failing to thaw the ground, the spring wind blowing without cease, plants failing to bear fruit, hail falling, and the five grains failing to ripen.

Problems also arise when a season follows the decrees of another season. If spring follows summer’s decrees, Yang Qi will leak outward; if it follows autumn’s, there will be excessive rain; and if it follows winter’s, the climate will turn harsh. If summer follows spring’s decrees, there will be excessive wind; if it follows autumn’s, plants will become barren; and if it follows winter’s, beneficence will fail to spread. If autumn follows summer’s decrees, plants will grow too luxuriantly; if it follows spring’s, plants will grow excessively tall; and if it follows winter’s, all things will wither. If winter follows spring’s decrees, vital essence will leak outward; if it follows summer’s, there will be drought; and if it follows autumn’s, there will be abundant fog.

The passage concludes with six standards governing the movement of Yin and Yang: Heaven takes the carpenter’s ink line as its rule, and Earth takes the level as its guide. Spring uses the compass, symbolizing the cycle of growth; summer uses the balance, symbolizing equilibrium; autumn uses the square, symbolizing contraction; and winter uses the balance weight, symbolizing settling. The ink line serves to regulate the movement of all things.

Zhun (the leveling standard) is the standard by which all things are measured and corrected; Gui (the compass) is that by which all things round are made regular; Heng (the balance) is that by which all things are equalized; Ju (the carpenter’s square) is that by which all things are made square; and Quan (the steelyard weight, weighing) is that by which the lightness and heaviness of all things are weighed.

Sheng (the plumb line/cord) as a legal standard: it is upright without contention, ordered without being exhausted, enduring without decay, lasting without being forgotten; it accords with the De of the Heavenly Dao and with the clarity of Shenming—what it seeks, it obtains; what it detests, it destroys. From antiquity to the present it cannot be altered; its De is deep, thick, and comprehensive, broad and able to contain the multitude. Therefore Heaven takes it as the Zong (root/foundation) of all things.

Zhun as a legal standard: level and correct without danger or malice, even and impartial without partiality, broad so as to contain things, generous so as to harmonize, soft and compliant without harsh violence, sharp without being blunted, flowing without obstruction, simple and easy without defilement, penetrating and orderly, comprehensive without leaking. When the leveling line is level and correct and does not lose its measure, all things are level, the common people have no treacherous schemes, and resentment and hatred do not arise. Therefore Heaven takes it as the Ping (fairness, level correctness) of all things.

Gui as a legal standard: revolving and circular without being checked, following the round without deviation (Yuan: turning in circles, going round), generous without indulgence, broad so as to be lenient and relaxed, responsive and connected yet orderly, penetrating and with guiding principles, broad, relaxed, simple, and quiet (Youjian: the appearance of generosity, simplicity, and harmony); all kinds of resentment and anger do not arise. When the compass does not lose its measure, the generative Qi is orderly, and all things each attain their place.

Heng as a legal standard: relaxed and unhurried without falling behind, level and correct without attracting resentment, giving without claiming De for oneself, comforting without harsh reproach. It constantly causes the common people’s stipends to be used to sustain those who lack, vigorous and expansive, acting only according to De. It nurtures, grows, transforms, and nourishes; all things flourish, the five grains are abundant, the borders are secure; when its governance does not lose measure, Heaven and Earth become clear (Ming: orderly and clear).

Ju as a legal standard: solemn and severe without disorder, firm and upright without being muddled, taking without causing resentment, and within without causing harm; majestic without making people excessively afraid, its decrees and orders are carried out and not discarded; when punitive killing is appropriate, enemies can be overcome. When the square is correct and does not lose measure, all kinds of punishments are brought into submission.

Quan as a legal standard: urgent without greed for gain, punishing and killing without excessive exploitation, full and solid, comprehensive without leaking. It does not recklessly take ruined or spoiled things; those with crimes are punished or killed without pardon; it is sincere and trustworthy, and what it does is necessarily carried out; it is firm and resolute, steadfastly maintained, hoping to remove harsh government.

(Throughout, the six—Zhun, Sheng, Gui, Heng, Ju, and Quan—serve as metaphors for the legal standards of governing the world: Sheng governs uprightness and endurance; Zhun governs fairness and impartiality; Gui governs generosity, harmony, and following principle; Heng governs bestowing benefits and balance; Ju governs majesty and rectitude; Quan governs sincerity, trustworthiness, and decisiveness. Heaven takes one De from each, making them the root, level, measure, principle, submission, and stability of all things.)

Vernacular Interpretation

Virtuous conduct (De, Virtue/Power) and government orders must not go astray. When winter arrives, just at the time the seasonal ordinance is about to be applied, governance should use softness and weakness to complete hardness and strength, and use yielding compliance to complete firmness and vigor; with expedient flexibility and uprightness one grasps the proper measure without losing the middle way, and only then can the myriad things safely close and store (hibernate and conserve as winter begins).

The Mingtang (Hall of Light) system is likewise thus: in stillness it takes the water level (“zhun”) as its standard; in movement it takes the ink line (“sheng”) as its standard. In spring it uses the compass (“gui”) to measure and decide government affairs; in autumn it uses the square (“ju”) to measure and decide government affairs; in winter it uses quan (weighing, adaptation); in summer it uses heng (scales, balance).

Therefore dryness and moisture, cold and heat arrive in sequence according to the seasonal ordinances, and sweet rain and rich dew (rain and dew that moisten the myriad things) also descend on time.

Brief notes on proper nouns

Mingtang: an ancient ritual architectural institution for proclaiming governance and offering sacrifices; here its ritual symbolism is used to signify “setting government and teaching according to heavenly seasons.” Gui, ju, quan, and heng: originally measuring instruments; here they metaphorically indicate that governance in the four seasons has its own standards and that these standards also coordinate with one another. Quan emphasizes weighing and adapting to circumstances; heng emphasizes balance and holding to the center.