《弘道錄》Vol. 7

Shun, as Son of Heaven, wore splendid robes and played the qin (zither), with his two consorts attending him at his side. He appeared at ease and content, as though all of this had always been so.

The Hongdao Lu (Record of Spreading the Dao) says: I observe that Great Shun was gentle and unhurried within the palace, and his bearing was exactly this. Yet some have fabricated sayings such as "he had his two sisters-in-law tidy his quarters for him," which is truly absurd. Rather than laboring to argue that such words are untrue, it is better simply not to write them into the book.

The Shijing (Book of Odes) says: "With qin and se in hand, they dwell together in harmony and peace." This is not only true of the Son of Heaven. Even ordinary couples should live together in harmony at home. By the Han dynasty, the palace also had fangzhong yue (bedchamber music), a form of court ceremonial music used at banquets. In the time of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Lady Tangshan composed pieces for it. Later, Emperor Wu of Han appointed Li Yannian as xielü duwei (Commandant of Musical Harmony, an official in charge of pitch and tone). Men such as Li Yannian were far removed in circumstance from Lady Tangshan. It is no wonder that the customs of the Han court fell short of those of antiquity.

It is further said: In former times, King Tai of Zhou was fond of women, and fond of his own consorts as well. The Odes say that Gugong Danfu rode out on horseback early one morning, followed the western bank of the river, and came to the foot of Mount Qi. Lady Jiang came with him, and together they surveyed a place to settle. At that time, there were no daughters in the household who could not marry, and no men outside who could not find wives. If King Tai loved the affections between men and women, and also allowed the common people to obtain spouses, what would be wrong with that?

The Hongdao Lu says: The affection between men and women that Heaven bestowed should indeed be just like this. When a boy is born, one hopes he will grow up and take a wife; when a girl is born, one hopes she will grow up and establish a household. The sages never forbade affection between men and women. When no daughter at home worries about marriage, and no man outside cannot find a wife, affection itself is not a thing that harms people. This is what is called natural disposition, not what is called illness. People do not understand this. They often see only the harms of beauty, heavy makeup, arrogance, jealousy, and indulgence, and fail to see the benefits of affection that accords with nature. Thus natural disposition becomes the root from which private desires proliferate, even leading to the overthrow of states and the fall of cities, with calamities of terrible severity. This is not the original meaning of "loving beauty" as spoken by the former kings.

When the Shijing ode "Da Ming" is about to speak of King Wen's sage virtue, it first traces his lineage, saying: "The Ren daughter of the state of Zhi came from Yin Shang, married into Zhou, and became the lady of the capital."

The Hongdao Lu says: Ancient books say that when a state is about to flourish, there are auspicious omens, and when a state is about to perish, there are strange portents. When calamities appear in Heaven and upheavals occur on earth, strange phenomena may arise without necessarily becoming disasters. Only the monstrous conduct of a woman is an unavoidable calamity. At that time, the legitimate heir of Yin Shang occupied the throne of the Son of Heaven, and no sign of ruin was yet visible. Yet a Da…

Born in such an age, punishments inevitably grew heavier and penalties inevitably harsher...

Heaven had arranged for them consorts: Zhou Jiang, Tai Ren, Tai Si, and Yi Jiang, all gathered within a single clan. No undertaking that Heaven has ever raised up has flourished more than this. Yet how could Taiwang, Wangji, King Wen, and King Wu have dared to be certain that they would achieve such accomplishments? All they could do was let their luminous virtue shine forth in the world.

King Wen of Zhou was born with sagely virtue, and he took as his wife Si, a woman of sage-like quality. When the women of the palace first saw her arrive, they recognized in her a gentle, dignified, upright, and tranquil character, and so they composed a poem in her praise:

"Ospreys call to one another in pairs, resting on a sandbar in the river. The modest and graceful lady is the fine mate of the gentleman. Water-shield grows in uneven lengths, gathered to left and right; the modest and graceful lady, the gentleman longs for day and night. Seeking her and not obtaining her, he thinks of her waking and sleeping, his longing long, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Water-shield grows in uneven lengths, plucked to left and right; the modest and graceful lady, he draws near her with zither and lute. Water-shield grows in uneven lengths, selected to left and right; the modest and graceful lady, he gladdens her with bells and drums."

Kuang Heng said: "The bond between spouses is the beginning of the people's propagation and the root of all blessings. When the rites of marriage are upright, the myriad things can flow smoothly and the Mandate of Heaven can be fulfilled. In discussing the Odes, Confucius placed 'Guan Ju' at the head, which signifies that the ruler and his consort are the parents of the people. If the virtue of the consort does not accord with the Way of Heaven and Earth, she cannot receive and serve the lineage of the spirits, nor can she properly govern the myriad things. Since high antiquity, the rise and fall of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties have all been bound up with this."

The Hongdao Lu records that Confucius said: "'Guan Ju' is joyful without being licentious, and grieving without being wounded." He also said: "From the opening of Master Zhi's performance to the close of the 'Guan Ju' melody, how full the music is, as if it fills the ears!" Confucius further said: "One who has not studied the Zhounan and Shaonan is like one standing with his face to a wall, seeing nothing."

Why did the Son of Heaven value the ode "Guan Ju" so highly? It is because the way of the sages begins in what is closest at hand, and because the rule of the realm by the sovereign is rooted in self-cultivation. King Wen and Taisi, who achieved perfection both within and without, may be called exemplars. Therefore, although the two daughters of Yao were virtuous, had Yao not informed them before marrying them out, then even their restless longing for a mate would have had no way of appearing. And although Great Yu's consort, of the Tushan clan, was worthy, Yu passed by his own door on four successive days, the days xin, ren, gui, and jia, without entering. Even with the music of zither, lute, bells, and drums, where would that longing have found expression? As for Han Emperor Cheng's taking of Zhao Fei...

Women in the palace of Yan were called "calamity-bringers" as soon as they arrived at court, on the claim that they would bring disaster. Once it was settled that such a woman was bound to bring ruin, even someone who worried and urgently wished to save her had no way to act. Kuang Heng's view had circulated for a long time, and when I read the record of Confucius, that great sage, stopping his son from divorcing his wife, I could not help feeling regret. Considering Confucius's deep concern for his son Boyu, how could one not be moved to sigh?

If the empress, the emperor's principal wife, can show compassion toward the many concubines and harbor no jealousy, the concubines will gladly praise her virtue and together offer this wish:

"In the south, crooked branches stand, and creeping vines wind around them. Joyful is the gentleman; may good fortune and emolument bring him peace."

"In the south, crooked branches stand, and creeping vines cover them. Joyful is the gentleman; may good fortune and emolument support him."

"In the south, crooked branches stand, and creeping vines wind around them. Joyful is the gentleman; may good fortune and emolument bring him fulfillment."

The Hongdao Lu records: I read the chant of "Ge Lei" and sensed the author's deep intent, expressed without many words. "Ge Tan" describes the deeds of the empress, yet the concubines used it to praise her. Could such praise have come from long deliberation? Zhou Gong did not discard "Gua Mu" or "Li Xin," so how could the palace women forget the matters described in "Qiu Mu" and "Ge Lei"? From this we see that the teachings of the ancients were never aimed merely at achieving a particular result. Even women could walk the same Way as the sages. Is this not precisely what comes from each person's own understanding and what arises naturally?

King Wen's teaching extended from the household to the state, so that men and women each kept to their proper place and marriages were all performed in their proper season. Therefore, when the poet saw the scene before him, he used the peach blossom to evoke his theme:

"The peach tree is so lush, its blossoms bright and vivid. The bride departs, and her household is harmonious."

"The peach tree is so lush, its fruit full and plump. The bride departs, and her home is harmonious."

"The peach tree is so lush, its branches dense and sturdy. The bride departs, and her family lives in harmony."

The Hongdao Lu records: Mengzi praised Taiwang, saying that under his governance no woman in the household lacked a husband and no man outside lacked a wife. The poet praised King Wen and likewise said that when a bride departs, her family can be in harmony. Is this not because the Way of the true king begins with the relationship between husband and wife?

When it comes to things that flourish in their proper season, none is more fitting than the peach blossom. When it comes to the matter of marriage, nothing is more joyful than the pairing of man and woman. From this we can see the beauty that accords with the seasons, the affection that nurtures a household, the grace that extends to the common people, and the fullness of a harmonious spirit. To grasp the beauty of the Book of Odes fully, one should savor these lines carefully.

With customs and moral teaching widely practiced, every household was peaceful and harmonious. When the women had no tasks, they would gather plants together, as if picking fuyi (plantain), and sing to amuse one another:

"Pick, pick the fuyi, gently pluck it;

Pick, pick the fuyi, gently gather it;

Pick, pick the fuyi, gently pull it off;

Pick, pick the fuyi, gently lift it;

Pick, pick the fuyi, gently strip it;

Pick, pick the fuyi, gently store it away."

The Hongdao Lu comments: When the women dwelt at ease with no tasks, was it because they had nothing to do? The Book of Odes, in the poem "Ru Fen," describes women laboring along the banks of the Ru River, diligent in the king's service. "The fang fish with red tails" depicts a state in turmoil. "Xing Lu" describes muddy roads that are hard to travel, and also how people guarded against brute oppression. "Sparrow horns, rat teeth" depicts people fearing violence. Even in turbulent times, one must not miss the chance to rectify the situation. "Let the shaggy dog bark at the door" means having dogs guard the gate and bark, so that people are not disturbed. From this we can see that when teaching prevails, customs are pure, and households are at peace, and this can be seen in the scene of women picking fuyi.

The Book of Odes, in the "Greater Odes" section's "Han Yi," says that the wife of Marquis Han was the daughter of Jue Fu. The poem reads:

"Jue Fu was valiant and capable, and traveled through all the states;

He chose a dwelling for Han Ji, and none was better than Han.

Han is truly a land of joy, with broad rivers and marshes;

Bream and carp are rich and plentiful, and deer gather in herds;

There are bears and brown bears, and also wildcats and tigers.

Han Ji lived in this fine place, content and at ease, with a fine reputation."

The Hongdao Lu comments: The deeds of Marquis Han are now hard to verify. However, judging from the splendid robes and hair ornaments described in "Jun Zi Xie Lao," one may say that Han Ji lived a comfortable life. But expressions such as "zhong suan" cannot be taken as praise on that basis. A minister who withdraws from court early, sparing his ruler from toil, may be commended. But if he rises early only to end up irritable, he cannot be called admirable. Therefore, the fine dwelling and good reputation described in the lines "Qing has already settled there, and Han Ji enjoys a fine reputation" are an evaluation by which the gentleman assesses her attainment of De (Virtue).

The Zuo Zhuan records that Yi Shi divined for his daughter's marriage to Jing Zhong. His wife interpreted the omen according to the hexagram text, saying: "Auspicious. This is called the phoenix in flight, its cry harmonious and clear. The descendants of the House of Gui (Yu) will flourish in the state of the Jiang clan. After five generations they will prosper and rise to the rank of senior ministers. By the eighth generation, no one will surpass them."

The Hongdao Lu comments: The hexagram texts of Xian and Heng say that Xian means response and Heng means endurance. The way of husband and wife lasts only when the two respond to each other with mutual understanding. This is probably the principle behind the harmony, mutual resonance, and five-generation prosperity. As for indulging in pleasure without regard to season, even going to Zhulin to meet Xia Nan, this has reached an extreme. The Book of Changes says, "Not sustaining one's De, one may receive the shame of it," meaning that if virtue cannot be upheld, humiliation may follow. This is the reason Chen fell, and it forms the contrast with the rise of Jing Zhong's descendants, is it not? Thus, one need not rely solely on Yi Shi's divination to perceive the principle behind it.

Duke Wen's followers Kuolou Ying and others went with him to live among the Di. The Di attacked Qianggaoru and captured two women there, Shu Kui and Ji Kui, whom they presented to the duke. Duke Wen took Ji Kui as his wife and gave Shu Kui in marriage to Master Cheng. Shu Kui bore Zhao Dun.

After Duke Wen returned to Jin, Lady Zhao asked that Zhao Dun and his mother be left behind. Master Cheng declined, but Lady Zhao said, "To forget the old when one is favored, how can one expect others to follow you?" She insisted on her request, and only then did Master Cheng agree. Lady Zhao judged that Zhao Dun was capable, so she firmly asked Duke Wen to make him the legitimate heir, the son of the principal wife who by ritual custom holds the orthodox position. She also had her own three sons defer to Zhao Dun. She further honored Shu Kui as the principal consort, while placing herself beneath her.

The Record comments: Lady Zhao's virtue far surpassed that of ordinary people. She had the generosity to accommodate others, the virtue to yield to them, and the wisdom to recognize talent. Jealousy cannot tolerate others, pride will not yield, and partiality cannot discern clearly; these are the common failings of women. Moreover, Lady Zhao was a daughter of a ruler and of noble status, while Shu Kui was a woman of the Di, of lower birth. Lady Zhao's sons were legitimate, whereas Zhao Dun was a son of a secondary wife and thus of humble standing. When Lady Zhao said, "To forget the old when one is favored, how can one expect others to follow you?" she showed that she truly understood the bond owed to those who share hardship, and was not merely seeking immediate advantage. When she held that Zhao Dun was capable and firmly asked that he be made heir, she showed that she could set aside partiality toward her own sons, and did not merely distinguish between legitimate and secondary status in name. Later, Zhao Dun inherited the family estate and held political power, achieved great distinction, and brought honor to the ducal clan. Who says that women cannot refrain from favoring their own kin? Alas, Lady Zhao may be called a person of benevolence.

The Biographies of Exemplary Women records that Wei Zong Er Shun was a consort of King Ling of Wei and her attendant concubine, a companion who served the consort with care. After King Ling died, the consort had no son. She said to her attendant concubine, "You have served me with great care. Your son will inherit the sacrifices, and I will be dependent on you, which troubles my heart. Moreover, I have heard that the mother of a ruler should not serve another as a concubine would. Now that I have no son, by ritual I should be set aside, and that I may remain here to uphold my righteousness is already my good fortune. Yet I must still trouble you to look after me, and I am truly ashamed. I wish to move outside the palace, which would also be convenient for Lu Bo."

The attendant concubine wept and said, "Does the consort wish to bring three misfortunes upon the House of Wei? To serve one's lord and not do so constantly is the first misfortune; for the consort to have no son while my wife has a son is the second misfortune; and for the consort to move outside while my son would take up residence in the inner chambers is the third misfortune. I have heard that a loyal minister serves his lord without slackening, and a filial son cares for his parents, fearing that the time spent together is never long enough. How could I dare to change the proper place of a concubine just because I have gained a little honor?" She then withdrew and said to her son, "I have heard that a gentleman should accord with his circumstances, observe the rites between superiors and inferiors, and follow the rules of the ancients. This is what is called compliance."

"Dao" said, "Now this man is making things difficult for me. He wants me to live outside, and he wants me to live inside. Neither arrangement is suitable. Is living on in adversity any better than dying with integrity amid ease?" She then tried to take her own life. When the Son of Heaven heard of it, he was frightened and agreed to let her stay and serve him for the rest of her life.

Yu Junzi said: "These two women may be said to have cultivated their virtue within the household and left their names to later generations."

The Hongdao Lu comments: The lady had no son while the concubine did, but this need not have affected the standing of the principal wife, so why deliberately distinguish between inner and outer? Can it be that a son is indeed indispensable while the principal wife's position may be diminished? In the customs of the state of Qin, Lady Huayang was honored while Queen Mi was set aside. Was discarding her regarded at the time as no more than casting away grass and weeds? Or was it like Emperor Cheng of the Western Han deposing Empress Xu and installing Zhao Feiyan, whereupon Ban Jieyu requested to serve the Dowager in the Changxin Palace, thereby using the request as an indirect remonstrance? If it was not so, these words would become a source of disaster in later ages, when people seized the position of the legitimate wife and doted on favored concubines. Even if they were not transmitted, it would be acceptable. I record them here so that the question may remain open.

The History of the Western Han records: Chen Ping was poor in his youth, but he loved to read, and he was tall and handsome. When he reached the age to marry, wealthy families would not give him their daughters, and poor families felt ashamed to do so. After a long time, Zhang Fu, a rich man living in Huyou, had a granddaughter, and he said to his son, Zhang Zhong, "I want to marry her to Chen Ping." Zhang Zhong replied, "Chen Ping is poor and does no work, and everyone in the county laughs at his conduct. Why would you choose to marry her to him?" Zhang Fu said, "Who in the world is like Chen Ping, poor yet so handsome?" In the end, he married his granddaughter to Chen Ping. Because Chen Ping was poor, Zhang Fu borrowed money and cloth for the bride-price and also provided the cost of wine and meat so that Chen Ping could take a wife. Zhang Fu also admonished his granddaughter: "Do not look down on him because he is poor. Serve your elder brothers as you would serve your father, and serve your sisters-in-law as you would serve your mother." After Chen Ping took the Zhang family's daughter as his wife, the household gradually grew more comfortable, and his social circle and ambitions steadily expanded.

The Hongdao Lu comments: In an age when customs were thin and worldly feeling was harsh, Zhang Fu's insight was enough to reveal the signs of a dynastic change. Some people begrudge even a single farm tool, let alone give away a daughter as precious as jade. Others boast of owning no more than a basket and a broom, let alone possess wealth as abundant as a spring. When the Han flourished, Lü Gong's daughter, the future Empress Lü, had already shown extraordinary beauty. Likewise, there must have been a granddaughter of Zhang Fu whose fame spread far and wide. She did not grow proud because her husband's family was wealthy. In the end, her womanly virtue became ever more refined, and her husband's conduct also advanced day by day. This is what the Yijing means by "presiding over food in the household brings good fortune through correctness," that is, managing the household's food and sacrifices, where uprightness brings good fortune. Can such conduct not be called benevolence?

Emperor Xuan (Han Xuandi), when he was still the imperial great-grandson, was raised in the Yeting (the palace quarters where palace women lived) because of the Witchcraft Calamity (a political case that occurred late in the reign of Emperor Wu).

The Han Shu records that the imperial great-grandson, Liu Bingyi, was living with Xu Guanghan at that time. Xu Guanghan had been an old follower of the Crown Prince Wei, and he treated the imperial great-grandson with great kindness. Xu Guanghan had a daughter named Pingjun, about fourteen or fifteen years old. A diviner said she would become greatly honored in the future, so Xu Guanghan asked that she be married to the imperial great-grandson. A year after the marriage, she gave birth to the future Emperor Yuan.

Later, when Emperor Yuan ascended the throne, he made Lady Xu a Jieyu (a palace consort rank). An empress should have been installed at that time. General Huo had a younger daughter who was also close to the Empress Dowager, and when the court ministers deliberated, their hearts all inclined toward General Huo's daughter, but none of them dared to say so. The emperor then issued an edict asking about the old sword he had used when he was still of humble station. The ministers understood his meaning and so supported Lady Xu as empress.

The Hongdao lu comments: Was the disaster of the Huo clan already foreshadowed by this affair? When things begin, the signs are often very slight, yet the consequences they bring can be very great. Moreover, since everyone's heart leaned toward the Huo family, would the Huos not have secretly guessed the emperor's wishes? Did General Huo Guang fail to understand this matter, or did the emperor deliberately let him know? The emperor's intention was clearly fixed long before. By the time Lady Xu was recommended, the emperor had surely already weighed the matter thoroughly. He did not state it openly, but that does not mean he had not revealed his intention. Earlier hints could be made plain, but his present intention was hard to discern. Huo Guang's failure to voice approval cannot be excused on that account, can it? The historians did not see this clearly, and they held that the Huo clan's disaster began with the matter of the riding companion. Even if that were so, it would be an understatement.

The Dong Han Shu records that in the third year of the Yongping era, the relevant officials memorialized the court, requesting that an empress be established. The Empress Dowager said, "Lady Ma's virtue is the most outstanding in the palace." Lady Ma was then installed as empress.

Empress Ma could recite the Book of Changes, enjoyed reading the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Chu Ci, and was especially well versed in the Rites of Zhou and the writings of Dong Zhongshu. After she formally became empress, she grew even more humble and cautious, and she often wore coarse cloth skirts without ornamental edging. Whenever the emperor went to parks or detached palaces for pleasure, she would always remind him to heed unusual weather such as wind-evil and spirit-fog. Her words were sincere and thorough, and she often considered matters carefully from many sides. For this reason, she seldom accompanied the emperor on his outings.

At that time, cases in the Chu region had gone unresolved for many years. The accused implicated one another in their testimony, and very many were arrested and imprisoned. Fearing that some of them had been wrongly accused, the empress seized the opportunity to speak to the emperor, her tone deeply compassionate. The emperor was moved; he rose in the night and paced about, pondering her words again and again. Later, many of those implicated were pardoned because of this.

After Emperor Suzong ascended the throne, he honored Empress Ma as Empress Dowager. She discussed affairs of state with the emperor morning and evening, instructed the imperial princes, and discussed the classics with them. She would also recount her experiences throughout her life, speaking gently and calmly all day long. She said, "When I was young and strong, I admired only the fame recorded in the histories, and I resolved to disregard my own life. Now that I am old, I must still rid myself of the heart that craves what it might gain. So I watch myself and exhort myself day and night, thinking that I must..."

Reducing expenditure, she did not seek comfort; in her diet she did not seek fullness, hoping through this to put the principles of righteousness into practice and not to disappoint the late emperor.

The Hongdao Lu (Record of Propagating the Way) comments: That she was later given the posthumous title "Mingde" (Illustrious Virtue) was truly fitting. Women belong to Yin, and their dispositions tend toward gentleness and compliance, so they often favor extravagance and the pursuit of pleasure, delight in generosity, and dislike coarse food, preferring abundant dishes, comfortable dwellings, and feasting. These are ordinary human inclinations. Yet she, who was exalted as Empress Dowager and held all under heaven, grew ever more diligent and frugal. She wore thick silk garments and personally tended silkworms and wove cloth. She set aside amusements, urged the halting of unjust imprisonments in the Chu region, cut off private favors to her maternal relatives, and also refused to pray to the spirits or make sacrifices. These were not empty reputations or mere display, but genuine virtue (De) and sincerity. Her conduct was widely known over twenty-three years, too much to recount in full. Considering the reasons behind this, it seems she did not confine herself to the status of a compliant woman, nor was she burdened by a yielding temperament. She admired the worthy figures recorded in the histories and resolved to emulate the sages. This principle may well be the root of her virtue. That her virtue pervaded the inner palace is indeed so; no one between the Western and Eastern Han could compare with her.

When Song Hong served as Grand Minister of Works, Princess Huyang had just been widowed. Emperor Guangwu spoke with her about the court's ministers, secretly observing her inclinations. The princess said, "Gentleman Song's dignity, bearing, and virtue and ability are unmatched by any of the other ministers." Emperor Guangwu replied, "I was just planning to arrange this matter for you." Later, when Song Hong was summoned to an audience, the emperor had the princess seated behind a screen and then said to Song Hong, "There is a saying that when a man's rank rises he changes his friends, and when his wealth increases he changes his wife. Is this a matter of human nature?" Song Hong replied, "I have heard that one must not forget the friends one made in poverty and humble circumstances, and that a wife who shared one's coarse meals must not be sent out of the house." Emperor Guangwu turned to the princess and said, "This matter will not succeed."

The Hongdao Lu comments: This was the omen of Empress Guo's coming deposition. That one should become Zhijinwu (Commandant of the Capital Guards) and take Yin Lihua (the emperor's first wife) as one's wife was Emperor Guangwu's original aspiration. The saying "when rank rises one changes friends, when wealth increases one changes wives" describes precisely what he himself later did. Song Hong's father had incurred punishment for refusing to submit to Dong Xian, so this family tradition was something he had heard since childhood. Moreover, Song Hong was able to stop extravagant music and refuse the lure of beauty, and these matters were known at court. Could Emperor Guangwu alone have not heard of them? Why then did he speak such an inappropriate remark? Still, the emperor's affairs are not worth dwelling on at length. As Princess Huyang, could she really bear to let this matter spread to neighboring states? Could she really bear to let this matter spread to neighboring states?

The Book of Tang records that Empress Wendé, Lady Changsun, was benevolent and filial by nature, lived simply and frugally, and loved reading. She often conversed with the emperor about ancient affairs and, drawing on these, offered admonitions and counsel, giving the emperor great help. When she fell gravely ill, she took leave of the emperor. At that time Fang Xuanling had been dismissed and sent home for an offense, and the empress said to the emperor, "Fang Xuanling has served Your Majesty for a long time and handles affairs with care and attention. If he has committed no grave fault, I hope that..."

Do not set these admonitions aside. I still hope Your Majesty will draw close to gentlemen and keep away from petty people, accept loyal remonstrance, and dismiss slanderous and heterodox talk. I hope you will reduce corvée labor and stop hunting expeditions. Even after I die and go to the Yellow Springs, I will remember Your Majesty's kindness, and my gratitude will be boundless.

She once gathered the successes and failures of women in ancient times and compiled them into the Principles for Women (Nüze) in thirty fascicles, which she presented to Taizong (Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin) for his reading. Taizong showed the book to his close attendants and said, "The Empress's book is enough to be transmitted for a hundred generations as a model for later people." After the Empress died, Taizong was not unaware of the decree of Heaven, yet he still grieved for her. The palace no longer heard words of admonition, and he had lost a virtuous assistant, so he could not put her out of his mind. Later, the Empress was buried at the Zhao Mausoleum, and Taizong still missed her deeply. He therefore built a high terrace in the park and climbed it to gaze out toward the Zhao Mausoleum.

The Hongdao Lu comments: King Wu of Zhou had nine ministers who governed outer affairs, while Yi Jiang governed inner affairs. The benefits of instruction within the inner court were indeed considerable. It is regrettable that Taizong of Tang was not like King Wu of Zhou. The consort of the King of Chaoci had not yet been formally invested, and Li Ming, Prince of Cao, had not yet been enfeoffed as king. Taizong may have feared that he would no longer hear her admonitions, which is why he so often gazed deeply toward the Zhao Mausoleum. As for the situation after Consort Wu (Wu Zetian) entered the palace, it was probably no longer as it had been before.

Taizong further said to Yuchi Jingde, "I wish to marry my daughter to you. What do you think?" Jingde kowtowed to decline and said, "Though my wife's appearance is ordinary, she has shared poverty and lowliness with me for a long time. Though I have not studied books, I have heard that the ancients did not exchange their wives for wealth and rank, and this is my aspiration." Taizong praised him, and the matter was dropped.

The Hongdao Lu comments: Jingde was a brave and fierce general, yet could he also have grasped the sentiment expressed in the Book of Odes? The plain attire described there, "white garment and blue apron" (gǎo yī qí jīn), does not seem to be the manner of one who hastens to seize a woman. The "hairpin with six jade ornaments" (fú jī liù jiā) better shows that a woman has solemnly pledged herself to a man. Moreover, Du He, Fang Yi'ai, Xue Wanche, Chai Lingwu, and others all took princesses as wives (shàng zhǔ), so what could Yuchi Jingde have found unacceptable? Yet he declined. What did he mean by this?

To know contentment is to avoid humiliation, and to know when to stop is to avoid inviting danger. This is not merely a matter of considering calamity and preparing in advance. In this respect Yuchi Jingde surpassed Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others. In his later years he remained content and at ease, and he preserved himself. From beginning to end he got along harmoniously with the ruler, without the slightest suspicion. Is this not truly admirable? Alas, in his family life too, he may be called benevolent and generous.

The Lin'an Chronicle records that Grand Lady Gongyi of Wuyue, Lady Wu, personal name Hanyue, was a native of Qiantang. Her temperament was gentle, virtuous, kind, and generous. She served Qian Yuanguan, King Wenmu, with reverent deference. In daily life she was frugal, wearing only cloth and silk garments. Whenever she heard that someone had been sentenced to a heavy punishment, she would always knit her brows and show a look of pity……

Whenever someone from Wu was promoted or given an office, she strictly admonished them, and when people came in to pay their respects, she often instructed and encouraged them. She always rebuked wrongdoers to their faces. As a result, until her death, no one in the household was arrogant or unruly.

Consort Sun, of the Loyal and Virtuous King, personally named Taizhen, was also from Qiantang. She was dignified and steady in temperament, and quick and perceptive in mind. Whenever she received relatives by marriage and members of the clan, she treated them with full courtesy and care. She loved learning and read widely, mastering the Mao Odes and the Lu Analects, that is, the Book of Songs and the Analects. She esteemed frugality and never dressed in finery except when receiving visitors or attending banquets. When Qian Chu campaigned at Piling, Consort Sun remained in the capital and sent palace attendants to comfort the generals and the families of the commanders who had marched with him. Those within and outside the palace revered her as they served the King of Wuyue himself.

The Hongdao Lu comments: The histories record that the Qian clan, from its rise to its continuation, did not extend benevolent governance to any region, and for a century it even cruelly exploited the people. Yet its descendants flourished and have continued unbroken to this day. Compared with the rulers of the Five Dynasties, the difference is no mere matter of heaven and earth. There must have been virtuous persons throughout the household, among husbands and wives, who laid its foundations, and so this matter is specially recorded here.

The History of the Song records that Empress Cao Guangxian, the Ciyi Empress of Renzong, entered the palace in the second year of Mingdao, was established as empress in the first year of Jingyou, and was honored as Grand Empress Dowager in the first year of Xining. By nature she was loving and kind. Whenever Shenzong returned late from court, she would always wait for him in person behind the screen, and when there was a gap, she would herself hand him food and drink.

Shenzong once intended to seize Yan and Ji. He had already agreed on the plan with his ministers, and then went to report to Grand Empress Dowager Cao at the Qingshou Palace. The Empress asked, "Have the grain reserves and the rewards and supplies been prepared? Are the soldiers' armor and weapons of good quality?" Shenzong replied, "All have been arranged." The Empress said, "This matter is of great importance, and action brings good or ill fortune. Even if it succeeds, it will amount only to facing south to receive congratulations, but should it fail, the lives of the common people will be implicated, and the consequences would be beyond measure. If the territory could truly be taken, Taizu and Taizong would have recovered it long ago. Why wait until today?" Shenzong said, "How could I dare not accept your instruction?"

Su Shi was imprisoned for his poetry, and many believed he would surely die. When the Empress Dowager, who was ill, heard of this, she said to Shenzong, "I still remember that when Renzong learned that Su Shi and his brother had passed the special examination, he rejoiced and said, 'I have obtained two chief ministers for my descendants.' Now I hear that Su Shi has been imprisoned for writing poems. Could it be that enemies have slandered him? Even if one examines the verses themselves, his fault is very slight. My illness is grave, but I cannot allow an unjust and harsh punishment to injure the peaceful spirit of the court. You must investigate this carefully." Shenzong wept, and as a result Su Shi was spared.

A record states: "Her posthumous title, 'Guangxian,' was truly fitting. She understood affairs of state thoroughly and had the bearing of a true sovereign, and her views on Yan and Ji (the areas of present-day Beijing and Hebei) deserve emulation by later generations. Afterward, when Wang Shao administered Xihe and Zhong E proposed seizing the Western Xia, the court was thrown into debate, warfare never ceased, and the common people suffered greatly. The faults of Wang Anshi and Li Xian reached up to Heaven. When the Dowager Empress Cisheng grew old and passed away, the situation she had feared still could not be averted in the end."

"This is enough to show that the order or chaos, and the safety or peril, of the realm and the state are of great consequence. Even in the matter of cherishing talented people alone, one cannot help but sigh in sorrow over it. How fortunate Su Shi was! When later generations wept for him, the grief burst out without their realizing it, though it was already too late."

Empress Xuanren Shenglie Gao of the Yingzong reign was the daughter of Zunfu, and her mother was Lady Cao. She was the elder sister of Empress Dowager Guangxian, so in her youth she often entered the palace. When Yingzong raised her within the palace, she was the same age as Guangxian. Renzong remarked that Guangxian would certainly become a consort-companion to an empress. When Gao grew up, she married into the household of the Prince of Pu and bore the future Emperor Shenzong. In the second year of the Zhiping era (1065), she was installed as empress. Shenzong honored her as Empress Dowager, and when Zhezong ascended the throne she was further honored as Grand Empress Dowager.

After she began to hold court and administer government, she first dispatched courier envoys to summon Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu to the capital. Before the two arrived at their posts, she appointed both of them as chief councillors at once, so that they could assist the government with one accord. Men of reputation then came to court in large numbers. She abolished, one by one, the policies of the Xining era that had fallen out of step with the times. She restored the old Changping granary system, abolished the Green Sprouts Law, implemented corvée service according to the methods of the Jiayou era while partly adopting the Hired Labor Law, repealed the Market Trade Law, relaxed the restrictions on tea and salt, and returned to the Western Xia the border fortifications on land unsuitable for cultivation. As a result, the realm was once again at peace. The Khitan warned their border officials not to provoke new disputes, saying, "The Southern Court has now fully implemented the reforms of Renzong's time."

Later, when the court held the examination for candidates, the responsible officials requested that, following the old precedent of the Tiansheng era, the emperor and the empress dowager both attend the examination hall together. She put a stop to this. The officials then requested that she receive the investiture and the seals at the Wende Hall. She replied, "When an empress dowager holds power in court, it is not good for the state. Moreover, the Wende Hall is the main hall where the Son of Heaven conducts great ceremonies, and an empress should not receive investiture there. The Chongzheng Hall will do."

She also believed that the number of officials was excessive and should be reduced. She therefore issued an edict cutting by one quarter the hereditary privileges granted to imperial in-laws, in order to economize on palace expenditure. She held the regency for nine years, during which the court was orderly and the realm was at peace. She made every effort to follow the old institutions, cut off the private favor edicts issued directly from the palace, and restrained her in-laws from seeking undue favors. Even the items presented to the emperor by the Wensi Institute, which was responsible for crafting palace objects, were all subjected to the same review, whether large or small.

She never accepted the title "Yao and Shun among women" (nü zhong Yao Shun) that the court and the common people bestowed on her. The Hongdao Lu (Record of Spreading the Dao) comments: Yao and Shun were sages among sages, so how could such a title be placed on an empress? In truth, the Way of Yao and Shun (Yao Shun zhi Dao) lies in getting things just right. Facing the ruler of her time, when he went too far, she deliberately urged him to restraint; when he fell short, she encouraged him to continue the achievements of his predecessors. Who would not take Yao and Shun as a model? Yet who would dare claim they could match Yao and Shun?

As Empress Dowager, Empress Xiang truly practiced benevolence toward the people, yet she did not sink into weakness. When she carried out the established administration, she acted decisively, but never to the point of harshness. After the new laws were abolished, the common people seemed to escape from deep water and fire and return to a settled life. When the petty men who had excluded worthy officials were dismissed, the former ministers were reinstated, as if clouds had parted and the blue sky had come into view. Had her successors followed her methods generation after generation, the grace of Yao and Shun could have endured, and the strength of the Song state would not have declined. Unfortunately, while she was still alive, the course of state affairs was completely transformed: treacherous men rose to power, and even the Way of Yao and Shun could do nothing about it. Is this not because such virtuous people are rare?

Empress Qinsheng Xiansu Xiang, consort of Emperor Shenzong, entered the household of the Prince of Ying in the third year of the Zhiping era. When the Prince of Ying ascended the throne, she was made empress; when Emperor Zhezong ascended, she was honored as Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager Xuanren ordered the old Qingshou Palace to be repaired for her residence. Empress Xiang declined, saying: "How can there be a reason for the mother-in-law to live in the west and the daughter-in-law in the east? This would disrupt the order of seniority and rank."

Some members of the imperial clan wished to invoke old precedents and obtain court posts through hereditary privilege, and some seekers of office asked that civil-service ranks be granted to them. Empress Xiang said: "I have never heard of clansmen using such an example. Why should private favor disturb public affairs?" She therefore refused all such requests.

After Emperor Zhezong suddenly died, Empress Xiang decided the affairs of state on her own, and objections could not stop her. When Emperor Huizong ascended the throne, he asked her to hold court temporarily. She declined on the grounds that Huizong had already come of age, and only consented after he had wept and begged her for a long time. Gradually she recalled the worthy scholar-officials who had been excluded and banished during the Shaosheng and Yuanfu eras. She did not adopt several old ceremonial customs, such as holding court in the main hall, avoiding the personal names of family members, and establishing birthday festivals. When she heard that the court had summoned elderly worthies, reduced corvée labor, halted warfare, cared for the people, and promoted frugality, her face lit up with joy. She governed for only six months before returning power to the emperor.

The Hongdao Lu comments: Four empresses of the Song dynasty are worthy of being discussed together and of adding luster to the historical record. Examining their most outstanding virtues, each placed the summoning of elderly worthies and the commendation and employment of capable officials first, and took the restraint of private favor, self-discipline, and care for the people as her constant principles. Even today such people are rare. Alas, she truly deserves to be called a person of benevolence.

When Emperor Zhezong of Song reigned, Empress Zhaoci Shengxian Meng was selected for the palace by Empress Dowager Xuanren and made empress. After Empress Dowager Xuanren died, Zhang Dun falsely claimed that she and Empress Meng had secretly sided with Consort Liu, and he petitioned for the empress to be replaced. Empress Meng and Hao Sui were then framed together and thrown into prison.

During the Chongning and Jingkang reigns, the Jin army captured the capital. All the named consorts of the palace were taken north, and only the deposed Empress Meng was left behind. Zhang Bangchang honored her as Empress Dowager of Song and welcomed her to live in the Yanfu Palace. She received audiences from the officials and held court behind a screen (chuilian tingzheng, "lowering the curtain to hear government affairs," a practice in which, when the emperor was too young or unable to manage affairs himself, the empress dowager listened to state business from behind the curtain).

When she learned that Prince Kang was at Jizhou, Empress Meng sent the Left and Right Vice Directors of the Secretariat, Feng Xie and Li Hui, together with her nephew Zhonghou, to welcome him with a letter. She also ordered the Commander-in-Chief Guo Zhongxun to lead troops as an escort, and sent Zhang Jun, Commander of the Front Army of the Imperial Encampment, to meet him on the road. After Prince Kang arrived at Nanjing, she dispatched a member of the imperial clan (name illegible in the source text) and the eunuch Shao Erche, bearing the imperial seal, treasures, the emperor's carriage, and ceremonial robes, to invite Prince Kang to ascend the throne. She was then honored as Empress Dowager Yuanyou, was escorted to the emperor's temporary residence (xingzai), spent her later years in peace, and eventually died there.

Earlier, when Empress Meng was invested with her title, Empress Dowager Xuanren sighed, "This woman is virtuous, gentle, and good, but her good fortune is too great. In the future, when the state faces upheaval, it will surely be she who must bear the burden." Later events proved her words true.

The Lu comments: I observe that the empresses Guangxian, Xuanren, and Qinsheng were like a gentle spring breeze, living quietly and unconsciously accord with the Way of Heaven. Empress Dowager Zhaoci Meng, by contrast, was like autumn frost, stern and austere, and like sunlight that shines anew after being washed, she emerged again from obscurity to shine brightly. Yet none of them departed from the gentle obedience proper to an empress or from the ritual norms for the instruction of women. This certainly reflects the blessings accumulated by the ancestors, but is it not also because each generation of empresses upheld virtue?

Sun Mingfu lived in seclusion on the southern slope of Mount Tai. At forty years of age, he lived alone. When former chancellor Li Di was garrisoning Yanzhou, he met Sun and sighed, "Master, you live alone without a companion. Who will look after your daily life? When wind and rain strike, or when meals must be prepared morning and evening, or when illness comes and there is no one to care for you promptly, what will you do? My younger brother's daughter could marry you and look after your needs."

Sun Mingfu firmly declined. Shi Jie and several of his disciples urged him, "For a long time, the high officials have been unwilling to humble themselves to honor worthy men. Now the chancellor, not regarding the master's poverty and lowly station, is willing to entrust his daughter to you. You should take this opportunity to help the chancellor earn the good name of honoring scholars." Sun Mingfu then married Lady Li. Lady Li was likewise content with simplicity and frugality, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to serving her husband. The scholar-officials of the time all praised her virtue.

When I read about Sun Mingfu's life, I sighed that the conduct of Li Wending (Duke Wending) was truly hard to match. Whether a chief minister's record in office can be known is perhaps beyond our reach, but to transform the people of a region, one should put the conduct of scholars first and make reform of customs the first priority. When Li Wending took a wife, he not only honored a man of humble station with the courtesy due to a person of rank, thereby completing that man's virtue, but also used the occasion to rebuke worldly people who looked down on those without heirs, and so upheld the root of moral instruction. At the same time, he corrected the growing shallowness of popular custom and preserved the pure reputation of the chushi (a recluse scholar who refused office). Later, Sun Mingfu took office and was put to use by the world, and he did not betray Li Wending's original recommendation. Lady Li was content in poverty, kept to ritual propriety, and proved worthy of her husband. All of this is worth emulating by later generations.

Before he had passed the jinshi (presented scholar) examination, Liu Tingshi once discussed marrying a woman from his home district. After he passed the examination, the woman went blind from illness. Someone urged him to marry her younger sister instead, but Liu Tingshi laughed and said, "My heart has already been promised to her. How can I go against what I first intended?" In the end he married the woman, and they had several children together. Later his wife died, and Liu Tingshi, serving as tongpan (assistant prefect) in Mizhou, did not remarry for more than a year. Su Shi, then prefect of Mizhou, asked him, "Grief arises from love, and love arises from beauty. Now, where does your love come from, and where does your grief come from?" Liu Tingshi replied, "I only know that I have lost my wife. If love arises from beauty and grief arises from love, then once beauty fades and love diminishes, my grief should also disappear. In that case, the women of the Yangzhou singing houses and the streets, who lean in doorways to invite customers and flirt with their eyes, could all become wives, could they not?" Su Shi greatly agreed with his words.

The Lunyu (Analects) says that one of the things a gentleman must guard against is sexual desire, and it also says, "I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves beauty." The sage's meaning was precisely that people may come to love because of beauty, and from that love fall into depraved conduct, so one must guard against disorder and restrain excessive desire. The Shijing (Book of Odes) also says, "Though there are beauties as many as clouds, the one my heart longs for is not among them; the one I love is the one in white clothes with a blue-green headscarf." A man like Liu Tingshi may truly be said to love virtue and to be undisturbed by desire. If he had been placed among Confucius's disciples, he would surely have won the master's approval. Why should Su Shi alone have admired him?

Zhou Xingyi, courtesy name Gongshu, passed the jinshi examination while still young. Before he was thirty, he saw Cheng Yi (Yichuan) living alone in a single room, strict and diligent in his conduct, never once looking out of the window. When Zhou Xingyi was a boy, he had agreed to a marriage with a young woman from his mother's natal family. Later he passed the examination, but the woman had become blind, so he still married her and treated her with more affection than ordinary men would. Cheng Yi said, "If I had not been thirty at that time, I might not have been able to do this either."

Cheng Yi's praise of Zhou Gongshu was a way of reminding people to examine themselves and restrain their selfish desires.

Treating others with goodwill, even in the manner of Meishan (Su Shi), still leaves one liable to be swayed by one's feelings.

This is why the Luo and Shu factions split. Was their disagreement merely a matter of "not singing while weeping, and not weeping while singing"?

Before passing the examination for the jinshi degree, Lü Fen had already betrothed himself to a daughter of a family in his home district, and the wedding had not yet taken place when he became a jinshi. The bride's family said, "Our daughter had no illness when she was betrothed. She went blind afterward." Lü Fen replied, "Since you have not deceived me, what grounds do I have for refusing?" He then married her. They later had six sons, five of whom passed the civil examinations, and one of whom was the Grand Councilor Lü Dafang. Lü Fen eventually rose to the post of Director of the Ministry of Rites.

The Hongdao Lu comments: I observe that the "seven grounds for divorce" make no mention of blindness, so a wife's blindness does not in itself preclude her remaining a wife. As for a grave illness that prevents bearing children, there are also cases where one cannot bear to cast a spouse aside. Why? Because within the family, feelings of kindness often outweigh the prescriptions of moral duty. If a person had no illness and then suddenly fell ill, even a sage could not guarantee that such a thing would never happen. Once two people have become husband and wife, to abandon one of them in isolation because of illness would be something even a fool would find hard to accept. When the ancient kings drew up the ritual norms suited to particular circumstances, did they truly fail to consider such cases? In my private view, the condition now called, in the colloquial, shi nü ("real woman"), in which reproductive function is incomplete, is a grave illness that prevents childbearing, and it indeed calls for divorce without any doubt.

Huangming Banxing Liezhuan (Biographies Promulgated Under the Illustrious Ming)

Grand Ancestor, Emperor Gao (Taizu)

Empress Ma Wende was, from her youth, dignified and composed, and her intelligence was exceptional. After she married into the Zhu family, a great famine struck. She endured hunger herself and set aside her dry rations and dried meat for Zhu Yuanzhang, so that he never went without food.

Zhu Yuanzhang once said to his attendants, "In the past, Emperor Guangwu consoled Feng Yi by saying that he owed him a great debt of kindness for a long time that he had never repaid. When I think of the Empress, who came to me from a commoner's household and shared my hardships, and who in moments of desperate need went hungry and gave her food to me, her suffering on my behalf, living on bean porridge and coarse grain, was deeper than mine.

"Empress Changsun of Tang Taizong, when the Crown Prince Yin and Taizong came into conflict, was able within the palace to fulfill her filial duties and observe propriety, serving the various consorts and easing the rifts among them. Many times I was distrusted by Lady Guo, yet the Empress acted frankly and did not hesitate before others. When the generals sometimes offered clothing or goods to her, she always passed them on to Lady Guo first, to console her. When someone wished to harm me, she too always intervened on my behalf, so that I was ultimately spared from disaster. If Empress Changsun still found these things difficult, how much more so is a virtuous wife at home, who is like a worthy minister of the state? How could I forget her?"

One day Zhu Yuanzhang relayed these words to Empress Ma. She replied, "I have heard that it is easier for husband and wife to preserve one another, but very hard for ruler and minister to do so. Since Your Majesty cannot bear to forget the bond we shared in our poverty and lowliness, I hope Your Majesty will also not forget the hardships of the people of the realm . . ."

"I dare not compare myself to Empress Changsun in virtue. I only hope Your Majesty will take Yao and Shun as your models." When the Empress's illness had grown critical, the Emperor asked if she had any final words. She replied: "Your Majesty should seek out worthy men, heed remonstrance, and put government and moral instruction in order, so that the realm may reach a state of stability, harmony, and lasting peace. You should also instruct the princes to advance continually in both virtue and learning." The Emperor said, "I know all of this. But I am already old. After you are gone, how am I to bear my grief?" The Empress said further, "Life and death are decreed by Heaven. I hope Your Majesty will be as careful in bringing matters to their end as you were in beginning them, so that your descendants may all be virtuous and every subject may find their proper place. Even if I die, I shall be as at peace as if I were still alive." With these words, the Empress passed away.

The Emperor wept in grief, and for the rest of his life he never again established an Empress.

The Hongdao lu offers the following commentary: After the Three Dynasties came the Han, the Tang, and the Song, and after them the Ming. Each of these dynasties arose in its own time, and their circumstances were much alike. Empress Lü of the Han and Empress Ma, the Filial, Compassionate, Illustrious, and Constitutional Empress of the Ming (consort of the Ming Taizu), both assisted in the founding of their dynasties and were somewhat similar in this respect. Yet in the course of time their conduct came to be as opposite as ice and charcoal. How could Empress Lü of the Han compare even slightly with the Ming Empress Gao? The Ming Taizu resolved, in accordance with ritual propriety and righteousness, not to establish another Empress, and he kept to this resolve for the rest of his life. Compared with the Han Gaozu's favor toward Lady Qi, the difference is like that between heaven and earth. From this we can see that the Taizu's "great filiality" and his "submission to Heaven and compliance with the sages" are both enough to serve as a standard for emulation for ten thousand generations.

End of Volume Seven of the Hongdao lu.