卷四十·楚世家第十

卷四十·楚世家第十

司马迁

楚之先祖出自帝颛顼高阳。高阳者，黄帝之孙，昌意之子也。高阳生称，称生卷章，卷章生重黎。重黎为帝喾高辛居火正，甚有功，能光融天下，帝喾命曰祝融。共工氏作乱，帝喾使重黎诛之而不尽。帝乃以庚寅日诛重黎，而以其弟吴回为重黎后，复居火正，为祝融。

吴回生陆终。陆终生子六人，坼剖而产焉。其长一曰昆吾；二曰参胡；三曰彭祖；四曰会人；五曰曹姓；六曰季连，芈姓，楚其后也。昆吾氏，夏之时尝为侯伯，桀之时汤灭之。彭祖氏，殷之时尝为侯伯，殷之末世灭彭祖氏。季连生附沮，附沮生穴熊。其后中微，或在中国，或在蛮夷，弗能纪其世。

周文王之时，季连之苗裔曰鬻熊。鬻熊子事文王，蚤卒。其子曰熊丽。熊丽生熊狂，熊狂生熊绎。

熊绎当周成王之时，举文、武勤劳之后嗣，而封熊绎于楚蛮，封以子男之田，姓芈氏，居丹阳。楚子熊绎与鲁公伯禽、卫康叔子牟、晋侯燮、齐太公子吕伋俱事成王。

熊绎生熊艾，熊艾生熊□ ，熊□ 生熊胜。熊胜以弟熊杨为后。熊杨生熊渠。

熊渠生子三人。当周夷王之时，王室微，诸侯或不朝，相伐。熊渠甚得江汉间民和，乃兴兵伐庸、杨粤，至于鄂。熊渠曰：“我蛮夷也，不与中国之号谥。”乃立其长子康为句亶王，中子红为鄂王，少子执疵为越章王，皆在江上楚蛮之地。及周厉王之时，暴虐，熊渠畏其伐楚，亦去其王。

后为熊毋康，毋康蚤死。熊渠卒，子熊挚红立。挚红卒，其弟弑而代立，曰熊延。熊延生熊勇。

熊勇六年，而周人作乱，攻厉王，厉王出奔彘。熊勇十年，卒，弟熊严为后。

熊严十年，卒。有子四人，长子伯霜，中子仲雪，次子叔堪，少子季徇。熊严卒，长子伯霜代立，是为熊霜。

熊霜元年，周宣王初立。熊霜六年，卒，三弟争立。仲雪死；叔堪亡，避难于濮；而少弟季徇立，是为熊徇。熊徇十六年，郑桓公初封于郑。二十二年，熊徇卒，子熊咢立。熊咢九年，卒，子熊仪立，是为若敖。

若敖二十年，周幽王为犬戎所弑，周东徙，而秦襄公始列为诸侯。

二十七年，若敖卒，子熊坎立，是为霄敖。霄敖六年，卒，子熊眴立，是为蚡冒。蚡冒十三年，晋始乱，以曲沃之故。蚡冒十七年，卒。蚡冒弟熊通弑蚡冒子而代立，是为楚武王。

武王十七年，晋之曲沃庄伯弑主国晋孝侯。十九年，郑伯弟段作乱。二十一年，郑侵天子之田。二十三年，卫弑其君桓公。二十九年，鲁弑其君隐公。三十一年，宋太宰华督弑其君殇公。

三十五年，楚伐随。随曰：“我无罪。”楚曰：“我蛮夷也。今诸侯皆为叛相侵，或相杀。我有敝甲，欲以观中国之政，请王室尊吾号。”随人为之周，请尊楚，王室不听，还报楚。三十七年，楚熊通怒曰：“吾先鬻熊，文王之师也，蚤终。成王举我先公，乃以子男田令居楚，蛮夷皆率服，而王不加位，我自尊耳。”乃自立为武王，与随人盟而去。于是始开濮地而有之。

五十一年，周召随侯，数以立楚为王。楚怒，以随背己，伐随。武王卒师中而兵罢。子文王熊赀立，始都郢。

文王二年，伐申过邓，邓人曰“楚王易取”，邓侯不许也。六年，伐蔡，虏蔡哀侯以归，已而释之。楚强，陵江汉间小国，小国皆畏之。十一年，齐桓公始霸，楚亦始大。

十二年，伐邓，灭之。十三年，卒，子熊囏立，是为庄敖。庄敖五年，欲杀其弟熊恽，恽奔随，与随袭弑庄敖代立，是为成王。

成王恽元年，初即位，布德施惠，结旧好于诸侯。使人献天子，天子赐胙，曰：“镇尔南方夷越之乱，无侵中国。”于是楚地千里。

十六年，齐桓公以兵侵楚，至陉山。”楚成王使将军屈完以兵御之，与桓公盟。桓公数以周之赋不入王室，楚许之，乃去。

十八年，成王以兵北伐许，许君肉袒谢，乃释之。二十二年，伐黄。二十六年，灭英。

三十三年，宋襄公欲为盟会，召楚。楚王怒曰：“召我，我将好往袭辱之。”遂行，至盂，遂执辱宋公，已而归之。三十四年，郑文公南朝楚。楚成王北伐宋，败之泓，射伤宋襄公，襄公遂病创死。

三十五年，晋公子重耳过楚，成王以诸侯客礼飨，而厚送之于秦。

三十九年，鲁僖公来请兵以伐齐，楚使申侯将兵伐齐，取谷，置齐桓公子雍焉。齐桓公七子皆奔楚，楚尽以为上大夫。灭夔，夔不祀祝融、鬻熊故也。

夏，伐宋，宋告急于晋，晋救宋，成王罢归。将军子玉请战，成王曰：“重耳亡居外久，卒得反国，天之所开，不可当。”子玉固请，乃与之少师而去。晋果败子玉于城濮。成王怒，诛子玉。

四十六年，初，成王将以商臣为太子，语令尹子上。子上曰：“君之齿未也，而又多内宠，绌乃乱也。楚国之举常在少者。且商臣蜂目而豺声，忍人也，不可立也。”王不听，立之。后又欲立子职而绌太子商臣。商臣闻而未审也，告其傅潘崇曰：“何以得其实？”崇曰：“飨王之宠姬江芈而勿敬也。”商臣从之。江芈怒曰：“宜乎王之欲杀若而立职也。”商臣告潘崇曰：“信矣。”崇曰：“能事之乎？”曰：“不能。”“能亡去乎？”曰：“不能。”“能行大事乎？”曰：“能。”冬十月，商臣以宫卫兵围成王。成王请食熊蹯而死，不听。丁未，成王自绞杀。商臣代立，是为穆王。

穆王立，以其太子宫予潘崇，使为太师，掌国事。穆王三年，灭江。四年，灭六、蓼。六、蓼，皋陶之后。八年，伐陈。十二年，卒。子庄王侣立。

庄王即位三年，不出号令，日夜为乐，令国中曰：“有敢谏者死无赦！”伍举入谏。庄王左抱郑姬，右抱越女，坐钟鼓之间。伍举曰：“愿有进。”隐曰：“有鸟在于阜，三年不蜚不鸣，是何鸟也？”庄王曰：“三年不蜚，蜚将冲天；三年不鸣，鸣将惊人。举退矣，吾知之矣。”居数月，淫益甚。大夫苏从乃入谏。王曰：“若不闻令乎？”对曰：“杀身以明君，臣之愿也。”于是乃罢淫乐，听政，所诛者数百人，所进者数百人，任伍举、苏从以政，国人大说。是岁灭庸。六年，伐宋，获五百乘。

八年，伐陆浑戎，遂至洛，观兵于周郊。周定王使王孙满劳楚王。楚王问鼎小大轻重，对曰：“在德不在鼎。”庄王曰：“子无阻九鼎！楚国折钩之喙，足以为九鼎。”王孙满曰：“呜呼！君王其忘之乎？昔虞夏之盛，远方皆至，贡金九牧，铸鼎象物，百物而为之备，使民知神奸。桀有乱德，鼎迁于殷，载祀六百。殷纣暴虐，鼎迁于周。德之休明，虽小必重；其奸回昏乱，虽大必轻。昔成王定鼎于郏鄏，卜世三十，卜年七百，天所命也。周德虽衰，天命未改。鼎之轻重，未可问也。”楚王乃归。

九年，相若敖氏。人或谗之王，恐诛，反攻王，王击灭若敖氏之族。十三年，灭舒。

十六年，伐陈，杀夏徵舒。徵舒弑其君，故诛之也。已破陈，即县之。群臣皆贺，申叔时使齐来，不贺。王问，对曰：“鄙语曰，牵牛径人田，田主取其牛。径者则不直矣，取之牛不亦甚乎？且王以陈之乱而率诸侯伐之，以义伐之而贪其县，亦何以复令于天下！”庄王乃复国陈后。

十七年春，楚庄王围郑，三月克之。入自皇门，郑伯肉袒牵羊以逆，曰：“孤不天，不能事君，君用怀怒，以及敝邑，孤之罪也。敢不惟命是听！宾之南海，若以臣妾赐诸侯，亦惟命是听。若君不忘厉、宣、桓、武，不绝其社稷，使改事君，孤之愿也，非所敢望也。敢布腹心。”楚群臣曰：“王勿许。”庄王曰：“其君能下人，必能信用其民，庸可绝乎！”庄王自手旗，左右麾军，引兵去三十里而舍，遂许之平。潘尫入盟，子良出质。夏六月，晋救郑，与楚战，大败晋师河上，遂至衡雍而归。

二十年，围宋，以杀楚使也。围宋五月，城中食尽，易子而食，析骨而炊。宋华元出告以情。庄王曰：“君子哉！”遂罢兵去。

二十三年，庄王卒，子共王审立。

共王十六年，晋伐郑。郑告急，共王救郑。与晋兵战鄢陵，晋败楚，射中共王目。共王召将军子反。子反嗜酒，从者竖阳谷进酒，醉。王怒，射杀子反，遂罢兵归。

三十一年，共王卒，子康王招立。康王立十五年卒，子员立，是为郏敖。

康王宠弟公子围、子比、子晳、弃疾。郏敖三年，以其季父康王弟公子围为令尹，主兵事。四年，围使郑，道闻王疾而还。十二月己酉，围入问王疾，绞而弑之，遂杀其子莫及平夏。使使赴于郑。伍举问曰：“谁为后？”对曰：“寡大夫围。”伍举更曰：“共王之子围为长。”子比奔晋，而围立，是为灵王。

灵王三年六月，楚使使告晋，欲会诸侯。诸侯皆会楚于申。伍举曰：“昔夏启有钧台之飨，商汤有景亳之命，周武王有盟津之誓，成王有岐阳之蒐，康王有丰宫之朝，穆王有涂山之会，齐桓有召陵之师，晋文有践土之盟，君其何用？”灵王曰：“用桓公。”时郑子产在焉。于是晋、宋、鲁、卫不往。灵王已盟，有骄色。伍举曰：“桀为有仍之会，有缗叛之。纣为黎山之会，东夷叛之。幽王为太室之盟，戎、翟叛之。君其慎终！”

七月，楚以诸侯兵伐吴，围朱方。八月，克之，囚庆封，灭其族。以封徇，曰：“无效齐庆封弑其君而弱其孤，以盟诸大夫！”封反曰：“莫如楚共王庶子围弑其君兄之子员而代之立！”于是灵王使弃疾杀之。

七年，就章华台，下令内亡人实之。

八年，使公子弃疾将兵灭陈。十年，召蔡侯，醉而杀之。使弃疾定蔡，因为陈蔡公。

十一年，伐徐以恐吴。灵王次于乾溪以待之。王曰：“齐、晋、鲁、卫，其封皆受宝器，我独不。今吾使使周求鼎以为分，其予我乎？”析父对曰：“其予君王哉！昔我先王熊绎辟在荆山，荜露蓝蒌。以处草莽，跋涉山林以事天子，唯是桃弧棘矢以共王事。齐，王舅也；晋及鲁、卫，王母弟也：楚是以无分而彼皆有。周今与四国服事君王，将惟命是从，岂敢爱鼎？”灵王曰：“昔我皇祖伯父昆吾旧许是宅，今郑人贪其田，不我予，今我求之，其予我乎？”对曰：“周不爱鼎，郑安敢爱田？”灵王曰：“昔诸侯远我而畏晋，今吾大城陈、蔡、不羹，赋皆千乘，诸侯畏我乎？”对曰：“畏哉！”灵王喜曰：“析父善言古事焉。”

十二年春，楚灵王乐乾溪，不能去也。国人苦役。初，灵王会兵于申，僇越大夫常寿过，杀蔡大夫观起。起子从亡在吴，乃劝吴王伐楚，为间越大夫常寿过而作乱，为吴间。使矫公子弃疾命召公子比于晋，至蔡，与吴、越兵欲袭蔡。令公子比见弃疾，与盟于邓。遂入杀灵王太子禄，立子比为王，公子子晳为令尹，弃疾为司马。先除王宫，观从从师于乾溪，令楚众曰：“国有王矣。先归，复爵邑田室。后者迁之。”楚众皆溃，去灵王而归。

灵王闻太子禄之死也，自投车下，而曰：“人之爱子亦如是乎？”侍者曰：“甚是。”王曰：“余杀人之子多矣，能无及此乎？”右尹曰：“请待于郊以听国人。”王曰：“众怒不可犯。”曰：“且入大县而乞师于诸侯。”王曰：“皆叛矣。”又曰：“且奔诸侯以听大国之虑。”王曰：“大福不再，祗取辱耳。”于是王乘舟将欲入鄢。右尹度王不用其计，惧俱死，亦去王亡。

灵王于是独傍徨山中，野人莫敢入王。王行遇其故鋗人，谓曰：“为我求食，我已不食三日矣。”鋗人曰：“新王下法，有敢饟王从王者，罪及三族，且又无所得食。”王因枕其股而卧。鋗人又以土自代，逃去。王觉而弗见，遂饥弗能起。芋尹申无宇之子申亥曰：“吾父再犯王命，王弗诛，恩孰大焉！”乃求王，遇王饥于釐泽，奉之以归。夏五月癸丑，王死申亥家，申亥以二女从死，并葬之。

是时楚国虽已立比为王，畏灵王复来，又不闻灵王死，故观从谓初王比曰：“不杀弃疾，虽得国犹受祸。”王曰：“余不忍。”从曰：“人将忍王。”王不听，乃去。弃疾归。国人每夜惊，曰：“灵王入矣！”乙卯夜，弃疾使船人从江上走呼曰：“灵王至矣！”国人愈惊。又使曼成然告初王比及令尹子晳曰：“王至矣！国人将杀君，司马将至矣！君蚤自图，无取辱焉。众怒如水火，不可救也。”初王及子晳遂自杀。丙辰，弃疾即位为王，改名熊居，是为平王。

平王以诈弑两王而自立，恐国人及诸侯叛之，乃施惠百姓。复陈蔡之地而立其后如故，归郑之侵地。存恤国中，修政教。吴以楚乱故，获五率以归。平王谓观从：“恣尔所欲。”欲为卜尹，王许之。

初，共王有宠子五人，无適立，乃望祭群神，请神决之，使主社稷，而阴与巴姬埋璧于室内，召五公子斋而入。康王跨之，灵王肘加之，子比、子晳皆远之。平王幼，抱其上而拜，压纽。故康王以长立，至其子失之；围为灵王，及身而弑；子比为王十余日，子晳不得立，又俱诛。四子皆绝无后。唯独弃疾后立，为平王，竟续楚祀，如其神符。

初，子比自晋归，韩宣子问叔向曰：“子比其济乎？”对曰：“不就。”宣子曰：“同恶相求，如市贾焉，何为不就？”对曰：“无与同好，谁与同恶？取国有五难：有宠无人，一也；有人无主，二也；有主无谋，三也；有谋而无民，四也；有民而无德，五也。子比在晋十三年矣，晋、楚之从不闻通者，可谓无人矣；族尽亲叛，可谓无主矣；无衅而动，可谓无谋矣；为羁终世，可谓无民矣；亡无爱徵，可谓无德矣。王虐而不忌，子比涉五难以弑君，谁能济之！有楚国者，其弃疾乎？君陈、蔡，方城外属焉。苛慝不作，盗贼伏隐，私欲不违，民无怨心。先神命之，国民信之。芈姓有乱，必季实立，楚之常也。子比之官，则右尹也；数其贵宠，则庶子也；以神所命，则又远之；民无怀焉，将何以立？”宣子曰：“齐桓、晋文不亦是乎？”对曰：“齐桓，卫姬之子也，有宠于釐公。有鲍叔牙、宾须无、隰朋以为辅，有莒、卫以为外主，有高、国以为内主。从善如流，施惠不倦。有国，不亦宜乎？昔我文公，狐季姬之子也，有宠于献公。好学不倦。生十七年，有士五人，有先大夫子余、子犯以为腹心，有魏犨、贾佗以为股肱，有齐、宋、秦、楚以为外主，有栾、郤、狐、先以为内主。亡十九年，守志弥笃。惠、怀弃民，民从而与之。故文公有国，不亦宜乎？子比无施于民，无援于外，去晋，晋不送；归楚，楚不迎。何以有国！”子比果不终焉，卒立者弃疾，如叔向言也。

平王二年，使费无忌如秦为太子建取妇。妇好，来，未至，无忌先归，说平王曰：“秦女好，可自娶，为太子更求。”平王听之，卒自娶秦女，生熊珍。更为太子娶。是时伍奢为太子太傅，无忌为少傅。无忌无宠于太子，常谗恶太子建。建时年十五矣，其母蔡女也，无宠于王，王稍益疏外建也。

六年，使太子建居城父，守边。无忌又日夜谗太子建于王曰：“自无忌入秦女，太子怨，亦不能无望于王，王少自备焉。且太子居城父，擅兵，外交诸侯，且欲入矣。”平王召其傅伍奢责之。伍奢知无忌谗，乃曰：“王柰何以小臣疏骨肉？”无忌曰：“今不制，后悔也。”于是王遂囚伍奢。乃令司马奋扬召太子建，欲诛之。太子闻之，亡奔宋。

无忌曰：“伍奢有二子，不杀者为楚国患。盍以免其父召之，必至。”于是王使使谓奢：“能致二子则生，不能将死。”奢曰：“尚至，胥不至。”王曰：“何也？”奢曰：“尚之为人，廉，死节，慈孝而仁，闻召而免父，必至，不顾其死。胥之为人，智而好谋，勇而矜功，知来必死，必不来。然为楚国忧者必此子。”于是王使人召之，曰：“来，吾免尔父。”伍尚谓伍胥曰：“闻父免而莫奔，不孝也；父戮莫报，无谋也；度能任事，知也。子其行矣，我其归死。”伍尚遂归。伍胥弯弓属矢，出见使者，曰：“父有罪，何以召其子为？”将射，使者还走，遂出奔吴。伍奢闻之，曰：“胥亡，楚国危哉。”楚人遂杀伍奢及尚。

十年，楚太子建母在居巢，开吴。吴使公子光伐楚，遂败陈、蔡，取太子建母而去。楚恐，城郢。初，吴之边邑卑梁与楚边邑钟离小童争桑，两家交怒相攻，灭卑梁人。卑梁大夫怒，发邑兵攻钟离。楚王闻之怒，发国兵灭卑梁。吴王闻之大怒，亦发兵，使公子光因建母家攻楚，遂灭钟离、居巢。楚乃恐而城郢。

十三年，平王卒。将军子常曰：“太子珍少，且其母乃前太子建所当娶也。”欲立令尹子西。子西，平王之庶弟也，有义。子西曰：“国有常法，更立则乱，言之则致诛。”乃立太子珍，是为昭王。

昭王元年，楚众不说费无忌，以其谗亡太子建，杀伍奢子父与郤宛。宛之宗姓伯氏子嚭及子胥皆奔吴，吴兵数侵楚，楚人怨无忌甚。楚令尹子常诛无忌以说众，众乃喜。

四年，吴三公子奔楚，楚封之以扞吴。五年，吴伐取楚之六、潜。七年，楚使子常伐吴，吴大败楚于豫章。

十年冬，吴王阖闾、伍子胥、伯嚭与唐、蔡俱伐楚，楚大败，吴兵遂入郢，辱平王之墓，以伍子胥故也。吴兵之来，楚使子常以兵迎之，夹汉水阵。吴伐败子常，子常亡奔郑。楚兵走，吴乘胜逐之，五战及郢。己卯，昭王出奔。庚辰，吴人入郢。

昭王亡也至云梦。云梦不知其王也，射伤王。王走郧。郧公之弟怀曰：“平王杀吾父，今我杀其子，不亦可乎？”郧公止之，然恐其弑昭王，乃与王出奔随。吴王闻昭王往，即进击随，谓随人曰：“周之子孙封于江汉之间者，楚尽灭之。”欲杀昭王。王从臣子綦乃深匿王，自以为王，谓随人曰：“以我予吴。”随人卜予吴，不吉，乃谢吴王曰：“昭王亡，不在随。”吴请入自索之，随不听，吴亦罢去。

昭王之出郢也，使申鲍胥请救于秦。秦以车五百乘救楚，楚亦收余散兵，与秦击吴。十一年六月，败吴于稷。会吴王弟夫概见吴王兵伤败，乃亡归，自立为王。阖闾闻之，引兵去楚，归击夫概。夫概败，奔楚，楚封之堂溪，号为堂溪氏。

楚昭王灭唐九月，归入郢。十二年，吴复伐楚，取番。楚恐，去郢，北徙都鄀。

十六年，孔子相鲁。二十年，楚灭顿，灭胡。二十一年，吴王阖闾伐越。越王句践射伤吴王，遂死。吴由此怨越而不西伐楚。

二十七年春，吴伐陈，楚昭王救之，军城父。十月，昭王病于军中，有赤云如鸟，夹日而蜚。昭王问周太史，太史曰：“是害于楚王，然可移于将相。”将相闻是言，乃请自以身祷于神。昭王曰：“将相，孤之股肱也，今移祸，庸去是身乎！”弗听。卜而河为祟，大夫请祷河。昭王曰：“自吾先王受封，望不过江、汉，而河非所获罪也。”止不许。孔子在陈，闻是言，曰：“楚昭王通大道矣。其不失国，宜哉！”

昭王病甚，乃召诸公子大夫曰：“孤不佞，再辱楚国之师，今乃得以天寿终，孤之幸也。”让其弟公子申为王，不可。又让次弟公子结，亦不可。乃又让次弟公子闾，五让，乃后许为王。将战，庚寅，昭王卒于军中。子闾曰：“王病甚，舍其子让群臣，臣所以许王，以广王意也。今君王卒，臣岂敢忘君王之意乎！”乃与子西、子綦谋，伏师闭涂，迎越女之子章立之，是为惠王。然后罢兵归，葬昭王。

惠王二年，子西召故平王太子建之子胜于吴，以为巢大夫，号曰白公。白公好兵而下士，欲报仇。六年，白公请兵令尹子西伐郑。初，白公父建亡在郑，郑杀之，白公亡走吴，子西复召之，故以此怨郑，欲伐之。子西许而未为发兵。八年，晋伐郑，郑告急楚，楚使子西救郑，受赂而去。白公胜怒，乃遂与勇力死士石乞等袭杀令尹子西、子綦于朝，因劫惠王，置之高府，欲弑之。惠王从者屈固负王亡走昭王夫人宫。白公自立为王。月余，会叶公来救楚，楚惠王之徒与共攻白公，杀之。惠王乃复位。是岁也，灭陈而县之。

十三年，吴王夫差强，陵齐、晋，来伐楚。十六年，越灭吴。四十二年，楚灭蔡。四十四年，楚灭杞。与秦平。是时越已灭吴而不能正江、淮北；楚东侵，广地至泗上。

五十七年，惠王卒，子简王中立。

简王元年，北伐灭莒。八年，魏文侯、韩武子、赵桓子始列为诸侯。

二十四年，简王卒，子声王当立。声王六年，盗杀声王，子悼王熊疑立。悼王二年，三晋来伐楚，至乘丘而还。四年，楚伐周。郑杀子阳。九年，伐韩，取负黍。十一年，三晋伐楚，败我大梁、榆关。楚厚赂秦，与之平。二十一年，悼王卒，子肃王臧立。

肃王四年，蜀伐楚，取兹方。于是楚为扞关以距之。十年，魏取我鲁阳。十一年，肃王卒，无子，立其弟熊良夫，是为宣王。

宣王六年，周天子贺秦献公。秦始复强，而三晋益大，魏惠王、齐威王尤强。三十年，秦封卫鞅于商，南侵楚。是年，宣王卒，子威王熊商立。

威王六年，周显王致文武胙于秦惠王。

七年，齐孟尝君父田婴欺楚，楚威王伐齐，败之于徐州，而令齐必逐田婴。田婴恐，张丑伪谓楚王曰：“王所以战胜于徐州者，田盼子不用也。盼子者，有功于国，而百姓为之用。婴子弗善而用申纪。申纪者，大臣不附，百姓不为用，故王胜之也。今王逐婴子，婴子逐，盼子必用矣。复搏其士卒以与王遇，必不便于王矣。”楚王因弗逐也。

十一年，威王卒，子怀王熊槐立。魏闻楚丧，伐楚，取我陉山。

怀王元年，张仪始相秦惠王。四年，秦惠王初称王。

六年，楚使柱国昭阳将兵而攻魏，破之于襄陵，得八邑。又移兵而攻齐，齐王患之。陈轸適为秦使齐，齐王曰：“为之柰何？”陈轸曰：“王勿忧，请令罢之。”即往见昭阳军中，曰：“愿闻楚国之法，破军杀将者何以贵之？”昭阳曰：“其官为上柱国，封上爵执珪。”陈轸曰：“其有贵于此者乎？”昭阳曰：“令尹。”陈轸曰：“今君已为令尹矣，此国冠之上。臣请得譬之。人有遗其舍人一卮酒者，舍人相谓曰：‘数人饮此，不足以遍，请遂画地为蛇，蛇先成者独饮之。’一人曰：‘吾蛇先成。’举酒而起，曰：‘吾能为之足。’及其为之足，而后成人夺之酒而饮之，曰：‘蛇固无足，今为之足，是非蛇也。’今君相楚而攻魏，破军杀将，功莫大焉，冠之上不可以加矣。今又移兵而攻齐，攻齐胜之，官爵不加于此；攻之不胜，身死爵夺，有毁于楚：此为蛇为足之说也。不若引兵而去以德齐，此持满之术也。”昭阳曰：“善。”引兵而去。

燕、韩君初称王。秦使张仪与楚、齐、魏相会，盟齧桑。

十一年，苏秦约从山东六国共攻秦，楚怀王为从长。至函谷关，秦出兵击六国，六国兵皆引而归，齐独后。十二年，齐湣王伐败赵、魏军，秦亦伐败韩，与齐争长。

十六年，秦欲伐齐，而楚与齐从亲，秦惠王患之，乃宣言张仪免相，使张仪南见楚王，谓楚王曰：“敝邑之王所甚说者无先大王，虽仪之所甚愿为门阑之厮者亦无先大王。敝邑之王所甚憎者无先齐王，虽仪之所甚憎者亦无先齐王。而大王和之，是以敝邑之王不得事王，而令仪亦不得为门阑之厮也。王为仪闭关而绝齐，今使使者从仪西取故秦所分楚商于之地方六百里，如是则齐弱矣。是北弱齐，西德于秦，私商于以为富，此一计而三利俱至也。”怀王大悦，乃置相玺于张仪，日与置酒，宣言“吾复得吾商于之地”。群臣皆贺，而陈轸独吊。怀王曰：“何故？”陈轸对曰：“秦之所为重王者，以王之有齐也。今地未可得而齐交先绝，是楚孤也。夫秦又何重孤国哉，必轻楚矣。且先出地而后绝齐，则秦计不为。先绝齐而后责地，则必见欺于张仪。见欺于张仪，则王必怨之。怨之，是西起秦患，北绝齐交。西起秦患，北绝齐交，则两国之兵必至。臣故吊。”楚王弗听，因使一将军西受封地。

张仪至秦，详醉坠车，称病不出三月，地不可得。楚王曰：“仪以吾绝齐为尚薄邪？”乃使勇士宋遗北辱齐王。齐王大怒，折楚符而合于秦。秦齐交合，张仪乃起朝，谓楚将军曰：“子何不受地？从某至某，广袤六里。”楚将军曰：“臣之所以见命者六百里，不闻六里。”即以归报怀王。怀王大怒，兴师将伐秦。陈轸又曰：“伐秦非计也。不如因赂之一名都，与之伐齐，是我亡于秦，取偿于齐也，吾国尚可全。今王已绝于齐而责欺于秦，是吾合秦齐之交而来天下之兵也，国必大伤矣。”楚王不听，遂绝和于秦，发兵西攻秦。秦亦发兵击之。

十七年春，与秦战丹阳，秦大败我军，斩甲士八万，虏我大将军屈匄、裨将军逢侯丑等七十余人，遂取汉中之郡。楚怀王大怒，乃悉国兵复袭秦，战于蓝田，大败楚军。韩、魏闻楚之困，乃南袭楚，至于邓。楚闻，乃引兵归。

十八年，秦使使约复与楚亲，分汉中之半以和楚。楚王曰：“愿得张仪，不愿得地。”张仪闻之，请之楚。秦王曰：“楚且甘心于子，柰何？”张仪曰：“臣善其左右靳尚，靳尚又能得事于楚王幸姬郑袖，袖所言无不从者。且仪以前使负楚以商于之约，今秦楚大战，有恶，臣非面自谢楚不解。且大王在，楚不宜敢取仪。诚杀仪以便国，臣之愿也。”仪遂使楚。

至，怀王不见，因而囚张仪，欲杀之。仪私于靳尚，靳尚为请怀王曰：“拘张仪，秦王必怒。天下见楚无秦，必轻王矣。”又谓夫人郑袖曰：“秦王甚爱张仪，而王欲杀之，今将以上庸之地六县赂楚，以美人聘楚王，以宫中善歌者为之媵。楚王重地，秦女必贵，而夫人必斥矣。夫人不若言而出之。”郑袖卒言张仪于王而出之。仪出，怀王因善遇仪，仪因说楚王以叛从约而与秦合亲，约婚姻。张仪已去，屈原使从齐来，谏王曰：“何不诛张仪？”怀王悔，使人追仪，弗及。是岁，秦惠王卒。

二十年，齐湣王欲为从长，恶楚之与秦合，乃使使遗楚王书曰：“寡人患楚之不察于尊名也。今秦惠王死，武王立，张仪走魏，樗里疾、公孙衍用，而楚事秦。夫樗里疾善乎韩，而公孙衍善乎魏；楚必事秦，韩、魏恐，必因二人求合于秦，则燕、赵亦宜事秦。四国争事秦，则楚为郡县矣。王何不与寡人并力收韩、魏、燕、赵，与为从而尊周室，以案兵息民，令于天下？莫敢不乐听，则王名成矣。王率诸侯并伐，破秦必矣。王取武关、蜀、汉之地，私吴、越之富而擅江海之利，韩、魏割上党，西薄函谷，则楚之强百万也。且王欺于张仪，亡地汉中，兵锉蓝田，天下莫不代王怀怒。今乃欲先事秦！愿大王孰计之。”

楚王业已欲和于秦，见齐王书，犹豫不决，下其议群臣。群臣或言和秦，或曰听齐。昭雎曰：“王虽东取地于越，不足以刷耻；必且取地于秦，而后足以刷耻于诸侯。王不如深善齐、韩以重樗里疾，如是则王得韩、齐之重以求地矣。秦破韩宜阳，而韩犹复事秦者，以先王墓在平阳，而秦之武遂去之七十里，以故尤畏秦。不然，秦攻三川，赵攻上党，楚攻河外，韩必亡。楚之救韩，不能使韩不亡，然存韩者楚也。韩已得武遂于秦，以河山为塞，所报德莫如楚厚，臣以为其事王必疾。齐之所信于韩者，以韩公子眜为齐相也。韩已得武遂于秦，王甚善之，使之以齐、韩重樗里疾，疾得齐、韩之重，其主弗敢弃疾也。今又益之以楚之重，樗里子必言秦，复与楚之侵地矣。”于是怀王许之，竟不合秦，而合齐以善韩。

二十四年，倍齐而合秦。秦昭王初立，乃厚赂于楚。楚往迎妇。二十五年，怀王入与秦昭王盟，约于黄棘。秦复与楚上庸。二十六年，齐、韩、魏为楚负其从亲而合于秦，三国共伐楚。楚使太子入质于秦而请救。秦乃遣客卿通将兵救楚，三国引兵去。

二十七年，秦大夫有私与楚太子斗，楚太子杀之而亡归。二十八年，秦乃与齐、韩、魏共攻楚，杀楚将唐眜，取我重丘而去。二十九年，秦复攻楚，大破楚，楚军死者二万，杀我将军景缺。怀王恐，乃使太子为质于齐以求平。三十年，秦复伐楚，取八城。秦昭王遗楚王书曰：“始寡人与王约为弟兄，盟于黄棘，太子为质，至驩也。太子陵杀寡人之重臣，不谢而亡去，寡人诚不胜怒，使兵侵君王之边。今闻君王乃令太子质于齐以求平。寡人与楚接境壤界，故为婚姻，所从相亲久矣。而今秦楚不驩，则无以令诸侯。寡人愿与君王会武关，面相约，结盟而去，寡人之愿也。敢以闻下执事。”楚怀王见秦王书，患之。欲往，恐见欺；无往，恐秦怒。昭雎曰：“王毋行，而发兵自守耳。秦虎狼，不可信，有并诸侯之心。”怀王子子兰劝王行，曰：“柰何绝秦之驩心！”于是往会秦昭王。昭王诈令一将军伏兵武关，号为秦王。楚王至，则闭武关，遂与西至咸阳，朝章台，如蕃臣，不与亢礼。楚怀王大怒，悔不用昭子言。秦因留楚王，要以割巫、黔中之郡。楚王欲盟，秦欲先得地。楚王怒曰：“秦诈我而又强要我以地！”不复许秦。秦因留之。

楚大臣患之，乃相与谋曰：“吾王在秦不得还，要以割地，而太子为质于齐，齐、秦合谋，则楚无国矣。”乃欲立怀王子在国者。昭雎曰：“王与太子俱困于诸侯，而今又倍王命而立其庶子，不宜。”乃诈赴于齐，齐湣王谓其相曰：“不若留太子以求楚之淮北。”相曰：“不可，郢中立王，是吾抱空质而行不义于天下也。”或曰：“不然。郢中立王，因与其新王市曰‘予我下东国，吾为王杀太子，不然，将与三国共立之’，然则东国必可得矣。”齐王卒用其相计而归楚太子。太子横至，立为王，是为顷襄王。乃告于秦曰：“赖社稷神灵，国有王矣。”

顷襄王横元年，秦要怀王不可得地，楚立王以应秦，秦昭王怒，发兵出武关攻楚，大败楚军，斩首五万，取析十五城而去。二年，楚怀王亡逃归，秦觉之，遮楚道，怀王恐，乃从间道走赵以求归。赵主父在代，其子惠王初立，行王事，恐，不敢入楚王。楚王欲走魏，秦追至，遂与秦使复之秦。怀王遂发病。顷襄王三年，怀王卒于秦，秦归其丧于楚。楚人皆怜之，如悲亲戚。诸侯由是不直秦。秦楚绝。

六年，秦使白起伐韩于伊阙，大胜，斩首二十四万。秦乃遗楚王书曰：“楚倍秦，秦且率诸侯伐楚，争一旦之命。愿王之饬士卒，得一乐战。”楚顷襄王患之，乃谋复与秦平。七年，楚迎妇于秦，秦楚复平。

十一年，齐秦各自称为帝；月余，复归帝为王。

十四年，楚顷襄王与秦昭王好会于宛，结和亲。十五年，楚王与秦、三晋、燕共伐齐，取淮北。十六年，与秦昭王好会于鄢。其秋，复与秦王会穰。

十八年，楚人有好以弱弓微缴加归雁之上者，顷襄王闻，召而问之。对曰：“小臣之好射鶀雁，罗鸗，小矢之发也，何足为大王道也。且称楚之大，因大王之贤，所弋非直此也。昔者三王以弋道德，五霸以弋战国。故秦、魏、燕、赵者，鶀雁也；齐、鲁、韩、卫者，青首也；驺、费、郯、邳者，罗鸗也。外其余则不足射者。见鸟六双，以王何取？王何不以圣人为弓，以勇士为缴，时张而射之？此六双者，可得而囊载也。其乐非特朝昔之乐也，其获非特凫雁之实也。王朝张弓而射魏之大梁之南，加其右臂而径属之于韩，则中国之路绝而上蔡之郡坏矣。还射圉之东，解魏左肘而外击定陶，则魏之东外弃而大宋、方与二郡者举矣。且魏断二臂，颠越矣；膺击郯国，大梁可得而有也。王綪缴兰台，饮马西河，定魏大梁，此一发之乐也。若王之于弋诚好而不厌，则出宝弓，碆新缴，射噣鸟于东海，还盖长城以为防，朝射东莒，夕发浿丘，夜加即墨，顾据午道，则长城之东收而太山之北举矣。西结境于赵而北达于燕，三国布<羽氏>，则从不待约而可成也。北游目于燕之辽东而南登望于越之会稽，此再发之乐也。若夫泗上十二诸侯，左萦而右拂之，可一旦而尽也。今秦破韩以为长忧，得列城而不敢守也；伐魏而无功，击赵而顾病，则秦魏之勇力屈矣，楚之故地汉中、析、郦可得而复有也。王出宝弓，碆新缴，涉鄳塞，而待秦之倦也，山东、河内可得而一也。劳民休众，南面称王矣。故曰秦为大鸟，负海内而处，东面而立，左臂据赵之西南，右臂傅楚鄢郢，膺击韩魏，垂头中国，处既形便，势有地利，奋翼鼓<羽氏>，方三千里，则秦未可得独招而夜射也。”欲以激怒襄王，故对以此言。襄王因召与语，遂言曰：“夫先王为秦所欺而客死于外，怨莫大焉。今以匹夫有怨，尚有报万乘，白公、子胥是也。今楚之地方五千里，带甲百万，犹足以踊跃中野也，而坐受困，臣窃为大王弗取也。”于是顷襄王遣使于诸侯，复为从，欲以伐秦。秦闻之，发兵来伐楚。

楚欲与齐韩连和伐秦，因欲图周。周王赧使武公谓楚相昭子曰：“三国以兵割周郊地以便输，而南器以尊楚，臣以为不然。夫弑共主，臣世君，大国不亲；以众胁寡，小国不附。大国不亲，小国不附，不可以致名实。名实不得，不足以伤民。夫有图周之声，非所以为号也。”昭子曰：“乃图周则无之。虽然，周何故不可图也？”对曰：“军不五不攻，城不十不围。夫一周为二十晋，公之所知也。韩尝以二十万之众辱于晋之城下，锐士死，中士伤，而晋不拔。公之无百韩以图周，此天下之所知也。夫怨结两周以塞驺鲁之心，交绝于齐，声失天下，其为事危矣。夫危两周以厚三川，方城之外必为韩弱矣。何以知其然也？西周之地，绝长补短，不过百里。名为天下共主，裂其地不足以肥国，得其众不足以劲兵。虽无攻之，名为弑君。然而好事之君，喜攻之臣，发号用兵，未尝不以周为终始。是何也？见祭器在焉，欲器之至而忘弑君之乱。今韩以器之在楚，臣恐天下以器雠楚也。臣请譬之。夫虎肉臊，其兵利身，人犹攻之也。若使泽中之麋蒙虎之皮，人之攻之必万于虎矣。裂楚之地，足以肥国；诎楚之名，足以尊主。今子将以欲诛残天下之共主，居三代之传器，吞三翮六翼，以高世主，非贪而何？周书曰‘欲起无先’，故器南则兵至矣。”于是楚计辍不行。

十九年，秦伐楚，楚军败，割上庸、汉北地予秦。二十年，秦将白起拔我西陵。二十一年，秦将白起遂拔我郢，烧先王墓夷陵。楚襄王兵散，遂不复战，东北保于陈城。二十二年，秦复拔我巫、黔中郡。

二十三年，襄王乃收东地兵，得十余万，复西取秦所拔我江旁十五邑以为郡，距秦。二十七年，使三万人助三晋伐燕。复与秦平，而入太子为质于秦。楚使左徒侍太子于秦。

三十六年，顷襄王病，太子亡归。秋，顷襄王卒，太子熊元代立，是为考烈王。考烈王以左徒为令尹，封以吴，号春申君。

考烈王元年，纳州于秦以平。是时楚益弱。

六年，秦围邯郸，赵告急楚，楚遣将军景阳救赵。七年，至新中。秦兵去。十二年，秦昭王卒，楚王使春申君吊祠于秦。十六年，秦庄襄王卒，秦王赵政立。二十二年，与诸侯共伐秦，不利而去。楚东徙都寿春，命曰郢。

二十五年，考烈王卒，子幽王悍立。李园杀春申君。幽王三年，秦、魏伐楚。秦相吕不韦卒。九年，秦灭韩。十年，幽王卒，同母弟犹代立，是为哀王。哀王立二月余，哀王庶兄负刍之徒袭杀哀王而立负刍为王。是岁，秦虏赵王迁。

王负刍元年，燕太子丹使荆轲刺秦王。二年，秦使将军伐楚，大破楚军，亡十余城。三年，秦灭魏。四年，秦将王翦破我军于蕲，而杀将军项燕。

五年，秦将王翦、蒙武遂破楚国，虏楚王负刍，灭楚名为郡云。

太史公曰：楚灵王方会诸侯于申，诛齐庆封，作章华台，求周九鼎之时，志小天下；及饿死于申亥之家，为天下笑。操行之不得，悲夫！势之于人也，可不慎与？弃疾以乱立，嬖淫秦女，甚乎哉，几再亡国！

Volume 40 · The Hereditary House of Chu, Tenth

司马迁

The ancestors of Chu came out of the Emperor Zhuanxu Gaoyang. Gaoyang was a grandson of the Yellow Emperor and a son of Changyi. Gaoyang begot Cheng, Cheng begot Juanzhang, and Juanzhang begot Chongli. Chongli was Director of Fire for the Emperor Ku Gaoxin and had great merit, being able to make the empire bright and glowing, and the Emperor Ku named him Zhurong. The Gonggong clan made a rebellion, and the Emperor Ku sent Chongli to put them to death, and he did not finish them. On the day gengyin the Emperor then put Chongli to death, and made his younger brother Wuhui Chongli's successor, again in charge of fire, as Zhurong.

Wuhui begot Luzhong. Luzhong had six sons, born by the cutting open of the womb. The eldest was Kunwu; the second Shenhu; the third Pengzu; the fourth Huiren; the fifth the Cao surname; the sixth Jilian, of the Mi surname, and Chu is his posterity. The Kunwu clan in the time of the Xia were once counts among the marquises, and in the time of Jie, Tang destroyed them. The Pengzu clan in the time of the Yin were once counts among the marquises, and in the last age of the Yin the Pengzu clan was destroyed. Jilian begot Fuju, Fuju begot Xuexiong. Afterwards the line dwindled in the middle, some in the central states and some among the Man and the Yi, and their generations cannot be recorded.

In the time of King Wen of Zhou a distant offshoot of Jilian was called Yuxiong. Yuxiong, being still a boy, served King Wen, and died early. His son was Xiongli. Xiongli begot Xiongkuang, and Xiongkuang begot Xiongyi.

Xiongyi lived in the time of King Cheng of Zhou. The king raised up the posterity of those who had toiled for Wen and Wu, and enfeoffed Xiongyi among the Man of Chu, enfeoffing him with the fief of a viscount-baron; his surname was Mi and his clan-name likewise, and he dwelt at Danyang. The Viscount of Chu, Xiongyi, together with Boqin, the Duke of Lu, Zimou, son of Kangshu of Wei, Xie, the Marquis of Jin, and Lü Ji, son of the Grand Duke of Qi, all served King Cheng.

Xiongyi begot Xiong'ai, Xiong'ai begot Xiong□, Xiong□ begot Xiongsheng. Xiongsheng made his younger brother Xiongyang his successor. Xiongyang begot Xiongqu.

Xiongqu had three sons. In the time of King Yi of Zhou the royal house was weak, and some of the feudal lords did not come to court, and they attacked one another. Xiongqu was much in concord with the people between the Jiang and the Han, and so he raised troops and attacked Yong and Yangyue, reaching as far as E. Xiongqu said: "We are Man and Yi; we do not share in the titles and posthumous names of the central states." So he set up his eldest son Kang as King of Goudan, his middle son Hong as King of E, and his youngest son Zhici as King of Yuezhang, all in the Man of Chu lands along the Jiang. When it came to the time of King Li of Zhou, who was tyrannical, Xiongqu feared he would attack Chu, and so he also put away those royal titles.

Afterwards came Xiong Wukang, and Wukang died early. Xiongqu died, and his son Xiong Zhihong was set up. Zhihong died, and his younger brother murdered him and took his place; he was called Xiongyan. Xiongyan begot Xiongyong.

In Xiongyong's sixth year the men of Zhou made a rebellion and attacked King Li, and King Li fled out to Zhi. In Xiongyong's tenth year he died, and his younger brother Xiongyan became his successor.

In Xiongyan's tenth year he died. He had four sons: the eldest Boshuang, the second Zhongxue, the next Shukan, and the youngest Jixun. Xiongyan died, and his eldest son Boshuang took his place: this was Xiongshuang.

In Xiongshuang's first year King Xuan of Zhou was first set up. In Xiongshuang's sixth year he died, and his three younger brothers contended for the succession. Zhongxue died; Shukan fled and took refuge from the trouble in Pu; and the youngest brother Jixun was set up: this was Xiongxun. In Xiongxun's sixteenth year Duke Huan of Zheng was first enfeoffed at Zheng. In the twenty-second year Xiongxun died, and his son Xiong'e was set up. In Xiong'e's ninth year he died, and his son Xiongyi was set up: this was Ruo'ao.

In Ruo'ao's twentieth year King You of Zhou was murdered by the Quanrong, Zhou moved east, and Duke Xiang of Qin was first ranked among the feudal lords.

In the twenty-seventh year Ruo'ao died, and his son Xiongkan was set up: this was Xiao'ao. In Xiao'ao's sixth year he died, and his son Xiongxun was set up: this was Fenmao. In Fenmao's thirteenth year Jin first fell into disorder, on account of Quwo. In Fenmao's seventeenth year he died. Fenmao's younger brother Xiongtong murdered Fenmao's son and took his place: this was King Wu of Chu.

In King Wu's seventeenth year Zhuangbo of Quwo in Jin murdered the lord of the ruling state, Marquis Xiao of Jin. In the nineteenth year the Earl of Zheng's younger brother Duan made a rebellion. In the twenty-first year Zheng encroached on the Son of Heaven's fields. In the twenty-third year Wei murdered its lord Duke Huan. In the twenty-ninth year Lu murdered its lord Duke Yin. In the thirty-first year the Grand Steward of Song, Hua Du, murdered his lord Duke Shang.

In the thirty-fifth year Chu attacked Sui. Sui said: "We are without guilt." Chu said: "We are Man and Yi. Now the feudal lords all turn rebel and encroach upon one another, and some kill one another. We have our poor armour, and wish by it to look upon the government of the central states; we ask that the royal house honour our title." The men of Sui went to Zhou for them and asked that Chu be honoured, and the royal house would not listen, and they came back and reported to Chu. In the thirty-seventh year Xiongtong of Chu was angry and said: "Our ancestor Yuxiong was King Wen's teacher, and died early. King Cheng raised up our former lord, and then with the fief of a viscount-baron ordered him to dwell in Chu; the Man and the Yi have all submitted and served, and yet the king will not add to our position. We shall honour ourselves." And so he set himself up as King Wu, made a covenant with the men of Sui, and went away. Thereupon he first opened up the land of Pu and possessed it.

In the fifty-first year Zhou summoned the Marquis of Sui and reckoned it against him that he had set Chu up as a king. Chu was angry that Sui had turned its back on him, and attacked Sui. King Wu died in the midst of the army, and the troops broke off. His son King Wen, Xiongzi, was set up, and first made his capital at Ying.

In King Wen's second year he attacked Shen and passed by Deng. The men of Deng said: "The King of Chu is easily taken," but the Marquis of Deng would not allow it. In the sixth year he attacked Cai and took Marquis Ai of Cai prisoner and brought him home, and afterwards released him. Chu grew strong and bore down on the small states between the Jiang and the Han, and the small states all feared it. In the eleventh year Duke Huan of Qi first became hegemon, and Chu too first grew great.

In the twelfth year he attacked Deng and destroyed it. In the thirteenth year he died, and his son Xiongjian was set up: this was Zhuang'ao. In Zhuang'ao's fifth year he wished to kill his younger brother Xiongyun; Yun fled to Sui, and with Sui made a surprise attack and murdered Zhuang'ao and took his place: this was King Cheng.

In King Cheng Yun's first year, on his first accession, he spread abroad his power and dealt out kindness, and knit up old friendships with the feudal lords. He sent men to make offerings to the Son of Heaven, and the Son of Heaven bestowed sacrificial meat, saying: "Hold down for us the disorder of the Yi and the Yue in the south, and do not encroach on the central states." Thereupon the land of Chu was a thousand li.

In the sixteenth year Duke Huan of Qi with troops encroached on Chu and reached Mount Xing. King Cheng of Chu sent the general Qu Wan with troops to hold him off, and he made a covenant with Duke Huan. Duke Huan reckoned it against them that Zhou's tribute had not come in to the royal house, and Chu promised it, and so he went away.

In the eighteenth year King Cheng with troops attacked Xu in the north; the lord of Xu bared his flesh and apologized, and so he released him. In the twenty-second year he attacked Huang. In the twenty-sixth year he destroyed Ying.

In the thirty-third year Duke Xiang of Song wished to hold a covenanted assembly, and summoned Chu. The King of Chu was angry and said: "He summons me; I shall go as if in friendship and make a surprise attack and humiliate him." So he went, and reaching Yu he thereupon seized and humiliated the Duke of Song, and afterwards sent him home. In the thirty-fourth year Duke Wen of Zheng came south to court at Chu. King Cheng of Chu attacked Song in the north and defeated them at the Hong, and shot and wounded Duke Xiang of Song, and Duke Xiang thereupon sickened of the wound and died.

In the thirty-fifth year Prince Chonger of Jin passed through Chu, and King Cheng feasted him with the ceremonies due a guest among the feudal lords, and sent him off richly to Qin.

In the thirty-ninth year Duke Xi of Lu came to ask for troops to attack Qi, and Chu sent the Marquis of Shen with troops to attack Qi and take Gu, and placed Duke Huan of Qi's son Yong there. All seven sons of Duke Huan of Qi fled to Chu, and Chu made them all senior grandees. He destroyed Kui, because Kui did not sacrifice to Zhurong and Yuxiong.

In the summer he attacked Song, and Song appealed urgently to Jin, and Jin rescued Song, and King Cheng broke off and went home. The general Ziyu asked to fight, and King Cheng said: "Chonger was long a fugitive dwelling abroad, and in the end got back to his state; this is Heaven's opening, and cannot be withstood." Ziyu firmly asked, and so he gave him a small force and went away. Jin did indeed defeat Ziyu at Chengpu. King Cheng was angry, and put Ziyu to death.

In the forty-sixth year — earlier, King Cheng had been about to make Shangchen his heir apparent and spoke of it to the Chief Minister Zishang. Zishang said: "My lord is not yet advanced in years, and moreover you have many favourites within; if you should demote him it would make disorder. In the state of Chu the raising up has always been of the younger. And Shangchen has a wasp's eyes and a jackal's voice; he is a cruel man and cannot be set up." The king would not listen, and set him up. Afterwards he wished to set up Zizhi and demote the heir apparent Shangchen. Shangchen heard of it and had not verified it, and told his tutor Pan Chong: "How can I get at the truth of it?" Chong said: "Feast the king's favourite lady Jiang Mi, and be disrespectful to her." Shangchen did so. Jiang Mi was angry and said: "No wonder the king wants to kill you and set up Zhi!" Shangchen told Pan Chong: "It is true." Chong said: "Can you serve him?" He said: "I cannot." "Can you flee away?" He said: "I cannot." "Can you carry out the great business?" He said: "I can." In the tenth month of winter Shangchen with the palace guards besieged King Cheng. King Cheng asked to eat a bear's paw and then die, and was not heeded. On dingwei King Cheng strangled himself. Shangchen took his place: this was King Mu.

King Mu being set up, he gave his heir apparent's palace to Pan Chong and made him Grand Tutor with charge of the state's affairs. In King Mu's third year he destroyed Jiang. In the fourth year he destroyed Liu and Liao. Liu and Liao were the posterity of Gaoyao. In the eighth year he attacked Chen. In the twelfth year he died, and his son King Zhuang, Lü, was set up.

King Zhuang had been in his place three years and issued no orders, taking his pleasure day and night; and he ordered throughout the state: "Whoever dares remonstrate shall die without pardon!" Wu Ju came in to remonstrate. King Zhuang had a lady of Zheng on his left and a woman of Yue on his right, and sat among the bells and drums. Wu Ju said: "I should like to offer something." And he put it as a riddle: "There is a bird on a mound; for three years it neither flies nor cries. What bird is this?" King Zhuang said: "For three years it has not flown, but its flight will pierce the sky; for three years it has not cried, but its cry will startle men. Withdraw, Ju; I understand you." After some months his dissipation grew worse. The grandee Su Cong then came in to remonstrate. The king said: "Have you not heard the order?" He answered: "To die in order to make my lord clear-sighted is your servant's wish." Thereupon he put away his dissolute pleasures and attended to the government; those he put to death were some hundreds, those he raised up some hundreds; and he entrusted the government to Wu Ju and Su Cong, and the people of the state were greatly pleased. In that year he destroyed Yong. In the sixth year he attacked Song and took five hundred chariots.

In the eighth year he attacked the Luhun Rong, and so reached the Luo and displayed his troops on the outskirts of Zhou. King Ding of Zhou sent Wangsun Man to comfort the King of Chu. The King of Chu asked the size and weight of the tripods, and he answered: "It lies in power, not in the tripods." King Zhuang said: "Do not block me with the Nine Tripods! The broken barbs of Chu's hooks would be enough to make nine tripods." Wangsun Man said: "Alas! Has my lord the king forgotten? Long ago in the flourishing of Yu and Xia, the distant regions all came, the nine shepherds sent in their tribute of metal, tripods were cast with images of things, the hundred things were provided on them, and the people were thereby made to know the spirits and the monsters. Jie had disordered power, and the tripods moved to the Yin, which carried the sacrifices six hundred years. Zhou of the Yin was tyrannical, and the tripods moved to the Zhou. When power is fair and bright, though they be small they must be heavy; when it is crooked and blind and disordered, though they be great they must be light. Long ago King Cheng settled the tripods at Jiaru, and divined thirty generations and seven hundred years: this is what Heaven mandated. Zhou's power may have declined, but Heaven's mandate has not changed. The weight of the tripods is not a thing that may be asked." And so the King of Chu went home.

In the ninth year the Ruo'ao clan was made chief minister. Someone slandered them to the king, and fearing execution they turned and attacked the king, and the king struck them and destroyed the clan of the Ruo'ao. In the thirteenth year he destroyed Shu.

In the sixteenth year he attacked Chen and killed Xia Zhengshu. Zhengshu had murdered his lord, and so he was put to death. Having broken Chen, he made it a county forthwith. The body of ministers all offered congratulations. Shen Shushi came on a mission from Qi and did not congratulate. The king asked him, and he answered: "The country saying goes: a man leads his ox across another's field, and the field's owner takes his ox. The one who cut across is certainly in the wrong; but is taking his ox not going too far? And my lord, because of Chen's disorder, led the feudal lords to attack it; you attacked it in the name of righteousness, and then coveted it as a county — how then will you ever give commands to the empire again?" King Zhuang thereupon restored the state to the posterity of Chen.

In the spring of the seventeenth year King Zhuang of Chu besieged Zheng, and in three months he took it. He entered by the Huang Gate, and the Earl of Zheng bared his flesh and led a sheep to meet him, saying: "I am without Heaven's favour and could not serve my lord, and my lord has conceived anger and it has come upon our poor town; the fault is mine. How should I dare do anything but hear your command! If you banish me as a guest to the southern sea, or if you bestow me as a bondsman on the feudal lords, I shall likewise hear only your command. And if my lord does not forget Li, Xuan, Huan and Wu, and does not cut off their altars of soil and grain, but lets me change my ways and serve my lord, that is my wish — not what I dare hope for. I venture to lay bare my heart." The body of Chu's ministers said: "Let the king not grant it." King Zhuang said: "Their lord can humble himself before men; he must be able to have the good faith of his people and use them. How can he be cut off!" King Zhuang himself took the standard, signalled the army left and right, drew his troops off thirty li and encamped, and thereupon granted him peace. Pan Wang went in to make the covenant, and Ziliang came out as hostage. In the sixth month of summer Jin came to rescue Zheng and fought with Chu, and Chu greatly defeated the army of Jin by the He, and went on to Hengyong and then home.

In the twentieth year he besieged Song, because they had killed a Chu envoy. He besieged Song five months; the food in the city was exhausted, and they exchanged their children and ate them and split bones for fuel. Hua Yuan of Song came out and told him the truth of it. King Zhuang said: "He is a gentleman indeed!" And he broke off the siege and went away.

In the twenty-third year King Zhuang died, and his son King Gong, Shen, was set up.

In King Gong's sixteenth year Jin attacked Zheng. Zheng appealed urgently, and King Gong rescued Zheng. He fought with the troops of Jin at Yanling; Jin defeated Chu, and shot King Gong in the eye. King Gong summoned the general Zifan (子反). Zifan was fond of wine, and his attendant the page Yanggu offered him wine and he was drunk. The king was angry, and shot and killed Zifan, and thereupon broke off and went home.

In the thirty-first year King Gong died, and his son King Kang, Zhao, was set up. King Kang had been in his place fifteen years when he died, and his son Yun was set up: this was Jia'ao.

King Kang favoured his younger brothers Prince Wei, Zibi, Zixi (子晳) and Qiji. In Jia'ao's third year he made his uncle, King Kang's younger brother Prince Wei, Chief Minister with charge of military affairs. In the fourth year Wei went as envoy to Zheng, and on the road heard that the king was ill and turned back. On the day jiyou of the twelfth month Wei went in to ask after the king's illness, and strangled and murdered him, and thereupon killed his sons Mo and Pingxia. He sent an envoy to announce it in Zheng. Wu Ju asked: "Who is the successor?" He answered: "Our poor grandee Wei." Wu Ju altered it: "Wei, King Gong's son, is the eldest." Zibi fled to Jin, and Wei was set up: this was King Ling.

In the sixth month of King Ling's third year Chu sent an envoy to tell Jin that he wished to assemble the feudal lords. The feudal lords all assembled with Chu at Shen. Wu Ju said: "Long ago Qi of the Xia had the feast at Juntai, Tang of the Shang the charge at Jingbo, King Wu of Zhou the oath at Mengjin, King Cheng the hunt at Qiyang, King Kang the court at the Feng Palace, King Mu the assembly at Tushan, Huan of Qi the host at Zhaoling, and Wen of Jin the covenant at Jiantu. Which will my lord use?" King Ling said: "I shall use Duke Huan's." At that time Zichan of Zheng was there. Thereupon Jin, Song, Lu and Wei did not go. King Ling, having made the covenant, wore a proud look. Wu Ju said: "Jie held the assembly of Youreng, and Youmin turned against him. Zhou held the assembly of Mount Li, and the Eastern Yi turned against him. King You made the covenant of Taishi, and the Rong and the Di turned against him. Let my lord be careful of the end!"

In the seventh month Chu with the troops of the feudal lords attacked Wu and besieged Zhufang. In the eighth month they took it, imprisoned Qing Feng and destroyed his clan. They paraded Feng about, saying: "Let none imitate Qing Feng of Qi, who murdered his lord and made his orphan weak, and made a covenant with the grandees!" Feng answered back: "Let none be like King Gong of Chu's son by a concubine, Wei, who murdered his lord, his elder brother's son Yun, and took his place!" Thereupon King Ling had Qiji kill him.

In the seventh year he completed the Zhanghua Terrace, and issued an order bringing in fugitives to fill it.

In the eighth year he sent Prince Qiji with troops to destroy Chen. In the tenth year he summoned the Marquis of Cai, made him drunk and killed him. He sent Qiji to settle Cai, and thereupon made him Duke of Chen and Cai.

In the eleventh year he attacked Xu in order to frighten Wu. King Ling halted at Ganxi to wait for it. The king said: "Qi, Jin, Lu and Wei all received treasure vessels at their enfeoffment, and I alone did not. Now if I send an envoy to Zhou to ask for a tripod as my portion, will they give it to me?" Xifu answered: "They will give it to my lord the king! Long ago our former king Xiongyi was confined in the Jing hills, in a brush-woven hut of thatch, dwelling in the undergrowth, tramping over hills and through forests to serve the Son of Heaven, and had only a peachwood bow and thorn arrows to offer for the king's service. Qi was the king's maternal uncle; Jin, Lu and Wei were the king's brothers by the same mother: and so Chu had no portion while they all had. Zhou and the four states now serve my lord the king, and will follow only your command — how should they dare grudge a tripod?" King Ling said: "Long ago my august ancestral uncle Kunwu dwelt in the old Xu; now the men of Zheng covet its fields and will not give them to me. If I ask for them now, will they give them to me?" He answered: "Zhou does not grudge a tripod; how should Zheng dare grudge fields?" King Ling said: "Long ago the feudal lords held themselves distant from me and feared Jin; now that I have made great walls at Chen, Cai and Bugeng, each levying a thousand chariots, do the feudal lords fear me?" He answered: "They do fear you!" King Ling was pleased and said: "Xifu speaks well of the matters of antiquity."

In the spring of the twelfth year King Ling of Chu delighted in Ganxi and could not leave it. The people of the state suffered from the labour service. Earlier, when King Ling assembled his troops at Shen, he had disgraced the Yue grandee Chang Shouguo and killed the Cai grandee Guan Qi. Qi's son Cong was a fugitive in Wu, and so urged the King of Wu to attack Chu; and he made the Yue grandee Chang Shouguo his go-between and raised a rebellion, acting as Wu's agent. He falsely used Prince Qiji's command to summon Prince Zibi from Jin; and when he reached Cai, they meant with Wu and Yue troops to make a surprise attack on Cai. He had Prince Zibi see Qiji, and made a covenant with him at Deng. Thereupon they went in and killed King Ling's heir apparent Lu, set up Zibi as king, made Prince Zixi (子晳) Chief Minister, and Qiji Marshal. They first cleared the royal palace, and Guan Cong followed the army at Ganxi and ordered the multitude of Chu: "The state has a king. Those who go home first shall have their rank, town, fields and houses restored; those who come later shall be transported." The multitude of Chu all melted away, left King Ling and went home.

King Ling, hearing of the death of the heir apparent Lu, threw himself down from his carriage and said: "Do men love their sons as much as this?" His attendant said: "More than this." The king said: "I have killed many men's sons; could it fail to come to this?" The Right Steward said: "Let us wait in the outskirts and hear what the people of the state say." The king said: "The anger of the multitude cannot be met." He said: "Then let us enter a great county and beg troops of the feudal lords." The king said: "They have all turned against me." He said again: "Then let us flee to the feudal lords and hear what a great state advises." The king said: "Great fortune does not come twice; I should only get humiliation." Thereupon the king took a boat, meaning to go into Yan. The Right Steward reckoned that the king would not use his plans, and fearing that they would die together, he too left the king and fled.

King Ling thereupon wandered alone in the hills, and no countryman dared take the king in. As the king went he met a man who had once been his basin-bearer, and said to him: "Get me food; I have not eaten these three days." The basin-bearer said: "The new king has sent down a law: whoever dares feed the king or follow the king, his guilt reaches to three degrees of kin; and besides, there is nowhere to get food." The king thereupon pillowed his head on the man's thigh and lay down. The basin-bearer put a clod of earth in his own place and ran away. The king woke and did not see him, and so was hungry and could not rise. Shen Hai, son of the Yu Steward Shen Wuyu, said: "My father twice offended against the king's command, and the king did not put him to death; what kindness could be greater!" So he sought the king, and found him starving at Lize, and carried him home. On the day guichou of the fifth month of summer the king died at Shen Hai's house, and Shen Hai had two daughters die with him and buried them together with him.

At this time, though the state of Chu had already set up Bi as king, it feared that King Ling would come back, and it had not heard that King Ling was dead. Therefore Guan Cong said to Bi, the first king: "If you do not kill Qiji, though you have got the state you will still suffer disaster." The king said: "I cannot bear to." Cong said: "Men will bear to deal with you." The king would not listen, and so he went away. Qiji came home. The people of the state took fright every night, saying: "King Ling has come in!" On the night of yimao Qiji had a boatman run along the Jiang crying: "King Ling has arrived!" The people of the state took still greater fright. He further had Man Chengran tell Bi the first king and the Chief Minister Zixi (子晳): "The king has arrived! The people of the state are going to kill you, and the Marshal is on his way! Make your own plans early, and do not take humiliation. The anger of the multitude is like water and fire, and cannot be stopped." The first king and Zixi (子晳) thereupon killed themselves. On bingchen Qiji came to the throne as king and changed his name to Xiongju: this was King Ping.

King Ping, having by deceit murdered two kings and set himself up, feared that the people of the state and the feudal lords would turn against him, and so he dealt out kindness to the hundred families. He restored the lands of Chen and Cai and set up their posterity as before, and gave back the land he had encroached on from Zheng. He looked after and relieved those within the state and put the government and the teaching in order. Wu, because of Chu's disorder, took five commanders home with it. King Ping said to Guan Cong: "Take whatever you wish." He wished to be Divination Steward, and the king granted it.

Earlier, King Gong had five favoured sons and no rightful heir to set up; so he sacrificed from afar to the host of spirits and asked the spirits to decide it and name the master of the altars of soil and grain, and secretly with the lady Ba Ji he buried a jade disc within a chamber, and summoned the five princes to purify themselves and come in. King Kang strode over it; King Ling's elbow came upon it; Zibi and Zixi (子晳) were both far from it. King Ping was small, and being carried in he bowed upon it and pressed on the disc's knob. Therefore King Kang was set up as the eldest, and it came to his son and was lost; Wei became King Ling, and was murdered in his own person; Zibi was king for ten days and more; Zixi (子晳) did not get to be set up, and both were put to death. The four sons were all cut off without posterity. Qiji alone was set up afterwards as King Ping, and in the end carried on the sacrifices of Chu, according to the spirits' sign.

Earlier, when Zibi went home from Jin, Han Xuanzi asked Shuxiang: "Will Zibi succeed?" He answered: "He will not." Xuanzi said: "Those who share a hatred seek one another out as merchants do in a market; why should he not succeed?" He answered: "With none to share his liking, whom shall he share a hatred with? There are five difficulties in taking a state: to have favour but no men, that is the first; to have men but no master within, the second; to have a master but no plan, the third; to have a plan but not the people, the fourth; to have the people but no power, the fifth. Zibi has been thirteen years in Jin, and none of his following in Jin or Chu is heard of as having connections: he may be called without men. His clan is finished and his kin have turned away: he may be called without a master. He moves with no crack to work on: he may be called without a plan. He is a sojourner all his life: he may be called without the people. In his exile there is no sign that he is loved: he may be called without power. The king is cruel and has no scruple, and Zibi crosses these five difficulties to murder his lord — who can bring him through! The one who will have the state of Chu — will it not be Qiji? He rules Chen and Cai, and the lands beyond Fangcheng belong to him. Harshness and wickedness do not arise, thieves and brigands lie hidden, private desires are not indulged, and the people have no resentful heart. The former spirits mandated him, and the people of the state trust him. When the Mi surname has disorder, it is always the youngest who is set up: that is Chu's constant way. As for Zibi's office, he is Right Steward; as for reckoning his honour and favour, he is a son of a concubine; as for what the spirits mandated, he was moreover far from it; and the people cherish nothing for him. On what will he be set up?" Xuanzi said: "Were not Huan of Qi and Wen of Jin the same?" He answered: "Huan of Qi was a son of the lady Ji of Wei, and was favoured by Duke Xi. He had Bao Shuya, Bin Xuwu and Xi Peng for his helpers, Ju and Wei for masters without, and the Gao and the Guo for masters within. He followed what was good as water runs downhill, and dealt out kindness untiringly. Was it not fitting that he should have a state? Our own Duke Wen was a son of Hu Jiji, and was favoured by Duke Xian. He loved learning untiringly. At the age of seventeen he had five gentlemen; he had the former grandees Ziyu and Zifan (子犯) for his heart and belly, Wei Chou and Jia Tuo for his arms and legs, Qi, Song, Qin and Chu for masters without, and the Luan, the Xi, the Hu and the Xian for masters within. In nineteen years of exile his purpose grew ever firmer. Hui and Huai cast off the people, and the people followed him and gave themselves to him. So was it not fitting that Duke Wen should have a state? Zibi has dealt out nothing to the people and has no support abroad; leaving Jin, Jin did not see him off; coming home to Chu, Chu did not come out to meet him. How should he have a state!" Zibi did indeed not come to a good end, and the one at last set up was Qiji, as Shuxiang had said.

In King Ping's second year he sent Fei Wuji to Qin to take a wife for the heir apparent Jian. The woman was beautiful; and as she came and had not yet arrived, Wuji went home ahead and urged King Ping: "The woman of Qin is beautiful; you may take her yourself, and seek another for the heir apparent." King Ping listened to him, and in the end took the woman of Qin himself, and she bore Xiongzhen. He took another wife for the heir apparent. At this time Wu She was Grand Tutor to the heir apparent and Wuji Junior Tutor. Wuji had no favour with the heir apparent, and constantly slandered and maligned the heir apparent Jian. Jian was then fifteen; his mother was a woman of Cai and had no favour with the king, and the king grew little by little more distant and estranged from Jian.

In the sixth year he sent the heir apparent Jian to dwell at Chengfu and guard the border. Wuji further slandered the heir apparent Jian to the king day and night, saying: "Ever since Wuji brought in the woman of Qin, the heir apparent has borne a grudge, nor can he be without expectations against my lord; let my lord provide a little for himself. And the heir apparent dwells at Chengfu, controls troops and has dealings abroad with the feudal lords, and moreover means to come in." King Ping summoned his tutor Wu She and reproached him. Wu She knew Wuji's slander, and so said: "How can my lord, for the sake of a petty servant, estrange his own flesh and bone?" Wuji said: "If you do not master it now, you will regret it later." Thereupon the king imprisoned Wu She. He then ordered the Marshal Fen Yang to summon the heir apparent Jian, meaning to put him to death. The heir apparent heard of it and fled to Song.

Wuji said: "Wu She has two sons; if they are not killed they will be a trouble to the state of Chu. Why not summon them by remitting their father's punishment? They will surely come." Thereupon the king sent an envoy to say to She: "If you can bring your two sons here you shall live; if you cannot, you shall die." She said: "Shang will come; Xu will not come." The king said: "Why?" She said: "Shang's character is scrupulous; he will die for duty; he is tender and filial and humane; hearing that his coming will remit his father's punishment, he will surely come without regard for his own death. Xu's character is wise and fond of scheming, brave and careful of merit; knowing that coming means certain death, he will surely not come. But the one who will be a worry to the state of Chu is bound to be this son." Thereupon the king sent men to summon them, saying: "Come, and I shall remit your father's punishment." Wu Shang said to Wu Xu: "To hear that our father is to be remitted and not hasten there is unfilial; for our father to be killed and go unavenged is to be without a plan; to gauge our capacities and take the task accordingly is wisdom. Go, you; I shall go back to die." Wu Shang thereupon went back. Wu Xu bent his bow and fitted an arrow and came out to see the envoy, and said: "My father has a crime; why summon his sons?" He was about to shoot, and the envoy turned and ran, and Xu thereupon fled abroad to Wu. Wu She heard of it and said: "Xu has escaped; the state of Chu is in danger." The men of Chu thereupon killed Wu She and Shang.

In the tenth year the mother of the Chu heir apparent Jian was at Juchao, and opened the way for Wu. Wu sent Prince Guang to attack Chu, and he thereupon defeated Chen and Cai and took the heir apparent Jian's mother away. Chu was afraid and walled Ying. Earlier, a little girl of Beiliang, a border town of Wu, and a little girl of Zhongli, a border town of Chu, quarrelled over mulberry leaves; the two households grew angry with each other and fell to fighting, and the people of Beiliang were wiped out. The grandee of Beiliang was angry and sent out the town's troops to attack Zhongli. The King of Chu heard of it and was angry, and sent out the state's troops and wiped out Beiliang. The King of Wu heard of it and was greatly enraged, and also sent out troops, and had Prince Guang, by way of Jian's mother's household, attack Chu, and thereupon wiped out Zhongli and Juchao. Chu then took fright and walled Ying.

In the thirteenth year King Ping died. The general Zichang said: "The heir apparent Zhen is young, and moreover his mother was the one the former heir apparent Jian should have married." And he wished to set up the Chief Minister Zixi (子西). Zixi (子西) was a younger brother of King Ping by a concubine, and had a sense of duty. Zixi (子西) said: "The state has a constant law; to change the succession makes disorder, and to speak of it brings execution." So they set up the heir apparent Zhen: this was King Zhao.

In King Zhao's first year the multitude of Chu were displeased with Fei Wuji, because his slander had driven the heir apparent Jian into exile and killed Wu She's son and father and Xi Wan. Wan's clansman of the Bo surname, his son Pi, and Zixu both fled to Wu, and the troops of Wu repeatedly encroached on Chu, and the men of Chu deeply resented Wuji. The Chu Chief Minister Zichang put Wuji to death to please the multitude, and the multitude were then glad.

In the fourth year three princes of Wu fled to Chu, and Chu enfeoffed them as a defence against Wu. In the fifth year Wu attacked and took Chu's Liu and Qian. In the seventh year Chu sent Zichang to attack Wu, and Wu greatly defeated Chu at Yuzhang.

In the winter of the tenth year King Helü of Wu, Wu Zixu and Bo Pi, together with Tang and Cai, all attacked Chu; Chu was greatly defeated and the troops of Wu thereupon entered Ying and defiled King Ping's grave, on Wu Zixu's account. When the troops of Wu came, Chu sent Zichang with troops to meet them, and they drew up with the Han river between them. Wu attacked and defeated Zichang, and Zichang fled to Zheng. The Chu troops ran, and Wu took advantage of the victory to chase them, and in five battles reached Ying. On jimao King Zhao fled out; on gengchen the men of Wu entered Ying.

In his flight King Zhao reached Yunmeng. Yunmeng did not know he was the king, and shot and wounded the king. The king went to Yun. The younger brother of the Duke of Yun, Huai, said: "King Ping killed my father; if I now kill his son, is it not fair enough?" The Duke of Yun stopped him; yet fearing that he would murder King Zhao, he went out with the king in flight to Sui. The King of Wu, hearing that King Zhao had gone there, at once advanced and struck at Sui, and said to the men of Sui: "Of the descendants of Zhou enfeoffed between the Jiang and the Han, Chu has destroyed them all." He wished to kill King Zhao. The king's attendant subject Ziqi thereupon hid the king deep away and made himself out to be the king, saying to the men of Sui: "Give me up to Wu." The men of Sui divined about giving him to Wu, and it was not auspicious; and so they made their excuses to the King of Wu: "King Zhao has fled; he is not in Sui." Wu asked to come in and search for him itself, and Sui would not allow it, and Wu too broke off and went away.

When King Zhao came out of Ying, he sent Shen Baoxu to ask rescue from Qin. Qin with five hundred chariots rescued Chu, and Chu too gathered up its remaining scattered troops, and with Qin struck at Wu. In the sixth month of the eleventh year they defeated Wu at Ji. It happened that the King of Wu's younger brother Fugai saw the King of Wu's troops wounded and defeated, and so fled home and set himself up as king. Helü heard of it and drew his troops away from Chu and went home to strike at Fugai. Fugai was defeated and fled to Chu, and Chu enfeoffed him at Tangxi, styled the Tangxi clan.

King Zhao of Chu destroyed Tang, and in the ninth month went back into Ying. In the twelfth year Wu again attacked Chu and took Pan. Chu was afraid, and left Ying and moved its capital north to Ruo.

In the sixteenth year Confucius was chancellor of Lu. In the twentieth year Chu destroyed Dun and destroyed Hu. In the twenty-first year King Helü of Wu attacked Yue. King Goujian of Yue shot and wounded the King of Wu, and he thereupon died. From this Wu bore a grudge against Yue and did not attack Chu in the west.

In the spring of the twenty-seventh year Wu attacked Chen, and King Zhao of Chu rescued it, encamping at Chengfu. In the tenth month King Zhao fell ill in the army, and there was a red cloud like a bird that flew flanking the sun. King Zhao asked the Grand Scribe of Zhou, and the Grand Scribe said: "This is a harm to the King of Chu, but it may be shifted to his generals and ministers." The generals and ministers heard these words, and so asked to pray to the spirits with their own persons. King Zhao said: "The generals and ministers are my arms and legs; if I now shift the disaster, shall I be rid of it from this body of mine!" He would not listen. They divined, and the He was the source of the curse, and the grandees asked to pray to the He. King Zhao said: "Since our former kings received their enfeoffment, our sacrifices from afar have not gone beyond the Jiang and the Han, and the He is not where I have incurred guilt." He stopped them and did not permit it. Confucius was in Chen, and hearing these words said: "King Zhao of Chu has penetrated the great Way. That he did not lose his state was fitting indeed!"

King Zhao's illness grew grave, and so he summoned the princes and grandees and said: "I am without ability; twice I have brought disgrace on the armies of Chu, and now I am able to die of the span Heaven allots — that is my good fortune." He yielded the kingship to his younger brother Prince Shen, and he would not. He yielded again to the next brother Prince Jie, and he too would not. Then he yielded again to the next brother Prince Lü, and after five yieldings Lü at last consented to be king. They were about to fight, and on gengyin King Zhao died in the army. Zilü said: "The king's illness was grave, and he put aside his own son to yield to his ministers; the reason I consented to the king was to set his mind at ease. Now that my lord the king is dead, how should I dare forget my lord the king's intent!" So with Zixi (子西) and Ziqi he plotted, hid the troops and closed the roads, and welcomed Zhang, son of the woman of Yue, and set him up: this was King Hui. Then they broke off the campaign and went home, and buried King Zhao.

In King Hui's second year Zixi (子西) summoned Sheng, the son of the former King Ping's heir apparent Jian, from Wu, and made him grandee of Chao, styled the Duke of Bai. The Duke of Bai was fond of arms and humbled himself to men of station, and wished to avenge himself. In the sixth year the Duke of Bai asked troops of the Chief Minister Zixi (子西) to attack Zheng. Earlier, the Duke of Bai's father Jian had been a fugitive in Zheng and Zheng had killed him, and the Duke of Bai had fled to Wu, and Zixi (子西) had summoned him back; and so on this account he resented Zheng and wished to attack it. Zixi (子西) consented and did not send out the troops. In the eighth year Jin attacked Zheng, and Zheng appealed urgently to Chu, and Chu sent Zixi (子西) to rescue Zheng, and he took bribes and went away. The Duke of Bai, Sheng, was angry, and thereupon with Shi Qi and other stout men who would die for him made a surprise attack and killed the Chief Minister Zixi (子西) and Ziqi in court, and thereupon seized King Hui and put him in the High Storehouse, meaning to murder him. King Hui's follower Qu Gu carried the king on his back and fled to the palace of King Zhao's lady. The Duke of Bai set himself up as king. A month or more later it happened that the Duke of She came to rescue Chu, and the partisans of King Hui of Chu joined him in attacking the Duke of Bai and killed him. King Hui then resumed his place. In that year he destroyed Chen and made it a county.

In the thirteenth year King Fuchai of Wu was strong and bore down on Qi and Jin, and came to attack Chu. In the sixteenth year Yue destroyed Wu. In the forty-second year Chu destroyed Cai. In the forty-fourth year Chu destroyed Qi, and made peace with Qin. At this time Yue had already destroyed Wu and could not set the Jiang and the north of the Huai in order; Chu encroached eastward and widened its land as far as the Si.

In the fifty-seventh year King Hui died, and his son King Jian, Zhong, was set up.

In King Jian's first year he attacked northward and destroyed Ju. In the eighth year Marquis Wen of Wei, Wuzi of Han and Huanzi of Zhao were first ranked among the feudal lords.

In the twenty-fourth year King Jian died, and his son King Sheng, Dang, was set up. In King Sheng's sixth year brigands killed King Sheng, and his son King Dao, Xiongyi, was set up. In King Dao's second year the Three Jin came and attacked Chu, and came as far as Chengqiu and then turned back. In the fourth year Chu attacked Zhou. Zheng killed Ziyang. In the ninth year he attacked Han and took Fushu. In the eleventh year the Three Jin attacked Chu and defeated us at Daliang and Yuguan. Chu bribed Qin richly and made peace with it. In the twenty-first year King Dao died, and his son King Su, Zang, was set up.

In King Su's fourth year Shu attacked Chu and took Zifang. Thereupon Chu made the Han Pass to hold them off. In the tenth year Wei took our Luyang. In the eleventh year King Su died without a son, and they set up his younger brother Xiong Liangfu: this was King Xuan.

In King Xuan's sixth year the Son of Heaven of Zhou congratulated Duke Xian of Qin. Qin first grew strong again, and the Three Jin grew greater, King Hui of Wei and King Wei of Qi being especially strong. In the thirtieth year Qin enfeoffed Wei Yang at Shang and encroached southward on Chu. In that year King Xuan died, and his son King Wei, Xiongshang, was set up.

In King Wei's sixth year King Xian of Zhou sent the sacrificial meat of Wen and Wu to King Hui of Qin.

In the seventh year Tian Ying, father of the Lord of Mengchang of Qi, deceived Chu, and King Wei of Chu attacked Qi and defeated it at Xuzhou, and ordered that Qi must drive out Tian Ying. Tian Ying was afraid, and Zhang Chou spoke falsely to the King of Chu: "The reason my lord was victorious in battle at Xuzhou is that Pan the Master was not employed. Pan the Master has merit in the state, and the hundred families let themselves be used by him. Master Ying does not think well of him and employs Shen Ji. Shen Ji is one whom the great ministers do not attach themselves to and whom the hundred families will not be used by, and this is why my lord overcame him. Now if my lord drives out Master Ying, and Master Ying is driven out, Pan the Master will surely be employed. He will train up their soldiers again to meet my lord, and that will surely not be convenient for my lord." And so the King of Chu did not drive him out.

In the eleventh year King Wei died, and his son King Huai, Xionghuai, was set up. Wei, hearing of Chu's mourning, attacked Chu and took our Mount Xing.

In King Huai's first year Zhang Yi first became chancellor to King Hui of Qin. In the fourth year King Hui of Qin first styled himself king.

In the sixth year Chu sent the Pillar of the State Zhao Yang with troops to attack Wei, and broke them at Xiangling and got eight towns. He further shifted his troops to attack Qi, and the King of Qi was troubled by it. Chen Zhen happened to be on a mission from Qin to Qi, and the King of Qi said: "What is to be done about it?" Chen Zhen said: "Let my lord not worry; I beg leave to have it broken off." He then went to see Zhao Yang in his camp, and said: "I should like to hear the law of the state of Chu: what honour is given to one who breaks an army and kills its general?" Zhao Yang said: "His office is Supreme Pillar of the State, and he is enfeoffed with the highest rank, the Holder of the Jade Tablet." Chen Zhen said: "Is there anything more honourable than that?" Zhao Yang said: "Chief Minister." Chen Zhen said: "Now you are already Chief Minister, which is the highest in the state. Let me put it in a figure. A man gave a flagon of wine to his retainers, and the retainers said to one another: 'For several of us to drink this is not enough to go round; let us draw snakes on the ground, and whoever finishes his snake first shall drink it alone.' One said: 'My snake is finished first.' He raised the wine and stood up, saying: 'I can even give it feet.' And while he was giving it feet, the man who finished after him snatched the wine and drank it, saying: 'A snake has no feet; now that you have given it feet, this is not a snake.' Now you are chancellor of Chu and have attacked Wei, broken their army and killed their general, and no merit is greater; nothing can be added to the highest. Now you further shift your troops to attack Qi. Attack Qi and beat them, and your office and rank will not be added to for it; attack and fail to beat them, and you die and your rank is stripped, and Chu suffers damage: this is the tale of giving the snake feet. Better to draw off your troops and go, and put Qi in your debt: this is the art of holding a full cup." Zhao Yang said: "Good." And he drew off his troops and went.

The lords of Yan and Han first styled themselves kings. Qin sent Zhang Yi to meet with Chu, Qi and Wei, and they made a covenant at Niesang.

In the eleventh year Su Qin bound the six states east of the mountains in the Vertical Alliance to attack Qin together, and King Huai of Chu was chief of the alliance. They reached the Hangu Pass, and Qin sent out troops and struck at the six states, and the troops of the six states all drew off and went home, Qi alone being last. In the twelfth year King Min of Qi attacked and defeated the armies of Zhao and Wei, and Qin too attacked and defeated Han, and contended with Qi for the leadership.

In the sixteenth year Qin wished to attack Qi, and Chu was bound to Qi by the Vertical Alliance; King Hui of Qin was troubled by it, and so gave out that Zhang Yi had been dismissed from the chancellorship, and sent Zhang Yi south to see the King of Chu. He said to the King of Chu: "There is none my poor town's king is more pleased with than your great self, and none whose doorkeeper's drudge Yi would rather be than your great self. There is none my poor town's king hates more than the King of Qi, and none Yi hates more than the King of Qi. And your great self is at peace with him; this is why my poor town's king cannot serve you, and why Yi cannot be your doorkeeper's drudge. If my lord will for Yi's sake close the passes and break with Qi, I shall now send an envoy to go west with Yi and take the land of Shangyu, six hundred li square, which Qin formerly divided from Chu; and in this way Qi will be weakened. This is to weaken Qi in the north, to put Qin in your debt in the west, and to take Shangyu privately and grow rich by it: one plan and three advantages all arriving together." King Huai was greatly delighted, and so conferred the chancellor's seal on Zhang Yi and drank with him day by day, and gave out: "I have got back my land of Shangyu." The body of ministers all congratulated him, and Chen Zhen alone offered condolence. King Huai said: "Why?" Chen Zhen answered: "The reason Qin makes much of my lord is that my lord has Qi. Now, before the land can be got, our friendship with Qi is broken off first: this leaves Chu alone. And why should Qin make much of a lonely state? It will surely make light of Chu. If the land were given out first and Qi broken with afterwards, Qin's plan would not be carried out. If Qi is broken with first and the land demanded afterwards, then you must be cheated by Zhang Yi. Cheated by Zhang Yi, my lord will surely resent him; resenting him, you raise up trouble with Qin in the west and cut off intercourse with Qi in the north. Raise up trouble with Qin in the west and cut off intercourse with Qi in the north, and the troops of both states must come. That is why I offer condolence." The King of Chu would not listen, and so sent one general west to receive the ceded land.

Zhang Yi reached Qin, pretended to be drunk and fell from his carriage, and claiming illness did not come out for three months, and the land could not be got. The King of Chu said: "Does Yi think my breaking with Qi too slight a thing?" So he sent the stout fellow Song Yi north to humiliate the King of Qi. The King of Qi was greatly enraged, broke his tally with Chu and joined with Qin. Qin and Qi having joined, Zhang Yi then rose and went to court and said to the Chu general: "Why do you not receive your land? From such a point to such a point is six li across." The Chu general said: "What I was commissioned for was six hundred li; I have not heard of six li." And he went straight back and reported to King Huai. King Huai was greatly enraged and raised an army meaning to attack Qin. Chen Zhen said again: "Attacking Qin is no plan. Better to bribe them with a famous city and join them in attacking Qi: thus what we lose to Qin we take back in compensation from Qi, and our state may still be kept whole. Now my lord has already broken with Qi and would call Qin to account for cheating us; this is to knit together the friendship of Qin and Qi and to bring the empire's troops down on us, and the state must be greatly damaged." The King of Chu would not listen, and so broke off the peace with Qin and sent out troops to attack Qin in the west. Qin too sent out troops to strike at them.

In the spring of the seventeenth year he fought with Qin at Danyang. Qin greatly defeated our army, beheaded eighty thousand armoured men, and took prisoner our Grand General Qu Gai and the Deputy General Feng Houchou and more than seventy others, and thereupon took the commandery of Hanzhong. King Huai of Chu was greatly enraged, and so with all the state's troops made a fresh surprise attack on Qin, and fought at Lantian, and Qin greatly defeated the Chu army. Han and Wei, hearing of Chu's straits, then made a surprise attack on Chu from the south and reached Deng. Chu heard of it and so drew off its troops and went home.

In the eighteenth year Qin sent an envoy to make an agreement to be friends with Chu again, and to divide half of Hanzhong and make peace with Chu. The King of Chu said: "I want to get Zhang Yi; I do not want to get land." Zhang Yi heard of it and asked to go to Chu. The King of Qin said: "Chu means to have its will of you; what of that?" Zhang Yi said: "I am on good terms with his attendant Jin Shang, and Jin Shang can further get business done with the King of Chu's favourite lady Zheng Xiu, and there is nothing Xiu says that is not followed. And it was Yi who on his former mission broke faith with Chu over the Shangyu agreement; now that Qin and Chu have fought a great war there is bad blood, and unless I make my excuses to Chu in person it will not be dissolved. Besides, while your great self lives, Chu ought not to dare take Yi. And if killing Yi truly benefits the state, that is your servant's wish." Yi thereupon went as envoy to Chu.

On his arrival King Huai would not see him, and thereupon imprisoned Zhang Yi, meaning to kill him. Yi worked privately on Jin Shang, and Jin Shang made a plea to King Huai: "Detain Zhang Yi and the King of Qin will surely be angry. The empire, seeing that Chu has not Qin, will surely make light of my lord." And he further said to the lady Zheng Xiu: "The King of Qin loves Zhang Yi dearly, and the king means to kill him; now he is about to bribe Chu with the six counties of the Shangyong lands, and to offer a beautiful woman in marriage to the King of Chu, with the best singers of his palace as her attendants. The King of Chu values land, and the woman of Qin will surely be honoured, and my lady will surely be cast aside. My lady had better speak and get him let out." Zheng Xiu at last spoke to the king about Zhang Yi and got him let out. Yi being out, King Huai thereupon treated Yi well, and Yi thereupon persuaded the King of Chu to turn against the Vertical Alliance agreement and join with Qin in friendship and make a marriage alliance. Zhang Yi had already gone when Qu Yuan came back from his mission to Qi and remonstrated with the king: "Why did you not put Zhang Yi to death?" King Huai repented and sent men after Yi, and did not catch him. In that year King Hui of Qin died.

In the twentieth year King Min of Qi wished to be chief of the Vertical Alliance, and hated Chu's joining with Qin, and so sent an envoy with a letter to the King of Chu, saying: "I am troubled that Chu does not look closely at honoured names. Now King Hui of Qin is dead and King Wu is set up; Zhang Yi has run off to Wei, and Chuli Ji and Gongsun Yan are employed; and Chu serves Qin. Now Chuli Ji is on good terms with Han and Gongsun Yan with Wei; if Chu must serve Qin, Han and Wei will be afraid and will surely through these two men seek to join with Qin, and then Yan and Zhao too should serve Qin. Four states contending to serve Qin, and Chu becomes a commandery and counties. Why does my lord not join his strength with mine to gather in Han, Wei, Yan and Zhao, make the Vertical Alliance with them and honour the house of Zhou, and so rest our arms and give the people repose and give commands to the empire? None would dare not gladly listen, and my lord's name would be made. Let my lord lead the feudal lords in a joint attack, and Qin must be broken. My lord may take Wuguan and the lands of Shu and Han, make his own the wealth of Wu and Yue and engross the profit of the Jiang and the sea; and Han and Wei will cut off Shangdang, and in the west we press on Hangu: then Chu's strength will be a millionfold. Moreover my lord was cheated by Zhang Yi, lost the land of Hanzhong and had his troops blunted at Lantian, and there is none in the empire who did not feel anger on my lord's behalf. And now you would rather serve Qin first! I beg your great self to think it over carefully."

The King of Chu had already set his mind on peace with Qin; and seeing the King of Qi's letter he wavered and could not decide, and sent the question down to the body of ministers. Some ministers spoke for peace with Qin, and some said to listen to Qi. Zhao Ju said: "Though my lord take land from Yue in the east, it will not be enough to wipe away the shame; you must take land from Qin, and only then will it suffice to wipe away the shame before the feudal lords. My lord had better make close friends of Qi and Han so as to give weight to Chuli Ji; in that way my lord gets the weight of Han and Qi with which to ask for land. Qin broke Han at Yiyang, and yet Han still serves Qin, because its former kings' tombs are at Pingyang and Qin's Wusui is but seventy li from them; on this account it especially fears Qin. If it were not so, and Qin attacked the Three Chuan, Zhao attacked Shangdang and Chu attacked beyond the He, Han would surely be destroyed. Chu's rescuing Han cannot keep Han from being destroyed, but the one that preserves Han is Chu. Han having got Wusui back from Qin, if my lord is very good to it and makes it use Qi and Han to give weight to Chuli Ji, and Ji gets the weight of Qi and Han, then his own master will not dare cast Ji aside. And if now the weight of Chu is added to it besides, Master Chuli will surely speak to Qin and give back the land it seized from Chu." Thereupon King Huai consented to this, and in the end did not join with Qin but joined with Qi and was good to Han.

In the twenty-fourth year he turned his back on Qi and joined with Qin. King Zhao of Qin was newly set up and bribed Chu richly. Chu went to fetch a bride. In the twenty-fifth year King Huai went in and made a covenant with King Zhao of Qin, the agreement being at Huangji. Qin gave Shangyong back to Chu. In the twenty-sixth year Qi, Han and Wei, because Chu had turned its back on the Vertical Alliance and joined with Qin, all three attacked Chu. Chu sent its heir apparent in as hostage to Qin and asked for rescue. Qin then sent the Guest Minister Tong with troops to rescue Chu, and the three states drew off and went away.

In the twenty-seventh year a grandee of Qin had a private quarrel with the Chu heir apparent, and the Chu heir apparent killed him and fled home. In the twenty-eighth year Qin then with Qi, Han and Wei jointly attacked Chu, killed the Chu general Tang Mo, took our Zhongqiu and went away. In the twenty-ninth year Qin again attacked Chu and greatly broke Chu; the dead of the Chu army were twenty thousand, and they killed our general Jing Que. King Huai was afraid, and so sent the heir apparent as hostage to Qi to seek peace. In the thirtieth year Qin again attacked Chu and took eight cities. King Zhao of Qin sent the King of Chu a letter: "At first I agreed with my lord to be as brothers, and we made the covenant at Huangji and your heir apparent was hostage: it was perfect friendship. Your heir apparent outraged and killed a weighty minister of mine and fled off without apology; I truly could not master my anger, and sent troops to encroach on my lord the king's border. Now I hear that my lord the king has had his heir apparent held hostage in Qi to seek peace. My territory and Chu's meet and border on each other, and therefore we have made a marriage, and we have long been close to one another. And now that Qin and Chu are not friends, there is no giving commands to the feudal lords. I should like to meet my lord the king at Wuguan, agree face to face, tie a covenant and depart; this is my wish. I venture to lay it before your attendants." King Huai of Chu saw the King of Qin's letter and was troubled by it. He wished to go, and feared being cheated; not to go, and he feared Qin's anger. Zhao Ju said: "Let my lord not go, but send out troops and simply hold your own. Qin is a tiger and a wolf and cannot be trusted; it has a mind to swallow up the feudal lords." King Huai's son Zilan urged the king to go, saying: "How can we cut off Qin's friendly feeling!" And so he went to meet King Zhao of Qin. King Zhao deceitfully had one general lie in ambush at Wuguan and gave out that he was the King of Qin. The King of Chu arrived, and Wuguan was thereupon closed, and he was taken west with them to Xianyang, where he paid court at the Zhang Terrace as a vassal from the marches, and was not given the ceremonies of an equal. King Huai of Chu was greatly enraged and repented that he had not used Master Zhao's words. Qin thereupon detained the King of Chu and demanded that he cede the commanderies of Wu and Qianzhong. The King of Chu wished to make a covenant, and Qin wished to get the land first. The King of Chu was angry and said: "Qin has cheated me and now coerces me for land besides!" And he would not consent to Qin any more. Qin therefore kept him.

The great ministers of Chu were troubled by this, and so took counsel together: "Our king is in Qin and cannot come back, and is coerced to cede land, and the heir apparent is hostage in Qi; if Qi and Qin plot together, then Chu has no state." So they wished to set up a son of King Huai who was in the state. Zhao Ju said: "The king and the heir apparent are both in difficulties among the feudal lords, and now to go against the king's command and set up his son by a concubine is not fitting." So they falsely announced a death to Qi. King Min of Qi said to his chancellor: "Better to detain the heir apparent and demand the north of the Huai from Chu." The chancellor said: "It cannot be done. If a king is set up in Ying, we hold an empty hostage and act unrighteously before the empire." Someone said: "Not so. If a king is set up in Ying, we may then bargain with their new king: 'Give me the lands of the lower east country and I will kill the heir apparent for my lord; otherwise I shall join the three states in setting him up.' Then the east country can surely be got." The King of Qi in the end used his chancellor's plan and sent the Chu heir apparent home. The heir apparent Heng arrived and was set up as king: this was King Qingxiang. And he announced to Qin: "By the favour of the spirits of the altars of soil and grain, the state has a king."

In King Qingxiang Heng's first year, Qin having coerced King Huai and not got the land, and Chu having set up a king to answer Qin, King Zhao of Qin was angry and sent out troops through the Wu Pass to attack Chu, greatly defeated the Chu army, beheaded fifty thousand, took Xi and fifteen cities, and went away. In the second year King Huai of Chu fled and escaped home; Qin discovered it and blocked the roads to Chu, and King Huai was afraid, and so went by a byway to Zhao to seek to get home. The Lord Father of Zhao was at Dai, and his son King Hui had just been set up and was carrying on the king's business; he was afraid and did not dare take the King of Chu in. The King of Chu wished to run to Wei, and Qin's pursuers arrived, and so he went back to Qin with the Qin envoy. King Huai thereupon fell ill. In King Qingxiang's third year King Huai died in Qin, and Qin sent his coffin home to Chu. The men of Chu all pitied him, as though grieving for a kinsman. From this the feudal lords held Qin in the wrong. Qin and Chu broke off.

In the sixth year Qin sent Bai Qi to attack Han at Yique, and won a great victory, beheading two hundred and forty thousand. Qin then sent the King of Chu a letter: "Chu has turned its back on Qin; Qin will lead the feudal lords in attacking Chu and contend for the fate of a single morning. I should like my lord to put his soldiers in order and have one happy battle." King Qingxiang of Chu was troubled by it, and so planned to make peace with Qin again. In the seventh year Chu fetched a bride from Qin, and Qin and Chu were at peace again.

In the eleventh year Qi and Qin each styled himself Emperor; a month or more later they gave back the title of Emperor and were kings again.

In the fourteenth year King Qingxiang of Chu and King Zhao of Qin met in friendship at Wan and tied a peace and a marriage. In the fifteenth year the King of Chu with Qin, the Three Jin and Yan jointly attacked Qi and took the north of the Huai. In the sixteenth year he met King Zhao of Qin in friendship at Yan. That autumn he met the King of Qin again at Rang.

In the eighteenth year there was a man of Chu fond of setting a weak bow and a fine string at the geese on their homeward flight. King Qingxiang heard of it, summoned him and asked him about it. He answered: "Your petty servant's liking is for shooting small geese and little birds, the loosing of small arrows; what is that to be talked of to my lord the king? And considering the greatness of Chu and the worthiness of my lord the king, what I would shoot is not only such as these. In old days the Three Kings shot for power and virtue and the Five Hegemons shot for the warring states. Thus Qin, Wei, Yan and Zhao are small geese; Qi, Lu, Han and Wei are green-heads; Zou, Fei, Tan and Pi are little birds. Beyond these, the rest are not worth shooting at. Here are six pairs of birds: which will my lord take? Why does my lord not make sages his bow and brave men his string, and bend it in season and shoot them? These six pairs may be had and carried home in a bag. Such pleasure is not the pleasure of a morning and an evening merely, and such a bag is not filled with the flesh of ducks and geese merely. Let my lord in the morning bend his bow and shoot at the south of Wei's Daliang; strike its right arm and run the shaft straight on into Han, and the road of the central states is cut and the commandery of Shangcai is ruined. Wheel and shoot to the east of Yu; loosen Wei's left elbow and strike outward at Dingtao, and Wei's eastern outland is abandoned and the two commanderies of Great Song and Fangyu are taken. And with Wei's two arms cut off, it topples over; strike its breast at the state of Tan, and Daliang may be had and held. Let my lord tie up his strings at the Lan Terrace and water his horses at the Western He and settle Wei's Daliang: this is the pleasure of one shot. And if my lord is truly fond of shooting and unwearied of it, then bring out the precious bow, set stone on a new string and shoot the hooked-beak bird in the Eastern Sea, wheel round and cover the Long Wall for a rampart, shoot Eastern Ju in the morning and loose at Peiqiu in the evening and add Jimo by night, and look back and hold the Wu Road: then the east of the Long Wall is gathered in and the north of Mount Tai is taken. In the west you tie your border to Zhao and in the north reach to Yan, and with the three states spreading their wings the Vertical Alliance can be made without waiting for an agreement. To range your eyes northward over Liaodong in Yan, and southward climb and look out over Kuaiji in Yue: this is the pleasure of a second shot. As for the twelve feudal lords on the Si, gather them in on the left and brush them up on the right, and they may be finished in a single morning. Now Qin has broken Han and made it a lasting anxiety; it has got a row of cities and dares not hold them; it attacked Wei without success and struck at Zhao and came off the worse; then the strength and daring of Qin and Wei are exhausted, and Chu's old lands of Hanzhong, Xi and Li may be had and possessed again. Let my lord bring out the precious bow, set stone on a new string, cross the Meng Pass and wait for Qin to weary, and the lands east of the mountains and of Henei may be made one. Toil your people and then give the multitude rest, and you may face south and be called king. Therefore it is said that Qin is a great bird, resting with its back to the whole realm within the seas, standing facing east: its left wing rests on the southwest of Zhao, its right wing brushes Yan and Ying of Chu, its breast strikes Han and Wei, and it hangs its head over the central states. Its position is already convenient and its situation has the advantage of the ground; and when it stirs its pinions and beats its wings, three thousand li square, then Qin cannot be lured off alone and shot at by night." He meant by this to rouse King Xiang's anger, and so answered him with these words. King Xiang thereupon summoned him and talked with him, and he thereupon said: "Our former king was cheated by Qin and died a stranger's death abroad, and no grudge is greater. Now even a common man with a grudge may have his revenge on a lord of ten thousand chariots — such were the Duke of Bai and Zixu. Now Chu's land is five thousand li square with a million men in armour, still enough to leap forward in the open field; and to sit and take our straits — I privately think my lord the king should not choose it." Thereupon King Qingxiang sent envoys to the feudal lords and made the Vertical Alliance again, wishing by it to attack Qin. Qin heard of it and sent troops to come and attack Chu.

Chu wished to join with Qi and Han in an alliance to attack Qin, and thereby wished to scheme against Zhou. King Nan of Zhou sent the Duke of Wu to say to the Chu chancellor Master Zhao: "The three states with their troops would cut off the outskirts of Zhou for convenience of transport, and bring the vessels south to honour Chu; I think it is not so. To murder the common sovereign and make a vassal of the ruler of the age — great states will not befriend you; to coerce the few with the many — small states will not attach themselves to you. With great states not befriending and small states not attaching, you cannot attain name or substance. Not getting name or substance, it is not enough to injure the people. To have the repute of scheming against Zhou is no way to make a title for oneself." Master Zhao said: "As for scheming against Zhou, there is no such thing. Even so, why can Zhou not be schemed against?" He answered: "Without five to one, an army does not attack; without ten to one, it does not besiege. One Zhou is worth twenty Jin — that you know. Han once with a host of two hundred thousand was disgraced beneath the walls of Jin: the keen soldiers died, the middling ones were wounded, and Jin was not taken. That you have not a hundred Hans with which to scheme against Zhou is known to the whole empire. To knot a grudge with the two Zhous and thereby block the hearts of Zou and Lu, to break off relations with Qi and lose your repute in the empire — that is a dangerous undertaking. To endanger the two Zhous in order to enrich the Three Chuan, and the lands beyond Fangcheng must be made weak by Han. How do I know it is so? The land of Western Zhou, cutting the long to piece out the short, is no more than a hundred li. In name it is the common sovereign of the empire, but to carve up its land is not enough to fatten a state, and to get its multitude is not enough to strengthen an army. Even though you do not attack it, the name is that of murdering a sovereign. And yet rulers who love affairs and ministers who delight in attacking, in issuing orders and using troops, have never failed to make Zhou their beginning and their end. Why is this? They see that the sacrificial vessels are there, and want the vessels to come to them, and forget the disorder of murdering a sovereign. Now Han, because the vessels would be in Chu, makes me fear that the empire will take Chu as its enemy for the vessels' sake. Let me put it in a figure. Tiger's flesh is rank and the beast's weapons are on its body, and men still attack it. But if you put a tiger's skin on a deer of the marshes, men will attack it ten thousand times more than the tiger. To carve up Chu's land is enough to fatten a state; to bring down Chu's name is enough to honour a ruler. Now you mean, out of desire, to put to death and destroy the common sovereign of the empire, to possess the vessels handed down through three dynasties, to swallow the three shanks and six wings, and to rise above the rulers of the age: if that is not greed, what is it? The Book of Zhou says, 'He who would rise, let him not be first'; therefore when the vessels go south, the troops will come." Thereupon Chu's plan was stopped and not carried out.

In the nineteenth year Qin attacked Chu; the Chu army was defeated, and it ceded Shangyong and the lands north of the Han to Qin. In the twentieth year the Qin general Bai Qi took our Xiling. In the twenty-first year the Qin general Bai Qi thereupon took our Ying and burned the former kings' tombs at Yiling. King Xiang of Chu's troops were scattered, and he did not fight again, but held out in the northeast at the city of Chen. In the twenty-second year Qin again took our commanderies of Wu and Qianzhong.

In the twenty-third year King Xiang then gathered the troops of the eastern lands, got a hundred thousand and more, and again went west and took the fifteen towns along the Jiang that Qin had taken from us, made them a commandery and held off Qin. In the twenty-seventh year he sent thirty thousand men to help the Three Jin attack Yan. He made peace with Qin again and sent the heir apparent in as hostage to Qin. Chu sent the Left Steward to attend the heir apparent in Qin.

In the thirty-sixth year King Qingxiang fell ill, and the heir apparent fled home. In the autumn King Qingxiang died, and the heir apparent Xiongyuan took his place: this was King Kaolie. King Kaolie made the Left Steward his Chief Minister and enfeoffed him with Wu, styled the Lord of Chunshen.

In King Kaolie's first year he handed over Zhou to Qin to make peace. At this time Chu grew ever weaker.

In the sixth year Qin besieged Handan, and Zhao appealed urgently to Chu, and Chu sent the general Jing Yang to rescue Zhao. In the seventh year he reached Xinzhong, and the Qin troops went away. In the twelfth year King Zhao of Qin died, and the King of Chu sent the Lord of Chunshen to offer condolence and sacrifice in Qin. In the sixteenth year King Zhuangxiang of Qin died, and the King of Qin, Zhao Zheng, was set up. In the twenty-second year with the feudal lords he jointly attacked Qin, and not faring well they went away. Chu moved east and made its capital at Shouchun, and named it Ying.

In the twenty-fifth year King Kaolie died, and his son King You, Han, was set up. Li Yuan killed the Lord of Chunshen. In King You's third year Qin and Wei attacked Chu. The Qin chancellor Lü Buwei died. In the ninth year Qin destroyed Han. In the tenth year King You died, and his younger brother by the same mother, You, took his place: this was King Ai. King Ai had been set up two months and more when King Ai's elder brother by a concubine, Fuchu, and his party made a surprise attack and killed King Ai and set up Fuchu as king. In that year Qin took King Qian of Zhao prisoner.

In King Fuchu's first year the heir apparent Dan of Yan sent Jing Ke to stab the King of Qin. In the second year Qin sent a general to attack Chu and greatly broke the Chu army, and we lost ten cities and more. In the third year Qin destroyed Wei. In the fourth year the Qin general Wang Jian broke our army at Qi and killed the general Xiang Yan.

In the fifth year the Qin generals Wang Jian and Meng Wu thereupon broke the state of Chu, took the King of Chu, Fuchu, prisoner, and destroyed Chu, making it a commandery so called.

The Lord Grand Astrologer says: When King Ling of Chu was assembling the feudal lords at Shen, putting Qing Feng of Qi to death, building the Zhanghua Terrace and asking after Zhou's Nine Tripods, his ambition made light of the empire; and when he starved to death in Shen Hai's house, he was the laughing-stock of the empire. To fail in one's conduct — how sad! Position, in a man — can one be anything but careful of it? Qiji got his place through disorder, and doted licentiously on the woman of Qin: how extreme, and how nearly he lost the state a second time!