1
The Grand Historian says: The records of the Five Emperors and Three Dynasties go back to great antiquity. Before the Yin dynasty, the genealogies of the feudal lords cannot be fixed; only from the Zhou dynasty onward can they be recorded with confidence. Confucius followed the historical texts to arrange the Spring and Autumn Annals, recording the first year and correcting the seasons, days, and months—how detailed it is! As for arranging the Shangshu, it is brief, without years or months; Some have quite a bit, but many are deficient and cannot be recorded. Therefore, where there is doubt, transmit the doubt—that is how cautious he was.
2
I have read the genealogical records, and from the Yellow Emperor onward they all have chronological dates. When I examined their chronological genealogies and the transmission of the Five Virtues from beginning to end, the ancient texts are all different and contradictory. That the Master did not arrange their years and months—was that not well-founded! Thereupon I used the Five Emperors' genealogical records and the collected chronicles of the Shangshu to compile a genealogical table from the Yellow Emperor down to the Gonghe era.
| 帝王世國號 | 顓頊屬 | 俈屬 | 堯屬 | 舜屬 | 夏屬 | 殷屬 | 周屬 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 黃帝號有熊。 | 黃帝生昌意。 | 黃帝生玄囂。 | 黃帝生玄囂。 | 黃帝生昌意。 | 黃帝生昌意。 | 黃帝生玄囂。 | 黃帝生玄囂。 |
| 帝顓頊，黃帝孫。起黃帝，至顓頊三世，號高陽。 | 昌意生顓頊。為高陽氏。 | 玄囂生蟜極。 | 玄囂生蟜極。 | 昌意生顓頊。顓頊生窮蟬。 | 昌意生顓頊。 | 玄囂生蟜極。蟜極生高辛。 | 玄囂生蟜極。蟜極生高辛。 |
| 帝俈，黃帝曾孫。起黃帝，至帝俈四世。號高辛。 | 蟜極生高辛，為帝俈。 | 蟜極生高辛。高辛生放勛。 | 窮蟬生敬康。敬康生句望。 | 高辛生禼，為殷祖。 | 高辛生后稷，為周祖。 | ||
| 帝堯。起黃帝，至俈子五世。號唐。 | 放勛為堯。 | 句望生蟜牛。蟜牛生瞽叟。 | 禼生昭明。 | 后稷生不窋。 | |||
| 帝舜，黃帝玄孫之玄孫，號虞。 | 瞽叟生重華，是為帝舜。 | 顓頊生鯀。鯀生文命。 | 昭明生相土。 | 不窋生鞠。 | |||
| 帝禹，黃帝耳孫，號夏。 | 文命，是為禹。 | 相土生昌若。 | 鞠生公劉。 | ||||
| 帝啟，伐有扈，作甘誓。 | 昌若生曹圉。 | 公劉生慶節。 | |||||
| 帝太康 | 曹圉生冥。 | 慶節生皇僕。 | |||||
| 帝仲康，太康弟。 | 冥生振。 | 皇僕生差弗。 | |||||
| 帝相 | 振生微。 | 差弗生毀渝。 | |||||
| 帝少康 | 微生報丁。 | 毀渝生公非。 | |||||
| 帝予 | 報丁生報乙。 | 公非生高圉。 | |||||
| 帝槐 | 報乙生報丙。 | 高圉生亞圉。 | |||||
| 帝芒 | 報丙生主壬。 | 亞圉生公祖類。 | |||||
| 帝泄 | 主壬生主癸。 | 公祖類生太王亶父。 | |||||
| 帝不降 | 主癸生天乙，是為殷湯。 | 亶父生季歷。 | |||||
| 帝扃不降弟。 | 季歷生文王昌。益易卦。 | ||||||
| 帝廑 | 文王昌生武王發。 | ||||||
| 帝孔甲，不降子。好鬼神，淫亂不好德，二龍去。 | |||||||
| 帝皋 | |||||||
| 帝發 | |||||||
| 帝履癸，是為桀。 |
| Imperial reigns and state designations | Line of Zhuanxu | Line of Ku | Line of Yao | Line of Shun | Line of Xia | Line of Yin | Line of Zhou |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Yellow Emperor, with the style Lord of Youxiong. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Changyi. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Xuanxiao. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Xuanxiao. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Changyi. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Changyi. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Xuanxiao. | The Yellow Emperor fathered Xuanxiao. |
| Emperor Zhuanxu, the Yellow Emperor's grandson. From the Yellow Emperor to Zhuanxu: three generations, with the style Gaoyang. | Changyi fathered Zhuanxu, who took the Gaoyang clan name. | Xuanxiao fathered Jiaoji. | Xuanxiao fathered Jiaoji. | Changyi fathered Zhuanxu. Zhuanxu fathered Qiongchan. | Changyi fathered Zhuanxu. | Xuanxiao fathered Jiaoji. Jiaoji fathered Gaoxin. | Xuanxiao fathered Jiaoji. Jiaoji fathered Gaoxin. |
| Emperor Ku, the Yellow Emperor's great-grandson. From the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Ku: four generations, with the style Gaoxin. | Jiaoji fathered Gaoxin, who became Emperor Ku. | Jiaoji fathered Gaoxin. Gaoxin fathered Fangxun. | Qiongchan fathered Jingkang. Jingkang fathered Gouwang. | Gaoxin fathered Xie, the ancestor of the Yin line. | Gaoxin fathered Hou Ji, the ancestor of the Zhou line. | ||
| Emperor Yao. From the Yellow Emperor to the sons of Ku: five generations, with the style Tang. | Fangxun was Yao. | Gouwang fathered Jiaoniu. Jiaoniu fathered Gusou. | Xie fathered Zhaoming. | Hou Ji fathered Buzhuo. | |||
| Emperor Shun, a great-great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor's great-great-grandson, with the style Yu. | Gusou fathered Chonghua, who was Emperor Shun. | Zhuanxu fathered Gun. Gun fathered Wenming. | Zhaoming fathered Xiangtu. | Buzhuo fathered Ju. | |||
| Emperor Yu, a remote descendant of the Yellow Emperor, with the style Xia. | Wenming was Yu. | Xiangtu fathered Changruo. | Ju fathered Gong Liu. | ||||
| Emperor Qi attacked Youhu and composed the Ganshi oath | Changruo fathered Caoyu. | Gong Liu fathered Qingjie. | |||||
| Emperor Taikang | Caoyu fathered Ming. | Qingjie fathered Huangpu. | |||||
| Emperor Zhongkang, Taikang's younger brother. | Ming fathered Zhen. | Huangpu fathered Chafu. | |||||
| Emperor Xiang | Zhen fathered Wei. | Chafu fathered Huiyu. | |||||
| Emperor Shaokang | Wei fathered Baoding. | Huiyu fathered Gongfei. | |||||
| Emperor Yu | Baoding fathered Baoyi. | Gongfei fathered Gaoyu. | |||||
| Emperor Huai | Baoyi fathered Baobing. | Gaoyu fathered Yayu. | |||||
| Emperor Mang | Baobing fathered Zhu Ren. | Yayu fathered Gongzuilei. | |||||
| Emperor Xie | Zhu Ren fathered Zhu Gui. | Gongzuilei fathered Grand King Danfu. | |||||
| Emperor Bujiang | Zhu Gui fathered Tianyi, who was Tang of Yin. | Danfu fathered Ji Li. | |||||
| Emperor Jiong, Bujiang's younger brother. | Ji Li fathered King Wen Chang, who improved the hexagrams. | ||||||
| Emperor Jin | King Wen Chang fathered King Wu Fa. | ||||||
| Emperor Kongjia, son of Bujiang, favored spirits and ghosts, was dissolute and did not cherish virtue, and the two dragons left. | |||||||
| Emperor Gao | |||||||
| Emperor Fa | |||||||
| Emperor Lugui was Jie |
26
27
When Tang of Yin replaced the Xia, it was seventeen generations from the Yellow Emperor to Tang.
| Emperor Waibing, Tang's heir. Prince Taiding died young, so the next younger brother Waibing was installed. |
| Emperor Zhongren, Waibing's younger brother. |
| Emperor Taijia, son of the former heir Taiding, was dissolute. Yi Yin confined him in the Tong Palace; after three years of repentance Yi Yin restored him. |
| Emperor Woding. Yi Yin died. |
| Emperor Taigeng, Woding's younger brother. |
| Emperor Xiaojia, Taigeng's younger brother. The way of Yin declined, and some feudal lords failed to attend court. |
| Emperor Yongji, Xiaojia's younger brother. |
| Emperor Taiwu, Yongji's younger brother, was called Zhongzong because mulberry and grain grew together. |
| Emperor Zhongding |
| Emperor Wairen, Zhongding's younger brother. |
| Emperor He Danjia, Wairen's younger brother. |
| Emperor Zuyi |
| Emperor Zuxin |
| Emperor Wojia, Zuxin's younger brother. |
| Emperor Zuding, son of Zuxin. |
| Emperor Nangeng, son of Wojia. |
| Emperor Yangjia, son of Zuding. |
| Emperor Pangeng, Yangjia's younger brother, moved the capital to Henan. |
| Emperor Xiaoxin, Pangeng's younger brother. |
| Emperor Xiaoyi, Xiaoxin's younger brother. |
| Emperor Wuding. A pheasant perched on the tripod ear and crowed; he obtained Fuyue and was called Gaozong. |
| Emperor Zugeng |
| Emperor Jia, Zugeng's younger brother, was dissolute. |
| Emperor Lin Xin |
| Emperor Gengding, Lin Xin's younger brother, moved Yin north of the River. |
| Emperor Wuyi slighted the spirits and was killed by thunder |
| Emperor Taiding |
| Emperor Yi. Yin declined further. |
| Emperor Xin was Zhou. He was assassinated. |
57
58
When King Wu of Zhou replaced Yin, it was nineteen generations from the Yellow Emperor to King Wu.
| 成王誦 | 魯周公旦，武王弟。初封。 | 齊太公尚，文王、武王師。初封。 | 晉唐叔虞，武王子。初封。 | 秦惡來，助紂。父飛廉，有力。 | 楚熊繹。繹父鬻熊，事文王。初封。 | 宋微子啟，紂庶兄。初封。 | 衛康叔，武王弟。初封。 | 陳胡公滿，舜之後。初封。 | 蔡叔度，武王弟。初封。 | 曹叔振鐸，武王弟。初封。 | 燕召公奭，周同姓。初封。 |
| 康王釗，刑錯四十餘年。 | 魯公伯禽 | 丁公呂伋 | 晉侯燮 | 女防 | 熊乂 | 微仲，啟弟。 | 康伯 | 申公 | 蔡仲 | 九世至惠侯。 | |
| 昭王瑕南巡不返。不赴，諱之。 | 考公 | 乙公 | 武侯 | 旁皋 | 熊黮 | 宋公 | 孝伯 | 相公 | 蔡伯 | 太伯 | |
| 穆王滿。作甫刑。荒服不至。 | 煬公，考公弟。 | 癸公 | 成侯 | 大几 | 熊勝 | 丁公 | 嗣伯 | 孝公 | 宮侯 | 仲君 | |
| 恭王伊扈 | 幽公 | 哀公 | 厲侯 | 大駱 | 熊煬 | 湣公，丁公弟。 | 疌伯 | 慎公 | 厲侯 | 宮伯 | |
| 懿王堅。周道衰，詩人作刺。 | 魏公 | 胡公 | 靖侯 | 非子 | 熊渠 | 煬公，湣公弟。 | 靖伯 | 幽公 | 武侯 | 孝伯 | |
| 孝王方，懿王弟。 | 厲公 | 獻公弒胡公。 | 秦侯 | 熊無康 | 厲公 | 貞伯 | 釐公 | 夷伯 | |||
| 夷王燮，懿王子。 | 獻公，厲公弟。 | 武公 | 公伯 | 熊鷙紅 | 釐公 | 頃侯 | |||||
| 厲王胡。以惡聞過亂，出奔，遂死於彘。 | 真公 | 秦仲 | 熊延，紅弟。 | 釐侯 | |||||||
| 共和，二伯行政。 | 武公，真公弟。 | 熊勇 |
| King Cheng (Song) | Lu: Zhou Gong Dan, younger brother of King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Qi: Tai Gong Shang, teacher of King Wen and King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Jin: Tang Shu Yu, son of King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Qin: E Lai, assisted King Zhou. Father Fei Lian, who was strong. | Chu: Xiong Yi. Yi's father Yu Xiong, who served King Wen. First enfeoffment. | Song: Wei Zi Qi, elder brother of King Zhou by a concubine. First enfeoffment. | Wei: Kang Shu, younger brother of King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Chen: Hu Gong Man, descendant of Shun. First enfeoffment. | Cai: Shu Du, younger brother of King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Cao: Shu Zhen Duo, younger brother of King Wu. First enfeoffment. | Yan: Zhao Gong Shi, of the same surname as Zhou. First enfeoffment. |
| King Kang (Zhao): for more than forty years punishments were laid aside. | Lu: Duke Bo Qin | Qi: Duke Ding, Lü Ji | Jin: Marquis Xie | Nu Fang | Xiong Yi | Wei Zhong, younger brother of Qi. | Kang Bo | Duke Shen | Cai Zhong | Nine generations to Marquis Hui. | |
| King Zhao (Xia) toured the south and did not return. The feudal lords did not report it; the court concealed the matter. | Duke Kao | Duke Yi | Marquis Wu | Pang Gao | Xiong Tan | Duke Song | Xiao Bo | Duke Xiang | Cai Bo | Tai Bo | |
| King Mu Man. Made the Punishments of Fu. The remote regions did not come. | Duke Yang, younger brother of Duke Kao. | Duke Gui | Marquis Cheng | Da Ji | Xiong Sheng | Duke Ding | Si Bo | Duke Xiao | Gong Hou | Zhong Jun | |
| King Gong (Yi Hu) | Duke You | Duke Ai | Marquis Li | Da Luo | Xiong Yang | Duke Min, younger brother of Duke Ding. | Zhe Bo | Duke Shen | Marquis Li | Gong Bo | |
| King Yi Jian. The Zhou way declined, poets made satirical poems. | Duke Wei | Duke Hu | Marquis Jing | Fei Zi | Xiong Qu | Duke Yang, younger brother of Duke Min. | Jing Bo | Duke You | Marquis Wu | Xiao Bo | |
| King Xiao Fang, younger brother of King Yi. | Duke Li | Duke Xian murdered Duke Hu. | Marquis Qin | Xiong Wu Kang | Duke Li | Zhen Bo | Duke Xi | Yi Bo | |||
| King Yi (Xie), son of King Yi (Jian). | Duke Xian, younger brother of Duke Li. | Duke Wu | Gong Bo | Xiong Zhi Hong | Duke Xi | Marquis Qing | |||||
| King Li Hu. Because he hated hearing the criticism and caused disorder, he fled and died at Zhi. | Duke Zhen | Qin Zhong | Xiong Yan, younger brother of Hong. | Marquis Xi | |||||||
| Gonghe, the two nobles administered government. | Duke Wu, younger brother of Duke Zhen. | Xiong Yong |
69
Master Zhang asked Master Chu, saying, "The Poetry says that Qi and Hou Ji were both born without fathers. Now when I examine the various biographies they all say they had fathers, and their fathers were all sons of the Yellow Emperor. Could this be at odds with the Poetry?"
70
褚先生曰：「不然。 詩言契生於卵，后稷人跡者，欲見其有天命精誠之意耳。 鬼神不能自成，須人而生，柰何無父而生乎！ 一言有父，一言無父，信以傳信，疑以傳疑，故兩言之。 堯知契、稷皆賢人，天之所生，故封之契七十里，後十餘世至湯，王天下。 堯知后稷子孫之後王也，故益封之百里，其後世且千歲，至文王而有天下。 詩傳曰：『湯之先為契，無父而生。 契母與姊妹浴於玄丘水，有燕銜卵墮之，契母得，故含之，誤吞之，即生契。 契生而賢，堯立為司徒，姓之曰子氏。 子者茲； 茲，益大也。 詩人美而頌之曰「殷社芒芒，天命玄鳥，降而生商」。 商者質，殷號也。 文王之先為后稷，后稷亦無父而生。 后稷母為姜嫄，出見大人蹟而履踐之，知於身，則生后稷。 姜嫄以為無父，賤而棄之道中，牛羊避不踐也。 抱之山中，山者養之。 又捐之大澤，鳥覆席食之。 姜嫄怪之，於是知其天子，乃取長之。 堯知其賢才，立以為大農，姓之曰姬氏。 姬者，本也。 詩人美而頌之曰「厥初生民」，深修益成，而道后稷之始也。』 孔子曰：『昔者堯命契為子氏，為有湯也。 命后稷為姬氏，為有文王也。 大王命季歷，明天瑞也。 太伯之吳，遂生源也。』 天命難言，非聖人莫能見。 舜、禹、契、后稷皆黃帝子孫也。 黃帝策天命而治天下，德澤深後世，故其子孫皆復立為天子，是天之報有德也。 人不知，以為閒從布衣匹夫起耳。 夫布衣匹夫安能無故而起王天下乎？ 其有天命然。」
Master Chu replied, "No, that is not so. The Poetry says that Qi was born from an egg, and Hou Ji from human footprints, to show that they had the mandate of heaven and sincere intentions. Spirits and gods cannot come into being by themselves; they must be born through human beings. How, then, could they be born without fathers? One tradition says they had fathers, while another says they had none. What is trustworthy is transmitted as trustworthy, and what is doubtful as doubtful; for this reason both accounts are recorded. Yao knew that Qi and Ji were both worthy men born of Heaven, and therefore enfeoffed Qi with a domain of seventy li. More than ten generations later, his line reached Tang, who ruled all under Heaven. Yao knew that Hou Ji's descendants would later become kings, and therefore enlarged his fief by a hundred li. His descendants endured for nearly a thousand years, down to King Wen, who came to possess all under Heaven. The Poetry Commentary says, 'Tang's ancestor was Qi, born without a father. Qi's mother and her sisters were bathing in the Xuanhou River, when a swallow carried an egg and dropped it. Qi's mother obtained it, so she held it in her mouth, mistakenly swallowed it, and then gave birth to Qi. Qi was born wise, Yao established him as Minister of the Multitudes (Situ), and gave him the surname Zi. Zi means 'to increase'; To increase means to grow ever greater. The poets praised and celebrated this, saying, "Vast was the altar of Yin; Heaven commanded the dark bird to descend and give birth to Shang." Shang means solid, it is the designation of Yin. Wen Wang's ancestor was Hou Ji, Hou Ji was also born without a father. Hou Ji's mother was Jiang Yuan. When she went out, she saw a giant footprint and stepped in it. She felt a response in her body, and then gave birth to Hou Ji. Jiang Yuan thought he had no father, so she despised him and abandoned him in the road. Oxen and sheep avoided him and did not tread on him. She carried him into the mountains, and the mountain folk raised him. Again she cast him into the great marsh, birds covered him with their wings and fed him. Jiang Yuan marveled at this, and so knew that he was a child of Heaven; she took him back and raised him. Yao knew his worthy talents, established him as Great Farmer, and gave him the surname Ji. Ji means the root. The poets praised and celebrated him, saying, "At the beginning, he gave birth to the people," elaborating and completing the account of Hou Ji's origins.' Confucius said, 'In former times Yao commanded Qi to be of the Zi clan, because there would be Tang. Commanded Hou Ji to be of the Ji clan, because there would be Wen Wang. Great King commanded Ji Li, to illuminate the heavenly omens. Tai Bo went to Wu, and thus originated the source.' The heavenly mandate is difficult to speak of, only sages can see it. Shun, Yu, Qi, and Hou Ji were all descendants of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor grasped the heavenly mandate, governed the world, and left virtue and grace that deeply benefited later generations; therefore his descendants all again became established as sons of heaven—this is heaven's reward for virtue. People do not know this, and think they arose from commoners and ordinary men by chance. How could commoners and ordinary men arise without cause to become kings of the world? It is because they had the heavenly mandate."
71
「黃帝後世何王天下之久遠邪？」
"Why did the Yellow Emperor's descendants rule the world so long?"
72
曰：「傳云天下之君王為萬夫之黔首請贖民之命者帝，有福萬世。 黃帝是也。 五政明則修禮義，因天時舉兵征伐而利者王，有福千世。 蜀王，黃帝後世也，至今在漢西南五千里，常來朝降，輸獻於漢，非以其先之有德，澤流後世邪？ 行道德豈可以忽乎哉！ 人君王者舉而觀之。 漢大將軍霍子孟名光者，亦黃帝後世也。 此可為博聞遠見者言，固難為淺聞者說也。 何以言之？ 古諸侯以國為姓。 霍者，國名也。 武王封弟叔處於霍，後世晉獻公滅霍公，後世為庶民，往來居平陽。 平陽在河東，河東晉地，分為衛國。 以詩言之，亦可為周世。 周起后稷，后稷無父而生。 以三代世傳言之，后稷有父名高辛； 高辛，黃帝曾孫。 黃帝終始傳曰：『漢興百有餘年，有人不短不長，出（自）［白］燕之鄉，持天下之政，時有嬰兒主，欲行車。』 霍將軍者，本居平陽（自）［白］燕。 臣為郎時，與方士考功會旗亭下，為臣言。 豈不偉哉！」
He said, "The traditions say that the ruler of the world who, on behalf of the multitude, pleads to redeem the lives of the common people becomes an emperor and has good fortune for ten thousand generations. The Yellow Emperor was such a one. When the five forms of government are clear, one cultivates ritual and righteousness. Those who raise armies for campaigns in accord with Heaven's timing and thereby gain advantage become kings and have good fortune for a thousand generations. The King of Shu was also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. Even now, though he is five thousand li southwest of Han, he regularly comes to court, submits, and presents tribute to Han. Is this not because his ancestor possessed virtue and his grace flowed down to later generations? To practice morality and virtue—how can one neglect it! Rulers and kings should take up this matter and examine it. Huo Zimeng, the Han General-in-Chief whose given name was Guang, was also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. This can be discussed with people of broad learning and far sight, but it is certainly difficult to explain to those whose knowledge is shallow. Why do I say this? In ancient times the feudal lords took their state as surname. Huo was a state name. King Wu enfeoffed his younger brother Shuchu at Huo. In a later generation, Duke Xian of Jin destroyed Duke Huo, and his descendants became commoners, moving back and forth until they settled at Pingyang. Pingyang lies in Hedong. Hedong was Jin territory, and was later partitioned into the state of Wei. If one speaks in terms of the Poetry, this too may be regarded as belonging to the Zhou lineage. The Zhou arose from Hou Ji, Hou Ji was born without a father. Speaking in terms of the Three Dynasties genealogical transmissions, Hou Ji had a father named Gaoxin; Gaoxin was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor's Chronicles of Beginning and End says, "More than a hundred years after the Han arises, there will be a man neither short nor tall, from the region of Baiyan, who holds the government of all under Heaven at a time when there is an infant ruler who wishes to ride in a carriage." General Huo Guang originally lived at Pingyang in Baiyan. When I was a gentleman-attendant, I met the alchemist Kaogong under the Banner Pavilion, and he told me. Is this not magnificent!"