1
太史公曰：五帝、三代之記，尚矣。 自殷以前諸侯不可得而譜，周以來乃頗可著。 孔子因史文次春秋，紀元年，正時日月，蓋其詳哉。 至於序尚書則略，無年月； 或頗有，然多闕，不可錄。 故疑則傳疑，蓋其慎也。
The Grand Historian says: The records of the Five Emperors and Three Dynasties are very ancient. Before the Yin dynasty, the genealogies of the feudal lords cannot be established, but since the Zhou dynasty they have become quite recordable. 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
余讀諜記，黃帝以來皆有年數。 稽其歷譜諜終始五德之傳，古文咸不同，乖異。 夫子之弗論次其年月，豈虛哉！ 於是以五帝系諜、尚書集世紀黃帝以連山訖共和為世表。
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. The Master's not arranging their years and months—was that in vain? Thereupon I used the Five Emperors' genealogical records and collected from the Shangshu to make a chronological table from the Yellow Emperor through Lianshan to Gonghe.
| 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 |
14
張夫子問褚先生曰：「詩言契、后稷皆無父而生。 今案諸傳記咸言有父，父皆黃帝子也，得無與詩謬秋？」
Master Zhang asked Master Chu: "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 it be that this contradicts the Poetry?
15
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 said: "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 form themselves, they must be born through the humans. How could they be born without fathers? One account says they had fathers, one account says they had no fathers. Transmit what is trustworthy as trustworthy, transmit what is doubtful as doubtful, therefore the accounts are given. Yao knew that Qi and Ji were both worthy men, born of heaven, therefore he enfeoffed Qi with seventy li. After more than ten generations they reached Tang, who became king of the world. Yao knew that Hou Ji's descendants would later become kings, therefore he additionally enfeoffed him with a hundred li. His descendants lasted nearly a thousand years, until Wen Wang obtained the world. 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 Rites, and gave him the surname Zi. Zi means increase; Increase means to become greater. The poets praised and celebrated it saying "The Yin altar is vast, the heavenly mandate is the dark bird, descended and gave 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. She went out and saw the giant footprints and stepped on them. She knew it in her body, 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 to the mountains, and the mountain spirits raised him. Again she cast him into the great marsh, birds covered him with their wings and fed him. Jiang Yuan was amazed by this, so she knew he was a son of heaven, and took him to raise. Yao knew his worthy talents, established him as Great Farmer, and gave him the surname Ji. Ji means root. The poets praised and celebrated it saying "In the beginning he gave birth to the people", profoundly cultivating and increasing success, to show 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 and governed the world, his virtue and grace 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."
16
「黃帝後世何王天下之久遠邪？」
"Why did the Yellow Emperor's descendants rule the world so long?"
17
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？ 行道德豈可以忽秋哉！ 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 redeemed the lives of the common people for ten thousand men became emperor, and had good fortune for ten thousand generations. The Yellow Emperor was such a one. When the five administrations were clear then he cultivated rites and righteousness, raised troops to campaign at the right heavenly times and those who profited became kings, having good fortune for a thousand generations. The King of Shu was also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. Even now he is five thousand li southwest of Han, and regularly comes to court and submit, offering tribute to Han. Is this not because his ancestors had virtue, and their grace flowed to later generations? Practicing morality and virtue—how can it be neglected! Rulers and kings should take this up and observe it. The Han Grand General Huo Zimen named Guang was also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. This can be spoken of to those with the broad learning and far sight, but it is certainly difficult to explain to those with the shallow knowledge. 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 Shu Chu at Huo. The later generations, Duke Xian of Jin extinguished Duke Huo, and the later generations became commoners, coming and going and residing at Pingyang. Pingyang is in Hedong, Hedong is the Jin territory, divided to become the Wei state. Speaking in terms of the Poetry, it can also be considered the Zhou era. The Zhou arose from Hou Ji, Hou Ji was born without a father. Speaking in terms of the three dynasties' generational transmissions, Hou Ji had a father named Gao Xin; Gao Xin was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor's Chronicles of Beginning and End say: "Over a hundred years after the Han arose, there will be a man neither short nor tall, coming from the region of Bai Yan, holding the government of the world, at a time when there is an infant ruler, desiring to travel by carriage." The General Huo was originally from Pingyang in Bai Yan. When I was a gentleman attendant, I met with the alchemist Kao Gong under the banner pavilion, and he spoke to me. Is this not magnificent!"