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Zhushu jinian 竹書紀年 "Bamboo Annals"

Literature by A to Z
Literature by time
Literature by theme
Literature by the 4 Categories

The first example presents the events during the reign of the last Shang king ("Zhow"), and the defeat of the House of Shang by the new Zhou Dynasty. The second example shows a highlight of the Warring States period, when the three houses of Zhao, Wei, and Han ("Hann") took over more and more political responsibility and subdued the state of Jin.
帝辛
名受,即紂也,曰受辛。元年己亥,王即位,居殷。命九侯、周侯、邘侯。
三年,有雀生鸇。
四年,大蒐于黎。作炮烙之刑。
五年夏,築南單之臺。雨土于亳。
六年,西伯初禴于畢。
九年,王師伐有蘇,獲妲己以歸。作瓊室,立玉門。
十年夏六月,王畋于西郊。
十七年,西伯伐翟。冬,王游于淇。
二十一年春正月,諸侯朝周。伯夷、叔齊自孤竹歸于周。
二十二年冬,大蒐于渭。
二十三年,囚西伯于羑里。
二十九年,釋西伯,諸侯逆西伯,歸于程。
三十年春三月,西伯率諸侯入貢。
三十一年,西伯治兵于畢,得呂尚以為師。
三十二年,五星聚于房。有赤烏集于周社。密人侵阮,西伯帥師伐密。
三十三年,密人降于周師,遂遷于程。王錫命西伯,得專征伐。約案:文王受命九年,大統未集,蓋得專征伐,受命自此年始。
三十四年,周師取耆及邘,遂伐崇,崇人降。冬十二月,昆夷侵周。
三十五年,周大饑。西伯自程遷于豐。
三十六年春正月,諸侯朝于周,遂伐昆夷。西伯使世子發營鎬。
三十七年,周作辟雍。
三十九年,大夫辛甲出奔周。
四十年,周作靈臺。王使膠鬲求玉于周。
四十一年春三月,西伯昌薨。
四十二年,西伯發受丹書于呂尚。有女子化為丈夫。
四十三年春,大閱。嶢山崩。
四十四年,西伯發伐黎。
四十七年,內史向摯出奔周。
四十八年,夷羊見。二日並見。
五十一年冬十一月戊子,周師渡孟津而還。王囚箕子,殺王子比干,微子出奔。
五十二年庚寅,周始伐殷。秋,周師次于鮮原。冬十有二月,周師有事于上帝。庸、蜀、羌、髳、微、盧、彭、濮從周師伐殷。
湯滅夏以至于受,二十九王,用歲四百九十六年。
Di Xin, (the last ruler of Shang)
His first name was Shou; this was Zhow; he is also called Shouxin. In his first year, which was a jihai year (1101 BC), when he came to the throne, he dwelt in Yin. He gave appointments to the Marquis of Jiu (or Chou 仇), Zhou (the Marquis of Zhou was the Chief of the West 西伯, Ji Chang 姬昌), and Yu.
3rd year, a sparrow produced a hawk.
4th year, he had a great hunting in Li. He invented the punishment of roasting.
5th year, summer, he built the tower of Nandan. There was a shower of earth in Bo.
6th year, the Chief of the West offered sacrifice for the first time for his ancestors in Bi.
9th year, the royal forces attacked the state of Su, and brought away Princess Daji (not: Danji!) as a captive. The king made an apartment for her, with walls of carnation stone, and the doors all-adorned with gems.
10th year, summer, 6th month, he hunted in the western borders.
17th year, the Chief of the West smote the Di tribes. In the winter, the king made a pleasure excursion to Ji.
21st year, spring, 1st month, the feudal lords went to Zhou to do homage. Boyi and Shuqi betook themselves to Zhou Guzhu.
22nd year, winter, he had a great hunting along the Wei River.
23rd year, he imprisoned the Chief of the West in Youli.
29th year, he liberated the Chief of the West, who was met met by many of the feudal lords, and escorted back to Cheng.
30th year, spring, 3rd month, the Chief of the West lead the feudal lords to the court with their tributes.
31st year, the Chief of the West began to form a regular army in Bi, with Lü Shang as its commander.
32nd year, there was a conjunction of the five planets in Fang. A red crow lighted on the altar to the spirits of the land of Zhou. The people of Mi invaded Ruan, when the Chief of the West led a force against Mi.
33rd year, the people of Mi surrendered to the army of Zhou, and were removed to Cheng. The King granted power to the Chief of the West to punish and attack offendike CAO. The armies met at the Red Cliff. At this time, the army of CAO CAO was very numerous, but the soldiers were already weakened by a pestilence, and during the first clashes, CAO CAO suffered a defeat and withdrew his troops to the north bank of the Yangtse. ZHOU YU and the others camped at the southern bank. YU's division general HUANG GAI said, "The troops of the thieves (of CAO CAO) are numerous, but we are left alone; it would be difficult to hold our position for longer time. But if we have a look at CAO CAO 's war ships we see that he has tied the ships together at bow and stern. It is easy to burn all the ships and make him run away." HUANG made use of ten big war-ships, filled them with fire wood and dry reeds, soaked with oil and stuffed with fabrics. On the top he erected flags with indentations. He had written a letter to CAO CAO, pretending to go over to him. He also had prepared propelling ships that were bound at the stern of the burning ships to push them forward. The soldiers of CAO CAO's army all left the camp to gaze at the ships and expected HUANG GAI to desert, like he had promised. HUANG GAI commanded all ships and incended all of them at the same time. In a fierce wind, the fire spread to the river bank and burned down CAO CAO's camp where the flames reached high up to the sky. Masses of people and horses died in the flames. Being thus defeated, CAO CAO's army withdrew, turned and sought a sure place in the commandery Nanjun. LIU BEI and ZHOU Yu together persecuted the fleeing army.

55. Biography of Huang Gai: In the era Jian'an, HUANG GAI was a follower of ZHOU YU and together with him mastered Duke CAO at the Red Cliff, carrying out the plot with the fire attack. This story is told in ZHOU YU's biography.


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