Biography: Yu was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the grandson of Emperor Huan (although it is also said that Yu should be the sixth grandson of Emperor Huan). Place of birth is disputed (one in the Shinuo area of Wenshan; one in Shi'ao. Her mother was the daughter of the Youxin clan (present-day Cao County, Shandong), named Nüzhi (女志), also known as 脩己. Yu moved east with his father Cang and came to the Central Plains. His father, Cang, was enfeoffed by Emperor Yao in Chong. During the reign of Emperor Yao, the flooding of the Central Plains caused floods and disasters, and the people were miserable. Emperor Yao ordered Cang to control the water, and Cang was ordered to control the flood, and Cang used the water barrier method, that is, to set up a river embankment on the shore, but the water became higher and higher, and it lasted for nine years to quell the flood disaster. Yu was then appointed Sikong and succeeded him in the matter of water management. Yu Zhishui's inability to enter the house is the best proof of his hard work to control the water
During Yao's reign, floods flooded, and Yao ordered The Carp to govern. Although carp is very talented, he knows nothing about water control, and after 9 years, the flood has no intention of decreasing. Originally, Yao also planned to give up the throne to him if Cang Zhishui was fruitful, but seeing that he was so angry, he chose Shun. After Shun ascended the throne, he saw that the carp had made a mess of water, so he killed the carp, and people thought it was good to kill. Shun appointed Cang's son Yu to continue Cang's water control business.
Yu is also a very wise person, his every move has become the object of emulation by others, and he is the most faithful in doing things for people. Although his father was executed for failing to control the water, he was not intimidated by the difficulties, and he did not hate Shun because of his father's death. Of course, he was saddened by his father's death, but he focused more on learning his father's lessons. Yu used the method of evacuation to direct the flood to the sea. Yu leads by example, preferring to eat and wear less, and also spend his energy on treating water. Yu ran all over the world in order to control the water, personally digging and picking soil with the people, the soles of his feet were full of calluses, and the hairs on his calves were polished. After 13 years of hard work outside, I even passed through the door several times and did not dare to go in, for fear of delaying the time of water treatment. Even when his son Qi was born, he didn't bother to go home and take a look.
Yu traveled all over the country when controlling the flood, and in order to facilitate the treatment, he divided the country into 9 states, namely Jizhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Liangzhou and Yongzhou. He divided the geographical locations of the states and investigated soil conditions and local specialties. The division of Kyushu has great benefits for the unification of the whole country, and since then "Kyushu" has become synonymous with China. Yu also dug the roads of the Nine Great Mountains, dredged 9 rivers, thoroughly managed the floods, and returned the world to the Taiping Era. As the disaster was cleared away, Shun's indoctrination was reintroduced throughout the country, and Yu also established his own prestige. Shun specially rewarded him with black Guiyu and announced that the flood had finally been cured.
The official in charge of the edict at that time was named Gao (gāo/háo) Tao, and he, Yu and Boyi were both sages around Shun. Once when the three of them discussed in front of Shun, Gao Tao said, "If faith can be achieved with morality, then there can be a wise policy, and the auxiliary ministers can live in harmony." Yu and he discussed for a long time about the issue of governing the world, and Yu used his own water control behavior as an example to prove that he was conscientious in doing things for the world. Shun admonished him: "Don't be as arrogant and indulgent as Danju, who only knows how to play and fornicates at home all day." So I revoked his inheritance.
Yu said: "I left home to treat water just 4 days after I got married, and when my son was born, I didn't go home to see him, let alone raise and educate him, so I could complete the great cause of water control." I also established a five-service system to govern the world, and now all countries in the world can be loyal to their duties, only Sanmiao still refuses to obey, we must pay attention to their movements. Shun said, "It is all your credit to promote moral governance and teach the people for me." After this discussion, Gao Tao respected Yu's virtues even more and ordered the people to learn from Yu. Those who do not obey the order are severely punished. In these cases, he became more modest and cautious, and devoted all his energy to the good of the people.
Shun felt that Yu was indeed a wise man, and that he had made such a great contribution, he wanted to pass the throne to him. Shun himself had a son named Shang Jun, but this son, like Dan zhu, was an unworthy son. Shun was not at ease to hand over the world to him, and after thinking about it for a long time, he finally decided to make Yu the heir. After Shun's death, Yu resigned his position as heir and ceded the world to Shang Jun. However, the princes and people of the world betrayed Shang Jun and went to defect to Yu, and Yu had no choice but to take the throne of the Son of Heaven and set the name of the country as Xia.
Yu also learned Yao and Shun, and after ascending the throne, LiGao Tao was the heir and handed over part of the power to him. But Gao Tao died early, and later he chose Boyi as his heir. 10 years later, Yu died at Huijishan. Although Yu gave power to Bo Yi before his death, Bo Yi's time to assist Yu was still short, and his merits were not much, so the princes abandoned him to see Qi. Qi ascended to the throne of the Son of Heaven and established The Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in China. At this point, the Zen system was replaced by the hereditary system, and China entered a new era
Authoritative scholars commented: Xia Yu is a great historical figure who has made great contributions to the historical development of the Chinese nation. His great achievements are not only in controlling floods, developing state production, and enabling the people to live and work in peace and contentment, but more importantly, to end the social organization form of the primitive social tribal alliance in China and create a new type of socio-political form of "state". Xia Yu completed the establishment of the state, replaced primitive society with classes, replaced barbaric society with civilized society, and promoted the historical development of Chinese emperors.