The story of "Zen Rang", which we are all familiar with and passed down as a beautiful talk by later generations, is an ancient legend that Confucians have always relished, and still enjoys a reputation in history textbooks, and the "Yao Shun Era" is also revered as the highest political ideal by ancient dynastic society. Neither Tang Yao nor Yu Shun could end their lives.
The "Records of History" records: "Yao Zhizi Danzhu was not good enough to grant the world, so it was the right to grant Shun."
Legend has it that during Yao's reign, he was not only able to bring the tribe closer and united, the hundred officials performed their duties, the tribal leaders in various places were satisfied and convinced, and the people's lives were stable and happy. When Yao was old, he wanted to find an heir, and someone recommended his son Danju, and Yao said: "Danju is not good enough, likes to argue with people, it is not appropriate." Some people also recommend the co-workers who manage water conservancy, Yao said: "The co-workers can speak the Tao, the surface is very honest, but the heart is very arrogant, and it cannot be used." ”
Emperor Yao visited Xian
Later, everyone recommended Shun to Yao, and Yao decided to test Shun, and he married his two daughters, Emperor E and Ying, to Shun. After marriage, the empress dowager and the empress dowager abide by the etiquette of being a daughter-in-law, and pay special attention to the way of women. Yao let Shun manage the affairs of the state, and Shun took care of all the affairs in an orderly manner. In this way, Yao tested Shun for another three years before passing on the position of chief to Shun. After Emperor Shun ascended the throne, twenty-eight years later, Yao died.
After Shun ascended the throne, he was as industrious and frugal as before, working with the common people and being loved by everyone. After Yao's death, Shun guarded the funeral for three years, and then took the initiative to give way to Yao's son Danju, but he himself went into seclusion. However, the members of the tribe were reluctant to accept Danju's leadership, and in this last resort, Shun officially became the leader.
In the later years of Shun's reign, the tribal members again elected Yu to manage government affairs, and Shun inspected Yu for seventeen years before passing the throne to Yu. After Dayu became the leader, he did not continue to zen concessions, but passed the throne to his son Xia Qi, and from then on, "Gong Tianxia" became "Family Tianxia".
The "Records of History" records: "(Shun) in the year of the sixty-first generation yao practiced the throne, practiced the throne for thirty-nine years, patrolled the south, and collapsed in the wilderness of Cangwu. Buried in Jiangnan Nine Doubts". That is to say, Shun only ascended to the throne when he was 61 years old, reigned for 39 years, and at the age of 100, ran to the south to hunt, and finally died in the wilderness of Cangwu (Wuzhou, Guangxi, which was very desolate and remote at that time), and was buried in the southern Jiuxuan (Yongzhou, Hunan).
Since ancient times, each dynasty will compile the history books of the previous dynasties, and among the many history books, most of them are decent, and the content recorded has also been "castrated", retaining only some content that meets the needs of the rulers, which is the so-called "Spring and Autumn Brushwork" pioneered by Confucius.
The Bamboo Book Chronicle is a chronicle compiled by the Wei historians during the Warring States period, which was excavated in the ancient tomb of the Warring States Wei in the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty, and escaped the burning of books by Qin Shi Huang. It was written earlier than the "Records of History", and it was not modified by the "Spring and Autumn Brushwork", and the content recorded is closer to the historical facts. However, the authenticity of the legends from which the records of the ancient period are recorded in the "Records of History", the inferences of Sima Qian himself, and the need for "small words and great righteousness" that Sima Qian wants to express are questionable.
According to the Bamboo Book Chronicle, neither Yao nor Shun took the initiative to pass the throne, but was the result of a coup d'état, and both Yao and Shun were banished to distant places by their courtiers and died. Both Shun and Yu ascended to the throne of the Son of Heaven through violent means.
The Bamboo Book Chronicle records: "Xi Yao was imprisoned by Shun. Shun imprisoned Yao, and restored Sedanju so that he would not see his father either."
That is to say, Emperor Yao did not want to give the throne to Shun, but to his son Danzhu. Later, Shun staged a coup d'état, imprisoned Emperor Yao, and exiled his son Danzhu, who died without seeing his son. A flaw can also be seen in the records of the "Records of History": Yao died twenty-eight years after Shun succeeded to the throne. Don't say that the life expectancy of the ancients is short, that is, according to the average life expectancy of modern people (about 80 years old), when Shun succeeded to the throne, Emperor Yao was only about 50 years old, it was the time when he was rich and powerful, and the idea of taking the initiative to Zen was more far-fetched and unlikely.
In addition, this transfer of power also caused great tribal unrest.
Yu Father Chongbo Cang
The Book of Shang records that "Yao envoy Shun's heir to the throne, on the first day of the first month, received the final Wenzu, flowed to work together in Youzhou, let go of joy in Chongshan, channeled three seedlings in three dangers, died in Yushan, and obeyed the world for four sins." That is to say, when Shun ascended to the throne, he immediately dealt with four people who opposed Shun as the leader of the tribe, exiled the gonggong to Youzhou, exiled Huandu to Chongshan, drove Sanmiao to Sanwei, and killed Cang (Dayu's father) at Yushan.
The "Spring and Autumn of the Lü Dynasty" records that Yao let Shun in the world. Cang was a prince, and he was angry with Yao Yue: "Those who have obtained the way of heaven are emperors, and those who have obtained the way of emperors are three dukes." Now I have the way of the earth, and I will not be the three princes. "Take Yao as a loss, and want to gain the three justices." The beast is furious and wants to be confused. Than the horn of the beast, it can think of the city; lift its tail, it can think of it as jing. Summoned not to come, pretending to be in the wild to plague the emperor. Shun then died at Yushan, with wu dao as a secondary. Yu did not dare to complain, but did the opposite.
Chongbo carp cures water
That is to say, when Yao ceded the throne to Shun, Cang jumped out to express his opposition, believing that this was unfair and that he should make himself the Third Duke. The carp also wanted to launch a rebellion, surrounded the tribe with the horns of the beast, and raised a large banner to prepare for the partition. Shun's summons did not come, but wandered in the wild, ready to make something out. Therefore, Shun exiled The Carp to Hayama and killed him. It can be seen that the killing of Cang was not only a failure to control the water, but also an opposition to Shun's succession. For his father's death, Yu did not dare to complain, at this time Yu did not have the strength to challenge Shun, and could only obey Shun's orders to complete the task of controlling water. Since Yu's tribe was more powerful, Shun did not dare to kill them all, and could only continue to let Yu lead his tribe.
Dayu, who endured humiliation and burden, gradually gained power by controlling water and successfully rebelled against Gao Tao. Gao Tao vigorously defended the authority of Dayu: "Gao Tao is the virtue of respecting Yu, so that the people are Yu. It is better to say than to follow the words." Gao Tao told the people to obey Yu's orders, and if they did not obey, they would punish him. In this way, Yu finally became the new leader of the tribal alliance and ascended to the throne of the Son of Heaven.
Xiang Concubine
Xiangfei bamboo
The "Chronicle of History" says that Shun died in the wilderness of Cangwu (Wuzhou, Guangxi, which was very desolate and remote at that time), buried in the south after death, his son Shang Jun was also buried here, Shun's two wives went to the south to look for Shun, they could not find it, sad and tearful, tears stained the bamboo, this bamboo is called "Xiangfei bamboo", and finally the two died on the Xiang River.
There is also a flaw in this: the 100-year-old man ran with his son to the deserted cangwu wilderness (Wuzhou, Guangxi), and finally the whole family died outside, which was extremely abnormal for the tribal leader. Speculating, it is highly likely that their family was exiled by Dayu and died on the way to exile. Such a result is also normal, after all, Shun killed Yu's father.
The "Bamboo Book Chronicle" about Yao Shunyu's succession to the throne is not isolated evidence, and the Han Feizi Shu doubts records: "Shun forced Yao, Yu forced Shun, Tang Fangjie, and Wu Wang; these four kings, the people who killed their kings also." ”
Therefore, neither Yao nor Shun died.