At an early time, duke Zhuang of Lu built a tower near the residence of the Zhang family, from which he got a sight of Meng Ren, and followed her; but she shut the door against him. He then said he would make her his wife, when she consented to his desires, cutting at the same time her arm, and with the blood making a covenant with him. She afterwards bore a son to the duke, who was called Ban.
In thirty-second year of his reign, when the duke Zhuang of Lu was ill, he consulted his half-brother Shuya about who should be his successor, and Shuya said, 'Qingfu has ability." Qinfu was Ya's own full brother, he wanted to raise Qingfu to the lordship. The duke also asked his full brother Jiyou, who replied that he would support Ban to the death. "A little ago," said the duke, "Ya mentioned the ability of Qingfu." On this Jiyou sent a messenger with the duke's order to command Shuya to wait in the family of the officer Qianwu, where he made Qianwu's brother Qianji present poison to him, with the message, "Drink it, and your posterity shall be preserved in the State. If you do not drink it, you shall die, and your posterity shall be made no account of." He drank the poison, returned as far as Kuiquan, and died. His son was made the first of the Shusun family.
In the eighth month, duke Zhuang died in the State-chamber. On the duke's death, his son Ban succeeded to him, and stopped in the house of the officer Zhang, who was his mother's family.
Before this, on an occasion of a sacrifice for rain, duke Zhuang was discoursing on the subject at the residence of the Liang family, while his daughter was looking on at what was taking place. The chief groom Luo was outside the wall, and attempted to made sport with her, which incensed her brother Ban, so that he ordered Luo to be scourged. When duke Zhuang heard of it, he said, "You should have had him put to death. He is not a man to be scourged. Luo is possessed of great strength, and can throw the cover of a carriage over the south gate. Because of this incident, the groom Luo hated Ban, and now his chance for a revenge finally came. Qingfu employed the chief groom Luo to murder the young marquis Ban in the house of the Zhang family. Jiyou then fled to Chen, and another son of Zhuang, known as duke Min, was raised to the marquisate.
Duke Min arranged a meeting with the marquis of Qi, and covenanted with him at Luogu, and besought him to restore Jiyou. Duke Min was then just eight years old. The child-marquis held the marquis of Qi by the skirt, and asked him to bring Jiyou back to save him from Qingfu, who had fled to Chen and still stayed there. The marquis of Qi consented, and sent to call Jiyou from Chen, the duke halting at Lang to wait for him.
In winter, the marquis of Qi sent Zhongsun Jiao to investigate the difficult condition of Lu. On his return Zhongsun Jiao said to the marquis of Qi, "If Qingfu be not removed, the troubles of Lu will not have an end." "But how shall he be removed?" asked the duke of Qi. "Exciting troubles without ceasing," replied Jiao, "he will destroy himself. You can wait for the issue." The duke said, "May we now take Lu to ourselves?" Jiao answered, "No. Lu still holds fast to the rules of Zhou, and these are a sure foundation for a State. I have heard the saying, that when a State is about to perish its root must first be destroyed, and then the destruction of the branches and leaves will follow. While Lu does not abandon the rules of Zhou, it will not be possible to move it. Let it be the object of your grace to quiet the troubles of Lu, and be friendly to it. To be friendly with States that observe the rules of propriety; to help those that have in them the elements of solidity and strength; to complete the separation of those that are divided and disaffected; and to overthrow those that are full of disorder and confusion:—these are the methods by which a prince with the functions of president among the States proceeds."
Before this, the tutor of duke Min had violently taken away some fields belonging to Bu Qi, the duke not forbidding him. So Bu Qi hated duke Min and his opportunity for revenge came sooner than he wished for. Qingfu employed Bu Qi to murder duke Min at the Wu side-gate of the palace. Jiyou, immediately on the duke's death, had gone to Zhu, taking with him duke Zhuang's remaining son, who was afterwards duke Xi; and when Qingfu fled to Ju, he returned to the State, and raised this son to the marquisate. He afterwards sent bribes to Ju, and requested the delivery of Qingfu. The people of Ju were sending him back; but when he got to Mi, he sent duke Huan's son, Gongzi Yu, to beg for his life. The request was refused, and Gongzi Yu went back, weeping loudly as he went. When Qingfu heard him, he said, "It is the voice of Gongzi Yu," and hanged himself.
In thirty-second year of his reign, when the duke Zhuang of Lu was ill, he consulted his half-brother Shuya about who should be his successor, and Shuya said, 'Qingfu has ability." Qinfu was Ya's own full brother, he wanted to raise Qingfu to the lordship. The duke also asked his full brother Jiyou, who replied that he would support Ban to the death. "A little ago," said the duke, "Ya mentioned the ability of Qingfu." On this Jiyou sent a messenger with the duke's order to command Shuya to wait in the family of the officer Qianwu, where he made Qianwu's brother Qianji present poison to him, with the message, "Drink it, and your posterity shall be preserved in the State. If you do not drink it, you shall die, and your posterity shall be made no account of." He drank the poison, returned as far as Kuiquan, and died. His son was made the first of the Shusun family.
In the eighth month, duke Zhuang died in the State-chamber. On the duke's death, his son Ban succeeded to him, and stopped in the house of the officer Zhang, who was his mother's family.
Before this, on an occasion of a sacrifice for rain, duke Zhuang was discoursing on the subject at the residence of the Liang family, while his daughter was looking on at what was taking place. The chief groom Luo was outside the wall, and attempted to made sport with her, which incensed her brother Ban, so that he ordered Luo to be scourged. When duke Zhuang heard of it, he said, "You should have had him put to death. He is not a man to be scourged. Luo is possessed of great strength, and can throw the cover of a carriage over the south gate. Because of this incident, the groom Luo hated Ban, and now his chance for a revenge finally came. Qingfu employed the chief groom Luo to murder the young marquis Ban in the house of the Zhang family. Jiyou then fled to Chen, and another son of Zhuang, known as duke Min, was raised to the marquisate.
Duke Min arranged a meeting with the marquis of Qi, and covenanted with him at Luogu, and besought him to restore Jiyou. Duke Min was then just eight years old. The child-marquis held the marquis of Qi by the skirt, and asked him to bring Jiyou back to save him from Qingfu, who had fled to Chen and still stayed there. The marquis of Qi consented, and sent to call Jiyou from Chen, the duke halting at Lang to wait for him.
In winter, the marquis of Qi sent Zhongsun Jiao to investigate the difficult condition of Lu. On his return Zhongsun Jiao said to the marquis of Qi, "If Qingfu be not removed, the troubles of Lu will not have an end." "But how shall he be removed?" asked the duke of Qi. "Exciting troubles without ceasing," replied Jiao, "he will destroy himself. You can wait for the issue." The duke said, "May we now take Lu to ourselves?" Jiao answered, "No. Lu still holds fast to the rules of Zhou, and these are a sure foundation for a State. I have heard the saying, that when a State is about to perish its root must first be destroyed, and then the destruction of the branches and leaves will follow. While Lu does not abandon the rules of Zhou, it will not be possible to move it. Let it be the object of your grace to quiet the troubles of Lu, and be friendly to it. To be friendly with States that observe the rules of propriety; to help those that have in them the elements of solidity and strength; to complete the separation of those that are divided and disaffected; and to overthrow those that are full of disorder and confusion:—these are the methods by which a prince with the functions of president among the States proceeds."
Before this, the tutor of duke Min had violently taken away some fields belonging to Bu Qi, the duke not forbidding him. So Bu Qi hated duke Min and his opportunity for revenge came sooner than he wished for. Qingfu employed Bu Qi to murder duke Min at the Wu side-gate of the palace. Jiyou, immediately on the duke's death, had gone to Zhu, taking with him duke Zhuang's remaining son, who was afterwards duke Xi; and when Qingfu fled to Ju, he returned to the State, and raised this son to the marquisate. He afterwards sent bribes to Ju, and requested the delivery of Qingfu. The people of Ju were sending him back; but when he got to Mi, he sent duke Huan's son, Gongzi Yu, to beg for his life. The request was refused, and Gongzi Yu went back, weeping loudly as he went. When Qingfu heard him, he said, "It is the voice of Gongzi Yu," and hanged himself.
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