釋氏稽古略 1.70

1.70

His surname was Gongsun, and his given name was Xuanyuan. He was the son of Shaodian, lord of the state of Youxiong. When the Shennong Clan was Son of Heaven, the feudal lords invaded and attacked one another, and the Shennong Clan was unable to launch punitive expeditions. Among the encroaching feudal lords, the most violent was Chiyou. Xuanyuan cultivated virtue and trained his troops; he fought against the Yan Emperor Clan and overcame him, and captured and killed Chiyou at Zhuolu (now Zhuozhou in the Circuit of Dadu, commandery name Fanyang, in the territory of Yu Province). Thereupon the feudal lords all turned to Xuanyuan, promoting Xuanyuan to replace the Shennong Clan as the Son of Heaven. In the first year of the Yellow Emperor, a dinghai year, he first established institutions and systems, and launched punitive campaigns against whoever in the realm was noncompliant. His territory extended east to the sea, west to Kongtong (now the territory of Yong Province in the Circuit of Suzhou, Gansu Province), south to the sea, and north he drove out the Xunyu. He established his settlement at the slope of Zhuolu, moving about without fixed abode, taking troops as his encampment and guards. He recorded his officers using clouds, having the auspicious omen of the virtue of Earth. He promoted Feng Hou, Li Mu, Quanshan Ji, Chang Xian, and Da Hong, obtaining six ministers; thereby heaven and earth were ordered, and the gods and luminous spirits arrived. The Emperor received the River Chart and observed the appearances of the sun, moon, and stars; thereupon books on celestial offices began to exist. He commanded Da Nao to probe the nature of the Five Phases and divine what the Dipper handle established; thereupon the sexagenary cycle (jiazi) was first created. He commanded Rong Cheng to construct the calendar, Li Shou to devise arithmetic, Ling Lun to create the musical pitch pipes, and Che Qu to divine the stellar vapors; Rong Cheng compiled and oversaw all of these. He produced emblems and attire to distinguish the noble and the base, and constructed boats and carts to cross impassable places. He delineated the wilderness and divided the provinces, obtaining ten thousand tracts of hundred-li states. Eight families made a well (jing); one well was a lin; three lin were a peng; three peng were a li; five li were an yi; ten yi were a du; ten du were a shi; ten shi were a zhou. He established the Grand Inspectors of the Left and Right to inspect the myriad states. He performed the Feng and Shan rituals and composed the music of Xianchi; among the distant barbarian lands, there was none that did not bring tribute. The Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, fourteen of whom received surnames, making twelve surnames: Ji, You, Qi, Ji, Teng, Zhen, Ren, Xun, Xi, Ji, Huan, and Xiu. The two sons of his principal consort were Xuanxiao and Changyi, both of whom became feudal lords. When the Yellow Emperor passed away, people believed he had ascended as an immortal. The Emperor was on the throne for one hundred and ten years (Shiji). Huangfu Mi states: 'The Yellow Emperor was born at Shouqiu in Qinzhou, Circuit of Gongchang, Shaanxi. His tomb is at Mount Qiao in Ningzhou (the territory of Yong Province).' The place where the Yellow Emperor ascended is Dinghu (now Mount Xiandu, Circuit of Chuzhou, Zhedong Circuit, the territory of Yang Province). The tomb of Chiyou (now Kan Township, Circuit of Dongping) is seven zhang high; the people regularly sacrifice to him in the tenth month; red vapor emerges from it like a bolt of crimson silk, which the people call the Banner of Chiyou.