Chapter 5: Historical Verification of the "Root" Concept

Section 1: Positive Case Study – Emperor Yao Marrying Off His Daughters to Observe Shun’s Virtue

In ancient times, Emperor Yao wished to pass the throne to a virtuous man. He heard of the worthiness of Yu Shun and wished to test him. How did he test him$6 By giving him his daughters in marriage.

The Shangshu, Yao Dian records:

"The Emperor said: 'I shall test him! Let his conduct be observed through my two daughters.' He sent the two daughters down to the banks of the Gui River, to marry into Yu. The Emperor said: 'Be reverent!'" (帝曰：‘我其试哉！女于时，观厥刑于二女。’厘降二女于妫汭，嫔于虞。帝曰：‘钦哉！’)

Yao married his two daughters—E Huang and Nü Ying—to Shun to observe Shun’s conduct in the Way of the conjugal pair. "Observe their conduct (Xing) through the two daughters"—"Xing" means law or model. Observing how he treated his two wives was to observe his capacity and virtue as a man.

How did Shun respond$7

The Shi Ji (Records of the Grand Historian) (although Sima Qian wrote during the Han dynasty, he relied on many pre-Qin texts) records that Shun "plowed at Mount Li, and the people of the mountains all yielded him the boundary lines; fished at River Ze, and the people of River Ze all yielded him their residences; potted clay by the riverbank, and the pottery along the bank was never shoddy." More crucially, Shun’s most difficult challenge lay in his own family.

Shun’s father, Gu Sou, was obstinate; his mother was foolish; his younger brother, Xiang, was arrogant. The Shangshu, Yao Dian states:

"The blind man's son was such that his father was obstinate, his mother foolish, and Xiang arrogant. Yet Shun managed to harmonize with them through filial piety, diligently carrying out his duties, without descending into wickedness." (瞽子，父顽，母嚚，象傲，克谐以孝，烝烝乂，不格奸。)

Even in such a harsh domestic environment, Shun managed, through filial piety, to transform his parents and brother, preventing them from committing great evil.

After Shun gained his two consorts, E Huang and Nü Ying, they assisted him in managing domestic affairs and were able to transform his family members. Mencius, Wan Zhang Shang (Wan Zhang Part I) records:

"Wan Zhang asked: 'When Shun went to the fields, he cried out to the Azure Heaven. Why did he cry out$8' Mencius replied: 'He was grieving and longing.'" (万章问曰：‘舜徃于田，号泣于旻天，何为其号泣也？’孟子曰：‘怨慕也。’)

"Wan Zhang asked: 'When his parents loved him, he was joyful and never forgot it; when his parents hated him, he worked hard without complaint. Does this mean Shun complained$9'" (万章曰：‘父母爱之，喜而不忘；父母恶之，劳而不怨。然则舜怨乎？’)

"Mencius replied: '...The highly filial man longs for his parents throughout his life. To long for them even at fifty—I see that in the Great Shun.'" (...大孝终身慕父母，五十而慕者，予于大舜见之矣。)

Shun’s filial piety never waned even in old age. This practice of filial piety was inseparable from the support of his conjugal relationship. The virtue of E Huang and Nü Ying assisted Shun’s filial conduct, allowing his family order to be maintained. The rectification of the conjugal pair facilitated harmony between father and son, which in turn qualified Shun to govern the world.

This case clearly proves: When the Way of the conjugal pair is rectified, the relationship between father and son is harmonious, and the duty of ruler and minister is fulfilled.

Section 2: Positive Case Study – The Virtue of King Wen and Tai Si

The marriage of King Wen of Zhou and Tai Si is the most frequently cited model of a conjugal pair in pre-Qin literature.

The Book of Odes, Da Ya (Greater Odes), Da Ming (The Great Brightness) states:

"A daughter of a great state, viewed by Heaven as its younger sister. Her auspiciousness was confirmed, and he personally welcomed her at the Wei River. A boat was made into a bridge; its light was not made too obvious." (大邦有子，俔天之妹。文定厥祥，亲迎于渭。造舟为梁，不显其光。)

King Wen personally welcomed Tai Si at the banks of the Wei River, creating a boat bridge to receive her—this was a grand wedding, conforming to the meaning of "auspicious to marry a woman."

Da Ya, Si Qi elaborates further:

"Emulating the equal Tai Ren, mother of King Wen. Emulating the pleasing Zhou Jiang, wife of the Central Residence. Great Si inherited the brilliant sound, and thus had a hundred sons." (思齐大任，文王之母。思媚周姜，京室之妇。大姒嗣徽音，则百斯男。)

"Emulating the equal Tai Ren"—the reverence (Qi, meaning abstinence/solemnity) of Tai Ren (King Wen’s mother). "Emulating the pleasing Zhou Jiang"—the beauty and goodness of Tai Jiang (King Wen’s grandmother). "Great Si inherited the brilliant sound"—Tai Si (King Wen’s consort) inherited the beautiful virtues of her predecessors. "And thus had a hundred sons"—consequently, descendants flourished.

This poem connects the virtues of three generations of queens and consorts—Tai Jiang, Tai Ren, and Tai Si—forming a lineage of the "transmission of virtue." When the virtue of the Queen and Consorts was correct, it influenced the virtue of their descendants, which in turn influenced the governance of the state. This is a vivid embodiment of "the Way of the conjugal pair is the root of ruler and minister, father and son."

Also, the Book of Odes, Zhou Nan (Hymns of Zhou), Guan Ju (The Cry of the Ospreys)—traditionally considered to sing the virtue of the Queen and Consort—states:

"The cry of the ospreys, resonant, by the islet in the river. The modest, fair young lady, a good match for the noble man." (关关雎鸠，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。)

The two ospreys, male and female, call out in harmony, symbolizing the harmony of husband and wife. The modest, fair young lady is the noble man’s good match. This poem heads the Three Hundred Odes, which is not accidental. Just as the Xian hexagram heads the Lower Canon, the Guan Ju heads the Book of Odes, both beginning with the conjugal pair as the start of human relations.

The moral transformation of the world by King Wen began in his family. King Wen’s family harmony, marital affection, close father-son ties, and friendly brotherly relations became the model for the world. From this correct family Way, extended outwards, the Zhou kingship was achieved.

The Book of Odes, Zhou Nan, Lin Zhi (The Hoof of the Qilin) states:

"The hoof of the Qilin, oh, the vibrant young noble, alas, Qilin! The anchor of the Qilin, oh, the vibrant young clan, alas, Qilin! The horn of the Qilin, oh, the vibrant noble kin, alas, Qilin!" (麟之趾，振振公子，于嗟麟兮！麟之定，振振公姓，于嗟麟兮！麟之角，振振公族，于嗟麟兮！)

The flourishing of the young noble, the clan, and the noble kin ("Zhen Zhen," meaning abundant and flourishing), like the auspiciousness of the Qilin—all stemmed from the correct conjugal Way of King Wen and Tai Si.

Section 3: Negative Case Study – Xia Jie and Mo Xi

The downfall of the Xia Dynasty resulted from Jie. Jie’s failure in the Way was closely related to his doting on Mo Xi (also called Xi Shi).

The Guoyu, Jin Yu I records:

"Formerly, Xia Jie attacked the state of You Shi. The people of You Shi offered him the lady Mo Xi. Mo Xi gained his favor, and afterwards she conspired with Yi Yin and ruined Xia." (昔夏桀伐有施，有施人以妹喜女焉。妹喜有宠，于是乎与伊尹比而亡夏。)

Jie attacked You Shi, and the people of You Shi presented Mo Xi seeking peace. Jie received Mo Xi and doted on her excessively, neglecting state affairs and favoring sycophants. Ultimately, the Xia Dynasty was destroyed.

A question arises here: Was the disaster caused by Mo Xi’s wickedness, or by Jie’s lack of rectification$10

From the perspective of the Xian hexagram, the answer must lie in Jie’s lack of rectification. The Way of the conjugal pair is founded on rectitude. Jie indulged Mo Xi with licentious desire, losing his proper way. It was not Mo Xi who ruined Xia, but Jie who ruined his own Xia.

Xunzi, Jie Bi (Exposing Obscurity) states:

"The rulers whose minds were obscured in ancient times were Xia Jie and Yin Zhou. Jie was obscured by Mo Xi and Si Guan, failing to recognize Guan Longfeng, allowing them to confuse his heart and disorder his conduct. Zhou was obscured by Daji and Fei Lian, failing to recognize Zi Qi of Wei, allowing them to confuse his heart and disorder his conduct." (昔人君之蔽者：夏桀、殷纣是也。桀蔽于末喜、斯观而不知关龙逢，以惑其心而乱其行。纣蔽于妲己、飞廉而不知微子启，以惑其心而乱其行。)

Jie was "obscured by Mo Xi"—his mind was veiled by Mo Xi. This word "obscured" (Bi) is crucial. Meaning that Jie’s heart was veiled by Mo Xi’s beauty, preventing him from recognizing the worthy Guan Longfeng. This was not "affective communication" (Gan Tong), but "affective obscuration" (Gan Bi).

The communication in the Xian hexagram is based on emptiness. When the heart is empty, it can receive; when it can receive, it can communicate. Jie’s heart was full of desire and could not empty itself to receive, thus he failed to communicate with worthy ministers and was instead obscured by a favored concubine.

Rectification of the conjugal Way → Rectification of the family Way → Disorder in the ruler-minister relationship → Downfall of the state. This chain is perfectly illustrated in the case of Xia Jie.

Section 4: Negative Case Study – Yin Zhou and Daji

The downfall of Yin resulted from Zhou. Zhou’s downfall was closely linked to his infatuation with Daji.

The Shangshu, Mu Shi (The Speech at Muye) records the oath sworn by King Wu when attacking Zhou:

"Now, King Shang Shou listens only to the words of his wife, obscuring his ritual sacrifices so that they are not answered, obscuring his paternal uncles and brothers so that they are not followed. He promotes and exalts those who are the most criminal vagrants from the four directions, trusts them, and employs them as Grand Ministers and High Officials. He inflicts violence upon the common people and acts rebelliously in the Shang capital." (今商王受惟妇言是用，昏弃厥肆祀弗答，昏弃厥遗王父母弟不迪，乃惟四方之多罪逋逃，是崇是长，是信是使，是以为大夫卿士。俾暴虐于百姓，以奸宄于商邑。)

"Listens only to the words of his wife" (Wei Fu Yan Shi Yong)—Zhou listened only to Daji. Daji led Zhou to abandon sacrifices, alienate relatives, rely on villains, and oppress the people. This is the most extreme manifestation of the unrectified Way of the conjugal pair.

The Analects, Tai Bo (Bo of Tai), records:

"King Wu said: 'I have ten ministers who can bring disorder.' Confucius said: 'Talent is rare; is that not so$11 In the time of Tang and Yu, there were ten worthy men, and among them there was one woman, so nine men in total.'" (武王曰：‘予有乱臣十人。’孔子曰：‘才难，不其然乎？唐虞之际，于斯为盛，有妇人焉，九人而已。’)

King Wu had ten capable ministers to assist him, one of whom was a woman (reputedly Yi Jiang, King Wu’s consort). King Wu’s consort was counted among the assisting officials—this is the manifestation of the rectified Way of the conjugal pair: the wife is not a source of disaster, but a worthy aid to governance.

In contrast, Zhou’s wife, Daji, was not a worthy assistant to governance but rather the source of political chaos. This contrast between the positive and negative examples once again proves the indispensable necessity of "the Way of the conjugal pair must not be unrectified."

Question: Why is King Wu’s affection for Yi Jiang considered correct, while King Zhou’s affection for Daji is considered wrong, even though both involved favoring a consort$12

The key lies in the distinction between "rectification" (Zheng) and "unrectification" (Bu Zheng).

King Wu treated Yi Jiang with rites and received her assistance in practicing the Right Way. This is righteous feeling (Zheng Gan).

King Zhou treated Daji with desire and was enchanted by her promiscuity. Daji’s allure led Zhou to practice wrong ways. This is wrong feeling (Xie Gan).

The feeling (Gan) is the same, but the rectitude (Zheng) differs, leading to diametrically opposed outcomes. This confirms why the phrase "Li Zhen" (Favorable to Rectitude) is indispensable in the Xian hexagram.

Section 5: Negative Case Study – King You and Bao Si

The downfall of the Western Zhou was caused by King You’s excessive favor toward Bao Si, leading him to light the beacon fires to amuse her, thus provoking the vassal lords. Although the specific details may be legendary, the principle reflected—that the state collapses when the conjugal Way is unrectified—is genuine.

The Guoyu, Zheng Yu (Discourses of Zheng), records the words of Shi Bo:

"The King wishes to kill the Crown Prince to install Bo Fu, and he must demand him from Shen. If the people of Shen do not yield him, he must attack them. If he attacks Shen, and the people of Zeng and the Western Rong ally to attack Zhou, Zhou will not survive." (王欲杀太子以成伯服，必求之申。申人弗畀，必伐之。若伐申，而缯与西戎会以伐周，周不守矣。)

King You intended to depose the son of the deposed Queen Shen in favor of Bao Si’s son, Bo Fu. This is a typical example of the unrectified Way of the conjugal pair, throwing the order of legitimate succession into chaos. The consequence was that the Marquis of Shen allied with the Western Rong to attack Zhou. King You was killed at Mount Li, and the Western Zhou collapsed.

The Book of Odes, Xiao Ya, Zheng Yue (First Month) states:

"Bright and glorious was the Zhou of the Ancestors; Bao Si destroyed it." (赫赫宗周，褒姒灭之。)

Although the poet assigns the blame for the dynasty's fall to Bao Si, a closer examination reveals the cause lies in King You’s lack of rectification. King You failed in the Way of the conjugal pair (deposing the legitimate heir and favoring a concubine), consequently failing in the Way of ruler and minister (alienating worthy officials and courting flatterers), ultimately leading to the state's destruction.

Unrectified conjugal Way → Chaotic family Way → Deposing the heir and favoring others → Collapse of lineage law → Alienation of ministers → State collapse.

This chain again confirms the profound meaning of "The Way of the conjugal pair must not be unrectified; it is the root of ruler and minister, father and son."

Section 6: Positive Case Study – The "Affective Communication" between Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong

Although this section does not directly involve the conjugal relationship, the principle of "affective communication" (Gan Tong) it embodies resonates highly with the meaning of the Xian hexagram and serves as supplementary evidence.

The relationship between Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong is a model of the ruler-minister relationship in pre-Qin times.

The Analects, Xian Jin (Xian Jin), records Confucius’s words:

"Duke Huan gathered the feudal lords nine times, not relying on chariots of war—this was the power of Guan Zhong. How benevolent! How benevolent!" (桓公九合诸侯，不以兵车，管仲之力也。如其仁，如其仁。)

Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan, gathering the lords nine times and restoring order to the realm. The achievement of this great work lay in the "affective communication" between ruler and minister—Huan trusted Guan Zhong with sincerity, and Guan Zhong served Huan with loyalty.

The Guanzi, Xiao Kuang (Small Rectification), records the initial dialogue between Huan and Guan Zhong, where Huan humbly sought instruction, and Guan Zhong generously shared his knowledge. This is the political manifestation of "by the high descending to the low"—Duke Huan, despite his high status as ruler, humbled himself to meet the worthy Guan Zhong.

However, in his later years, Duke Huan gradually lost his rectitude. He favored flatterers like Shu Diao and Yi Ya while alienating worthy men. Guan Zhong, on his deathbed, advised Huan to keep these three men at a distance; Huan initially agreed but could not maintain this. After Guan Zhong’s death, the state of Qi fell into chaos, and Duke Huan starved to death in his palace, his body being consumed by maggots before burial.

The rise of Duke Huan lay in "affective communication" (descending low by placing the high low, sincerely seeking the worthy); the decline of Duke Huan lay in "affective obscuration" (heart obscured by desire, clinging to flatterers). This is the same principle as the rectification or corruption of the conjugal Way.

Section 7: Synthesis: How the Way of the Conjugal Pair Influences Political Order

Synthesizing the positive and negative examples above, we can draw the following conclusions:

First, the rectification of the conjugal Way forms the basis for the ruler's self-cultivation. If a ruler can rectify his conjugal relationship, he has already established a concrete foundation for cultivating his person. Only by rectifying the family can one rectify the state, and only by rectifying the state can one bring peace to the world.

Second, the rectification of the conjugal Way ensures stability in the succession order. Clear distinction between the legitimate heir and secondary children, orderly lineage, ensures smooth transitions of power and prevents state chaos.

Third, the rectification of the conjugal Way establishes a good environment for familial education. The ruler’s children, growing up in a proper family environment, learn the Right Way and are thus more likely to become virtuous rulers when they succeed.

Fourth, the unrectification of the conjugal Way is the beginning of disaster. Favoring concubines and discarding the legitimate wife, disrupting the order of heirship, slighting the worthy and approaching the flatterers, neglecting governance—all these stem from the unrectified conjugal Way.

Thus, "The Way of the conjugal pair must not be unrectified; it is the root of ruler and minister, father and son" is far from empty moralizing; it is a profound summary of pre-Qin political wisdom.