Yu the Great

“ But there can be little doubt that the traditions surviving from his age were mixed with the older traditions regarding the Babylonian flood. Yu is no mere canal cutter. He hews the rocks and forms chasms between the mountains, like Pʼan Ku, the Chinese Ptah or Indra, he constructs the embankments of lakes, and makes channels for the great rivers, and he drains the marshes. The grounds are made habitable and fit for cultivation. There are even faint echoes of the Osirian legend in the stories regarding his achievements. ”

“ The Emperor Yau, who began to reign four hundred and eighty years after the monarch, it seems, set aside his own children in favour of a young husbandman, whom he chose for his successor. This choice of an emperor out of the country, has inspired the Chinese with a great esteem for agriculture. Yu, who succeeded Shun, came to the throne after the same manner. It is said, he found out the way, by means of canals, to drain off the water into the sea, which at the beginning of the empire overflowed several low countries, and afterwards made use of them to render the soil fruitful. ”

“ Passing over many poets equally well known with some of those already cited, we reach a name undoubt- edly the most venerated of all those ever associated in any way with the great mass of Chinese literature. HAN Yu (A.D. 768-824) , canonised and usually spoken of as Han Wen-kung, was not merely a poet, but a statesman of the first rank, and philosopher to boot. He rose from among the humblest of the people to the highest offices of State. ”

“ Quan sent his generals to attack Yu, they captured Yu as well as his son Ping. Quan wanted to let Yu live to oppose Liu and Cao. His attendants said: ‘Don't rear a wolf cub, it will surely be of harm in the future. When Duke Cao did not eliminate him, he acquired for himself a great threat. ”

“ Yu is composed of 月 yüeh moon as radical, below 又 yu a hand (line 18) as phonetic. The latter portion is said to have been the original character, moon being added as a differentia when the written language began to grow. Yu is the root idea of being and possession, q.d. to exist, to have, which senses have been fancifully derived from the moon present, not eclipsed. Read yu4, it means plus.
I is composed of 羊 yang sheep (line 77) above 我 wo I (line 147) = my sheep, and points towards a great obligation in primitive ages. ”

“ But divided they form a thing that is hideous to eye and ear. Oh, my China! how many wars are there from time to time among the different sections, weakening the country and making it poor! If only all these peoples, great and small, the gold and silver and the baser elements, would [30] unite, then would this land be really worthy of the name of the Middle Kingdom!"
The courtiers all applauded this speech of the great Yung-lo, but Kwan-yu remained on the ground where he had thrown himself at the feet of his sovereign. ”

“ Yang Chu said, A certain man would not part with a single hair in order to benefit any one. He turned his back on his country and went into retirement, occupying himself with agriculture. The Great Yü (see below) who did not employ himself for his own advantage, became paralysed on one side. The men of old, if by losing one hair they could advantage the empire, would not give it ”

“ There was to be a change of Chinese Ministers in this country, and it was expected that Mr. Yang Yu, the gentleman who was leaving this country, would go back to Peking, and so the See Yups wanted to make him the bearer of their messages.
Mr. Yang Yu has, however, been appointed to St. Petersburg, in Russia, and it is doubtful if he can be of much use to his countrymen, as he may not go to China for several years.
It is to be supposed that the Chinamen under sentence of death will have the sense to remain in this country, where they are safe. Editor. ”

“ He is prominent man of our times, the like of Ying (英) [Zhang Ying] and Peng (彭) [Peng Yue] . He can contest victory with Yide (益德) [Zhang Fei] in combat but cannot better ‘the bearded’, who is unsurpassed among his fellows.” Yu had a magnificent beard, hence Liang referred to him as ‘the bearded’. After reading the letter, Yu was greatly pleased and displayed it to his retainers.
1 Shu ji: Earlier, when Liu Bei was at Xu, he went hunting with Duke Cao. During the chase, the hunting party dispersed and Guan Yu urged Bei to kill the Duke, but Bei refused. ”

“ The Grand Progenitor said: “A man who serves his lord does not forget his origins, he is a just gentleman of the empire. When do you think he will leave?” Zhang Liao said: “Yu has received your benevolence. He will leave after he has repaid you.”
2 Your subject [Pei] Songzhi ( [裴] 松之) considers that Duke Cao knew that Yu was not going to stay, and admired his determination. By not sending someone in pursuit when Yu left, he confirmed his sense of righteousness. If he did not have the magnanimity of a hegemon, how could he accomplish this? Truly, this was the virtue of Duke Cao. ”

“ People from the households of eight administrative regions --- Qingzhou, Youzhou, Xuzhou, Jizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Yanzhou and Yuzhou --- all worshiped the great and virtuous teacher Zhang Jue. Jue secretly sent one of his cronies, Ma Yuanyi, to offer gifts of gold and fine cloth to the eunuch Feng Xu, in order to establish friendly relations, so that he could have an inside man. [19] Jue discussed the situation with his two brothers, saying, "The hardest thing is to win over the peoples' hearts. Right now, the people are already on our side. ”

“ Henceforth the world has no charms. I will get me a few acres on the banks of the Ying, and there await the end, teaching my son and thy son, if haply they may grow up,—my daughter and thy daughter, until their day of marriage comes. Alas! though words fail, love endureth. Dost thou hear, or dost thou not hear? Woe is me: Heaven bless thee!”
Of all Han Yü’s writings in prose or in verse, there was not one which caused anything like the sensation produced by his memorial to the Emperor on the subject of Buddha’s bone. ”

“ The hand of every man was against his neighbour, and a constant state of internecine war succeeded the peace and prosperity which had existed under the rule of Woo-wang. ... As time went on and the disorder increased, supernatural signs added their testimony to the impending crisis. The brazen vessels upon which Yu had engraved the nine divisions of the empire were observed to shake and totter as though foreshadowing the approaching change in the political position. ”

“ The prince who understands men well will appoint none to public offices but those who are wise; his generous heart and liberality will win him love."
When Yu died, the chiefs of the people unfortunately failed to carry on the custom of choosing as a successor to the throne the wisest and most illustrious of their number. ”

“ Chuan Hsü sat on the throne seventy-nine years and died at the age of ninety-eight. Ti Ku sat on the throne seventy years and died at the age of a hundred and fifty. The Emperor Yao sat on the throne ninety-eight years and died at the age of a hundred and eighteen; and the Emperors Shun and Yü both attained the age of one hundred years. At that epoch the Empire was tranquil, and the people happy in the attainment of old age; and yet no Buddha had yet reached China. Subsequently, the Emperor T‘ang of the Yin dynasty reached the age of a hundred years ”

“ He knew that his troops were raping and pillaging and he did nothing to check the wild orgies. That day thousands of the Palace ladies were killed, and the stories of their tortures will never be known.
An Lu-shan cursed in his despair. He had caused the Emperor to flee for his life, he had captured both the Western and Eastern Capitals. In all of China there was none who was so powerful. Now he was known as the Emperor Hsung Wu of the Great Yen Dynasty. He had come a long way since he had been born a poor boy in the Ya-lao mountains. ”

“ Plutarch, in his treatise on the Mystery of Osiris and Isis, tells that Set (the ancient god who became a devil) was “born neither at the proper time, nor by the right place”, but that he “forced his way through a wound which he had made in his mother’s side”.
Different forms of the legend are found in China. According to the traditions preserved in the “Bamboo Books”, which are of uncertain antiquity, the Emperor Yao was born fourteen months after he was conceived, the Emperor Yu emerged from his mother’s back, and the Emperor Yin from his mother’s chest. ”

“ He was an able and energetic prince, and, after overthrowing the Sung dynasty of southern China, compelled Korea, Cochin-China, Burma, Java and some Malabar states in India to acknowledge his supremacy. He encouraged men of letters, made Buddhism the religion of the state, and manifested great interest in the welfare of his people. He established himself at Kaanbaligh or City of the Khan, modern Peking, and there founded the new dynasty of Yuen, the first foreign race of kings that ever ruled over China. ”

“ That semiimbecile took it into his head that it would be a good thing to invade China, where the powerful Ming dynasty was already starting out on its glorious course. General Yi was ordered to lead the little army across the Yalu and attack the Celestial Empire. The mouse against the lion ! This was too much even for General Yi's loyalty, but as yet he meditated nothing against the King's person. He knew where the difficulty lay. He was given his choice to lead the army against China or be executed. ”

“ Once the evil Tsau Tsau had incited the enemies of his master, the Emperor, to take the city by treachery. When Guan Yu heard of it he hastened up with an army to relieve the town. But he fell into an ambush, and, together with his son, was brought a captive to the capital of the enemy's land. The prince of that country would have been glad to have had him go over to his side; but Guan Yu swore that he would not yield to death himself. Thereupon father and son were slain. When he was dead, his horse Red Hare ceased to eat and died. ”

“ Li Yue's army arrived, engaging the rebels at Weiyang. [15] Guo Si ordered his men to discard clothing and other items on the ground. When Yue's army saw all the clothing on the ground, they broke formation in order to collect it. Their ranks fell into complete disarray. The two armies of Jue and Si attacked them from all sides. Yue's army suffered a major defeat. Yang Feng and Dong Cheng were unable to block the enemy's advance, and escorted the emperor northward, with the rebels in hot pursuit. Li Yue said, "The situation is dire! The Son of Heaven should get on a horse and go on ahead!" ”

“ P'ao Hsi, Nŭ Kua, Shên Nung and Hsia Hou had serpents' bodies, human faces, ox-heads and tigers' snouts. Thus, their forms were not human, yet their virtue was of the saintliest. Chieh of the Hsia dynasty, Chou of the Yin, Huan of the Lu State, and Mu of the Ch'u State, were in all external respects, as facial appearance and possession of the seven channels of sense, like unto other men; yet they had the minds of savage brutes. Howbeit, in seeking perfect understanding, men attend to the outward form alone, which will not bring them near to it. ”

“ All that I know is yours, as I am yours, all that I am. Bend closer. Is it of Yue-Laou you would know? Yue-Laou is Dzil-Nbu of Kuen-Yuin. He lived in the Moon. He is old—very, very old; and once, before he came to rule the Kuen-Yuin, he was the old man who unites with a silken cord all pre-destined couples, after which nothing can prevent their union. But all that is changed since he came to rule the Kuen-Yuin. Now he has perverted the Xin—the good genii of China—and has fashioned from their warped bodies a monster which he calls the Xin. ”

“ What can a stranger like you have to teach me? 'I have a secret,' replied Hui Yang, 'whereby my opponent, however brave or strong, can be prevented from harming me either by thrust or by blow. Would not your Highness care to know that secret?' 'Capital!' exclaimed K'ang; 'that is certainly something I should like to hear about.' Hui Yang went on: 'To render ineffectual the stabs and blows of one's opponent is indeed to cover him with shame. But my secret is one which will make your opponent, however brave or strong, afraid to stab or to strike at all! ”

“ Like most Chinese of their class, they mingled a loyal observance of the rites of all three of the great Chinese sects and an anxious acceptance of their tripled superstitions, with an easy and respectful contempt for them all—certainly for all except the Confucianism that has made and welded China for twenty-five centuries, but that every Chinese of half Wu’s intelligence knows is, in fact, a magnificent irreligion, a philosophy, a patriotism, but no God-cult. ”

“ The guards reported this and Sun Ts‘ê in his wrath sentenced them to death. But as he did so he saw Yü Chi calmly walking toward him as if he were still alive. He drew his sword and darted forward to strike at the wraith, but he fainted and fell to the ground.
They carried him to his chamber and in a short time he recovered consciousness. His mother, the Lady Wu, came to visit him and said, “My son, you have done wrong to slay the holy one and this is your retribution.”
“Mother, when I was a boy I went with my father to the wars, where men are cut down as one cuts hempen stalks. ”

“ FIG. 13.—A CHINESE BRIDGE SPANNING THE HUANG-HO.
YU BECOMES EMPEROR
So Yu became chief ruler, and his name was [32] associated by posterity with that of Yao and of Chung. The sacred book has preserved many of his sayings, and I will quote the most beautiful here:
"He who obeys reason is happy, he who resists it is unhappy. Virtue is the foundation of good government; the first task of government is to provide the people governed with all that is necessary for their subsistence and preservation. The next thing is to make the population virtuous; to teach them the proper use of everything ”