Chapter 17: The Journey of Chong'er

In the twenty-second year of Duke Lu Zhuang’s reign (672 BCE), Duke Xian of Jin mobilized his army to subdue the Rong people of Li. Under the overwhelming assault of Jin’s forces, the Li Rong were swiftly defeated and sought peace, offering the two daughters of their chieftain, the Li sisters, to Duke Xian of Jin as a pledge. Li Ji’s extraordinary beauty quickly won the favor of Duke Xian, and she gradually became involved in state affairs. A few years later, Li Ji and her sister bore him sons: Prince Xi Qi and Prince Zhuozi, with Li Ji elevated to the status of consort.

Previously, Duke Xian’s wife, Qi Jiang, daughter of Duke Huan of Qi, along with two other consorts from the Di people—Fox Ji of the Great Rong and Little Rong Zi—had borne him three sons: Shen Sheng, Chong Er, and Yi Wu. Shen Sheng, as the eldest legitimate son, was early designated crown prince. However, after Qi Jiang’s early death, Li Ji, favored deeply by Duke Xian, saw that Shen Sheng lacked a mother’s protection and did not enjoy the Duke’s affection. She began to persuade Duke Xian to depose Shen Sheng and appoint her own son, Xi Qi, as heir.

Yet Li Ji understood that removing Shen Sheng alone was insufficient. If the elder princes Chong Er and Yi Wu succeeded to the crown prince position, her efforts would be in vain. To prevent this, she first bribed the Duke’s favored courtiers to fabricate arguments that Quwo, home to the Jin ancestral temple, must be guarded by the crown prince, while Pucheng and the southern and northern Qu territories, near the Rong lands, needed trustworthy princes stationed there. Hearing this, Duke Xian ordered Shen Sheng to leave the capital Jiangcheng for Quwo, while dispatching Chong Er and Yi Wu to Pucheng and Qu City respectively.

Li Ji thus found a pretext to send the three princes away, severing direct contact between them and the Duke and cutting off father-son communication channels—all without revealing her malevolent intent. Then, under the cover of night, she whispered insidiously to Duke Xian, “I have heard that Shen Sheng is skilled at winning hearts; I fear he may attempt violence against you to seize the throne.” Duke Xian frowned but shook his head, saying, “He loves the people so deeply; how could he not love his own father?” Seeing that although Duke Xian did not favor Shen Sheng, paternal affection still made him trust the prince, Li Ji devised another stratagem.

She proposed that Shen Sheng return to the capital for a few days to demonstrate virtue and harmony between ruler and subject. After Shen Sheng dined with Li Ji a few times, she tearfully accused him before Duke Xian of having made improper advances toward her while drinking. Duke Xian was skeptical, so Li Ji arranged for Shen Sheng to accompany her on a garden outing, suggesting Duke Xian observe from a pavilion.

The next day, Li Ji played a cunning trick: she smeared honey in her hair, attracting bees. “Please help me drive them away,” she pleaded. Unaware of the trap, Shen Sheng rashly stood behind her, waving his sleeve to shoo the bees. Duke Xian, watching, believed Shen Sheng was indeed harassing his favored consort and, shocked by his filial betrayal, was furious and ready to execute the crown prince on the spot. Li Ji knelt, begging, “I called the crown prince back, yet he was killed—this is my fault. These palace matters are unknown to outsiders; please bear with it.” By igniting Duke Xian’s fury while appearing to plead for Shen Sheng, Li Ji cleared herself of suspicion and shattered the father-son bond, preparing to deliver the fatal blow.

One day, Li Ji sent a message to Shen Sheng in Quwo, claiming that the Duke had dreamt of his mother, Qi Jiang, and that Shen Sheng should promptly hold a memorial for her. Unaware of Li Ji’s multiple plots, Shen Sheng thought this was a way to please his father and promptly held the ceremony, sending the sacrificial meat back to the capital for Duke Xian. At that time, Duke Xian was hunting in the countryside, and the envoy delivered the meat to Li Ji’s palace. Seizing the opportunity, Li Ji poisoned the meat.

Several days later, Duke Xian returned from hunting, and Li Ji presented the sacrificial meat, telling him it was from Shen Sheng’s memorial. Delighted, Duke Xian prepared to eat it, but Li Ji suddenly cautioned, “This meat came from outside the palace; it should be tested for poison first.” Duke Xian sent some meat to feed a dog, which soon foamed at the mouth, convulsed, and died. A eunuch who ate some also died. Alarmed, Duke Xian was stunned, unable to comprehend the events, while Li Ji wept, exclaiming, “This is the crown prince’s wicked ambition!”

Furious, Duke Xian blamed Shen Sheng’s tutor, Du Yuan Kuan, for corrupting the prince and ordered his execution. Advised to flee, Shen Sheng refused, saying, “I am innocent; if I flee, the blame will fall on the sovereign, besmirching his name and causing ridicule among lords. Who would shelter such a man? Fleeing would only deepen my guilt. If the sovereign wishes me dead, I will not evade fate but submit myself to it.”

Stubbornness often leads to ruin—at least for him.

Shen Sheng’s refusal to leave Jin left Duke Xian torn, unwilling to kill his son. Seeing the stalemate, Li Ji, knowing that prolonged delays invite change, personally confronted Shen Sheng, tears streaming, accusing him: “How could you commit such cruelty against your own father and still claim to care for the people? Killing your father for gain will bring universal contempt. Do you still wish to live long?”

Hearing this, Shen Sheng believed his father had condemned him as a poisoner and regicide, with no hope of clearing his name. Knowing he would be scorned forever as a parricide and usurper, with no place in the world, despair overwhelmed him. In the ancestral temple, he hanged himself. Before dying, he sent a message to his maternal grandfather, Minister Hu Tu: “I am guilty and have not heeded your counsel, thus meeting this end. I do not fear death. The sovereign is aged, the state troubled; if you can rise to assist the Duke, my death will be without regret.”

Having achieved her goal of eliminating crown prince Shen Sheng, Li Ji turned her venom toward Princes Chong Er and Yi Wu, secretly slandering them before Duke Xian, accusing them of conspiring in their brother’s crime. The tragedy deeply shocked Duke Xian, who no longer trusted any son. He ordered Yan Chu to kill Chong Er, who fled to the northern Di tribes, and sent Jia Hua to kill Yi Wu, who took refuge in Liang. With his sons scattered, Duke Xian installed Xi Qi as crown prince. From this point, the Jin royal house weakened, unable to restrain the powerful ministers and nobles, sowing the seeds for the later partition of Jin among Zhao, Wei, and Han families.

After Duke Xian’s death, the ministers rejected Prince Xi Qi’s succession, rallying the forces loyal to the other princes, and killed Xi Qi and Prince Zhuozi. Seeing the chaos, Prince Chong Er hesitated to return, while Prince Yi Wu, with help from Qin, came back to rule as Duke Hui of Jin. The temporary prosperity under Dukes Wu and Xian faded, plunging Jin into turmoil; its revival and dominance lay far ahead.

Prince Chong Er, victim of Li Ji’s schemes, was protected by his maternal uncles Hu Mao, Hu Yan, and loyal ministers Zhao Shuai, Wei Chou, Dian Jie, Xu Chen, and Jie Zhitui, who helped him escape Jin. They first sought refuge in the state of Di, his mother’s homeland. The Di king welcomed them warmly, having just defeated a branch of the Chi Di tribe led by Xiang Jiu Ru. The Di king gifted Chong Er two daughters of the captured chieftain, Shu Wei and Ji Wei. Chong Er married the younger sister Ji Wei and gave the elder Shu Wei to Zhao Shuai, ancestor of Zhao Dun, who later gained great power in Jin. Chong Er stayed in Di for twelve years.

After Shen Sheng’s death, Chong Er became Duke Xian’s eldest son and was well-regarded in Jin. Following Duke Hui’s accession, fearing Chong Er’s return to claim the throne, he sent assassins after him. Minister Hu Yan counseled Chong Er: “We chose Di for its proximity and ease of aid. But staying too long here dulls our resolve. Now, after twelve years, it is time to move on. We did not choose Qi or Chu before because they were distant, but now that we are prepared, it is time to journey. Duke Huan of Qi is old and seeks to win over Jin. With Guan Zhong dead, only corrupt ministers remain, but he must find a worthy successor like Guan Zhong. We should go to Qi.” The group agreed and left Di for Qi.

To reach Jin from Di, one must pass through Wei. Jin had previous enmity with Wei, and since Chong Er’s group came from Di—enemies of Wei—the Duke of Wei, Wen Gong, refused them proper reception. They had to beg food from farmers outside the city, who, knowing their origin, refused aid and mockingly offered clods of earth.

Raised in luxury, Chong Er was outraged and raised his whip to strike the peasants. Hu Yan, seeing their precarious position, quickly restrained him: “This soil is your land, your country. This is a good omen from heaven!” Chong Er transformed anger into joy, bowed deeply to the farmers, accepted the earth, and left. This was merely a show, as he understood Hu Yan’s deeper meaning.

In Qi, Duke Huan indeed treated Chong Er with great honor, marrying him to Qi Jiang, a royal kinswoman, and gifting him eighty horses. After years of exile and hardship in Di, Chong Er finally possessed wealth and family in a prosperous capital, enjoying royal favor. Content, he wished to settle permanently in Qi and not return to Jin.

However, ministers felt that while Qi was pleasant, it was not their homeland; true honor and prosperity lay in returning to Jin. They met beneath a mulberry tree to discuss persuading Chong Er to leave Qi. Unbeknownst to them, a mulberry-picking girl overheard the conversation. After the meeting dispersed, she hurried to inform Qi Jiang of the ministers’ plot to have Chong Er leave Qi and her.

Qi Jiang, a woman of wisdom and loyalty, understood that returning to Jin was best for Chong Er’s future but that plotting departure while enjoying Qi’s support would be treasonous. She killed the mulberry girl and told Chong Er, “A true man’s aspirations are vast. I know you intend to leave. Rest assured, I have eliminated those who know.” Chong Er denied ever planning to leave. Qi Jiang warned him, “You must go; indulgence in pleasure is unworthy of a noble and will bring shame.” Despite her earnest pleas, Chong Er remained resolute.

Qi Jiang then conferred with Hu Yan. They got Chong Er drunk and secretly sent him out of the city that night. Awakening in a swiftly moving carriage outside Qi’s capital, Chong Er realized he had to abandon all he had gained in Qi and resume his precarious exile. Furious, he armed himself and sought to kill Hu Yan, but Hu Yan and others restrained him with gentle words, and the journey continued.

Soon after, they arrived in the state of Cao. Duke Gong of Cao heard that Chong Er’s ribs were unusually fused, a rare curiosity, and wished to see them. Such behavior was a grave breach of etiquette. Duke Cao’s minister Xi Fuji, upon learning this, consulted his wife, who said, “The Jin princes’ retinue comprises capable men who will surely return to Jin one day. When they do, Jin will revive and punish those who insulted them, with Cao being first in line. You should prepare an escape route.” Xi Fuji then prepared gifts of fine food and jade discs for Chong Er as tokens of goodwill. Angered by Duke Cao’s conduct, Chong Er accepted the food but returned the jade, leaving Cao shortly thereafter.

Passing through Song and Zheng, they reached Chu, where King Cheng of Chu received them with great honor. At a banquet, King Cheng asked, “If you return to Jin, how will you repay me?” Chong Er replied, “You already possess jade and silk; feathers and leather are Chu’s specialties. Jin purchases these from you, so I know not how else to repay your kindness.”

King Cheng pressed, “Then how will you repay me?”

Chong Er responded, “If, through your grace, I return to Jin, and one day Jin and Chu clash in central China, Jin’s army will surely yield. If I cannot win your favor then, I will meet your troops on the battlefield and give a good fight.”

Jin’s chief minister Zi Yu, hearing of Chong Er’s boast on Chu soil after years of exile, deemed him a threat to Chu and urged King Cheng to execute him. King Cheng refused, saying, “The Jin prince is gentle, frugal, courteous, and his retinue is loyal and competent. Jin’s revival depends on him; this is Heaven’s will. Defying fate invites disaster.”

Chong Er stayed in Chu for several months until envoys from Qin arrived, inviting him there. Previously, Qin had escorted Duke Hui back to Jin for his enthronement, but he failed to cede the lands south of the Yellow River as agreed. Qin subsequently attacked Jin, captured Duke Hui, and seized lands east of the Yellow River. After negotiations, Qin released Duke Hui, demanding his heir Yu as hostage. However, Yu fled back to Jin and ascended as Duke Huai, severing relations with Qin and even repudiating his Qin-born wife, Huai Ying.

Angered by the treachery of Duke Hui and his son, Duke Mu of Qin sought to install a pro-Qin prince among Jin’s exiles. Hearing Chong Er’s popularity and influence in Jin, he selected him. King Cheng, unwilling to kill Chong Er but also not to offend Zi Yu, welcomed Qin’s invitation, saying, “Though I wish to send you home, the distance between our states makes it difficult. Qin borders Jin, and their king is wise. You should seek aid there.” Thus, Chong Er bade farewell to King Cheng and set off westward.