Chinese Famous Stories: Illustrated Edition

Author: Zhuang Hong'an / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: It is said that in ancient times, the land of Huaxia had five emperors: the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun. Yao was the fourth of the five emperors and, as his state was named Tang, he was also known as Tang Yao. Yao was skilled in governing the land. At the age of sixteen, he ascended the throne and resided in Pingyang (now Linfen, Shanxi). He had a broad and loved his people like his own children. After becoming a king, he lived in a thatched hut, ate wild vegetables and coarse grains, and wore rough hemp clothing. He dug wells and farmed for his own sustenance, living a very frugal life. Whenever the sun rose, he began handling affairs of state, and only returned home to rest when the sun set. He appointed the brothers Xi and He to oversee the heavens and earth, sent Xi Zhong, Xi Shu, and He Shu to govern the four directions—east, south, west, and north—and established a calendar with 366 days a year, dividing it into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Farmers planted in spring and harvested in autumn. Because he mastered the seasons well, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting all yielded abundant harvests.
Yao showed compassion for his people and often visited local areas to inspect affairs. He told the people, "In the land I govern, if anyone lacks food to eat, it is my fault that they are hungry; if anyone lacks clothes to wear, it is my fault that they are cold; if anyone commits a crime, it is my poor governance that forces them to do so." He encouraged the people to openly point out his faults and had a large drum made, called the "Drum of Encouraging Advice," to encourage people to strike it and criticize his governance if they found any shortcomings. Wherever Yao went, he would converse with the local people and set up a tall pole called the "Pole of Criticism." People could stand under it and freely criticize him or point out his faults. Yao was magnanimous and did not hold grudges, earning the deep love of the people.
Yao had nine sons, but his eldest, Danzhu, was incompetent. At that time, floods were rampant,ing farmland and villages, but Danzhu was sitting in a boat admiring the scenery. Even after the flood waters receded, Danzhu remained in his boat, mocking others. His brothers often fought among themselves, constantly quarreling. Yao ruled for seventy years. When he was eighty-six, he felt his age and frailty and wanted to find a worthy successor. He knew that his eldest son, Danzhu, was incapable of governing the country, and his other sons were no better, so he left Pingyang to privately seek a wise person.
One day, Yao came to the Lishan area and saw an old farmer holding a piece of wood called "rang." He placed one piece on the ground and struck the other downward, singing as he did: "The sun has risen, and I go out to farm; the sun has set, and I return home to rest. I dug a well, and now I have water to drink; I planted fields, and I will never lack food. The authority of the emperor, no matter how great, has nothing to do with me." This was a song passed down by the local people, called the "Song of Striking the Rang." The song was rough yet loud, reflecting the people's hearts' content in their comfortable lives. Hearing it, Yao felt at ease. He crouched down and talked with the old man, asking if there were any great sages in the village. The old man pointed toward the hillside. Before the hill, a young farmer was plowing with two oxen, but he was not holding a whip in his hand, only a small basket, occasionally tapping it.
Seeing this, Yao was puzzled: "What is this young man doing—tapping a basket while plowing?" He walked over and observed the young farmer for a moment, then asked, "Young man, why do you tap the basket while plowing?" The young farmer smiled awkwardly and replied, "The ox is an animal, and it has already worked hard for me to plow. If I drive it further with a whip, I would feel very uneasy. If the ox refuses to move, I tap the basket to scare it a bit." Yao took his hand and praised repeatedly, "That makes sense! That makes sense!" Yao thought, "This young man is both kind to the ox and talented. If he becomes a ruler, he will be a good leader and can be considered a sage!"
At that moment, several people gathered around. An old man holding a bundle of firewood looked at Yao and asked, "May I ask where you are from?" Yao replied, "I am Yao, your king!" Hearing this, everyone was stunned and knelt down in reverence. Yao helped them up and told them about his journey to seek a sage. The farmers surrounded the beloved King Yao, speaking in unison. It turned out that the young farmer who was plowing was named Yu Shun, a renowned sage in the Lishan area. He was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, exceptionally talented, and even more admirable was his compassionate heart.
Hearing this, Yao was overjoyed. He wanted to bring Yu Shun back to the capital to help govern the country. Yu Shun repeatedly declined, but Yao insisted, so he arranged everything at home and followed Yao to Pingyang.
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