Stories of Famous Chinese Sages (Color Illustrations)

Author: Zhuang Hong'an
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Publish Date: 2006-06-01
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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 heart and loved the people as 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 for drinking water and farmed for his food, living a very frugal life. Whenever the sun rose, he began to handle affairs of state, and he only returned home to rest when the sun set. He appointed the brothers Xi and He to oversee the heavens and earth, sent Xizhong, Xishu, and Heshu to manage 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 the people and often visited local areas to inspect affairs. He told the people, "In the land I govern, if anyone does not have food to eat, it is my fault that they are hungry; if anyone does not have 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 for Encouraging Advice," to encourage people to strike it and offer suggestions about what was wrong with his governance. Wherever Yao went, he would talk with the people there and set up a tall pole called the "Pole for Criticism." The people could stand under the pole and freely criticize him and point out his faults. Yao was open-minded and did not hold grudges, earning the deep love of the people.
Yao had nine sons, but his eldest son, Danzhu, was incompetent. At that time, floods were rampant,, but Danzhu was sitting in a boat admiring the scenery. Even after the floodwaters receded, Danzhu remained in his boat, mocking others. His brothers often fought among themselves, constantly quarreling. Yao ruled for seventy years. By the time he was eighty-six, he felt old and frail and wanted to find a worthy successor. He knew that his eldest son, Danzhu, was incapable of governing the country, and the other sons were no better. So, he left Pingyang to privately seek a wise person.
One day, Yao came to Lishan and saw an old farmer holding a piece of wood called "rang." He placed one piece on the ground and struck the other downward with each tap, 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 go hungry. The power of the emperor means nothing to 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 inner feelings about their comfortable lives. Hearing it, Yao felt at ease. He crouched down and talked with the old man, asking if there was any great sage in the village. The old man pointed toward the hillside. In front of the hill, a young farmer was plowing with two oxen, but he held no whip in his hand, only a small sieve, occasionally tapping it.
Seeing this, Yao was puzzled: "What is this young man doing—tapping a sieve while plowing?" He approached the young farmer and asked, "Young man, why do you tap the sieve 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 sieve to scare it a bit." Yao took his hand and praised him repeatedly, "That makes sense! That makes sense!" Yao thought, "This young man loves the ox and is talented. If he becomes a ruler, he will be a good leader and can be considered a worthy successor!"
At that moment, several people gathered around. An old man holding a bundle of firewood looked at Yao and asked, "Excuse me, where are you from?" Yao replied, "I am Yao, your king!" Hearing this, everyone was stunned and knelt down one after another. Yao helped them up and told them about his quest for a worthy successor. The farmers surrounded the beloved King Yao, talking excitedly. 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. After settling his family affairs, Yu Shun followed Yao to Pingyang.
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