Dynasties of ChinaWestern ZhouWestern Zhou lineage
Reign 976–922 BCE
In the fifty-fifth year of his reign, he conquered the Quan Rong in the west, ordered "Lu Xing" to be written, and the legend of traveling to the west with eight horses has been passed down through the ages.
Ji Man was the son of King Zhao, who succeeded him after his death in the Han River. According to "Historical Records", he was fifty years old when he came to the throne and reigned for fifty-five years. He did not listen to Ji Gongmoufu's advice that "the former king was so virtuous that he did not observe the troops" and went west to conquer the Quanrong army. He "returned four white wolves and four white deer." From then on, the country that was in ruins no longer came to court. He also ordered Lü Hou to draw up a punishment book, which is now known as "Shang Shu Lu Xing", which stipulated three thousand articles for the five punishments, and allowed copper to be used as atonement.
King Mu likes to travel. According to "Historical Records of the Qin Dynasty", during his western tour, King Xu Yan caused a rebellion, and his charioteer Zao Fu drove back "a thousand miles a day" to quell the rebellion. King Mu sealed the city of Zhao to Zao Fu, and the Zhao family got its surname from this. The "Biography of Emperor Mu" unearthed from the Warring States period tomb in Ji County during the Western Jin Dynasty further interprets the story of him riding eight horses to the west and having a banquet with the Queen Mother of the West in Yaochi. According to "Zuo Zhuan", Ji Gongmoufu wrote the poem "Pray for Moves" to dissuade him from traveling around the world, and King Mu was healed and ended up in the palace.
King Mu reigned for half a century and was a turning point in Western Zhou's transition from prosperity to decline. His westward expeditions to the Quanrong and his tours in all directions expanded the geographical horizons of the Zhou people, and "Lü Xing" also marked the systematization of the punishment system; however, frequent military use and patrols consumed the country's power, and "those who serve in desolate areas will not be able to survive", and the royal family's appeal to surrounding tribes began to weaken. His deeds have been mythologized for a long time, and his true appearance has been difficult to fully restore.
PoliticsSuccession
King Zhao died in Hanshui, and Crown Prince came to the throne. According to "Historical Records", when he came to the throne, "the Spring and Autumn period was already fifty years old" and he reigned for fifty-five years. After the southern economic strategy suffered a setback, the Zhou Dynasty shifted its military focus to the northwest.
MilitaryWestern Expedition to the Dog Rong
King Mu wanted to conquer the Quanrong army, and Ji Gongmoufu advised him that "the former king was so virtuous that he did not observe the troops." King Mu refused to listen and sent troops to the west to conquer, "and he returned with four white wolves and four white deer." According to "Guoyu", after that, the country of Huangfu stopped coming to court.
PeopleZao Fu was granted the title of Zhao
Zao Fu is good at driving and is favored by King Mu. According to "Historical Records", King Xu Yan caused chaos when King Mu was on his western tour. Zao Fu drove back to Zhou Dynasty, traveling thousands of miles a day to relieve the chaos. King Mu sealed the city of Zhao to him, and his clan became the Zhao family.
Lasting legacyZhaocheng is located in Zhaocheng Town, Hongdong County, Shanxi today; Zao Fu is regarded as the ancestor of today's Zhao surname.
PoliticsThe order is "Lu Xing"
King Mu ordered Lü Hou to draw up a punishment book, stipulating a total of 3,000 articles for the five punishments of Mo, Jie, Ji, Gong, and Dapi. Those who were suspected of guilt could pay copper to atone for their sins, and emphasized careful punishment and careful observation. This chapter is now preserved in "Shangshu" and is called "Lü Xing".
CultureArchery rites recorded on the Chang Fu he vessel
In 1954, the Chang'an was unearthed from the tomb of Western Zhou in Pudu Village, Chang'an, Shaanxi Province. The inscription records that King Mu held a banquet in Xiajun Palace and held a shooting ceremony with Jing Bo and Da Zhu. The inscription is directly called "King Mu", and some scholars believe that the title of King of Zhou was used during his lifetime (one theory is that it is a posthumous record).
PeoplePraying to stop traveling
According to "Zuo Zhuan", King Mu thought, "Every general traveling around the world must have traces of ruts and horses." Ji Gongmoufu wrote the poem "Pray for Moves" to dissuade him from his thoughts, so King Mu was able to end up in the palace.
CultureSee the Queen Mother in the West
According to the ancient book "Chronicles of the Bamboo Book", in the 17th year of King Mu's expedition to Kunlun Qiu, he met the Queen Mother of the West. In the same year, the Queen Mother of the West came to court. Later generations performed a large number of myths based on this, and the Queen Mother of the West became an important deity in Taoism and folk beliefs.
Culture"The Biography of Emperor Mu" Unearthed
In the fifth year of Xianning in the Western Jin Dynasty (some say the second year of Taikang), the people of Jijun were not allowed to rob the tomb of King Wei in the Warring States period, and dozens of bamboo slips were obtained. Among them, the "Biography of Emperor Mu" describing King Mu's journey to the west with eight horses and meeting the Queen Mother of the West was unearthed at the same time as the "Bamboo Book Annals".
Lasting legacyThere are currently six volumes of "The Biography of Emperor Mu" in existence. Bajun and Yaochi Huixi Queen Mother have become common themes in poetry and paintings of later generations.
Descendants of Zhou Gong, kings of sacrifices to the country, and ministers of King Mu. He once advised against the Western expedition of the Dog Rong with the words "The former king was so virtuous that he did not observe the troops", and he also wrote the poem "Pray for Recruitment" to dissuade King Mu from traveling around the world. "Book of Yizhou" has the chapter "Ji Gong", which records his last words of warning to King Mu.
The surname Ying has the same ancestor as the Qin people. He is good at driving and drives eight horses on a western tour for King Mu. He contributed greatly to quelling the rebellion of King Xu Yan and was granted the title of Zhao City. He was the ancestor of the Zhao family. The Zhao State during the Warring States period came from this branch.
The princes with the surname Jiang were also called Fuhou. During King Mu's time, he was in charge of prisons in the court (some say he was appointed as a Sikou). He was ordered to formulate a punishment book, namely "Shang Shu Lu Xing", which is famous for its five punishments and three thousand articles and the atonement system.