Chapter 7 Chapter Four: The Era of Semi-reliable History

After the era of legends ended, the era of half-belief history began. In the era of half-belief history, the factual elements have greatly increased, and some of them have been supported by archaeologists' excavations.However, there are still many historical sites that belong to myths and legends. Sometimes they are easy to distinguish, and sometimes they are too confusing to clarify. The era of semi-reliable history is an era of slack, often blank for hundreds of years.During this long period of time, three dynasties rose in sequence in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the lower reaches of the Weihe River:

The Yixia Dynasty was established in the 23rd century BC The Second Shang Dynasty was established in the 18th century BC The Three Zhou Dynasty was established in the 12th century BC There is a phenomenon in Chinese history, that is, when each political power is established, it has to declare a country name exclusive to its own regime. When this regime rules the whole country, the country name becomes the dynasty name.Therefore, the era of division and chaos confronts each other, and there are many countries, so we have to use the country name.In the era of national unification, we use the Dynasty number.But it must be understood that there is no difference between the country name and the dynasty name in Chinese history.

The three dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou were linked together, so historians call them the "Three Dynasties". The era of half-belief history began in the 23rd century BC and ended in the 8th century BC, about 1,500 years ago. 23rd century BC Si Wenming inherited Yao Chonghua's position and established the Xia Dynasty in 2205 BC. He was called Emperor Yu, the god-like monarch.Set the capital at Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi). Si Wenming was determined to make himself a powerful head of state, and soon he summoned tribal chiefs across the country to Tushan (Tongguan, Shaanxi) for a meeting, and later held a second meeting in Kuaiji (Yichuan, Henan). The chief of the tribe (Taihu Lake Basin) arrived too late, and Si Wen ordered him to be killed.But Si Wenming is not a cruel person, he has insightful wisdom.One day, someone presented him with an altar of fine wine, and he got very drunk. When he woke up, he said to the ministers: "The wine is so good. Because of this, someone in future generations must ruin the country for it." He ordered a ban on alcohol. .But wine is one of the things that no one can ban in the world, so Si Wenming's words have been fulfilled in history. Many dynasties and empires, including his Xia Dynasty, finally died because the monarch was intoxicated in wine.

Si Wenming divided the country into five "eyes" (regions), with the capital Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi) as the center, and the "Dianyan" within 250 kilometers, which is directly governed by the monarch, and the people directly pay taxes to the monarch. .Within 500 kilometers is the "waiting eye". The monarch does not directly govern, but only controls the chiefs, and the chiefs pay tribute to the monarch regularly.Within 750 kilometers is the "submission". In this area, the monarch has no power, but he is content to pray to God to protect the barbarians from rebellion.Within 1,000 kilometers is the "key eye", and the people in this area don't know China at all.A thousand kilometers away is the "Desolate Eye", completely unfamiliar barbarians and aliens.In addition to the standard "eye" (region) based on the strength of the ruling power, there are also divisions of administrative regions. Si Wenming divided China into nine states:

1. Jizhou Hebei Plain and Shanxi Plateau. Between the Yellow River and Jishui in Ergun Prefecture. Sanqingzhou Shandong Peninsula. 4. Xuzhou Hehuai Plain. Five Yuzhou Central Plains. Six Yongzhou Guanzhong and Longxi. South of the Qinling Mountains in Qiliang Prefecture and the Sichuan Basin. The lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou. Nine Jingzhou middle reaches of the Yangtze River. This is the beginning of China officially calling administrative regions "states". The state names of the nine states have been used since then, and some of them are still in the 20th century, but the areas under their jurisdiction are getting smaller and smaller, and finally as small as Just a city.

22nd century BC Si Wenming reigned for only eight years. In 2198 BC, when he was one hundred years old, he went on a tour to Kuaiji (Yichuan, Henan Province) and died there.His son Si Qi succeeded to the throne.The Youhu tribe (in the middle and lower reaches of the Weihe River Basin) first refused to accept it and declared independence. Si Qi attacked it and fought in Ganyi (Huxian, Shaanxi). The Youhu tribe failed.Si Qi's victory stabilized his position and confirmed another thing: the abolition of the method of abdication, which was full of doubts, and the restoration of the ancient system of handing down from father to son in the early days of the Yellow Emperor's dynasty.

①The dominant view now is that Kyushu was a concept that existed only during the Warring States Period.Xia You Kyushu is the future generations' attachment to history. --editor After Si Qi died, his son Si Taikang succeeded him.Si Taikang liked hunting more than politics. When he hunted for the last time, he was probably too excited and lost his head. He hunted all the way to the south of the Yellow River.Taking advantage of the anger of the army and the people, Houyi, the chief of the poor tribe (South of Luoyang, Henan), sent troops to cut off his way back.Si Taikang fled to Zhenxun (Dengfeng, Heshi) after his army dispersed.Hou Yi made Si Zhongkang, the younger brother of Si Taikang, succeed to the throne, and of course the power was in Hou Yi's hands.

Hou Yi is a legendary figure and the earliest marksman in China, with a hundred shots and one hundred hits.His wife, Chang'e, was one of the earliest beauties in history.When we introduced Kunlun Mountain in the first chapter, we mentioned the story that the goddess Queen Mother gave Hou Yi a dose of elixir.As a result, Chang'e took advantage of her husband's unawareness and secretly ate it. After eating it, she was completely reborn, her body became lighter, and she was able to fly.On the one hand, she is afraid that her husband will pursue her if he finds out, and on the other hand, she has no nostalgia for this world where everyone is bound to die, so she flies to the moon to live.It is said that she still lives there now, accompanied only by her favorite little white rabbit.

In the 20th century, American astronauts landed on the moon and completely destroyed this beautiful mythical picture.Therefore, mythologists have to say that whenever astronauts land on the moon, Chang'e temporarily conceals the Guanghan Palace where she and her little white rabbit live with magic. After Si Zhongkang died, his son Si succeeded him.Hou Yi was no longer happy to be always behind the scenes, so he expelled Si Xiang from the stage and sat on the throne himself.Si Xiang fled to the east and defected to the distant Zhenguan tribe (Qingfeng, Henan).However, Hou Yi was not a very motivated person. He trusted Han Yun, the most loyal general he considered, and handed over the military power to him.As a result, Han Yun launched a mutiny, killed Houyi, and Han Yun ascended the throne.

Han Yun married Houyi's wife, who was no longer Chang'e, and gave birth to two sons.When the two sons grew up, he sent troops to attack Chuxun and Chuguan, and wiped out the two tribes.Si Taikang, who fled to Zhenxunyan, died long ago, and Si Xiang, who fled to Zhenguan, was killed in this battle. His pregnant wife escaped from the hole in the wall and gave birth to his posthumous son, Si Shaokang. After Si Shaokang grew up, he ran around, and finally he defected to the Yu tribe (the tribe Yao Chonghua belonged to) in Puban (Yongji, Shanxi).Yao Si, the chief of the Yu tribe, married his two daughters to him and gave him a field to cultivate.Si Shaokang was unwilling to be a farmer all his life, so he secretly called on the survivors of the Xia tribe who still missed his father and grandfather, and gathered more than 500 people.

When this century (the first twenty-two years) ended, Si Shaokang was training his men and horses day and night, preparing to restore the rivers and mountains. The Eastern and Western worlds of this century (the first twenty-two): In 2123 B.C. (the seventh emperor of the Xia Dynasty Han Yun reigned), Hammurabi, another chief of the Semitic nation, conquered the Akkadian Sumerian Empire and established the Babylonian Empire. 21st century B.C. The only major event in this century (the first twenty-first) was Si Shaokang's counterattack and restoration of the country, which was accomplished. In 2079 BC, Si Shaokang was ready to mature.The distance between Puban (Yongji, Shanxi) and Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi) was only 100 kilometers. At that time, there were no fortifications such as walls and ditches, so when Si Shaokang launched a surprise attack on the capital from his base, it was very easy. Quickly rushed into the palace to kill Han Yun, and successfully regained the throne lost by his father and grandfather. The story of Si Shaokang has been circulating in China for a long time.Especially when a government has been badly hit, lost a lot of territory, and is in jeopardy, this story must be emphasized to encourage morale and increase confidence. The Eastern and Western worlds of this century (the first twenty-first): In 2100 BC (still in the reign of Han Yun), Emperor Hammurabi promulgated the 282 articles of the "Code of Hammurabi", which were engraved on the green jade cylinder in the city of Babylon. More complete written code. 19th century BC History has been lonely for more than two hundred years. In 1819 BC at the end of this century (the first nineteenth), Si Lugui, the last monarch of the Xia Dynasty, came to the throne.Si Lugui is versatile in both civil and military affairs. He can fight tigers and leopards with his bare hands, and he can straighten a bent iron jun with his hands. It seems that he is a wise monarch. One thing is certain, China did not have iron at that time, let alone iron hooks.Iron hooks are not simple, it requires advanced metallurgy. 5th century BC 18th century At the beginning of this century (the first eighteenth century), Zi Tianyi, the chief of the Shang tribe (Cao County, Shandong Province), was already powerful, and he coveted Si Lugui's high position. Si Lugui used all his ingenuity and wisdom on tyranny and pleasure. He rebuilt the palace to be more luxurious, and there were nine pillars made of gold.He also invented a kind of torture called "cannon burning", in which a coal fire was burned under the copper pillar, and the prisoner was taught to walk barefoot on the copper pillar. It must slide down, and when it slides down, it will fall to the burning coals Burned to death, Si Lugui likes to watch other people struggle and howl when they are tortured. There is God, he looks at it, and asks his minister Guan Longfeng if he is happy. Guan Longtu said: "This kind of practice is like spring Walking on thin ice, in danger. Si Yuangui said coldly: "You only know that others are in danger, but you don't know that you are in danger." "Ordered Guan Longfeng to be burned to death. Guan Longfeng was the first high-level intellectual to be killed for his honesty in Chinese history. Si Lugui loved his wife Shi Meixi the most. Shi Meixi was happy to hear the sound of the silk being torn, so Si Lugui ordered the maid to tear the silk day and night beside her.Inside the palace, the meat piled up like a mountain, and in a huge pond with a total area of ​​five square kilometers, it was filled with fine wine, and the waves of wine were so powerful that ships could be sailed.At each banquet, more than 3,000 people, like a herd of cows drinking water, stretched their necks from the bank to the sound of drums and drank wildly (the comment Si Wenming made on wine is still in our ears, but he The descendants of the family have forgotten to clean up the light).Yi Yin, the chief of Youxin tribe (Xinjiaji, Northwest Cao County, Shandong Province), warned Si Lugui: "If you don't accept persuasion, you may perish the country." There is a sun in the sky. When the sun dies, I will die." So the people of the whole country shouted: "Sun, you die soon, we will die with you." Si Lugui later discovered that the chieftain of the Shang tribe, Zi Tianyi, was a bit unreliable, so he arrested Zi Tianyi with lightning-fast means, and his country was in Xiatai (Yuzhou, Henan).But for unknown reasons, he was released again.In 1766 B.C., Zi Tianyi launched an attack that reached the capital Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi), and defeated the Xia army in Mingtiao (Fengqiu, Henan).Si Lugui was captured and exiled to the remote Nanchao (Tongcheng, Anhui).The Xia Dynasty was established for four hundred and forty years, and it has now collapsed. Si Lugui disappeared, but the title "Emperor Jie" that Zi Tianyi gave to him has been handed down.Emperor Jie means a violent monarch. After the Xia Dynasty fell, Zi Tianyi called his regime the Shang Dynasty and built the capital in Haoyi (Cao County, Shandong Province), the base of his tribe.There are three important reasons for his success.One was that he formed an alliance with Yi Yin, the most powerful chief of the Youxin tribe at that time.Yiyin was originally loyal to the Xia Dynasty, but Si Lugui forced him to turn against him, so he turned to cooperate with Zitianyi.Without Yi Yin's cooperation, Zi Tianyi would not dare to act alone.Second, Zi Tianyi's insight made him always take the initiative.When the allied forces attacked, it happened to be a severe drought in the Xia Dynasty. Although it was a good opportunity, the Shang tribe area was also suffering from a severe drought. Insist on sending troops.The third is the success of Zitianyi's propaganda campaign.The tyranny of Si Lugui described above aroused the power of anger among the people.At the same time, Zi Tianyi also emphasized various virtues, such as he once forbade nets from all directions to catch birds, describing his benevolence not only to human beings, but also to other creatures.Therefore, after Zi Tianyi became the emperor, he was called Emperor Tang, that is, the monarch who rescued the suffering. We certainly don't think that Si Lugui is a kind and capable person. Any king who subjugates a country, unless he is too young, the mere fact that the dynasty's regime perishes in his hands is enough to prove his incompetence and crime. After the death of Zi Tianyi, two sons successively succeeded to the throne.In 1748 BC, the third emperor, Zhongren, passed away. The elder statesman Yi Yin exiled Taijia, the grandson of the legal heir, Tianyi, to Tongyi (Yucheng, Henan), and sat on the throne himself.But Zi Taijia was not as weak as Si Xiang. He prepared secretly in Tongyi for seven years. In 1741 BC, he attacked Haoyi (Cao County, Shandong) by surprise and killed Yi Yin.Because the Youxin tribe was too powerful, Zi Taijia had to still appoint Yiyin's two sons to inherit the positions of chieftain and minister left by Yiyin respectively. Social Forms of the Six Shang Dynasties After Zi Taijia, the Shang Dynasty had no political disturbances. The society of the Shang Dynasty was mainly nomadic at first, and then gradually engaged in agriculture.They had an ever-expanding central government with various officials responsible for many complex matters such as: A Censor (Minister of Transportation) Nidazai (Minister of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs) Santai Shi (Minister of Astronomy and Sacrifice) Under the central government, there was no local government at that time, and the monarchs directly governed the various tribes.Military actions can only be decided by the monarch.The Shang Dynasty possessed a powerful armed force, operating new weapons such as bows, arrows and spears, making it impossible for the Xia Dynasty, which used throwing stones as its main tool of war, to resist.During the battle of Mingtiao, the expeditionary army led by Zi Tianyi amounted to 5,000 people, which was the largest army that could be assembled at that time. The Son of Heaven is the supreme head of state. In the early days of the Shang Dynasty, the throne was passed on to the younger brother, and finally the youngest brother passed it on to the elder brother's eldest son, or passed it on to his own son.Regardless of nobles or commoners, most of them practiced monogamy. This is the only era of monogamy in Chinese history, so the court of the Shang Dynasty was relatively simple, and family life was relatively harmonious.It was not until the later period, about the fifteenth century BC, that polygamy became common. The people of the Shang Dynasty worshiped their ancestors, and because they worshiped their ancestors, they also worshiped ghosts and the gods who manage ghosts, and they also worshiped the mountains and rivers where ghosts lived.Regardless of major or minor matters, from war conquest to disease and marriage, it is necessary to seek the opinions of ancestors, that is, to ask ghosts and gods for instructions.The method of asking for instructions relies on divination, which must be held in a grand sacrificial ceremony in order to obtain the joy and blessing of the ancestors.Therefore, sacrifice has become the first-level important government of the country, more important than military politics. The Shang Dynasty was able to use writing, and they carved the results of divination, which were important instructions from ancestors and spirits, on the shells of tortoises or the bones of other animals as records.At the end of the 19th century, these oracle bones were excavated from Yinyi (Anyang, Henan), one of the former capitals of the Shang Dynasty. Precious historical materials of primitive society in China. The fate of the Shang Dynasty seems to have been ups and downs. The main reason is that the Yellow River kept flooding, which forced them to move frequently. During the 662 years of the founding of the country, the capital was moved as many as six times, which became the biggest event in the dynasty: Since the five moved to Yinyi (Anyang, Henan), the Shang Dynasty was also called the Yin Dynasty at the same time, or combined as the Yin and Shang Dynasty.When oracle bone inscriptions were excavated here in the 19th century, it was called Yin Ruins, the ruins of the former capital of the Yin Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty’s ideology of worshiping ancestors and offering sacrifices to various ghosts and gods was fully accepted by its successor dynasties, and has been passed down, becoming one of the unbreakable customs and habits of the Chinese people. seventeenth century BC China in this century (first seventeen) has no important historical records. The Eastern and Western worlds in this century (first seventeen): In 1650 BC (Xiaojia, the eighth emperor of the Shang Dynasty, passed away, and Yongji, the ninth emperor, succeeded to the throne), Abraham, the chief of the Hebrew tribe, led his tired and hungry tribe from the Arabian Peninsula into Egypt. Settlement in Egypt. 13th century BC In 1220 BC (the twenty-sixth emperor of the Shang Dynasty, Lin Xin, passed away, and the twenty-seventh emperor, Geng Ding, succeeded to the throne), Moses, the chieftain of the Hebrew tribe, led his people and lived for four hundred and three years. Ten years of exodus from Egypt into the land of Canaan (Palestine) flowing with milk and honey.On Mount Sinai, God Jehovah personally awarded Moses the gold medal engraved with the "Ten Commandments", and Judaism, which believes in monotheism, was born since then. 12th century BC It was very peaceful for five hundred years in a row, and in this century (the first twelve), a legendary historical site took place.In the West and China, two stunning beauties appeared at the same time, which also caused two bloody and country-destroying wars at the same time. ——Helen, the beauty of the West, is the queen of the Kingdom of Sparta in Greece, but she elopes with the king of the Kingdom of Troy on the Turkish peninsula.This was a great shame to the Greek people, so the city-states organized the Greek coalition forces to attack Troyes.Beginning in 1194 BC, it lasted for eleven years. Although almost all the gods of the Greek mythology era sent out to help in the battle, they were unable to win.Finally, in 1184 BC, the Greek allied forces resorted to subterfuge, and they pretended to retreat, leaving behind a huge wooden horse full of Greek commandos.The Trojans greedily transported the wooden horse to the city as a trophy, and the city of Troy fell, and Helen was snatched back.In the tenth year of the war, Helen came out to serve the army in person. The soldiers were shocked by her beauty and said in a low voice, "It's worth fighting for her for another ten years." The oriental beauty Su Daji.In fact, her surname is Ji, and her first name is Da, the daughter of the chief of the Sioux tribe.Her experience is not as poetic as Helen, the wife of Zi Shouxin, the last monarch of the Shang Dynasty. In the later period of the Shang Dynasty, a purely agricultural Zhou tribe quietly became powerful in the Guanzhong area of ​​the Weihe River Basin, and gradually developed eastward.Two hundred years ago, in the 14th century BC, it reached Qishan (Qishan, Shaanxi), and in this century (the first 12th), it reached Kouyi (southwest of Chang'an, Shaanxi).Just like when the Shang tribe was eyeing the Xia Dynasty, now the Zhou tribe is also eyeing the Shang Dynasty. As the last monarch, Zi Shouxin was well-informed and powerful. He could kill beasts with just his hands without using weapons, and he could also pull nine oxen backwards.He is wise enough to refuse advice, and wise enough to cover up his mistakes.Under his favor, Su Daji jointly controlled the political power.The palace construction continued for a day, and only the "Yao Palace" and "Yao Terrace" were built for seven years.The meat in the palace is piled up like a forest, and the wine is not served in bottles, but in pools.For every banquet, they eat and drink for seven days and seven nights, and are so intoxicated that everyone forgets what day it is. Zishouxin and Su Daji were also a sadistic couple at the same time. Someone walked barefoot through a frozen stream, and Zishouxin and his wife ordered someone to smash his foot bones to study why he was not afraid of the cold.The woman was pregnant, and Zi Shouxin and his wife ordered her stomach to be cut open to see what the fetus looked like.Finally, Zi Shouxin also invented the "cannon fire" torture to suppress the increasing fleeing and rebellious emotions.Zi Shouxin had three loyal ministers: Jiuhou, Ehou and Jichang.Jiuhou's daughter was one of Zi Shouxin's concubines, but she was not good at admiring her color, so Zi Shouxin chopped their father and daughter into meat sauce.Ehou argued hard, but was also chopped into meat sauce.When Ji Chang heard the news, he sighed, so he arrested Ji Chang and imprisoned him in Kouli (Tangyin, Henan). Ji Chang is the chief of the Zhou tribe, and his tribe respectfully calls him a saint because of his high talents.He was imprisoned for three years, and Zi Shouxin executed his son Ji Kao and made meat soup for Ji Chang, who had to eat it.Zi Shouxin proudly declared: "Who says Ji Chang is a saint, he even eats his own son." Zi Shouxin released Ji Chang only after the Zhou tribe presented a large number of famous horses, beauties, and jewelry.Ji Chang died shortly after returning, and his son Ji Fa came to the throne and actively prepared for war. Zu Yi, a minister of the Shang Dynasty, warned Zi Shouxin, and Zi Shouxin said, "I was born according to the destiny. I am different from ordinary people. There is nothing to be afraid of." Said: "I heard that the heart of a saint has seven openings. You seem to be a saint. I don't know how many openings there are." He ordered Zigan's heart to be dug out for inspection. The last days finally came. In 1122 BC, the Zhou tribe and its allied tribe joined forces in Mengjin (Mengjin, Henan), crossed the Yellow River, and attacked the Xingdu Chaoge (Qi County, Henan).Zi Shouxin also gathered his troops to meet them. The main forces of the two sides fought a decisive battle in Muye (Weihui, Henan Province), 20 kilometers southwest of Chaoge. But the Merchant Corps' hearts were scattered, and they were defeated.Zi Shouxin fled to Lutai where there were piles of gold and silver treasures, set fire to himself and died. Ji Fa entered Chaoge in the attitude of a conqueror.First of all, he shot three arrows at the charred corpse of Zi Shouxin, then cut it into several sections with a sword, beheaded his head, and hung it on the big white flag for public display.Sister Su had heard the news of the defeat and committed suicide immediately.Ji Fa also shot three arrows at her corpse, beheaded her head, and hung it on a small white flag for public display. Regarding Su Daji, there is another folk legend: "She did not commit suicide, she was confident that her charm could save herself. Unexpectedly, the enemy he met was Jiang Ziya, the ninety-year-old and hard-hearted commander-in-chief of the Zhou Bingtuan. He ordered her to be tied up and sent to the execution ground to be executed. However, she was so beautiful that the executioners were all so distraught that they couldn't bear to do it. Jiang Ziya executed it himself, and he himself encountered the same difficulties. Finally, he ordered that Su Daji's beautiful face be covered with a cloth , before killing her. The story of Helen, by the ninth century BC, produced Homer's epic poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey".The story of Su Daji did not appear until the fifteenth century after the Era, when Xu Zhonglin's novel "Fengshen Bang" with very low literary value was produced. When Zi Shouxin's uncle Xuyu Yu Chaoge fell, he fled to the Korean peninsula and established the first dynasty in Korea, called the Jizi Dynasty, also known as the Jizi Dynasty. With the death of Zi Shouxin, the Shang Dynasty perished, and the country was established for 662 years.Zi Shouxin was called Emperor Zhou, that is, the monarch who killed the loyal and good.His crimes and the crimes of Si Lugui, the subjugated king of the Xia Dynasty, seem to have been poured out of the same mold, and of course it may be true.However, the cannonball torture was invented by Si Lugui, and it has been registered. The propagandist probably was in a hurry and forgot the past six hundred years ago, so he taught his son Shouxin to invent it again. feudal system of ten zhou dynasties Ji Fa established the Zhou Dynasty, set his capital at Haojing (west of Xi'an, Shaanxi), abandoned the title of "emperor" and changed his name to "king", and was honored as "king of heaven" by the people, which showed the beginning of a new era that was very different from the previous generation. ——Ji Fa is the first king in Chinese history. The level of education in the early Zhou Dynasty was very low, so most of the ideologies of the Shang Dynasty, especially ancestor worship, were inherited with considerable respect.But for the survivors of the Shang Dynasty, it was a hideous face.Only a small part, that is, the aristocratic branch living in Chaoge (Qi County, Henan Province), ordered Zi Wugeng, son of Shouxin, to continue to be the leader, and moved back to Shangqiu (Shangqiu, Henan Province), the old base of their ancestors.Other survivors of the Shang Dynasty scattered around did not have such good luck. Their property was confiscated, and all men, women, and children were reduced to slaves with ropes tied around their necks. The social structure of the Zhou Dynasty was divided into four classes, as shown in the following table: The king is high above, of course the most honorable.The second is the nobles, including princes (monarchs), ministers (the highest government officials), doctors (second-ranking government officials), and soldiers (military officers).Then there are common people, that is, free people, known as "common people".The lowest level is the slaves, that is, Shang Dynasty survivors and other conquered tribes or captives. Slaves in any country are miserable, and so are Chinese slaves.They are the least human-like animals among humans, and their bodies and lives are insecure.The boundaries between classes are not only absolute, but also solemn, and no crossing is allowed.This is one of the things that the Zhou Dynasty inherited from the Shang Dynasty. In addition to using laws to control this form, the Zhou government also made a special ritual education—a few centuries later, it was also called Mingjiao. So that nobles will always be nobles, commoners will always be commoners, and slaves will always be slaves.Let the slaves and civilians understand that if they do not keep their own and try to exceed the established boundaries, they will not only violate the law and be severely punished; On this social basis, the Zhou Dynasty established its feudal political system. The form of the feudal political system is that the head of state entrusted the nobles to establish feudal states in various places, ruled the common people and suppressed the slaves.The king of the Zhou Dynasty first centered on the capital, Haojing (west of Xi'an, Shaanxi), along the lower reaches of the Weishui River and the middle reaches of the Yellow River, called "Wangji", which was directly ruled by the king.And all the land other than Wang Ji was sealed off.The area of ​​the feudal state is very small, and twenty or thirty feudal states are united together, and there is no king Ji, so the central government can completely control the feudal state.The feudal states surround Wang Ji like stars holding the moon.The monarch of the feudal country has absolute power over the civilian slaves in the feudal country, and the king goes to the capital every year to meet (enter the court) and pay tribute instead of taxes.When the central government recruits troops to engage in war, the monarch of the feudal country has the obligation to lead the troops and wait for dispatch. Most of the monarchs of the feudal state are the relatives of the king. After the first king Ji Fa conquered the Shang Dynasty, he couldn't wait to divide it up. All the relatives surnamed Ji, as long as they are not crazy or idiots, each get a piece of land. He and a group of slaves, such as Ji Shuang, the son of Ji Chang, were enshrined in the State of Yan (Yancheng, Henan, and later moved to Beijing).A few were officials who made meritorious deeds, such as Jiang Ziya, the commander-in-chief of the Zhou Bingtuan, who was entrusted to the state of Qi (west of Nanyang, Henan, and later moved to east of Zibo, Shandong).The third category is due to political reasons. For tribes that cannot be conquered or eliminated, their chieftains will be awarded a free title to appease him not to make trouble. For example, the descendants of the Xia Dynasty were named Qi State (Qi County, Henan Province). , the descendants of Ji Xuanyuan were named Huang Guo (Huangchuan, Henan), the descendants of Yi Qi Fangxun were named Tang Guo (Yicheng, Shanxi), and the descendants of Yao Chonghua were named Chen Guo (Huaiyang, Henan). Since then, the word tribe has gradually disappeared, and it has become a feudal country.But we must remember that at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty in the first twelfth century, there was no difference between a feudal state and a tribe. A small courtyard with a simple earthen house and earth walls was the palace of the feudal monarch. The status of the feudal state is equal, and it belongs directly to the central government, and no one can control anyone else.But the area of ​​the feudal state is not the same size, and the title of the monarch is also high or low.The title is one of the new things in the Zhou Dynasty. It is divided into five levels: "Gong", "Hou", "Bo", "Zi", and "Male".At that time, all the monarchs who enfeoffed the country were called vassals, which meant many marquises, probably because there were so many marquises.Below the fifth level, there is a sixth level of "vassals". The land of the vassals is smaller and does not belong to the central government, but to the larger nearby feudal states.We illustrate this situation with the following table: The most important issue in the feudal system is the succession of power. China has practiced the system of equal distribution among princes since the twelfth century BC at the latest.Every son has a share of the property left by his father.But problems arise when the father bequeaths a unequal throne, or a unequal hereditary title, which can only be inherited by one son.There must be an appropriate solution to maintain the integrity of the country and family.Otherwise, every death of a king or a titled nobleman may lead to a bloodbath, which will lead to the collapse of the country and family. The solution of the Zhou Dynasty was the patriarchal system.This is a very complicated system, and scholars of the Confucian school often spend their entire lives figuring out its details.But if we must express it in one sentence, we can say that it is the "inheritance system of first sons", or it can also be called "the system of progressive decline among relatives".That is to divide all sons into "concubine" and "concubine" based on the identity of the mother and the order of birth.The criteria for classification are illustrated with the following table: Since the "concubine" and "concubine" of the sons are distinct, the patriarchal system stipulates that only the eldest son is the only person who has the right to inherit the king or title.Even if the concubine is older and more talented than the eldest son, he cannot inherit.Even if the eldest son is an idiot or a psychopath, only his butt can sit on the throne.This inheritance law can be summed up in two sentences: "The inheritance is not passed on to the concubines, and the elders are not passed on to the virtuous." If the eldest son dies, the eldest son (that is, the eldest grandson) of the eldest son will inherit.Of course all concubine sons are not allowed to care, even the second son of the same mother's younger brother is not allowed to care, unless the eldest son has no offspring. After the eldest son succeeded, not all the concubines were expelled from the family.They can't just sit on the golden throne and say they are lonely, but they can get a title that is inferior to the throne.In terms of terminology, the legitimate son is "Dazong", and the concubine is "Xiaozong".Then use the following table to show all their relative positions: The greatest function of the patriarchal system is to propose a feasible standard for the order of succession.Although it cannot eradicate conspiracy, bloodshed and war, it has at least successfully prevented or avoided more conspiracy, bloodshed and war. This patriarchal clan system was accepted by subsequent dynasties, and it was not eliminated until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in the 20th century.Its power controlled Chinese society for three thousand years. Eleven Bottleneck Crisis Fatal political disasters broke out in the early days of the Xia and Shang dynasties. When the fifth monarch of the Xia Dynasty and the third monarch of the Shang Dynasty, that is, about 60 years after the founding of the Xia Dynasty and about 40 years after the founding of the Shang Dynasty, the power of the Xia Dynasty was successively seized by Hou Yi and Han Yun. The dynastic regime also fell into the hands of Yi Yin.As a result, although the descendants of the traditional powers won the victory, tens of millions of people have been killed and blood flowed in rivers. Moreover, these descendants may not be sure to win the victory. Every dynasty and regime in Chinese history has this type of scene.This allows us to discover a historical law, that is, any dynastic regime will reach a bottleneck period when it is established forty or fifty years, or when it passes to the second or third generation. ——The so-called several years and several generations are only designed to strengthen the impression, and of course no one will explain it mechanically.When entering the narrow passage of the bottleneck, unless the ruling class has a high degree of wisdom and ability, they cannot avoid encountering a bottleneck crisis that can make their previous efforts go to waste, that is, enough to destroy their country and family.History shows that if you can pass this bottleneck, you can achieve a long-term stability; if you cannot pass this bottleneck or stay stuck in this bottleneck, it will inevitably collapse. There are many reasons for the bottleneck crisis. The main one is that at the beginning of the establishment of the dynasty, the people have not yet developed the psychological inertia of loyalty.The new regime is like a new brick wall that has just been built. The cement has not yet solidified, and any slight vibration will cause it to collapse.Once the ruler is not popular, or corruption, or other accidents, such as foreign aggression and internal strife, are all explosives that cause shocks.Failure to follow the expectations of the generals often prompts the generals who hold military power to aspire to replace them.Corruption is a complete betrayal of the political call of the founding of the country, and it is out of touch with the people who relied on its success.Injuries such as foreign aggression and internal strife are more obvious. The bottleneck crisis of the Zhou Dynasty appeared after the second king Ji Song ascended the throne. In 1116 BC, the first king Ji Fa passed away, and his son Ji Song succeeded to the throne. He was only twelve years old and could not preside over the government yet. His uncle Ji Dan was the regent.Ji Dan is a very talented statesman. It is said that he formulated all the rituals and political systems of the Zhou Dynasty, including the patriarchal system described in the previous section.After he became regent, he pushed his twelve-year-old nephew aside and regarded himself as a king. This naturally aroused the suspicion of the nobles, thinking that Ji Dan would finally kill his nephew.In the newly confiscated land far in the east, there are four most powerful feudal kingdoms, united against him.The four kingdoms are; Yi Guan Guo (Zhengzhou, Henan) Monarch Ji Xian (brother of Ji Fa) Ercai State (Shangcai, Henan Province) Monarch Ji Du (Ji Fa's younger brother) Ji Chu (brother of Ji Fa), monarch of Sanhuo Kingdom (Huozhou, Shanxi) Wu Geng, the gentleman of the Four Yin Kingdoms (Anyang, Henan) (son of Zi Shouxin) Ji Xian and the other three are the monarchs of the three feudal states specially entrusted by Ji Fa. They have a strong military force and form a line of defense that echoes each other to guard against and monitor Wu Geng, the remnant son of the Shang Dynasty. They are called the "Three Supervisors".But now the three feudal states that monitor the remnants of the enemy have instead formed an alliance with the remnant enemies. Of course Zi Wugeng is very happy that there is a civil war in the Zhou Dynasty, and he hopes to fight it as hard as possible.The third supervisor distributed the weapons to Zi Wugeng, and contacted some nearby Yanyi tribes (Hehuai Plain) and Huaiyi tribes (Jianghuai Plain) who had never been conquered by the Zhou Dynasty, and sent troops to attack Jidan.They were so powerful that all the eastern territory of the Zhou Dynasty fell, people panicked, and the central government was shaken.姬旦只好作孤注一掷的亲征，天老爷保佑他，自纪元前一一一五年，到纪元前一一一三年，经三年苦战，终算把“三监”联军打垮。子武庚跟姬鲜被杀，姬度被贬窜到蛮荒地区，姬处被废为平民。 ——这是中国历史上第一次出现“被废为平民”的惩罚，即从贵族阶层开除，剥夺掉一切只有贵族才有的特权。降为平民，在宗法制度中的严重性，仅次于砍头。 瓶颈危机结束，姬旦乘胜加强在东方的统治力量。纪元前一一○九年，姬旦把他所得到的新奴隶——再度失败的商王朝遗民和奄夷、淮夷俘虏全部迁到黄河以南，洛水以北地区，兴筑两个相距二十公里的东西双子城，东称王城，西称成周——也称洛阳，城筑好后，即用这批奴隶开垦荒地，他们被称为“殷国顽劣的奴隶”，颈子上的绳索恐怕要系一个很长时间。 然而，就在洛阳筑城时，十九岁的国王姬诵向他那劳苦功高的叔父姬旦下手，剥夺姬旦的一切权力。两年后的纪元前一一○七年，姬诵又将有所行动，姬旦星夜向东逃走，投奔他儿子鲁国（山东曲阜）国君姬伯禽，又是两年后；纪元前一一○五年逝世。 十二纪元前十一世纪 本世纪（前十一）是周王朝最富强的时代，史籍上说，全国社会安定，经济繁荣。四十年间，民间连普通轻微的诉讼纠纷，都没有发生。不过，在对外战争上却倒了大霉。就在本世纪（前十一）中叶，远在南方长江流域的蛮族之一，被封为子爵的楚部落，日益膨胀，周王朝的四任王姬瑕于纪元前一○三四年御驾亲征，结果所率领的六军全部覆没，大败而还。他不甘心这种结局，于纪元前一○○二年，就是本世纪（前十一）结束的前两年，再度南征，楚部落吃了败仗，可是却用极易溶解的一种胶质材料，做了一条大船，泊在汉水上恭送国王，姬暇坐了上去，行到中流，胶解舟沉，活活淹死。 本世纪（前十一）的东西方世界： 进入迦南地（巴勒斯坦）的希伯来部落，政治跟宗教终于分家。纪元前一○二五年（周王朝四任王姬瑕在位），扫罗被推举为国王，建立希伯来王国。（纪元前一○一○年姬瑕溺死汉水的前八年），扫罗战死，大卫继位国王，四出侵略，领土大大的扩张。 十三纪元前十世纪 中国在本世纪（前十）发生一件大事，周王朝第五任国王姬满命他的大臣吕侯，制定刑法。这是中国第一部成文法典，史学家称为《吕刑》。比《汉谟拉比法典》晚一千二百年。 在西亚洲。希伯来国王大卫于纪元前九七四年逝世（周王朝五任王姬满在位），儿子所罗门继位。这位以《所罗门箴言》闻名于世的伟大君主，把希伯来王国带入黄金时代三十余年。纪元前九三七年（周王朝六任王姬伊扈仍在位），所罗门逝世，王国分裂为二：北部称以色列王国，南部称犹太王国，互相攻击，战斗不止。 仍在西亚洲。腓尼基人发明字母。字母的重要性，越到近代越是增加，打字机和电脑发明后（二者是只有拼音文字才能够灵活使用的工具），整个人类文明，都为之改观。 本世纪（前十）结束时，半信史时代还没有结束，要延到下世纪（前九）中叶才结束，然后紧接着开始信史时代。