#Ji Xinping thought

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Review: Hidden Hand - How The Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping The World - by Clive Hamilton & Mareike Ohlberg

Review: Hidden Hand – How The Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping The World – by Clive Hamilton & Mareike Ohlberg

As a committed sinophile, this recently written book seemed a necessity. As China continues its rise to being the most dominant national force economically on the planet, it is quite difficult to obtain meaningful and relevant and unbiased factual information about its thoughts and the thoughts of its governing Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Aside from the political Iron Curtain, there is the…

[bookofjin]

Biography of Zhou Chu

[From JS058. Zhou Chu was the son of the Wu general Zhou Fang. In youth he was a menace to society, but after killing a tiger and a dragon, he reformed himself and became successfull official. He fell in battle against Qi Wannian in 297.]

Zhou Chu [d. 297], courtesy name Ziyin, was a native of Yangxian in Yixing. His father Fang was Wu's Grand Warden of Poyang. Chu was orphaned young, not yet a capped youth. His bodily strength and potency surpassed other people, he excelled at swift gallops on the chase and hunt, did not study minor actions and indulged in feelings for excess and desires. The province thoroughly suffered from him.

Chu himself knew he was detested by people, and therefore with sighs had the determination to change and strive [?]. He spoke to a village elder, saying: “Now the season is harmonious and the year bountiful, why are you bitter and not happy?”

The elder sighed and said: “The three misfortunes are not yet eliminated, how can I have happiness?”

Chu said: “What do you speak of?”

He replied, saying: “In the southern mountain a white-fore-headed violent beast, below the long bridge a scaly dragon, together with Sir that makes three!”

[The first misfortune is a tiger, it is called a “violent beast” měngshòu 猛獸 here to avoid the Tang taboo on hǔ 虎]

Chu said: “If you are suffering from these, I can eliminate them.”

The elder said: “If Sir eliminates them, then [we] bring together the commandery in a great celebration, not simply flee misfortune and that is all.” [?]

Chu therefore entered the mountains and shot and killed the violent beast. By jumping into the water he grabbed the dragon. The dragon sometimes sunk, sometimes floated. They travelled for several tens of li, and yet Chu and [the dragon] [were still] together, passing through three days and three nights. People said [they were] dead. All congratulated each other.

Chu in the end killed the dragon and returned. He heard the district and village celebrating each other. Only then he understood people suffered considerably from him and therefore entered Wu to seek out the Two Lu [Lu Ji and Lu Yun; JS054].

At the time Ji was not there. He saw Yun and wrote to tell his feelings, saying: “[I] desire self-cultivation and yet in past years [I have] slipped and stumbled. [I] fear [I] will never attain it.”

Yun said: “The ancients valued erring in the morning and changing in the evening. Sir's road forward is still possible. Moreover [if you] worry about not achieving your purpose, why be sad for your lack of fame?”

[Note that Lu Ji was only born in 261 and Lu Yun in 262, so this part of the story is about as likely as the dragon.]

Chu thereupon with encouraged determination to excel at studying, had cultured thoughts [?], determined to live righteous and zealous, said surely loyalty to really overcome oneself. [?] Next year, the province office intersected the law. [?] He served Wu as Assistant of the Left of the Eastern Watchtower. At the end of Sun Hao, he was Controller of Wunan.

When Wu was pacified, Wang Hun [JS042] climbed the Jianye palace to filter wine. He was already tipsy when he spoke to the people of Wu, saying: “Sirs are the remnants of a perished state, how are you able to not grieve?”

Chu replied,saying: “At the end of Han divided the collapsed, the Three States' tripods were established. Wei was wiped out first, Wu perished last. Grieving for a perished state, why only a single person? [?]” Hun had a shameful face.

He entered Luo and a little later moved to Grand Warden of Xinping. He consoled and calmed the Rong Di¤, and the rebellious Qiang returned to adherence. The land of Yong were pleased with him.

[Note that Rong戎 and Di¤狄 were archaic names for foreign peoples, especially those located in the north and west. The Di氐 encountered below were a people actually contemporary with Jin.]

He moved to Grand Warden of Guanghan. The commandery had many blocked up litigations that had passed through 30 years without judgement. Chu thoroughly straightened their bends, and in one morning determined and sent them off. Due to his mother's old age he resigned and returned.

He was appointed to Interior Clerk of Chu. He had not yet gone to his post when he was summoned and designated Cavalier in Regular Attendance. Chu said: “The ancients refused the great and did not refuse the small.” [?] He therefore first went to Chu. And yet the commandery was already passing through mourning confusion [?], new and old were mixed together, the manners and customs were not yet united. Chu firmly therefore taught right conduct, and also examined the corpses and bones without owners and the white bones in the fields, and buried them. He then started to approach the summon. Distant and near spoke in admiration.

When he resided in intimate attendance, he many times recited the regulations [?]. He was moved to Imperial Clerk and Assistant of the Left, in all investigations and impeachments, he did not turn aside the favoured and related. The King of Liang, Rong [JS038], disobeyed the law. Chi wrote strictly to notify about it. [?]

When Qi Wannian of the Di rebelled, court officials despised Chu as stubborn and straight. All said: “Chu is the son of Wu's famous general. [His] loyalty and zeal will result in resoluteness.” He was therefore sent as subordinate of Xiahou Jun on the western conquest.

The General who Prostrates the Waves, Sun Xiu, understood they wanted him dead. He spoke to him, saying: “Sir has an aged mother, [you] can use this to refuse.”

Chu said: “the Way of the loyal and filial, how can the two be maintained? [I have] already refused the lord for personal affairs [?], how can I father and mother again and son? [?] Today this is how I die.”

Wannian heard it and said: “Office Lord [?] Zhou formerly presided over Xinping, I know what kind of man he is, talented in both the civil and martial. If [he?] acts arbitrarily and comes, it can not be done. [?] Suppose accept to regulate people, this is to completely capture and that is all.” [?]

Then the King of Liang, Rong, became Great General who Conquers the West and Commander-in-Chief of All Army Affairs of Guanzhong. Chu knew Rong was not at peace and would surely attempt to destroy him [Chu]. Since, due to people and officials exhausting [?] authority, he ought not refuse in fear. He therefore with sad regrets then travelled, with determination not to return alive.

The Prefect of the Palace Writers, Chen Zhun, knew Rong wanted to indulge in old resentments, therefore spoke to the court, saying: “Jun and the King of Liang are both worthy relatives and not talented in commanding and leading. [They will] advance without seeking fame and withdraw without worrying about mistakes. Zhou Chu is a native of Chu, his loyalty and bravery resulting in uprightness, he is hated and not aided, [?] and wants surely to lose his life. [We] ought to decree Meng Guan [JS060] to use ten thousand spirited troops and be Chu's vanguard, [then they will] surely be able to wipe out the bandits. If not, Rong will send out Chu as the first patrol, and his defeat is certain.” The imperial court did not follow.

At the time the traitors garrisoned Mount Liang, and had a multitude of 70 000. And yet Jun pressured Chu to use 5 000 troops to strike them. Chu said: “The army is without rearguard and will surely come to defeat. Even though I perish myself, it will be the state that gets the shame.”

Rong again instructed Chu to advance and punish. Therefore he together with the General who Raises Power, Lu Bo, and the Inspector of Yong province, Jie Xi [JS060], attacked Wannian at Liumo. When they were about to fight, the men in Chu's army had not yet eaten. Rong urged and ordered quick advance, and yet cut off his rearguard. Chu knew he would surely be defeated, and composed a poem which said:

Departing and leaving the generation's affairs. Whipping the horse to look at the Western Rong. Goosefoot, bean leaves, tasty foxtail and broomcorn millet. The time that was agreed on causing the end.

He finished speaking and fought, from dawn to dusk, the beheaded tallied ten thousand.

Bowstrings snapped and arrows depleted, [but] Bo and Xi did not aid. Left and right recommended withdrawal. Chu put his hand on his sword and said: “This here is my presented tally day of instruction, how will withdrawing be [?] Moreover in ancient times when the good wanted to accept instructions, piercing the malefic gates to accordingly set out, hiding had [?] advancing without withdrawal. Now the various armies count on and trust [?], their power will surely not be raised. I am a great subject, using myself to tour the state, can this not be done?” Thereupon he fought hard and fell.

He was posthumously conferred General who Pacifies the West, bestowed 1 000 000 cash, burial ground of 1 qing, ground of 50 mu in the capital city for a mansion, and also bestowed fields of 5 qing in the vicinity of the royal house. A decree said: “Mu's mother is of advanced age, add accordingly remote people [?]. We always pity and think of [her], bestow accordingly for forever.”

[According to JS004, Qi Wannian rebelled and declared himself emperor in Autumn 297. On 6 January 297, Xiahou Jun and Zhou Jun were sent against him. On 12 February 297 Zhou Chu was killed in battle at Liumo. Qi Wannian was eventually defeated by Meng Guan in 299, 1st Month.]

Chu authored Silent Sayings in 30 chapters and the Records of Wind and Earth, together compiled and assembled in the Book of Wu.

At the time Pan Yue [JS055] receiving a decree to write the Poem of Guanzhong, said:

Zhou toured the troop orders [?], himself greasing evenly the axe. [?] Men going are said to perish, [?] virtuous authority carrying and lifting [?]

Also the Colonel of the Western Rong, Yan Zuan [JS048], likewise sent up a poem saying:

Zhou kept whole his tally, ordering and inquiring without end. Himself although said to be lost in books [is among?] the famous and virtuous in history. [?]

When Emperor Yuan was King of Jin, he wanted to add to Chu a deed of posthumous title. The Grand Master of Ceremonies, He Xun [JS068], discussed it and said: “Chu's behaviour was moral, pure and square, his talents and capacity was lofty and productive. He successively warded four commanderies, calmed the people and established government. He entered to direct the hundred companions, with virtuous authority he did not submit. Being the Rong present themselves [?], seeing danger he gave his life. Thus all a lush wealth of loyalty and worthiness [?], the distant authority of a zealous solider. [?] According to the rules of conferring posthumous titles, holding on to morality and not deviating is called Filial [xiao].” Thereupon used that as his posthumous title.

He had three sons: Ji, Jing and Zha. Jing passed on early. Ji and Zha both knew fame.