Duke Xuan

AnonymousThe Commercial Press · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 14K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

In the first year, spring, the king's first month, the duke took his position. Gongzi Sui went to Qi to meet a bride. In the third month, he brought the lady Jiang from Qi. In summer, Jisun Xingfu went to Qi. Jin exiled its grand officer Xu Jiafu to Wei. The duke met the Marquis of Qi at Pingzhou. Gongzi Sui went to Qi. In the sixth month, the men of Qi took the fields west of the Ji. In autumn, the Viscount of Zhu came to court. The Viscount of Chu and the men of Zheng invaded Chen, and then invaded Song. Zhao Dun of Jin led an army to rescue Chen. The Duke of Song, the Marquis of Chen, the Marquis of Wei, and the Earl of Cao met the Jin army at Feilin and attacked Zheng. In winter, Zhao Chuan of Jin led an army to invade Chong. The men of Jin and the men of Song attacked Zheng.

Editor's review

This is a photo-reprint of the plain text of the Lu Xuan Gong section of the Chunqiu, recording events year by year from the duke's accession in the first year to the attacks on Zheng by Jin and Song at the end, arranged annalistically with no commentary. Its value lies in presenting the Chunqiu's plainest annalistic format and phrasing: meetings and covenants, invasions and attacks, court visits and diplomatic inquiries, seizure of fields, and other entries are listed in sequence, allowing readers to directly perceive the structural artistry of "praise and blame in a single word" and to trace the mid-Spring and Autumn period's Jin-Chu rivalry and Lu's maneuvering between Qi and Jin. The original Republican-era Commercial Press edition preserves the old-style typesetting; the characters are clear, making it suitable as a base text for collating the classic. Because the whole book is a continuous record of brief sentences lacking background on persons and explanations of cause and effect, first-time readers may see only entries and no threads; it is best read alongside the relevant years of the Zuo Zhuan, or after first learning the main historical events of Duke Xuan's reign. The book is more suited to readers studying the history of the classics and textual scholarship as reference material than to those seeking a narrative read-through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of classical studies researching the Chunqiu text and annalistic artistry
Textual scholarship enthusiasts needing the Republican-era photo-reprint to collate wording
History readers interested in mid-Spring and Autumn Jin-Chu relations and Lu's diplomacy
University students of ancient history and classical texts using it as course supplementary material

Not a good fit for

General leisure readers hoping for story-driven historical narrative
Beginners lacking a foundation in Spring and Autumn history who need annotated explanations
Readers who prefer vernacular translations and detailed character analysis

Reading tips

First read through one year's text, then compare it with the Zuo Zhuan's record of the same year to clarify causes and consequences.
Keep a chronological table of major Spring and Autumn events, marking the locations and participants of meetings and attacks.
Group and excerpt similar phrasing (such as ru, hui, qin, fa) to appreciate the Chunqiu's artistry.
Read the photo-reprint alongside modern collated editions, noting variant readings as they appear.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
序
◇宣公元年
◇宣公二年
◇宣公三年
◇宣公四年
◇宣公五年
◇宣公六年
◇宣公七年
◇宣公八年
◇宣公九年
◇宣公十年
◇宣公十一年
◇宣公十二年
◇宣公十三年
◇宣公十四年
◇宣公十五年
◇宣公十六年
◇宣公十七年
◇宣公十八年

FAQ

Does this book have annotations and translation?

According to the available information, this is the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition; the main text is the Chunqiu text for Lu Xuan Gong, with no modern annotations or vernacular translation mentioned. Readers needing explanatory notes should consult the Zuo Zhuan and modern annotated editions separately; this book is better suited as a base text for collating and studying the original classic.

Can I read it without a foundation in Spring and Autumn history?

You can, but it will be difficult. The text records only "in such-and-such year and month, such-and-such event," without explaining who people are or why events happened; without background it easily becomes rote memorization. It is advisable first to read one or two popular works on Spring and Autumn history or selected Zuo Zhuan passages to build a basic timeline and understanding of relations among the states, then return to the classic text, which will go much more smoothly.

Who does "Xuan Gong" refer to?

It refers to Duke Xuan of Lu, the ruler of Lu. The text uses Lu's calendar and begins with "In the first year, spring, the king's first month, the duke took his position." The events involve Qi, Jin, Chu, Zheng, Song, Chen, Wei, and other states, reflecting the mid-Spring and Autumn international situation from Lu's perspective; it is not a personal biography of Duke Xuan.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.