Duke Zhuang

AnonymousThe Commercial Press · ChinaJun 2024

3.1

Word count: 9.1K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Duke Zhuang was a ruler of the state of Yuan during the Spring and Autumn period, holding the rank of count. In the eighteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (676 BCE), Duke Guo, Marquis Xian of Jin, and Duke Li of Zheng sent Duke Zhuang of Yuan to the state of Chen to escort Queen Chen Gui to the capital; she later became known as Queen Hui.

Editor's review

The "Duke Zhuang" in this entry refers to the ruler of the state of Yuan during the Spring and Autumn period, who held the rank of count. His only recorded deed appears in the eighteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (676 BCE), when he was sent by Duke Guo, Duke Xian of Jin, and Duke Li of Zheng to the state of Chen to escort Queen Chen Gui to the capital; she later became Queen Hui. The content is extremely brief: it is a single appearance by a minor-state ruler in a major political marriage alliance. Its value lies not in the figure's biography but in what it reveals about the diplomatic configuration in which the feudal lords of Guo, Jin, and Zheng jointly arranged the queen's escort, and about the role of a small state like Yuan in coordination among the great states. This edition is a facsimile reprint of the original Republican-era Commercial Press publication, preserving the old layout and movable type; it is suitable as supplementary reading material for pre-Qin historical sources or as a collectible edition. Because the source material itself is limited in length, readers should not expect a systematic biographical narrative; it should be read within the annalistic context of the relevant year in the Chunqiu and its three commentaries, and understood against the background of feudal marriage alliances and the installation of queens. For general readers, it is better browsed as a fragment of historical source material than read as a standalone piece.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of pre-Qin history consulting sources on Spring and Autumn feudal marriage alliances and the escort and installation of queens
Scholars of literature and history needing a Republican-era original facsimile for textual reference
Enthusiasts of ancient history interested in the political role of small states in the Spring and Autumn period
Users of reference works collecting old facsimile editions from the Commercial Press

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting a complete biography or narrative storytelling
Beginners lacking basic knowledge of Spring and Autumn chronology and relations among the feudal states
Readers seeking detailed annotations, vernacular translation, and comparative maps

Reading tips

First locate the relevant entry for the eighteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu and confirm the context in which Duke Zhuang of Yuan appears.
Read it alongside the Chunqiu and its three commentaries, sorting out the marriage relationships among Guo, Jin, Zheng, and Chen.
Treat this record as an excerpt of historical source material, noting the three elements of time, persons, and event.
If using it for textual reference, also record the layout features of the facsimile edition for future verification.

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
◇庄公元年
◇庄公二年
◇庄公三年
◇庄公四年
◇庄公五年
◇庄公六年
◇庄公七年
◇庄公八年
◇庄公九年
◇庄公十年
◇庄公十一年
◇庄公十二年
◇庄公十三年
◇庄公十四年
◇庄公十五年
◇庄公十六年
◇庄公十七年
◇庄公十八年
◇庄公十九年
◇庄公二十年
◇庄公二十一年
◇庄公二十二年
◇庄公二十三年
◇庄公二十四年
◇庄公二十五年
◇庄公二十六年
◇庄公二十七年
◇庄公二十八年
◇庄公二十九年
◇庄公三十年
◇庄公三十一年
◇庄公三十二年

FAQ

What does Duke Zhuang of Yuan do in this historical record?

According to the source, in the eighteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (676 BCE), Duke Guo, Duke Xian of Jin, and Duke Li of Zheng sent Duke Zhuang of Yuan to the state of Chen to escort Queen Chen Gui to the capital; Chen Gui later became Queen Hui. Duke Zhuang of Yuan here acts as the executor of the queen's escort, reflecting a minor-state ruler's participation in affairs coordinated among the great states.

Why is this record so brief?

The source itself provides only a single appearance by Duke Zhuang of Yuan and does not elaborate on his life. Records of minor-state rulers in the Spring and Autumn period tend to be attached to major annalistic events, hence the brevity. It should be understood within the annalistic context of the relevant year rather than read as an independent biography.

How should the Republican-era Commercial Press original facsimile be used?

Such facsimile editions preserve the old layout and movable type and usually carry no modern annotations; they are suitable for textual reference or collecting. When using one, it is advisable to have a annotated edition of Spring and Autumn history and a chronological table on hand for comparison: first confirm the year and the relationships among the persons, then return to the facsimile text, so as to avoid misreading due to the lack of annotations.

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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.