Zuo Tradition vs. Schemes of the Warring States

2022.Feb

1. What is the relationship between the individual people and the events in each story? Which do you think is more important in each story? (By "relationship" I mean, which do you think takes precedence in the story? Are the people just there to illustrate the significance of the events, or do the events unfold because of the choices made by the people?)

2. Why do you think the relationship between people and events differs in Zuo Tradition vs. Schemes of the Warring States? You can relate your answer to what you think the overall purpose of these two works is.

The Zuo Tradition, an entry for the 22nd year of Duke Xi (638 B.C.) P78

From the Schemes of the Warring States(Zhan-guo ce) P82

1. I am selecting to discuss the story of Zi-yu from Zuo Tradition (an entry for the 22nd year of Duke Xi 638B.C.) and the story of Zi-yu from Schemes of the Warring States. The tale of Zi-yu tells the defeat of the Song army and the Chu army. It contrasts two opposing and conflicting military ideas through the dialogue between the emperor and his court officials. The first half of the article describes the duration of the war and the fiasco of Duke of Song, and the second half describes Zi-yu's argument against the pedantic benevolence and justice of Duke of Song. It encapsulates the complexity of the battle scene in brief prose, setting off the importance of the debate. However, the article does not describe the characters in detail. Taking Duke of Song as an example, his two simple descriptions of "No" and "Not yet" illustrate his insistence on etiquette and obstinacy. Although he maintained a reasonable manner, his delay in waiting for the formation of the other party ultimately led to failure. The second paragraph demonstrates the contradiction of whether "rites" should be adhered to in war. Duke of Song believes that "A nobleman does not wound someone twice, nor does he take captive someone with grey hair." On the other hand, Zi-yu thinks that war should be more rational: "If you wound someone but do not kill him, why not Wound him again". That is, people shouldn't start a battle in the first place if they’re afraid of hurting the old. The story of Yu Rang tells of a court official who tried his best to repay the king's favor after his death by assassinating Lord Xiang because Earl of Zhi gave Yu-rang the respect and friendship he needed. Yu-rang said: "A liegeman dies for the man who appreciates him; A woman makes herself beautiful for the man who is pleased with her’, a famous quote spread through the ages. Indeed, he did not hesitate to hurt himself in order to be worthy of the Earl of Zhi's appreciation to him and friendship as his bosom friend. After his first assassination attempt failed, Lord Xiang set him free in admiration for his integrity. Although Yu Lang knew that he would not be so fortunate next time should he fail, he nonetheless still returned to assassinate Lord Xiang after mutilating himself." After his second failed attempt, he then said: "I have heard it said that a wise ruler did not force a man to conceal his principle, and I have heard that one who Serves with loyalty, to make his fame complete, does not cling to life." He hoped to stab Lord Xiang's clothes three times to complete his obsession with revenge. Yu-rang died calmly as a loyal minister, "feeling no resentment in his death." He demonstrated his belief in not seeking fame and wealth with his practical actions, emphasizing moral values to achieve immortality, which profoundly influenced Chinese culture.

2. The primary purpose of the Zuo Tradition is to record events, therefore characters are secondary to the story. Although the text expresses regret and sympathy for the nobles and appreciation for the wise men, this is only to explain the story wholly. In contrast, Schemes of the Warring States focuses on the character as the plot is more complex and detailed; in fact, the story unfolds through the choices of the unique characters. In the story of Zi-yu, the author's main purpose is not to represent the characters with fierce conflicts but to express famous military ideas. The author takes two different values as examples and discusses whether the two armies should follow specific rules in wartime. Specifically these values are whether to wait until the two armies are ready to fight and whether there should be conditional killing - avoid killing the elderly. These values reflect ancient Chinese people's views on war and ethics, and the purpose of this story is to discuss the contradiction between utilitarianism and morality in the face of national survival. The author objectively narrates and writes on the topic skillfully avoiding subjective feelings. On the other hand, Schemes of the Warring States takes characters as the theme, and Yu-rang embodies tragedy. He assassinated Lord Xiang alone, disfigured and mutilated himself. Whether he succeeded or not, his tragic outcome could not be avoided. The article also added the reversal scene in which he did not give up the assassination even after being released. The ups and downs of the plot as if the whole assassination scene could be seen and heard. The article mainly expresses Yu-rang's idea that he died to fulfill the ideal of all "rites": to have a suitable manner and was immortal though he died. In his unremitting assassination, we can see his faith in loyalty, his desire for dignity and the pursuit of self-identity. Yu-rang is a "righteous man" who dies for goals, faith, and bosom friends. He did not hesitate to take his life as the main revenge story spread through the ages, and his chivalrous spirit of "A liegeman dies for the man who appreciates him" is always highly respected by people.

3. There are three reasons for the different relationships between people and events in Zuo Tradition and Schemes of the Warring States: different backgrounds, genres, and purposes. Firstly, they are created in different contexts. Zuo Tradition and Schemes of the Warring States respectively reflect the social ethos and political and historical background of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In the Spring and Autumn Period, etiquette and righteousness were still restricting people, and people often made the other party give way intellectually through negotiations. Therefore, Zuo Tradition focused more on rational discussion. However, in the Warring States Period, more people from lower-class hoped to become officials by demonstrating their abilities. They had a very strong demand for independent personalities and wanted to be free and stand out. Therefore, more characters are depicted in Schemes of the Warring States. Secondly, Zuo Tradition is a chronological work that describes war, diplomatic, and political scenes. Schemes of the Warring States is a book describing the history of independent Countries (国别体）. Therefore, it highlights morality and emphasizes the role of characters, with a broader range of emotions and vivid imagery. Finally, Zuo Tradition aims to record truthfully the events that happened in the Spring and Autumn Period, focusing on the description of events. On the contrary, the author of Schemes of the Warring States hopes that the emperor can understand and use the wise ministers. Therefore, Yu-rang's story expresses the admonishment that should a sovereign wish to retain good officers, he should treat them as 'bosom' friends and respect them to earn the loyalty of wise men. Therefore, Schemes of the Warring States focuses on the description of people and their dynamic interactions.

Bibliography

Owen, Stephen. An Anthology of Chinese Literature: Beginnings to 1911. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997.