Week One

Why does Po Yü organize the land (which he had just finished regulating, along with the waters, for Shun) in this (N32t-b) particular concentric model? We start with the Son of Heaven’s City and then radiate outwards. Every 500 li there is a new domain: supply, warning, peace-securing, reinforcing, and wild. After 2500 li, plus the unknown radius of the Son of Heaven’s City, we reach the extremes. At the north and south the world reached its limits, to the east the world ended in the ocean, and to the west “covered the Liu-sha.” This ordering meant that “[the government’s] advice and instructions encompassed the world.” Here is all under heaven. But within these domains, there are further divisions that are not uniformly distributed. Why? For example, exiled men fall within the last 200 li of the reinforcing domain, while banished men fall within the last 200 li of the wild domain. In between these 1000 li the structure reveals an embedded social status. The Yi people are better (closer) than the Man people, and both exiled and banished men. Whereas the Man people are only better (closer) than those banished. Or, phrased differently, to be banished is to be worse (further) the Man people. Location suggests value judgments. Exiled men may return at some point, but those banished must never return. If we look at the closest sections, we can see an intermixing between pragmatics and social hierarchy. It is practical for the supply domain to be the first ring, as they pay taxes with the five grains. These foodstuffs could return to the city, the center, or radiate outward to the warning domain, with ranking officers, barons, and feudal lords, or one domain further to the peace-securing domain where there is pacification efforts and military garrisons. In first the 300 li of the peace-securing domain, “they modified the teaching of the central government [according to the situation].” This suggests flexibility and the potential for growth. As the size of the Son of Heaven’s City is unknown, this could grow outwards as every domain’s 500 li shifts further out. Though depicted as complete, as the Qin later demonstrate, territorial control shifts who counts.  

What can we learn about Sima Qian’s historical method by looking at Duke Xiao’s speech (Q23m-24t)? Duke Xiao recounts much of the history that Sima Qian has just narrated, but he includes passion, purpose, and commentary in his order. In his speech, he is reverent to Duke Mu, disturbed by “internal woes” and troubling times, ashamed of the loss of conquered territory and being “looked down on” by other feudal lords, and “is constantly pained” upon reflection of the failure of his father, Duke Xian, to reenact Duke Mu’s state. Duke Xiao’s emotional texture helps connect the dots in his narrative. Why does “strengthening Qin” matter? Because Qin must redeem itself and recover the lost lands of the great forefather, Duke Mu. Duke Xiao’s purpose is clarified, too, through his commentary. Duke Mu’s virtuous and martial conduct was not just recognized by the Son of Heaven and the other feudal lords, but also in Duke Xiao’s own opinion in his recounting. His “manner” was “glorious” and “opened the way for future accomplishment!” Duke Xiao reverently and enthusiastically (“!”) approves of Duke Mu’s demeaner while setting himself up to be included in that future lineage, but not explicitly so. Duke Xiao’s commentary upon the downfall is different because it appeals to all Qin: “No shame could have been greater than ours!” Duke Xiao prescribes an emotional response to the narrative for the intended audience. Such prescriptive emotional commentary is absent from Sima Qian’s narrative, except, of course, through characters like Duke Xiao. Sima Qian, so far, has also eschewed direct emotional reactions to events, except when comments (“How regrettable!”) upon the historical material available for his own project (Q87t). As we return to the end of Duke Xiao’s speech, we see a change in his commentary. He now places himself, his heart, into the narrative. The memory of these recounted past events pains his heart, constantly. Duke Xiao’s history is rhetorical. He demands help to finish the story, and Lord Shang answers. Sima Qian’s demands are buried deeper in his characters and craft: selecting, ordering, and omitting the past.