Dream of ancient Zhou Gong detailed introduction

Zhou Gong, also known as Zhou Gong Dan, was the uncle of King Cheng of Zhou, who made great contributions to the establishment and improvement of the feudal system of Zhou Dynasty. The Duke of Zhou enjoys a high position in Confucian culture. Confucius used the words 'I no longer dream of the Duke of Zhou' as a metaphor for the loss of ritual culture in the Zhou Dynasty. The Duke of Zhou is a figure that frequently appears in Confucius' dreams. In China, where Confucianism has long dominated culture, the Duke of Zhou is inevitably directly associated with dreams. Dreams are often referred to as 'the Duke of Zhou's dream', or 'dreaming of the Duke of Zhou'. Therefore, the Duke of Zhou interprets the Duke of Zhou in the dream, that is, the Duke of Zhou.

Zhou Gongdan was the mother and brother of King Wu Ji Fa. In Zhou's war against Shang, he 'often left King Wu, and took most of his duties.' Two years after the destruction of the Shang Dynasty, King Wu died of illness, and his son, King Cheng, was placed under the regent of Duke Zhou. King Wu's other two brothers, Uncle Guan and Uncle CAI, were not satisfied. They spread rumors that the Duke of Zhou had ambitions and might try to kill the king and usurp the throne. Hearing this, Duke Zhou said to Tai Gong Wang and Zhao Gong Shuang, 'I have assumed the regent's responsibility regardless of personal gains and losses, because I am afraid of instability in the world.' If the country is in chaos and the people are ruined, how can I live up to the trust placed in me by my ancestors and King Wu?' Duke of Zhou also said to his son Boji, who was going to take his title and live in the fief of the State of Lu, 'I am the son of King Wen, the younger brother of King Wu, and the uncle of King Cheng, and I am very high in the state in terms of status and status.' But I always pay attention to diligence, frugality, humility to the people, lest I lose the world's wise men. When you go to the State of Lu, do not be arrogant and jealous.' ;

In the Zhou Dynasty, those who obtained the title assisted the king of Zhou in governing the world. There was usually only one Duke of Zhou, but at the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there was a chaotic situation in which there were two Duke of Zhou. The first generation of Zhou Gong named Ji Dan, also known as Shu Dan, the fourth son of King Wen Ji Chang. Because the fiefdom was in Zhou (now north of Qishan, Shaanxi), it was called Zhou Gong or Zhou Gong Dan. He was an outstanding politician and strategist in the early Western Zhou Dynasty.

Soon, Uncle Guan and Uncle CAI conspired with King Zhou's son, Wu Geng, and allied with the Dongyi tribes to rebel against the Zhou Dynasty. The Duke of Zhou was ordered by the king to lead the armies to the east. After three years of hard fighting, he finally vanquished the rebellion, conquered the Eastern states, took down a large number of Shang nobles, killed Uncle Guan and Wu Geng at the same time, and banished Uncle CAI. It consolidated the rule of the Zhou Dynasty (see the Eastern Campaign of Zhou Gong).

After the rebellion was vanquished, in order to strengthen his control over the East, Duke Zhou officially suggested that King Cheng move his capital to Luoyi (present-day Luoyang). At the same time, a large number of Shang nobles captured in the war, that is, the 'Yin stubborn people' moved to Luoyi, and sent Zhao Gongshuang to the 8th division in Luoyi to strengthen supervision over them. In addition, the Duke of Zhou sealed his younger brother Kang Shu as the king of Wei, and ordered him to stay in the Shang ruins to manage the Shang people there. He warned the young Kang uncle: The Shang dynasty was destroyed because King Zhou drank too much wine and sexually abused women, so that the court was in chaos and the princes took justice. He instructed, 'When you arrive at the ruins of Yin, first ask the wise men and elders there to ask them for advice on the reasons for the rise and fall of the Shang Dynasty; Secondly, you must love the people.' Zhou Gongdan also wrote the above advice, 'Kanggao', 'wine', 'Catalpa material' three pieces, as a rule to Kangshu. After Uncle Kang arrived at the Yin ruins, he kept in mind the advice of Zhou Gongdan, lived frugally, took care of the people, and made the local officials live and work in peace and contentment.

After the establishment of the capital Luoyi, the Duke of Zhou began to implement the policy of establishing a state. He successively established 71 vassal states, and put 15 brothers and 16 meritorious officials of King Wu into the vassal state to be vassals, in order to defend the royal family. In addition, the well field system was widely carried out in the country, and the land was unified in planning, which consolidated and strengthened the economic foundation of the Zhou dynasty.

In order to further consolidate the Zhou regime, the Duke of Zhou also 'made rites and made music', formulated and carried out a set of rules and regulations to maintain the patriarchal system of Kings and subjects and the upper and lower ranks. There are mainly 'Gi dress' system, 'Lord posthumous title' system, 'law' system, 'first son succession' system and 'music' system. The most important of these are the system of primogeniture and the system of rank and inferiority. In the Yin and Shang dynasties, the succession of the monarch was mostly brother and brother, and the succession was uncertain. The system of legal primogeniture established by the Duke of Zhou, that is, based on blood ties, stipulated that the throne of the son of Zhou should be inherited by the eldest son. At the same time, the other sons of the concubines were awarded the title of princes. The relationship between them and the Son of Heaven was that between local and central, small and large. Duke of Zhou also formulated a series of strict ceremonial systems of Kings and ministers, fathers and sons, brothers, relatives, superiors and subordinates, in order to adjust the relationship between the central and local governments, princes and subjects, and strengthen the rule of the central power.

Zhou Gongdan was regent for six years, and when the king had grown up, he decided to return to the throne. Before returning to power, Duke Zhou wrote No Yi, taking the collapse of Yin Shang as a lesson, warning King Cheng to the prophet to 'reap the hardships of farming' and not to indulge in sex, leisure, play and hunting. Then, 'When the government is exhausted, the north will be the minister.'

After his abdication, Zhou Gongdan put his main energy into making rites and entertainment, and continued to improve various laws and regulations. When he was old and ill, he told him, 'Be sure to bury me in Luoyi to show that I will not be able to leave King Cheng until I die.' He died soon after. ;