Prince Shensheng of Jin
Encyclopedia
Prince Shensheng , was the eldest son of Duke Xian of Jin
and the crown prince of the State of Jin during the reign of Duke Xian of Jin before he was replaced by his half-brother Prince Xiqi
(奚齊).
(驪姬), he gave the position of crown prince to Li Ji's son, Prince Xiqi
.
Once, Li Ji's hair was smeared with some honey and bees were chasing her. She sought the help of Prince Shensheng to shoo the bees away, purposely wanting Duke Xian of Jin to see it. When Duke Xian of Jin saw it, he thought that Prince Shensheng was molesting Li Ji. In rage, he nearly stabbed Prince Shensheng to death with a ji
, a form of Chinese halberd, yet Prince Shensheng was speechless.
started with the scheme that caused the suicide of Prince Shensheng. The scheme first caused Prince Shensheng came back to Quwo, modern Quwo County
in Shanxi
, to offer sacrifices to his deceased mother, Qi Jiang (齊姜). Prince Shensheng sent some of the food blessed by the gods to Duke Xian of Jin. Li Ji had secretly placed poison in the food in order to frame Prince Shensheng for murder. Before Duke Xian of Jin began eating, he gave a part of the food to a dog to check for poison whereupon the dog immediately collapsed. Discovering the poison in the food, Duke Xian of Jin killed Shensheng's master Du Yuankuan (杜原款) sent men to Quwo to arrest Prince Shensheng.
Prince Shensheng was visited by his half-brother Prince Chonger
who then advised Prince Shensheng to defend himself in front of Duke Xian of Jin by revealing Liji's plot. Prince Shensheng replied that he wouldn't like to break his father's heart by revealing Liji's plot. When Prince Chonger advised him to escape, he replied that if he escaped, then it would look like he really planned to kill his father. He said that no one in the world would protect him then. Prince Shensheng then hanged himself on the 7th day of the second month of 656 BC.
Later generations admired the filial piety and loyalty of Prince Shensheng that they nicknamed him "Gong Taizi" (恭太子) or "Gong Shizi" (恭世子), both meaning "the respectful crown prince".
According to the Records of the Grand Historian
, Duke Hui of Jin
disrespectfully transferred Shensheng's burial to another place which made the spirit of Shensheng angry. The spirit of Shensheng then appeared in front of the Jin official Hu Tu (狐突) and told him that Shensheng has pleaded to the heavenly god to let the State of Qin conquer the State of Jin as a punishment. After persuasions made by Hu Tu, Shensheng replied that the heavenly god has allowed that Duke Hui of Jin be defeated in battle at the land of Han as a punishment. After that, the spirit disappeared.
Duke Xian of Jin
Duke Xian of Jin , Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Guizhu , was the nineteenth ruler of the State of Jin. He was also the ninth ruler of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period and the second duke of Jin. When his father, Duke Wu of Jin, died in 677 BC, Guizhu ascended the throne of Jin and became...
and the crown prince of the State of Jin during the reign of Duke Xian of Jin before he was replaced by his half-brother Prince Xiqi
Prince Xiqi of Jin
Prince Xiqi , was the son of Li Ji, the concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, and the crown prince of the State of Jin since he replaced Prince Shensheng as crown prince. Late in his life, he became duke for about a month before he was killed....
(奚齊).
Biography
Prince Shensheng was the son of Qi Jiang (齊姜), the first wife of Duke Xian of Jin. Because Duke Xian of Jin favored Li JiLi Ji (concubine)
Li Ji was a concubine and later wife of Duke Xian of Jin, ruler of the State of Jin between 676 BC and 651 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period of China. Li Ji is renowned for starting the Li Ji Rebellion which led to the suicide of Prince Shensheng...
(驪姬), he gave the position of crown prince to Li Ji's son, Prince Xiqi
Prince Xiqi of Jin
Prince Xiqi , was the son of Li Ji, the concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, and the crown prince of the State of Jin since he replaced Prince Shensheng as crown prince. Late in his life, he became duke for about a month before he was killed....
.
Once, Li Ji's hair was smeared with some honey and bees were chasing her. She sought the help of Prince Shensheng to shoo the bees away, purposely wanting Duke Xian of Jin to see it. When Duke Xian of Jin saw it, he thought that Prince Shensheng was molesting Li Ji. In rage, he nearly stabbed Prince Shensheng to death with a ji
Ji (halberd)
The ji , the Chinese halberd, was used as a military weapon in one form or another from at least as early as the Shang dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty. They are still used for training purposes by many Chinese martial arts...
, a form of Chinese halberd, yet Prince Shensheng was speechless.
Death and Legacy
In 656 BC, the Li Ji RebellionLi Ji Rebellion
The Li Ji Rebellion are a set of events took place in the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period in China, caused by Li Ji, the concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, in order to put his son Prince Xiqi into the throne of Jin.-Background:...
started with the scheme that caused the suicide of Prince Shensheng. The scheme first caused Prince Shensheng came back to Quwo, modern Quwo County
Quwo County
Quwo County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city. The town of Quwo is in the Fen River valley about 30 miles south of Linfen and about 10 miles east of the point where the Fen River turns west. From 745 to 677 BC Quwo a state that broke off from the State of...
in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, to offer sacrifices to his deceased mother, Qi Jiang (齊姜). Prince Shensheng sent some of the food blessed by the gods to Duke Xian of Jin. Li Ji had secretly placed poison in the food in order to frame Prince Shensheng for murder. Before Duke Xian of Jin began eating, he gave a part of the food to a dog to check for poison whereupon the dog immediately collapsed. Discovering the poison in the food, Duke Xian of Jin killed Shensheng's master Du Yuankuan (杜原款) sent men to Quwo to arrest Prince Shensheng.
Prince Shensheng was visited by his half-brother Prince Chonger
Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Jin Wen led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral name is Ji,clan name is Jin Duke Jin Wen (晋文公) (697 BC - 628 BC) led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral...
who then advised Prince Shensheng to defend himself in front of Duke Xian of Jin by revealing Liji's plot. Prince Shensheng replied that he wouldn't like to break his father's heart by revealing Liji's plot. When Prince Chonger advised him to escape, he replied that if he escaped, then it would look like he really planned to kill his father. He said that no one in the world would protect him then. Prince Shensheng then hanged himself on the 7th day of the second month of 656 BC.
Later generations admired the filial piety and loyalty of Prince Shensheng that they nicknamed him "Gong Taizi" (恭太子) or "Gong Shizi" (恭世子), both meaning "the respectful crown prince".
According to the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
, Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Yiwu , was the duke of the State of Jin during Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was the younger brother of Prince Shensheng and Duke Wen of Jin.-Before Reign as Duke:...
disrespectfully transferred Shensheng's burial to another place which made the spirit of Shensheng angry. The spirit of Shensheng then appeared in front of the Jin official Hu Tu (狐突) and told him that Shensheng has pleaded to the heavenly god to let the State of Qin conquer the State of Jin as a punishment. After persuasions made by Hu Tu, Shensheng replied that the heavenly god has allowed that Duke Hui of Jin be defeated in battle at the land of Han as a punishment. After that, the spirit disappeared.
See also
- Spring and Autumn Period
- Zhou DynastyZhou DynastyThe Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
- Duke Wen of JinDuke Wen of JinDuke Jin Wen led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral name is Ji,clan name is Jin Duke Jin Wen (晋文公) (697 BC - 628 BC) led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral...