by An Liu
If during the first month of winter the ordinances of spring were observed, then the freezing [of the earth] would not be complete. The qi of Earth would issue forth and spread about, [and] the people in large numbers would drift away and be lost [to the kingdom]. If the ordinances of summer were observed, there would be many hot windstorms. [Even in] the dead of winter, it would not be cold; hibernating creatures would reemerge. If the ordinances of autumn were observed, then snow and frost would not come in season. Minor warfare would break out from time to time, [and] territory would be usurped and seized [by invaders]. [5/45/25–26]
The tenth month governs the Master of Horses. Its tree is the sandalwood. [5/45/28]
5.11
In the middle month of winter, Zhaoyao points to zi [N]. [The lunar lodge] [Eastern] Wall culminates at dusk; [the lodge] Chariot Platform culminates at dawn. [Winter] occupies the north. Its days are ren and gui. Its beasts are [those of the] armored [class]. Its [pentatonic] note is yu. The pitch pipe [of the eleventh month] is Yellow Bell. The number [of winter] is six. Its flavor is salty. Its smell is putrid. Its sacrifices are made to the well god. From the body of the sacrificial victim, the kidneys are offered first.
The ice becomes stronger. The earth begins to crack. The gandan bird does not cry.30 Tigers begin to mate. The Son of Heaven wears black clothing. He mounts [a carriage drawn by] black horses. He wears black jade [pendants] and flies a black banner. He eats millet with suckling pig. He drinks water gathered from the eight winds and cooks with fire [kindled from] pine branches. The imperial ladies of the Northern Palace wear black clothing with black trim. They play music on chime-stones. The weapon [of winter] is the partisan. The domestic animal [of winter] is the pig. [The Son of Heaven] holds the dawn session of court in the Dark Hall [chamber of the Mingtang]. He commands those in authority, saying, “No works having to do with earth may be undertaken, nor may rooms and dwellings be opened.” [He also commands them] to call together the masses and say to them, “If anyone opens up what has been shut away by Heaven and Earth, then hibernating creatures all will die; the people will surely suffer illness and pestilence; and in the wake of this will come destruction.” It is obligatory to arrest thieves and robbers and to punish those who are debauched, licentious, deceitful, or fraudulent. [He issues a] pronouncement saying, “[This is] the month when nothing grows.” [He] commands the superintendent of eunuchs to reissue the standing orders of the palace and to examine the doors and gates and attend to the rooms and apartments; all must be closed up tightly. [There must be] a general diminution of all affairs having to do with women. [He] also issues orders to the Master Brewer, [saying that] the glutinous millet and rice must be uniform [in quality]; the yeast cakes must be ready; the soaking and cooking must be done under conditions of cleanliness; and the water must be fragrant. The earthenware vessels must be of excellent quality, and the fire must be properly regulated. There must be no discrepancy or error [in these things]. The Son of Heaven also commands those in authority to pray to the Four Seas, the great rivers, and the illustrious marshes. [5/46/1–8]
In this month, if the farmers have any [crops] that they have not harvested and stored away in granaries, or any cattle, horses, or other domestic animals that they have allowed to stray and get lost, then anyone who takes such things will not be subject to prosecution. In the mountains, forests, marshes and moors, if there are any who are able to gather wild food to eat or to capture rats and other small game, the superintendent of uncultivated land should instruct and guide them [in these activities]. If there are any who encroach on or steal from [such folk], they will be punished without mercy.
In this month the day reaches its shortest extent. Yin and yang contend. The Superior Man fasts and practices austerities. His dwelling place must be closed, [and] his body must be tranquil. He abstains from music and sex and forbids himself to feel lust or desire. He rests his body and quiets his whole nature. In this month, lychee buds stand out [on their twigs], [and] the rue plant begins to grow. Earthworms wriggle. The palmate deer shed their antlers. Springs of water stir into movement.31 Accordingly, [this is the time to] fell trees for wood and collect bamboo for arrow shafts. Unserviceable articles in offices and articles of equipment that are of no use, are discarded. Gate towers, pavilions, doors, and gates are [repaired with] mud plaster, and prison walls are repaired, thus assisting in the closing up of Heaven and Earth.
If during the middle month of winter the summer ordinances were observed, the country would suffer drought. Vapors and fog would spread gloom and obscurity, and the sound of thunder would break out. If the ordinances of autumn were observed, the season32 would have [excessive] rain. Melons and gourds would not ripen. The country would experience major warfare. If the ordinances of spring were observed, insect pests and caterpillars would cause destruction. The rivers and springs all would run dry. The people would suffer greatly from ulcerating diseases. [5/46/10–16]
The eleventh month governs the metropolitan guards. Its tree is the jujube. [5/46/18]
5.12
In the last month of winter, Zhaoyao points to chou [NNE]. [The lunar lodge] Bond culminates at dusk; [the lodge] Root culminates at dawn. [Winter] occupies the north. Its days are ren and gui. Its beasts are [those of the] armored [class]. Its [pentatonic] note is yu. The pitch pipe [of the twelfth month] is Great Regulator. The number [of winter] is six. Its flavor is salty. Its smell is putrid. Its sacrifices are made to the well god. From the body of the sacrificial victim, the kidneys are offered first.
Wild geese head north. Magpies add to their nests. The cock pheasant cries, [and] hens cluck and lay their eggs. The Son of Heaven wears black clothing. He mounts [a carriage drawn by] black horses. He wears black jade [pendants] and flies a black banner. He eats millet with suckling pig. He drinks water gathered from the eight winds and cooks with fire [kindled from] pine branches. The imperial ladies of the Northern Palace wear black clothing with black trim. They play music on chime-stones. The weapon [of winter] is the partisan. The domestic animal [of winter] is the pig. [The Son of Heaven] holds the dawn session of court in the [chamber of the Mingtang] to the right of the Dark Hall [chamber]. He commands those in authority to conduct a grand exorcism, in which sacrificial victims are torn apart on all [four] sides [of the city walls]. An earthen ox is set out [to lead away the cold qi].
[He] orders the Master of Fisheries to commence fishing. The Son of Heaven personally goes [to take part in] the fish shooting. [The fish that are caught] are presented as first offerings in the inner temple of the [ancestral] temple. Orders are issued to the people to withdraw [from the storehouses] the five kinds of seed grain and to the farmers to calculate [the schedules? for] using the teams [of draft animals], to put in order their plowshares, and to equip themselves with the implements of cultivation. [He] commands the master of music to give a grand concert of wind instruments and then to stop [any further music making]. [He] also commands the superintendents of the four directions to collect and set in order firewood for use in the ceremonies of the inner temple of the [ancestral] temple, as well as firewood and kindling for sacrifices of every kind. [5/46/20–26]
In this month, the sun completes [its circuit] through the stages [of the twelve divisions of the celestial circle]. The moon completes its cycle. The stars have made a complete revolution around the heavens. The year is about to begin again. Orders are given that the farmers and commoners must rest, [that] they not be employed [in any public works]. The Son of Heaven calls together his sires, the lords, and the great officers to promulgate33 the statutes of the realm and to discuss the seasonal ordinances, in order to plan what is suitable for the coming year. He commands the grand recorder to make a list of the nobles in order of rank, assigning to them their [appropriate] levies of sacrificial animals [for the coming year] for use in worship of the Sovereign of Heaven Supreme Thearch and at the shrines of the [gods of] the soil and the grain. [He] also commands the states [ruled by fief holders] having the same s
urname [as that of the ruler] to provide fodder and feed [for the sacrificial animals] used in worship in the inner temple of the [ancestral] temple. [He also commands all, from] the lords, knights, and great officials to the common people, to provide [articles for] use in worship at the sacrifices to the mountains, forests, and illustrious rivers. [5/47/1–4]
If during the last month of winter the ordinances of autumn were observed, then the white dew would descend too early, [and] shell-bearing creatures would suffer deformities;34 on the four frontiers, people would enter places of refuge. If the ordinances of spring were observed, pregnant females and the young would suffer injury; the country would suffer many intractable diseases. If one were to inquire about this fate, it would be called “adverse.” If the ordinances of summer were observed, floods would cause ruin in the country; the seasonable snow would not fall; the ice would melt; and the cold would dissipate. [5/47/6–7]
The twelfth month governs the prisons. Its tree is the chestnut. [5/47/9]
5.13
There are five positions. [5/47/11]
The extreme limit of the eastern region begins from Stele-Stone Mountain, passing through the Land of Chaoxian35 and the Land of Giants. In the east it reaches the place from whence the sun rises,36 the land of the Fu [-Sang] tree, the wild fields of the Green-Land trees. The places ruled by Tai Hao and Gou Mang [encompass] 12,000 li.
The ordinances [of the East] say: Hold fast to all prohibitions. Open what is closed or covered. Penetrate to the utmost all blocked-up passes. Extend to the frontiers and passes. Wander afar. Reject resentment and hatred. Free slaves and those condemned to hard labor [for crimes]. Avoid mourning and grief. Refrain from imposing corporal punishments. Open gates and dams. Proclaim a [general] distribution of wealth [from the public treasury]. Harmoniously resolve [any] resentment [that may be] abroad. Pacify the four directions. Act with pliancy and kindness. Put a stop to hardness and [overbearing] strength. [5/47/13–16]
The extreme limit of the southern region begins from outside [= beyond] [the country of] the people of North-Facing Doors37 and passes through the country of Zhuan Xu.38 It extends to the wild lands of Stored Fire and Blazing Winds. The regions governed by the Vermilion Thearch and Zhu Rong encompass 12,000 li.
The ordinances [of the south] say: Ennoble the virtuous [and] reward the meritorious. Show kindness to the beneficent and excellent. Come to the aid of the hungry and thirsty. Raise up those who display prowess in agriculture. Relieve the poor and destitute. Show kindness to orphans and widows. Grieve with the infirm and ill. Dispense great emoluments [and] carry out great bestowals of rewards. Raise up ruined lineages. Support those who have no posterity. Enfeoff nobles. Establish [in office] worthy assistants. [5/47/18–20]
The extreme limits of the central region extend from Kunlun east through the region of [the two peaks? of] Constancy Mountain.39 This is where the sun and the moon have their paths. It is the source of the Han and Jiang [= Yangzi] rivers. [Here are] the open fields of the multitudes of people, [the lands] suitable for the five [kinds of] grain. At Dragon Gate the He [= Yellow] and the Qi rivers merge. [Here, Yu the Great] took swelling earth to dam the floodwaters and traced out the [nine] provinces. [These territories] extend eastward to Stele-Stone Mountain. The territories governed by the Yellow Emperor and the Sovereign of the Soil encompass 12,000 li.
The ordinances [of the center] say: Be evenhanded without inconsistency. Be enlightened without petty fault finding. Embrace, enfold, cover over, [and] enrich as with dew, so that there is none who is not tenderly enwrapped in [the royal] bosom. Be vast and overflowing, without private considerations. Let government be tranquil, to bring about harmony. Succor, nurture, and feed the old and the weak. Send condolences to [the families of] the dead, inquire after the sick, [all] to escort the myriad creatures on their return.40 [5/47/22–25]
The extreme limits of the regions of the west extend from Kunlun through the Flowing Sands and the Sinking Feathers, westward to the country of Three Dangers. [They extend to] the Walled City of Stone and the Metal Palace [and] the open fields of the people who drink qi and do not die. The territories governed by Shao Hao and Ru Shou encompass 12,000 li.
The ordinances [of the west] say: Scrupulously use the laws. Punishment of the guilty must be carried out. Take precautions against thieves and robbers. Prohibit sexual license and debauchery. Issue instructions regarding the general collection [of harvest taxes]. Make a careful record of all collections [of revenue]. Repair city walls and outer fortifications. Repair and clear out drainage pipes. Close off footpaths and lanes; block up sluices and ditches. Shut off flowing water, swamps, gorges, and valleys. Guard doors and gates. Set out [in readiness] weapons and armor. Select officials. Punish the lawless. [5/47/27–5/48/3]
The extreme limits of the regions of the north extend from the nine marshes and the farthest reaches of Exhaust-the-Summer Gloom, north to the Valley Where Ordinances Cease.41 Here are the open fields of freezing cold, piled-up ice, snow, hail, frost, sleet, and of pooling, soaking, massed-up water. The regions governed by Zhuan Xu and Xuan Ming encompass 12,000 li.42
The ordinances [of the north] say: Extend all prohibitions. Firmly shut and store away. Repair [the fortifications of] the frontiers and passes. Fix gates and water barriers. Prohibit walking around [outside the city walls]. Speedily carry out corporal punishments. Kill those who are under sentence of death. Close up the city gates and the gates of the outer fortifications. On a large scale, conduct investigations of strangers. Put a stop to communications and travel. Prohibit the pleasures of the night. Close up [chambers] early and open them late, in order to restrain lewd folk. If lewd persons are already to be found, they must be seized and held under severe restraint. Heaven has already almost completed its cycle: Punishments and executions must [be carried out] without any being pardoned; even in the case of [royal] relatives of surpassing venerableness, the law must be carried out to the full degree.
There must be no travel by water.
There must be no opening up of that which is stored away.
There must be no relaxation of punishments. [5/48/5–9]
5.14
[There are] six coordinates. [5/48/11]
The first month of spring and the first month of autumn are a coordinate.
The middle month of spring and the middle month of autumn are a coordinate.
The last month of spring and the last month of autumn are a coordinate.
The first month of summer and the first month of winter are a coordinate.
The middle month of summer and the middle month of winter are a coordinate.
The last month of summer and the last month of winter are a coordinate.
In the first month of spring, [crops] begin to grow; in the first month of autumn, [crops] begin to wither.
In the middle month of spring, [crops] begin to emerge; in the middle month of autumn, [crops] begin to be brought in.
In the last month of spring, [crops] are fully grown; in the last month of autumn, [crops] are harvested on a large scale.
In the first month of summer, [things] begin to slow down; in the first month of winter. [things] begin to quicken.
In the middle month of summer, [the day] reaches its greatest length;
in the middle month of winter, [the day] reaches its shortest length.
In the last month of summer, accretion reaches its climax;
in the last month of winter, recision reaches its climax.
Thus,
if the government fails in its duties in the first month, the cool winds will not arrive in the seventh month.
If the government fails in its duties in the second month, the thunder will not go into hiding in the eighth month.
If the government fails in its duties in the third month, the frost will not descend in the ninth month.
If the government fails in its duties in the fourth month, it will not be cold in the tenth month.
If the government fails in its d
uties in the fifth month, hibernating creatures will emerge in the winter in the eleventh month.
If the government fails in its duties in the sixth month, grasses and trees will not be bare of leaves in the twelfth month.
If the government fails in its duties in the seventh month, the great cold will not disperse in the first month.
If the government fails in its duties in the eighth month, the thunder will not be heard in the second month.
If the government fails in its duties in the ninth month, the spring winds will not cease in the third month.
If the government fails in its duties in the tenth month, the grasses and trees will not bear seed in the fourth month.
If the government fails in its duties in the eleventh month, there will be hail and frost in the fifth month.
If the government fails in its duties in the twelfth month, the five [kinds of] grain will sicken and become weedy in the sixth month. [5/48/13–19]
In spring,
if the ordinances of summer are carried out, there will be inundations.
If the ordinances of autumn are carried out, there will be [too much] water.
If the ordinances of winter are carried out, there will be severity.
In summer,
if the ordinances of spring are carried out, there will be [excessive] winds.
If the ordinances of autumn are carried out, there will be wild growth of vegetation.
If the ordinances of winter are carried out, there will be interruption [of natural processes].
In autumn,
if the ordinances of summer are carried out, there will be [untimely] blooming of flowers.