Mr. He's jade

Mr. He's jade
Relief tracing of Lin Xiangru with Heshibi and King of Qin onWu Family Shrinesstone-relief, fromJinshisuo( kim thạch tác ).
Type	bi
Material	jade
Created	8th-century BCE
Present location	unknown (lost)

Mr. He's jade
Chinese	Hoà Thị Bích
Literal meaning	He's jadeannulus
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Héshìbì Wade–Giles Ho2-shih4-pi4 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wòhsihbīk Jyutping Wo4si6bik1

TheHeshibi,often translated asMr. He's jade,was a sacred ceremonialbi(a jade annulus) which had an important role inChinese history.First appearing during the mid–8th century BCE, it was cut into a ritualbiand recognized as an imperial treasure. TheHeshibibecame the object of contention among theWarring States,stolen fromChucirca 4th century BCE, acquired by theZhao,and temporarily traded toQinin 283 BCE. When theQin dynastywas founded in 221 BCE, theHeshibiwas carved into theHeirloom Seal of the Realm,symbol of theMandate of Heaven,and subsequently transferred through successiveChinese dynastiesuntil it was lost during theFive Dynastiesera in the 10th century.

The early historicity of the stone is uncertain, though its great antiquity seems clear. The earliest mention of it is from the3rd century BCE.The story of its finding is likely apocryphal. Whether it was turned into the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is also a matter of dispute. If it was turned into the seal, it was certainly lost by the time of theMing dynasty.It has been used as a metaphor for a precious object since its earliest mentions.

Terminology

Uncut jade

Bijade annulus with dragon designs, 4th to 2nd century BCE

Huangsemi-circular jade pendant, 9th to 8th century BCE

Héshìbì(Chinese:Hoà Thị Bích,"He's jade annulus" ) orHéshìzhībì(Chinese:Cùng thị chi bích) using theClassical Chinesegrammaticalpossessive affixzhī(Chi) was aBì(Chinese:Bích,"jade annulus" ) or ceremonial jade annulus.Biartifacts date back to theLiangzhu culture(3400–2250 BCE).Bisignified heavenly kingship inZhoutimes, and were often used ceremonially as symbolic of a covenant or guarantee.The word can also be used to refer to jade in general.TheHeshibiis named after Bian He, the person who first discovered the jade stone.

Bian He ( biện cùng ) is aChinese name,Biàn(Biện) is thesurname(e.g.,Bian Lan) andHé(Cùng) is thegiven name.However,Heis also an uncommon surname (e.g.,He Qia) and early texts refer to Bian He as bothBianshi( biện thị, "of Bian clan" ) andHeshi( cùng thị, "of He clan" ), with the wordshì( thị, "Chinese clan;family "). Some alternate names areHeshi( hòa thị, with the ancient variant characterHé),Heshi(咼 thị, with the unique variantGuō(咼) only pronouncedHein this name), andJing He( kinh cùng, "He fromJingzhou"). Most scholars translateHeshias "Mr. He" with suffixedshi,some as "Master He",and a few literally interpretshiand translateHeshias "He Clan"or "He family".

Legends

The Chinese story of theHeshibihas been retold and developed for over two millennia.

Hanfeizi

The earliest extant account is theHeshi( cùng thị, "Mr. He" ) chapter of the classicHanfeizi,attributed toHan Fei(c. 280–233 BC). TheHanfeiziversion involves Mr. He presenting his jade to the first three "kings" ofChustate: "King Li of Chu" ( sở lệ vương ) posthumously refers to ViscountFenmao(r. 757–741 BCE), his brotherKing Wu of Chu( sở Võ Vương, r. 740–690 BCE) who was the first to style himself "king", and his sonKing Wen of Chu( sở văn vương, r. 689–677 BCE). SeveralHanfeizicommentaries say these three 8th-century BCE Chu rulers of Bian He should be threeZhou dynastyrulers:King Wu of Zhou( Chu Võ Vương, r. c. 1050–1043 BCE), his fatherKing Wen of Zhou( Chu Văn Vương, r. 1100–1050), andKing Cheng of Zhou( chu thành vương, r. 1042–1021 BCE).

Once a man of Ch'u, named Pien Ho, came by an uncut jade in the Ch'u Hills. He brought it home and submitted it as a present to King Wu. Thereupon King Wu had a jeweller give an opinion of it. "It is an ordinary stone," said the jeweller. The King, regarding Ho as a liar, had his left foot cut off. Upon King Wu's death, King Wên ascended the throne, when Ho again submitted it as a present to King Wên. King Wên also had a jeweller give an opinion of it. Again he said, "It is an ordinary stone." The King, also regarding Ho as a liar, had his right foot cut off. When King Wên died and King Ch'êng ascended the throne, Ho, carrying the uncut jade in his arms, cried at the foot of the Ching Hills. After three days and three nights his tears were all exhausted and blood flowed out. At this news the King sent men out to ask him the reason, saying, "Throughout All-under-Heaven men whose feet were cut off are many. Why should you be crying so bitterly?" "I am lamenting not the loss of my feet," said Ho in reply, "but for the calling a precious gem an ordinary stone and for their dubbing an honest man a liar. This is the reason why I am lamenting." Meanwhile, the King had a jeweller polish up the jade and got the treasure out at last. So it was designated "the Jade of Pien Ho" [ cùng thị chi bích ].

The subsequentHanfeizicontext criticizes contemporary rulers and recommends that a wise person who hopes to avoid punishment should not present a ruler any "uncut jewels of wisdom and statecraft".

Joseph P. Yap translates theHanfeizistory with the three Chu kings Li, Wu, and Wen.

At around 8th century BCE, Bian He a jeweller from the kingdom of Chu discovered a piece of stone; he knew from experience that it was a piece of priceless jade. He presented the piece of stone toKing Li of Chu,(757–741 BCE). The king thought the jeweller was trying to deceive him and had his left foot chopped off as a punishment. When the next king,King Wu of Chu(r. 740–691 BCE) ascended to the throne, Bian He again presented the piece of stone to the new king; this time, the king had his right foot chopped off as he also maintained that the jeweller was trying to deceive him. Bian He embracing his piece of stone cried for three days and three nights at the foothills ofJingshan Mountain.Much later, whenKing Wen of Chu(r. 690–675 BCE) ascended the throne the king sent someone to ask the jeweller why he was so adamant about his belief. He answered, 'This is a piece of priceless jade, and the two former kings regarded it as a useless piece of stone. I am not saddened by the loss of my feet, but I am distressed by the fact that a patriot is misconstrued as being wicked and evil. "[The king] then asked a jade expert to cut open the stone, and it transpired that it was indeed a piece of priceless jade. Legend has it that it was pure white and flawless. The king of Chu named itHeshibi,Master He's jade.

Gao'sHuainanzicommentary

The next significant version of Pian He's story is found inGao You's 212 CEHuainanzicommentary for the passage (below) that compares the Way of Heaven with the Marquis of Sui's pearl and theHeshibi.Gao changes the original three Chu kings state to the three Zhou kings.

A man from Ch'u named Pien Ho found a piece of unpolished jade at the foot of the Ching Mountains. He offered it as tribute to King Wu [of the Chou dynasty]. King Wu had it inspected by a jade expert, who declared it to be ordinary stone. [Pien Ho] had his left leg cut off [as punishment]. When King Wen came to the throne, [Pien Ho] once more presented the jade. King Wen took it to be ordinary stone, and [Pien Ho] had his right leg cut off. Pien Ho wrapped the jade carefully and wept tears of blood. When King Ch'eng ascended the throne, Pien Ho once again presented the jade. King Ch'eng said: 'Dear sir, you disregard having your legs cut off, as long as you can have your jade piece cut up for examination.' As soon as the stone was cut, it appeared that it was truly fine jade, and it was made into a jade [annulus] (pi).

History

Beginning with theZhanguo ceandShiji,many Chinese histories have discussed theHeshibi,but the early historicity remains uncertain.

Zhanguo ce

The 3rd-century BCEZhanguo ce(Strategies of the Warring States), which is a compendium of political and military anecdotes dating from 490 to 221 BCE, relates that theHeshibiwas a national treasure of Chu, stolen from the Prime Minister, and eventually obtained by Zhao state.

King Wei of Chu(r. 339–329 BCE) bestowed the priceless jade uponPrime MinisterZhao Yang ( Chiêu Dương ) in gratitude for his defeat of the Yue kingdom in 333 BCE. On one occasion, Zhao Yang displayed the jade for his guests at a banquet when someone started a commotion, and in the midst of the confusion, the jade annulus disappeared. TheSchool of Diplomacypolitical strategistZhang Yi(fl. 328–309 BCE) was accused as the thief, and Zhao Yang had him questioned under torture before he was released. After this incident, the whereabouts of the jade was lost until it resurfaced at Zhao.

Chapter 250 of theZhanguo cerecords how another School of Diplomacy strategistSu Qin(380–284 BCE) persuaded Li Dui ( Lý đoái ), the Chancellor ofZhao,to provide theHeshibiin order to acquire funding for theVertical Allianceof six states againstQin.During their first audience, Su Qin convincingly explained his Vertical Alliance strategies to Li Dui and said, "You killed your ruler, [i.e.,King Wuling of Zhao], and you extirpated his kin, and find your position in the empire as perilous as though you were perched atop a pile of eggs. If you heed my plans you will live; if you heed them not you will die. "After Li told Su to return on the next day for an audience, one of his attendants said Su's" arguments and their scope are beyond you. Will you be able to do as he advises? "Li replied that he could not and followed the attendant's suggestion that he plug up his ears in order to avoid listening to Su's rhetoric. Su Qin persuasively spoke for the entire day during the second audience with Li. When the attendant escorted him out, Su asked" A day ago I spoke only crudely and your ruler was moved. Today I spoke in detail and he was not. Why? "" Your plans are great and their scope is lofty, sir ", replied the attendant." My lord cannot use them, so I asked him firmly to stop both his ears so that he would not heed what was said. However, come again on the morrow and I will ask that the Master be well rewarded. "During the final audience, Li Dui gave Su Qin" a moon pearl [ Tần minh nguyệt chi châu ], the Jade of Ho [ cùng thị chi bích ], a black sable coat and a hundred pieces of pure gold. "Thus, Su got the wealth he needed in order to go westward into Qin state.

Shiji

TheHan dynastyhistoriographerSima Qian's c. 94 BCEShiji(Records of the Grand Historian) relates the history and background of Hr. He's jade annulus in two biographies.

Lin Xiangru

TheShiji"Biographies ofLian PoandLin Xiangru"section records a famous story. In 283 BCE,King Zhaoxiang of Qin(r. 306–251 BCE) schemed to obtain Mr. He's jade annulus – this is the first recorded usage of modern termHeshibiHoà Thị Bích without classicalzhiChi —fromKing Huiwen of Zhao(r. 298–266 BCE) – and deceitfully offered to trade away a large portion of Qin territory for the jade. However, when Xiangru discovered that Zhaoxiang never intended to give away Qin land, he tricked the king and managed to return the jade annulus back to Zhao.

"During the time of King Huiwen, Zhao [ Triệu ] acquired Chu's Jade of the Ho Clan [ sở Hoà Thị Bích ]. King Zhao [ chiêu ] of Qin heard of this and sent a messenger to deliver a letter to the King of Zhao, saying that he wished to offer fifteenwalled citiesin exchange for the jade annulus [ nguyện lấy mười lăm thành thỉnh dễ bích ]. "The King of Zhao was distrustful and told his advisors" If we give it to Qin, we most likely will not obtain Qin’s cities, but will only be cheated. If we do not give it, then we must fear the arrival of Qin’s soldiers. "The king sought the opinion of Lin Xiangru, who said," Qin is mighty and Zhao is weak, you must grant his request. "The king replied," If he takes my jade, but gives us no cities, what then? "Lin said," If Qin seeks the jade with its cities and Zhao does not accede, the fault lies with Zhao. If Zhao gives Qin the jade and Qin does not give Zhao the cities, the fault lies with Qin. In weighing these two measures, it would be better to accede, and lay the fault on Qin. "Xiangru agreed to undertake the mission to Qin, and promised the king," If the cities are granted to Zhao, the jade will remain in Qin; if the cities are not granted, allow your servant to return to Zhao with the jade intact. "When Lin Xiangru arrived in the Qin capital, he respectfully presented the jade to King Zhaoxiang with both hands. The king was delighted and" passed it around to his Beauties and courtiers, who all shouted 'Long live the King!' "When Xiangru realized that the King of Qin had no intention of honoring the agreement, he came forward and said," The jade has a flaw. Allow me to show it to Your Majesty. "The king handed him the jade, and Xiangru retreated and stood with his back to a pillar. With his" hair bristling against his hat in rage, "he threatened to destroy the jade." It seems to me that Your Majesty has no intention of giving the King of Zhao the cities owed him. Thus I have reclaimed the jade. If you must press me, Great King, my head and the jade will both shatter against this pillar! "Since the King of Qin feared the jade would be demolished, he apologized and said," The fifteen cities from here on will be given to Zhao. "Concluding that Zhao would never acquire the Qin cities, Xiangru then told the king," The jade of the Ho Clan [ Hoà Thị Bích ] is a treasure that the entire world has transmitted with reverence. "He then falsely said that before the King of Zhao sent off the jade, he fasted and purified himself for five days, and convinced the King of Qin that he too needed to fast for five days, after which," your servant would dare to offer up the jade. "The king agreed, and while he was fasting, Xiangru arranged for his retainer to disguise himself as a commoner, conceal the jade, and safely smuggle it back to Zhao.

After the King of Qin had finished fasting and purification, he held a ritual ceremony in his court. When Lin Xiangru arrived, he confessed having secretly sent the jade back to Zhao and then insulted the king's ancestors: "Out of the twenty odd lords of Qin sinceDuke MuMục (r. 659–621 B.C.), not one has honored his agreements and oaths. Your servant truly feared he would be cheated by Your Majesty and thus betray Zhao. "Xiangru told the enraged king that he would willingly accept the Qin death penalty for deceiving a king, and requested thepēng(Nấu,"death by boiling")punishment.Although some of the courtiers wanted to boil Xiangru immediately, the King of Qin said, "If We kill Xiangru now, We still cannot acquire the jade, and it would ruin the good relations between Qin and Zhao. It would be better to treat him with great civility instead, then send him back to Zhao." After Xiangru had returned, the King of Zhao praised the skillful diplomacy of his mission to Qin, and appointed himSenior Grand Master.(Chapter 81)

This story is the source of the Chinese idiomsjiàzhíliánchéng( giá trị liên thành, lit. "as valuable as multiple cites" ) meaning "invaluable; priceless" andwánbìguīzhào( châu về Hợp Phố, lit. "return the whole jade annulus to Zhao" ) meaning "to return something intact to its rightful owner".

Li Si

TheShijibiography ofQin dynastyGrand chancellorLi Si(c. 280–208 BCE) collectively mentionsSui He zhi bao( hiền hoà chi bảo, "treasures of [Marquis] Sui and [Mr.] He" ) in a letter advising EmperorQin Shi Huangnot to followZheng Guo's advice to expel all foreigners from Qin.

Now Your Majesty imports jade from the Kun Mountains and possesses the treasures of Sui and He [ hiền hoà chi bảo ]. Dangling moon–bright pearls [ minh nguyệt chi châu ], you buckle on the sword Taia, are drawn by fine steeds like Xianli, set up phoenix banners blazoned with kingfisher feathers, and employ drums of sacred lizard skin. Not one of these various precious things is a product native to Qin, and yet Your Majesty takes joy in them. Why? If something must be a product of Qin before it can be acceptable, then no night–shining jewels [ dạ quang chi bích ] would adorn the court chambers, no vessels of rhinoceros horn or elephant tusk would amuse and delight you, no women of Zheng and Wey would throng the harem, and no fine horses and spirited thoroughbreds would fill your stables. The gold and tin from south of the Yangtze could not be utilized, the vermilion and blue of Shu could not be used for pigment. (Chapter 87)

Imperial seal of China

Main article:Heirloom Seal of the Realm

ln 228 BCE, Qin overwhelmed the kingdom of Zhao and seized theHeshibifromKing Dai of Zhao.In 221 BCE, the Qin kingdom had conquered all six Warring States andQin Shi Huangdifounded the Qin dynasty. The emperor ordered that theHeshibijade annulus be carved into his imperial jadesealthat read, "Having received theMandate from Heaven,may (the emperor) lead a long and prosperous life. "(Vâng mệnhVớiThiên,ĐãThọVĩnh Xương). The Qin ChancellorLi Siwrote this inscription inSeal scriptcharacters and Sun Shou ( tôn thọ ) carved them into the jade.

This Qin dynasty jade seal came to symbolize theMandate of Heaven,and beginning when the last Qin rulerZiyinghanded it over toEmperor Gaozu of Hanin 206 BCE, it was successively passed on to later dynastic emperors signifying the right to govern theChinese world.The Heirloom Seal of the Realm was lost sometime between theTangandMing dynasties.

Another version of the legend claims that it was interred in the burial crypt of the first Emperor of QinShi Huangdiand the jade seal which was passed on for over one thousand years was another piece of jade fromLantian.

TheChina Dailywrites that theHeshibiand the Heirloom seal have been conflated, and considers theHeshibito be a legend.

Literature

The jade annulus of Mr. He was mentioned in numerous classical Chinese texts, and present daySinophonesknow the story from traditionalchengyuidioms, such aswánbìguīzhào( châu về Hợp Phố, lit. "return the whole jade annulus to Zhao" ) means "to return something intact to its rightful owner". The following literary examples are divided between using theHeshibias a trope for something valuable or using it with other legendary treasures such as theMarquis of Sui's pearl.

Heshibias a single treasure

The c. 239 BCELüshi Chunqiu(Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals) is an encyclopedic text compiled under the patronage of theQin dynastyChancellorLü Buwei.TheMengdong( mạnh đông, "Almanac for the First Month of Winter" ) writes Mr. He (Hòa thị) with an early variant character.

Now, if one were to show a child a hundred pieces of gold and a ball of glutinous millet, the child would surely take the millet. If one were to show an ignorant person the jade disc of the He family [ hòa thị chi bích ] and a hundred pieces of gold, the ignorant man would surely take the gold. If one were to show a worthy man a jade [annulus] of the He family and the most perfect teachings concerning the Dao and its Power, the worthy man would surely take the teachings. The more refined one's knowledge, the more refined one's choices. The cruder one's knowledge, the cruder one's choices. (Chapter 10)

The precedingLüshi Chunqiustory similarly concerns "A rustic fromSongfound a jade while plowing and presented it to the Director of the City Walls, [who refused it and explained] "You regard jade as a treasure, but I regard not accepting it as a treasure."

The c. 3rd–1st century BCEChuci(Songs ofChu) poetryanthologymentions the story of Bian He several times. "Disgust with the World"includes him in a context of rulers who rejected loyal people," And I grieve, too, for Bian He, the man of Chu [ đau buồn người chi cùng thị hề ] / The jade he presented was judged worthless stone [ hiến vật quý ngọc cho rằng thạch ] / Both King Li and King Wu refused to examine it / And he ended with both his feet cut off for his pains. ""Reckless Remonstrance" says, "Bian He clasps his block of jade and weeps tears of blood [ cùng ôm phác mà khấp huyết hề ] / Where can he find a craftsman good enough to shape it?""Lament for the Worthy"includes Jing He in a list of loyal retainers who were mistreated," OrShen Shengof Jin who met a hapless end / Or Jing He who wept tears of blood [ kinh cùng thị chi khấp huyết ] / OrShen Xu of Wuwho had his eyes gouged out. "

Two contexts in the c. 139 BCEHuananzi(quoted above) refer to Mr. Bian's ( biện thị ) jade annulus and to Mr. He ( cùng thị ) crying bloody tears. "If you understand the proper sequence of things, you will be calm. Now when it came to giving away Mr. Bian's jade annulus [ biện thị chi bích ], when he had not yet obtained it, [Mr. Bian] was ahead. When he pleaded to present it and would not give up despite his indignation, he was behind." (Chapter 14.56)"Thus when your [views] tally with what is essential, you will value what is true and [give] equal [consideration to] the present and the ancient. If you do not have the means to heed persuasions, then you will value what has come down from the past, [simply] because it is remote. This is why [Bian] He [ cùng thị ] cried so hard that he bled at the foot of Mount Jing." (Chapter 19.7).

Heshibiwith other treasures

Shang dynasty(c. 1300–1046 BCE) bronzeding

TheMarquis of Sui's pearlis commonly used with theHeshibi,for example, theShijilists "the treasures of Sui and He [ hiền hoà chi bảo ] among Qin Shi Huangdi's imported valuables.

The c. 4th to 2nd centuries BCEMozi([Sayings of]Mozi) mentions them with the legendaryNine Tripod Cauldrons,namely, a set ofChinese ritual bronzeding"tripodcauldrons",said to have been cast by mythicalYu the Greatafter controlling theGreat Flood.In response to criticism from his disciple Wu Mazi ( vu cái bô ) that "To leave contemporaries alone and to praise the early kings is to praise rotten bones", Mozi (c. 470–391 BCE) explains how a state'syi( "righteousness; justice" ) is more important than the ritual "efficacy" (lì,Lợi"benefit; profit" ) of its treasures.

The jade of Ho [ cùng thị chi bích ], the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine tings—these are what the feudal lords value as excellent treasures. Can they enrich the country, multiply the people, put the government in order, and place the state in safety? Of course they cannot. Excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now since the jade of Ho, the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine tings cannot benefit men, then they are not the excellent treasures in the world. On the other hand, if righteousness is employed in the government of the state the population will be increased, the government will be in order, and the state will be secure. The excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now righteousness can benefit men. So then righteousness is the excellent treasure of the world. (Chapger 11)

The 3rd-centuryHanfeiziJie Lao( giải lão, "Explanations ofLaozi") chapter uses He's jade annulus and Sui's pearl in order to differentiate betweenlǐ(Lễ,"ritual; ceremony; good form; propriety" ) andwén(Văn,"ornamentation; embellishment; elaboration; cultured" ).

Propriety is the mode expressive of feelings. Embellishment is the decoration of qualities. Indeed, the superior man takes the inner feelings but leaves the outer looks, likes the inner qualities but hates the outer decorations. Who judges inner feelings by outer looks, finds the feelings bad. Who judges inner qualities by outer decorations, finds the inner qualities rotten. How can I prove this? The jade of Pien Ho was not decorated with the five bright colours [ cùng thị chi bích không sức lấy năm thải ]. The bead of Marquis Sui was not decorated with yellow gold. Their qualities are so good that nothing is fit to decorate them. Verily, anything that functions only after being decorated must have poor qualities. For this reason, between father and son propriety is simple and not brilliant. Hence the saying: “Propriety is superficial semblance only.”

The c. 3rd–1st century BCEChucianthology collectively refers to Marquis Sui's pearl and Bian He's jade annulus asSui He( hiền hoà ), and with the Tai'e sword. The "Quenching the Light" poem says, "Shards and stones are prized as jewels / Sui and He rejected [ vứt bỏ hiền hoà ] / The leaden knife is praised for sharpness / Tai E discarded as blunt."

KingLiu An's c. 139 BCEHuainanzi(Philosophers of Huainan) philosophical compendium has five occurrences of theHeshibi,three with the Marquis of Sui's pearl, and one with the Xiahou clan's jade.

The "Surveying Obscurities" chapter figuratively uses these legendary gems as a simile for someone who has attained theTiandao(Thiên Đạo,Way of Heaven), "It is like the pearl of Marquis Sui [ tùy hầu chi châu ] / or the jade annulus of Mr. He [ cùng thị chi bích ] / Those who achieved it became rich / those who lost it became poor." (Chapter 6.3)."A Mountain of Persuasions" chapter mentions the treasures of Mr. He and Marquis Sui twice. The former explains the philosophical essence ofChinese jade.

When a piece of jade is moistened, it looks bright. [When struck], its sound is slow and harmonious. How expansive are its aspects! With no interior or exterior, it does not conceal its flaws or imperfections. Close up, it looks glossy; from a distance, it shines brightly. It reflects like a mirror revealing the pupil of your eye. Subtly it picks up the tip of an autumn hair. It brightly illuminates the dark and obscure. Thus the jade [annulus] of Mr. He [ cùng thị chi bích ] and the pearl of the marquis of Sui [ tùy hầu chi châu ] emerged from the essence of a mountain and a spring. When the Superior Man wears them, he complies with their purity and secures his repose. When lords and kings treasure them, they rectify the world. (Chapter 16.19)

The latter compares true understanding with wealth, "Acquiring an army of ten thousand men does not compare to hearing one word that is apposite / acquiring the pearl of the marquis of Sui [ tùy hầu chi châu ] does not compare to understanding from whence events arise / Acquiring the jade annulus of Mr. Gua [咼 thị chi bích ] does not compare to understanding where events will lead." (Chapter 16.105)

TheHuainanzimentions theHeshibialong with the Xiahou clan's semi-circular jade. "As for [ritual emblems like] the jade annulus of Mr. He [咼 thị chi bích ] and the jade half-annulus of the Xiahou clan [ hạ sau chi hoàng ]," if [courtiers] bow courteously and advance with them, they create harmony and amity. [But] at night because of thieves, they create resentment. Such is the difference between the right time and the wrong time. "(Chapter 16.90)

Other regalia

ManyChinese classicsrefer to Bian He's jade annulus in context with other legendary gems, jades, and swords constituting the ceremonialregaliaof ancient Chinese states. The most common example isMarquis of Sui's pearl,a legendary glow-in-the-dark gemstone given to the marquis by a grateful snake whose life he saved.

Otherluminous gemstonesfrequently mentioned with theHeshibiare theYeguangzhibi( dạ quang chi bích, "night-shining jade annulus" ) and theMíngyuèzhīzhū( minh nguyệt chi châu, "bright-/luminous-moon pearl" ). These ancient Chinese names were sufficiently well known to have been applied to foreign gemstones in the earliest accounts ofDaqin(theRoman Empire). "The Kingdom of Daqin" section of the 5th-centuryBook of the Later Han,which was largely based onBan Yong's report presented toEmperor An of Hanin around 125, lists precious Romantrade goodsincluding "luminous jade [ dạ quang bích ]" and "bright moon pearls [ minh nguyệt châu ]".

TheHeshibiis mentioned in the Huainanzi with the Xiahou clan's semi-circular jade pendant:Xiahoushi zhi huang( hạ sau thị chi hoàng ), which was a jewel supposedly included in the ducal regalia ofLustate.Xiàhòu(Hạ sau) is aChinese compound surnamefrom theSpring and Autumn period(771–476 BCE), and thehuáng(Hoàng,"semi-circular jade pendant" ) was anciently used for ritual purposes or as a belt ornament.

Tai'e or Tai'a ( quá a ) is the name of a famous Spring and Autumn period iron sword that is usually considered one of the ten legendary swords of China. The legendary bladesmithOu Yezimade three swords forKing Gou gian of Yue,named Tài'ē ( Thái A ), Lóngyuān ( Long Uyên ), and Gōngbù ( công bố ).

See also

• Heirloom Seal of the Realm
• Nine Tripod Cauldrons

Further reading

• Ivanhoe, Philip J. (2009).On Ethics and History: Essays and Letters of Zhang Xuecheng.Stanford University Press.
• The Grand Scribe's Records; Volume 5.1, The Hereditary Houses of Pre-han China, Part 1.Translated by Nienhauser, William H. Indiana University Press. 2006.

External links

• The Difficulty of Pien Ho,Liao 1939 translation.
• A Tale of Two Treasures,Adventures in translation, 3 April 2012.
• Century–old jade disc found confirms ancient legend,People's Daily Online, 4 June 2014.