姓名

舜两眼都是双瞳仁，故名重华。《尚书纬，帝命验》记「姚氏纵华感枢。」郑玄注︰「舜母感枢星之精而生舜重华。」

生平

据古代典籍记载舜是冀州人（当时的冀州，包含今河北、辽宁、山西省），帝颛顼的七世孙，自六世祖穷蝉起都是平民。舜又称有虞氏，出生在姚墟（今山西永济蒲州镇北）。他的父亲瞽叟是个盲人。瞽叟的妻子握登在姚墟生下了舜。传说他在接替尧担任部落联盟首领之前接受尧的考察时，曾在历山（中条山，或说济南千佛山）耕田，后来尧把他封在虞地（今山西平陆西南），担任部落联盟首领后，建都蒲阪（今蒲州镇）。舜严于律己，而又宽厚待人。

童年

舜自幼丧母，父亲续娶，生儿女敤首、象。舜很小就要工作，以维持全家的生活。他的父亲性格顽固，宠爱后妻和幼子，三人都想杀死舜。舜平常孝顺父母，关心幼弟。如果自己有小过错，就甘愿受罚。如果父母和弟弟要杀死他，他就躲得叫他们找不到。

青年

二十岁时，舜就以孝道闻名于天下。舜三十岁时，帝尧问四岳天下间有谁能够继承共主之位，四岳推荐舜。帝尧于是召见舜，问：「我想使天下太平，你说该怎么做？」舜回答道：「要待人公平公正，不偏不倚，对小事也不能马虎，更要讲究信誉、说话算数，那样天下人自会拥护你。」尧又问：「什么事最重要？」舜答：「祭祀上天。」又问：「什么官职最重要？」舜回答：「管理土地。」尧又问：「首先要做什么？」舜回答：「关心百姓。」帝尧十分满意，赏赐舜细葛布制的衣服、一张琴，又给他牛羊，为他建粮仓，尧还把娥皇、女英两个女儿嫁给舜，并为他们修建宫室；他用各种方法对舜进行考验，舜都成绩卓著，受到广泛的好评。

据《史记》所载，舜曾在历山耕种，让历山的人都相互推让地界；在陶河滨制陶，让河滨的陶器都不再偷工减料；在雷泽捕鱼，让雷泽的人都推让渔界。

虽然舜深得尧的锺爱，但舜的父亲和弟弟象仍想杀死舜。有一次，瞽叟对舜说：「粮仓的顶漏水，你快去修补一下。」舜于是爬到粮仓顶上涂泥补漏，继母便叫象在这时放火烧粮仓，舜情急智生，用斗笠保护自己不受火烧而逃（一说舜双手举著斗笠，像鸟儿一般降落下来逃走）。又一次，继母要舜挖井，舜挖井的时候，在侧壁凿出一条暗道通向外边。当舜挖到深处，继母和象一起往下倒土填埋水井，而舜从旁边的暗道出去，又逃过一劫。继母和象都以为舜死了，非常高兴。象说：「这个主意是我出的，舜的妻妾和琴归我，牛羊和粮仓归二老。」象于是搬到舜的宫室住下，弹起舜的琴。舜回到家中，象先是十分惊愕，后又很不自在，说：「我正十分难过地思念你呢！」舜回答道：「是吗？你真是个好弟弟！」以后，仍然十分孝顺父母，爱护弟弟。

参政

于是尧乃试舜五典百官，皆治。舜特别善于识别和使用人才。高阳氏有八个有才能的子孙，人称其为「八恺」，意思就是八个和善的人。高辛氏也有八个有才能的子孙，人称其为「八元」，意思就是八个善良的人。这十六个人美名远扬，帝尧却没有举用他们。舜当了帝尧的臣子以后，推举八恺担任管理土地的职务，舜又推举八元到四方之国宣扬五种教化，他们都能尽心办事，发挥长处，使天下安宁、百姓和睦、农业发展、四边和平。当时，帝鸿氏有个不成器的子孙，他毁弃道义，阴险狠毒，尽干坏事，人称他为「混沌」；少皞氏有个不成器的子孙，不讲信誉，废弃忠诚，喜听谗言，惯于花言巧语，人称他为「穷奇」；颛顼氏有个不成器的子孙，没法教训，不知道好歹，人称他为「梼杌」；缙云氏有个不成器的子孙，喜欢吃喝，贪求财宝贿赂，天下人对他十分憎恶，称他为「饕餮」，这四个家族造成了社会的灾难，帝尧却没能赶走他们。舜知道后，打开城门，把这四家都流放到四方边远地区，让他们去抵御四方妖怪。坏人赶跑了，社会也安定了。

驩兜推荐共工，帝尧认为不行，但还是让他试任主管百工的工师。共工果然放肆地干坏事。四岳推荐鲧治理洪水，帝尧认为不行，在四岳的要求下，让他试试，九年都没成功。三苗部落居住于江淮和荆州，一再反叛。舜向帝尧建议，将共工流放到幽陵，使其变化北狄；将驩兜流放到崇山，使其变化南蛮；将三苗流放到三危，使其变化西戎；将鲧流放到羽山，以改变东夷的风气。这四个人惩处以后，天下人都信服了舜。

舜50岁时，尧年纪大了，经过二十年的考察，尧知道舜的能力和德行足以胜任共主，尧就要舜代行共主政务，自己就到四方去巡视。舜首先观察天象，以摆正日月五星的位置。进而祭祀上帝、名山大川和各种神祇。又选择吉日，接见四岳和各方首领。舜又四方巡视。以后，舜每五年巡视天下一次，其馀时间，让各地君长到京城朝见。舜将天下划为并、冀、幽、营、兖、青、徐、荆、扬、豫、梁、雍共十二州，以河道确定各州的边界。

受禅共主

舜58岁时，舜摄政共主有8年，帝尧逝世，舜于服丧三年后，就让共主之位给尧的儿子丹朱，自己退避到南河之南。但是，天下人心不服，天下诸侯都去朝见舜，却不理会丹朱；打官司的人也都告状到舜那里，民间编了许多歌谣颂扬舜，都不把丹朱放在眼里。舜觉得人心所向，天意所归，无法推卸，遂回到都城正式登上共主之位。不过，传说中舜的都城与尧的都城不在一个地方。据唐代孔颖达《毛诗正义》引皇甫谧所说；「舜所营都，或云蒲阪。」而「蒲阪」在唐代是河东县，即今山西永济县。

尧死以后，舜在政治上又有一番大的兴革。原已举用的禹、皋陶、契、弃、伯夷、夔、龙、垂、益等人，职责都不明确，此时舜命禹担任司空，治理水土；命弃担任后稷，掌管农业；命契担任司徒，推行教化；命皋陶担任「士」，执掌刑法；命垂担任「共工」，掌管百工；命益担任「虞」，掌管山林；命伯夷担任「秩宗」，主持礼仪；命夔为乐官，掌管音乐和教育；命龙但任「纳言」，负责发布命令，收集意见。

他要求十二州的长官们发扬尧的美德，以仁义治民，排斥用花言巧语献媚的小人，使外邦部落都来归附。帝舜问四岳：「你们看有谁能担当中朝的重任？」四岳都说：「如果让禹担任司空，一定能做出成绩。」帝舜说：「好！禹啊，你就担任司空，负责治水，好好努力吧！」禹磕头辞让，推荐稷、契或皋陶担任。帝舜说：「这些人都很有才干，但这件事还是你去做吧！」接下来，帝舜指著弃（周部落的祖先）说：「弃，百姓已开始缺粮，你就担任农官（后稷），督促人们按节令播种谷物。」又对契（商部落的祖先）说：「契，现在百姓还不够亲近，人伦关系也没有理顺，你就担任司徒，去诚敬地推行五教，使父子有亲，君臣有义，男女有别，长幼有序，朋友有信。办事一定要宽厚呀！」又对皋陶说：「皋陶，现在蛮夷侵扰华夏，坏人为非作歹，你就担任司法官（士），处刑要让人信服，流放罪分为不同等级，而远近不同。只有公正明允，才能取得民众的信任。」帝舜接著逐个徵求大臣们的意见，任命垂担任管理百工的共工，任命益担任管理山林川泽的朕虞，任命朱虎、熊罴为益的副手，任命伯夷担任主持宗庙祭祀的秩宗，任命夔担任管理诗歌音乐的典乐，任命龙担任负责内外传达的纳言，并分别对每个人提出了具体的希望要求。最后，帝舜对十二牧、四岳和新任命的六位主官说：「喂！你们二十二人要各自严守其职，审慎地顺从天意行事。」帝舜还规定对官员三年考察一次政绩，三次考核决定提升或处罚。

通过这样的整顿，「庶绩咸熙」，各项工作都出现了新面貌。上述大小官员都努力建功立业，建树了辉煌的业绩。而其中禹的功劳成就最大，他尽心治理水患，身为表率，劈开很多山岭，凿山通泽，疏导河流，引导洪水流入大海，终于治服了洪水，使天下人民安居乐业，确定九州的划分，各自按规定前来朝贡。当比之时，「四海之内咸戴帝舜之功」，「天下明德皆自虞帝始」，呈现出前所未有的清平局面。在五千里的范围内，无论是南边的交趾，西边的戎、析支、渠廋、氐、羌，北边的山戎、北发、息慎，还是东边的长、鸟夷，都受到安抚，天下人全都感戴帝舜的功德。

篡夺说

另有传说称，当时正值帝尧的中原华夏酋邦国家发生危机、统治即将瓦解之世，以舜和益为首的东夷与其他氏族部落，正欲篡夺尧的帝位。于是舜便在尧的面前诽谤丹朱，挑拨其父子关系。舜并设法说动帝尧，把丹朱派到离尧较远的南边丹水流域做诸侯。有说是流放，故《竹书》有「后稷放帝朱于丹水」的记载。

舜代理尧执政后，囚禁了尧，为了不让尧的儿子丹朱知道事情真相，阻止丹朱看望尧，《竹书》有「昔尧德衰，为舜所囚。舜囚尧，复偃塞丹朱，使不与父相见也。」舜并逼迫尧禅位于他，丹朱知道后，率三苗之兵伐舜，双方在丹浦展开大战。郭濮在注《山海经·海外南经》中说：「昔尧以天下让舜，三苗之君非之。」和「舜伐三苗」的记载。巨人部落首领夸父是丹朱的得力大将，「逐日」误入大泽而死，以射箭闻名的后羿部落助阵帝舜，因此丹朱在失去夸父这一重要助力的情况下，在与帝舜争夺帝位的战争中失败。丹朱战败后，其后裔向河南、湖南、河北、山东等地迁移。由于这次大战双方伤亡都很大，后来丹朱被描画成「凶神」或主管灾祸的「邪神」，甚至有一支后代被称为「狸姓」，遇到灾荒之年朝廷还要请狸姓人出来代为祈祷消灾。《国语·周语上》：「有神降于莘。」惠王问内史过，内史过以为丹朱之神，请使太宰帅狸姓，奉牺牲粢盛往焉。韦昭注：「狸姓，丹朱之后也。」

帝尧崩后，丹朱才回到中原地区去奔丧，因舜的「谦让」，曾称帝三年，故《竹书纪年》、《山海经》等古籍称丹朱为「帝丹朱」。但大臣们全跑到南河之南朝觐舜而不朝觐丹朱。于是，舜曰「天也」，便顺应天意和人民的呼声登上了帝位。这就是「尧舜禅让」。因丹朱作为三苗部落首领并且曾称帝三年，故在南方的地位崇高，被湖南、广东等地民众被奉为衡山皇、丹朱皇。舜则把丹朱封到房地为诸侯。《竹书纪年》则称「丹诸（朱）辟（避）舜于房」，就是说丹朱尊父命而让天下于舜，自己远避于房地。

身后

帝舜以尧的两个女儿娥皇和女英为帝妃，娥皇无子，女英生子商均，另有庶子八人。帝舜83岁年老时，知道自己的弟弟象和儿子商均都不肖、不成器，于是向上天荐告以禹继承帝位，就确定了威望最高的禹为继任者，并由禹来摄行政事，实行禅让。17年后，即在帝位39年，帝舜在南方巡狩途中逝世，死于苍梧之野，安葬于九嶷山南侧（又称苍梧山，今湖南宁远县境内，钱穆先生认为在湖北北部的汉水流域），称为「零陵」，终年一百零一岁。

后世纪念

陵墓及祭祀

• 舜陵，位于位于湖南省宁远县南30公里九嶷山。因山有九峰相似而得名，峰景奇妙。陵墓前建庙，后设碑亭一座，亭内竖隶书「帝舜有虞氏之陵」石碑一座。附近有石雕俑群。

• 舜帝陵庙，位于中国山西省运城市盐湖区北相镇杨包村西，是舜帝的陵和庙，2006年被列为第六批全国重点文物保护单位。

道教

道教中认为地官大帝为（舜），与天官大帝（尧）、水官大帝（禹），合称三官大帝。中元节为地官大帝诞。

儒家

舜与尧一样，禅位让贤，同是先秦时期儒墨两家推崇的古昔圣王。而舜对于儒家，又有特别的意义。儒家的学说重视孝道，舜的传说也是以孝著称，所以他的人格形象正好作为儒家伦理学说的典范。孟子继孔子之后对儒学的发展有巨大贡献，他极力推崇舜的孝行，而且倡导人们努力向舜看齐，做舜那样的孝子。说：「舜，人也；我，亦人也。舜为法于天下，可传于后世，我由（犹）未免为乡人也，是则可忧也。忧之如何？如舜而已矣。」他甚至设想，舜为天子，而瞽叟杀人被捕，舜虽不会利用权力破坏刑律而将其赦免，但一定到监狱里偷偷地把父亲背出来，一起逃到海滨，过无忧无虑的日子，为了共享天伦之乐而忘掉天子的地位。由于儒家的宣传，有关舜的传说事迹在中国文化传统中留下极深刻的影响。

孝感动天

虞舜性至孝。父顽，母嚚，弟象傲。舜耕于历山，有象为之耕，鸟为之耘。其孝感如此。帝尧闻之，事以九男，妻以二女，遂以天下让焉。

舜，传说中的远古帝王，五帝之一，姓姚，名重华，号有虞氏，史称虞舜。相传他的父亲瞽叟及继母、异母弟象，多次想害死他：让舜修补谷仓仓顶时，从谷仓下纵火，舜手持两个斗笠跳下逃脱；让舜掘井时，瞽叟与象却下土填井，舜掘地道逃脱。事后舜毫不嫉恨，仍对父亲恭顺，对弟弟慈爱。他的孝行感动了天帝。舜在历山耕种，大象替他耕地，鸟代他锄草。帝尧听说舜非常孝顺，有处理政事的才干，把两个女儿娥皇和女英嫁给他；经过多年观察和考验，选定舜做他的继承人。舜登天子位后，去看望父亲，仍然恭恭敬敬，并封象为诸侯。

其他

舜曾先后以农耕、渔业、陶工、商贸为生。《五帝本纪》云：「舜耕历山，渔雷泽，陶河滨，作什器于寿丘，就时于负夏。」《尚书大传》曰：「贩于顿丘，就时负夏」。柳诒徵所著《中国商业史》称舜为「商业家之鼻祖」。

尧舜禹非禅让说

《竹书纪年》等书记载：舜囚禁了尧并夺取帝位，禹又逼迫舜让位。尧、舜、禹之间都是武力胁迫，并不是和平禅让。

后世亦有人怀疑尧、舜、禹所谓的禅让，曹丕篡夺汉献帝之后，感叹道：「舜禹之事，吾知之矣。」李白的《远别离》说：「尧幽囚，舜野死。」

史料记载

周朝的记载：

:《中庸》：子曰：德为圣人，尊为天子，富有四海之内。

:《孟子》：舜生于诸冯，迁于负夏，卒于鸣条，东夷之人也。

:《墨子》：古者舜耕历山，陶河滨，渔雷泽。尧得之服泽之阳，授之政，天下平。

:《管子》：舜非严刑罚，重禁令，而民归之矣。

:《韩非子》之《说疑》：舜逼尧，禹逼舜，汤放桀，武王伐纣，此四王者，人臣弑其君者也，而天下誉之。

:《竹书记年》：昔尧德衰，为舜所囚也。舜囚尧于平阳，取之帝位。舜囚尧，复偃塞丹朱，使不与父相见也。

秦朝后之记载：

:《史记》中说：「天下明德，皆自虞舜始。」又说：「舜南巡狩，崩于苍梧之野，葬于江南九疑。」

:《二十四孝》舜也是二十四孝中，孝感动天的主角。

Names

Shun's clan name (姓) is Yao (姚), his lineage name (氏) is Youyu (有虞). His given name was Chonghua (重华). Shun is sometimes referred to as the Great Shun (大舜) or as Yu Shun or Shun of Yu (虞舜), "Yu" being the name of his fief, which he received from Yao.

Life of Shun

According to traditional sources, Shun received the mantle of leadership from Emperor Yao at the age of 53, and then died at the age of 100 years. Before his death Shun is recorded as relinquishing his seat of power to Yu (禹), the founder of the Xia Dynasty. Shun's capital was located in Puban (蒲阪), presently located in Shanxi).

Under Emperor Yao, Shun was appointed successively Minister of Instruction, General Regulator and chief of the Four Peaks, and put all affairs in proper order within three years. Yao was so impressed that he appointed Shun as his successor to the throne. Shun wished to decline in favour of someone more virtuous, but eventually assumed Yao's duties. It was said that "those who had to try a lawsuit did not go to Danzhu, but to Shun." Danzhu was the son of Yao.

After ascending to the throne, Shun offered sacrifices to the god Shang Di (上帝), as well as to the hills, rivers, and the host of spirits (神). Then he toured the eastern, the southern, the western, and the northern parts of the country; in each place he offered burnt-offering to Heaven at each of the four peaks (Mount Tai, Mount Huang, Mount Hua and Mount Heng), sacrificed to the hills and rivers, set in accord the seasons, months, and days, established uniform measurements of length and capacities, and reinforced ceremonial laws.

Shun divided the land into twelve provinces, raising altars upon twelve hills, and deepening the rivers. Shun dealt with Four Perils: banishing Gonggong to You Prefecture, confining Huan-dou(驩兜) on Mount Chong(宗山), executing or imprisoning Gun a prisoner till his death on Feather Mountain (羽), and driving the San-Miao into San-Wei. Gun's son, Yu (禹), was subsequently appointed as minister of work(共工) to govern the water and the land. Later, Shun appointed Yu to be General Regulator (Prime Minister). Yu wished to decline in favour of the Minister of Agriculture, or Xie(契), or Gao Yao, but finally accepted upon Shun's insistence. Shun then appointed Chui(垂) as the new minister of work(共工). Shun also appointed Yi as Minister of Animal Husbandry to govern the beasts and trees of the land, Bo-yi as Priest of the Ancestral Temple to perform religious ceremonies, Hui as Director of Music, Long as Minister of Communications to counter deceptions and false reports.

According to the Canon of Shun, Shun began to reign at the age of 30, reigned with Yao for 30 years, and reigned 50 more years after Yao's abdication, then Shun died. The Bamboo Annals state that Yao chose Shun as his heir three years before abdicating the throne to him. Both sources agree that after abdicating, Yao lived for another 28 years in retirement during Shun's reign.

In later centuries, Yao and Shun were glorified for their virtue by Confucian philosophers. Shun was particularly renowned for his modesty and filial piety (xiao 孝).

Legends

Sima Qian claimed in Annals of the Five Emperors (五帝本纪) that Shun descended from Yellow Emperor through the latter's grandson Emperor Zhuanxu. The Bamboo Annals (048) recorded the name of Shun's mother as Wodeng (握登), and Shun's birthplace as Yaoxu (姚墟). Wodeng died when Shun was very young. Shun's blind father Gusou (瞽叟, literally: "blind elder"; by semantic extension "old fool") remarried soon after Shun's mother's death. Shun's stepmother then gave birth to Shun's half brother Xiang (象) and a half-sister (Liènǚ Zhuàn, Ch. 1). Shun's stepmother and half brother treated Shun terribly, often forcing Shun to do all the hard work in the family and only giving him the worst food and clothing. Shun's father, being blind and elderly, was often ignorant of Shun's good deeds and always blamed Shun for everything. Yet, despite these conditions, Shun never complained and always treated his father, his stepmother, and his half brother with kindness and respect.

When he was barely an adult, his stepmother threw him out of the house. Shun was forced to live on his own. Yet, because of his compassionate nature and his natural leadership skills, everywhere he went, people followed him, and he was able to organize the people to be kind to each other and do the best they could. When Shun first went to a village that produced pottery, after less than one year, the pottery became more beautiful than they had ever been. When Shun went to a fishing village, the people there were at first fighting amongst themselves over the fishing grounds, and many people were injured or killed in the fights. Shun taught them how to share and allocate the fishing resources, and soon the village was prospering and all hostilities ceased.

When Emperor Yao became old, he became distressed over the fact that his 9 sons were all useless, only knew how to spend their days enjoying themselves with wine and song. Yao asked his administers, the Four Mountains, to propose a suitable successor. Yao then heard of Shun's tales. Wise Yao did not want to simply believe in the tales about Shun, so he decided to test Shun. Yao gave a district to Shun to govern and married his two daughters to him, with a small dowry of a new house and some money.

Though given an office and money, Shun still lived humbly. He continued to work in the fields every day. Shun even managed to convince his two brides, the two princesses, Yao's daughters, named Ehuang (Fairy Radiance) and Nüying (Maiden Bloom), who were used to good living, to live humbly and work along the people. However, Shun's stepmother and half brother became extremely jealous and conspired to kill Shun. Once, Shun's half brother Xiang lit a barn on fire, and convinced Shun to climb onto the roof to put the fire out, but then Xiang took away the ladder, trapping Shun on the burning roof. Shun skilfully made a parachute out of his hat and cloth and jumped down in safety. Another time, Xiang and his mother conspired to get Shun drunk and then throw him into a dried-up well and then bury him with rocks and dirt. Shun's half-sister, never approving of her mother and brother's schemes, told Shun's wives about the scheme. Shun thus prepared himself. Shun pretended to get drunk, and when he was thrown into the well, he had already a tunnel pre-dug to escape to the surface. Thus, Shun survived many attempts on his life. Yet, he never blamed his stepmother or his half brother, and forgave them every time.

Eventually, Shun's stepmother and half brother repented their past wrongs. Shun wholeheartedly forgave them both, and even helped Xiang get an office. Shun also managed to influence Emperor Yao's 9 worthless sons into becoming useful contributing members of society.

Emperor Yao was very impressed by all of Shun's achievements, and thus chose Shun as his successor and put him on the throne in the year of Jiwei (己未). Yao's capital was in Ji (冀) which in modern times is also in Shanxi province.

Shun is also renowned as the originator of the music called Dashao (大韶), a symphony of nine Chinese musical instruments.

In the last year of Shun's reign, Shun decided to tour the country. But unfortunately, he died suddenly of an illness on the journey near the Xiang River. Both his wives rushed from home to his body, and wept by the river for days. Their tears turned into blood and stained the reeds by the river. From that day on, the bamboo of that region became red-spotted, which explains the origin of spotted bamboo. Then overcome by grief, both women threw themselves into the river and drowned.

Shun considered his son, Shangjun (商均), as unworthy and picked Yu, the tamer of floods, as his heir.

Descendants

Tradition has it that Chen are descendants of Emperor Shun. Gui Man, a descendant of Shun, became Chen Hugong, the founder of the State of Chen. Later Chen dynasty emperors such as Chen Baxian would also claim descent from Shun.

Hồ Quý Ly, the progenitor of the Hồ dynasty, would later claim descent from Duke Hu of Chen 陈胡公 (Hồ being the Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation of 胡 Hú) and thereby indirect descent from Shun. China's province of Zhejiang around the 940s was the origin of the Chinese Hồ/Hú family.

Tian (田) and  Yuan (袁) also claim descent from the State of Chen.

Alternative biography

Mencius (4B/1) asserted that "Shun was an Eastern barbarian; he was born in Chu Feng, moved to Fu Hsia, and died in Ming T'iao". Additionally, the Bamboo Annals and Han Fei paint a very different picture of Shun. He is said to have overthrown Yao and left him in prison to die. Danzhu, Yao's son and rightful heir, was banished and later defeated in battle. Yu then rebelled and banished Shun. This account was referenced in a poem by Li Bai.

The Hanfeizi also mentioned that Shun personally settled land and water disputes among farmers and fishermen by cohabitating with them.

Events of Shuns reign

• In the 3rd year of his reign, he ordered Jiutao (咎陶) to establish penalties to deal with various criminals.

• In the 9th year of his reign, the Queen Mother of the West came to worship in China and brought white jade rings and Jue (玦) as gifts.

• In the 14th year of his reign, Yu of Xia was appointed to manage disasters caused by floods and winds.

• In the 15th year of his reign, he appointed Houshi (后氏) to build the palace.

• In February of the 17th year, dancing was first taught at schools.

• In the 25th year of his reign, envoy of the Xishen (息慎) tribe came and, as gifts, brought the bow and arrow.

• In the 29th year, he ordered Ziyi (子义) to serve as duke in Shang.

• In the 30th year of his reign, his wife Mang (盲) died and was honored with a tomb built for her at Wei (渭).

• In the 32nd year of his reign, he transferred military power to Yu of Xia.

• In January of the 33rd year of his reign, he rewarded Yu of Xia for his achievement in managing the floods, in the aftermath of which, nine provinces were re-established in China.

• In the 35th year of his reign, he ordered Yu of Xia to send troops to Youmiao (有苗). After Yu achieved victory, Youmiao sent an envoy with a request to join China.

• In his 36th year of his reign, he ordered the Great Wall (of Shun's time, not the current Great Wall of China) to be torn down.

• In the 42nd year of his reign, the Xuandu (玄都) people came to worship him and brought precious jade as gifts.

• The winter of the 47th year of his reign was very warm and the grass did not die.

• In the 49th year of his reign, he moved to Mingtiao (鸣条), a place later called Haizhou (海州) during the Warring States period. His death came the following year, after a rule described as having lasted fifty years.