| | 五帝本紀: |
黃帝居于軒轅之丘，而娶于西陵之女，是為嫘祖為黃帝正妃，生二子，其後皆有天下：其一曰玄囂，是為青陽，青陽降居江水；其二曰昌意，降居若水。昌意娶蜀山氏女，曰昌仆，生高陽，高陽有聖德焉。黃帝崩，葬橋山。其孫昌意之子高陽立，是為帝顓頊也。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Huangdi lived at Xuanyuan hill, and married a woman of 'Western range' land called Leizu, who was his principal wife, and bore him two sons, both of whose descendants held Imperial sway. The eldest, named Xuanxiao, or Qingyang, dwelt on the Jiang stream, and the other, who was named Changyi, dwelt on the Ruo stream. Changyi married a woman from the Shu hills (Sichuan) named Changpu, who bore him a son, Gaoyang, who possessed the virtue of a sage. Huangdi died, and was buried at Qiaoshan, and his grandson, Changyi's son Gaoyang, came to the throne under the title Emperor Zhuanxu. |
| | 五帝本紀: |
堯曰：「嗟！四嶽：朕在位七十載，汝能庸命，踐朕位？」嶽應曰：「鄙德忝帝位。」堯曰：「悉舉貴戚及疏遠隱匿者。」眾皆言於堯曰：「有矜在民閒，曰虞舜。」堯曰：「然，朕聞之。其何如？」嶽曰：「盲者子。父頑，母嚚，弟傲，能和以孝，烝烝治，不至姦。」堯曰：「吾其試哉。」於是堯妻之二女，觀其德於二女。舜飭下二女於媯汭，如婦禮。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Yao said, 'Alas! O president of the four mountains, I have been on the throne seventy years; you are able to carry out the decrees, do you occupy my throne.' The president replied, 'My moral qualities are of such a low order that I should disgrace the Imperial throne.' Yao said, 'You must all recommend one of your esteemed relations, or even an obscure stranger.' All the courtiers said to Yao, 'There is an unmarried man of the lower orders called Shun of Yu.' Yao said, 'Yes, I have heard of him, what is he like?' The president said, 'He is the son of a blind man; his father was unprincipled, his mother insincere, and his brother arrogant, but he managed by his dutiful conduct to be reconciled to them, so they have gradually improved, and not been extremely wicked.' 'Shall I try him?' said Yao. He then married his two daughters to Shun, and watched his behaviour towards them. Shun sent the two women down to the north of the Gui river, and treated them with the ceremony due to them as his wives. |
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堯善之，乃使舜慎和五典，五典能從。乃遍入百官，百官時序。賓於四門，四門穆穆，諸侯遠方賓客皆敬。堯使舜入山林川澤，暴風雷雨，舜行不迷。堯以為聖，召舜曰：「女謀事至而言可績，三年矣。女登帝位。」舜讓於德不懌。正月上日，舜受終於文祖。文祖者，堯大祖也。 |
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Yao praised Shun, and told him to carefully harmonize the five human relationships and when they could be obeyed. These became universal among the various officials, who at the proper times arranged the visitors at the four gates in the right order, and when the visitors at the four gates were submissive, the princes and strangers from distant regions became one and all respectful. Yao sent Shun into the hills and forests among rivers and swamps, but although fierce winds and thunderstorms prevailed, Shun did not miss his way. Yao then taking Shun to be a holy man, called him and said, 'For three years your deliberations have been excellent, and I have found that your words can be carried into practice. You shall ascend the Imperial throne.' Shun yielded in favour of some one more virtuous than himself, and was unhappy, but on the first day of the first month Shun accepted Yao's resignation in the temple of the accomplished ancestor, who was Yao's great ancestor. |
| | 殷本紀: |
帝小乙崩，子帝武丁立。帝武丁即位，思復興殷，而未得其佐。三年不言，政事決定於冢宰，以觀國風。武丁夜夢得聖人，名曰說。以夢所見視群臣百吏，皆非也。於是乃使百工營求之野，得說於傅險中。是時說為胥靡，筑於傅險。見於武丁，武丁曰是也。得而與之語，果聖人，舉以為相，殷國大治。故遂以傅險姓之，號曰傅說。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Emperor Xiaoyi died, and his son Emperor Wuding (Martial D) came to the throne. When Emperor Wuding was on the throne, he pondered how the Yin dynasty could be revivified, but as he had not obtained an assistant he did not speak for three years, government affairs having to be conducted by the prime minister, who examined into the customs of the country. Wuding dreamed one night that he had found a holy man named Yue, and, in order that he might secure the man he had seen in his dream, he passed under review his officers and ministers of State, but not one of them was the right man. He then made all his officers search for him in the wilds, and Yue was discovered at the crag of Fu. At this time Yue was a clerk, not a builder at the crag of Fu. He had an audience of Wuding, who said, 'That is the right man.' Having talked with him, and finding that he really was a holy man, Wuding promoted him to be his prime minister. The kingdom of Yin was well governed in consequence, and he was named after the crag of Fu, being called Fu Yue. |
| | 殷本紀: |
紂愈淫亂不止。微子數諫不聽，乃與大師、少師謀，遂去。比干曰：「為人臣者，不得不以死爭。」乃彊諫紂。紂怒曰：「吾聞聖人心有七竅。」剖比干，觀其心。箕子懼，乃詳狂為奴，紂又囚之。殷之大師、少師乃持其祭樂器奔周。周武王於是遂率諸侯伐紂。紂亦發兵距之牧野。甲子日，紂兵敗。紂走入，登鹿臺，衣其寶玉衣，赴火而死。周武王遂斬紂頭，縣之［大］白旗。殺妲己。釋箕子之囚，封比干之墓，表商容之閭。封紂子武庚、祿父，以續殷祀，令修行盤庚之政。殷民大說。於是周武王為天子。其後世貶帝號，號為王。而封殷後為諸侯，屬周。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
The tyrant abandoned himself all the more to lust and dissipation, and the viscount of Wei remonstrated with him several times, but he would not heed, so having consulted with the senior and junior tutors the viscount of Wei withdrew from court. Bigan said, 'A minister cannot but argue to the death'; he accordingly remonstrated vehemently with the tyrant, who in a rage said, 'I have heard that the heart of a holy man has seven apertures,' and cut Bigan open to look at his heart. The viscount of Ji, in terror, then feigned himself mad, and became a slave, and the tyrant again imprisoned him. The senior and junior tutors of Yin, accordingly, taking the sacrificial and musical implements, hastened to the Zhou State, and King Wu of Zhou upon this marched at the head of the princes to attack the tyrant, who also sent out an army to withstand him in the plain of Mu. On the day Jiazi the tyrant's troops were beaten, and he himself fled to the Stag tower, which he ascended, and, putting on his gorgeous robes and jewels, burnt himself to death. King Wu of Zhou then cut off the tyrant's head and exhibited it on a pole; he also slew Daji, released the viscount of Ji from prison, raised a tumulus over the grave of Bigan, and made a eulogy to the memory of Shangrong. His sons, Wugeng and Lufu, were appointed to continue the sacrifices to the Yins. He restored Pangeng's mode of administration, and the people of Yin were greatly rejoiced. Whereupon King Wu of Zhou became Son of Heaven (emperor). His descendants abolished the title of Di (divine emperor), and called themselves kings (Wang); and the descendants of the Yins were made princes subordinate to the house of Zhou. |
