| Annals of the Five...: |
In ancient days the Emperor Hong (Huangdi) had a son devoid of ability, who shut himself off from duty, and was a villain in secret, delighting in the practice of the worst vices, and all men called him Hundun (Chaos). (The Emperor) Shaohao had a descendant devoid of ability, who overthrew good faith, hated loyalty, extolled specious and evil talk, and all the people called him Qiongji (Monster). Zhuanxu had a son devoid of ability, who would receive no instruction and acknowledge no good words, and all the people called him Taowu (Block). These three men everyone was distressed about until the time of Yao, but Yao could not send them away. Jinyun had a son devoid of ability, who was greedy in eating and drinking, and pursued wealth blindly. All the people called him Taotie (Glutton), hated and compared him to the three other wicked men. Shun received visitors at the four gates, but banished these four wicked ones to the four borders of the empire to manage hobgoblins; and those at the four gates rightly said there were no wicked men among them. |
