The crow of a rooster can be heard across three counties. Fufeng, Wugong, and Qianxian meet at this border. Three thousand years ago, a young man named Ji Shi was enfeoffed here. He was the son of King Wen of Zhou and the younger brother of King Wu, and later generations honored him as the Duke of Shao. Rather than serving at court as a high minister who sat and discoursed on the Way, he chose this land in the western territories, where three counties meet. Here he trained troops, taught, heard legal cases, and made his home for the rest of his life.
This land was known in ancient times as Jucun.
The Book of Songs, in "Sweet Pear Tree," says, "Do not cut it down, do not fell it." But people do not know that this was not about protecting a tree. It commemorated three things. Not until the discovery of Chu bamboo slips from the Warring States period did three altered characters reveal the truth: ba referred to a yamen beneath a thatched shelter; hai meant going down to the countryside to investigate the people's circumstances; and duo meant adjudicating disputes over extortion and seizure.
This is a sweeping historical novel centered on Shaogong Town in Fufeng. Drawing on the Zhouyuan archaeological discoveries, bronze inscriptions from the State of Yan, the Book of Songs on Chu bamboo slips from the Warring States period, and transmitted historical texts, it adds literary flesh to a rigorously historical framework. It recreates the true life of Shao Shi, who took root in the western territories, trained troops and brought peace to the realm, educated the people, and helped usher in the prosperous reigns of Cheng and Kang. It also tells of a local legacy of spirit unbroken for three thousand years.
The Ming Dynasty Reborn: At Three Years Old, I Ascend the Throne and Become Emperor
Clouds of Smoke over the Flourishing Tang Dynasty
Hunting: A Million Armored Soldiers, and You Call Me an Ordinary County Magistrate?