4. Emperor Ku Who Spoke His Own Name
Chapter 1: A Miraculous Birth
Jiaoji, the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor, lived in the land of Bo. His wife, named Wopou, was a woman from the Chenfeng clan. One summer evening, while enjoying the cool air in the courtyard, Wopou dreamed of a golden phoenix carrying a jade book flying into her embrace. When she awoke, she found herself pregnant.
This pregnancy lasted a full fourteen months. On the night of the birth, the stars above Bo shone with unusual brightness, and a purple haze came from the east. When the midwife lifted the newborn, something even more shocking happened—the baby opened his bright eyes and said in a clear voice: “My name is Ku.”
The news spread, astonishing the entire tribe. The elders convened overnight, believing this was a heavenly sign. The shaman performed a divination and declared: “This child bears the Mandate of Heaven; he will surely become the ruler of the land one day.”
Jiaoji named his son Gaoxin, but the people of the tribe preferred to call him “the child prodigy who named himself.” By three, the young Emperor Ku could recite the admonitions of his ancestors; by five, he could participate in tribal discussions. His favorite activity was following the old shaman to learn how to observe the stars.
Chapter 2: A Compassionate Youth
When Emperor Ku was ten, the Bo region suffered a severe drought. Rivers dried up, crops withered, and people began to flee the famine. The tribal leaders discussed holding a grand rain-prayer ceremony, which required the sacrifice of a hundred head of livestock.
But the young Emperor Ku objected: “Killing living creatures to pray for rain—isn’t that addressing the symptom rather than the cause? Wouldn’t it be better to distribute these animals to the hungry, giving them strength to dig wells for water?”
An elder scolded him: “What does a child know about important sacrificial matters!”
But Emperor Ku replied calmly: “The true purpose of sacrifice is to express sincerity. If we seek heaven’s mercy by taking life, isn’t that contradictory?”
He suggested using grains and clear water as offerings instead, and led the young men to dig deep wells. Indeed, after a simple yet sincere ceremony, sweet water gushed forth, and rain fell from the sky. This event made the entire tribe view this young boy with newfound respect.
Chapter 3: Traveling the Land
At fifteen, Emperor Ku began traveling to various tribes to observe the people’s conditions. His first stop was the old capital of the Yandi tribe, where he found people still practicing the bad custom of burying living people with the dead.
“Why use live humans for burial?” Emperor Ku asked the local elders.
“This is a rule passed down from ancient times,” an elder replied. “So that slaves may accompany their master to the other world.”
Emperor Ku thought for a moment and said: “I have seen the Yellow Emperor in my dreams. He said true sacrifice lies in sincere intention, not in the number of sacrifices.”
He patiently debated with the elders for three days and three nights, finally persuading them with the principle of “do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” The locality abolished human sacrifice, replacing it with pottery figures.
In the southern marshlands, Emperor Ku found people suffering from malaria. He not only brought medical knowledge but also taught them to build stilt houses to avoid the dampness. As he departed, the tribal leader said gratefully: “You don’t act like a prince, but more like a healer who saves lives.”
Chapter 4: Ascending the Throne
When Emperor Zhuanxu grew old, he began looking for a successor. He heard about the reputation for virtue of his grandnephew Emperor Ku in Bo and secretly sent envoys to investigate.
The envoys reported: “Gaoxin does not put on airs; he eats and lives alongside commoners. He settles disputes fairly and selflessly, earning even his opponents’ respect. Most remarkably, he can always explain complex principles in simple terms.”
Zhuanxu summoned Emperor Ku personally and asked him: “What do you think is most important in governing the land?”
Emperor Ku replied: “To be as fair and selfless as rain nourishing all things, and as perceptive as the sun shining over the great earth.”
This conversation solidified Zhuanxu’s decision. At the coronation ceremony, he said: “I am passing the throne not merely to a blood relative, but to virtue. Gaoxin’s benevolence is like fine jade hidden within a stone; its brilliance becomes more apparent with time.”
Upon ascending the throne at thirty, Emperor Ku’s first decree was to reduce taxes for three years, allowing the people to recover and thrive.
Chapter 5: Perceptive Insight
Emperor Ku had a special ability: he could discern the truth through subtle clues. Once, two tribes argued incessantly over a water source, bringing their dispute to the capital.
“This well has belonged to our tribe since ancient times!” one chief said.
“Nonsense! The boundary marker by the well clearly bears our ancestor’s name!” the other retorted.
Emperor Ku went personally to investigate. He carefully observed the wear on the well opening, checked differences in water quality, and even studied the growth of plants around the well. Finally, he concluded:
“This well indeed belongs to the second tribe, but the first tribe also used it during droughts. Why let a well damage harmony? It would be better to share it and establish rules for its use.”
Both tribes were convinced and henceforth lived in harmony. After this incident spread, the people said: “Emperor Ku’s eyes can see the patterns within stone and discern the thoughts within a person’s heart.”
Chapter 6: Calendar and Astronomy
Emperor Ku placed great importance on astronomy and the calendar. He built the most magnificent observatory of the time in the capital and ordered the creation of precise water clocks and sundials.
“The calendar set by Emperor Zhuanxu is already very good; why revise it?” a minister asked, puzzled.
Emperor Ku explained: “Heaven and Earth change, and the calendar must adjust accordingly. Just as clothes must fit the body, the calendar must match the celestial phenomena.”
He discovered slight discrepancies between the current calendar and the actual seasons, which, accumulated over time, would disrupt farming schedules. After ten years of observation, he precisely calculated the rules for inserting leap months, making the calendar perfectly align with the four seasons.
Most amazingly, Emperor Ku predicted a solar eclipse. On that day, when the sun was indeed swallowed by shadow, the people did not panic but instead marveled: “Our ruler can even foresee events in the heavens!”
Chapter 7: Education Through Music
Emperor Ku believed music could cultivate character and promote harmony. He ordered the musician Xian Hei to create instruments like drums, bells, chimes, and panpipes, and even composed music himself.
“Why spend so much effort on music?” a military general questioned.
Emperor Ku laughed and said: “Force can conquer land, but only culture can conquer hearts.”
The music he created, such as the “Nine Summons” and “Six Ranks,” was performed not only at court but also promoted among the common people. Interestingly, these tunes developed different variations in different regions: becoming bold and unrestrained in pastoral areas, and gentle and melodious in farming areas.
“This is what I wanted,” Emperor Ku said happily. “Music is like flowing water; it forms different landscapes when it meets different terrain, but its essence remains water.”
Chapter 8: Family Life
Emperor Ku married four consorts: his principal wife Jiang Yuan gave birth to Qi (later known as Houji); his second wife Jian Di gave birth to Xie; his third wife Qing Du gave birth to Yao; and his fourth wife Chang Yi gave birth to Zhi. He treated all his children equally, nurturing them according to their individual strengths.
During a family gathering, the children subtly competed over who might inherit the throne someday. Emperor Ku called his four sons before him and gave each a handful of seeds:
“Whoever can grow the best crop understands the way of governance the most.”
As a result, Qi’s grains had a bountiful harvest, Xie’s fruit trees grew lushly, Yao’s flowers were beautiful, and Zhi’s medicinal herbs were precious. Emperor Ku used this to teach them: “The world needs all kinds of talents, just as the earth produces all things, each with its own strength.”
Chapter 9: Selecting the Worthy and Capable
During his reign, Emperor Ku vigorously selected talented individuals. He invented the “Three Evaluations Method”: first evaluate moral character, then ability, and finally administrative achievements.
The most famous story is his selection of Yi. At that time, ten suns appeared in the sky, withering crops and causing suffering. Yi, from the Dongyi tribe, claimed to be an expert archer, but many ministers opposed appointing him due to his origins.
Emperor Ku said: “Talent is like a spring; it can bubble up anywhere.” He personally tested Yi’s archery skills and found them truly exceptional, so he resolutely entrusted him with the important task. Later, Yi shot down nine suns, ending the drought, proving Emperor Ku’s discernment of character.
Chapter 10: Later Years
Emperor Ku lived to be one hundred years old and reigned for seventy years. In his later years, his favorite activity was inspecting the schools established everywhere, listening to children recite the classics.
“My greatest achievement is not how much territory I expanded,” he told his successor, Zhi, “but that I allowed the seeds of civilization to sprout in everyone’s heart.”
Before his death, Emperor Ku left this instruction: “Governing the world is like a mother raising a child; there must be both rules and love. Too strict, and people will resent; too lenient, and disorder will follow. The key is to find the right balance.”
After Emperor Ku passed away, the people mourned deeply. Although he did not achieve earth-shattering feats, he quietly elevated civilization to new heights. The systems he established and the education he promoted laid a solid foundation for the prosperous era of Yao and Shun that followed.