In the history of the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a famous love-murder case in which a king had an illicit affair with the wife of a minister and was eventually hacked to death at the minister’s home. The event strangely involved a hat and changed the fate of the individual and the state.
Lust at the sight of beauty
A minister in the State of Qi named Cui Zhu was fortunate enough to marry a beautiful girl named Tang Jiang. Tang Jiang was a famous beauty who married a man named Tang Gong in her early years. When Tang Gong died of illness, Cui Zhu went to pay his respects to him. There, he saw Tang Jiang and fell in love with her. At that time, Tang Jiang was still mourning, but refused to listen to others’ advice and expressed his love to her. He married her with great fanfare as soon as the mourning period ended.
After marrying Tang Jiang, Cui Zhu lived a peaceful life until one day, something unexpected occurred that broke the peace in his life.
Not long after their wedding, Duke Zhuang of Qi, the king of the state, was invited to have dinner at the home of his minister, Cui Zhu. Duke Zhuang of Qi was famous for his lustful behavior, and his reputation spread far and wide. When he saw Tang Jiang, he was immediately attracted by her appearance. While Cui Zhu was drunk, the two of them flirted with each other at the dinner table, making secret glances. Then, Duke Zhuang of Qi repeatedly went to Cui Zhu’s house to secretly meet Tang Jiang.
A hat that sparked revenge
Once, after an affair with Tang Jiang, Duke Zhuang of Qi took away Cui Zhu’s hat and said he wanted to give it away. Someone around him advised him not to go so far as to do such a thing. Duke Zhuang of Qi became furious, asking: “What’s wrong with taking a hat from him? Doesn’t he have any other hats?”
Cui Zhu had known for a long time that Duke Zhuang of Qi had taken his wife. However, due to the difference between monarch and minister, he was angry, but did not dare speak out. When the hat-stealing incident happened, Cui Zhu finally could not bear it anymore and decided to take revenge on Duke Zhuang of Qi to vent his anger.
One day, Cui Zhu pretended to be sick at home, and Duke Zhuang of Qi came to visit him. After saying a few polite words, he went straight to his real target — Cui Zhu’s wife, Tang Jiang.
Unexpectedly, Tang Jiang did not cooperate that day. She ran to the inner courtyard and hid in a house. When Duke Zhuang of Qi went to the courtyard and found no one, he hugged a pillar and sang a song, hoping to lure Tang Jiang out with his singing. But what he never expected was that the singing would attract a group of burly men armed with weapons and full of murderous intent.
When Duke Zhuang of Qi saw it, he panicked and quickly begged Cui Zhu for mercy, but Cui Zhu refused to listen. Duke Zhuang of Qi said he would share the country equally with Cui Zhu if he spared his life. Of course, Cui Zhu would not listen: “If I allow you to leave alive, much less share the country, my own life will certainly be in danger.”
At this time, the group of burly thugs got impatient and shot Duke Zhuang of Qi in the thigh with an arrow. Then they swarmed up and hacked him to death. Thus, this licentious king, Duke Zhuang of Qi, died an untimely and most unpleasant death.
The imperial historians of Qi were not afraid of death
Although Duke Zhuang of Qi was killed for committing adultery with the wife of a minister, he was still the king of a state. The imperial historian of Qi recorded this significant case, saying: “Cui Zhu killed the king.” Cui Zhu became furious and killed the historian. The younger brother of the historian succeeded to the job and wrote: “Cui Zhu killed the king.” Cui Zhu killed the younger brother, too. The historian’s second brother followed and wrote: “Cui Zhu killed the king.”
When historian Nan Shi, who was far away, heard about Cui Zhu killing two historians in a row, he rushed to the capital without fear, prepared to follow his professional ethics to record “Cui Zhu killed the king.”
Cui Zhu saw that if he continued to kill like this, not only could he not cover up the fact that he had committed regicide, but his crime would even be more significant. He had no choice but to give up and stop killing historians. Nan Shi was relieved to return and recorded the incident truthfully. The spirit of the Qi historians in respecting the facts, defying authority, and writing history with honesty and integrity became a model for the historians of later generations.
The tragic downfall of Duke Zhuang of Qi, sparked by lust and arrogance, powerfully reminds us of the destructive consequences of unchecked desire and disrespect. Meanwhile, the steadfast courage of the historians, who risked their lives to preserve the truth, highlights the enduring importance of integrity and moral courage, no matter the consequences.
Translated by Cecilia and edited by Tatiana Denning
Follow us on X, Facebook, or Pinterest
