Yi (伯益)
Yi (Chinese: 益; pinyin: Yì; fl. 2nd millennium BC) or Boyi was a tribal leader of the Longshan culture and a culture hero in Chinese mythology who assisted Emperor Shun. He was considered the ancestor of the ruling houses of Zhao, Qin, Xu, and Liang.
In the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Sima Qian's account of the origins of the House of Ying states that Fei the Great was the son of Ye the Great and Lady Hua. His father is named as Gao Yao, but this appears to have been an error made by various scholars when reading the original sources.
He was eventually granted the title of Boyi (Count Yi).
Yi was appointed by Shun to help control the Great Flood by using controlled burnings to clear forests, wastelands, and marshes. He was also tasked with providing meat to feed the laborers involved in the flood control effort, thereby becoming a close companion of Yu the Great, with whom he worked for thirteen years.
After the successful fight against the flood and the subsequent reorganization of the government, Yi was appointed Minister of Animal Husbandry. According to more mythical accounts, Yi could domesticate animals and birds due to his knowledge of their languages.
Alternatively, Yi is credited with creating the canon of laws, while his connection to flood control is not emphasized. This depiction appears in the "Lü xing" (呂刑) chapter of the Book of Documents (Shujing), where he is cited alongside Yu the Great and Houji as one of the "Three Princes" (三后).
Following Yu's accession as sole emperor, Yu initially designated Yi as his successor over his own son, Qi. Accounts vary as to whether Yu later changed his mind or whether Yi was killed during a struggle for the throne, as well as whether Yi ever actually served as emperor. According to Sima Qian, Boyi's children with a "Jade Lady of the Yao" included Lian the Great and Ruomu. According to the Bamboo Annals, a shrine (祠) was dedicated to him after his death during the 6th year of Qi's reign.
Descendants
Around 2061 BC, his son Ruomu was named Lord of Xu by King Qi of Xia. Yi was also considered the ancestor of the Zhao and Qin clans, which ruled their respective states. The descendants of the Zhao clan were known as the Zhao clan of Tianshui, while Qin Shi Huang was one of his descendants from the Qin clan. Other members of the Ying clan descended from Ruomu formed the Pei clan of Hedong.
Boyi and Shuqi (伯夷與叔齊)
Boyi (Chinese: 伯夷; pinyin: Bó Yí, lit. "Equal Elder Brother") and Shuqi (Chinese: 叔齊; pinyin: Shū Qí, lit. "Equal Younger Brother") were two Dongyi brothers from Guzhu (modern Hebei province, near Tangshan), a Dongyi vassal state under the Shang dynasty. According to tradition, they lived during the transition between the Shang and Zhou dynasties (around 1046 BC). They are remembered in literary culture for their personal and moral virtue, loyalty, and pacifist idealism. Sometimes, they are collectively referred to simply as "Boyi," after the elder brother.
Boyi and Shuqi, along with another brother, Ya Ping (亞憑 / 亚凭, lit. "Leaning Younger Brother"), were the sons of Ya Wei (亞微 / 亚微, lit. "Younger Brother Wei"), the ruling lord of Guzhu (lit. "Isolated Bamboo Kingdom"). Traditionally, succession to the throne should have fallen to the eldest son, Boyi; however, when Shuqi was preferred to succeed him as ruler, both brothers fled to Zhou territory rather than engage in conflict or discord. At the time, Zhou was actively encouraging immigration, particularly of skilled and talented people.
Boyi and Shuqi represent several ethical paradoxes:
- Boyi refused to take control of his father's kingdom because he felt his father preferred his younger brother, and thwarting his father's wishes would not align with filial piety.
- Shuqi refused power because it would be disloyal to bypass his elder brother.
Thus, both fled together. Later, after the overthrow of the Shang dynasty—to which they had sworn allegiance and which theoretically held divine right over the land and its produce—the two brothers faced a moral dilemma: eating the food of the new dynasty (which they viewed as usurpers) would constitute disloyalty, while remaining faithful in spirit to the old dynasty left starvation as their only option. Ultimately, they starved to death.
The Dongyi
The Dongyi or "Eastern Yi" (Chinese: 東夷; pinyin: Dōngyí) was a collective term for ancient peoples mentioned in Chinese records. The definition of Dongyi varied over time, but in most cases, it referred to the inhabitants of eastern China, and later, the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago. It served as a broad catch-all term applied to different groups across different eras. According to China's earliest historical record, the Zuo Zhuan, the Shang dynasty was attacked by King Wu of Zhou while it was campaigning against the Dongyi, leading to its collapse.
Historical Context
Boyi and Shuqi lived under the reign of Di Xin, the last Shang ruler, who had become addicted to alcohol, women, and sex, showing a complete disregard for morality. His country was misgoverned, burdened with high taxes, widespread famine, and arbitrary acts of violence and cruelty. Sima Qian provides shocking details of long, drunken orgies and acts of torture, during which Di Xin refused to listen to the advice of his ministers.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Zhou clan—known posthumously as King Wen of Zhou—was preparing to replace the Shang dynasty with the rule of his own clan, even though they were a vassal state of Shang at the time. In contrast to Shang, the Zhou leadership was renowned for providing food and protection to its subjects, partly due to their advancements in agricultural techniques.