Saturday, June 6, 2009

Who is Dearer, Father or Husband? 父与夫孰亲?

The power politics among the rulers and high ministers can result in severe consequences for their family members. Sometimes, their wives and daughters are confronted with agonizing conflicts of loyalty.
Below is one such sad story happened in 697 BC as recorded in Zuozhuan.
The Prime Minister Zhai Zhong monopolized power, much to the distress of the ruler of Zheng. The latter ordered Zhai’s son-in-law, Yong Jiu, to kill Zhai.
In order to do so, Yong invited Zhai to a banquet in the suburbs of the capital. Yong’s wife was aware of the plot and said to her mother, ‘who is dearer, a father or a husband?’
Her mother replied, ‘All men are potential husbands, but you have only one father. How could there be any comparison?’
In the end she informed her father, saying, ‘Yong deliberately decided not to hold the banquet in his own house, he decided to hold it in the suburbs instead. I tell you this because I am suspicious of the arrangement.’
Zhai killed Yong and threw his corpse into the hill of Zhou family. The ruler of Zheng loaded the corpse on his carriage and fled from the capital, saying, ‘He told even his wife about the plot, no wonder he died!’
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统治者与大臣之间的权力政治会对他们的家庭成员带来严重的结果。有时,他们的妻子和女儿会面对痛苦的忠贞的矛盾。
下面发生于公元前697年不幸的故事来自《左传》。
祭仲专,郑伯患之,使其婿雍纠杀之。
将享诸郊,雍姬知之,谓其母曰:‘父与夫孰亲?’
其母曰:‘人尽夫也,父一而已。胡可比也?’
遂告祭仲曰:‘雍氏舍其室而将享子于郊,吾惑之,以告。’
祭仲杀雍纠,尸诸周氏之丘。
公载以出,曰:‘谋及妇人,宜其死也。’

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