The struggle for the throne
Wuding wanted to pass the throne on to his eldest son, Zuji. Zuji is a filial son, with the name of filial piety, known as "filial piety". He has to get up five times a night to see if his parents sleep well, so he is deeply loved by Wu Ding. But because his mother died early, his stepmother didn't like him and said a lot of bad things about him in front of Wuding. As a result, he was exiled to other places. After suffering this blow, Zuji soon died of grief and indignation.
"Corpse sacrifice" has existed since the Xia Dynasty, and "corpse" is usually performed by the eldest son or grandson. The idiom "corpse position vegetarian meal" is evolved from "corpse sacrifice", because "corpse" can only eat fast but not work except to receive worship on the altar. Zuji served as a "corpse" and was worshipped by hundreds of officials. In fact, his qualification is equivalent to the status of Prince. When the Shang royal family offered sacrifices to their ancestors, the sacrificial ceremony was very ceremonious. The living people should act as the "corpses" of their ancestors and accept the worship of officials. This is the so-called "corpse sacrifice".
Because of his own experience of being released when he was young, Wuding tried to exile his grandfather first, but he didn't understand his father's pains. "Taiping Yulan" says: "Emperor Gaozong of Yin had a virtuous son who was filial to himself. His mother died early. Emperor Gaozong confused his stepwife and let him die. The world mourned him." It is believed that the nature of Zuji's exile by Wuding is different from that of Xiaoyi's when Wuding was young. It is said that the former is caused by fighting for the right of succession to the throne, while the latter is to cultivate successors to the throne. Therefore, it is "immoral" for Wuding to exile his ancestors. Yuhuo thinks that this view is biased. In fact, when Wuding exiled Zuji, he wanted to avoid the contradiction between Zuji and stepmother; and because he was let off by his father Xiaob since he was a child, he thought it would be a good thing to put Zuji out of town to observe the people's situation.
Zujia, Zugeng's younger brother, was more intelligent than Zugeng. On his deathbed, Wuding wanted to make Zujia his successor, but Zujia thought that he was Zugeng's younger brother and should not have the position of elder brother, so he fled to the people. "Book of history" records: "in Zujia, unjust but king, old for villain." That is to say, when he came to Zujia, he thought that it was an unjust act to be king instead of his elder brother, so he fled to the people and became a minor citizen. Because the prince Zuji died early, after Wuding died, Zugeng inherited the throne. Zugeng had no talent. Wuding didn't think much of him before he died.
Zugeng died only seven years after he was in power. After his death, Zujia succeeded him. Because Zuji's filial piety was popular among the people, Zugeng got the throne because of his biological mother's conspiracy, and Zugeng made no achievements after he ascended the throne, which caused the criticism of the civil and military officials of the imperial court.
Stepmother Wu Ding
Zugeng inherited the cause of "rejuvenation of Wuding", actively explored and followed the etiquette system. He was an active and filial monarch. During the years of his rule, the economy, culture and national strength of Shang Dynasty were very strong.
Then Mu Wu Ding was made for his mother by him, so it was filial piety.
Anecdotes
Zujia avoided the throne: Zuji (Xiaoji), Zugeng and Zujia were all sons of Wuding. The eldest son, Zu Geng, died before he succeeded the throne, and the second son, Zu Geng, became the crown prince. But Wuding liked both of them. Zujia was born to a stepmother. Of course, the stepmother wanted to make Zujia the crown prince in front of Wuding. Zujia thought that this was a violation of propriety. If he forcibly abolished it, he was afraid of repeating the situation of "the rebellion of the Ninth World", so he followed the example of Wuding and left the imperial capital to live among the common people. After the death of Wuding, the throne was inherited by Zugeng. Zugeng died about ten years after he ascended the throne, and Zujia just returned to the capital to inherit the throne.
Historical records
When the Shang royal family offered sacrifices to their ancestors, the sacrificial ceremony was very ceremonious. The living people should act as the "corpses" of their ancestors and accept the worship of officials. This is the so-called "corpse sacrifice". "Corpse sacrifice" has existed since the Xia Dynasty, and "corpse" is usually performed by the eldest son or grandson. The idiom "corpse position vegetarian meal" is evolved from "corpse sacrifice", because "corpse" can only eat fast but not work except to receive worship on the altar. Zuji served as a "corpse" and was worshipped by hundreds of officials. In fact, his qualification is equivalent to the status of Prince.
"Taiping Yulan" says: "Emperor Gaozong of Yin had a virtuous son who was filial to himself. His mother died early. Emperor Gaozong confused his stepwife and let him die. The world mourned him." It is believed that the nature of Zuji's exile by Wuding is different from that of Xiaoyi's when Wuding was young. It is said that the former is caused by fighting for the right of succession to the throne, while the latter is to cultivate successors to the throne. Therefore, it is "immoral" for Wuding to exile his ancestors. Yuhuo thinks that this view is biased. In fact, when Wuding exiled Zuji, he wanted to avoid the contradiction between Zuji and stepmother; and because he was let off by his father Xiaob since he was a child, he thought it would be a good thing to put Zuji out of town to observe the people's situation. Because of his own experience of being released when he was young, Wuding followed the example of his father's exile, but he didn't understand his father's pains.
He secretly left the palace and left. Wuding died, and Zugeng succeeded.
Evaluation of later generations
After the death of Zugeng, his younger brother Zujia succeeded to the throne and inherited his manner of following the etiquette system.
Zujia once lived among the common people and understood the sufferings of the common people. He restricted the exploitation and plunder of the people by the nobles, large and small, and even revised the Tang punishment to restrict these unfilial descendants by severe punishment. As a result, the aristocrats were dissatisfied with Zujia and made difficulties, and the internal contradictions became increasingly acute.
Zugeng played a transitional role in this period. In the Shang Dynasty after Zujia, the national strength gradually declined and finally went to the end. During the reign of Wuding, Zugeng and Zujia father and son for more than 100 years, it was the heyday of the Shang Dynasty. During this period, the ruling power and national prestige of Shang Dynasty spread far and wide, and the Central Plains Civilization represented by bronze was also very brilliant.
