In 2008, Tsinghua University of Beijing acquired a corpus of manuscripts written on bamboo slips from China’s Warring States period (c. 300 BCE) and established the Research and Conservation Center for Unearthed Texts directed by renowned scholar Li Xueqin 李學勤(1933–2019) to edit and publish them. A panel of experts convened to evaluate the manuscripts said of them:

These Warring States bamboo slips are tremendously valuable historical artifacts, whose contents speak to the very core of traditional Chinese culture. This is an unprecedented discovery, one which will inevitably attract the attention of scholars both here and abroad. It promises to have a lasting impact in many different disciplines, including but not limited to Chinese history, archaeology, paleography and philology.

The series Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations, brings together a group of international scholars to study and translate the texts. Volume 6 is devoted to a set of historiographical texts including the Lady Wu of Zheng Admonished her Child鄭武夫人規孺子and other stories from the Spring and Autumn period.

General Preface I Huang Dekuan 黄德寬...............................................1

General Preface II Edward L. Shaughnessy.............................................8

Conventions....................................................................................................22

Preface and Acknowledgements..................................................................27

Introduction to Volume Six.........................................................................32

Chapter One Narratives about the Past..................................................42

Chapter Two Dialogue Dynamics...........................................................58

Chapter Three Image-based Language...................................................70

Chapter Four Conclusion..........................................................................94

Chapter Five *Zheng Wu Furen Gui Ruzi 鄭武夫人規孺子*Lady Wu of Zheng Admonished her Young Child....................98

Chapter Six *Zheng Wen Gong Wen Tai Bo 鄭文公問太伯A & B *Lord Wen of Zheng Asks Grand Elder...........................125

Chapter Seven Zi Fan Zi Yu 子犯子餘 Mr. Fan and Mr. Yu........159

Chapter Eight *Jin Wen Gong ru yu Jin 晋文公入於晋 *Lord Wen of Jin Entered Jin...........................................................183

Chapter Nine *Zhao Jianzi 趙簡子*Zhao Jianzi.............................201

Chapter Ten *Zi Yi 子儀*Mr. Yi........................................................222

Works Cited..................................................................................................252

Index of Concepts.......................................................................................270

Index of Proper Names..............................................................................275

Index of Text Titles.....................................................................................278

Images of the Manuscripts.........................................................................281