Ch 1:  The Book of Thang

Ch2: King Yao command Shis and Hos to make Chinese Calendar

Ch3: King Yao made the able and virtuous distinguished

[This Chapter, King Yao would like to employ able and virtuous man to accomplish his task and be his heir. He decided this democratically, he disagree to use his own heir son because he is insincere and quarrelsome, he dispelled the proposal of the Minister of Works as well. When he want to find someone to tackle the flood, the President of Four Mountains proposed Khwan, King Yao thought Khwan was perverse and unobedient, but when the chiefs of four quarters insisted that he should let Khwan try, he employed Khwan. The last and the most important, he want to find an heir of throne, he wived Shun with his two daughters to try him.]

3. The King Yao said, 'Who will search out for me a man according to the times, whom I can raise and employ?' Fang-khî said, ' Your heir-son Kû  is highly intelligent.' The King Yao said, 'Alas; he is insincere and quarrelsome:--can he do?'

The King Yao said, 'Who will search out for me a man'. equal to the exigency of my affairs?' Hwan-tâu  said, 'Oh! the merits of the Minister of Works have just been displayed on a wide scale.' The King Yao, said, 'Alas! when all is quiet, he talks; but when, employed, his actions turn out differently. he is respectful only in appearance. See! the floods assail the heavens!'

King Yao said, 'Ho! President of the For Mountains, destructive in their overflow are the waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the hills and overtop the great heights, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the lower people groan and murmur 'Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction of this calamity?' All in the court said, 'Ah! is there not Khwăn?' King Yao said, 'Alas! how perverse is he! He is disobedient to orders, and tries to injure his peers.' The President of the Mountains said, 'Well but--. Try if he can accomplish the work.' Khwăn was employed accordingly. The King Yao said to him, 'Go; and be reverent!' For nine years he laboured, but the work was unaccomplished.

The King Yao said, 'Ho! President of the Four Mountains, I have been on the throne seventy years. You can carry out my commands;--I will resign my place to you.' The Chief said, 'I have not the virtue; I should disgrace your place.' The King Yao said, 'Show me some one among the illustrious, or set forth one from among the poor and mean.' All then said to the King Yao, 'There is an unmarried man among the lower people, called Shun of Yü'. The King Yao said, 'Yes, I have heard of him. What have you to say about him?' The Chief said,' He is the son of a blind man. His father was obstinately unprincipled; his step-mother was insincere; his half- brother Hsiang was arrogant. He has been able however, by his filial piety to live in harmony with them, and to lead them gradually to self-government, so that they no longer proceed to great wickedness.' The King Yao said, 'I will try him; I will wive him, and thereby see his behaviour with my two daughters.'  Accordingly he arranged and sent down his two daughters to the north of the Kwei River, to be wives in the family of Yü. The King Yao said to them, 'Be reverent!'