What means indulging in music? In ancient times, Duke Ling of Wei was traveling to Jin. Reaching the Pu River bank, he unharnessed his carriage, set up lodgings for the night. At midnight, he heard a new‑style melody and was delighted. When he asked his attendants, all replied they heard nothing.
He summoned the musician Shi Juan and said: “Someone plays a new tune; my attendants hear nothing. It sounds like ghostly music. Listen to it and write down the melody for me.”
Shi Juan agreed, sat quietly, and copied the tune on his zither.
The next day Shi Juan reported: “I have captured the melody but not mastered it. Let me stay one more night to practice.” Duke Ling consented. The next day he mastered it, and they departed for Jin.
Duke Ping of Jin hosted a feast for him at the Shiyi Terrace. When the wine flowed freely, Duke Ling rose and said: “I have a new melody I wish to present to you.” Duke Ping agreed.
Shi Juan was summoned, seated beside the court musician Shi Kuang, and began to play. Before finishing, Shi Kuang stopped him by holding the strings: “This is the music of a fallen state. It must not be completed.”
Duke Ping asked its origin. Shi Kuang replied: “It was composed by Shi Yan, musician of King Zhou of Shang, as decadent music. When King Wu attacked Zhou, Shi Yan fled east and drowned himself in the Pu River. Thus whoever hears this music must be by that river. Any state first hearing this will lose territory. Do not let it continue.”
Duke Ping said he loved music and insisted on hearing it fully, so Shi Juan finished playing.
Duke Ping asked Shi Kuang what the tune was called. Shi Kuang answered it was the Pure Shang mode.
“Is Pure Shang the most sorrowful?” asked Duke Ping.
Shi Kuang said it was not as sorrowful as the Pure Zheng mode.
“May I hear Pure Zheng?” Duke Ping asked.
Shi Kuang refused: “In ancient times, only virtuous and righteous rulers might hear it. Your present virtue is insufficient.”
Duke Ping insisted, and Shi Kuang reluctantly played it.
At the first movement, sixteen black cranes flew from the south and perched on the corridor wall. At the second, they lined up. At the third, they stretched necks to sing and spread wings to dance, their voices blending with the five notes and reaching heaven. Duke Ping was greatly pleased.
Duke Ping then asked for an even more sorrowful tune. Shi Kuang named the Pure Jiao mode.
When Duke Ping begged to hear it, Shi Kuang warned it was composed by the Yellow Emperor when summoning ghosts and gods at Mount Tai. Only supremely virtuous rulers might listen; hearing it would bring disaster to Duke Ping.
Duke Ping pleaded he was old and loved music above all.
Shi Kuang played it unwillingly.
At the first movement, black clouds rose from the northwest. At the second, violent wind and heavy rain arrived, tearing curtains, smashing ritual vessels, and blowing down corridor tiles. Guests fled in panic, and Duke Ping cowered in fear.
Jin suffered severe drought for three years with barren land, and Duke Ping fell seriously ill.
Hence it is said: neglecting state governance and indulging endlessly in pentatonic music brings personal ruin and decline.
Note
This supernatural‑tinged anecdote delivers a strict Legalist warning: rulers must prioritize state governance over musical indulgence and exotic pleasures; reckless pursuit of sensory entertainment brings personal illness, natural disasters and national ruin.
Core Legalist thinker of the late Warring‑States Period. This tale comes from The Ten Faults (Shi Guo), illustrating the fourth fatal mistake of rulers: indulgence in music and pleasure instead of governance.
Duke Ling of Wei
Ruler of Wei State, curious about decadent new music.
Duke Ping of Jin
Ruler of Jin State, overly fond of exotic music, suffering drought and illness as punishment in the legend.
Shi Juan & Shi Kuang
Famous Spring‑and‑Autumn court musicians; Shi Kuang symbolizes wise moral judgment on music.
Shi Yan
Musician of the tyrant King Zhou of Shang, creator of decadent “music of a fallen state”.
Legendary sage‑king said to compose the most powerful Pure Jiao mode by summoning supernatural beings.
Pentatonic Modes (Qing Shang, Qing Zheng, Qing Jiao)
Three ancient Chinese musical modes graded by spiritual power. Pure Jiao was believed to connect heaven‑earth spirits and could only be handled by highly virtuous rulers.
Decadent Music (Mimi zhi yin)
Music associated with tyrants and moral corruption in ancient Chinese thought. Legalists viewed excessive musical indulgence as a ruler’s fatal vice.
Music as Political Omen
Traditional Chinese belief: music reflects state virtue; improper music foretells national decline and personal disaster.
Five‑Note Music (Wuyin)
The traditional Chinese pentatonic scale, here representing pleasure‑seeking that distracts rulers from duty.
奚謂好音？昔者衛靈公將之晉，至濮水之上，稅車而放馬，設舍以宿，夜分，而聞鼓新聲者而說之，使人問左右，盡報弗聞。乃召師涓而告之，曰：「有鼓新聲者，使人問左右，盡報弗聞，其狀似鬼神，子為我聽而寫之。」師涓曰：「諾。」因靜坐撫琴而寫之。師涓明日報曰：「臣得之矣，而未習也，請復一宿習之。」靈公曰：「諾。」因復留宿，明日，而習之，遂去之晉。晉平公觴之於施夷之臺，酒酣，靈公起，公曰：「有新聲，願請以示。」平公曰：「善。」乃召師涓，令坐師曠之旁，援琴鼓之。未終，師曠撫止之，曰：「此亡國之聲，不可遂也。」平公曰：「此道奚出？」師曠曰：「此師延之所作，與紂為靡靡之樂也，及武王伐紂，師延東走，至於濮水而自投，故聞此聲者必於濮水之上。先聞此聲者其國必削，不可遂。」平公曰：「寡人所好者音也，子其使遂之。」師涓鼓究之。平公問師曠曰：「此所謂何聲也？」師曠曰：「此所謂清商也。」公曰：「清商固最悲乎？」師曠曰：「不如清徵。」公曰：「清徵可得而聞乎？」師曠曰：「不可，古之聽清徵者皆有德義之君也，今吾君德薄，不足以聽。」平公曰：「寡人之所好者音也，願試聽之。」師曠不得已，援琴而鼓。一奏之，有玄鶴二八，道南方來，集於郎門之垝。再奏之而列。三奏之，延頸而鳴，舒翼而舞。音中宮商之聲，聲聞於天。平公大說，坐者皆喜。平公提觴而起為師曠壽，反坐而問曰：「音莫悲於清徵乎？」師曠曰：「不如清角。」平公曰：「清角可得而聞乎？」師曠曰：「不可。昔者黃帝合鬼神於泰山之上，駕象車而六蛟龍，畢方並轄，蚩尤居前，風伯進掃，雨師灑道，虎狼在前，鬼神在後，騰蛇伏地，鳳皇覆上，大合鬼神，作為清角。今主君德薄，不足聽之，聽之將恐有敗。」平公曰：「寡人老矣，所好者音也，願遂聽之。」師曠不得已而鼓之。一奏之，有玄雲從西北方起；再奏之，大風至，大雨隨之，裂帷幕，破俎豆，隳廊瓦，坐者散走，平公恐懼，伏於廊室之間。晉國大旱，赤地三年。平公之身遂癃病。故曰：不務聽治，而好五音不已，則窮身之事也。
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