Feng Hou(风后) was from Haizhou, Shanxi Province. When he was young, he was engaged in agriculture and lived in seclusion. He was good at Yi. One day, when he was farming in the fields in a sunny day, he began to sing a song. The main idea of the song was: I was born in such a prosperous age and I met a prominent emperor. After singing, he began to cultivate again. At this time, Emperor Huang’s carriage and horses were here, but Feng Hou plowed as well. After observing for a while, Emperor Huang thought to himself, “Although this man is a ploughman, he must have certain abilities.” Then, he ordered his accompanying officials to ask where he came from. Feng Hou replied, “The Emperor and the common people are not on the same path. There is no need to ask this question!” The official told this to Emperor Huang. Emperor Huang sighed, “This must be a man of great wisdom.” So he got out of the carriage and walked to the field. When Feng Hou saw the Emperor walking, he quickly threw away his hoe and knelt down in the field. Emperor Huang lifted him up and asked, “Why do you live here in seclusion? Why not contribute to the country? May I have your name, please?” Feng Hou replied, “My name is Feng Hou. I have little talent, so I just farm here.” Emperor Huang was very happy after hearing this. He asked Feng Hou to follow him back to the imperial court to help manage the country. Feng Hou didn’t refuse and went with the Emperor.
On the way, Emperor Huang saw a woodcutter walking by the river. He found this man was extraordinary. He got out of the carriage and walked into the woods, and asked the man, “Why are you wandering here instead of serving the country and benefiting the people?” The man replied, “I am stupid and incompetent, so I live in seclusion here.” Emperor Huang asked, “Can you tell me your name?” He replied, “My name is Li Mu.” Emperor Huang was very happy and said to his accompanying officials, “You should believe that my dream is true today.” Then he lifted up Li Mu and returned with him together.
The next morning, after the officials went to court, Emperor Huang asked Feng Hou and Li Mu to enter. They knelt down in the hall. Emperor Huang said, “I have your two assistants today. You are given to me by heaven in my dream, just like my left and right hands.” Later, Feng Hou was appointed as prime minister and Li Mu as general. Originally, Tai Chang was in charge of farming, and was appointed as Minister of Agriculture; Cang Long was in charge of the East and was appointed as the Shi Shi; Zhu Rong was in charge of the South and was appointed as the Si Tu; Tai Hong was in charge of the West and was appointed as the Si Ma; Hou Tu was in charge of the North and was appointed as the Li Shi. With Feng Hou, there were six prime ministers. Li Mu, as a military general, was responsible for fighting the wars.
Since Emperor Huang had these six prime ministers, the country has been well governed and the world was peaceful.
One day, after the banquet, Emperor Huang returned to his resting place. In the middle of the night, he had a dream. In the dream, he saw two dragons holding up a white picture in the river. When he woke up, he thought, “all the previous dreams have come true, and this dream must be true. Dragon is a strange beast in the water. It must be unusual to appear in a dream.” So, after fasting and bathing, he told the officials about the dream. Tian Mu said, “Your majesty should go to the river and have a look. Maybe Providence really wants to send you a picture.” Emperor Huang immediately arranged the carriage to go to the river. When he arrived at Cuigui Mountain, he saw a big fish coming from afar. Emperor Huang asked Tian Mu, “Did you see the thing in the river?” “It’s just like your dream,” said Tian Mu. Emperor Huang ordered the incense case to be put on the table and prayed to heaven in person, “I’m lucky to have six prime ministers assist me in governing the country, and now the people are peaceful. Last night, I was lucky to get the guidance of Providence in my dream again. Now I put down the fragrant flowers and candles to pray. If it’s a bad thing, I’ll take it on my own. If it’s a good thing, I’ll share it with the people of the country!” After that, the big fish in the river went up, carrying the box with white picture, and jumped on the bank to give it to Emperor Huang. Emperor Huang understood that it was auspicious. After the worship, he took it. The big fish jumped into the river and swam away. Emperor Huang thanked the river again. Then he watched the picture, whose name was “Tu Lu” (图箓). He ordered his attendants to take up the box and went back to the palace.
The next morning, Emperor Huang said to his ministers: “I have heard that Emperor Fu Xi once had got ‘He Tu’(河图), now the content of ‘He Tu’ I have is different from that of Emperor Fu Xi. It is all about calculating horoscope, setting solar terms and measuring system. I have to follow the instructions.”
He immediately asked Xi He to measure sun and moon, Chang Yi to measure the emptiness of moon and Che Qu to measure the speed of wind.
Emperor Huang asked Gui Yu’ou: “Can heaven and earth be counted?” Gui Yu’ou said, “The heaven is measured by six Qi. The earth is measured by five Qi. The heaven is a complete cycle in six years, and earth is five years. The permutation and combination of five and six is thirty years, 720 solar terms, and this is the first period. Because there is too much difference between the rise and fall of Yin(阴) and Yang(阳), in general, 60 Jiazi and 1400 solar terms are in a circle. The changes can be predicted by mathematical methods. After hearing this, Emperor Huang asked, “You mean the period is repeated?” Gui Yu’ou answered: “Yes. Although the period is repeated, you should build sixteen gods to set up leap month.” Emperor Huang asked, “what is leap month?” Ou said: “for every three years, there would be thirty extra days; for every five years, there would be sixty extra days.”
Emperor Huang then asked Ling Lun to set up measuring system. Ling Lun picked bamboo from the valley of Xiexi and built Huang Zhong. He made twelve Huang Zhong to listen to the singing of Feng Huang. Female Feng Huang chirped six times, and male Feng Huang also chirped six times
Emperor Huang asked Lao Huan to build twelve clocks as twelve law. Every month, when Qi was coming, the ancient people would burn Lu Guan to ashes and put them in the twelve tubes. Then they put the tubes in a secret room to predict the solar terms. When the ashes in a single tube flied out, it meant certain solar term was coming.
Emperor Huang ordered Da Rong, Rong Cheng, and Che Qu to calculate star image.
Born in Shanxi Province, Feng Hou was the prime minister of Emperor Huang. Emperor Huang had a dream when he was looking for Feng Hou. In the dream “the wind blows the dust away.” When he woke up, he exclaimed, “The wind is the ruler.” Feng Hou had a very high position in the court. The guide carriage and tactical deployment invented by Feng Hou were unparalleled, helping Emperor Huang unify the Central Plains. The most famous military map of eight tactical arrays was of great academic significance and value to the formation and development of ancient military history and ancient military theory in China.
It’s said that in the field of Banquan (formerly known as Puban in Yuncheng area of Shanxi Province), Emperor Huang and Chi You fought with each other. Suddenly, strong wind and heavy rain accompanied by heavy fog came one after another. First, Feng Hou used a guide carriage to guide the tribe out of danger, then Emperor Huang’s daughter Nü Ba came out to disperse the wind and rain and disturb the enemy troops with horn sound and drum beating sound, and adopted a variety of tactics to win. After that, Chi You was killed, his body was broken down and buried in another place. Therefore, this place was named Haizhou. The villagers were descendants of Chi You tribe, so it was named “Chiyou village” (now Congshan Village).
