I have brought trouble and misfortune upon
myself.(自詒伊戚)
The period from 770 BC to 476 BC was known
as the Spring and Autumn Period in China, followed by the Warring States Period
from 476 BC to 221 BC.
During this time, the highest-ranking
leader in China was the king of the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou king established
more than 100 vassal states, each of which became a kingdom. The Kingdom of Jin
was one of these states.
The Kingdom of Jin had a king named Ji
Yigao.
He ascended the throne at the age of four.
His mother doted on him and, because of his royal status, he received little
strict discipline after that age.
His background and status shaped his
personality. As a teenager, he became unrestrained and committed many cruel
acts, which he found fascinating.
The Kingdom of Jin had a very loyal and
senior prime minister named Zhao Dun.
Zhao Dun repeatedly advised Ji Yigao to
improve his behaviour, but the young king refused to change.
Finding Zhao Dun's advice troubling, Ji
Yigao sent soldiers to arrest him. Zhao Dun fled the capital, intending to seek
political asylum in another kingdom.
Just as he was about to cross the border,
he received shocking news. A coup had occurred in the Jin Kingdom in 607 BC due
to the anger of the people and ministers caused by Ji Yigao's brutality, and Ji
Yigao had been killed.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Dun turned back and
returned to the capital that very night.
Having served as prime minister of the Jin
Kingdom's central government for a long time, Zhao Dun possessed considerable
political power. In a short time, he stabilised the political system within the
Jin Kingdom and, with his help, the Jin Kingdom successfully chose its
successor.
Throughout Chinese history, there have
always been special official positions responsible for managing historical
materials, recording historical events and compiling historical books.
These records regarding this event were
written by the official in charge of recording history during the Jin Dynasty.
In 607 BC, the king was assassinated and
Zhao Dun was primarily responsible for this tragedy.
After reading the records, Zhao Dun angrily
confronted the historian and said:
'I believe you should revise your records.
I did not kill the king; I did not kill him.'
The historian replied seriously,
'You were the prime minister of the Jin
Kingdom. When the king was assassinated, you were still within the borders of
the Jin Kingdom. After his death, you returned to the capital, yet you did not
arrest the murderer. Based on these two facts, I believe you must bear the
greatest responsibility for the king's death.'
After hearing this, Zhao Dun remained
silent for a few seconds before saying, "There is a line in the oldest
anthology of Chinese poetry..." The poem means that I have deep concerns
and longings in my heart. Because of these, I have brought trouble and misfortune
upon myself.
'I am loyal to the Kingdom of Jin, yet
because of this loyalty, I am forced to take responsibility for the king's
murder.'
The idiom literally translates as: 'I have
brought trouble and misfortune upon myself.'
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
have you gained from this story? Do you agree with the historian's viewpoint?
Have you ever been forced to accept responsibilities you did not want?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
自詒伊戚(I have brought trouble and misfortune
upon myself.)
西元前770年到西元前476年這段時間是中國的春秋時代，西元前476年到西元前221年這段時間是中國的戰國時代。
當時中國的最高領導人是周王朝的國王。周王朝的國王把土地分封給100多個諸侯，這些諸侯各自成立的自己的王國，晉王國就是其中之一。
晉王國有一任國王的名字叫做(姬夷皋)，
他四歲就透過繼承成為晉王國的國王，他的母親非常的寵愛他，因為國王的身分，所以他從四歲之後就沒有受到嚴格的管教。
他的身分與背景形塑了他的個性，他到了十幾歲的青少年時期，他變得不受拘束，他做了很多很殘忍的事，但是他覺得這些事情非常有趣。
晉王國內有一個很忠誠而且資歷很深的宰相，他的名字叫做趙盾。
趙盾曾經多次勸告(姬夷皋)應該改正自己的行為，但是年輕的(姬夷皋)不願意改正自己的錯誤。
(姬夷皋)覺得趙盾的勸告令他感到煩心，他派遣了幾個士兵要逮捕趙盾，趙盾逃離首都，他準備到其他王國尋求政治庇護。
就在趙盾將要踏出晉王國的邊界的時候，他突然收到一個令他感到震驚的消息。這個消息就是由於(姬夷皋)的殘暴行為引起百姓與大臣們的憤怒，西元前607年，晉王國發生了一場政變，(姬夷皋)被殺。
趙盾聽到這個消息後就掉頭，他當天晚上就回到晉王國的首都。
趙盾由於長期擔任晉王國的中央政府的宰相，他擁有深厚的政治實力，在很短的時間他穩定住晉王國內的政治體系，接著在他的協助下，晉王國也順利地決定好的繼任的國王人選。
中國歷代均有設置專門掌管史料與記載史事和編撰史書的一個特殊的官職。
當時的晉王朝的負責記載歷史的一個官員針對這件事寫下了這些記錄。
西元前607年國王被殺，趙盾應該為這場悲劇負擔其主要的責任。
趙盾看到這些記錄後，他很生氣地去這個負責記載歷史的史官說。
我認為你應該要調整你的記錄，我沒有殺了國王，殺害國王的並不是我
這個負責記載歷史的史官很嚴肅的回答。
你是晉王國的宰相，在國王被殺的時候，你還在晉王國的國境之內，國王被殺後你回到首都，但是你沒有逮捕殺死國王的兇手，基於以上的兩個理由，我認為國王的死，你必須要負擔最大的責任。
趙盾聽完這些話後，他沉默了幾秒鐘後說。中國最古老的詩歌總集中有一句詩。
這句詩的意思是我的心中有著深深的牽掛與思念，因為這些牽掛與思念，所以我給自己招來了憂患與禍災。
我對晉王國是忠誠的，但是就因為我的忠誠，所以我要被迫承擔這個導致國王被殺害的責任。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是我給自己招來了憂患與禍災。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢?
你認同這個歷史紀錄官員的看法嗎?你是否曾經被迫承擔你不願意接受的責任呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為左傳-宣公2年
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