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Power and organisation

The Duke of Zhou

Regency

The Duke of Zhou (Early Zhou · c. 11th century BC) — Regency.

Power and organisationPre-Qin and classicalRegency

What actually happened?

According to Sima Qian, when King Cheng was a child and gravely ill, the Duke of Zhou cut off his own fingernails and sank them in the river, praying that if any spirit was offended, it was he, Dan, and not the boy. He put the prayer away in the royal archive. Later, after the king took charge, someone slandered the duke and he left for the south. Cheng opened the archive, found the prayer, wept, and brought him back.

He did not hide, and did not defend himself first

When it was said he meant to harm the king, he neither argued nor left. He went to the two elders carrying the work with him and explained why he could not step aside: if he did, the realm would turn against Zhou.

People say you are after the project. Sit down with the two or three people who build it with you, then finish the job.

He kept his door open

He told his son that in one bath he grabbed his hair three times to go out to a visitor, and in one meal he stood up three times. The higher you sit, the less people tell you, so push the cost of seeing you down yourself.

Keep ninety minutes a week empty, and see whoever turns up.

He handed over, and stepped back to his place

When the king grew up, the duke gave back the rule and moved from the seat facing south to stand among the ministers. Handing over meant giving up the decisions, and moving his place so everyone could see it.

At the first meeting after a handover, leave the head of the table to the new lead.

How do I use it today?

Pick one matter where you are suspected and cannot walk away. Write three lines: if I step aside, does anyone pick it up; which two or three people carrying it with me should hear my reasons first; what will let the work speak for me. If your seat is already high, count how long it has been since someone said what I did not want to hear. His one judgement runs through all three: look at the work first, and at what people say second.

Deep read

The Rumour, and Why He StayedStepping aside is easiest, but the work falls apart without youHe went first to the two elders who were carrying the work with him, not to the people spreading the storyThree Times Out of the BathThe higher your seat, the more you must keep the door openMid-wash, he would grab his wet hair and go out to meet a visitorBack to a Minister's PlaceOn the day you hand over power, the hard part is where to standHe walked from the seat that faced south to the side of the ministers who faced north

Read alongside

Guo ZiyiBoth were suspected by their courts. Guo Ziyi made himself smaller: he opened his gates and let anyone walk in, showing he was harmless. The duke would not hide. He told those carrying the work with him, and let the finished work answer. One showed he was no threat, the other showed the work could not do without him. Li ShiminBoth wanted to hear the uncomfortable thing. Li Shimin relied on ministers like Wei Zheng and tolerated being contradicted. The duke opened the door first and went out to meet people with his hair still wet. One relied on tolerance, the other on lowering the cost of reaching him.

Further

Guo Ziyi Li Shimin Zhang Liang Shang Yang

Lines to keep

I do not step aside because I fear the realm will turn against Zhou.

One bath, three times I seize my hair; one meal, three times I rise.

Bury me at Chengzhou, to show I dare not leave King Cheng.