Marquis of Shen申侯

History vs. fiction

There are two famous 'Marquis of Shen' in history: one is the father of Queen Shen of the Western Zhou, who, because King You deposed the legitimate heir and made a concubine's son the heir, allied with the Quanrong to attack Zhou; the other is a general of Chu in the mid-Spring and Autumn period. The novel not only fabricated the plot that the Western Zhou Marquis of Shen submitted a memorial to remonstrate and was stripped of his title, but also depicted the Marquis of Shen who served Chu and then fled to Zheng (the Chu general Marquis of Shen) as an insatiable minister who was eventually executed by the Earl of Zheng, merging and dramatizing the stories of same-named figures from different historical periods.

• based on factDid the Marquis of Shen (father of Queen Shen) ever submit a memorial to remonstrate against the deposition of the crown prince and was stripped of his title? Furthermore, was the Marquis of Shen who served Chu and then fled to Zheng killed by the Earl of Zheng for being capricious?

  The Records of the Grand Historian, 'Annals of Zhou', records that the Marquis of Shen, father of Queen Shen, was angered by King You's deposition of the legitimate heir and making a concubine's son the heir, and 'together with Zeng, the Western Yi, and Quanrong attacked King You... and killed King You.' Meanwhile, the 'Hereditary House of Chu' records the historical fact of another Chu general, the Marquis of Shen, 'leading troops to attack Qi.' However, in the Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, chapters 2 to 3, it not only fabricates in detail the plot that the Marquis of Shen was 'stripped of his title' by King You for submitting a memorial to remonstrate; but also in chapter 24, it depicts the Marquis of Shen who served Chu and then fled to Zheng as a powerful minister who angered Duke Wen of Zheng for being capricious: 'Kong Shu presented the letter to Duke Wen of Zheng. The Earl of Zheng, because he had not listened to Kong Shu's advice earlier and had fled back without forming an alliance, causing the Qi army to come to Zheng twice, felt remorse and also blamed the Marquis of Shen. So he summoned the Marquis of Shen and rebuked him, saying: "You said that only Chu could resist Qi. Now the Qi army has come repeatedly; where is Chu's rescue?" The Marquis of Shen was about to defend himself, but the Earl of Zheng ordered the warriors to take him out and behead him. He put his head in a box and sent Kong Shu to present it to the Qi army, saying: "My lord previously mistakenly listened to the words of the Marquis of Shen and did not maintain good relations with you. Now I have executed him and send this humble minister to apologize before your tent; I beg you, my lord, to forgive us!" The Marquis of Qi, knowing Kong Shu's worth, agreed to make peace with Zheng. Then he convened the feudal lords at Ningmu. Duke Wen of Zheng, still suspicious of the king's command, did not dare to attend openly, but sent his heir apparent Hua to go in his place and await orders at Ningmu.'