Shensheng申生

History vs. fiction

The crown prince of Duke Xian of Jin was framed by Li Ji and died.

• based on factFramed by Li Ji with poisoned wine and meat

  Records of the Grand Historian, Hereditary House of Jin records that Li Ji poisoned the sacrificial meat, and Duke Xian offered it to the earth, which swelled up; testing it on a dog and a minor official, both died, after which Shen Sheng hanged himself in the new city (The crown prince then sacrificed to his mother Qi Jiang in Quwo, and presented the sacrificial meat to Duke Xian. Duke Xian was out hunting at the time, so the meat was placed in the palace. Li Ji had poison placed in the meat. Two days later, when Duke Xian returned from hunting, the cook presented the meat to him, and he wished to partake. Li Ji stopped him from the side, saying, The meat has come from afar; it should be tested. Offered to the earth, the earth swelled; given to a dog, the dog died; given to a minor official, the minor official died. Source: Hereditary House of Jin.txt). The novel, while retaining the framework of poisoned meat, adds the plot of You Shi participating in the conspiracy, and exaggerates the horrific symptoms of poisoning, claiming that the young eunuch was forced to eat the meat and died with blood flowing from seven orifices, which constitutes literary embellishment and rewriting of historical details.

• based on factGhost appeared to Hu Tu

  Records of the Grand Historian, Hereditary House of Jin records that the ruler of Jin reburied Shensheng, and in autumn, Hutuo, while going to the lower state, truly encountered Shensheng, who told him that he had requested the Emperor to let Qin offer sacrifices (「晋君改葬恭太子申生。秋，狐突之下国，遇申生，申生与载而告之曰：'夷吾无礼，余得请于帝，将以晋与秦，秦将祀余。'」source: Hereditary House of Jin.txt). The novel instead changes it to Hutuo, in a daze on the carriage returning from the memorial ceremony, dreaming that Shensheng claimed to be the master of Qiaoshan, and on the seventh day a shaman came to convey the message, replacing the original historical record of directly seeing a ghost with dreams and shamanism, adding a mysterious color.