shiji-kb

Use when resolving disputed succession with multiple claimants or absent heirs. Provides priority ordering (太子, eldest legitimate son, talented son, brother), a resolution process with ministerial council, external power assessment, and rival neutralization protocols.

Use when determining proper succession order or preventing political instability from improper succession. Applies Fan Zhongshan's counsel to King Xuan: eldest-first principle, chain of consequences from violation, and the teaching effect on subjects.

Use when managing a leadership succession or transferring power between rulers. Covers designation, mourning period (三年丧), abdication gesture, popular validation by regional leaders (诸侯), and formal assumption of authority.

Use when designing a multi-step succession sequence to transfer leadership to a designated heir. Models King Shoumeng of Wu's brother-to-brother chain (寿梦→诸樊→余祭→余眜→季札) with safeguards for refusal.

Use when building reputation and organizational strength through personnel recommendations. Prioritizes recommending those more capable than yourself (贤於己者) to create networks of competent allies and earn trust from superiors.

Use when experiencing talent attrition or when followers perceive hypocrisy between stated values and leader behavior. Diagnoses the root cause through direct inquiry, then requires a visible personal sacrifice to demonstrate that talent is valued above personal pleasures or possessions.

Use when building a leadership team, delegating authority, or evaluating why leaders succeed or fail. Applies Liu Bang's talent utilization model (用人之道) with Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin.

Use when probing enemy leadership's judgment quality and decision-making state. Based on Zhong's grain-request test against Wu: make a resource request, observe whether wise counsel is heeded or ignored, and interpret the response to assess arrogance and internal divisions for attack timing.

Use when calculating pentatonic scale pipe lengths or tuning traditional Chinese instruments. Applies the three-division method (三分损益法) to derive 宫商角徵羽 from base unit 81 using alternating 2/3 and 4/3 ratios.

Use when determining the optimal moment to launch a military campaign. Based on Fan Li's counsel to Goujian against Wu: wait for enemy to eliminate wise advisors, assess force deployment, confirm internal decay, verify leadership distraction, then strike with full force. Patience is critical.

Use when securing a binding commitment before a long campaign where rivals may slander you in your absence. Based on Gan Mao's (甘茂) method — citing the tale of Zeng Shen's mother (曾参之母) to illustrate how repeated false accusations erode even deep trust, then extracting a formal pledge.

Use when weakening powerful feudal lords without military confrontation. Implements the Tui'en (推恩) decree to divide territories among all heirs, progressively fragmenting large fiefs into minor holdings across generations.

Use when performing or analyzing ancient Chinese turtle shell divination (龟卜). Covers shell preparation, prohibited days (子亥戌), ritual prayer recitation, heat application for crack patterns, and interpretation of crack positions (首仰足开/肣).

Use when neutralizing a capable enemy advisor or creating distrust between a rival ruler and their counselor. Deploys distraction tactics, manufactured suspicion, and defection incentives. Based on Qin's handling of You Yu and the Rong king.

Use when cultivating personal virtue through ritual and music practice (礼乐修身). Integrates 致乐以治心 (music for the heart) with 致礼以治躬 (ritual for conduct) in a daily morning-to-evening practice schedule.

Use when analyzing whether virtue correlates with worldly success or questioning cosmic justice (天道). Compares virtuous sufferers (伯夷, 颜回) against prosperous villains (盗跖) using Sima Qian's method to assess 天道无亲常与善人 and inform ethical decision-making.

Use when managing succession planning or resolving heir disputes. Covers legitimate succession order (父死子继, 兄死弟及), virtuous deviation protocols including the ritual of three refusals (三让), warning signs of succession crisis, and best practices from Song Xuan Gong's example.

Use when evaluating territorial concessions or appeasement strategies against aggressive neighbors. Applies the 抱薪救火 (carrying firewood to extinguish fire) framework to expose why each concession emboldens further demands and weakens negotiating position.

Use when planning irrigation canals, flood control, or water resource management for agriculture. Applies Yu's principle of channeling over blocking (疏导优于堵塞) and includes the Zheng Guo Canal case study.

Use when rebuilding wealth in a new location while avoiding political danger. Based on Fan Li's transformation into Tao Zhu Gong (陶朱公): change identity, select trade-route hubs, practice honest labor, target modest 10% margins, and redistribute wealth when fame grows too large.