shiji-kb

Use when breaking deadlocks in stalled negotiations or forcing immediate commitment from a dismissive counterparty. Employs physical proximity to neutralize power imbalance, reframes the deal as serving their interests, invokes historical precedent, and demands on-the-spot formalization (blood oath).

Use when analyzing dynastic cycles, predicting political decline, or extracting governance lessons from history. Traces patterns of rise and fall (兴坏之端) across origins, development, turning points, and collapse.

Use when cross-referencing conflicting historical accounts or assessing source reliability. Applies Sima Qian's doubt-transmission principle (疑则传疑) to compare 谍记, 历谱谍, and other documentary evidence.

Use when applying systematic governance frameworks or structuring state administration. Covers Jizi's Hong Fan (洪范) Nine Categories presented to King Wu of Zhou: Five Elements, Five Matters, Eight Government Functions, chronological methods, royal perfection, Three Virtues, divination, omens, and blessings.

Use when planning or conducting the Fengshan ceremony (封禅仪式) to legitimize imperial rule. Covers legitimacy requirements, material preparations, the four-phase ritual at Mount Tai, and historical precedents from 无怀氏 through 周成王.

Use when planning an imperial inspection tour (巡游) to demonstrate authority and inspect territories. Covers route planning, Feng and Shan sacrifices at Mount Tai, stele erection, local scholar consultation, and governance issue resolution.

Use when planning a royal inspection tour or standardizing governance across regions. Structures a five-year inspection cycle covering four cardinal directions with ritual obligations, measurement standardization, and audience protocols.

Use when performing Feng and Shan sacrifices (封禅礼仪) to establish divine endorsement of imperial rule. Covers prerequisites, ritual sequence at Mount Tai, and proclamation steps for Emperor Wu's legitimacy model.

Use when submitting appeals or petitions to imperial authority on behalf of someone facing punishment. Covers concealing intentions, secret departure, formal petition drafting, direct audience requests, and presenting mitigating arguments.

Use when creating a new imperial title or establishing governance terminology for a unified empire. Guides council deliberation, historical precedent review, title composition (皇帝), imperial terminology (制/诏/朕), and succession numbering from 始皇帝 onward.

Use when implementing comprehensive legal, agricultural, or military reforms in a stagnating state. Based on Shang Yang's reforms in Qin, covers public talent recruitment, reform debate, equal law enforcement, and institutionalization of merit-based systems.

Use when verifying rumors or sensitive intelligence without direct confrontation. Involves selecting an emotionally reactive proxy, designing a calibrated provocation to trigger unguarded responses, and interpreting reactions to confirm or deny suspected information, as demonstrated by Prince Shangchen.

Use when planning military ambushes using double agents and staged evidence. Covers agent selection, credibility establishment, force coordination, and engagement triggers to lure enemies into prepared positions.

Use when building covert informant networks to gather intelligence on rival states. Covers agent placement, secure communication channels, and intelligence verification for strategic advantage.

Use when rescuing someone from legal trouble through trusted intermediaries. Based on Tao Zhu Gong's attempt to save his son via Zhuang Sheng: provide resources without strings, give clear instructions, leave immediately, trust the intermediary's method, and never interfere mid-process.

Use when evaluating the feasibility of a long-distance surprise military attack. Assesses distance risks, intelligence reliability, supply line vulnerabilities, and contingency planning. Based on Qin's failed attack on Zheng as a cautionary example.

Use when conducting legal investigations following classical Chinese judicial principles. Covers official accountability (失刑则刑), evidence gathering, case processing for treason/property/misconduct, and proportional punishment without sparing the powerful (不避贵戚).

Use when selecting or vetting a successor for leadership. Applies a multi-phase evaluation combining character tests, progressive responsibility assignment, regency trials, and public acceptance before formalizing succession.

Use when reforming harsh punishments or transitioning a legal system to humane alternatives. Guides abolishing corporal punishment (废除肉刑) using Tiying's (缇萦) petition model under Emperor Wen.

Use when planning a rebellion, popular uprising, or regime change that requires perceived divine mandate. Creates legitimacy through fabricated omens, invocation of beloved historical figures, and the rallying cry 王侯将相宁有种乎 to mobilize popular support.