shiji-kb

Use when deciding whether to launch a military campaign or evaluating battle readiness. Applies Sun Wu's advice to King Helu of Wu: assess troop fatigue (民劳), alliance potential, enemy leadership weaknesses, and multi-pronged coordination.

Use when analyzing historical power transitions through targeted action, such as Prince Guang's (King Helu) removal of King Liao. Covers legitimacy claims, agent recruitment, timing, operational security, and consolidation.

Use when deciding whether to honor a commitment after circumstances change, especially after the recipient's death. Applies Ji Zha's sword-promise principle: internal assent creates moral obligation that transcends death.

Use when assessing foreign state stability, predicting political upheaval, or advising allies on self-preservation. Follows Ji Zha's diplomatic mission model across Qi, Zheng, Wei, and Jin to evaluate leadership and identify safe havens.

Use when evaluating music or dance for moral and political significance. Applies Ji Zha's (延陵季子) framework to assess emotional balance (乐而不淫, 哀而不愁), moral qualities, and governance predictions from artistic expression.

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 calculating calendars, determining seasonal timing, or establishing the correct 正朔. Covers leap month intercalation using the 19-year Metonic cycle, solstice measurement via shadow length (晷景), and dynastic calendar differences.

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 stabilizing commodity prices, preventing merchant manipulation, or implementing the 平准 system. Covers government buy-low/sell-high intervention, 均输 distribution, and salt-iron monopoly policies.

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 interpreting celestial phenomena for governance guidance or predicting earthly events. Tracks the five planets (五星) against 28 constellations (二十八宿) and applies the response framework: 日变脩德, 月变省刑, 星变结和.

Use when deploying music as a governance tool (乐治) to influence social behavior or diagnose political health. Maps the six emotional responses to sound qualities and the five tones (宫商角徵羽) to organs and virtues.

Use when establishing social order through ritual principles (礼治) or regulating desires to prevent chaos. Implements the three-step framework: cultivate the self, establish distinctions (贵贱有等), and balance restraint with satisfaction.

Use when establishing the fundamental pitch standard (黄钟) or deriving all twelve pitch pipes. Calculates the 9-cun base unit from powers of 3 and links musical tuning to weights, measures, and seasonal 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 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 evaluating officials for noble titles or ranking meritorious service. Applies the five-tier classification (勋劳功伐阅) to determine title rank, land grants, and hereditary privileges based on contribution type.

Use when analyzing feudal power structures or ranking noble titles. Classifies ranks using the Zhou dynasty five-tier system (公侯伯子男) and determines appropriate land grants based on merit, lineage, and strategic need.

Use when building chronological tables (世表, 年表, 月表) to organize historical events across dynasties. Synchronizes multiple polities, marks gaps, and adds commentary on patterns of rise and fall (兴坏之端).

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 implementing benevolent governance (仁政) to build popular support and long-term stability. Covers tax reduction, legal reform, agricultural promotion, and frugality following Emperor Wen of Han's model.

Use when managing a multi-domain crisis or coordinating emergency response across military, diplomatic, and administrative fronts. Delegates specific responsibilities to trusted subordinates while maintaining strategic oversight.

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 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 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.