Listed here are four of China's earliest rulers and officials; they vary according to the many legends. They were perhaps chieftains of small tribal alliances of hamlets. Lóngshī, (or Lóngmìngshī, ‘Dragon-sent Master') was none other than Fú Xī (also called Tài Hào), depicted with a snake-like body and human face, who legendarily devised the bāguà (trigrams of heaven and earth) and taught his followers how to make nets, and how to fish, hunt, and raise cattle. Huǒdì, the ‘Fire Emperor' was called Suì Rén, and true to his title he taught the people, legend has it, how to make fire by drilling into wood and how to boil rice. Then there was the ‘Glorious' or ‘Flame Emperor' Yándì (better known as the illustrious Shénóng), often depicted as a man with the head of an ox. During his reign, humanity learned how to make plows and cultivate crops, and Yándì is also credited in legend with discovering medicinal plants, and making the first medicines with them. Chī Yóu was chief of a dark-skinned tribe in the north, and he gave mankind the first weapons of war. Both he and Shénóng were defeated by the Yellow Emperor Huángdì (also named Xuānyuán), the first mythical ruler portrayed as completely human in form. Chī Yóu was killed on the plain of Zhuō Lù in today's Héběi Province.

The Yellow Emperor used the magnetic compass to navigate through Chī Yóu's man-made fog and defeat him. Shǎo Hào, the ‘Bird Official' (or Niǎomìngguān, ‘Bird-sent Official'), was the son of Xuānyuán, born of his wife Léi Zǔ. He was so named for his revision of Tài Hào's bāguà, called tàihàofǎ, and his name was Zhì. His titles include Jīn Déwáng, Jīn Tiānshì, and Qióng Sāngshì, among others. These are the grouping of legendary ‘Three Emperors': Tiānhuáng (Fú Xī), Dìhuáng (Suì Rén), and Rénhuáng (Shénóng), corresponding to tiān (‘heaven'), dì (‘earth'), and rén (‘people'): the sāncái or ‘three achievements' of creation. The Book of Poems (Shāngsòng) says:

"Heaven mandated Xuán Niǎo," (the blackbird wife of Dìkù) "down it came, gave birth to Shāng".

So, born from a royal egg was Zǐ Xiè, who is the grand ancestor of both the much later Shāng Dynasty, and the clan of Kǒngzǐ (albeit myriad generations later). Dìkù (father of Xià Dynasty founder Yáo the Great) was son of Zhuānxū (the Yellow Emperor's grandson). Legendary figures are often depicted in art as black birds, or with corvidian attributes such as magpie heads. The many legends differ as to their names, groupings, and deeds. The Wǔdì or ‘Five Emperors' vary in name but are typically listed as Huángdì, his grandson Zhuānxū, Dìkù, Yáo, Shùn, and Yǔ.

In China's remote past, before writing, people kept records by tieing knots in strings or ropes. According to legend, writing originated with Cáng Jié, an official of the Yellow Emperor. Legend also has it that the Yellow Emperor's wife Léi Zǔ taught the people how to raise silkworms, cultivate and spin silk, and so textile clothing replaced the animal skins and tree leaves worn up to that time.

Yáo, chieftain of the communities of Táo and Táng, and Shùn, chieftain of the principality of Yú, or Yǒuyú, are famed for selflessness; they willfully gave up their reigns to successful and worthy men. Shùn is therefore often called Yúshùn or simply Yú. As for Yáo, he was originally made chief of Táo (Dìngtáo in modern Shāndōng) and expanded his rule to Táng, (nowadays Línfén in adjoining Shānxī), so he is also known in history as Táo Táng or Táng Yáo. According to legend, Yáo passed on his throne to Shùn, who in turn abdicated to Yǔ, the founder of the Xià Dynasty in the 21st century BCE, beginning the tradition of hereditary succession to the throne with his son Qǐ.

Zhōu Fā in the original text refers to Jī Fā, original personal name of the man who became Emperor Zhōu Wǔwáng, who crushed the tyrant Zhòu and ended the Shāng Dynasty, in turn founding the Zhōu around 1100 BCE, which would turn out to be China's longest-lived—roughly contemporary with King David of ancient Israel. Jī, his surname, had also been that of the Yellow Emperor, being taken from the nearby Jī River. Yīn Tāng refers to the much earlier destruction of Jié (the evil final ruler of the Xià Dynasty) by Chéng Tāng, and the later's founding of the Shāng Dynasty around 1600 BCE. Noted Bad Kings Jié and Zhòu are a notorious pair, the first to lose the Mandate of Heaven, celebrated in many popular sayings such as "Jié's dog barked at righteousness," and Zhòu's consort Dá Jǐ is reviled for her wild banquets, and her lust, cruelty, and excesses. The tenth ruler of Shāng Pán Kāng moved his capital to Yīn, henceforth in history and literature the Shāng is often called Yīn or Yīn-Shāng, and its founder is often known as Yīn Tāng or Shāng Tāng.

Wèn here means ‘enquire' or ‘discuss in detail'. As for the jūnzǐ's dào, the Zhōngyōng (‘Doctrine of the Mean') says: "Fù fú zhī yú, kě yǐ yù zhī yān; jí qí zhì yě, suī shèng rén yì yǒu suǒ bù zhī yān." "Ordinary people (‘husbands and wives') in all their silliness can come to know, or unwittingly demonstrate most of it, but in its fine points there is much that even the sages still cannot explain."

Chuí gǒng: ‘graciously (humbly, condescendingly)', or ‘with genteel dignity'. Píngzhāng is ‘to discuss and clarify (matters of the day or of state)', and in later times (during the Táng and Sòng) it became the name of a high office: roughly a councilor of state. Precedents: Shāng Tāng relied heavily on Yī Yǐn and took his advice; Zhōu Wǔwáng appointed Lǚ Shàng to a high military post and empowered him to handle very grave matters. Kǒngzǐ said that if anybody could fully explain the Way to him some morning, he would be able to die satisfied that night.

Lí here means ‘black'; líshǒu refers to the masses of common people engaged in agriculture, as well as to two darker-skinned tribes then living in the north in specific, the Lí and Miáo. In subsequent times, límiáo has had the figurative meaning of ‘masses' as well, so I believe that here líshǒu is a shuāngguānyǔ, referring to both these darker peoples in addition to the soiled, sunbaked masses. The Róng and Qiāng were two tribes to the west. Together, these represent all the unschooled common folk of various ethnicities, as well as the tribes surrounding China in Zhōu times. All the tribes in time were pacified or otherwise came around to China's civilized ways, to the way of the cultivated and correct Jūnzǐrén—they add their land and talented men to the Chinese state.

Xiá means ‘far', and ěr means ‘near'. Shuài means ‘completely' or ‘all' and bīn means ‘obeyed' or ‘submitted'. Guī here has a similar meaning. Zhōu Wǔwáng's son Chéngwáng and grandson Kāngwáng each ruled with diligence and reason at court, provided relief and assistance far and near, and established a great reign over the world—hence the two periods together are famously called Chéng Kāng Zhī Zhì (‘The Rule of Chéng and Kāng').

A fèng is a male phoenix, the legendary bird of good fortune that feeds on bamboo tips. (Huáng is the word for a female phoenix.) Báijū (‘white pony') is an allusion to the lines "Jiǎo jiǎo báijū, shí wǒ cháng miáo" in the Book of Poems, (Xiǎo Yá, "Báijū": "Sparkling is the white pony, feeding in our fields.") These sentences state that only under the conditions of universal peace and abundance can these scenes occur. They also serve as a metaphor, signifying cultivated and good people peacefully serving the illustrious king.

Huà here is short for jiàohuà: the king's civilizing guidance and cultural enlightenment of his people. Bèi here means ‘to dress', to blanket', or ‘to cover', and lài has the meaning here of ‘(some) benefits'. This concludes Chapter 2 of the Qiānzì wén, having covered the virtuous governance of ancient emperors, as well as the might, greatness, and widespread abundance that they brought forth.