Abstract:

“Fen san weiyi”(integrating the three into one) in Yang Xiong’sDenouncing Qin and Commending Xin selected by ZhaomingAnthology of Literature was interpreted by Li Shan andother five ministers as merging three articles into one, namely, Yao Dian, Shun Dian and the newly created Di Dian. Nevertheless, it is a misinterpretation. In effect, “Fen san weiyi” originated from the conception of “wangdaotong san”(the kingly way is mediating the three elements: heaven,earth and man”). “Wang Dao Tong San” was the core concept of kingly way, which emphasized the subservience of the populace to the King, and the King to heaven, on the basis of the harmony between heaven and man. The theory was very innovative and adjusted to the political and cultural environments in Han Dynasty. The Empire of Han was politically superior to the previous monarchs, ideologically inclusive and characteristic of the spirit of grand unification. Its kingly wayhighly manifested the spirit of thetimes by assimilating different schools of ideas while presenting new connotations.

Key words: fen san wei yi, Shang Shu in modern Chinese, wang dao tong san, Shang Shu in ancient Chinese