Prince Chong'er of Jin, the son of Duke Xian of Jin, later became Duke Wen of Jin. In his later years, Duke Xian of Jin faced turmoil caused by Li Ji, prompting Chong'er to flee into exile, only returning to the state of Jin to inherit the throne after 19 years.
In 672 BCE, Duke Xian of Jin launched a campaign against the Li Rong tribe, who were defeated; their leader offered his two daughters, Li Ji and Shao Ji, to Duke Xian as a peace tribute. The duke then led his army back to Jin, accompanied by the beautiful women. Li Ji and her sister were exceptionally stunning, winning the duke's deep affection, with Li Ji being especially favored. Within a few years, Li Ji gave birth to a son named Xi Qi, and Shao Ji also bore the duke a son named Zhuo Zi. Prior to this, Duke Xian had an illicit affair with Qi Jiang, the concubine of his father Duke Wu and daughter of Duke Huan of Qi, resulting in the birth of Prince Shen Sheng and Mu Ji, who was later betrothed to Duke Mu of Qin. After Duke Xian ascended the throne, Qi Jiang was established as his wife, and Shen Sheng was appointed crown prince. Later, the duke married two women from the Rong tribe, Da Rong Hu Ji and Xiao Rong Zi, who respectively gave birth to Prince Chong Er and Prince Yi Wu.
In his later years, Duke Xian of Jin grew deeply infatuated with Li Ji, and after his first wife Qi Jiang had passed away, he defied widespread opposition to install Li Ji as his primary consort, with her younger sister Shao Ji as his secondary consort. Li Ji was highly calculating and full of cunning schemes; as her son Xi Qi gradually grew older, she sought to have him appointed as the crown prince. Although Duke Xian had previously valued his three sons—Shensheng, Chong'er, and Yiwu—after the arrival of Li Ji and Xi Qi, he intended to make Xi Qi his heir and gradually distanced himself from them. Later, Duke Xian declared that Quwo was the site of the ancestral temple and ordered Shensheng to guard it, then claimed that Pu (present-day Yongji, Shanxi) and Qu (present-day Ji County, Shanxi) were key border strongholds, sending Chong'er and Yiwu to defend those frontiers respectively. This effectively enfeoffed them, meaning they were to establish their own ancestral temples, thereby losing their right of succession to the main lineage. Duke Xian's clear intention to depose Shensheng and install Xi Qi as heir had become unmistakably evident.
However, the crown prince had committed no wrongdoing and was very popular, making him the main obstacle to Xiqi's succession. So Li Ji secretly spread rumors that Shen Sheng was plotting rebellion, but lacking evidence, she couldn't convince others. Thus, Li Ji devised a vicious scheme: while Duke Xian was out hunting, she sent a message in his name to Shen Sheng, falsely claiming that the duke had dreamed of Shen Sheng's mother, Qi Jiang, and instructing Shen Sheng to perform a memorial ceremony for her in Quwo, then send the sacrificial offerings to the duke for consumption. Touched that his father still remembered his mother, Shen Sheng immediately complied. Li Ji secretly poisoned the offerings Shen Sheng sent. When Duke Xian returned from hunting and was about to eat, she deliberately stopped him, saying the food and drink had come from afar and should be tested first—the test revealed deadly poison. Convinced that Shen Sheng intended to kill him and seize the throne, the duke condemned him; upon hearing the news, Shen Sheng fled back to Quwo and soon committed suicide.
Chong'er and Yiwu, upon hearing that their elder brother Shensheng had been framed, rushed back to the capital to investigate. Li Ji, wanting to clear all obstacles for her son Xiqi's succession, needed to eliminate Chong'er and Yiwu as well, so she falsely accused them before Duke Xian, claiming they were also involved in the poisoning. When Chong'er and Yiwu learned that Li Ji was plotting against them, they left without saying goodbye, quietly departing the capital and returning to their own fiefs. This only confirmed Duke Xian's suspicion that they intended treachery, so he dispatched troops in two separate forces to besiege Pu City and Qu Yi, aiming to capture and kill the two sons. Yiwu resisted fiercely but, outnumbered, eventually fled to Liang (present-day Hancheng area in Shaanxi). Chong'er, believing that he owed his rank and land to his father and could not oppose him, simply surrendered. After Pu City fell, pursued by Jin troops, Chong'er scaled the wall and fled south, crossing the Yellow River to seek refuge in the Di state, accompanied by Hu Yan, Zhao Cui, Sikong Jizi, and others. Thus began Chong'er's long exile.
The state of Di was the homeland of Chong'er's mother and also the homeland of Hu Yan. Under Hu Yan's careful arrangements, Chong'er was able to settle peacefully in Di, and Duke Xian did not continue to pursue him, allowing Chong'er to finally catch his breath. The ruler of Di treated Chong'er fairly well; when Di attacked a Rong tribe, they captured two beautiful young women, Shu Wei and Ji Wei, and presented them to Prince Chong'er. Chong'er married Ji Wei, who bore him Bo Chou and Shu Liu. He gave Shu Wei to Zhao Cui as a wife, and she later gave birth to Zhao Dun, who would go on to shake the world with his power. In Di, Chong'er married and had children, living a relatively stable life.
Although Li Ji failed to kill Chong'er and Yiwu, she ultimately succeeded in removing obstacles to her son Xiqi's succession to the throne. Later, when Duke Xian of Jin was critically ill, fearing that the remaining forces of Chong'er and Yiwu might threaten the young Xiqi, he entrusted his dying wishes to the minister Xun Xi, urging him to fully support Xiqi. In 651 BCE, Duke Xian of Jin died, and Xun Xi installed Li Ji's son Xiqi as ruler. However, ministers like Li Ke and Pi Zhengfu led troops into the court, and the young Xiqi was killed before he could even ascend the throne, leaving him without a posthumous title. Xun Xi then installed the son of Li Ji's sister, Zhuozi, but he too was killed by Li Ke, who then forced Xun Xi to commit suicide, and Li Ji herself died by the sword. Li Ji had schemed relentlessly to secure the throne for her son, never imagining that it would bring death to both herself and her child. At this point, only Chong'er and Yiwu remained among Duke Xian's sons. Li Ke sent envoys to the Di state to invite Chong'er to take the throne, but after experiencing perilous and bloody political persecution, Chong'er became cautious and prioritized survival, thus declining Li Ke's offer. So Li Ke went to Liang to welcome Yiwu, who was residing there, back to Jin to succeed the throne. At this time, Duke Mu of Qin sought to intervene in Jin's internal affairs, and upon learning that Chong'er was unwilling to return, he also sent envoys to Yiwu, offering support for his return. Yiwu accepted Li Ke's invitation and promised to cede five cities east of the Yellow River to Qin as a token of gratitude, securing Duke Mu of Qin's backing. He then successfully returned to Jin and ascended the throne, becoming Duke Hui of Jin.
After Duke Hui ascended the throne, he surrounded himself with trusted allies and executed powerful ministers like Li Ke and Pi Zhengfu. Fearing that Chong'er might return to challenge him for the throne, he decided to send an assassin to kill Chong'er and eliminate the threat once and for all. Upon learning of this, Chong'er consulted with his advisors and decided to leave the Di state to seek support from other feudal states. Thus, Chong'er bid farewell to his family and hastily departed from the Di state along with his advisors Hu Yan, Zhao Shuai, and Jia Tuo. By this time, Chong'er had already lived in the Di state for twelve years.
Chong'er and his party traveled east from the State of Di, enduring a bumpy journey until they arrived at the State of Wei. However, Duke Wen of Wei refused to accept or support Chong'er. Having left in haste, they had little money, and with Wei unwilling to help, when they reached Wulu in Wei, Chong'er was so hungry that he finally set aside his pride and begged a villager for food. The villager, lacking enough surplus grain to feed Chong'er and his dozen or so followers, picked up a clod of earth from the ground and handed it to him. Enraged, Chong'er raised his whip to strike the farmer. Hu Yan quickly stopped him, saying, "This is Heaven bestowing land upon us—an auspicious omen for restoring our state." Then he bowed in thanks to the villager, took the clod of earth, and placed it on the cart before they moved on. To keep Chong'er alive, a follower named Jie Zhitui cut a piece of flesh from his own thigh and cooked it into a bowl of broth for him. Only after eating did Chong'er learn it was flesh from Jie Zhitui's leg, and he was deeply moved.
Chong'er and his party arrived in the state of Qi, which was then under the rule of Duke Huan of Qi. Qi was the hegemon among the feudal lords, and Duke Huan had always admired virtuous and talented individuals, with everyone in the realm knowing that Chong'er was a man of great worth. Upon hearing of Chong'er's arrival, Duke Huan personally came out of the city to welcome him. Through his interactions with Chong'er, he found that although Chong'er was in a state of decline, he still maintained the bearing of a worthy man, and his attendants were all talents fit to be generals or ministers. Thus, Duke Huan treated Chong'er and his party generously, giving them eighty horses and marrying a woman from his own clan to Chong'er, hoping to keep him in Qi. His plan was that even if Chong'er eventually restored his state, he would be grateful for the kindness shown to him and maintain friendly relations with Qi.
After enduring great hardships while wandering in exile, Chong'er married a beautiful woman from the State of Qi and became so enamored with a life of comfort and pleasure that he was unwilling to endure the hardships of exile again. Soon after, Duke Huan of Qi fell ill and died, causing Qi to decline, and it no longer had the strength to help Chong'er reclaim his state. Hu Yan, Zhao Cui, and others repeatedly reminded Chong'er, but he was too indulged in pleasure to leave.
Those traveling with him felt they could not continue like this, so they gathered under a mulberry tree to secretly plot, which happened to be overheard by a maidservant. The maidservant reported what she heard to Chong'er's wife, Zongnü. Zongnü killed the maidservant, then discussed with Hu Yan, got Chong'er drunk with wine, dragged him onto a carriage, and sent him out of the state of Qi. When Chong'er sobered up, they had already left Linzi. Chong'er, longing for his comfortable life, angrily grabbed a weapon and chased after Hu Yan, threatening that if he could not restore his state, he would eat Hu Yan's flesh! Hu Yan replied, "If we cannot restore the state, I will die in the wilderness and be devoured by beasts; if we succeed, the meat of the state of Jin will be yours to enjoy, and you will no longer want to eat mine!" With things having come to this, Chong'er had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue on his journey.
After leaving the state of Qi, Chong'er arrived at the state of Cao. Duke Gong of Cao did not want to offer Chong'er any support but was very curious about his physical deformity. Having heard that Chong'er's ribs were fused together, he wanted to see what they looked like and even went so far as to spy on Chong'er while he was bathing. When Chong'er found out, he was extremely angry and secretly resolved to take revenge on the state of Cao once he regained power. Xi Fuji, a high official of Cao, believed that Chong'er's followers were all talented individuals who would surely help him return to his home state, and that when that time came, the first state Chong'er would attack for disrespecting him would likely be Cao. Therefore, Xi Fuji expressed to Chong'er that he was different from the ruler of Cao and sent him a plate of food with a piece of jade hidden inside. Chong'er ate the food but returned the jade.
Unable to obtain supplies in the State of Cao, Chong'er and his party then arrived at the State of Song. Duke Xiang of Song, who governed his state with benevolence and righteousness, naturally would not ignore a prince in distress. Like Duke Huan of Qi, he warmly entertained Chong'er and presented him with twenty chariots. At that time, Duke Xiang of Song was preoccupied with the struggle for hegemony between Song and Chu, yet he still treated Chong'er as an honored guest, for which Chong'er was deeply grateful.
However, the state of Song was too busy contending with the state of Chu to spare any effort in helping Chong'er reclaim his throne. So after a brief stay in Song to rest and regroup, Chong'er left and continued his journey to the next state. When they arrived at the state of Zheng, the high official Shu Zhan advised Duke Wen of Zheng, saying that Chong'er was a worthy prince of Jin, wandering in exile, yet still attracting talented and wise followers. Moreover, Jin was currently unstable, as if waiting for Chong'er's return—this was Heaven offering an opportunity. He urged Duke Wen to treat Chong'er with proper hospitality. But Duke Wen, unwilling to spend money on receiving him, pressed Chong'er and his party to move on quickly.
Chong'er left the state of Zheng and continued southward, arriving in the state of Chu. At that time, Chu had already defeated Duke Xiang of Song, who had been striving for hegemony, and was at the height of its power. King Cheng of Chu had long heard of Chong'er's virtue, so he went out to welcome him from afar and hosted a banquet in his honor. King Cheng settled Chong'er in the capital Ying and often dined with him, discussing matters of the world. One day, during a feast, King Cheng asked Chong'er how he would repay Chu if he ever returned to the state of Jin. After thinking it over, Chong'er replied that if he could return, and if Jin and Chu were to face off on the central plains, the Jin army would retreat ninety li to yield, as a way to repay Chu's great kindness. The prime minister Ziyu said to King Cheng that if Chong'er became a ruler, he would be a wise lord, and his followers were all talents fit to be generals or ministers; if allowed to return to Jin, he would become a major threat to Chu in the future. He urged King Cheng to kill Chong'er while they had the chance. However, King Cheng did not agree.
In 648 BCE, a drought struck the state of Jin, and Duke Mu of Qin sent large quantities of grain to aid them. Two years later, when Qin faced a famine, Duke Hui of Jin not only failed to repay this kindness but also took advantage of Qin's distress to launch an attack. As a result, Duke Hui was captured alive by Qin forces and was ultimately forced to cede territory and send his crown prince, Yu, to Qin as a hostage before being allowed to return.
In the second year after Duke Hui of Jin returned to his state, he fell gravely ill and could no longer govern. Upon learning this, Prince Yu, fearing that his claim to the throne might be seized after his father's death, secretly slipped back to Jin. Duke Hui of Jin indeed passed away shortly after, and Prince Yu smoothly succeeded his father, becoming Duke Huai of Jin. Duke Huai, afraid that Chong'er's return would threaten his position, continued to persecute him.
After Duke Huai ascended the throne, in order to consolidate his power, he launched a massive purge within the state, forcing Hu Yan's father, Gu Tu, to his death. His brutal rule sparked widespread resentment and faced opposition from both the court and the public. Earlier, when Duke Huai was a hostage in the State of Qin, Duke Mu of Qin had treated him well. However, Duke Huai later fled back to the State of Jin without saying goodbye, which also angered Duke Mu of Qin. Consequently, Duke Mu of Qin decided to intervene once again in the affairs of the State of Jin, using this as an opportunity to advance into the Central Plains. Upon hearing that Chong'er had taken refuge in the State of Chu, Duke Mu sent Gongsun Zhi to meet King Cheng of Chu and request an audience with Chong'er. When Chong'er learned that the State of Qin was willing to help him return to his homeland, he bid farewell to King Cheng and hurried to the State of Qin.
When Chong'er arrived in the State of Qin, Duke Mu of Qin received him with extremely grand ceremonies and expressed willingness to assist Chong'er in returning to the State of Jin to seize the throne. Chong'er agreed to cede five cities east of the Yellow River to Qin as a reward after he ascended the throne. Duke Mu of Qin was very pleased and gave his daughter Wen Ying along with four other women of the royal clan to Chong'er as concubines.
In the spring of 636 BCE, escorted by three thousand troops from the state of Qin, Chong'er crossed the Yellow River and returned to his homeland after nineteen years in exile, receiving enthusiastic support from people across the state, while Duke Huai of Jin fled to Gaoliang. Leading his army to Quwo, Chong'er paid homage at the Wu Palace and was enthroned as ruler by the people, becoming known as Duke Wen of Jin.