Thereupon he ordered the Xi and He reverently to conform themselves to august heaven, to calculate and plot the sun, the moon, the stars and the celestial houses, and respectfully to submit a calendar for humankind. He particularly ordered the Second Brother Xi to dwell in Yuyi, at the place called Sunlit Vale, solemnly to receive the rising sun as his guest, and to arrange and put in order the works of the East. With the sun at its height and lodged in the constellation Niao: this he fixed as the time of mid-spring, when the people disperse [from their winter retreats] and the birds and beasts copulate. Moreover he ordered the Third Brother Xi to dwell in the Crossroads of the South, to arrange and put in order the deeds of the South, paying due respect to the summer solstice. With the bright day at its longest and the sun lodged with the Firestar: this he fixed as the time of midsummer, when the people live in the fields [rather than in their villages] and the birds and beasts are thin of hide. He particularly ordered the Second Brother He to dwell in the West, at the place called Darkling Vale, respectfully to bid farewell to the setting sun, and to arrange and put in order the accomplishments of the West. With the night being of medium length and the presiding constellation Xu [Emptiness]: this he fixed as mid-autumn, when the people are at rest and the beasts have glossy hair. Moreover he ordered the Third Brother He to dwell in New-Moon Quarter, at the place called Fort Obscurity, to arrange and preside over the vanishing of the moon and the changes from one moon to the next. When the days are short and the Pleiades are the presiding constellation: this he fixed as the season of midwinter, when people live in burrows and the birds and beasts have bushy coverings.
The sovereign said: "Who will carefully bend his efforts on my behalf? I will raise him and make him my official." Fang Qi said: "Your son and heir, Zhu, is enlightened." The sovereign said: "Alas! He is deceitful and quarrelsome; can such a man be called to office?" The sovereign said: "Who will devote himself to the execution of my affairs?" Huan Dou said: "Indeed, Gong Gong everywhere has displayed and demonstrated his achievements." The sovereign said: "He speaks with a quiet demeanor, but his actions are contrary. His appearance is respectful, but [his arrogance] swells up to Heaven." The sovereign said: "Ah! You [Officers of the] Four Peaks! On all sides the roiling waters endanger us, hugely they rise to swallow up the mountain tops and obliterate the level ground, vast, vast, they swell up to Heaven. The common people sigh. Is there anyone to whom I could entrust this task?" Everyone answered: "Oh, it must be Gun!" The sovereign said: "Alas! Not him! He disobeys my orders and turns the members of his family against one another!" Yue [one of the officers of the Four Peaks] said: "He is not like other men. Try him, and if he does well, employ him." The sovereign [then] said [to Gun]: "Go and be reverent!" [phrase used when commissioning an officer]. After nine years of employing Gun, the work was still not complete. The sovereign said: "Ah! You of the Four Peaks! I have reigned for seventy years now. If you can bear the Mandate of Heaven, I wish to vacate my position."
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