The Seven Houses of Zheng (Qimu 七穆)

The Seven Houses of Zheng (Qimu 七穆 "Seven [sons] of Duke Mu") were descendants of Duke Mu 鄭穆公 (r. 628-606) of the regional state of Zheng 鄭 during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE). The princes of these houses occupied important political positions and influended the fate of Zheng over more than a century.

Duke Mu had no less than thirteen sons. Two of them, Prince Yi (Gongzi Yi 公子夷), and Prince Jian (Gongzi Jian 公子堅) succeeded him to the throne as Duke Ling 鄭靈公 (r. 606-605), and Duke Xiang 鄭襄公 (r. 605-587), respectively. His son Zikong 子孔 (Gongzi Jia 公子嘉), son of consort Songzi 宋子, was killed in 554. Ziran 子然 (d. 567), and Shi Zikong 士子孔 (d. 565, founder of the family Daji 大季), son of consort Gui Gui 圭嬀, left the country. The youngest son, Ziyu 子羽 (d. 578), was not appointed minister (qing 卿), and his sons had therefore no office. Remained the seven princes Sizi 子駟 (Gongzi Fei 公子騑), Zihan 子罕 (Gongzi Xi 公子喜), Ziguo 子國 (Gongzi Fa 公子發), Ziliang 子良 (Gongzi Quji 公子去疾), Ziyin 子印 (Gongsun Shu 公孫舒), Ziyou 子游 (Gongzi Yan 公子偃), and Zifeng 子豐.

The house of Han was in the beginning the strongest one. Zizhan 子展 killed in 554 Chief Minister Zikong and took over his office. In 547, the nobleman Shu Xiang 叔向 predicted that the house of Han would be the longest surviving of the Seven Houses. A similar statement was made by Zhao Wu 趙武 (Zhao Wenzi 趙文子) from the state of Jin 晉. In 544, after Zizhan's death, his son Zipi 子皮 took over the office of Chief Minister. At that time, Zheng was afflicted by famine, and Zipi decided to open the state granaries and gave each family grain to survive.

Apart from the Hans, the most eminent person was Zichan 子產 (d. 522) from the house of Guo who acted as counsellor and initiated some moderate reforms to strengthen the small state of Zheng. His most famous project was the proclamation of a penal code inscribed into a tripod (see Zichan xingding 子產刑鼎).