During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a loyal minister in the State of Jin named Zhao Dun. The Zhao family had served the state for generations with great merit and prestige. However, a general named Tu’an Gu was deeply jealous of the Zhao family and wanted to seize power for himself. He fabricated charges to frame Zhao Dun. The ruler of Jin believed the slander and ordered the execution of over 300 members of the Zhao family.
Zhao Dun’s son, Zhao Shuo, was also killed. But Zhao Shuo’s wife, a princess of Jin, was pregnant at the time. She hid in the palace and gave birth to a boy—this child was Zhao Wu, known as the “Orphan of Zhao.” When Tu’an Gu learned of this, he insisted on eliminating the last survivor and sent troops to surround the palace, determined to find and kill the baby.
Two retainers of the Zhao family, Cheng Ying and Gongsun Chujiu, resolved to preserve the Zhao bloodline. They devised a plan that required tremendous sacrifices.
Gongsun Chujiu asked, “Which is harder: to die, or to bear the burden of infamy while raising the orphan to adulthood?” To which Cheng Ying replied, “Death is easy. Living under the world’s scorn while raising the orphan is hard.” Gongsun Chujiu said, “Then forgive me—I will take on the easier task.”
So Cheng Ying handed his own newborn son to Gongsun Chujiu, then he went to inform Tu’an Gu, claiming that Gongsun Chujiu was hiding the orphan. Tu’an Gu captured Gongsun Chujiu and the baby. Gongsun Chujiu cursed Cheng Ying as a “villain” and, to protect the secret, threw himself against stone steps and died. Tu’an Gu killed the baby, believing the Zhao orphan was truly dead, and finally felt at ease.
Carrying the burden of disgrace, Cheng Ying secretly raised Zhao Wu to adulthood. When the boy grew up, Cheng Ying revealed the truth and urged him to avenge his family. By this time, a new ruler had ascended the throne of Jin. With the ruler’s support, Tu’an Gu was executed, the Zhao family’s honor was restored, and Zhao Wu inherited the family title.
Having fulfilled his mission, Cheng Ying took his own life to join his friend Gongsun Chujiu in death.
From Yuan dynasty play The Orphan of Zhao, which is based on Records of the Grand Historian – Genealogies: House of Zhao
#2 赵氏孤儿
春秋时期的晋国有一位忠臣叫赵盾，赵家世代为国家立功，很有威望。但是，有一个大将军叫屠岸贾，他非常嫉妒赵家，也想独揽大权。屠岸贾编造了一个罪名，陷害赵盾。晋国国君听信了谗言，下令把赵家全家三百多口人全部杀掉了。
赵盾的儿子赵朔也被杀了，但赵朔的妻子（晋国的公主）当时正怀着孕。她躲进宫里，生下了一個男孩，这就是赵氏孤儿赵武。屠岸贾知道后，非要斩草除根，派兵包围了宫殿，一定要找到这个婴儿杀掉。
赵家的两位门客程婴和公孙杵臼决心保住赵家的血脉。他们商量了一个需要做出巨大牺牲的计划：公孙杵臼问：“背着骂名扶立孤儿长大难，还是去死难？”程婴说：“死容易，背着世人骂名扶立孤儿长大难。”公孙杵臼说：“那对不起，我要去承担容易的任务了。”
于是，程婴把自己刚出生的儿子交给了公孙杵臼，假装那是赵氏孤儿。然后，程婴去向屠岸贾“告密”，说公孙杵臼藏了孤儿。屠岸贾带兵抓到了公孙杵臼和那个婴儿。公孙杵臼大骂程婴是“小人”，然后为了保护秘密，撞死在台阶上。屠岸贾杀死了那个婴儿，以为赵氏孤儿真的死了，这才放心。
程婴背着骂名把孤儿赵武抚养长大，然后把真相告诉了他，要他为家族报仇。当时已是新晋国国君在位，在国君的支持下，屠岸贾被处死了，赵氏家族的名誉得到了恢复，赵武继承了家族的爵位。
程婴觉得自己的使命完成了，于是也自杀身亡去陪伴他的朋友公孙杵臼。
– 出自元剧 《赵氏孤儿》，剧情基于《史记·赵世家》