Emperor Shun, surnamed Yao, belonged to the House of Youyu and was named Chonghua. History referred to him as Yu Shun. He was the eighth-generation descendant of the Yellow Emperor. Born in the land of Yao, he took the place as his surname and was called Yao. He established the state of Youyu and set its capital at Puban. According to the pre-Qin custom of taking one's state as one's clan name, he was respectfully called the House of Youyu, and was also known as Emperor Shun.
Shun was born into humble circumstances. Though he was descended from Emperor Zhuanxu, his family had fallen into commoner status five generations earlier, sinking to the lowest rungs of society.
Shun's fate was beset by hardships. His father, Gusou, was blind, and his mother had died young. His stepmother was harsh and sinister, while his younger brother was arrogant and domineering. The three conspired together, repeatedly devising Poisonous Schemes to kill Shun. Yet Shun continued to serve his parents with the same reverence and treat his younger brother with his usual generosity. He did so day after day, never slacking in the slightest.
Whenever his family tried to harm him, he always managed to evade them with quick wits. The moment he got a chance to catch his breath, he would immediately turn back to care for them, doing everything he could to see them provided for. It truly was a case of, "When they wanted him dead, they couldn't catch him; when they needed him, he was right by their side."
With such a bitter fate and such perilous circumstances, Shun nonetheless turned the words filial piety and fraternal love into a living example.
His family owned nothing but four bare walls, so he had to make a living with his own