The second part of the fifth volume of Ssu-ma Ch'ien's Shi chi, The Grand Scribe's Records Volume V.II continues our exploration of the shih chia (hereditary houses). With seven new translations, this volume traces the history of China's first states from their establishment in the 11th century BC until their incorporation in the first empire under the Ch'in in 221 BC. Combining myth, anecdote, chronicle, and biography based on early written and oral sources – many no longer extant – the narratives make for compelling reading, as dramatic and readable as any in this grand history.