Yielding the Throne

堯以天下讓許由，許由不受。又讓於子州支父，子州之父曰：「以我為天子，猶之可也。雖然，我適有幽憂之病。方且治之，未暇治天下也。」夫天下至重也，而不以害其生，又況他物乎！唯無以天下為者，可以託天下也。

Yao offered the world to Xu You, and Xu You did not accept it. He offered it to Zizhou Zhifu, and Zizhou Zhifu said: "To make me Son of Heaven would also be acceptable. Even so, I happen to have an illness of deep melancholy. I am just treating it, and have no leisure to govern the world." The world is the weightiest thing, yet he would not use it to harm his own life, much less other things! Only one who does not take the world as his business can be entrusted with the world.

舜讓天下於子州支伯，子州支伯曰：「予適有幽憂之病，方且治之，未暇治天下也。」故天下大器也，而不以易生，此有道者之所以異乎俗者也。

Shun offered the world to Zizhou Zhibo, and Zizhou Zhibo said: "I happen to have an illness of deep melancholy, and am just treating it, so I have no leisure to govern the world." So the world is a great vessel, yet he would not exchange it for his life; this is why men of the Way differ from the common.

舜以天下讓善卷，善卷曰：「餘立於宇宙之中，冬日衣皮毛，夏日衣葛絺；春耕種，形足以勞動；秋收斂，身足以休食；日出而作，日入而息，逍遙於天地之間而心意自得。吾何以天下為哉！悲夫，子之不知餘也！」遂不受。於是去而入深山，莫知其處。

Shun offered the world to Shan Juan, but Shan Juan said, "I stand in the midst of the universe. In winter I wear furs, in summer I wear fine hemp; in spring I plow and plant, and my body is strong enough to labor; in autumn I harvest, and my body is able to rest and eat and drink; I rise at sunrise and rest at sunset, roam freely between heaven and earth, and my mind is content. What would I do with the world! How sad that you do not know me!" So he did not accept. He then left and went into the deep mountains, and no one knew where he lived.

舜以天下讓其友石戶之農。石戶之農曰：「捲捲乎後之為人，葆力之士也！」以舜之德為未至也。於是夫負妻戴，攜子以入於海，終身不反也。

Shun offered the world to his friend, the farmer of Shihu. The farmer of Shihu said, "How earnest you are, my lord! You are a man who exerts himself!" He thought Shun's virtue had not yet reached the mark. So the husband carried a load on his back and the wife on her head, and taking their children they entered the sea and never returned in their lives.

大王亶父居邠，狄人攻之；事之以皮帛而不受，事之以犬馬而不受，事之以珠玉而不受，狄人之所求者土地也。大王亶父曰：「與人之兄居而殺其弟，與人之父居而殺其子，吾不忍也。子皆勉居矣！為吾臣與為狄人臣奚以異！且吾聞之，不以所用養害所養。」因杖筴而去之。民相連而從之，遂成國於岐山之下。夫大王亶父，可謂能尊生矣。能尊生者，雖貴富不以養傷身，雖貧賤不以利累形。今世之人，居高官尊爵者，皆重失之，見利輕亡其身，豈不惑哉！

Danfu the Great King lived in Bin, and the Di attacked him. He served them with furs and silk and they would not accept; he served them with dogs and horses and they would not accept; he served them with pearls and jade and they would not accept. What the Di wanted was land. Danfu the Great King said, "To live with a man's elder brother and kill his younger brother, to live with a man's father and kill his son, I cannot bear. All of you, live well! What is the difference between being my subject and being a subject of the Di! Moreover I have heard that one should not use what one uses to nourish to harm those one nourishes." So he leaned on his staff and left. The people followed him in a continuous line, and so a state was formed at the foot of Mount Qi. Danfu the Great King may be said to be one who could honor life. One who can honor life, even if wealthy and noble, does not harm his body by what nourishes it, and even if poor and lowly, does not burden his body for profit. People in the world today who hold high office and noble rank all value losing it and, seeing profit, easily lose their lives; is that not delusion!

越人三世弒其君，王子搜患之，逃乎丹穴。而越國無君，求王子搜不得，從之丹穴。王子搜不肯出，越人薰之以艾。乘以王輿。王子搜援綏登車，仰天而呼曰：「君乎，君乎！獨不可以舍我乎！」王子搜非惡為君也，惡為君之患也。若王子搜者，可謂不以國傷生矣，此固越人之所欲得為君也。

The people of Yue had murdered their ruler for three generations. Prince Sou was troubled by this and fled to the Cinnabar Cave. Yue had no ruler, and they sought Prince Sou but could not find him, then followed him to the Cinnabar Cave. Prince Sou would not come out, so the people of Yue smoked him out with mugwort and brought a royal carriage. Prince Sou took hold of the mounting strap, got in the carriage, looked up to Heaven and cried out, "Ruler! Ruler! Could you not have let me go!" Prince Sou did not dislike being ruler; he disliked the troubles of being ruler. One like Prince Sou may be said not to harm life for the sake of a state, and this is exactly why the people of Yue wanted to have him as ruler.

韓魏相與爭侵地。子華子見昭僖侯，昭僖侯有憂色。子華子曰：「今使天下書銘於君之前，書之言曰：『左手攫之則右手廢，右手攫之則左手廢，然而攫之者必有天下。』君能攫之乎？」

Han and Wei were fighting over a piece of land. Zihuazi saw Marquis Zhaoxi, who looked worried. Zihuazi said, "Suppose now that the world were to inscribe a writing before you, and the words said: 'If the left hand grasps, the right hand is crippled; if the right hand grasps, the left hand is crippled; yet the one who grasps will surely have the world.' Would you grasp it?"

昭僖侯曰：「寡人不攫也。」

Marquis Zhaoxi said, "I would not grasp it."

子華子曰：「甚善！自是觀之，兩臂重於天下也，身亦重於兩臂。韓之輕於天下亦遠矣，今之所爭者，其輕於韓又遠。君固愁身傷生以憂戚不得也！」

Zihuazi said, "Very good! From this it follows that two arms are weightier than the world, and the body is weightier still than the two arms. Han is far lighter than the world, and what you are now fighting over is far lighter than Han. Yet you grieve and harm your body and life in worry that you will not obtain it!"

僖侯曰：「善哉！教寡人者眾矣，未嘗得聞此言也。」子華子可謂知輕重矣。

The marquis said, "Good! Many have instructed me, but I have never heard these words." Zihuazi may be said to know what is light and what is heavy.

魯君聞顏闔得道之人也，使人以幣先焉。顏闔守陋閭，苴布之衣而自飯牛。魯君之使者至，顏闔自對之。使者曰：「此顏闔之家與？」顏闔對曰：「此闔之家也。」使者致幣，顏闔對曰：「恐聽者謬而遺使者罪，不若審之。」使者還，反審之，復來求之，則不得已。故若顏闔者，真惡富貴也。

The ruler of Lu heard that Yan He was a man who had attained the Way and sent someone first with gifts. Yan He was living in a humble village gate, wearing coarse cloth and feeding his own ox. When the Lu ruler's envoy arrived, Yan He answered himself. The envoy said, "Is this the house of Yan He?" Yan He replied, "This is He's house." The envoy presented the gifts, and Yan He replied, "I fear the listener may have been mistaken and leave the envoy at fault; it would be better to check." The envoy went back, checked, and came again to look for him, but he could no longer be found. So one like Yan He truly hated wealth and honor.

故曰，道之真以治身，其緒餘以為國家，其土苴以治天下。由此觀之，帝王之功，聖人之餘事也，非所以完身養生也。今世俗之君子，多危身棄生以殉物，豈不悲哉！凡聖人之動作也，必察其所以之與其所以為。今且有人於此，以隨侯之珠彈千仞之雀，世必笑之，是何也？則其所用者重而所要者輕也。夫生者，豈特隨侯之重哉！

So it is said: the true essence of the Way is used to govern the self, its leftover remainder is used to manage a state, and its dregs are used to govern the world. Seen this way, the achievements of emperors and kings are the sage's leftover business and are not used to keep oneself whole and nourish life. Today's gentlemen in the world mostly endanger their lives and abandon living to sacrifice themselves for things; is that not sad! In all the sage's actions, he must examine where he goes and what he does it for. Suppose someone here used the Marquis of Sui's pearl to shoot a sparrow a thousand ren high; people of the world would surely laugh at him, and why? Because what is used is weighty and what is sought is light. And life is far weightier than the Marquis of Sui's pearl!

子列子窮，容貌有飢色。客有言之於鄭子陽者，曰：「列禦寇，葢有道之士也，居君之國而窮，君無乃為不好士乎？」鄭子陽即令官遺之粟。子列子見使者，再拜而辭。

Master Liezi was poor, and his face showed signs of hunger. A guest spoke of him to Ziyang of Zheng, saying, "Lie Yukou is perhaps a man of the Way, living in your state yet poor. Do you not like gentlemen, my lord?" Ziyang of Zheng then ordered an official to send him grain. Master Liezi saw the envoy, bowed twice and declined.

使者去，子列子入，其妻望之而拊心曰：「妾聞為有道者之妻子，皆得佚樂，今有飢色。君過而遺先生食，先生不受，豈不命邪！」

After the envoy left, Master Liezi went in, and his wife looked at him, beat her breast and said, "I have heard that the wife of one who has the Way can be at ease and happy, but now we have a look of hunger. The lord came to send you food, and you did not accept it; is this not fate!"

子列子笑謂之曰：「君非自知我也，以人之言而遺我粟，至其罪我也又且以人之言，此吾所以不受也。」其卒，民果作難而殺子陽。

Master Liezi laughed and said to her, "The lord does not know me by himself; he sent me grain because of others' words, and when he punishes me it will also be because of others' words. This is why I did not accept it." Later the people indeed rose in rebellion and killed Ziyang.

楚昭王失國，屠羊說走而從於昭王。昭王反國，將賞從者，及屠羊說。屠羊說曰：「大王失國，說失屠羊；大王反國，說亦反屠羊。臣之爵祿已復矣，又何賞之有！」

King Zhao of Chu lost his state, and Tu Yang Yue fled and followed King Zhao. When King Zhao returned to the state and was about to reward those who followed him, it came to Tu Yang Yue. Tu Yang Yue said, "When Your Majesty lost the state, I lost my sheep-butchering; when Your Majesty returned to the state, I also returned to my sheep-butchering. My title and salary have been restored, so what is there to reward!"

王曰：「強之。」

The king said, "Press him."

屠羊說曰：「大王失國，非臣之罪，故不敢伏其誅；大王反國，非臣之功，故不敢當其賞。」

Tu Yang Yue said, "Your Majesty's losing the state was not my fault, so I dare not submit to execution; Your Majesty's returning to the state was not my merit, so I dare not accept a reward."

王曰：「見之！」

The king said, "See him!"

屠羊說曰：「楚國之法，必有重賞大功而後得見，今臣之知不足以存國而勇不足以死寇。吳軍入郢，說畏難而避寇，非故隨大王也。今大王欲廢法毀約而見說，此非臣之所以聞於天下也。」

Tu Yang Yue said, "By Chu's law, one must have a great reward for great merit before one may have an audience. Now my knowledge is not enough to preserve the state and my courage not enough to die fighting the invaders. When the Wu army entered Ying, I feared hardship and avoided the invaders; it was not that I deliberately followed Your Majesty. Now Your Majesty wishes to abolish the law and break the agreement to see me, and this is not what I would have heard throughout the world."

王謂司馬子綦曰：「屠羊說居處卑賤而陳義甚高，子綦為我延之以三旌之位。」

The king said to Sima Ziqi, "Tu Yang Yue lives in a low and humble station but expresses very lofty righteousness. Ziqi, invite him for me to take a position of the three banners."

屠羊說曰：「夫三旌之位，吾知其貴於屠羊之肆也；萬鍾之祿，吾知其富於屠羊之利也；然豈可以貪爵祿而使吾君有妄施之名乎！說不敢當，願復反吾屠羊之肆。」遂不受也。

Tu Yang Yue said, "I know the position of the three banners is nobler than a sheep-butchering shop; I know a salary of ten thousand zhong is richer than the profit of butchering sheep; but how could I be greedy for rank and salary and give my ruler the name of making groundless grants! I dare not accept, and wish to return to my sheep-butchering shop." So he did not accept.

原憲居魯，環堵之室，茨以生草；蓬戶不完，桑以為樞；而甕牖二室，褐以為塞；上漏下溼，匡坐而弦。

Yuan Xian lived in Lu, in a room with walls on four sides, roofed with fresh grass; the wicker door was not whole and he used mulberry wood for the pivot; a window made from a jar's mouth divided the room into two, stuffed with coarse cloth; it leaked above and was damp below, and he sat upright and played the zither and sang.

子貢乘大馬，中紺而表素，軒車不容巷，往見原憲。原憲華冠縰履，杖藜而應門。

Zigong, riding a large horse, with a dark-blue lining and plain outer cover, in a carriage too wide for the lane, went to see Yuan Xian. Yuan Xian, in a flowery cap and worn shoes, leaning on a goosefoot staff, answered the door.

子貢曰：「嘻！先生何病？」

Zigong said, "Ah! What illness do you have, Master?"

原憲應之曰：「憲聞之，無財謂之貧，學而不能行謂之病。今憲，貧也，非病也。」子貢逡巡而有愧色。

Yuan Xian answered him, "I have heard that having no wealth is called poverty, and learning without being able to practice it is called illness. Now I am poor, not ill." Zigong hesitated and looked ashamed.

原憲笑曰：「夫希世而行，比周而友，學以為人，教以為己，仁義之慝，輿馬之飾，憲不忍為也。」

Yuan Xian laughed and said, "To go along with the world's ways, to make friends by forming cliques, to learn for the sake of others and teach for the sake of oneself, the wickedness behind benevolence and righteousness, the decoration of carriages and horses; I cannot bear to do these."

曾子居衞，縕袍無表，顏色腫噲，手足胼胝。三日不舉火，十年不製衣，正冠而纓絕，捉衿而肘見，納屨而踵決。曳縰而歌商頌，聲滿天地，若出金石。天子不得臣，諸侯不得友。故養志者忘形，養形者忘利，致道者忘心矣。

Master Zeng lived in Wei, wearing a quilted robe with no outer cloth, his face swollen and puffy, his hands and feet calloused. He went three days without lighting a fire and ten years without making new clothes; when he straightened his cap, the cap string broke; when he grasped his lapel, his elbows showed; when he put on his shoes, his heels split. Dragging his worn shoes he chanted the Hymns of Shang, and his voice filled heaven and earth as though it came from bronze and stone. The Son of Heaven could not make him a subject and the lords could not make him a friend. So one who nourishes the will forgets the body, one who nourishes the body forgets profit, and one who attains the Way forgets the mind.

孔子謂顏回曰：「回，來！家貧居卑，胡不仕乎？」

Confucius said to Yan Hui, "Hui, come here! Your family is poor and your position is low; why do you not take office?"

顏回對曰：「不願仕。回有郭外之田五十畝，足以給飦粥；郭內之田十畝，足以為絲麻；鼓琴足以自娛，所學夫子之道者足以自樂也。回不願仕。」

Yan Hui answered, "I do not wish to take office. I have fifty mu of land outside the outer wall, enough to supply me with gruel; I have ten mu inside the wall, enough for silk and hemp; playing the zither is enough to amuse myself, and the Master's Way that I have studied is enough to give me joy. I do not wish to take office."

孔子愀然變容曰：「善哉回之意！丘聞之：『知足者不以利自累也，審自得者失之而不懼，行修於內者無位而不作。』丘誦之久矣，今於回而後見之，是丘之得也。」

Confucius was moved and changed his expression, saying, "How good is Hui's intent! I have heard: 'One who knows contentment is not burdened by profit; one who is careful in finding contentment in himself does not fear loss; one who cultivates conduct within does not feel shame without rank.' I have recited this for a long time, and only now see it in Hui; this is something I have gained."

中山公子牟謂瞻子曰：「身在江海之上，心居乎魏闕之下，柰何？」

Prince Mou of Zhongshan said to Zhan Zi, "My body is on the rivers and seas, but my heart is below the palace gate of Wei. What should I do?"

瞻子曰：「重生。重生則利輕。」

Zhan Zi said, "Value life. If you value life, profit becomes light."

中山公子牟曰：「雖知之，未能自勝也。」

Prince Mou of Zhongshan said, "Though I know this, I cannot overcome it myself."

瞻子曰：「不能自勝則從，神無惡乎？不能自勝而強不從者，此之謂重傷。重傷之人，無壽類矣！」

Zhan Zi said, "If you cannot overcome it yourself, then go along with it; does your spirit not dislike this? If you cannot overcome it yourself and force yourself not to go along with it, this is called a double injury. Those who suffer double injury are not among the long-lived!"

魏牟，萬乘之公子也，其隱巖穴也，難為於布衣之士；雖未至乎道，可謂有其意矣。

Wei Mou was a prince of a state of ten thousand chariots, and his hiding in a cave was harder than for a commoner; though he had not yet reached the Way, it can be said he had the intention.

孔子窮於陳蔡之間，七日不火食，藜羹不糝，顏色甚憊，而絃歌於室。顏回擇菜，子路子貢相與言曰：「夫子再逐於魯，削跡於衞，伐樹於宋，窮於商周，圍於陳蔡，殺夫子者無罪，藉夫子者無禁。絃歌鼓琴，未嘗絕音，君子之無恥也若此乎？」

Confucius was in straits between Chen and Cai, for seven days without lighting a fire to cook, with only goosefoot soup with no grain, looking very worn, yet playing the zither and singing in the room. Yan Hui picked vegetables, and Zilu and Zigong said to each other, "The Master was driven out of Lu twice, had his tracks erased in Wei, had a tree cut down over him in Song, was in straits in Shang and Zhou, and is now surrounded between Chen and Cai. Those who would kill the Master have no guilt, and those who insult the Master are not forbidden. He plays zither and sings and has never broken off the music; is this how shameless a gentleman is?"

顏回無以應，入告孔子。孔子推琴喟然而歎曰：「由與賜，細人也。召而來，吾語之。」

Yan Hui had no answer and went in to tell Confucius. Confucius pushed away his zither and sighed, saying, "You and Ci are petty people. Call them in and I will tell them."

子路子貢入。子路曰：「如此者可謂窮矣！」

Zilu and Zigong went in. Zilu said, "A situation like this can be called being in straits!"

孔子曰：「是何言也！君子通於道之謂通，窮於道之謂窮。今丘抱仁義之道以遭亂世之患，其何窮之為！故內省而不窮於道，臨難而不失其德，天寒既至，霜雪既降，吾是以知松柏之茂也。陳蔡之隘，於丘其幸乎！」

Confucius said, "What kind of talk is this! A gentleman who has reached the Way is called successful, and one who is exhausted in the Way is called in straits. Now I hold the Way of benevolence and righteousness and meet the troubles of a disordered age; how is that being in straits! So when one looks within and is not exhausted in the Way, and meets calamity without losing his virtue, when the cold of the year arrives and frost and snow have fallen, I thereby know the flourishing of the pine and cypress. The narrow pass between Chen and Cai is perhaps a fortune for me!"

孔子削然反琴而絃歌，子路扢然執幹而舞。子貢曰：「吾不知天之高也，地之下也。」

Confucius calmly returned to his zither and sang, and Zilu vigorously took up a shield (here 'gan' is a shield, not 'interfere') and danced. Zigong said, "I did not know how high Heaven is or how low the earth is."

古之得道者，窮亦樂，通亦樂。所樂非窮通也，道德於此，則窮通為寒暑風雨之序矣。故許由娛於潁陽而共伯得乎共首。

The ancients who attained the Way were joyful in poverty and joyful in success. What they were joyful in was not poverty or success; virtue lay in this, and then poverty and success were only the order of cold and heat, wind and rain. So Xu You enjoyed himself at Yingyang, and Gong Bo found his place at Gongshou.

舜以天下讓其友北人無擇，北人無擇曰：「異哉後之為人也，居於畎畝之中而遊堯之門！不若是而已，又欲以其辱行漫我。吾羞見之。」因自投清泠之淵。

Shun offered the world to his friend Beiren Wuze, and Beiren Wuze said, "How strange you are, my lord, living among the fields and yet roaming at Yao's gate! Not only that, but you want to stain me with your shameful conduct. I am ashamed to see you." So he threw himself into the Qingling Abyss.

湯將伐桀，因卞隨而謀，卞隨曰：「非吾事也。」

When Tang was about to attack Jie, he consulted Bian Sui, who said, "It is not my business."

湯曰：「孰可？」

Tang said, "Who could do it?"

曰：「吾不知也。」

(Bian Sui) said, "I do not know."

湯又因務光而謀，務光曰：「非吾事也。」

Tang then consulted Wu Guang, who said, "It is not my business."

湯曰：「孰可？」

Tang said, "Who could do it?"

曰：「吾不知也。」

(Wu Guang) said, "I do not know."

湯曰：「伊尹何如？」

Tang said, "What about Yi Yin?"

曰：「強力忍垢，吾不知其他也。」

(Wu Guang) said, "He is strong and bears disgrace; I know nothing else."

湯遂與伊尹謀伐桀，剋之，以讓卞隨。卞隨辭曰：「後之伐桀也謀乎我，必以我為賊也；勝桀而讓我，必以我為貪也。吾生乎亂世，而無道之人再來漫我以其辱行，吾不忍數聞也。」乃自投椆水而死。

Tang then planned the attack on Jie with Yi Yin, won, and offered the world to Bian Sui. Bian Sui declined, saying, "When you attacked Jie you consulted me, so you surely regarded me as a villain; having defeated Jie you now yield to me, so you must regard me as greedy. I was born in a disordered age, and now a man without the Way comes again to stain me with his shameful conduct; I cannot bear to hear it repeatedly." So he threw himself into the Chou River and died.

湯又讓務光，曰：「知者謀之，武者遂之，仁者居之，古之道也。吾子胡不立乎？」

Tang then offered it to Wu Guang, saying, "The wise plan, the martial complete, and the benevolent dwell in it; this is the Way of the ancients. Why do you not take the throne?"

務光辭曰：「廢上，非義也；殺民，非仁也；人犯其難，我享其利，非廉也。吾聞之曰，非其義者，不受其祿，無道之世，不踐其土。況尊我乎！吾不忍久見也。」乃負石而自沈於廬水。

Wu Guang declined, saying, "To depose a superior is not righteous; to kill the people is not benevolent; for others to take the risk and I to enjoy the profit is not honest. I have heard that if it is not righteous one does not accept the salary, and in an age without the Way one does not tread on its soil. How much less to be honored by it! I cannot bear to see it for long." So he carried a stone on his back and sank himself in the Lu River.

昔周之興，有士二人處於孤竹，曰伯夷叔齊。二人相謂曰：「吾聞西方有人，似有道者，試往觀焉。」至於岐陽，武王聞之，使叔旦往見之，與盟曰：「加富二等，就官一列。」血牲而埋之。

In former times, when Zhou arose, there were two gentlemen living in Guzhu, named Boyi and Shuqi. The two said to each other, "I hear there is a man in the west who seems to have the Way; let us try to go see him." When they reached the south side of Mount Qi, King Wu heard of it and sent Shu Dan to see them, to make a covenant with them, saying, "We will raise your wealth by two grades and give you an official rank of the first order." They sealed it with animal blood and buried it.

二人相視而笑，曰：「嘻，異哉！此非吾所謂道也。昔者神農之有天下也，時祀盡敬而不祈喜；其於人也，忠信盡治而無求焉。樂與政為政，樂與治為治，不以人之壞自成也，不以人之卑自高也，不以遭時自利也。今周見殷之亂而遽為政，上謀而下行貨，阻兵而保威，割牲而盟以為信，揚行以說眾，殺伐以要利，是推亂以易暴也。吾聞古之士，遭治世不避其任，遇亂世不為苟存。今天下闇，殷德衰，其並乎周以塗吾身也，不如避之以絜吾行。」二子北至於首陽之山，遂餓而死焉。若伯夷叔齊者，其於富貴也，苟可得已，則必不賴。高節戾行，獨樂其志，不事於世。此二士之節也。

The two looked at each other and laughed, saying, "Ah, how strange! This is not what we call the Way. In the past when Shennong had the world, he offered seasonal sacrifices with full reverence and did not pray for blessings; toward people, he was loyal and honest and did all he could to govern and asked for nothing. If glad to take part in government he governed, if glad to share in order he ordered; he did not use others' ruin to make himself, did not use others' lowliness to raise himself, and did not use meeting a good time to profit himself. Now Zhou, seeing Yin's disorder, hurries to rule, using schemes above and goods below, relying on soldiers to preserve authority, cutting up animals to make covenants as a sign of good faith, displaying conduct to please the multitude, using killing and attack to seek profit; this is pushing disorder to replace violence. I have heard that the gentlemen of old, in a well-ordered age, did not avoid their duties, and in a disordered age did not live carelessly. Now the world is dark and Yin's virtue is declining; to stand beside Zhou and smear our bodies is not as good as avoiding it to keep our conduct clean." The two went north to Mount Shouyang, and starved to death there. People like Boyi and Shuqi, with regard to wealth and honor, even if they could obtain it would surely not depend on it. With lofty integrity and unyielding conduct, they found joy only in their own aims and did not serve the world. This was the integrity of the two gentlemen.