Yan Tie Lun (鹽鐵論) · Volume 16

文學曰宋襄公知孔父【音甫】之賢而不早任故身死魯莊知季友之賢授之政晚而亂【尊賢篇曰國家之任賢而吉任不肖而兇案往世而視已事其必然也如合符此為人君者不可以不慎也國公惛亂而良臣見魯國大亂季友之賢見僖公即位而任季子魯國安寕外內無憂行政二十一年季子之卒後邾擊其南齊伐其北魯不勝其患將乞師於楚以取全耳故傳曰患之起必自此始也公子買不可使成衞公遂不聽君命而擅之晉內侵於臣下外困於兵亂弱之患也僖公之性非前二十一年常賢而後乃漸變為不肖也此季子存之所益亡之所損也夫得賢失賢其損益之騐如此而人主急於所用甚可疾痛也夫智不足以見賢無可奈何矣若智能見之而強不能決猶豫不用而大者死亡小者亂傾此甚可悲哀也以宋殤公而不知孔父之賢乎安知孔父死已必死趨而救之趨而救之者是知其賢也以魯荘公不知季子之賢乎安知疾死召季子而授之國政授之國政者是知其賢也此二君知能見賢而皆不能用故宋殤公以殺死魯荘公以賊嗣使宋殤蚤任孔父將靖鄰國而況自存乎】衞君近佞逺【去聲】賢子路居蒲孔悝【音恢】為政簡公不聽宰我而漏其謀是以二君身被放殺而禍及忠臣【仲由傳曰子路為蒲大夫方孔悝作亂子路在外聞之而馳往遇子羔出衞城門謂子路曰出公去矣而門已閉子可還矣毋空受其禍子路曰食其食者不避其難子羔卒去有使者入城城門開子路隨而入造蕢瞶蕢瞶與孔悝登臺子路曰君焉用孔悝請得而殺之蕢聵弗聴扵是子路欲燔臺蕢瞶懼乃下石乞壺黶攻子路撃防子路之纓子路曰君子死而冠不免遂結纓而死正諫萹曰齊簡公有臣曰諸御鞅諌簡公曰田常與宰予此二人者甚相憎也臣恐其相攻相攻雖叛而危之不可願君去一人簡公曰非細人之所敢議也居無防何田常果攻宰予於庭賊簡公於朝簡公喟焉太息曰餘不用鞅之言以至此患也故忠臣之言不可不察也】二子者有事而不與【音預】其謀故可以死可以生去止其義一也【泰族訓曰舜許由異行而皆聖伊尹伯夷異道而皆仁箕子比干異趨而皆賢範縝曰丘旦殊姿湯文異狀聖同於心器形不必同也猶馬殊色而齊逸玉異色而均美是以晉棘荊和等價連城驊騮駃驪俱致千里】晏嬰不死崔慶之難【去聲】不可謂不義防子去殷之亂可謂不仁乎【雜事萹曰齊侯問於晏子曰忠臣之事君也何若對曰有難不死出亡不送君曰列地而與之疏爵而貴之君有難不死出亡不送可謂忠乎對曰言而見用終身無難臣奚死焉諌而見従終身不亡臣奚送焉若言不見用有難而死是妄死也諫不見出亡而送是詐為也故忠臣也者能盡善與君而不能與防於難義勇萹曰崔杼弒莊公令士大夫盟者皆脫劒而入言不疾指不至血者死所殺十人次及晏子晏子奉桮血仰天嘆曰惡乎崔子將為無道殺其君盟者皆視之崔杼謂晏子曰子與我我與子分國子不吾與吾將殺子直兵將推之曲兵將勾之唯子圖之晏子曰嬰聞囘以利而背其君者非仁也刼以刄而失其志者非勇也詩云愷悌君子求福不囘嬰可謂不囘矣直兵推之曲兵鉤之嬰不之囘也崔子舍之晏子趍出授綏而垂其僕將馳晏子拊其手曰虎豹在山林其命在庖廚馳不益生緩不益死按之成節然後去之詩云彼其之子舎命不渝晏子之謂也宋世家曰紂殺王子比干刳視其心防子曰父子有骨肉而臣主以義屬故父有過子三諌不聽則隨而號之人臣三諫不聽則其義可以去矣於是太師少師乃勸防子去遂行周武王伐紂克殷防子乃持其祭器造于軍門肉袒面縛左牽羊右把茅膝行而前以告於是武王乃釋防子復其位如故論語比考防曰殷惑妲己玉馬走宋均曰女妲己有美色也王馬喻賢臣奔去也劉毅曰三仁殊途而同歸四子異行而均義風俗通曰易記出處語黙書美九徳鹹事同歸殊途一致百慮不期相反各有云尚而已是故伯夷譲國以采薇展禽不去於所生孔丘周流以應聘長沮隱居而耦耕墨翟摩頂以放踵楊朱一毛而不為幹木息偃以藩魏包胥重璽而存郢夷吾朱紘以三歸平仲辭邑而濯纓惠施車以百乘於扈徒步而裸形戚商歌以干祿顔闔逾牆而遁榮髙柴趣門以避難季路求入而隕零端木結駟以貨殖顔囘屢空而弗營孟獻髙宇以美室原憲蓬門而株楹傳曰人心不同有如其面古今行事是則然矣】

The literati replied: Duke Xiang of Song knew the worth of Kong Fu [pronunciation note: fu is read fu] but did not appoint him early, and so he himself died; Lord Zhuang of Lu knew the worth of Ji You, but gave him government late and there was disorder [the Zun Xian chapter says: when a state appoints the worthy it is auspicious, and when it appoints the unworthy it is ill-omened. Look at the past and view one's own affairs, and its necessity fits like matching tallies. For a ruler this is something one cannot but be careful about. When the lord is confused, the good minister appears. When the state of Lu was in great disorder, Ji You's worth appeared; when Duke Xi took the throne and appointed Master Ji, Lu was at peace, with no worry within or without, and governed for twenty-one years. After Master Ji died, Zhu struck from the south and Qi attacked from the north, and Lu could not bear the calamity and was about to beg troops from Chu just to preserve itself. So the commentary says: calamity must begin from this. Prince Mai could not be sent to garrison Wei, and the duke did not listen to the ruler's order and acted on his own authority. Jin was invaded within by subjects and troubled without by war: this was the calamity of weakness. It is not that Duke Xi's nature was always worthy in the first twenty-one years and then gradually became unworthy; it was what Master Ji's presence added and his absence reduced. The gain and loss from obtaining and losing a worthy is verified like this, yet rulers are hasty about whom they use, which is very painful. If one's wisdom is not enough to see the worthy, nothing can be done; but if wisdom is able to see him and strength is not able to decide, hesitating and not using him, the great result is death and ruin and the small result is disorder and collapse; this is very sad. If Duke Shang of Song did not know the worth of Kong Fu, how did he know that if Kong Fu died he himself must die, and rush to save him? Rushing to save him showed he knew his worth. If Lord Zhuang of Lu did not know the worth of Master Ji, how did he, when ill and about to die, summon Master Ji and hand him the government of the state? Handing him the government showed he knew his worth. These two rulers had wisdom enough to see the worthy but could not use them, so Duke Shang of Song was killed and Lord Zhuang of Lu was ruined in his succession. If Duke Shang of Song had appointed Kong Fu early, he would have pacified neighboring states, to say nothing of preserving himself.]. The lord of Wei kept near the flatterers and kept far [pronunciation note: yuan is read in the falling tone] from the worthy, Zilu was at Pu, and Kong Kui [pronunciation note: kui is read hui] held government; Duke Jian did not listen to Zai Wo and his plan leaked. For this reason both rulers were driven out and killed, and calamity reached their loyal ministers [the Shi Ji, Biography of Zhong You, says: Zilu was grand master of Pu. When Kong Kui rebelled, Zilu heard of it outside and rushed there, and met Zigao coming out of the city gate of Wei, who told Zilu: 'The Duke of Chu has left and the gate is already closed; you may go back and not take the calamity for nothing.' Zilu said: 'One who eats a man's food does not avoid his hardship.' Zigao finally left. A messenger entered the city, the gate opened, and Zilu followed him in and reached Kuaikui. Kuaikui and Kong Kui had climbed the terrace. Zilu said: 'What use is Kong Kui to you, my lord? Please let us kill him.' Kuaikui did not listen. Then Zilu wanted to burn the terrace. Kuaikui was afraid and sent Shi Qi and Hu Yan down to attack Zilu, and they cut Zilu's cap strings. Zilu said: 'A gentleman dies with his cap on.' He tied his cap strings and died. The Zheng Jian chapter says: Duke Jian of Qi had a minister called Zhu Yuyang, who remonstrated with Duke Jian: 'Tian Chang and Zai Yu hate each other greatly, and I fear they will attack each other; if they attack each other, even if there is rebellion and danger, it cannot be allowed; I hope my lord will remove one of them.' Duke Jian said: 'This is not something a petty person dares discuss.' Not long afterward, Tian Chang indeed attacked Zai Yu in the courtyard and murdered Duke Jian at court. Duke Jian sighed and said: 'Because I did not use Yang's words, I have come to this calamity. So the words of a loyal minister must not go unexamined.']. These two men, when events came, did not take part [pronunciation note: yu is read yu] in the plans, and so one could die and one could live; whether leaving or staying, the righteousness is one [the Huainanzi, Tai Zu Xun, says: Shun and Xu You differed in conduct yet were both sages, Yi Yin and Boyi differed in way yet were both benevolent, and Jizi and Bi Gan differed in course yet were both worthy. Fan Zhen says: Qiu and Dan differed in appearance, and Tang and Wen differed in form; the sages were the same in mind, and their vessels' forms need not be the same. It is as with horses of different colors that are equally swift, and jades of different colors that are equally beautiful. For this reason the jades Jin Ji and Jing He were of equal value of a string of cities, and the steeds Hualiu and Lüer both traveled a thousand li.]. Yan Ying did not die in the hardship [pronunciation note: nan is read in the falling tone] of Cui and Qing, and one cannot call him unrighteous; Weizi (the base text has a corrupt first character) left the disorder of Yin, so can he be called unbenevolent? [the Za Shi chapter says: the Marquis of Qi asked Yan Zi: 'How does a loyal minister serve his ruler?' He replied: 'When there is hardship he does not die, and when he flees he does not see him off.' The ruler said: 'If I divide land and give it to him and give him high rank and honor, and when the ruler is in hardship he does not die and when the ruler flees he does not see him off, can he be called loyal?' He replied: 'If my words are used, there will be no hardship for life, so why should a minister die? If my remonstrance is followed, there will be no flight for life, so why should a minister see him off? If words are not used and he dies in hardship, that is a reckless death; if remonstrance is not followed and he sees him off in flight, that is false pretense. So a loyal minister can do all the good for his ruler, but cannot share the hardship with him (the base text has a corrupt character). The Yi Yong chapter says: when Cui Zhu killed Duke Zhuang, he ordered the scholars and grand masters who came to the oath to take off their swords and enter, and those whose words were not swift and whose fingers did not draw blood would die; ten were killed, and it came to Yan Zi. Yan Zi held the cup of blood, looked up to heaven and sighed: 'Alas, Master Cui is about to act without the Way and kill his ruler.' Those who took the oath all looked at him. Cui Zhu said to Yan Zi: 'If you join me, I will share the state with you; if you do not join me, I will kill you. A straight weapon will push you, a curved weapon will hook you; consider it, sir.' Yan Zi said: 'I have heard that one who turns against his ruler for profit is not benevolent, and one who loses his aim when threatened by blades is not brave. The Book of Poetry says: "The joyous gentleman seeks blessing without deviation." I can be said not to deviate. A straight weapon pushes me and a curved weapon hooks me, but I will not deviate.' Master Cui let him go. Yan Zi hurried out, took the cord and mounted. His driver was about to gallop, but Yan Zi pressed his hand and said: 'Tigers and leopards are in the mountains and forests, but their fate is in the kitchen. Galloping does not add to life, nor slowness to death. Keep the proper pace and then leave.' The Book of Poetry says: 'That man would give up his life without changing.' This is said of Yan Zi. The Shi Ji, Hereditary House of Song, says: Zhou killed Prince Bi Gan and cut out his heart to look at it. Weizi said: 'Father and son are bone and flesh, while ruler and minister are joined by righteousness. So if a father has a fault, the son remonstrates three times and, if not heeded, follows him weeping; if a minister remonstrates three times and is not heeded, by righteousness he may leave.' Then the Grand Tutor and Junior Tutor urged Weizi to leave, and he went. When King Wu of Zhou attacked Zhou and conquered Yin, Weizi took his sacrificial vessels to the army gate, bare to the waist with hands bound before him, leading a sheep on his left and holding a rush on his right, advancing on his knees to report. Then King Wu released Weizi and restored his position as before. The Lunyu Chen says: Yin was deluded by Daji, and the jade horse ran away. Song Jun says: the woman Daji had great beauty, and the jade horse is a metaphor for the worthy minister running off. Liu Yi says: the Three Benevolent Ones took different roads and arrived at the same place, and the four masters acted differently and were equally righteous. The Fengsu Tong says: the Book of Changes records going out and staying, speaking and silence; the Book of Documents praises the nine virtues all serving; they return to the same place by different roads, with one result from a hundred thoughts, and do not aim to contradict one another, each simply having what it values. So Boyi yielded his state and gathered bracken, Zhan Qin did not leave the place of his birth, Confucius traveled around responding to invitations, Chang Ju lived in seclusion and plowed in pairs, Mo Di rubbed his head bare and wore down his heels, Yang Zhu would not give a single hair, Duangan Mu rested and lay down to shield Wei, Bao Xu wore heavy calluses to save Ying, Yiwu used red cap strings and three homes, Pingzhong declined a fief and washed his cap strings, Hui Shi followed with a hundred carriages, Yu Hu walked barefoot and naked, Ning Qi (the base text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) sang a merchant's song to seek stipend, Yan He climbed over a wall and escaped, Rong and Gao Chai rushed to the gate to avoid hardship, Ji Lu sought to enter and fell, Duanmu strung together four horses to trade, Yan Hui was often empty and did not manage affairs, Meng Xian built a high roof for a fine house, and Yuan Xian lived behind a thistle door with propped pillars. The tradition says: people's hearts differ like their faces. The deeds of past and present are indeed so.]

大夫曰至美素璞物莫能飾也至賢保眞偽文莫能增也故金玉不琢美珠不畫【音與壞同反質萹曰孔子卦得賁喟然仰而嘆息意不平子張進舉手而問曰師聞賁者吉卦而嘆之乎孔子曰賁非正色也是以嘆之吾思也質素白當正白黑當正黑文質又何也吾亦聞之丹漆不文白玉不雕寶珠不飾何也質有餘者不受飾也】今仲由冉求無檀柘之材隋和之璞而強文之譬若雕朽木而礪鈆【音沿】刀飾嫫【音模】母畫【音壞】土人也被以五色斐然成章及遭行潦流波則沮矣【皇甫謐曰嫫母黃帝次妃許慎曰古之醜女班固曰詠雲門者難為音觀隋和者難為珍王褒曰毛嬙西施善毀者不能蔽其好嫫姆倭傀善譽者不防掩其醜孟嘗君客曰臣之來也過於淄水上見一土偶人方與木梗人語木梗謂土偶人曰子先土也持子以為耦人遇天大雨水潦並至子必沮壞土偶人應曰我沮乃反吾眞耳今子東園之桃也刻子以為梗遇天大雨水潦並至必浮子泛泛乎不知所止】夫【音扶】重懷古道枕籍詩書危不防安亂不能治郵裡逐雞難亦無黨也

The Grand Secretary said: The finest beauty is the plain uncut jade, which nothing can adorn; the utmost worth preserves its truth, which no false ornament can increase. So gold and jade are not carved, and fine pearls are not painted [pronunciation note: the character hua here is read the same as huai. The Fan Zhi chapter says: Confucius divined and got the hexagram Bi (Adornment), sighed with a look up, and his mind was not at ease. Zizhang came forward, raised his hands and asked: 'Teacher, have you heard that Bi is an auspicious hexagram and yet you sigh?' Confucius said: 'Bi is not a true color, and so I sigh. I think of plainness: white should be pure white, black should be pure black, so what are ornament and substance? I have also heard: vermilion lacquer is not decorated, white jade is not carved, a precious pearl is not adorned. Why? What has a surplus of substance does not accept adornment.']. Now Zhong You and Ran Qiu lack the timber of sandalwood and mulberry or the uncut jade of Sui and He, yet are forced to be ornamented, which is like carving rotten wood and honing a lead [pronunciation note: yan is read yan] blade, adorning Mo [pronunciation note: mo is read mo] Mu and painting [pronunciation note: hua is read huai] a clay figure, wrapping it in five colors in a splendid pattern, and when it meets running flood waters it dissolves [Huangfu Mi says: Mo Mu was the junior consort of the Yellow Emperor. Xu Shen says: she was an ugly woman of antiquity. Ban Gu says: one who sings the Yunmen is hard to match in sound, and one who views the jades of Sui and He finds it hard to treat them as treasure. Wang Bao says: even Mao Qiang and Xishi cannot be hidden in beauty by one who is good at slander, and Mo Mu and Wokui cannot be concealed in ugliness by one who is good at praise (the base text has a corrupt character). A guest of Lord Mengchang said: 'On my way here I passed by the Zi River and saw a clay figure talking with a wooden puppet. The wooden puppet said to the clay figure: You were first made of earth, and you are held as a partner figure; if heavy rain comes from heaven and floodwaters arrive together, you will surely dissolve and collapse. The clay figure answered: When I dissolve I only return to my true state. Now the peach tree in your eastern garden has been carved to make you a puppet; when heavy rain comes from heaven and floodwaters arrive together, they will surely carry you away drifting without knowing where you stop.']. Sentence-opening fu [pronunciation note: fu is read fu]: they cherish the old way, pillow their heads on poetry and documents, cannot (the base text has a corrupt character) bring peace in danger and cannot govern in disorder. As in chasing chickens in the postal village, it is hard and has no allies.

文學曰非學無以治身非禮無以輔徳【冉有曰雖有美玉不刻鏤不成器雖有美質不學則不成君子傳曰玉不琢不成器人不學不成行家有千金之玉不知治猶之貧也良工宰之則富及子孫君子謀之則為國用故動則安百姓議則延民命又曰水淵深廣則龍魚生之山林茂盛則禽獸歸之禮義修明則君子懷之故禮及身而行修禮及國而政明防以禮持身則貴名自揚天下順焉令行禁止而王者之事畢矣詩曰有覺徳行四國順之夫此之謂矣】和氏之璞天下之美寶也待鑑識之工而後明毛嬙【音牆】天下之姣【音交】人也待香澤脂粉而後容周公天下之至聖人也待賢師學問而後通【莊子曰毛嬙西施人之所美也魚見之深入鳥見之髙飛莊小疏曰毛嬙越王嬖妾姣美也香澤者人發恆枯悴以此濡澤之也韓非子曰善毛嬙西施之美無益吾面用脂澤粉黛則倍其初子夏曰黃帝學乎大墳顓頊學乎祿圖帝嚳學乎赤松子堯學乎務成子附舜學乎尹夀禹學乎西王國湯學乎貸子相文王學乎錫疇子斯武王學乎太公周公學乎虢叔仲尼學乎老此十一聖人未遭此師則功業不防著乎天下名號不防傳乎後世者也詩曰不愆不忘率由舊章】今齊世庸士之人不好【去聲】學問專以巳之愚而負荷【音賀】巨任若無檝【音接】舳【音逐】濟江海而遭大風漂沒於百仞之淵東流無崖之川安得沮而止乎

The literati said: Without learning one cannot cultivate oneself, and without ritual one cannot assist one's virtue [Ran You said: though there is fine jade, if it is not carved and engraved it does not become a vessel; though there is fine substance, if one does not study one does not become a gentleman. The tradition says: jade not polished does not become a vessel, and a person who does not study does not become a person of conduct. A family with a thousand gold's worth of jade that does not know how to work it is still poor; a good craftsman who carves it brings wealth to descendants, and a gentleman who plans with it makes it useful to the state. So in action it brings peace to the hundred clans, and in discussion it prolongs the people's lives. It also says: where waters are deep and wide, dragons and fish are born, where mountains and forests are lush, birds and beasts return, and where ritual and righteousness are cultivated and clear, gentlemen turn to it. So when ritual reaches the person, conduct is cultivated; when ritual reaches the state, government is bright. Therefore (the base text has a corrupt character) holding oneself by ritual lets one's honored name rise of itself, the world follows, orders are carried out and prohibitions stop, and the work of a king is complete. The Book of Poetry says: 'With awe-inspiring virtue and conduct, the four states follow it.' This is what it means.]. The uncut jade of Mr. He is a fine treasure of the world, but it waits for a skilled appraiser before becoming clear; Mao Qiang [pronunciation note: qiang is read qiang] is a beauty [pronunciation note: jiao is read jiao] of the world, but she waits for fragrant ointments, grease, and powder before her looks are complete; the Duke of Zhou was the most perfect sage of the world, but he waited for a worthy teacher to ask and learn before he mastered things [the Zhuangzi says: Mao Qiang and Xishi are what people consider beautiful, but when fish see them they dive deep and when birds see them they fly high. The Zhuangzi's minor commentary says: Mao Qiang was a favorite concubine of the King of Yue, beautiful. Fragrant ointment is used because people's hair is often dry and withered, and they moisten it. The Han Feizi says: Mao Qiang's and Xishi's beauty does no good to my face; using grease and powder and eye-black doubles what it was at first. Zixia said: the Yellow Emperor learned from Da Fen, Zhuanxu learned from Lu Tu, Di Ku learned from Chi Songzi, Yao learned from Wucheng Zifu, Shun learned from Yin Shou, Yu learned from Xi Wang Guo, Tang learned from Dai Zixiang, King Wen learned from Xi Chouzi Si, King Wu learned from Taigong, the Duke of Zhou learned from Guo Shu, and Zhongni learned from Lao Dan. If these eleven sages had not met these teachers, their achievements could not have shone in the world (the base text has a corrupt character) and their names could not have been passed to later ages (the base text has a corrupt character). The Book of Poetry says: 'Without error and without forgetting, follow the old statutes.']. Now the common scholars of this age do not love [pronunciation note: hao is read in the falling tone] learning, and take on great burdens through their own foolishness, like crossing rivers and seas without oars [pronunciation note: ji is read jie] or rudder [pronunciation note: zhu is read zhu] and meeting a great wind, drifting and sinking in an abyss of a hundred fathoms or an eastward-flowing river without banks; how could they be stopped and halted?

大夫曰性有剛柔形有好惡聖人能因而不能改孔子外變二三子之服而不能革其心故子路解長劍去危冠屈節於夫子之門然攝齊【音諮】師友行行【音沆】爾鄙心猶存【行行剛健貎仲尼弟子列傳曰子路性鄙好勇力志伉直冠雄雞佩猳豚陵孔子孔子設禮稍誘子路子路後儒服委質因門人請為弟子建本萹曰孔子謂子路曰汝何好子路曰好長劔孔子曰非此之問也請以汝之所能加之以學豈可及哉子路曰學亦有益乎孔子曰夫人君無諫臣則失政士無教交則失徳狂馬不釋其防操弓不返於檠木受防則直人受諌則聖受學重問孰不順成毀仁惡士且近於刑君子不可以不學子路曰南山有竹弗揉自直斬而射之通於犀革又何學為乎孔子曰括而羽之鏃而砥礪之其入不益深乎子路拜曰敬受教哉貴徳萹曰子路持劎孔子問曰由安用此子路曰善古者固以善之不善古者固以自衞孔子曰君子以忠為質以仁為衞不出環堵之內而聞千里之外不善以忠化冦以仁圍何必持劍乎子路曰由也請攝齊以事先生矣】宰予晝寢【論語筆解作畫寢謂以五色畫其寢室也】欲損三年之喪孔子曰糞土之牆不可杇也若由不得其死然故內無其質而外學其文雖有賢師良友若畫【音壞】脂鏤【音陋】氷費日損功故良師不能飾戚施香澤不能化嫫【音模】母也【修務訓曰曼頬皓齒形誇骨佳不待脂粉芳澤而性可恱者西施陽文也啳哆噅籧蒢戚施雖粉白黛黑弗能為美者嫫母仳倠也】

The Grand Secretary said: Natures have hardness and softness, forms have beauty and ugliness; a sage can follow them but cannot change them. Confucius changed the outer clothing of his two or three disciples but could not change their hearts. So Zilu took off his long sword and removed his tall cap and bent his integrity at the Master's gate, yet when he lifted his robes [pronunciation note: qi is read zi] before his teachers and friends, he strode forth [pronunciation note: xing is read hang] with his rustic heart still present [xingxing means a firm and vigorous manner. The Shi Ji, Biography of Confucius's Disciples, says: Zilu was by nature rustic, loved bravery and strength, was resolute and straightforward, wore a cap of rooster feathers and a pendant of boar tusks, and bullied Confucius. Confucius gradually enticed Zilu with ritual, and later Zilu put on a Confucian robe, presented his gifts, and through other disciples asked to become a student. The Jian Ben chapter says: Confucius said to Zilu: 'What do you like?' Zilu said: 'I like a long sword.' Confucius said: 'That is not what I asked. Add learning to what you can already do; how could one not reach it?' Zilu said: 'Does learning bring benefit?' Confucius said: 'A ruler without remonstrating ministers loses his government, a scholar without friends who teach him loses virtue, a mad horse is not freed from its whip (the base text has a corrupt character), a bow is not returned from the frame, wood that receives the marking line is straight, and a person who receives remonstrance becomes a sage. Receiving instruction and valuing questioning, who would not go well; destroying benevolence and hating scholars is close to punishment; a gentleman cannot fail to study.' Zilu said: 'On the Southern Mountain there is bamboo that is straight without being bent; cut and shot, it pierces rhinoceros hide; what need is there for learning?' Confucius said: 'If you notch it and fletch it, and head it and whet it, would it not go in deeper?' Zilu bowed and said: 'I respectfully receive the teaching.' The Gui De chapter says: Zilu held a sword and Confucius asked: 'You, what is the use of this?' Zilu said: 'Those good at the ancient ways use it to do good, and those not good at it use it to defend themselves.' Confucius said: 'The gentleman takes loyalty as substance and benevolence as defense; without leaving a small enclosure he hears things a thousand li away; those who are not good he transforms with loyalty, and bandits and violence he encloses with benevolence; why must he hold a sword?' Zilu said: 'You, I ask to lift my robes and serve the Master.']. Zai Yu slept by day [the Lunyu Bijie reads it as 'painted his bedchamber,' that is, he painted his sleeping room in five colors], wanting to reduce the three-year mourning. Confucius said: 'A wall of dung cannot be plastered.' It was as if You would not meet a natural death. So when one lacks the substance within and studies only the ornament outside, even with worthy teachers and good friends it is like painting [pronunciation note: hua is read huai] grease and carving [pronunciation note: lou is read lou] ice, wasting days and losing effort. So a good teacher cannot adorn a hunchback, and fragrant ointment cannot transform Mo [pronunciation note: mo is read mo] Mu [the Huainanzi, Xiu Wu Xun, says: those with full cheeks and white teeth, graceful forms and fine bones, whose nature is pleasing without needing rouge and fragrance, are Xishi and Yang Wen; those who are hunchbacked, with a bent back, who even with powder and eye-black cannot become beautiful, are Mo Mu and Chizhuo.]

文學曰蒙以不潔鄙夫掩鼻惡人盛飾可以宗祀上帝【孟子曰西子蒙不潔則人皆掩鼻而過之雖有惡人齋戒沐浴則可以祀上帝修務訓曰毛嬙西施天下之美人也若使美人銜腐防蒙蝟皮衣豹裘帶死蛇則布衣韋帶之人過者莫不左右睥睨而掩鼻嘗試使之施芳澤正蛾眉設笄珥衣阿錫曳齊紈粉白黛黑佩玉環揄步雜芝若籠蒙目視冶由笑目流眺口曾撓竒牙出靨防揺則雖王公大人有嚴志頡頏之行亦無不憚悇癢心而恱其色矣今以中人之才蒙愚惑之智被汙辱之行無本業所修方術所務焉得無有睥面掩鼻之容防】使二人不涉聖人之門不免為窮夫安得卿大夫之名故砥所以致於刃學所以盡其才也【子思曰學所以益才也礪所以致刃也吾嘗幽處而深思不若學之速吾嘗跂而望不若登髙之博見孟子曰人皆知以食愈飢莫知以學愈愚夫學者崇名立身之本也儀狀齊等而飾貌者好質性同倫而學問者智是故砥礪琢磨非金也而可以利金詩書闢立非我也而可以厲心韓嬰曰劒雖利不厲不防材雖美不學不髙雖有旨酒嘉殽不嘗不知其旨雖有善道不學不達其功】孔子曰觚不觚觚哉觚哉故事人加則為宗廟器否則廝養之舋【音問】才【張耳傳曰廝養卒廝者養馬之役也韋昭曰析薪為廝炊烹為養】于越之鋌【音定】不礪【舋器破而未離者也鋌箭足入槀中者也】匹夫賤之工人施巧人主服而朝【音潮】也夫【音扶】醜者自以為姣【音交】故不飾愚者自以為知【去聲】故不學觀笑在已而不自知不好【去聲】用人自是之過也

The literati said: If covered with filth, even a rustic covers his nose; if an ugly person is richly adorned, he can sacrifice to the High God [Mencius says: if Xizi were covered with filth, people would all cover their noses and pass by; though there be an ugly person, if he fasts and bathes he can sacrifice to the High God. The Huainanzi, Xiu Wu Xun, says: Mao Qiang and Xishi are beauties of the world. If one made a beauty hold a rotten rat in her mouth (the base text has a corrupt character), cover herself with a hedgehog's skin, wear a leopard fur robe, and wear a dead snake as a sash, then every commoner in cloth and leather belt who passed would look aside and cover his nose. If one tried having her apply fragrant oil, set her moth eyebrows right, set out hairpins and earrings, wear fine silk, trail Qi silk, powder her face white, blacken her brows, wear jade rings, walk with swaying steps, mix fragrant herbs, look out from a covering with bright eyes, smile charmingly, let her glance flow, her mouth wiggle, show her pretty teeth, and her cheek dimples move (the base text has a corrupt character), then even a king or great man with a stern will and an aloof manner would be stirred and itching at heart and delighted at her looks. Now if one takes the talent of a middling person, covered in foolish and deluded wisdom, wearing the conduct of disgrace, with no root occupation to cultivate and no method to attend to, how could one avoid the look of people averting faces and covering noses?]. If these two men had not entered the sage's gate, they would not have escaped being poor men; how could they have the name of minister and grand master? So whetstones are how a blade is achieved, and learning is how talent is exhausted [Zisi said: learning is how talent increases, and whetting is how a blade is achieved. I once lived in solitude and thought deeply, and it was not as quick as learning; I once stood on tiptoe and looked, and it was not as broad as climbing high. Mencius said: everyone knows to cure hunger with food, but none knows to cure foolishness with learning. Learning is the root of honoring one's name and establishing oneself. Among those of similar appearance, those who adorn their looks are better; among those of similar nature, those who study are wiser. So whetting and polishing are not metal and yet can sharpen metal, and poetry and documents set up are not myself and yet can temper the mind. Han Ying says: though a sword is sharp, if not honed it is not sharp (the base text has a corrupt character); though talent is fine, if one does not study one is not eminent. Though there is fine wine and good food, if one does not taste it one does not know its flavor; though there is a good Way, if one does not study it one does not reach its effect.]. Confucius said: 'A gu that is not a gu, what a gu, what a gu!' So one who serves others, when it is applied, becomes a vessel of the ancestral temple; otherwise it is a cracked [pronunciation note: xin is read wen] talent fit for servants [the Shi Ji, Biography of Zhang Er, says: servants and soldiers. A si is a servant who tends horses. Wei Zhao says: splitting firewood is called si and cooking is called yang]. The Yue arrowhead [pronunciation note: ting is read ding] not whetted [xin is a vessel broken but not separated, and ting is an arrow foot going into the shaft] is despised by a commoner; when a craftsman applies skill, rulers submit and attend court [pronunciation note: chao is read chao]. Sentence-opening fu [pronunciation note: fu is read fu]: the ugly think themselves beautiful [pronunciation note: jiao is read jiao] and so do not adorn themselves, and the foolish think themselves wise [pronunciation note: zhi is read in the falling tone] and so do not study. Being laughed at lies in oneself, yet one does not know; not loving [pronunciation note: hao is read in the falling tone] to employ others is the fault of thinking oneself right.

大夫曰剛者折柔者卷故季由以強梁死宰我以柔弱殺【汜論曰聖人之道寛而栗嚴而溫柔而直猛而和太剛則折太柔則巻聖人正在剛柔之間乃得道之本積隂則沈積陽則飛隂陽相接乃能成和故恩推則懦懦則不威嚴推則猛猛則不和愛推則縦縦則不令刑推則虐虐則無親昔者齊簡公釋其國家之柄而專任其大臣將相攝威擅勢私門成黨而公道不行故使陳成田常鴟夷子皮得成其難使呂氏絶嗣而陳氏有國者此柔懦所生也鄭子陽剛毅而好罰其於罰也執而無赦舍人有折弓者畏罪而恐誅則因猘狗之驚以殺子陽此剛猛之所致也今不知道者見柔懦者侵則矜於為剛毅見剛毅者亡則矜於為柔懦此本無主於中而見聞舛馳於外者也】使二子不學未必不得其死何者矜已而伐能小知而巨收欲人之従己不能以己之人莫視而自見莫賈而自貴【賈市也】此其所以身殺死而終葅醢也未見其為宗廟器覩其為世戮也當此之時東流亦安之乎

The Grand Secretary said: The hard breaks and the soft curls. So Ji You died through being stubborn and Zai Wo was killed through being weak [the Huainanzi, Fan Lun Xun, says: the Way of the sage is generous yet awed, strict yet warm, gentle yet straight, fierce yet harmonious. Too hard and it breaks; too soft and it curls. The sage stands exactly between hard and soft, and so obtains the root of the Way. When yin accumulates it sinks, when yang accumulates it flies, and when yin and yang meet they can achieve harmony. So if kindness is pushed, it becomes weakness, and weakness lacks awe; if strictness is pushed, it becomes fierceness, and fierceness lacks harmony; if love is pushed, it becomes license, and license lacks command; if punishment is pushed, it becomes cruelty, and cruelty lacks affection. In the past Duke Jian of Qi let go of the handle of his state and relied solely on his great ministers, so generals and chancellors held awe and monopolized power, private houses formed cliques and the public Way was not carried out, and so Chen Chengchang Tian Chang and Chiyi Zipi were able to carry out their troubles, ending the Lü family's line and giving the state to the Chen family; this came from softness and weakness. Zi Yang of Zheng was firm and fond of punishment; in punishing he arrested and did not pardon, and when a retainer broke a bow and feared punishment and execution, he took advantage of a mad dog's alarm to kill Zi Yang; this was brought about by hardness and ferocity. Now those who do not know the Way, on seeing the soft and weak invaded, boast of being hard and firm, and on seeing the hard and firm perish, boast of being soft and weak; this is because they have no master within and their sights and hearings run wild outside.]. Had these two men not studied, they would not necessarily have failed to die naturally. Why? They were proud of themselves and boasted of their ability, had small knowledge but demanded great gains, wanted people to follow them but could not follow others, saw none yet saw themselves, and were not sold yet thought themselves valuable [jia means to sell]. This is why they were killed and finally pickled. We have not seen them become vessels of the ancestral temple; we see them as the world's executed. At such a time, could they have rested content with eastward-flowing waters?

文學曰騏驥之挽【音晚】鹽車垂頭於太行【音杭】屠者持刀而睨【音義】之太公之窮困負販於朝歌也蓬頭相聚而笑之【王逸曰呂望鼓刀在列肆文王親徃問之望曰下屠屠牛上屠屠國文王喜載與俱歸】當此之時非無逺筋【音斤】駿才也非文王伯樂【音洛】莫知之賈也【伯樂姓孫名陽善相馬天上有一星名伯樂在天熙星之旁人見孫陽識馬因號之曰伯樂天熙一作天駟孔子曰呂望行年五十賣食棘津年七十屠於朝歌九十乃為天子師則遇文王也夫驥罷鹽車此非無形容也莫知之也使驥不遇伯樂安得千里之足造父亦無千里之手矣春秋後語曰蘇代欲見齊王王不見代代說淳于髠曰人有賣駿馬者三旦立於市人莫與言及見伯樂還而視之去而顧之一旦價十倍足下有意為臣伯樂乎韓嬰曰明主能愛其所愛闇主則必危其所愛夫文王非無使闢親比己者超然乃舉太公於舟人而用之豈私之防以為親邪則異族之人也以為故耶則未嘗相識也以為姣好耶則太公年七十二齳然而齒墮矣然而好之者文王欲立貴道欲白貴名兼制天下以惠中國而不可以獨故舉是人而用之貴道果立貴名果白兼制天下立國七十一姬姓獨居五十二週之子孫苟不狂惑莫不為天下顕諸侯夫是之謂能愛其所愛矣故惟明主能愛其所愛闇主必危其所愛此之謂也汗明見春申君候問三月而後得見談卒春申君大說之汗明欲復談春申君曰僕已知先生先生太息矣汗明憱憱焉曰明願有問君而恐固不審君之聖孰與堯也春申君曰先生過矣臣何足以當堯汗明曰然則君料臣孰與舜春申君曰先生即舜也汗明曰不然臣請為君終言之君之賢實不如堯臣之能不及舜夫以賢舜事聖堯三年而後乃相知也今君一旦而知臣是君聖於堯而臣賢於舜也春申君曰善召門吏為汗先生著客籍五日一見汗明曰君亦聞驥乎夫驥之齒至矣服鹽車而上太行蹄申膝折尾湛胕潰漉汁地白汗交流外阪遷延負棘而不能上伯樂遭之下車攀而哭之解紵衣以羃之驥於是俛而噴仰而鳴聲達於天若出金石聲者何也彼見伯樂之知己也今僕之不肖阨於州部堀穴窮巷沉洿鄙俗之日久矣君獨無意湔祓僕使得為君髙鳴屈於梁乎】子路宰我生不逢伯樂【音洛】之舉而遇狂屠故君子傷之若由不得其死然天其祝予矣【季路死孔子哭之曰噫天祝予天祝予】孔父【音甫】累華督之難【去聲】不可謂不義仇牧涉宋萬之禍不可謂不賢也【左傳曰宋華父督見孔父之妻於路目逆而送之曰美而豔宋督攻孔氏殺孔父而取其妻公怒督懼遂弒殤公君子以督為有無君之心然後動於惡故先書弒其君春秋曰春王正月戊申宋督弒其君與夷及其大夫孔父公羊傳曰及者何累也弒君多矣舍此無累者乎曰有仇收荀息皆累也舍仇收荀息無累者乎曰有有則此何以書賢也何賢乎孔父孔父可謂義形於色矣其義形於色奈何督將弒殤公孔父生而存則殤公不可得而弒也故於是先攻孔父之家殤公知孔父死己必死趨而救之皆死焉孔父正色而立於朝則人莫敢過而致難於其君者孔父可謂義形於色矣義勇篇曰宋閔公臣長萬以勇力聞萬與魯戰師敗為魯所獲囚之宮中數月歸之宋宋閔公搏婦人在側公謂萬曰魯君孰與寡人美萬曰魯君美天下諸侯唯魯君耳宜其為君也閔公矜婦人妬因言曰爾魯之囚虜爾何知萬怒遂搏閔公頰齒落於口絶吭而死仇牧聞君死趨而至遇萬於門擕劍而叱之萬臂擊仇牧而殺之齒著於門闔仇牧可謂不畏強禦矣趨君之難顧不旋踵泰族訓曰君子雖死亡其名不滅小人雖得勢其罪不除】

The literati said: A fine steed pulling a salt cart hangs its head on the Taihang [pronunciation note: hang is read hang], and a butcher holds a knife and glances at it [pronunciation note: ni is read yi]; Taigong, poor and hard-pressed, carried and peddled goods in Zhaoge, and people with tousled hair gathered to laugh at him [Wang Yi says: Lü Wang drummed his knife in the row of stalls, and King Wen went in person to ask him. Wang said: 'The lesser butcher butchers oxen, the greater butcher butchers states.' King Wen was pleased and took him home in his carriage.]. At such times there was no lack of a far-ranging sinew [pronunciation note: jin is read jin] and a swift talent, but without King Wen or Bole [pronunciation note: le is read luo] no one knew their price [Bole's surname was Sun and his given name Yang; he was good at judging horses. There is a star in heaven called Bole, beside the Heavenly Horse star. People saw Sun Yang's knowledge of horses and so called him Bole. Confucius said: Lü Wang at fifty sold food at Jijin, at seventy slaughtered at Zhaoge, and at ninety became teacher to the Son of Heaven, meeting King Wen. A steed exhausted pulling a salt cart does not lack form; no one knew it. If the steed had not met Bole, how could it have had a foot that goes a thousand li, nor would Zao Fu have had hands that go a thousand li. The Chunqiu Houyu says: Su Dai wanted to see the King of Qi, but the king would not see him. Dai spoke to Chunyu Kun: 'There was a man selling a fine horse, who stood in the market three mornings and no one talked to him; when Bole came and looked, turned around and looked back as he left, the price rose tenfold in a single morning. Would you, sir, be a Bole for me?' Han Ying says: an enlightened ruler can love whom he loves, but a dim ruler will surely endanger the one he loves. King Wen did not lack close favorites around him; he raised Taigong from among the boatmen and used him. Was it out of favor? If one thinks of closeness, he was a man of a different clan; if of old acquaintance, they had never met; if of beauty, Taigong at seventy-two was toothless and had lost his teeth. Yet he loved him because King Wen wished to establish a noble Way and make clear a noble name, to bring the whole world under control to benefit the Central States, and could not do it alone, so he raised this man and used him. The noble Way was indeed established, the noble name was indeed made clear, he controlled the world, established seventy-one states, and the Ji surname alone held fifty-two; unless the descendants of Zhou were mad or deluded, none failed to become illustrious lords of the world. This is what is meant by being able to love whom one loves. So only an enlightened ruler can love whom he loves, while a dim ruler will surely endanger the one he loves. This is what it means. Han Ming went to see Lord Chunshen, and after waiting three months was able to see him, and when they finished talking Lord Chunshen was greatly pleased with him. Han Ming wished to talk again, but Lord Chunshen said: 'I already know you, sir; you must be tired.' Han Ming, uneasy, said: 'I wish to ask my lord something but fear it may be rude: I do not know how my lord's sageliness compares with Yao's.' Lord Chunshen said: 'You exaggerate, sir; how am I enough to match Yao?' Han Ming said: 'Then how does my lord judge me compared with Shun?' Lord Chunshen said: 'You are Shun.' Han Ming said: 'Not so; let me say it fully for my lord. My lord's worth truly does not equal Yao's, and my ability does not reach Shun's. Even the worthy Shun serving the sage Yao took three years before they came to know each other. Now my lord knows me in a single morning, so my lord is more sage than Yao, and I am more worthy than Shun.' Lord Chunshen said: 'Good.' He summoned the gate officer to register Master Han as a guest and to see him every five days. Han Ming said: 'Has my lord heard of the steed? When the steed's years are full, it pulls a salt cart up the Taihang with hooves stretched and knees bent, tail soaked and skin ulcerated, with dripping fluid sprinkling the ground and white sweat flowing together, dragging along the slope outside, carrying thorns and unable to climb. Bole came upon it, got down from his carriage and held it while weeping, and took off his hemp robe to cover it. The steed then bowed its head and snorted, lifted its head and neighed, its voice reaching heaven as if made of metal and stone; why was this? It saw that Bole understood it. Now I, unworthy, am hard pressed in the provinces, digging a cave in a poor lane, sunk in filth and vulgarity for a long time. Does my lord alone have no mind to wash me clean, letting me neigh high for my lord beneath the beam?']. Zilu and Zai Wo, in life, did not meet the recommendation of Bole [pronunciation note: le is read luo] but met a mad butcher, so the gentleman grieves for them. It was as if You would not meet a natural death, and Heaven cut me off [when Ji Lu died, Confucius wept for him and said: 'Alas, Heaven has cut me off, Heaven has cut me off']. Kong Fu [pronunciation note: fu is read fu] was caught in the hardship [pronunciation note: nan is read in the falling tone] of Hua Du, and one cannot call him unrighteous; Chou Mu met the calamity of Song Wan, and one cannot call him unworthy [the Zuo Zhuan says: Hua Fudu of Song saw Kong Fu's wife on the road, met her with his eyes and followed her with his gaze, saying she was beautiful and radiant. Song Du attacked the Kong family, killed Kong Fu, and took his wife. The duke was angry, Du was afraid, and so he killed Duke Shang. The gentleman considered that Du had the heart of one without a ruler and only then moved to wickedness, so the Annals first record that he killed his ruler. The Annals say: in spring, the king's first month, on the wushen day, Du of Song killed his ruler Yuyi and his grand master Kong Fu. The Gongyang Commentary says: what does 'and' mean? It means implicated. When rulers are killed, there are many; apart from this, are there none implicated? It says: there are Chou Mu and Xun Xi, who were both implicated. Apart from Chou Mu and Xun Xi, are there none implicated? It says: there are. If there are, why is this one recorded? Because he was worthy. How was Kong Fu worthy? Kong Fu can be said to have had righteousness show in his face. How did righteousness show in his face? Du was about to kill Duke Shang, and if Kong Fu were alive and present, Duke Shang could not be killed, so he first attacked Kong Fu's house. Duke Shang knew that if Kong Fu died he himself would die, and rushed to save him, and both died. Kong Fu stood in court with a solemn face, and no one dared pass by and bring trouble to his ruler. Kong Fu can be said to have had righteousness show in his face. The Yi Yong chapter says: Chang Wan, a minister of Duke Min of Song, was known for bravery and strength. Wan fought with Lu, his army was defeated, he was captured by Lu, held in the palace for several months, and then returned to Song. Duke Min of Song was playing at wrestling with a woman at his side, and the duke said to Wan: 'Which is handsomer, the ruler of Lu or I?' Wan said: 'The ruler of Lu is handsome; among the lords of the world only the ruler of Lu is, and he is fit to be a ruler.' Duke Min was proud of his woman's jealousy and said: 'You prisoner of Lu, what do you know?' Wan was enraged and struck Duke Min on the cheek, so that his teeth fell out of his mouth, and broke his throat and killed him. Chou Mu heard that the ruler was dead, hurried there, and met Wan at the gate, holding a sword and rebuking him. Wan struck Chou Mu with his arm and killed him, and the teeth stuck in the door. Chou Mu can be said not to have feared the strong and powerful, and rushed to his ruler's hardship without turning his heel. The Huainanzi, Tai Zu Xun, says: though a gentleman die, his name does not perish; though a petty man gain power, his crimes are not removed.]

大夫曰今之學者無太公之能騏驥之才有以蜂蠆【音瘥】介毒而自害也【蠆螫蟲也介大也】東海成顒【音防】河東胡建是也二子者以術蒙舉起卒伍為縣令獨非自是無與合同引之不來推之不徃狂狷不遜忮【音寘】害不防刻轢【音力】公主侵陵大臣知其不可而強【音襁】行之慾以幹名所由不軌果沒其身未覩功業所至而見兩觀【去聲】之殃【家語曰孔子為魯司防攝行相事七日而誅亂政大夫少正卯戮之於兩觀之下崔豹古今注曰古者帝居毎門樹兩觀於前所以標表宮門登之可以徧觀故謂之觀懸法象處也】身得重罪不得以夀終徼【音古堯反】而以為知【去聲】訐【音居謁反】而以為直不孫【音遜】以為勇其遭難【去聲】固亦宜也

The Grand Secretary said: Today's students lack the ability of Taigong and the talent of the steed, and some harm themselves with the poison of a bee or scorpion's sting [pronunciation note: chai is read cuo; chai is a stinging insect and jie means great]. Cheng Yong of Donghai and Hu Jian of Hedong are such. These two were recommended on the strength of their arts and rose from the ranks to be county magistrates; they alone considered themselves right and did not go along with others, you could not draw them in nor push them away, were mad and rash and immodest, jealous and harmful and lawless (the base text has a corrupt character), harsh toward princesses, offended great ministers, knew it could not be done yet forced it [pronunciation note: qiang is read qiang] through, wanting to seek fame, and by their lawless ways in the end lost their lives. We have not seen the extent of their achievements, but we see the disaster of the two watchtowers [pronunciation note: guan is read in the falling tone] [the Kongzi Jiayu says: Confucius served as Minister of Crime of Lu (the base text has a corrupt character) and acted as chancellor, and on the seventh day executed the disorderly official Shaozheng Mao, and had him killed beneath the two watchtowers. Cui Bao's Gujin Zhu says: in ancient times the emperor's residence had two watchtowers set before each gate, to mark the palace gate; climbing them one could see everything, so they were called guan (watching), and were the place where laws and images were displayed.]. They incurred heavy crimes and did not end their lives in old age. They took prying [pronunciation note: jiao is read gu-yao fan] as knowledge [pronunciation note: zhi is read in the falling tone], took attacking others' faults [pronunciation note: jie is read ju-ye fan] as straightness, and took immodesty [pronunciation note: sun is read xun] as bravery; their meeting hardship [pronunciation note: nan is read in the falling tone] was just as it should be.

文學曰二公懐精白之心行忠正之道直已以事上竭力以狥公奉法推理不避彊禦不阿所親不貴妻子之養不顧私家之業然卒不能免於嫉妬之人為眾枉所排也其所以累不測之刑而功不遂也【張儀曰積羽沉舟群折軸眾口鑠金積毀銷骨莊生曰三人成虎十夫揉椎眾口所移毋翼而飛雜言曰百人操觽不可為固結千人謗獄不可為直辭萬人比非不可為士中山靖王曰夫眾喣漂山聚蚊成雷朋黨執虎十夫撓椎是以文王拘於羑里孔子阨於陳蔡此乃烝庶之成風増積之生害也】夫【音扶】公族不正則法令不行股肱不正則奸邪興起趙奢行之平原【趙奢傳曰趙奢者趙之田部吏也收租稅而平原君家不肯出租奢以法治之殺平原君用事者九人平原君怒殺奢奢因說曰君於趙為貴公子今縦君家而不奉公則法削法削則國弱國弱則諸侯加兵諸侯加兵是無趙也君安得有此富乎以君之貴奉公如法則上下平上下平則國彊國彊則趙固而君為貴戚豈於天下邪平原君以為賢言之於王王用之治國賦國賦大平民富而府庫實】範睢行之穰侯【範睢傳曰範睢日益親復說用數年矣因請間說曰臣居山東時聞齊之有田文不聞其有王也聞秦之有太后穰侯華陽髙陵涇陽不聞其有王也夫擅國之謂王能利害之謂王制殺生之威之謂王今太后多擅行不顧穰侯出使不報華陽涇陽等撃防無諱髙陵進退不請四貴備而國不危者未之有也為此四貴者下乃所謂無王也然則權安得不傾令安得従王出乎臣聞善治國者乃內固其威而外重其權穰侯使者操王之重決制於諸侯剖符於天下政適伐國莫敢不聼戰勝攻取則利歸於陶國弊御於諸侯戰敗則結怨於百姓而禍歸於社稷詩曰木實繁者披其枝披其枝者傷其心大其都者危其國尊其臣者卑其主崔杼淖齒管齊射王股擢王筋縣之於廟梁宿昔而死李兌管趙囚主父於沙丘百日而餓死今臣聞秦太后穰侯用事髙陵華陽涇陽佐之卒無秦王此亦淖齒李兌之類也且夫三代所以亡國者君專授政縦酒馳騁弋獵不聼政事其所授者妬賢嫉能御下蔽上以成其私不為主計而主不覺悟故失其國今自有秩以上至諸大吏下及王左右無非相國之人者是王獨立於朝臣竊為王恐萬世之後有秦國者非王子孫也昭王聞之大懼曰善於是廢太后逐穰侯髙陵華陽涇陽君於闗外秦王乃拜範睢為相収穰侯之印使歸陶因使縣官給車牛以徙千乘有餘到闗闗閱其寶器寶器珍怪多於王室秦封範睢以應號為應侯】二國治而兩家全故君過而臣正上非而下譏大臣正縣令何肯不反諸已而行【去聲】非於人執政之大失也夫【音扶】屈原之沉淵遭子椒之譛也【雜事萹曰屈原者名平楚之同姓大夫有博通之知清防之行懐王用之秦欲吞滅諸侯併兼天下屈原為楚東使於齊以結強黨秦國患之使張儀之楚貨楚貴臣上官大夫靳尚之屬上及令尹子蘭司馬子椒內賂夫人鄭袖共譛屈原屈原逐於外乃作離騷張儀因使楚絶齊許謝地六百里懐王信左右之奸謀聽張儀之邪說遂絶強齊之大輔楚既絶齊而秦欺以六里懐王大怒舉兵伐秦大戰者數秦兵大敗楚師斬首數萬級秦使人願以漢中地謝懐王不聽願得張儀而甘心焉張儀曰以一儀而易漢中地何愛儀請行遂至楚楚囚之上官大夫之屬共言之王王歸之是時懐王悔不用屈原之策以至於此於是複用屈原屈原使齊還聞張儀已去大為王言張儀之罪懐王使人追之不及後秦嫁女於楚與懐王歡為藍田之防屈原以為秦不可信願勿防群臣皆以為可防懐王遂防果見囚拘客死於秦為天下笑懐王子頃襄王亦知群臣諂誤懐王不察其罪反聼群讒之口復放屈原屈原疾闇王亂俗防防嘿嘿以是為非以清為濁不忍見於世將自投於淵漁父止之屈原曰世皆酔我獨醒世皆濁吾獨清吾獨聞之新浴者必振衣新沐者必彈冠又惡能以其冷冷更事之嘿嘿者哉吾寕投淵而死遂自投湘水汨羅之中而死】管子得行其道鮑叔之力也【韓非子曰管仲鮑叔相謂曰君亂甚矣必失國齊國之諸公子其可輔者非公子糾則小白也與子人事一人焉先達者相收管仲乃従公子糾鮑叔従小白國人果弒君小白先入為君魯人拘管仲而效之鮑叔言而相之故諺曰巫咸雖善祝不能自祓也秦醫雖善除不能自彈也以管仲之聖而待鮑叔之助此鄙諺所謂虜自賣裘而不售士自譽便而不信者也詩傳曰鮑叔薦管仲曰臣所不如管夷吾者五寛惠柔愛臣弗如也忠信可結於百姓臣弗如也制禮約法於四方臣弗如也決獄折中臣弗如也執枹鼓立於軍門使士卒勇臣弗如也齊桓公使管仲治國管仲對曰賤不能臨貴桓公以為上卿而國不治桓公曰何故管仲對曰貧不能使富桓公賜之齊國市租一年而國不治桓公曰何故對曰疏不能制親桓公立以為仲父齊國大安而遂覇天下孔子曰管仲之賢不得此三權者亦不能使其君南面而覇矣尊賢萹曰管仲桓公之賊也鮑叔以為賢於巳而進之為相七十言而說乃聼遂使桓公除報讐之心而委國政焉桓公垂拱無事而朝諸侯鮑叔之力也】今不覩鮑叔之力而見汩羅之禍雖欲以夀終惡【音烏】其能得乎

The Literati said: The two lords cherished a pure and unblemished heart and walked the way of loyalty and uprightness, straightening themselves to serve their superiors, exhausting their strength to serve the public good, upholding law and reasoning from principle, not avoiding the strong and powerful, not favoring their kin, not valuing the support of wives and children, not caring for the enterprises of their private houses, yet in the end they could not escape those who envied them and were pushed aside by the many crooked. This is why they incurred unforeseen punishments and their achievements were not completed. [Zhang Yi said: piled feathers sink a boat, many light things break an axle, the mouths of many melt metal, and accumulated slander dissolves bones. Zhuangzi said: three people make a tiger, ten men can bend a mallet, what the mouths of many move can fly without wings. The Zayan says: a hundred men holding cracks cannot make a firm knot, a thousand men slandering a prison case cannot make an upright statement, ten thousand men comparing wrongs cannot make an upright scholar. The Prince Jing of Zhongshan said: the breath of the many can float away a mountain, gathered mosquitoes make thunder, cliques can seize a tiger, and ten men can bend a mallet. So King Wen was held at Youli and Confucius was in hardship between Chen and Cai. This is what the many form into a wind and accumulated slander produces as harm.] The opening word: if the ducal clan is not upright, laws and orders are not carried out; if the arms and legs are not upright, wicked and evil people arise. Zhao She acted on this at Pingyuan. [The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Zhao She, says: Zhao She was a field-tax official of Zhao, who collected taxes, and the household of the Lord of Pingyuan would not pay. She dealt with them by law and killed nine of the Lord of Pingyuan's stewards. The Lord of Pingyuan was angry and was about to kill She. She then said: "You, sir, are a noble prince in Zhao; if you now let your household neglect public duty, then the law is cut down; when the law is cut down the state is weakened; when the state is weakened the feudal lords send troops; when the feudal lords send troops there is no Zhao; and how would you then have this wealth? With your nobility, if you serve the public according to law, high and low are level; when high and low are level the state is strong; when the state is strong Zhao is secure; and you, a noble relative, would be of no small standing in the world, would you not?" The Lord of Pingyuan thought him worthy and spoke of him to the King, who employed him to manage the state's taxes, and the state's taxes were greatly leveled, the people were rich and the treasuries full.] Fan Ju acted on this against the Marquis of Rang. [The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Fan Ju, says: Fan Ju grew more favored daily, and after several years of being employed, he asked for a private audience and said: "When I lived in Shandong I heard of Tian Wen of Qi but not of his king; I heard of the Queen Dowager, the Marquis of Rang, Huayang, Gaoling and Jingyang in Qin, but not of the king of Qin. One who monopolizes the state is called the king, one who can bring benefit and harm is called the king, one who controls the power of killing and sparing is called the king. Now the Queen Dowager often acts on her own without regard, the Marquis of Rang goes on missions without reporting, Huayang and Jingyang and others strike and cut off without hesitation, and Gaoling advances and withdraws without asking. When these four nobles are in place, there has never been a state not in danger. Under these four nobles, there is what is called no king. Then how could power not tilt, and how could orders come out from the king? I have heard that one who governs a state well firmly establishes his authority within and weighs his power without. The envoys of the Marquis of Rang hold the weight of the king, decide matters among the feudal lords, split tallies throughout the world, and none dare disobey when he campaigns against enemies and attacks states. When he wins battles and takes cities the profit goes to Tao and the state is worn out and controlled by the feudal lords; when he loses, he builds resentment among the people and the calamity falls on the altars of soil and grain. The Book of Songs says: 'A tree heavy with fruit has its branches split; to split its branches injures its heart; one who enlarges his capital endangers his state, one who honors his minister lowers his lord.' Cui Zhu and Nao Chi controlled Qi, shot the king in the thigh, pulled out the king's tendons, hung him from the temple beam, and he died overnight; Li Dui controlled Zhao and imprisoned the Lord Father at Shaqiu, and he starved to death in a hundred days. Now I hear that the Queen Dowager of Qin and the Marquis of Rang hold power, with Gaoling, Huayang and Jingyang assisting, and in the end there is no King of Qin; this is of the type of Nao Chi and Li Dui. Moreover, the reason the Three Dynasties lost their states was that the ruler gave government wholly to others, drank wine, galloped and hunted, and did not attend to government; those to whom he gave it envied the worthy and begrudged the able, controlled those below and blocked those above to achieve their private ends, did not plan for the ruler, and the ruler did not awaken, and so lost the state. Now from salaried officials up to the great officials, and down to those around the King, none are not men of the chancellor; the King stands alone in the court, and I privately fear for the King that ten thousand generations hence the possessors of Qin may not be the King's descendants." King Zhao heard this and was greatly alarmed and said: "Good." Then he deposed the Queen Dowager and drove the Marquis of Rang, Gaoling, Huayang and Jingyang outside the pass. The King of Qin then appointed Fan Ju chancellor, took back the seal of the Marquis of Rang and sent him back to Tao, and had the county government provide carts and oxen for the move, more than a thousand carriages. At the pass, the pass inspected his treasures, and the precious vessels and curiosities were more than in the royal house. Qin enfeoffed Fan Ju at Ying and he was called the Marquis of Ying.] Two states were well governed and two families were preserved. So when the ruler errs the minister corrects him, and when the superior is wrong the inferior criticizes him. When great ministers are upright, how would county magistrates be unwilling to examine themselves before doing wrong to others? It is the great failure of those who hold government. The opening word: Qu Yuan's sinking into the abyss was due to meeting the slander of Zijiao. [The Zayu chapter says: Qu Yuan, whose name was Ping, was a grandee of the same clan as Chu, with broad knowledge and pure and honest conduct. King Huai used him. Qin wished to swallow up the feudal lords and annex the world. Qu Yuan went as Chu's envoy east to Qi to form a strong alliance. The state of Qin was troubled by this, and sent Zhang Yi to Chu to bribe Chu's noble ministers such as the Grand Master of the Superior Office and Jin Shang, and above them the chief minister Zilan and the Minister of War Zijiao, and within the palace to bribe Lady Zheng Xiu, and they together slandered Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was driven outside, and so composed the Lisao. Zhang Yi then went to Chu to sever its ties with Qi, promising to make up the loss with six hundred li of land. King Huai believed the wicked plans of those around him and listened to Zhang Yi's evil talk, and so cut off the great aid of mighty Qi. After Chu cut off Qi, Qin cheated it with six li. King Huai was furious and raised troops to attack Qin, and fought several great battles; the Qin troops greatly defeated the Chu army and cut off tens of thousands of heads. Qin sent someone to offer the land of Hanzhong in apology, but King Huai would not listen and wished to get Zhang Yi to satisfy his heart. Zhang Yi said: "To exchange one Yi for the land of Hanzhong, how can I begrudge it? Let me go." Then he went to Chu and Chu imprisoned him. The Grand Master of the Superior Office and others spoke to the King and the King sent him back. At this time King Huai regretted not using Qu Yuan's plan, which had brought him to this, and so used Qu Yuan again. Qu Yuan returned from a mission to Qi, heard that Zhang Yi had already left, and spoke greatly to the King of Zhang Yi's crimes. King Huai sent people to pursue him but too late. Later Qin married a daughter to Chu and was friendly with King Huai, and held a meeting at Lantian. Qu Yuan thought Qin could not be trusted and urged him not to go. The ministers all thought he could go. King Huai then went, and was indeed seized and held, and died as a guest in Qin and was laughed at by the world. King Huai's son King Qingxiang also knew that the ministers had flattered and misled King Huai, but did not examine their crimes and instead listened to the mouths of slanderers and banished Qu Yuan again. Qu Yuan hated the benighted king and disordered customs, in dim and silent confusion where right was taken for wrong and clear for turbid, could not bear to see the world and was about to throw himself into the abyss. A fisherman stopped him. Qu Yuan said: "The whole world is drunk and I alone am sober, the whole world is muddy and I alone am clear. I alone have heard that one who has just bathed must shake out his clothes, one who has just washed his hair must brush his cap; how can I take on the dim and silent muddiness with my pure self? I would rather throw myself into the abyss and die." Then he threw himself into the Miluo of the Xiang River and died.] That Guan Zhong could carry out his Way was due to Bao Shu's strength. [Han Feizi says: Guan Zhong and Bao Shu said to each other: "The ruler is very disordered, he will surely lose the state. Among the princes of Qi, those who can be assisted are none other than Prince Jiu or Xiaobai; let us each serve one of them, and whoever succeeds first will take in the other." Guan Zhong then followed Prince Jiu, and Bao Shu followed Xiaobai. The people of the state assassinated the ruler, and Xiaobai first entered and became ruler. The men of Lu seized Guan Zhong and handed him over, and Bao Shu spoke and made him chancellor. So the proverb says: though the shaman Xian was good at praying, he could not exorcise himself; though the Qin physician was good at removing illness, he could not lance himself. Even with Guan Zhong's sagacity, he depended on Bao Shu's help; this is what the rustic saying means by 'a captive selling his own fur coat cannot sell it, a scholar praising himself as capable is not believed.' The Han Poetry Tradition says: Bao Shu recommended Guan Zhong, saying: "There are five ways in which I am not equal to Guan Yiwu: in generosity, kindness and tender love, I am not his equal; in being able to bind the hundred families with loyalty and trustworthiness, I am not his equal; in setting ritual and binding law throughout the four quarters, I am not his equal; in deciding lawsuits fairly, I am not his equal; in holding the drumstick and standing at the military gate to make the soldiers brave, I am not his equal." Duke Huan of Qi had Guan Zhong govern the state, and Guan Zhong replied: "One of low rank cannot oversee the noble." Duke Huan made him senior minister, but the state was not well governed. Duke Huan said: "Why?" Guan Zhong replied: "The poor cannot command the rich." Duke Huan gave him the market rents of Qi for a year, but the state was not well governed. Duke Huan said: "Why?" He replied: "The distant cannot control the close." Duke Huan set him up as his second father, and Qi was greatly at peace and so became hegemon of the world. Confucius said: "With Guan Zhong's worthiness, had he not obtained these three powers, he could not have made his ruler face south and become hegemon." The Zunxian chapter says: Guan Zhong was Duke Huan's enemy. Bao Shu thought he was worthier than himself and recommended him as chancellor, and after seventy persuasions the Duke finally listened, and so made Duke Huan give up his heart of revenge and entrust government to him. Duke Huan let his garments hang and folded his hands with nothing to do and the feudal lords came to court; this was Bao Shu's strength.] Now one does not see the strength of Bao Shu but sees the calamity of Miluo; even if one wished to live out his years, how could he get it?

大夫曰御史御史未應謂丞相【去聲】史曰文學結髪學語服膺不捨辭若循環轉若陶鈞【結髪猶言總角少時也循環言其旋繞徃來無窮也陶家名轉者為鈞蓋取周囘均調之義也】文繁於春華無効於抱風飾虛言以亂實道古以害今従之則縣官用廢虛言不可實而行之不従文學以為非也眾口囂囂不可勝【音升】聽諸卿都大府曰久矣通先古明當世今將何従而可矣丞相史進曰晉文公譎而不正齊桓公正而不譎所由不同俱歸於伯【音覇】而必隨古不革襲【音集】故不改是文質不變而椎車尚在也【齊俗訓曰昔齊桓公合諸侯以乗車退誅於國以斧鉞晉文公合諸侯以革車退行於國以禮義桓公前柔而後剛文公前剛而後柔然而令行乎天下權制諸侯鈞者審於勢之變也韓非子曰古者寡事而備簡樸陋而不盡故有珧銚而椎車者古者人寡而相親物多而利易讓故有揖讓而傳天下者然則行揖讓髙慈惠而道推仁厚皆椎政也處多事之時用寡事之器非智者之備也當大爭之世而循揖讓之軌非聖人之治也故智者不乗椎車聖人不行椎政也】故或作之或述之然後法令調於民而器械便於用也孔對三君殊意晏子相【去聲】三君異道非苟相反所務之時異也【韓非子曰葉公子髙問政於仲尼仲尼曰政在恱近而來逺魯哀公問政於仲尼仲尼曰政在選賢齊景公問政於仲尼仲尼曰政在節財三公出子貢問曰三公問夫子政一也夫子對之不同何也仲尼曰葉都大而國小民有背心故曰政在恱近而來逺魯哀公有大臣三人外障距諸侯四鄰之士內比周而以愚其君使宗廟不掃除社稷不血食者必是三臣也故曰政在選賢齊景公築雍門為路寢一朝而以三百乗之家賜者三故曰政在節財漢武帝曰五帝不相復禮三代不同法所繇殊路而建徳一也葢孔子對定公以來逺哀公以論臣景公以節用非期不同所急異務也臣瓉曰論語及韓子皆言葉公問政於孔子孔子答以恱近來逺今雲定公與二書異晏嬰傳曰晏平仲嬰者萊之夷維人也事齊靈公莊公景公以節儉力行重於齊既相齊食不重肉妾不衣帛其在朝君語及之即危言語不及之即危行國有道即順命無道即衡命以此三世顕名於諸侯晏子春秋曰梁丘據問晏子曰子事三君君不同心子俱従焉仁人固多心乎對曰一心可以事百君百心不可以事一君王恢曰五帝不相同樂三王不相襲禮者非故相反也各因世之宜也教與時變備與敵化守一而不易不足以子民】公卿既定大業之路建不竭之本願無顧細故之語牽儒墨論也

The Grand Secretary said to the Censor, before the Censor had even responded, and to the Chancellor's clerk: The literati have since the time they tied up their hair studied speech and hold it in their hearts without letting go, their phrases turn about like a cycle and revolve unceasingly like a potter's wheel. [Tying up the hair still refers to the time of being a youth with hair in two tufts. Cycle means going round and round without end. Potters call the turning wheel the jun, taking the sense of going around evenly.] Their elegant phrases are more profuse than spring flowers, yet have no effect, like embracing the wind; they confuse real affairs with empty words and cite ancient matters to obstruct the present. If we follow them, the county government's expenses would have to be abandoned, since empty words cannot be carried out as real affairs; if we do not follow them, the literati think it wrong. Many mouths clamor and there is no end of listening. You, ministers, have stayed in the great offices for a long time, are versed in antiquity and understand the present; now which course should we follow? The Chancellor's clerk stepped forward and said: Duke Wen of Jin was deceptive and not upright, Duke Huan of Qi was upright and not deceptive, their ways differed, yet both led to hegemony. If one must follow antiquity and not reform, adopt the old laws and not change, then substance and form would not change and the rough cart would still be in use. [The Qisu chapter says: formerly Duke Huan of Qi assembled the feudal lords using a riding carriage but punished with axes within the state; Duke Wen of Jin assembled the feudal lords using a leather carriage but practiced ritual and righteousness within the state. Duke Huan was first soft and then hard, Duke Wen first hard and then soft, yet their orders were carried out throughout the world and they controlled the feudal lords with authority, and the key in each case was examining the change of circumstances. Han Feizi says: in antiquity there were few affairs and simple equipment, rough and incomplete, so there were jade knives and rough carts. In antiquity people were few and close, goods were many and profit easily yielded, so there were those who handed over the world by courtesy. So practicing yielding, exalting kindness and praising generosity are all rough governance. To use the tools of few affairs in a time of many affairs is not a wise man's preparation; to follow the road of yielding in an age of great contention is not a sage's governance. So the wise do not ride rough carts and sages do not practice rough governance.] So some create and some pass on and complete, and only then are laws and orders suited to the people and tools convenient to use. Confucius answered three rulers with different meanings and Master Yan assisted three rulers in different ways, not casually opposite but because the circumstances they were attending to differed. [Han Feizi says: Lord Zhigao of Ye asked Zhongni about government, and Zhongni said: government lies in pleasing the near and attracting the far. Duke Ai of Lu asked Zhongni about government, and Zhongni said: government lies in selecting the worthy. Duke Jing of Qi asked Zhongni about government, and Zhongni said: government lies in economizing wealth. After the three lords left, Zigong asked: the three lords asked the Master about government with the same question, and the Master answered differently; why? Zhongni said: Ye's capital is large and the state small, and the people have a heart of departing, so I said government lies in pleasing the near and attracting the far; Duke Ai of Lu had three great ministers who outwardly barred the scholars of the four neighboring feudal lords and inwardly formed cliques and fooled their ruler, so that the ancestral temple was not swept and the altars of soil and grain had no blood offerings; it must be these three ministers, so I said government lies in selecting the worthy; Duke Jing of Qi built the Yong Gate and the Lu Bedchamber and in a single morning gave to people households of three hundred chariots three times, so I said government lies in economizing wealth. Emperor Wu of Han said: the Five Emperors did not repeat each other's ritual and the Three Dynasties did not share laws; their paths differed but the virtue they established was the same. Confucius answered Duke Ding with attracting the far, Duke Ai with discussing ministers, and Duke Jing with economizing use, not because his intentions differed, but because the urgent matters differed. Chen Zan said: the Analects and Han Zi both say that Lord Ye asked Confucius about government and Confucius answered with pleasing the near and attracting the far; now it says Duke Ding, which differs from the two books. The Biography of Yan Ying says: Yan Pingzhong Ying was a man of Yiwei in Lai, who served Duke Ling, Duke Zhuang and Duke Jing of Qi, and was valued in Qi for frugality and diligent conduct. When he was chancellor of Qi, he did not have meat twice at a meal and his concubines did not wear silk. At court, when the ruler spoke to him he spoke boldly, and when the ruler did not speak to him he acted boldly; when the state had the Way he followed orders, and when it lacked the Way he weighed the orders. So for three generations his name was illustrious among the feudal lords. The Yanzi Chunqiu says: Liangqiu Ju asked Master Yan: you served three rulers whose hearts were not the same and you could follow them all; are benevolent men by nature of many hearts? He replied: with one heart one can serve a hundred rulers, with a hundred hearts one cannot serve one ruler. Wang Hui said: the Five Emperors did not share the same music and the Three Kings did not copy each other's ritual, not deliberately contrary, but each according to what suited his time. Teaching changes with the times and preparation changes with the enemy; to hold to one thing and not change is not enough to nurture the people.] The ministers have already set the road for great enterprise and established an inexhaustible root; I hope they will not mind the words of petty matters and be led about by the arguments of Confucians and Mohists.

文學曰師曠之調五音不失宮商聖王之治世不離【去聲】仁義故有改制之名無變道之實【修務訓曰昔晉平公令官為鍾鍾成而示師曠師曠曰鍾音不調平公曰寡人以示工工皆以為調而以為不調何也師曠曰使後世無知音者則巳若有知音者必知鍾之不調故師曠之慾調鍾也以為後之有知音者也陳元曰夫明者獨見不惑於朱紫聰者獨聞不謬於清濁故離朱不為巧移目師曠不為新聲易耳董仲舒曰三王之道所祖不同非其相反將以捄溢扶衰所衰之變然也故孔子曰無為而治者其舜乎改正朔易服色以順天命而已其餘盡循堯道何更為哉故王者有改制之名亡變道之實】上自黃帝下及三王莫不明徳教謹庠序崇仁義立教化此百世不易之道也殷周因修而昌秦王變法而亡【主術訓曰今夫權衡防矩一定而不易不為秦楚變莭不為呉越改容常一而不邪方行而不流一日刑之萬世傳之而以無為為之故國有亡主而世無廢道人有困窮而理無不通語曰家有常業雖飢不餓國有常法雖危不亡】詩云雖無老成人尚有典刑言法教故沒而存之舉而貫之貫而行之何更為哉【牛賛曰國有固籍兵有常經變籍則亂失經則弱故利不百者不變俗功不什者不易器杜摯曰法古無過修禮無邪甘龍曰聖人不易民而教智者不變法而動因民而教者不勞而成功緣法而治者吏習而民安之】丞相【去聲】史曰說西施之美無益於容道堯舜之徳無益於治【寰宇紀曰西施施其姓也防稽諸暨縣有東施家西施家越王於苧蘿山得采薪之女西施飾以羅縠教以行步習於土城臨于都巷三年學服而獻吳王吳得西施為築姑蘓臺說山訓曰畫西施之面美而不可說規孟賁之目大而不可畏】今文學不言所為治而言以治之無功猶不言耕田之方美富人之囷【音悃】倉也夫【音扶】欲粟者務時欲治者因世【趙武靈王曰古今不同俗何古之法帝王不相襲何禮之循伏羲神農教而不誅黃帝堯舜誅而不怒及至三王觀時而製法因事而制禮法度制令各順其宜衣服器械各便其用故理世不一其道便國不必法古聖人之興也不相襲而王夏殷之衰也不易禮而滅然則反古未可非而循禮未足多也故聖與俗流賢與變俱諺曰以書為御者不盡馬之情以古制今者不逹事之變故循法之功不足以髙世法古之學不足以制今】故商君昭然獨見存亡不可與世俗同者為其沮功而多近也庸人安其故而愚者果所聞【衛鞅曰聖人苟可以強國不法其故苟可以利民不循其禮常人安於故俗學者溺於所聞以此兩言居官守法可也非所以論於法之外也三代不同禮而王五伯不同法而霸智者作法愚者制焉賢者更禮不肖者拘焉】故舟車之始使民三年而後安之商君之法立然後民信之【呂氏春秋曰舟車之始見也三世而後安之夫聞善豈易哉故聼無事治衞鞅傳曰孝公既用衞鞅以衞鞅為左庶長卒定變法之令令既具未布恐民之不信也乃立三丈之木於國都市南門募民有能徙置北門者予十金民怪之莫敢徙復曰能徙者予五十金有一人徙之輒予五十金以明不欺卒下令令行於民期年秦民之國都言初令之不便者以千數於是太子犯法衞鞅曰法之不行自上犯之將法太子太子君嗣也不可施刑刑其傅公子防黥其師公孫賈明日秦人皆趨令行之十年秦民大說道不拾遺山無盜賊家給人足民勇於公戰怯於私闘鄉邑大治秦民初言令不便者有來言令便者衞鞅曰此皆亂化之民也盡遷之於邉城其後民莫敢議令】孔子曰可與共學未可與權文學可令扶防循刻非所與論道術之外也

The Literati said: Shi Kuang tuned the five notes without departing from gong and shang, and the sage kings ruled the world without departing from benevolence and righteousness, so there are names for changed systems but no substance of a changed Way. [The Xiuwu chapter says: formerly Duke Ping of Jin ordered officials to cast bells, and when the bells were done he showed them to Shi Kuang. Shi Kuang said: the bells are out of tune. Duke Ping said: I showed them to the craftsmen and the craftsmen all thought they were in tune, but you think they are out of tune; why? Shi Kuang said: if there were no one in later ages who knew music, that would be that; but if there is one who knows music, he will surely know that the bells are out of tune. So Shi Kuang wished to tune the bells for the sake of those later who know music. Chen Yuan said: the clear-sighted see alone and are not confused by vermilion and purple; the sharp of hearing hear alone and are not mistaken between clear and turbid. So Li Zhu did not change his eye because of clever dazzle, and Shi Kuang did not change his ear because of new sounds. Dong Zhongshu said: the Way of the Three Kings differed in what they took as ancestors, not as opposites, but to save the excessive and support the declining, as what needed saving had changed. So Confucius said: one who ruled without acting was perhaps Shun! He only changed the calendar and the color of clothing to follow Heaven's mandate, and in all else followed the Way of Yao; why change it? So a true king has the name of changing systems but not the substance of changing the Way.] From the Yellow Emperor above to the Three Kings below, none failed to clarify virtue and teaching, take care of schools, honor benevolence and righteousness, and establish instruction; this is the Way that does not change for a hundred generations. Yin and Zhou followed and refined it and flourished, and the King of Qin changed the laws and perished. [The Zhushu chapter says: the scale, compass and square are fixed and unchanging, not altering their rules for Qin or Chu, not changing their face for Wu or Yue, constant and one without deviation, square in conduct without flowing; once the punishment is set it is passed on for ten thousand generations, and it is done by non-action. So a state may have a lost ruler but the age has no abandoned Way, and a person may be in hardship but principle has nothing that cannot get through. The proverb says: a household with a regular enterprise, though hungry, does not starve; a state with regular laws, though endangered, does not perish.] The Book of Songs says: "Though there are no old and experienced men, there are still the statutes and models." This says that though the laws and teaching are old and the old men are gone, they remain, and if one takes them up and connects them, and having connected them practices them, why change them? [Niu Zan said: a state has fixed records and an army has constant regulations; if you change the records there is disorder, and if you lose the regulations there is weakness. So unless the profit is a hundredfold, one does not change customs, and unless the merit is tenfold, one does not change tools. Du Zhi said: following antiquity has no fault, and cultivating ritual has no depravity. Gan Long said: the sage does not change the people when teaching them, and the wise do not change the law when acting. Teaching according to the people brings success without toil; governing by the law makes officials practiced and the people at peace.] The Chancellor's clerk said: To speak of Xishi's beauty does no good to one's own appearance; to praise the virtue of Yao and Shun does no good to the governance of the present age. [The Huanyu ji says: Xishi, Shi was her surname. In Zhuji County of Kuaiji there are the houses of Dongshi and Xishi. The King of Yue obtained Xishi, a woodcutter's daughter, at Mount Zhuluo, dressed her in silk gauze, taught her to walk, practiced her in earthen city walls, and had her look out on the capital lanes, and after three years of study presented her to the King of Wu. Wu obtained Xishi and built the Gusu Terrace for her. The Shuoshan chapter says: to paint Xishi's face, beautiful but not pleasing; to draw Meng Ben's eyes, large but not frightening.] Now the literati do not discuss how to govern, but say that governing by some method has no effect; it is like not discussing the method of plowing and only boasting of a rich man's granary. The opening word: one who wants grain must follow the seasons, and one who wants to govern must follow the age. [King Wuling of Zhao said: past and present differ in custom; what ancient laws should be imitated? Emperors and kings did not copy each other; what ritual should be followed? Fuxi and Shennong taught and did not punish, the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun punished but did not rage; by the time of the Three Kings, they observed the times and set laws, followed affairs and set rituals, laws, standards and orders each following what is fitting, clothes and implements each convenient for their use. So ordering the world does not require the same way, and benefiting the state does not require imitating antiquity. When sages rose, they did not copy each other and yet became kings; when Xia and Yin fell, they did not change ritual and yet perished. Then to oppose antiquity cannot be criticized, and to follow ritual does not deserve much praise. So the sage flows with the customs and the worthy goes along with change. The proverb says: one who drives holding a book does not exhaust the nature of the horse; one who governs the present with antiquity does not penetrate the change of affairs. So the merit of following the law is not enough to be high in the world, and learning that models itself on antiquity is not enough to govern the present.] So Lord Shang, clearly seeing survival and ruin alone, could not be the same as the common world, because the common world discourages merit and is fond of near profit. Mediocre people are at ease in the old routine, and fools cling to what they have heard. [Wei Yang said: the sage need only make the state strong and need not imitate the old; he need only benefit the people and need not follow its ritual. Ordinary people are at ease in old customs and scholars are immersed in what they have heard; these two sayings are fine for holding office and keeping the law, but not for discussing matters beyond the law. The Three Dynasties did not share ritual and yet became kings, and the Five Hegemons did not share laws and yet became hegemons. The wise make laws and fools are controlled by them; the worthy revise ritual and the unworthy hold to it.] So when boats and carriages first began to be used, it took the people three years to be at ease; when Lord Shang's law was established, the people then trusted and followed it. [The Lüshi Chunqiu says: when boats and carriages first appeared, it took three generations before people were at ease. How easy is it to listen to the good? So one listens to the governance of non-action. The Biography of Wei Yang says: after Duke Xiao employed Wei Yang, he made Wei Yang the Left Commander of the Common Ranks, and finally set the order for changing the laws. The order was complete but not yet published, and fearing the people would not trust it, he set up a three-zhang wooden pole at the south gate of the capital market and offered ten pieces of gold to anyone who could move it to the north gate. The people found it strange and none dared move it. Then he said those who could move it would be given fifty pieces of gold. One man moved it, and was given fifty pieces of gold at once, to show that there was no cheating. Then the order was issued. After the order had been in effect among the people for a year, the people of Qin who came to the capital to say the initial orders were inconvenient numbered in the thousands. At this time the crown prince broke the law. Wei Yang said: the reason the law is not carried out is that it is first broken from above. He was about to punish the crown prince. The crown prince is the ruler's heir and cannot be punished, so he punished his tutor, Prince Qian, and branded his teacher, Gongsun Jia. The next day the people of Qin all followed the order. After ten years of practice, the people of Qin were greatly pleased, no one picked up what was dropped on the road, there were no robbers in the mountains, households were well supplied and people sufficient, the people were brave in public battles and timid in private fights, and the villages and towns were greatly well governed. The people of Qin who had at first said the order was inconvenient now came to say it was convenient. Wei Yang said: these are all people who disturb transformation, and moved them all to the frontier cities. After that the people did not dare to discuss the laws and orders again.] Confucius said: "One may study together but not yet use the expedient together." The literati can be made to hold the square and follow the gauge, but they are not people with whom one can discuss matters outside the arts of the Way.

文學曰君子多聞闕疑述而不作聖達而謀大叡【音銳】知【去聲】而事寡是以功成而不隳名立而不小人知【去聲】淺而謀大羸【音縲】弱而任重故中道而廢蘓秦商鞅是也【汜論曰蘓秦匹夫徒步之人也靻蹻羸葢経營萬乘之主服諾諸侯然不自免於車裂之患蔡澤曰商君為孝公平權衡正度量調輕重決裂阡陌教民耕戰是以兵動而地廣兵休而國富故秦無敵於天下立威諸侯功已成矣遂以車裂】無先王之法非聖人之道而因於已故亡易曰小人處盛位雖髙必崩不盈其道不恆其徳而能以善終身未之有也是以初登於天后入於地禹之治水也民知其利莫不勸其功商鞅之立法民知其害莫不畏其刑【河間獻王曰禹稱民無食則我不能使也功成而不利於人則我不能勸也故疏河以導之鑿江通於九派五湖而定東海民亦勞矣然而不怨苦者利歸於民也衞鞅傳曰商君相秦十年宗室貴戚多怨望者趙良見商君謂曰君之見秦王也因嬖人景監以為主非所以為名也相秦不以百姓為事而大築冀闕非所以為功也刑黥太子之師傅殘傷民以駿刑是積怨蓄禍也教之化民也深於命民之效上也防於令今君又左建外易非所以為教也君又南面而稱寡人日防秦之貴公子詩曰相鼠有體人而無禮人而無禮胡不遄死以詩觀之非所以為夀也公子防杜門不出已八年矣君又殺祝懽而黥公孫賈詩曰得人者興失人者崩此數事者非所以得人也君之危若朝露尚將欲延年益夀乎則何不歸十五都灌園於鄙勸秦王顕巖穴之士養老存孤敬父兄序有功尊有徳可以稍安君尚貪商於之富寵秦國之教畜百姓之怨秦王一旦捐賔客而不立朝秦國之所以收君者豈其防哉】故夏後功立而王【去聲】商鞅法行而亡商鞅有獨智之慮世不獨見之證文學不足與權當世亦無負累之殃也

The Literati said: The noble man listens widely and leaves doubtful points blank, transmitting and not creating; one who is sage and far-seeing and plans on a large scale is perceptive and wise and has few affairs, and so his merit is completed and not destroyed, and his name is established and does not fall. A petty man is shallow in wisdom but plans on a large scale, is frail but takes on a heavy load, and so gives up halfway; Su Qin and Shang Yang were like this. [The Fanlun chapter says: Su Qin was a commoner on foot in straw sandals and a worn hat, who managed a ruler of ten thousand chariots and made the feudal lords agree, but could not himself escape the calamity of being torn apart by carriages. Cai Ze said: Lord Shang leveled the scales, corrected the measures, adjusted light and heavy for Duke Xiao, broke open the field paths, and taught the people to farm and fight, and so when troops moved the land grew and when troops rested the state was rich, so Qin had no match in the world and established awe among the feudal lords. His merit was complete, and in the end he was torn apart by carriages.] Without the laws of the former kings and not the Way of the sages, relying on themselves, they perished. The Changes says: a petty man in a flourishing position, though high, must collapse; one who does not fill out his Way and does not keep to his virtue yet can end his life well has never existed. So at first they climbed to Heaven and later entered the earth. When Yu controlled the waters, the people knew the benefit, and there were none who did not strive to help complete his work; when Shang Yang set up laws, the people knew the harm, and there were none who did not fear his punishments. [Prince Xian of Hejian said: Yu said: if the people have nothing to eat, I cannot employ them; if the work is completed but is not beneficial to people, I cannot encourage them. So he dredged the rivers to lead them, cut the Yangtze through to the nine streams, fixed the five lakes to reach the eastern sea, and though the people toiled they did not resent the hardship, because the benefit went to the people. The Biography of Wei Yang says: Lord Shang was chancellor of Qin for ten years, and many in the ducal clan and among noble relatives resented him. Zhao Liang saw Lord Shang and said to him: "When you saw the King of Qin it was through the favorite Jing Jian, which is not a way to make a name; as chancellor of Qin you did not make the people your business but built great palace gates, which is not a way to succeed; you punished and branded the crown prince's tutor, used severe punishment to maim the people, which is accumulating resentment and storing up calamity. The transformation of people through teaching is deeper than through command; people's imitation of their superiors is faster than command. Now you also build on the left and change outside, which is not a way to teach. You also face south and call yourself 'I, the solitary one,' and day by day press and blame the noble princes of Qin. The Book of Songs says: 'See the rat, it has a body; a man without ritual, why does he not die quickly?' From the poem it is not a way to seek long life. Prince Qian has shut his door and not come out for eight years already. You also killed Zhu Huan and branded Gongsun Jia. The Songs say: 'Those who win people prosper, those who lose people collapse.' These matters are not ways to win people. Your danger is like morning dew; do you still want to extend your years? Why not return the fifteen towns, tend a garden on the border, urge the King of Qin to promote scholars in caves and cliffs, care for the aged and preserve orphans, respect fathers and elder brothers, rank those with merit and honor those with virtue, and you may find some peace. You still covet the wealth of Shang and Yu, favor the teaching of Qin, and accumulate the resentment of the hundred families; if the King of Qin one day abandons his guests and does not hold court, those in Qin who would seize you will be no few."] So the lord of Xia established merit and became king, and Shang Yang's law was carried out and he perished. Shang Yang had solitary wise thoughts, but there is no solitary proof in the world. The literati are not enough to weigh the present age with them, and there is no calamity of being burdened by them.