Yan Tie Lun (鹽鐵論) · Volume 20

賢良曰高皇帝之時蕭曹為公滕灌之屬為卿濟濟然斯則賢矣文景之際建元之始大臣尚有爭【去聲】引守正之義自此之後多承意從欲少敢直言面議而正刺因公而狥私故武安丞相【田蚡也】訟園田爭曲直人主之前夫【音扶】九層之臺一傾公輸子不能正夲朝【音潮】一邪伊望不能復故公孫丞相倪大夫側身行道分祿以養賢卑已以下士功業顯立日力不足無行人子產之繼而葛繹澎【音彭】侯之等【傳曰公孫賀為丞相封葛繹侯劉屈為左丞相封澎侯】隳壊其緒紕【音避】亂其紀毀其客館議堂以為馬廐婦舍無養士之禮而尚驕矜之色亷恥陵遲而爭於利矣【西京雜記曰平津侯自布衣為宰相乃開東閣營客館以招天下之士其一曰欽賢館以待大賢次曰翹材館以待大材次曰接士館以待國士其有徳任毗賛佐理隂陽者處欽賢之館其有才堪九列將軍二千石者居翹材之館其有一介之善一方之藝居接士之館而躬自菲薄所得俸祿以奉待之公孫傳曰時上方興功業屢舉賢良自見為舉首起徒步數年至宰相封侯於是起客館開東閣以延賢人與參謀議身食一肉脫粟飯故人賔客仰衣食奉祿皆以給之家無所餘凡為丞相御史六嵗年八十終丞相位其後李蔡嚴青瞿趙石慶公孫賀劉屈繼踵為丞相自蔡至慶丞相館舍丘虛而已至賀屈時壊以為馬廐車庫奴婢室矣】故良田廣宅民無所之不恥為利者滿朝【音潮】市列田畜者彌郡國橫暴掣【音徹】頓大第巨舍之旁道路且不通此固難醫而不可為工大夫勃然作色黙而不應

The Worthies said: In the time of Emperor Gao, Xiao and Cao were dukes and men like Teng and Guan were ministers, a dignified company; those were the worthy ones. In the time of Emperors Wen and Jing and the beginning of Jianyuan, great ministers still had the principle of arguing [the character 'zheng' is read in the departing tone] and citing, maintaining what was right. After that, most followed the ruler's will and complied with his desires, few dared speak directly, discuss face to face, and rectify and criticize, and used the public to serve private ends. Therefore Chancellor Wuan [Tian Fen] litigated over gardens and fields and argued right and wrong before the ruler. As for [the character 'fu' is pronounced 'fu'] this: when a nine-story terrace tilts, Gongshu Zi cannot straighten it; when the root court is crooked, Yi Yin and Taigong Wang cannot restore it. So Chancellor Gongsun and Grand Secretary Ni walked the Way with care, shared their stipends to nurture the worthy, lowered themselves to serve scholars, established their achievements and found the day's strength insufficient; they had no successors like Xing Ren or Zi Chan, but had men like the Marquis of Geyi and the Marquis of Pengs [the Commentary says: Gongsun He became Chancellor and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Geyi; Liu Quli became Left Chancellor and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Peng], who wrecked their legacy and threw their rules into disorder, tore down their guest lodges and discussion halls to make horse stables and women's quarters, had no rite of nurturing scholars yet still showed arrogant faces, and honor and shame declined while they fought over profit. [The Xijing Zaji says: The Marquis of Pingjin [Gongsun Hong], from commoner became chancellor, opened the east gate and built guest lodges to invite scholars of the world. One was called the Hall for Honoring the Worthy to receive great worthies; next was the Hall for Raising Talent to receive great talents; next was the Hall for Receiving Gentlemen to receive gentlemen of the state. Those who had virtue and could assist and manage yin and yang resided in the Hall for Honoring the Worthy; those whose talents suited the nine ministries, generals, or two-thousand-bushel posts lived in the Hall for Raising Talent; those with one point of goodness or a skill in one field lived in the Hall for Receiving Gentlemen. He himself lived modestly and all the salary he obtained was used to receive them. The Biography of Gongsun Hong says: At that time the ruler was undertaking great works and repeatedly recommended the worthy and good. Hong saw himself as the head of those recommended, having risen from the status of a walker, and within a few years became chancellor and was enfeoffed, so he built guest lodges and opened the east gate to invite worthy people to take part in deliberations. Hong himself ate one dish of meat and coarse rice, and old friends and guests relied on him for food and clothing, all his salary was given to them, and his house had no surplus. In all he served six years as chancellor and imperial clerk, and died at eighty in the office of chancellor. Afterward Li Cai, Yan Qingzhai, Zhao Zhou, Shi Qing, Gongsun He and Liu Quli succeeded one another as chancellor. From Cai to Qing, the chancellor's lodges were merely ruins; by the time of He and Quli they were torn down to make horse stables, carriage sheds and slave quarters.] So good fields and broad houses leave the people with nowhere to go, those who feel no shame in profit fill the court, those who set up market rows and fields and livestock fill the commanderies and states, violent and oppressive and pushy, and beside the great mansions and huge houses the road is almost impassable. This is truly hard to cure and cannot be made to work. The Grand Secretary changed color angrily and was silent, not replying.

丞相【去聲】史曰吾聞諸鄭長【音掌】孫曰君子正顔色則逺暴嫚出辭氣則逺鄙倍矣故言可述行可則此有司夙昔所願覩也若夫【音扶】劒客論博奕辯盛色而相蘇秦立權以不相假使有司不能取賢良之議而賢良文學被不遜之名竊為諸生不取也公孫龍有言曰論之為道辯故不可以不屬意屬【去聲】意相寛【顔師古曰屬意猶言注意也】相寛其歸爭爭而不讓則入於鄙今有司以不仁又防素飡無以更責雪恥矣【顔師古曰素空也素飡者徳不稱官空當食祿】縣官所招舉賢良文學而及親民偉仕亦未見其能用針【音針】石而醫百姓之疾也

The Chancellor's Secretary said: I heard Zheng Zhangsun say: The noble man, by composing his countenance, keeps far from violence and arrogance; by uttering his words and tone, keeps far from vulgarity and perversity. So words that can be recounted and conduct that can be taken as a model are what the officials have long wished to see. As for [the character 'fu' is pronounced 'fu'] the arguments of swordsmen and the debates of gamblers, which make a show of expression to fault Su Qin, setting up authority not to yield to each other, so that the officials cannot take up the Worthies' counsel, and the Worthies and Literati bear a name for discourtesy, privately the gentlemen would not take it. Gongsun Long had a saying: The way of discussion lies in debate, so one must pay attention to it. Paying attention [Yan Shigu says: 'shu yi' is like 'zhu yi', to pay attention] goes along with leniency toward one another. When leniency toward one another ends in contention, and one contends and does not yield, it falls into vulgarity. Now the officials are unhumane and furthermore hold salaries without merit, and have no way to reproach and wash away shame. [Yan Shigu says: 'su' means empty; 'su can' is when virtue does not match office and one idly receives a stipend.] Among the Worthies and Literati whom the government recruited and the excellent officials close to the people, I have not seen any able to cure the illness of the common people with needle and stone.

賢良曰賈生有言曰懇言則辭淺而不入深言則逆耳而失指故曰談何容易談且不易而況行之乎此胡建所以不得其死而吳得防不免於患也【胡建傳曰胡建為渭城令治甚有聲值昭帝防皇后父上官將軍安與帝姊蓋主私夫丁外人相善外人驕恣怨故京兆尹樊福使客射殺之客藏公主廬吏不敢捕渭城令建將吏卒圍捕蓋主聞之與外人上官將軍多從奴客往犇射追吏吏散走主使僕射劾渭城令遊徼傷主家奴建報亡它坐蓋主怒使人上書告建侵辱長公主射甲舍門知吏賊傷奴闢報故不窮審大將軍霍光寢其奏後光病上官氏代聼事下吏捕建建自殺吏民稱寃至今渭城立其祠】語曰五盜執一良人枉木惡直繩【説山訓曰眾曲不容直眾枉不容正故人眾則食狼狼眾則食人也】今欲下針【音針】石通闗鬲則恐有盛胡之累懐針【音針】槖【音托】艾則被不工之名狼防其胡載其尾君子之路行止之道固狹耳此子石所以嘆息也【雜言曰子石登吳山而四望喟然而嘆息曰嗚呼悲哉世有明於事情不合於人心者有合於人心不明於事情者弟子問曰何謂也子石曰昔者吳王夫差不聼伍子胥盡忠極諌抉目而辜太宰嚭公孫雒偷合苟容以順夫差之志而伐吳二子沉身江湖頭懸越旗昔者費仲惡來革長鼻決耳崇侯虎順紂之心欲以合於意武王伐紂四子身死牧之野頭足異所比干盡忠剖心而死今欲明事情恐有抉目剖心之禍欲合人心恐有頭足異所之患由是觀之君子道狹耳誠不逢其明主狹道之中又將險危閉塞無可從出者子石公孫龍也】

The Worthies said: Master Jia said: Sincere words are shallow and do not enter; deep words are harsh to the ear and lose their point. So it is said how easy it is to talk. If talking is not easy, how much less acting? This is why Hu Jian did not die a natural death and Wu De also could not avoid trouble. [The Biography of Hu Jian says: Hu Jian as magistrate of Weicheng was famous for his government. In the time of Emperor Zhao, General Shangguan An, the empress's father, was friendly with Ding Wairen, the lover of Princess Gai, the emperor's sister. Wairen was arrogant and unrestrained, bore a grudge against the former Metropolitan Governor Fan Fu, and had a retainer shoot him dead. The retainer hid in the princess's lodging, and officials did not dare to arrest him. Magistrate Jian of Weicheng led officials and soldiers to surround and arrest him. Princess Gai heard of it and with Wairen and General Shangguan led many slaves and retainers to run and shoot at the pursuing officials, and the officials scattered. The princess had her servant accuse the magistrate's patrolman of injuring the princess's household slave. Jian replied that there was no other crime. Princess Gai was angry and had someone submit a memorial accusing Jian of insulting the senior princess and shooting at the gate of the lodging, saying he knew the officials had injured the slave but avoided reporting it and had not investigated thoroughly. General Huo Guang suppressed the memorial. Later, when Guang was ill, the Shangguan family took over hearing affairs and had officials arrest Jian, and Jian killed himself. Officials and people said it was an injustice, and a shrine to him still stands in Weicheng.] A common saying goes: Five robbers seize one good man, and crooked wood hates the straight line. [The Shuo Shan Xun says: A multitude of crooked things does not tolerate the straight, and a multitude of wrongs does not tolerate the right. So when people are many they eat wolves, and when wolves are many they eat people.] Now, if one wants to apply needle and stone to open the blocked passages, one fears the burden of a great overhang; if one carries needles, bags and moxa, one bears the name of being unskilled. The wolf stumbles on his dewlap and trips on his tail; the noble man's road, the way of acting and stopping, is naturally narrow, and this is why Zishi sighed. [The Za Yan says: Zishi climbed Mount Wu and looked in all directions and sighed deeply, saying: 'Alas, how sad! In the world there are those who understand affairs but do not suit people's hearts, and those who suit people's hearts but do not understand affairs.' His disciples asked: 'What do you mean?' Zishi said: 'In the past, King Fuchai of Wu did not listen to Wu Zixu's utmost loyalty and extreme remonstrance, and had his eyes gouged out and was wronged; Grand Steward Pi and Gongsun Luo pandered and flattered to follow Fuchai's will and attacked Wu, and the two sank their bodies in the river and lake and their heads were hung on Yue's banners. In the past Fei Zhong and E Lai had their long noses cut and ears torn to suit Zhou's heart and match his intent; when King Wu attacked Zhou, the four men died at Muye with heads and feet in different places; Bi Gan was loyal to the utmost and died with his heart cut out. Now if one wants to understand affairs, one fears the calamity of gouged eyes and cut heart; if one wants to suit people's hearts, one fears the trouble of heads and feet in different places. Seen from this, the noble man's road is narrow. If one does not meet a bright ruler, in the narrow road there will be danger, obstruction and blockage, with no way out.' Zishi is Gongsun Long.]

大夫曰賢者處大林遭風雷而不迷【舜典曰納於大麓烈風雷雨弗迷】愚者雖處平敞【音昶】大路猶暗惑焉今守相【去聲】親剖符贊拜蒞一郡之眾古方伯之位也受命專制宰割千里不御於內善惡在於己已不能故耳道何狹之有哉

The Grand Secretary said: The worthy dwelling in a great forest, meeting wind and thunder, is not confused. [The Shun Dian says: He was admitted to the great foothills, and in fierce wind, thunder and rain was not confused.] The foolish, though living on a level broad road, are still in darkness and confusion. Now commandery governors and chancellors personally split the tally and are given audience, oversee the multitude of a commandery, which is the position of a regional chief of old, receiving command with sole authority, carving up a thousand li, not controlled from within, with good and bad resting on themselves. If they themselves cannot stop, where is the narrowness of the Way?

賢良曰古之進士也鄉擇而裡選論其才能然後官之勝【音升】職任然後爵而祿之【王制曰大樂正論造士之秀者以告於王而升諸司馬曰進士司馬辨論官材論進士之賢者以告於王而定其論論定然後官之任官然後爵之位定然後祿之】故士修之鄉曲升諸朝【音潮】廷行之幽隱明足顯著疏逺無失士小大無遺功是以賢者進用不肖者簡黜【傳曰王者之論徳也而不尊無功不官無徳不誅無罪朝無幸位民無幸生故上賢使能而等級不逾折暴禁悍而刑罰不過百姓曉然皆知夫為善於家取賞於朝也為不善於幽而防刑于顯夫是之謂定論是王者之徳詩云明昭有周式序在位】今吏道壅而不選【古作通】富者以財賈【音古】官勇者以死射功戱車鼎躍鹹出補吏【衛綰傳曰以戱車為郎顔師古曰若今之弄車之技也】累功積日或至卿相【去聲】垂青繩擐【音灌】銀擅殺生之柄專萬民之命弱者猶使羊將狼也其亂必矣強者則是予狂夫利劒也必妄殺生也【酷吏傳曰寧成家居上欲以為郡守禦史大夫曰臣居山東為小吏時寧成為濟南都尉其治如狼牧羊成不可使治民上乃拜成為闗都尉主術訓曰不仁而有勇力果敢則狂而操利劒不知而辨慧懐給則棄而不式雖有材能其施之不當其處之不宜適足以轉偽餙非伎藝之眾不如其寡也故有野心者不可借便勢有愚質者不可與利器】是以往者郡國黎民相乗而不能理或至鋸頸殺不辜而不能正執綱紀非其道蓋博亂愈甚古者封賢祿能不過百里百里之中而為都疆垂不過五十猶以為一人之身明不能照聦不能逹故立卿大夫士以佐之而政治乃備今守相或無古諸侯之賢而蒞千里之政主一郡之眾施聖主之徳擅生殺之法至重也非仁人不能任非其人不能行一人之身治亂在已千里與之轉化不可不熟擇也【管子曰堯舜之民非生而治桀紂之民非生而亂故治亂在上商君曰善治者使盜跖可信不能治者使伯夷可疑】故人主有私人以財不私人以官【韓嬰曰明主有私人以百金名珠玉而無私以官職事業者何也曰本不利所私也彼不能而主使之是闇主也臣不能而為之是詐臣也主闇於上臣詐於下滅亡無日矣俱害之道也故惟明主能愛其所愛闇主則必危其所愛】懸賞以待功序爵以俟賢舉善若不足黜惡若仇讐固為【去聲】其非功而殘百姓也夫【音扶】傅【音輔】主徳開臣途在於選賢而器使之擇揀守相然後任之【樂毅曰賢聖之君不以祿私親其功多者賞之其能當者處之故察能而授官者成功之君也論行而結交者立名之士也韓非子曰夫物者有所宜材者有所施各處其宜故上下無為使雞司夜狸執防皆用其能上乃無事泰族訓曰或輕或重或貪或亷此四者相反而不可一無也輕者欲發重者欲止貪者欲取亷者不利非其有故勇者可令進鬭而不可令持牢重者可令埴固而不可令凌敵貪者可令進取而不可令守職亷者可令守分而不可令進取信者可令持約而不可令應變五者相反聖人兼用而財使之夫天地不包一物隂陽不生一類海不讓水潦以成其大山不讓土石以成其高夫守一隅而遺萬方取一物而棄其餘則所得者鮮而所治者淺矣道應訓曰聖人之處世不遺有技能之士老子曰人無棄人物無棄物主術訓曰積力之所舉無不勝也眾智之所為無不成也聾者可令嗺筋而不可使有聞也喑者可令守圉而不可使有言也是故有一形者處一位有一能者服一事力勝其任則舉之者不重也能稱其事則為之者不難也無大小修短各得其宜則天下一齊無以相過也聖人兼而用之故無棄才】

The Worthies said: In ancient times, in advancing scholars, the village selected and the hamlet chose; their talents were discussed and then they were given office; when they were equal to the duties, they were given rank and stipend. [The Wang Zhi says: The Grand Music Master discussed the outstanding among those made scholars and reported to the king and promoted them to the Minister of War, called 'advanced scholars.' The Minister of War distinguished and discussed their official talents, discussed the worthy among the advanced scholars, reported to the king, and settled the discussion. After the discussion was settled they were given office, after being assigned office they were given rank, and after the position was settled they were given stipend.] So scholars cultivated themselves in village corners, were promoted to the court, and acted in obscurity, and their brightness was enough to be manifest; the distant and obscure did not lose scholars, great and small left no merit out, and so the worthy were advanced and used and the unworthy were removed. [The Commentary says: A king in assessing virtue does not honor the meritless, does not give office to the virtueless, does not execute the guiltless; there is no lucky position at court and no lucky survival among the people. So he honors the worthy and uses the able without exceeding grades, and breaks the violent and prohibits the fierce without excessive punishment. The people clearly all know: those who do good in the family are rewarded at court, and those who do evil in secret are punished in public. This is called a settled assessment and is the virtue of a king. The Poem says: Bright and shining Zhou, orderly in its positions.] Now the path of officials is blocked and not selected [the ancient reading is 'open'], the rich buy office with wealth, the brave shoot for merit with their deaths, and performers of chariot tricks and tripod leaps all come out to fill official posts. [The Biography of Wei Wan says: He became a gentleman through chariot tricks. Yan Shigu says: Like today's skill of playing with carts.] Accumulating merit and days, some become ministers and chancellors, hang blue cords, wear silver tortoise seals, hold the handle of life and death and monopolize the fate of the myriad people. The weak are like making sheep lead wolves, and disorder surely ends there; the strong are like giving a sharp sword to a madman, and he will surely kill and spare recklessly. [The Biography of Cruel Officials says: When Ning Cheng was living at home, the emperor wanted to use him as commandery governor. Imperial Secretary Hong said: 'When I was a petty official in Shandong, Ning Cheng was commandant of Jinan, and his government was like a wolf herding sheep; Cheng should not be used to govern people.' The emperor then appointed Cheng as pass commandant. The Zhu Shu Xun says: One who is unhumane and has courage and decisiveness is like a madman holding a sharp sword; one who is ignorant but eloquent and quick-witted discards the law and does not follow it. Though they have talent and ability, they are applied improperly and placed unsuitably, and are only enough to turn into falsehood and adorn error. Many skills are not as good as few. So one with a wild heart cannot be lent convenient power, and one of foolish nature cannot be given a sharp tool.] Therefore in the past the common people of commanderies and states trampled on each other and could not be governed, some even reached the point of sawing necks and killing the innocent and could not be corrected. To hold the guiding rope is not that way; probably the broader it is, the greater the disorder. In ancient times those enfeoffed with worthiness and given stipends for ability held no more than a hundred li; in a hundred li they made a capital and the border extended no more than fifty, and still they thought one man's brightness could not illuminate and one's hearing could not reach, so they set up ministers, high officials and scholars to assist, and only then was government complete. Now commandery governors and chancellors may lack the worthiness of the ancient feudal lords yet oversee the government of a thousand li and rule the multitude of a commandery, applying the sage ruler's virtue and monopolizing the law of life and death; the weight is great, and none but a humane man can bear it, and none but the right man can carry it out. In one man's person, order and disorder lie with himself, and a thousand li turn with him; one must choose carefully. [Guanzi said: The people of Yao and Shun were not born orderly, and the people of Jie and Zhou were not born disorderly, so order and disorder lie above. Lord Shang said: Those who govern well make Robber Zhi trustworthy; those who cannot govern make Bo Yi doubtful.] So a ruler has people he favors with wealth but does not favor with office. [Han Ying said: A bright ruler favors people with a hundred gold, famed jewels and jade, but does not favor anyone with office or work; why? Because fundamentally it does not benefit the one favored. If he cannot do it and the ruler uses him, that is a dim ruler; if the minister cannot and does it, that is a deceitful minister. When the ruler is dim above and the minister is deceitful below, ruin comes soon. All are ways of harm. Therefore only a bright ruler can love what he loves, and a dim ruler will surely endanger what he loves.] He offers rewards to await merit, ranks the grades to await the worthy, raises the good as if never enough and dismisses the bad as if enemies; only then does he not injure the common people for what is not merit. As for [the character 'fu' is pronounced 'fu'] assisting the ruler's virtue and opening the road for ministers, it lies in selecting the worthy and using them according to their capacity, and in selecting commandery governors and chancellors and only then appointing them. [Yue Yi said: A worthy and sage ruler does not give salary to relatives out of favoritism; he rewards those with much merit and places those whose ability fits. So those who examine ability and grant office are rulers who succeed, and those who discuss conduct and ally themselves are gentlemen who establish a name. Han Feizi said: Things have their suitability, and talents have their application; each in its fitness, so those above and below do nothing. Make the rooster keep the night and the wildcat catch the rat (the base text has a corrupt reading here), all using their abilities, and the ruler has no business. The Tai Zu Xun says: Some are light, some heavy, some covetous, some honest; these four are opposite and none can be without one. The light want to start, the heavy want to stop, the covetous want to take, and the honest do not profit from what is not theirs. So the brave can be ordered to advance and fight but not to hold a prison, the heavy can be ordered to hold steady but not to overpower an enemy, the covetous can be ordered to advance and take but not to hold a post, the honest can be ordered to keep their part but not to advance and take, and the trustworthy can be ordered to hold a covenant but not to respond to change. The five are opposites, and the sage uses them all and apportions them. Heaven and Earth do not embrace one thing alone, yin and yang do not give birth to one kind alone; the sea does not refuse rain pools to complete its greatness, and mountains do not refuse earth and stones to complete their height. If one keeps one corner and neglects ten thousand quarters, takes one thing and discards the rest, what one gains is little and what one governs is shallow. The Dao Ying Xun says: The sage in dwelling in the world does not neglect men of skill and ability. Laozi said: No person is to be abandoned, no thing is to be abandoned. The Zhu Shu Xun says: What the accumulated strength lifts cannot be unsuccessful, and what the many minds do cannot fail. A deaf man can be made to knead sinews but cannot be given hearing; a mute can be made to guard but cannot be given speech. Therefore one with one form takes one position and one with one ability serves one task. When strength matches the load, lifting is not heavy; when ability fits the task, doing it is not hard. Regardless of large or small, long or short, each gets what is fitting, and the world is level with none exceeding the other. The sage uses them all, and so wastes no talent.]

大夫曰然為醫以拙矣又多求謝為吏既多不良矣又侵漁百姓【顔師古曰侵漁言侵奪百姓若漁者之取魚也】長吏厲諸小吏【厲病也】小吏厲諸百姓故不患擇之不熟而患求之與得異也不患其不足也患其貪而無厭也

The Grand Secretary said: If this is so, being a physician is already clumsy enough, yet he asks for many thank-you gifts; being an official is already often bad enough, yet he plunders the common people. [Yan Shigu says: 'Plundering' means seizing from the people as a fisherman takes fish.] Senior officials harm junior officials [the character 'li' means to sicken and harm], and junior officials harm the common people. So the fear is not that selection is not careful enough, but that what is sought and what is obtained are not the same; the fear is not that he is not sufficient, but that he is insatiably greedy.

賢良曰古之制爵祿也卿大夫足以潤賢厚士足以優身及黨庻人為官者足以代其耕而食其祿【管子曰爵不尊祿不重者不與圖難犯危以其道為未可以求之也是故先王制軒冕足以著貴賤不求其美設爵祿足以守其服不求其親使君子食於道小人食於力】今小吏祿薄郡國繇【音遙】役逺至三輔粟米貴不足相澹【古聸字】常居則匱於衣食有故則賣畜粥業非徒是也繇吏相遣官庭攝追小計權吏行施乞貸長吏侵漁上府下求之縣縣求之鄉鄉安取之哉【荀悅曰先王之制祿也下足以代耕上足以充祀故食祿之家不與下民爭利所以厲其公義塞其私心其或犯逾之者則繩以政法是以君子慕義小人無怨若位苟祿薄外而不充憂匱是防所求不贍則私利之制萌矣放而聼之則貪利之心濫矣以法繩之則下情怨矣故位必稱徳祿必稱爵故一物而不稱亂之道也今漢之賦祿薄而吏非員者眾在位者貪於財產規奪官民之利則殖貨無厭奪民之利不以為恥是以清節毀傷公義損缺富者比公室貧者匱朝夕非所為濟俗也】語曰貨賂【音路】下流猶水之赴下不竭不止今大川江河飲巨海巨海受之而欲谿谷之讓流潦百官之廉不可得也夫【音扶】欲影正者端其表欲下廉者先之身【曾子曰響不辭聲鑑不辭形君子正一而萬物皆成夫行非為影也而影隨之呼非為響也而響和之故君子功先成而名隨之主術訓曰君人者其猶射者乎於此毫末於彼尋丈矣故慎所以感之也夫榮啟期一彈而孔子三日樂感於和鄒忌一徽而威王終夕悲感於憂動諸琴瑟形諸聲音而能使人為之哀樂縣法設賞而不能移風易俗其誠心弗施也】故貪鄙在率不在下教訓在政不在民也【主術訓曰通於本者不亂於末覩於要者不惑於詳是故有諸已不非諸人無諸已不求諸人所立於下者不廢於上所禁於民者不行於身孔子曰其身正不令而行其身不正雖令不從故禁勝於身則令行於民矣劉峻曰神非舜禹心異朱均才絓中庸在於所習是以素絲無恆黃代起鮑魚芳蘭入而自變】

The Worthies said: In ancient times, rank and salary were set so that ministers and grandees had enough to enrich the worthy and treat officers generously, and enough to provide well for themselves and their associates; commoners who held office had enough to substitute for farming and live on their salary [The Guanzi says: Those whose rank is not honored and whose salary is not heavy cannot be asked to share in planning difficulties or braving danger, because that way is not yet enough to demand it of them. So the former kings set up carriages and caps enough to mark the noble and the humble without seeking their beauty, and established rank and salary enough to keep up the dress regulations without seeking intimacy. Let the gentleman be fed by the Way and the petty man be fed by his labor.]. Now petty officials' pay is meager, the corvee (reading note: 'yao' is read as 'yao') of commanderies and kingdoms is far, and in the Three Metropolitan Regions the price of grain is high, not enough to supply each other [Dan is the ancient form of 'shan' (supply); the base text's variant is an error for it.]. In ordinary life they are short of clothing and food, and when there is trouble they sell livestock and sell property. And it is not only this: corvee officials dispatch one another, the official court pursues and arrests, and petty accounting officials extort bribes and loans while senior officials encroach and seize. The superior office demands from the county below, the county demands from the village, and from where can the village take it [Xun Yue says: The former kings, in setting salaries, made them enough below to substitute for farming and enough above to supply the sacrifices, so households living on salary did not compete for profit with the people below, in order to spur their public righteousness and block their private minds. Those who transgressed were corrected by law and government. Thus the gentleman admired righteousness and the petty man had no resentment. If positions are casual and salaries thin, they cannot be filled out externally, what is worried over and pitied (the base text writes a lost character here; according to Xun Yue's 'Treatise on Salary' it should read 'pitied') is shortage, what is sought is insufficient, and the system of private gain sprouts. If one lets it be and listens, the greedy mind floods; if one reins it in with law, the lower orders resent. So the position must match virtue and the salary must match rank, and a single mismatch is the way to disorder. Now the Han salaries are thin and officials beyond the quota are many, and those in office covet property and scheme to seize the profit of officials and people, accumulating goods without satiety and not feeling shame at seizing the people's profit. Thus pure integrity is damaged, public righteousness is lacking, the rich can be compared to the ducal house, and the poor are in shortage morning and night; this is not the way to relieve customs.]. A saying goes: bribes (reading note: 'lu' is read as 'lu') flow downward like water going down, not stopping until exhausted. Now the great rivers and streams drink into the vast sea and the sea receives them, yet one wants the brooks and valleys to give up the flowing floods; to want the hundred officials to be incorrupt cannot be obtained. The opening word 'fu' (reading note: 'fu' is read as 'fu'): if you want the shadow to be straight, first set the gnomon upright; if you want those below to be incorrupt, begin with yourself [Master Zeng said: An echo does not decline a sound and a mirror does not decline a form. The gentleman corrects one thing and the myriad things are all accomplished. Conduct is not done for the sake of the shadow, yet the shadow follows; calling is not done for the sake of the echo, yet the echo responds. So the gentleman's achievement is completed first and his reputation follows. The 'Art of the Ruler' says: A ruler is like an archer, is he not? A hair's breadth of error here is a fathom there, so one must be careful about what moves them. Rong Qiqi played once and Confucius was happy for three days, moved by harmony; Zou Ji plucked a stop once and King Wei grieved through the night, moved by sorrow. Moved on zither and lute and shown in sound, it can make people grieve or rejoice; to set up laws and rewards but not be able to change customs is because sincerity has not been put forth.]. So greed and baseness lie in the example set, not below; teaching lies in governance, not in the people [The 'Art of the Ruler' says: One who penetrates the root is not confused over branches, and one who sees the essentials is not misled by details. So what one has oneself one does not criticize in others, what one lacks oneself one does not demand of others; what is established below is not abolished above, what is prohibited for the people is not practiced by oneself. Confucius said: If one's own person is upright, orders are carried out without being given; if not upright, even with orders they are not followed. So when prohibitions first prevail over oneself, orders can be carried out among the people. Liu Jun said: They are not Shun or Yu in spirit, their hearts differ from Zhu and Jun, their talent reaches only the mean, and the crux is what they practice. So plain silk has no constant color, and black and yellow replace each other in turn (the base text's character here is obscure and lost in transcription); salted fish and fragrant orchid change themselves as soon as they enter.].