Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 3

周頌曰：“豐年多黍多稌，亦有高廩，萬億及秭，為酒為醴，烝畀祖妣，以洽百禮，降福孔偕。”禮記曰：“上牲損則用下牲，下牲損則祭不備物。”以其舛之為不樂也。故聖人之於天下也，譬猶一堂之上也，今有滿堂飲酒者，有一人獨索然向隅而泣，則一堂之人皆不樂矣；聖人之於天下也，譬猶一堂之上也，有一人不得其所，則孝子不敢以其物薦進。

The Hymns of Zhou say: "In the abundant year there is much millet and rice, and tall granaries too, ten thousand, hundred thousand, up to a million; they make wine and sweet liquor, and present them to ancestors male and female, to accompany the hundred rites; the blessings sent down are very widespread." The Record of Rites says: "If the best victim is lacking, use the next; if the lower victim is lacking, the sacrifice lacks the full complement of goods." For through some defect it is made unhappy. So the sage regarding the world is like being in one hall: if now the whole hall is drinking and one person alone sits desolately weeping in a corner, then the whole hall is unhappy; the sage regarding the world is like being in one hall, and if one person does not find his place, the filial son dares not present his offering.

魏武侯浮西河而下，中流顧謂吳起曰：“美哉乎！河山之固也，此魏國之寶也。”吳起對曰：“在德不在險。昔三苗氏左洞庭，右彭蠡，德義不修，而禹滅之；夏桀之居，左河濟，右太華，伊闕在其南，羊腸在其北，修政不仁，湯放之；殷紂之國，左孟門而右太行，常山在其北，太河經其南，修政不德，武王伐之。由此觀之，在德不在險。若君不修德，船中之人盡敵國也。”武侯曰：“善！”

Marquis Wu of Wei was floating down the Western River, and in midstream turned his head and said to Wu Qi: "Beautiful! The strength of the rivers and mountains, this is the treasure of Wei." Wu Qi answered: "It lies in virtue, not in strength. Formerly the Sanmiao clan had Lake Dongting on the left and Lake Pengli on the right, but their virtue and righteousness were not cultivated, and Yu destroyed them. Jie of Xia dwelt with the Yellow River and Ji on the left and Mount Taihua on the right, Yique to the south and Yangchang to the north, but his government was cultivated without humaneness, and Tang banished him. King Zhou of Yin's state had Mengmen on the left and Mount Taihang on the right, Mount Chang to the north, and the great river passing to the south, but his government was cultivated without virtue, and King Wu attacked him. From this it appears that it lies in virtue and not in strength. If the ruler does not cultivate virtue, all the people in the boat are enemies of the state." The marquis said: "Good!"

武王克殷，召太公而問曰：“將奈其士眾何？”太公對曰：“臣聞愛其人者，兼屋上之烏；憎其人者，惡其餘胥；鹹劉厥敵，使靡有餘，何如？”王曰：“不可。”太公出，邵公入，王曰：“為之奈何？”邵公對曰：“有罪者殺之，無罪者活之，何如？”王曰：“不可。”邵公出，周公入，王曰：“為之奈何？”周公曰：“使各居其宅，田其田，無變舊新，唯仁是親，百姓有過，在予一人！”武王曰：“廣大乎，平天下矣。凡所以貴士君子者，以其仁而有德也！”

When King Wu conquered Yin, he summoned Taigong and asked: "How shall we deal with its officers and people?" Taigong answered: "I have heard that one who loves a person loves even the crows on his roof; one who hates a person hates even his remaining relatives. What if we kill all those enemies and leave none?" The king said: "Not acceptable." Taigong went out and the Duke of Shao entered, and the king said: "What should be done?" The Duke of Shao answered: "Kill the guilty and let the innocent live; what about that?" The king said: "Not acceptable." The Duke of Shao went out and the Duke of Zhou entered, and the king said: "What should be done?" The Duke of Zhou said: "Let each live in his own house and plow his own field, without changing the old or the new, and only be close to humaneness; if the hundred clans have faults, let them be on me alone!" King Wu said: "How broad! The world is pacified. What makes an officer and noble person valued is that he is humane and has virtue!"

孔子曰：“里仁為美，擇不處仁，焉得智！”夫仁者，必恕然後行，行一不義，殺一無罪，雖以得高官大位，仁者不為也。夫大仁者，愛近以及遠，及其有所不諧，則虧小仁以就大仁。大仁者，恩及四海；小仁者，止於妻子。妻子者，以其知營利，以婦人之恩撫之，飾其內情，雕畫其偽，孰知其非真，雖當時蒙榮，然士君子以為大辱，故共工、驩兜、符裡、鄧析，其智非無所識也，然而為聖王所誅者，以無德而苟利也。豎刁、易牙，毀體殺子以幹利，卒為賊於齊。故人臣不仁，篡弒之亂生；人臣而仁，國治主榮；明主察焉，宗廟大寧，夫人臣猶貴仁，況於人主乎！故桀紂以不仁失天下，湯武以積德有海土，是以聖王貴德而務行之。孟子曰：“推恩足以及四海；不推恩不足以保妻子。古人所以大過人者無他焉，善推其所有而已。”

Confucius said: "To live in a village where there is humaneness is good; if one chooses a place to live and does not dwell in humaneness, how can one be called wise?" The humane person always extends consideration for others before acting; to do a single unrighteous act or kill a single innocent person, even to gain high office and great rank by it, the humane person will not do. Great humaneness loves what is near and extends to what is far, and when there is something in conflict, it lessens small humaneness to complete great humaneness. Great humaneness: kindness reaches the four seas; small humaneness: it stops at one's wife and children. As for wife and children, relying on their knowledge of how to seek profit, comforting with a woman's affection, embellishing inner feelings, carving and painting falsehood, who knows that it is not real? Though one may receive glory at that time, officers and noble persons regard it as a great disgrace. So Gong Gong, Huan Dou, Fu Li and Deng Xi, whose wisdom was not lacking in insight, were executed by the sage kings, because they had no virtue and sought profit carelessly. Shu Diao and Yi Ya mutilated their bodies and killed their sons to seek profit, and in the end became thieves in Qi. So when ministers are not humane, the disorder of usurpation and murder arises; when ministers are humane, the state is well ruled and the ruler honored; an enlightened ruler examines this, and the ancestral temples are greatly at peace. If even ministers value humaneness, how much more should rulers! So Jie and Zhou lost the world through inhumaneness, and Tang and Wu accumulated virtue and held the land within the seas; therefore the sage kings valued virtue and made it their task. Mencius said: "Extend kindness and it is enough to reach the four seas; if you do not extend kindness, it is not enough to protect your wife and children. The reason the ancients greatly surpassed others was nothing else than being good at extending what they had."

晏子飲景公酒，令器必新，家老曰：“財不足，請斂於民。”晏子曰：“止。夫樂者，上下同之，故天子與天下，諸侯與境內，自大夫以下各與其僚，無有獨樂；今上樂其樂，下傷其費，是獨樂者也，不可。”

Master Yan invited Duke Jing to drink, and ordered that the vessels must be new. The household elder said: "The goods are not enough; please levy from the people." Master Yan said: "Stop. Music is shared by those above and below, so the Son of Heaven with the world, the feudal lords with those within their borders, and from grand masters downward each with their colleagues, none enjoys it alone; now if those above enjoy their music and those below suffer loss and expense, this is enjoying alone, and it is not acceptable."

齊桓公北伐山戎氏，其道過燕，燕君逆而出境，桓公問管仲曰：“諸侯相逆固出境乎？”管仲曰：“非天子不出境。”桓公曰：“然則燕君畏而失禮也，寡人不道而使燕君失禮，乃割燕君所至之地以與燕君。”諸侯聞之，皆朝於齊。詩云：“靖恭爾位，好是正直，神之聽之，介爾景福。”此之謂也。

Duke Huan of Qi marched north to attack the Shanrong, and the road passed through Yan. The ruler of Yan came out to meet him and went beyond the border. Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong: "Do feudal lords, when meeting each other, go out beyond the border?" Guan Zhong said: "Except for the Son of Heaven, they do not cross the border." Duke Huan said: "Then the ruler of Yan was frightened and acted improperly; it is because I lack the Way that I made the ruler of Yan commit an impropriety." So he cut off the land that the ruler of Yan had reached and gave it to the ruler of Yan. The feudal lords heard of it and all came to court in Qi. The Odes say: "Be calm and respectful in your position, and love the upright; the spirits will hear and give you great blessing." This is what is meant.

景公探爵鷇，鷇弱故反之，晏子聞之，不待請而入見，景公汗出惕然，晏子曰：“君胡為者也？”景公曰：“我採爵鷇，鷇弱故反之。”晏子逡巡北面再拜而賀之：“吾君有聖王之道矣。”景公曰：“寡人入探爵鷇，鷇弱故反之，其當聖王之道者何也？”晏子對曰：“君探爵鷇，鷇弱故反之，是長幼也；吾君仁愛，禽獸之加焉，而況於人乎？此聖王之道也。”

Duke Jing reached into a nest and took a sparrow chick, but because it was small and weak he put it back. Master Yan heard of it and went in to see him without waiting for a request, and Duke Jing broke into a sweat in fright. Master Yan said: "What is my lord doing?" Duke Jing said: "I reached into a nest and took a sparrow chick, but because it was small and weak I put it back." Master Yan hesitated, then faced north and bowed twice in congratulation: "My lord has the Way of the sage kings." Duke Jing said: "I went in and took a sparrow chick, and because it was small and weak I put it back; what is there in this equal to the Way of the sage kings?" Master Yan answered: "My lord took a sparrow chick and, because it was small and weak, put it back; this is nurturing the young and small. If my lord's humane love extends to birds and beasts, how much more to people! This is the Way of the sage kings."

景公睹嬰兒有乞於途者，公曰：“是無歸夫？”晏子對曰：“君存何為無歸，使養之，可立而以聞。”

Duke Jing saw an infant begging on the road, and the duke said: "This one has no home to return to, I suppose?" Master Yan answered: "While you are here, my lord, how can anyone have no home to return to? Have someone raise it, and it can grow up and let you hear of it."

景公遊於壽宮，睹長年負薪而有飢色，公悲之，喟然嘆曰：“令吏養之。”晏子曰：“臣聞之，樂賢而哀不肖，守國之本也；今君愛老而恩無不逮，治國之本也。”公笑有喜色。晏子曰：“聖王見賢以樂賢，見不肖以哀不肖；今請求老弱之不養，鰥寡之不室者，論而供秩焉。”景公曰：“諾。”於是老弱有養，鰥寡有室。

Duke Jing was touring the Shou Palace and saw an old man carrying firewood with a look of hunger; the duke was grieved and sighed deeply, saying: "Have the officials support him." Master Yan said: "I have heard that delighting in the worthy and pitying the unworthy is the root of guarding a state; now my lord cares for the old and his kindness leaves no one out, which is the root of governing a state." The duke smiled with a look of joy. Master Yan said: "The sage kings, on seeing the worthy, delighted in the worthy, and on seeing the unworthy, pitied the unworthy; now I request that the old and weak with no one to support them and the widowers and widows with no household be listed and given stipends." Duke Jing said: "Good." So the old and weak were supported, and the widowers and widows had households.

桓公之平陵，見家人有年老而自養者，公問其故，對曰：“吾有子九人，家貧無以妻之，吾使傭而未返也。”桓公取外御者五人妻之，管仲入見曰：“公之施惠不亦小矣。”公曰：“何也？”對曰：“公待所見而施惠焉，則齊國之有妻者少矣。”公曰：“若何？”管仲曰：“令國丈夫三十而室，女子十五而嫁。”

Duke Huan went to Pingling and saw a household with an old man supporting himself. The duke asked the reason, and he answered: "I have nine sons, but our family is poor and has nothing with which to take wives for them; I have had them hired out and they have not yet returned." Duke Huan took five attendants from outside the palace and gave them to him as wives. Guan Zhong went in to see him and said: "Your Grace's kindness is also small." The duke said: "Why?" He answered: "Your Grace bestows kindness only when you have seen it with your own eyes; then in Qi there will be few who have wives." The duke said: "What should be done?" Guan Zhong said: "Order that in the state men at thirty have a household, and women at fifteen marry."

孝宣皇帝初即位，守廷尉吏路溫舒上書，言尚德緩刑，其詞曰：“陛下初即至尊，與天合符，宜改前世之失，正始受之統，滌煩文，除民疾，存亡繼絕，以應天德，天下幸甚。臣聞往者秦有十失，其一尚存，治獄吏是也；昔秦之時，滅文學，好武勇，賤仁義之士，貴治獄之吏，正言謂之誹謗，謁過謂之妖言，故盛服先生，不用於世，忠良切言，皆鬱於胸，譽諛之聲，日滿於耳，虛美燻心，實禍蔽塞，此乃秦之所以亡天下也。方今海內賴陛下厚恩，無金革之危，飢寒之患，父子夫婦戮力安家，天下幸甚；然太平之未洽者，獄亂之也。夫獄天下之命，死者不可生，斷者不可屬，書曰：‘與其殺不辜，寧失不經。’今治獄吏則不然，上下相驅，以刻為明，深者獲公名，平者多後患；故治獄吏皆欲人死，非憎人也，自安之道，在人之死，是以死人之血，流離於市；被刑之徒，比肩而立，大辟之計，歲以萬數，此聖人所以傷太平之未洽。凡以是也。人情安則樂生，痛則思死，捶楚之下，何求而不得；故囚人不勝痛，則飾誣詞以示之，吏治者利其然，則指道以明之，上奏恐卻，則鍛鍊而周內之，蓋奏當之成，雖皋陶聽之，猶以為死有餘罪，何則？成煉之者眾而文致之罪明也。是以獄吏專為深刻，殘賊而無理，偷為一切，不顧國患，此世之大賊也，故俗語云：‘畫地作獄，議不可入；刻本為吏，期不可對。’此皆疾吏之風，悲痛之辭也。故天下之患，莫深於獄，敗法亂政，離親塞道，莫甚乎治獄之吏，此臣所謂一尚存也。臣聞鳥鷇之卵不毀，而後鳳凰集；誹謗之罪不誅，而後良言進，故傳曰：‘山藪藏矣，川澤納汙。’國君含垢，天之道也。臣昧死上聞，願陛下察誹謗，聽切言，開天下之口，廣箴諫之路，改亡秦之一失，遵文武之嘉德，省法制，寬刑罰，以廢煩獄；

When Emperor Xiaoxuan had just ascended the throne, Lu Wenshu, acting judge of the court of justice, submitted a memorial on honoring virtue and relaxing punishments. His memorial said: "Your Majesty has just ascended the highest honor and is in accord with Heaven. You should correct the faults of the previous generation, set right the lineage you have newly received, wash away burdensome regulations, remove the sufferings of the people, preserve what is perishing and continue what is cut off, to answer Heaven's virtue; the world will be most fortunate. I have heard that formerly Qin had ten faults, one of which still remains, namely the officials who handle prisons. Formerly in the time of Qin, literature was extinguished, martial valor was loved, humane and righteous scholars were made light of, and officials who handled prisons were valued; upright words were called slander, pointing out faults was called sinister speech, so the well-dressed scholars were not used by the world, loyal and earnest words were all pent up in the chest, while the sounds of praise and flattery filled the ears daily; false beauty intoxicated the heart, and real disaster was concealed and blocked. This is the reason Qin lost the world. Now the realm depends on Your Majesty's great kindness, with no danger of weapons and armor and no worry of hunger and cold, fathers and sons, husbands and wives joining strength to keep their homes, and the world is most fortunate; but that great peace has not yet been spread throughout is because prisons disturb it. The prison is the life of the world: the dead cannot be revived and the severed cannot be rejoined. The Documents say: 'Rather than kill the innocent, better err on the side of not following the usual rule.' Now the officials who handle prisons are not like this; above and below they drive one another, taking harshness for discernment, those who are severe gain a reputation for fairness, and those who are lenient often have trouble afterwards; so the prison officials all want people to die, not because they hate people, but because the road to their own safety lies in others' deaths. So the blood of the dead flows in the market, those under punishment stand shoulder to shoulder, and the count of capital sentences runs to ten thousand a year; this is why sages grieved that great peace had not yet spread. For all this is the cause. It is human nature to love living when at ease and to want to die in pain; under the whip and rod, what cannot be obtained? So the prisoner, unable to bear the pain, invents false words to show them, and the officials exploit this, pointing and leading him to make it solid; fearing the memorial will be rejected, they polish the wording and entrap him thoroughly, and by the time the verdict is made, even if Gao Yao himself heard it, he would still think the man deserved death with guilt to spare. Why? Because many are working at polishing and the charges woven in the wording are plain. So the prison officials devote themselves to harshness, harming without principle, doing a passing thing for the moment, heedless of the state's misfortune; these are the great thieves of the world. So the common saying goes: 'Draw a prison on the ground and discussion cannot go in; carve a wooden man as an official and one cannot even face him in agreement.' These are all words of hatred for the prison officials' ways, and words of grief. So there is no worse trouble in the world than prisons, nothing that ruins law and disorders government, scatters kin and blocks the way more than officials who handle prisons; this is the one fault I said still remains. I have heard that when birds' eggs are not destroyed, only then do phoenixes gather; when the crime of slander is not punished, only then do good words come in. Hence the tradition says: 'Mountains, forests and marshes hide illness, rivers and lakes receive filth.' A ruler who tolerates dirt and shame follows the Way of Heaven. At the risk of death I submit this; I hope Your Majesty will examine slander and listen to earnest words, open the mouths of the world, widen the road of admonition, correct the one fault of fallen Qin, follow the excellent virtue of Kings Wen and Wu, simplify regulations, relax punishments, and abolish burdensome and harsh prisons;

則太平之風可與於世，福履和樂，與天地無極，天下幸甚。”書奏，皇帝善之，後卒於臨淮太守。

then the customs of great peace can arise in the world, blessings and joy accord with heaven and earth without end, and the world will be most fortunate." When the memorial was submitted, the emperor thought it good, and later Lu Wenshu died in office as Governor of Linhuai.

晉平公春築臺，叔向曰：“不可。古者聖王貴德而務施，緩刑辟而趨民時；今春築臺，是奪民時也。夫德不施，則民不歸；刑不緩，則百姓愁。使不歸之民，役愁怨之百姓，而又奪其時，是重竭也；夫牧百姓，養育之而重竭之，豈所以安命安存，而稱為人君於後世哉！”平公曰：“善！”乃罷臺役。

Duke Ping of Jin was building a terrace in spring. Shuxiang said: "This is not acceptable. The sage kings of old valued virtue and made a point of bestowing it, relaxed punishments and hastened to follow the people's seasons; now building a terrace in spring takes away the people's season. If virtue is not applied, the people do not come to you; if punishments are not relaxed, the hundred clans grieve. To employ a people who do not come to you, and to employ a grieving, resentful people, and moreover to take away their season, is to add to exhaustion; to shepherd the hundred clans, nurturing them while adding to their exhaustion, is this how one settles fate and settles life, and in later ages is called a ruler of men!" Duke Ping said: "Good!" and so stopped the terrace labor.

趙簡子春築臺於邯鄲，天雨而不息，謂左右曰：“可無趨種乎？”尹鐸對曰：“公事急，厝種而懸之臺；夫雖欲趨種，不能得也。”簡子惕然，乃釋臺罷役曰：“我以臺為急，不如民之急也，民以不為臺，故知吾之愛也。”

Zhao Jianzi was building a terrace in Handan in spring, and when rain fell without stopping, he said to his attendants: "Can plowing and sowing be left unhurried?" Yin Duo answered: "Public work is urgent, so plowing and sowing are put aside and hung on the terrace; even if one wanted to hurry the plowing, it could not be done." Jianzi was startled and frightened, and so laid down the terrace and stopped the labor, saying: "I took the terrace as urgent, but it is not as urgent as the people's need; because I did not build the terrace, the people will know my love."

中行獻子將伐鄭，範文子曰：“不可。得志於鄭，諸侯讎我，憂必滋長。”卻至又曰：“得鄭是兼國也，兼國則王，王者固多憂乎？”文子曰：“王者盛其德而遠人歸，故無憂；今我寡德而有王者之功，故多憂。今子見無土而欲富者樂乎哉？”

Zhonghang Xianzi was about to attack Zheng, and Fan Wenzi said: "Not acceptable. If we gain our aim in Zheng, the feudal lords will regard us as enemies, and trouble will surely grow." Xi Zhi further said: "To gain Zheng is to annex a state, and to annex a state is to become a king; do kings naturally have many worries?" Wenzi said: "A king makes his virtue flourish so that distant people come to him, so he has no worry; now my virtue is little, yet I have a king's achievements, so there is much worry. Now do you see that a man with no land who wishes to be rich is happy?"

季康子謂子游曰：“仁者愛人乎？”子游曰：“然。”“人亦愛之乎？”子游曰：“然。”康子曰：“鄭子產死，鄭人丈夫舍玦佩，婦人舍珠珥，夫婦巷哭，三月不聞竽琴之聲。仲尼之死，吾不閒魯國之愛夫子奚也？”子游曰：“譬子產之與夫子，其猶浸水之與天雨乎？浸水所及則生，不及則死，斯民之生也必以時雨，既以生，莫愛其賜，故曰：譬子產之與夫子也，猶浸水之與天雨乎？”

Ji Kangzi said to Ziyou: "Does a humane person love others?" Ziyou said: "Yes." "Do others also love him?" Ziyou said: "Yes." Kangzi said: "When Zichan of Zheng died, the men of Zheng put down their jade pendants and the women put down their pearl earrings, husbands and wives wept in the lanes, and for three months the sounds of reed pipes and zithers were not heard. When Zhongni died, I did not see how Lu loved the Master." Ziyou said: "Compare Zichan and the Master; are they like irrigation water and rain from heaven? Where irrigation reaches, things live; where it does not reach, they die. These people's living depends on seasonable rain, and since they have already been kept alive by it, no one cherishes the gift; so it is said: compare Zichan and the Master; are they like irrigation water and rain from heaven?"

中行穆子圍鼓，鼓人有以城反者，不許，軍吏曰：“師徒不勤，可得城，奚故不受？”曰：“有以吾城反者，吾所甚惡也；人以城來，我獨奚好焉？賞所甚惡，有失賞也，若所好何？不賞，是失信也，奚以示民？”鼓人又請降，使人視之，其民尚有食也，不聽，鼓人告食盡力竭而後取之，克鼓而反，不戮一人。

Zhonghang Muzi besieged Gu, and some people of Gu offered to surrender the city and rebel, but he did not allow it. A military officer said: "Without the army toiling, we can get the city; why not accept it?" He said: "One who rebels with my city is someone I greatly despise; if others bring me a city, why should I alone love it? To reward what I greatly despise would be a misplaced reward; and what would I do with those I love? If I did not reward them, it would be a breach of trust; how could I show it to the people?" The people of Gu again asked to surrender, and he sent men to look, and the people there still had grain, so he did not agree. The people of Gu reported that their grain was exhausted and their strength spent, and only then did he take the city; having conquered Gu he returned without killing a single person.

孔子之楚，有漁者獻魚甚強，孔子不受，獻魚者曰：“天暑遠市賣之不售，思欲棄之，不若獻之君子。”孔子再拜受，使弟子掃除將祭之，弟子曰：“夫人將棄之，今吾子將祭之，何也？”孔子曰：“吾聞之，務施而不腐餘財者，聖人也，今受聖人之賜，可無祭乎？”

When Confucius went to Chu, a fisherman presented fish with great persistence, but Confucius did not accept. The one offering the fish said: "It is hot, the market is far, and it cannot be sold; I wanted to throw it away, and it is better to present it to a noble person." Confucius bowed twice and accepted, and had his disciples sweep, ready to offer sacrifice. The disciples said: "That man was about to throw it away, and now you are about to sacrifice with it; why?" Confucius said: "I have heard that one who makes a point of giving, and does not let surplus goods rot, is a sage. Now that I receive a sage's gift, can I not sacrifice?"

鄭伐宋，宋人將與戰，華元殺羊食士，其御羊斟不與焉，及戰，曰：“疇昔之羊羹，子為政；今日之事，我為政。”與華元馳入鄭師，宋人敗績。

Zheng attacked Song, and the Song people were about to join battle. Hua Yuan killed a sheep to feed the officers, but his charioteer Yang Zhen was not included. When the battle came, he said: "The sheep stew the other day was yours to decide; today's business is mine to decide." He drove with Hua Yuan into the Zheng army, and the Song people were greatly defeated.

楚王問莊辛曰：“君子之行奈何？”莊辛對曰：“居不為垣牆，人莫能毀傷；行不從周衛，人莫能暴君。此君子之行也。”楚王復問君子之富奈何？對曰：“君子之富，假貸人不德也，不責也；其食飲人不使也，不役也；親戚愛之，眾人喜之，不肖者事之；皆欲其壽樂而不傷於患。此君子之富也。”楚王曰善。

The king of Chu asked Zhuang Xin: "What is the conduct of a noble person?" Zhuang Xin answered: "He lives without building walls, yet no one can harm him; he travels without a close escort, yet no one can do violence to him. This is the conduct of a noble person." The king of Chu further asked what is the wealth of a noble person. He answered: "The wealth of a noble person is that he lends to others without considering himself virtuous and without demanding return; gives others food and drink without putting them to work; his relatives love him, the multitude delights in him, and the unworthy serve him; all wish him long life and ease, free from harm by calamity. This is the wealth of a noble person." The king of Chu said it was good.

丞相西平侯於定國者，東海下邳人也，其父號曰於公，為縣獄吏決曹掾；決獄平法，未嘗有所冤，郡中離文法者，於公所決，皆不敢隱情，東海郡中為於公生立祠，命曰於公祠。東海有孝婦，無子，少寡，養其姑甚謹，其姑欲嫁之，終不肯，其姑告鄰之人曰：“孝婦養我甚謹，我哀其無子，守寡日久，我老累丁壯奈何？”其後母自經死，母女告吏曰：“孝婦殺我母。”吏捕孝婦，孝婦辭不殺姑，吏欲毒治，孝婦自誣服，具獄以上府，於公以為養姑十年之孝聞，此不殺姑也，太守不聽，數爭不能得，於是於公辭疾去吏，太守竟殺孝婦。郡中枯旱三年，後太守至，卜求其故，於公曰：“孝婦不當死，前太守強殺之，咎當在此。”於是殺牛祭孝婦冢，太守以下自至焉，天立大雨，歲豐熟，郡中以此益敬重於公。於公築治廬舍，謂匠人曰：“為我高門，我治獄未嘗有所冤，我後世必有封者，令容高蓋駟馬車。”及子封為西平侯。

The chancellor Yu Dingguo, Marquis of Xiping, was from Xiapi in Donghai. His father was called Master Yu and served as a county prison official in the judgment bureau; in deciding cases and applying the law he was fair, and never wronged anyone. In the commandery, those who violated the statutes, when judged by Master Yu, did not dare to hide the facts. The Donghai commandery built a shrine to Master Yu while he was alive, called the Yu Gong Shrine. In Donghai there was a filial daughter-in-law who had no son and had become a widow young; she served her mother-in-law very carefully. The mother-in-law wanted her to remarry, but she never agreed. The mother-in-law told a neighbor: "The filial daughter-in-law serves me very carefully; I pity her for having no son and being a widow for so long; what shall I do about burdening a young person when I am old?" Later the mother-in-law hanged herself, and her daughter told the officials: "The filial daughter-in-law killed my mother." The officials arrested the daughter-in-law, who testified that she had not killed her mother-in-law; the officials wanted to question her with cruel torture, and she falsely confessed herself, the case was completed and reported to the prefecture. Master Yu thought that she was known for the filial piety of serving her mother-in-law for ten years and so was not one to kill her; the governor did not listen, and though he argued repeatedly he could not prevail, and so Master Yu pleaded illness and resigned his post. The governor finally executed the filial daughter-in-law. The commandery then suffered drought for three years. When the next governor arrived, he divined to find the cause, and Master Yu said: "The filial daughter-in-law should not have died; the former governor forcibly killed her, and the blame must lie here." So they killed an ox and sacrificed at the filial daughter-in-law's grave, with the governor and officials below him attending in person, and at once Heaven sent great rain and the harvest was abundant, and so the commandery esteemed Master Yu all the more. When Master Yu was building his house, he said to the craftsmen: "Make my gate high for me. I have never wronged anyone in judging cases, so my descendants will surely include one who is enfeoffed; make it big enough for a tall canopy and a four-horse carriage." And when his son was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xiping, it came true.

孟簡子相梁幷衛，有罪而走齊，管仲迎而問之曰：“吾子相梁幷衛之時，門下使者幾何人矣？”孟簡子曰：“門下使者有三千餘人。”管仲曰：“今與幾何人來？”對曰：“臣與三人俱。”仲曰：“是何也？”對曰：“其一人父死無以葬，我為葬之；一人母死無以葬，亦為葬之；一人兄有獄，我為出之。是以得三人來。”管仲上車曰：“嗟茲乎！我窮必矣，吾不能以春風風人；吾不能以夏雨雨人，吾窮必矣。”

Meng Jianzi served as chancellor of Liang and Wei, but committed a crime and fled to Qi. Guan Zhong welcomed him and asked: "When you were chancellor of Liang and Wei, how many envoys did you have at your gate?" Meng Jianzi said: "More than three thousand." Guan Zhong said: "How many came with you now?" He answered: "I came with three people." Guan Zhong said: "Why is that?" He answered: "One man's father died and he had no means to bury him, so I buried him; one man's mother died and he had no means to bury her, so I buried her too; one man's elder brother was in prison, and I got him out. This is why three came with me." Guan Zhong got into his carriage and said: "Alas! My poverty is certain. I cannot blow on people like the spring wind; I cannot drench people like the summer rain. My poverty is certain."

凡人之性，莫不欲善其德，然而不能為善德者，利敗之也；故君子羞言利名，言利名尚羞之，況居而求利者也。

By the nature of man, there is none who does not wish to make his virtue good; but those who cannot accomplish good virtue are ruined by profit. So the noble person is ashamed to speak of profit and fame; if he is ashamed even to speak of profit and fame, how much more of one who dwells at ease and seeks profit.

周天子使家父毛伯求金於諸侯，春秋譏之；故天子好利則諸侯貪，諸侯貪則大夫鄙，大夫鄙則庶人盜，上之變下，猶風之靡草也，故為人君者明貴德而賤利以道下，下之為惡，尚不可止；今隱公貪利而身自漁，濟上而行八佾，以此化於國人，國人安得不解於義，解於義而縱其欲，則災害起而臣下僻矣，故其元年始書螟，言災將起，國家將亂云爾。

The Zhou Son of Heaven sent Jia Fu and Mao Bo to the feudal lords to ask for metal, and the Spring and Autumn Annals criticizes this. So if the Son of Heaven loves profit, the feudal lords are greedy; if the feudal lords are greedy, the grand masters are vulgar; if the grand masters are vulgar, the commoners steal. Those above change those below, as the wind bends the grass; so a ruler who clearly values virtue and makes light of profit to lead those below will still have those below doing evil that cannot be stopped; now Duke Yin loved profit and personally went fishing, and overstepped his rank in using eight rows of dancers; by using this to influence the people of the state, how could the people not grow lax about righteousness? Laxity about righteousness and indulgence in desire cause disasters to arise and ministers to become wicked; so in his first year the Annals begin by recording the grain-eating insect, which says that disaster is about to arise and the state is about to fall into disorder, and nothing more.

孫卿曰：“夫鬥者忘其身者也，忘其親者也，忘其君者也；行須臾之怒，而鬥終身之禍，然乃為之，是忘其身也；家室離散，親戚被戮，然乃為之，是忘其親也；君上之所致惡，刑法上所大禁也，然乃犯之，是忘其君也。今禽獸猶知近父母，不忘其親也；人而忘其身，內忘其親，上忘其君，是不若禽獸之仁也。凡鬥者皆自以為是而以他人為非，己誠是也，人誠非也，則是己君子而彼小人也；夫以君子而與小人相賊害，是人之所謂以狐亡補犬羊，身塗其炭，豈不過甚矣哉！以為智乎，則愚莫大焉；以為利乎，則害莫大焉；以為榮乎，則辱莫大焉；人之有鬥何哉？比之狂惑疾病乎，則不可面目人也，而好惡多同，人之鬥誠愚惑夫道者也。詩云：‘式號式呼，俾晝作夜’，言鬥行也。”

Xunzi said: "Those who fight forget their own persons, forget their parents, and forget their rulers. To vent a moment's anger and then bring on a lifetime of misfortune, and yet do it anyway, is to forget one's person; for the household to be scattered and relatives killed, and yet do it anyway, is to forget one's parents; what the ruler is most determined to hate and what the law most strongly prohibits, and yet to commit it, is to forget the ruler. Now birds and beasts still know to be close to their parents and do not forget them; humans forget their own person, forget their parents within, and forget their ruler above, which is less than the humaneness of birds and beasts. All who fight think themselves right and others wrong; if they were really right and the others really wrong, then they would be noble persons and the others petty persons; for a noble person and a petty person to harm one another is what people call patching a dog's or sheep's hide with fox fur (the source text has a variant reading here, and 'white' may be intended), smearing charcoal on one's own body; is it not excessive! Do you consider it wise? There is no greater stupidity. Do you consider it profitable? There is no greater harm. Do you consider it glorious? There is no greater disgrace. Why do people fight? Compare it to madness and illness? But it cannot be, for they still have a human face and their likes and dislikes are mostly the same; those who fight are truly people deluded about the Way. The Odes say: 'Crying out and shouting, turning day into night,' which speaks of the conduct of fighting."

子路持劍，孔子問曰：“由，安用此乎？”子路曰：“善，古者固以善之；不善，古者固以自衛。”孔子曰：“君子以忠為質，以仁為衛，不出環堵之內，而聞千里之外；不善以忠化寇，暴以仁圍，何必持劍乎？”子路曰：“由也請攝齊以事先生矣。”

Zilu was carrying a sword, and Confucius asked: "You, what use do you have for this?" Zilu said: "For the good, in ancient times it was used to accomplish good; for the not good, in ancient times it was used for self-defense." Confucius said: "The noble person takes loyalty as his substance and humaneness as his guard; without leaving the confines of four walls, his fame is heard a thousand li away. Against the not good he moves them with loyalty, against the violent he encloses them with humaneness; why must he carry a sword?" Zilu said: "You, Zilu, ask to lift my robe and serve the Master."

樂羊為魏將，以攻中山，其子在中山，中山縣其子示樂羊，樂羊不為衰志，攻之愈急，中山因烹其子而遺之，樂羊食之盡一杯，中山見其誠也，不忍與之戰，果下之，遂為魏文侯開地，文侯賞其功而疑其心。孟孫獵得麑，使秦西巴持歸，其母隨而鳴，秦西巴不忍，縱而與之，孟孫怒逐秦西巴，居一年召以為太子侍，左右曰：“夫秦巴有罪於君，今以為太子傅，何也？”孟孫曰：“夫以一麑而不忍，又將能忍吾子乎？故曰：‘巧詐不如拙誠’，樂羊以有功而見疑，秦西巴以有罪而益信；由仁與不仁也。”

Yue Yang was a general of Wei and came to attack Zhongshan. His son was in Zhongshan, and Zhongshan hung his son up for Yue Yang to see, but Yue Yang did not lessen his resolve because of it, and attacked more urgently. Zhongshan then boiled his son and sent it to him, and Yue Yang finished a cup of it. Zhongshan, seeing his sincerity, could not bear to fight him, and indeed he conquered it, and so expanded territory for Marquis Wen of Wei, who rewarded his merit yet doubted his heart. Meng Sun was hunting and caught a fawn, and had Qin Xiba take it home; its mother followed, crying, and Qin Xiba could not bear it and released it and returned it. Meng Sun was angry and drove Qin Xiba away, but after a year summoned him to be tutor to the crown prince. His attendants said: "That Qin Xiba offended you, my lord; why now employ him as tutor to the crown prince?" Meng Sun said: "If he could not bear it even for one fawn, how can he bear to do it to my son? So it is said: 'Clever deceit is not as good as clumsy sincerity.' Yue Yang was doubted because of his merit; Qin Xiba was trusted more because of his offense; it is by humaneness and its lack."

智伯還自衛，三卿燕於藍臺，智襄子戲韓康子而侮段規，智果聞之諫曰：“主弗備難，難必至。”曰：“難將由我，我不為難，誰敢興之。”對曰：“異於是，夫郄氏有車轅之難，趙有孟姬之讒，欒有叔祁之訴，範中行有函冶之難，皆主之所知也。夏書有之曰：‘一人三失，怨豈在明，不見是圖。’周書有之曰：‘怨不在大，亦不在小。’夫君子能勤小物，故無大患；今主一謀而媿人君、相，又弗備，曰不敢興難，毋乃不可乎？嘻！不可不懼，蚋蟻蜂蠆皆能害人，況君相乎？”不聽，自是五年而有晉陽之難，段規反而殺智伯於師，遂滅智氏。

Zhi Bo returned from Wei, and the three ministers feasted at Lantai. Zhi Xiangzi made fun of Han Kangzi and insulted Duan Gui. Zhi Guo heard of it and remonstrated: "If the lord does not guard against disaster, disaster will surely come." He said: "Disaster will come from me; if I do not cause trouble, who dares to raise it?" He answered: "It is not like that. The Xi clan had the trouble of the shaft, Zhao had the slander of Meng Ji, Luan had the accusation of Shuqi, and Fan and Zhonghang had the trouble of Hanye; all are known to you. A saying in the Book of Xia says: 'A man has three faults; resentment is not in what is plain to see; plan against what cannot be seen.' A saying in the Book of Zhou says: 'Resentment is not in the great, nor in the small.' The noble person is diligent in small things and so has no great trouble; now you have in a single scheme humiliated a ruler and a chief minister and do not guard against it, saying no one dares to raise trouble; I fear that will not do! Alas, one must be afraid; gnats, ants, bees and scorpions can all harm people, how much more a ruler and a minister!" He did not listen, and five years later came the trouble at Jinyang: Duan Gui rebelled and killed Zhi Bo in the army, and thus destroyed the Zhi clan.

智襄子為室美，士茁夕焉，智伯曰：“室美矣夫！”對曰：“美則美矣，抑臣亦有懼也。”智伯曰：“何懼？”對曰：“臣以秉筆事君，記有之曰：高山浚源，不生草木，松柏之地，其土不肥，今土木勝，人臣懼其不安人也。”室成三年而智氏亡。

Zhi Xiangzi had his residence made splendid, and Shi Zhuo was there in the evening. Zhi Bo said: "The residence is fine!" He answered: "It is fine, but I also have a fear." Zhi Bo said: "What do you fear?" He answered: "I serve you by holding the brush, and a record has this saying: a high mountain and deep source do not grow plants and trees; on ground with pines and cypresses, the soil is not fertile. Now earth and timber are in excess, and as a minister I fear it cannot give people peace." Three years after the residence was completed, the Zhi clan was destroyed.

孔子曰：“德不孤，必有鄰。”夫施德者貴不德，受恩者尚必報；是故臣勞勤以為君而不求其賞，君持施以牧下而無所德，故易曰：“勞而不怨，有功而不德，厚之至也。”君臣相與以市道接，君縣祿以待之，臣竭力以報之；逮臣有不測之功，則主加之以重賞，如主有超異之恩，則臣必死以復之。孔子曰：北方有獸，其名曰蟨，前足鼠，後足兔，是獸也，甚矣其愛蛩蛩巨虛也，食得甘草，必齧以遺蛩蛩巨虛，蛩蛩巨虛見人將來，必負蟨以走，蟨非性之愛蛩蛩巨虛也，為其假足之故也，二獸者亦非性之愛蟨也，為其得甘草而遺之故也。夫禽獸昆蟲猶知比假而相有報也，況於士君子之慾與名利於天下者乎！夫臣不復君之恩而苟營其私門，禍之源也；君不能報臣之功而憚刑賞者，亦亂之基也。夫禍亂之原基，由不報恩生矣。

Confucius said: "Virtue is not alone; it must have neighbors." One who bestows virtue values not considering himself virtuous, and one who receives kindness esteems repaying it without fail; therefore a minister toils and strives for the ruler without seeking his reward, and a ruler who holds giving in order to tend those below has nothing by which he considers himself virtuous, so the Changes say: "To toil without resentment, to have merit without claiming virtue, is the utmost of generosity." Ruler and minister meet each other by the way of the market: the ruler hangs up stipends to wait, and the minister exerts strength to repay; when a minister has immeasurable merit, the lord adds heavy rewards; if a lord has unusual kindness, the minister will surely repay it with his death. Confucius said: In the north there is a beast named jue, with forelegs like a rat and hindlegs like a hare; this beast loves the qiongqiong juxu very much, and when it gets sweet grass it must bite it off and leave it for the qiongqiong juxu; when the qiongqiong juxu sees someone coming, it must carry the jue on its back and run. It is not that the jue naturally loves the qiongqiong juxu, but because it borrows its legs; nor do those two beasts naturally love the jue, but because it gets sweet grass and leaves it for them. If birds, beasts and insects still know to rely on one another and repay, how much more should officers and noble persons who wish to seek fame and profit in the world! A minister who does not repay the ruler's kindness and carelessly manages his own private house is the source of disaster; a ruler who cannot repay a minister's merit and fears using punishments and rewards is also the root of disorder. The source and root of disaster and disorder arise from not repaying kindness.

趙襄子見圍於晉陽，罷圍，賞有功之臣五人，高赫無功而受上賞，五人皆怒，張孟談謂襄子曰：“晉陽之中，赫無大功，今與之上賞，何也？”襄子曰：“吾在拘厄之中，不失臣主之禮唯赫也。子雖有功皆驕，寡人與赫上賞，不亦可乎？”仲尼聞之曰：“趙襄子可謂善賞士乎！賞一人而天下之人臣，莫敢失君臣之禮矣。”

Zhao Xiangzi was besieged in Jinyang, and after the siege was lifted he rewarded five ministers with merit; Gao He had no merit yet received the top reward, and the five were all angry. Zhang Mengtan said to Xiangzi: "In Jinyang, He had no great merit; why give him the top reward now?" Xiangzi said: "When I was confined and in distress, the only one who did not lose the ritual of minister and lord was He. You all have merit but are arrogant; is it not acceptable that I give He the top reward?" Zhongni heard of it and said: "Zhao Xiangzi can be called good at rewarding officers! By rewarding one person, there is not a minister in the world who dares to lose the ritual of ruler and minister."

晉文公亡時，陶叔狐從，文公反國，行三賞而不及陶叔狐，陶叔狐見咎犯曰：“吾從君而亡十有三年，顏色黎黑，手足胼胝，今君反國行三賞而不及我也，意者君忘我與！我有大故與！子試為我言之君。”咎犯言之文公，文公曰：“嘻，我豈忘是子哉！夫高明至賢，德行全誠，耽我以道，說我以仁，暴浣我行，昭明我名，使我為成人者，吾以為上賞；防我以禮，諫我以誼，蕃援我使我不得為非，數引我而請於賢人之門，吾以為次賞；夫勇壯強御，難在前則居前，難在後則居後，免我於患難之中者，吾又以為之次。且子獨不聞乎？死人者，不如存人之身；亡人者，不如存人之國；三行賞之後，而勞苦之士次之，夫勞苦之士，是子固為首矣，豈敢忘子哉！”周內史叔輿聞之曰：“文公其霸乎！昔聖王先德而後力，文公其當之矣，詩云：‘率履不越’，此之謂也。”晉文公入國，至於河，令棄籩豆茵席，顏色黎黑，手足胼胝者在後，咎犯聞之，中夜而哭，文公曰：“吾亡也十有九年矣，今將反國，夫子不喜而哭，何也？其不欲吾反國乎？”對曰：“籩豆茵席，所以官者也，而棄之；顏色黎黑，手足胼胝，所以執勞苦，而皆後之；臣聞國君蔽士，無所取忠臣；大夫蔽遊，無所取忠友；今至於國，臣在所蔽之中矣，不勝其哀，故哭也。”文公曰：“禍福利害不與咎氏同之者，有如白水！”祝之，刀沈璧而盟。介子推曰：“獻公之子九人，唯君在耳，天未絕晉，必將有主，主晉祀者非君而何？唯二三子者以為己力，不亦誣乎？”文公即位，賞不及推，推母曰：“盍亦求之？”推曰：“尤而效之，罪又甚焉。且出怨言，不食其食。”其母曰：“亦使知之。”推曰：“言，身之文也；身將隱，安用文？”其母曰：“能如是，與若俱隱。

When Duke Wen of Jin was in exile, Tao Shuhu followed him. When Duke Wen returned to the state, he gave three rounds of rewards, but Tao Shuhu was not among them. Tao Shuhu went to see Jiu Fan and said: "I followed my lord into exile for thirteen years, my face turned dark and my hands and feet calloused; now that my lord has returned to the state and given three rounds of rewards, I have not been among them. Has my lord forgotten me, I wonder! Have I committed a great fault? Please try speaking to the lord for me." Jiu Fan told Duke Wen, who said: "Ah, how could I forget this man! One who is lofty and most worthy, whose conduct is wholly sincere, who steeped me in the Way, persuaded me with humaneness, washed my conduct and made my name known, and made me a mature man, I regard as deserving the highest reward; one who guarded me with ritual, remonstrated with me with righteousness, supported and assisted me so that I could not do what was wrong, and repeatedly guided me to the doors of the worthy, I regard as deserving the next reward; one who was brave, strong and resisting, who stood in front when trouble was in front and behind when trouble was behind, saving me from hardship, I regard as deserving the one after. Besides, have you not heard? Rather than one who causes someone's death, better one who preserves a person's body; rather than one who makes someone flee, better one who preserves a person's state; after the three rounds of rewards, the toiling officers come next, and among the toiling officers, this man has always been first; how could I dare forget you?" Shuyu, the internal historian of Zhou, heard of it and said: "Duke Wen will probably become hegemon! Formerly the sage kings put virtue first and strength after, and Duke Wen is about equal to this. The Odes say: 'Follow ritual and do not overstep.' This is what is meant." When Duke Wen of Jin entered his borders and came to the river, he ordered that the bamboo and wooden vessels, mats and cushions be thrown away, and that those with dark faces and calloused hands and feet be placed in the rear. Jiu Fan heard of it and wept at midnight. Duke Wen said: "I was in exile for nineteen years, and now that I am about to return to the state, you are not glad but weep; why? Do you not want me to return to the state?" He answered: "Bamboo and wooden vessels, mats and cushions are used for serving in office, yet you throw them away; faces dark and hands and feet calloused are used to bear toil, yet you put them all behind; I have heard that when a ruler obscures his officers, there is no way to get loyal ministers; when a grand master obscures his associates, there is no way to get loyal friends; now that we have reached the state, I am among those obscured, and I cannot bear the grief, so I weep." Duke Wen said: "Whoever's fortune and misfortune are not shared with the Jiu clan, let the White Water bear witness!" He prayed, sank a jade disk with a knife, and swore an oath. Jie Zitui said: "Duke Xian had nine sons, and only you, my lord, remain; Heaven has not cut off Jin and there will surely be a master; who but you is to preside over the sacrifices of Jin? Yet two or three men think it was their own strength; is that not false?" When Duke Wen took the throne, the rewards did not reach Tui. Tui's mother said: "Why not go and ask too?" Tui said: "To blame them and yet imitate them would be an even greater offense. Moreover, having spoken resentful words, I will not eat his food." His mother said: "Let him know too." Tui said: "Words are the adornment of the body; if the body is about to hide, what use is adornment?" His mother said: "If you can be like this, I will hide with you."

”至死不復見推，從者憐之，乃懸書宮門曰：“有龍矯矯，頃失其所，五蛇從之，周遍天下，龍飢無食，一蛇割股，龍反其淵，安其壤土，四蛇入穴，皆有處所，一蛇無穴，號於中野。”文公出見書曰：“嗟此介子推也。吾方憂王室未圖其功。”使人召之則亡，遂求其所在，聞其入綿上山中。於是文公表綿上山中而封之，以為介推田，號曰介山。

Until death he did not appear again. Tui's followers pitied him, and so they hung a document at the palace gate, saying: "There was a dragon, vigorous, who lost his dwelling in an instant; five snakes followed him and traveled throughout the world. The dragon was hungry with nothing to eat, and one snake cut off its own thigh. The dragon returned to the deep abyss and settled his own soil; four snakes entered holes and each had a place; one snake had no hole and wailed in the wilderness." When Duke Wen came out and saw the document, he said: "Alas, this is Jie Zitui. I was just worried that the royal house had not yet planned for his merit." He sent someone to summon him, but he had already fled, and so he sought his whereabouts and heard he had entered the mountains of Mianshang. So Duke Wen marked the Mianshang mountains and enfeoffed them as Jie Tui's fields, calling them Mount Jie.

晉文公出亡，周流天下，舟之僑去虞而從焉，文公反國，擇可爵而爵之，擇可祿而祿之，舟之僑獨不與焉，文公酌諸大夫酒，酒酣，文公曰：“二三子盍為寡人賦乎？”舟之僑曰：“君子為賦，小人請陳其辭，辭曰：有龍矯矯，頃失其所；一蛇從之，周流天下，龍反其淵，安寧其處，一蛇耆幹，獨不得其所。”文公瞿然曰：“子欲爵耶？請待旦日之期；子欲祿邪？請今命廩人。”舟之僑曰：“請而得其賞，廉者不受也；言盡而名至，仁者不為也。今天油然作云，沛然下雨，則曲草興起，莫之能御。今為一人言施一人，猶為一塊土下雨也，土亦不生之矣。”遂歷階而去。文公求之不得，終身誦甫田之詩。

When Duke Wen of Jin was in exile and wandered throughout the world, Zhou Zhiqiao left Yu and followed him. When Duke Wen returned to the state, he gave rank to those who deserved rank and stipend to those who deserved stipend, but Zhou Zhiqiao alone was not among them. Duke Wen poured wine for the grand masters, and when the wine was flowing freely, Duke Wen said: "Why do you gentlemen not recite a poem for me?" Zhou Zhiqiao said: "A noble person composes a poem; a petty person asks to present words. The words say: There was a dragon, vigorous, who lost his dwelling in an instant; one snake followed him and traveled throughout the world; the dragon returned to the deep abyss and settled his dwelling, and one snake grew old in body and alone found no place." Duke Wen was startled and looked at him and said: "Do you want rank? Please wait until tomorrow; do you want stipend? Please let me now order the keeper of the granary." Zhou Zhiqiao said: "To ask and receive a reward is something an honest person does not accept; for words to be exhausted before the name comes is something a humane person does not do. Now Heaven spontaneously raises clouds, and the rain falls abundantly; the bent grasses rise and none can resist. Now to speak for one person and apply it to one person is like raining for one clod of earth, and the clod will not grow either." Then he walked down the steps and left. Duke Wen sought him but could not find him, and for the rest of his life recited the ode 'Fu Tian'.

邴吉有陰德於孝宣皇帝微時，孝宣皇帝即位，眾莫知，吉亦不言，吉從大將軍長史轉遷至御史大夫，宣帝聞之，將封之，會吉病甚，將使人加紳而封之，及其生也，太子太傅夏侯勝曰：“此未死也，臣聞之，有陰德者必饗其樂以及其子孫；今此未獲其樂而病甚，非具死病也。”後病果愈，封為博陽侯，終饗其樂。

Bing Ji had hidden virtue when Emperor Xiaoxuan was humble and lowly; when Emperor Xiaoxuan took the throne, no one knew of it, and Ji did not speak of it either. Ji was promoted from chief clerk of the grand general to censor-in-chief; Emperor Xuan heard of it and was about to enfeoff him, and as Ji was gravely ill, he was going to send someone to put on the sash and enfeoff him while he was still alive. The crown prince's tutor Xiahou Sheng said: "He is not yet dead; I have heard that one who has hidden virtue will surely enjoy its joy and it will extend to descendants; this man has not yet obtained joy and is gravely ill, which is not an illness unto death." Later the illness indeed was cured, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Boyang, and in the end enjoyed that joy.

魏文侯攻中山，樂羊將，已得中山，還反報文侯，有喜功之色，文侯命主書曰：“群臣賓客所獻書操以進。”主書者舉兩篋以進，令將軍視之，盡難中山之事也，將軍還走北面而再拜曰：“中山之舉也，非臣之力，君之功也。”

Marquis Wen of Wei attacked Zhongshan, with Yue Yang as general. When he had taken Zhongshan, he returned to report to Marquis Wen, with a look of boasting about his merit. Marquis Wen ordered the secretary: "Bring out the writings presented by the ministers and guests and present them." The secretary lifted two boxes and presented them, and had the general look at them; all were criticisms of the attack on Zhongshan. The general withdrew, faced north, bowed twice, and said: "The taking of Zhongshan was not through my strength; it was the merit of my lord."

平原君既歸趙，楚使春申君將兵救趙，魏信陵君亦矯奪晉鄙軍往救趙，未至，秦急圍邯鄲，邯鄲急且降，平原君患之，邯鄲傳舍吏子李談謂平原君曰：“君不憂趙亡乎？”平原君曰：“趙亡即勝虜，何為不憂？”李談曰：“邯鄲之民，炊骨易子而食之，可謂至困；而君之後宮數百，婦妾荷綺縠，廚餘粱肉；士民兵盡，或剡木為矛戟；而君之器物鐘磬自恣，若使秦破趙，君安得有此？使趙而全，君何患無有？君誠能令夫人以下，編於士卒間，分工而作之，家所有盡散以饗食士，方其危苦時易為惠耳。”於是平原君如其計，而勇敢之士三千人皆出死，因從李談赴秦軍，秦軍為卻三十里，亦會楚魏救至，秦軍遂罷。李談死，封其父為孝侯。

After Lord Pingyuan had returned to Zhao, Chu sent Lord Chunshen leading troops to rescue Zhao, and Lord Xinling of Wei also, by false command, seized Jin Bi's army and went to rescue Zhao; before they arrived, Qin urgently besieged Handan, and Handan was in great danger and about to surrender; Lord Pingyuan was worried. Li Tan, the son of an official of the Handan guesthouse, said to Lord Pingyuan: "Are you not worried that Zhao will perish?" Lord Pingyuan said: "If Zhao perishes, I will become a captive; why would I not worry?" Li Tan said: "The people of Handan are burning bones for firewood and exchanging their children to eat, which may be called the extreme of hardship; yet your inner palace has hundreds of women and concubines in silk, and the kitchen has surplus fine grain and meat; the officers and people have exhausted their weapons and some are sharpening wood for spears and halberds; yet your vessels, bells and chimes are indulged. If Qin breaks Zhao, how could you still have these? If Zhao is preserved, why worry that you will lack them? If you can truly enroll your wife and those below her among the soldiers, assign them labor, and distribute everything in your house to feed the officers, then at a time of danger and distress it is easy to do kindness." So Lord Pingyuan followed his plan, and three thousand brave officers all went out to fight to the death, and followed Li Tan toward the Qin army; the Qin army retreated thirty li, and just then the relief armies of Chu and Wei arrived, and the Qin army stopped. Li Tan died, and his father was enfeoffed as Marquis Xiao.

秦繆公嚐出，而亡其駿馬，自往求之，見人已殺其馬，方共食其肉，繆公謂曰：“是吾駿馬也。”諸人皆懼而起，繆公曰：“吾聞食駿馬肉，不飲酒者殺人。”即以次飲之酒，殺馬者皆慚而去。居三年，晉攻秦繆公，圍之，往時食馬肉者，相謂曰：“可以出死報食馬得酒之恩矣。”遂潰圍。繆公卒得以解難，勝晉獲惠公以歸，此德出而福反也。

Duke Mu of Qin once went out and lost a fine horse, and went himself to look for it. He saw that people had already killed his horse and were eating the meat together. Duke Mu said: "That is my fine horse." The men were all afraid and stood up. Duke Mu said: "I have heard that those who eat the flesh of a fine horse and do not drink wine will die." So he gave them wine to drink in turn, and the men who had killed the horse left ashamed. Three years later, Jin attacked Duke Mu of Qin and surrounded him. The men who had once eaten the horse said to one another: "We can go out and die to repay the kindness of the wine we got for eating the horse." So they broke through the encirclement. Duke Mu was finally able to escape the calamity, defeated Jin, captured Duke Hui and brought him back; this is virtue going out and blessing returning.

楚莊王賜群臣酒，日暮酒酣，燈燭滅，乃有人引美人之衣者，美人援絕其冠纓，告王曰：“今者燭滅，有引妾衣者，妾援得其冠纓持之，趣火來上，視絕纓者。”王曰：“賜人酒，使醉失禮，奈何欲顯婦人之節而辱士乎？”乃命左右曰：“今日與寡人飲，不絕冠纓者不歡。”群臣百有餘人皆絕去其冠纓而上火，卒盡歡而罷。居三年，晉與楚戰，有一臣常在前，五合五奮，首卻敵，卒得勝之，莊王怪而問曰：“寡人德薄，又未嘗異子，子何故出死不疑如是？”對曰：“臣當死，往者醉失禮，王隱忍不加誅也；臣終不敢以蔭蔽之德而不顯報王也，常願肝腦塗地，用頸血湔敵久矣，臣乃夜絕纓者。”遂敗晉軍，楚得以強，此有陰德者必有陽報也。

King Zhuang of Chu gave wine to his ministers. As evening fell and the drinking grew lively, the candles went out, and someone pulled at a beauty's robe. The beauty pulled off his cap tassel and told the King: "Just now when the candles went out, someone pulled at your concubine's robe, and I pulled off his cap tassel and hold it. Quickly bring a light and look for the one whose cap tassel was pulled off." The King said: "I gave people wine and made them drunk and lose propriety; why should I want to make known a woman's chastity and shame a scholar?" So he ordered his attendants: "Today, whoever drinks with me and does not pull off his cap tassel is not enjoying himself." More than a hundred ministers all pulled off their cap tassels, and then the lights were brought, and in the end they enjoyed themselves fully. Three years later, Jin and Chu fought, and one minister was always at the front, and in five engagements he advanced five times, first driving back the enemy, and so victory was gained. King Zhuang wondered and asked: "My virtue is thin and I never treated you specially; why do you go out and die like this without hesitation?" He replied: "Your servant deserves death. Once I was drunk and lost propriety, and the King bore it and did not punish me. I have never dared, because of this concealed kindness, not to repay the King openly; I have always wished to spill my brains on the ground and to spatter the enemy with the blood from my neck, and have done so for a long time. I am the one whose cap tassel was pulled off that night." So they defeated the army of Jin, and Chu became strong; this is how hidden virtue must have open reward.

趙宣孟將上之絳，見翳桑下有臥餓人不能動，宣孟止車為之下，餐自含而餔之，餓人再咽而能食，宣孟問：“爾何為飢若此？”對曰：“臣居於絳，歸而糧絕，羞行乞而憎自致，以故至若此。”宣孟與之壺餐，脯二胊，再拜頓首受之，不敢食，問其故，對曰：“曏者食之而美，臣有老母，將以貢之。”宣孟曰：“子斯食之，吾更與汝。”乃復為之簞食，以脯二束與錢百。去之絳，居三年，晉靈公欲殺宣孟，置伏士於房中，召宣孟而飲之酒，宣孟知之，中飲而出，靈公命房中士疾追殺之，一人追疾，既及宣孟，向宣孟之面曰：“今固是君邪！請為君反，死。”宣孟曰：“子名為誰？”及是且對曰：“何以名為？臣是夫桑下之餓人也。”遂鬥，而死，宣孟得以活，此所謂德惠也。故惠君子，君子得其福；惠小人，小人盡其力；夫德一人活其身，而況置惠於萬人乎？故曰德無細，怨無小，豈可無樹德而除怨，務利於人哉！利施者福報，怨往者禍來，形於內者應於外，不可不慎也，此書之所謂德無小者也。詩云：“赳赳武夫，公侯干城。”“濟濟多士，文王以寧。”人君胡可不務愛士乎！

Zhao Xuanmeng was about to go up to Jiang when he saw a starving man lying under the mulberry at Yisang unable to move. Xuanmeng stopped his carriage and got down for him, held rice in his own mouth and fed him, and after the starving man swallowed twice he could eat. Xuanmeng asked: "Why are you starving like this?" He replied: "I live in Jiang, and when I came back my provisions ran out. I was ashamed to beg and also loathed seeking my own death, and so I came to this." Xuanmeng gave him a flask of food and two strips of dried meat, and the man bowed twice with his head to the ground and received them, but did not dare to eat. Asked why, he replied: "I ate just now and found it delicious. I have an old mother, and I will take this to offer her." Xuanmeng said: "Eat this, and I will give you more." So he gave him another basket of rice, two bundles of dried meat, and a hundred coins. He left and went to Jiang. Three years later, Duke Ling of Jin wanted to kill Xuanmeng, hid warriors in a room, and summoned Xuanmeng to give him wine. Xuanmeng knew it, and left halfway through the drinking. Duke Ling ordered the warriors in the room to chase and kill him quickly. One man ran fast and had already caught up with Xuanmeng, and said facing him: "Now it is indeed you, my lord! Let me turn back and die for you." Xuanmeng said: "What is your name?" Only then did he answer: "What do you want my name for? I am the starving man under the mulberry." So he fought and died, and Xuanmeng was able to live; this is what is called virtue and kindness. So when kindness is given to a gentleman, the gentleman gains blessing; when kindness is given to a petty man, the petty man gives his strength; by doing a virtuous act to one man one can save oneself, so how much more by placing kindness among ten thousand! So it is said that virtue has nothing too slight and resentment has nothing too small; how can one fail to establish virtue and remove resentment, and strive to benefit others! Benefit sent out returns as blessing as repayment; resentment sent out brings misfortune. What takes shape within is verified outside, and one cannot but be careful; this is what the book means by saying there is no small virtue. The Book of Poetry says: "The valiant warriors are the guard and defense of dukes and marquises." "The worthy scholars are many and abundant, and King Wen thereby was at peace." How can a ruler fail to strive to love scholars!

孝景時，吳楚反，袁盎以太常使吳，吳王欲使將不肯，欲殺之，使一都尉以五百人圍守盎；盎為吳相時，從史與盎侍兒私通，盎知之不洩，遇之如故人，有告從史，從史懼亡歸，盎自追，遂以侍兒賄之，復為從史。及盎使吳見圍守，從史適為守盎校司馬，夜引盎起曰：“君可以去矣，吳王期旦日斬君。”盎不信，曰：“公何為者也？”司馬曰：“臣故為君從史盜侍兒者也。”盎乃敬對曰：“公見親，吾不足以累公。”司馬曰：“君去，臣亦且亡避，吾親君，何患！”乃以刀決帳，率徒卒道出，令皆去，盎遂歸報。

In the time of Emperor Xiaojing, Wu and Chu rebelled, and Yuan Ang was sent to Wu as Grand Master of Ceremonies. The King of Wu wanted to make him a general, but he refused, and the King wanted to kill him, and sent a commandant with five hundred men to surround and guard Ang. When Ang was prime minister of Wu, one of his clerks had an affair with Ang's maid; Ang knew of it and did not reveal it, and treated him as before. Someone told the clerk, who was afraid and fled home; Ang himself pursued him and gave the maid to him, and made him a clerk again. When Ang was sent to Wu and surrounded, the clerk happened to be the commanding officer guarding Ang. At night he pulled Ang up and said: "My lord can leave; the King of Wu has set tomorrow to behead you." Ang did not believe him and said: "Who are you?" The officer said: "Your servant was your clerk, the one who stole your maid." Ang then replied courteously: "You are close to the King; I am not worth involving you." The officer said: "If you leave, I too will flee and hide; I am close to you, what is there to fear!" So he slit open the tent with a knife, led his men out onto the road, let them all go, and Ang went back and reported.

智伯與趙襄子戰於晉陽下而死，智伯之臣豫讓者怒，以其精氣能使襄主動心，乃漆身變形，吞炭更聲，襄主將出，豫讓偽為死人，處於梁下，駟馬驚不進，襄主動心，使使視梁下得豫讓，襄主重其義不殺也。又盜，為抵罪，被刑人赭衣，入繕宮，襄主動心，則曰必豫讓也，襄主執而問之曰：“子始事中行君，智伯殺中行君，子不能死，還反事之；今吾殺智伯，乃漆身為癘，吞炭為啞，欲殺寡人，何與先行異也？”豫讓曰：“中行君眾人畜臣，臣亦眾人事之；智伯朝士待臣，臣亦朝士為之用。”襄子曰：“非義也？子壯士也！”乃自置車庫中，水漿毋入口者三，日以禮豫讓，讓自知，遂自殺也。

Zhi Bo and Zhao Xiangzi fought at Jinyang and Zhi Bo died. Zhi Bo's retainer Yu Rang was furious, and thought that his spirit could move the Master Xiang, so he lacquered his body to change his appearance and swallowed charcoal to change his voice. When Xiangzi was about to go out, Yu Rang pretended to be dead and lay under a bridge. The four horses balked and would not go forward, and Xiangzi was moved, sent someone to look under the bridge and found Yu Rang. Xiangzi valued his righteousness and did not kill him. Yu Rang then stole, was found guilty, and, wearing the red clothes of a convict, entered to repair the palace; Xiangzi was moved again and said it must be Yu Rang, and seized him and asked: "You first served Lord Zhonghang; when Zhi Bo killed Lord Zhonghang, you could not die for him but served Zhi Bo instead. Now I have killed Zhi Bo, yet you lacquer your body to become leprous and swallow charcoal to become mute, and want to kill me; why is it different from your earlier conduct?" Yu Rang said: "Lord Zhonghang treated me as one of the multitude, so I served him as one of the multitude; Zhi Bo treated me as a court scholar, so I serve him as a court scholar." Xiangzi said: "Is it not righteousness? You are a brave man!" He placed himself in the carriage house, took no water or drink three times, and treated Yu Rang with courtesy each day, letting him know of it, and Yu Rang then killed himself.

晉逐欒盈之族，命其家臣有敢從者死，其臣曰：“辛俞從之。”吏得而將殺之，君曰：“命汝無得從，敢從何也？”辛俞對曰：“臣聞三世仕於家者君之，二世者主之；事君以死，事主以勤，為之賜之多也。今臣三世於欒氏，受其賜多矣，臣敢畏死而忘三世之恩哉？”晉君釋之。

Jin drove out the clan of Luan Ying and ordered that any of his household retainers who dared to follow him be put to death. His retainers said: "Xin Yu is following him." The officials seized him and were about to kill him, and the ruler said: "I ordered you not to follow; why did you dare to follow?" Xin Yu replied: "I have heard that one who serves three generations in a great officer's house takes him as ruler, and one who serves two generations takes him as master; one serves a ruler with death and serves a master with diligence, because of how much he gives. Now I have been three generations with the Luan clan and have received much from them; would I dare fear death and forget three generations of kindness?" The ruler of Jin released him.

留侯張良之大父開地相韓昭侯、宣惠王、襄哀王。父平相釐王、悼惠王。悼惠王二十三年平卒，二十歲秦滅韓，良年少未宦事韓。韓破，浪家童三百人，弟死不葬，良悉以家財求刺客刺秦王，為韓報仇，以大父、父，五世相韓故，遂學禮淮陽，東見滄海君，得力士為鐵椎，重百二十斤，秦皇帝東遊，良與客狙擊秦皇帝於博浪沙，誤中副車，秦皇帝大怒，大索天下，求購甚急，良更易姓名，深亡匿，後卒隨漢報秦。

Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu: his grandfather Kai Di was prime minister to Marquis Zhao, King Xuanhui, and King Xiangai of Han. His father Ping was prime minister to King Li and King Daohui. In the twenty-third year of King Daohui, Ping died, and twenty years later Qin destroyed Han. Liang was young and had not yet held office in Han. When Han was destroyed, Liang's household had three hundred servants (the original reads 'lang jia'), and when his younger brother died he did not bury him; Liang used all his family wealth to seek an assassin to stab the King of Qin and avenge Han, because his grandfather and father had been prime ministers of Han for five generations. So he studied ritual in Huaiyang, went east to see the Lord of Canghai, and obtained a strongman who made an iron mallet weighing one hundred and twenty jin. When the Emperor of Qin toured east, Liang and his retainer ambushed the Emperor of Qin at Bolangsha, and mistakenly hit a following carriage. The Emperor of Qin was furious and searched the whole realm, with a reward offered urgently; Liang changed his name and fled deep into hiding, and in the end followed Han to take revenge on Qin.

鮑叔死，管仲舉上衽而哭之，泣下如雨，從者曰：“非君父子也，此亦有說乎？”管仲曰：“非夫子所知也，吾嘗與鮑子負販於南陽，吾三辱於市，鮑子不以我為怯，知我之慾有所明也；鮑子嘗與我有所說王者，而三不見聽，鮑子不以我為不肖，知我之不遇明君也；鮑子嘗與我臨財分貨，吾自取多者三，鮑子不以我為貪，知我之不足於財也。生我者父母，知我者鮑子也。士為知己者死，而況為之哀乎！”

When Bao Shu died, Guan Zhong lifted the hem of his robe and wept for him, his tears falling like rain. His followers said: "He was not your father or son; is there a reason for this?" Guan Zhong said: "It is not something you could know. Once I and Master Bao were peddling goods in Nanyang, and I was insulted three times in the market, and Master Bao did not think me a coward, knowing I wanted to make something clear; once Master Bao and I went to persuade a king, and was not listened to three times, and Master Bao did not think me unworthy, knowing I had not met an enlightened ruler; once Master Bao and I faced goods and divided the profits, and I took more for myself three times, and Master Bao did not think me greedy, knowing I lacked the means. It was my parents who gave birth to me, and Master Bao who understood me. A scholar dies for one who understands him, how much more would he mourn for him!"

晉趙盾舉韓厥，晉君以為中軍尉；趙盾死，子朔嗣為卿。至景公三年，趙朔為晉將，朔取成公姊為夫人，大夫屠岸賈，欲誅趙氏，初趙盾在夢見叔帶持龜要而哭甚悲，已而笑拊手且歌，盾卜之占，垂絕而後好，趙史援占曰：此甚惡非君之身，及君之子，然亦君之咎也。至子趙朔，世益衰，屠岸賈者，始有寵於靈公，及至於晉景公，而賈為司寇，將作難，乃治靈公之賊以至，趙盾遍告諸將曰：“趙穿弒靈公，盾雖不知猶為首賊，臣殺君，子孫在朝，何以懲罪，請誅之！”韓厥曰：“靈公遇賊，趙盾在外，吾先君以為無罪，故不誅；今諸君將誅其後，是非先君之意而後妄誅；妄誅謂之亂臣，有大事而君不聞，是無君也。”屠岸賈不聽，厥告趙朔趨亡，趙朔不肯，曰：“子必不絕趙祀，朔死且不恨。”韓厥許諾，稱疾不出，賈不請而擅與諸將攻趙氏於下宮，殺趙朔、趙括。趙嬰齊，皆滅其族；朔妻成公姊有遺腹，走公宮匿，後生男乳，朔客程嬰持亡匿山中，居十五年，晉景公疾，卜之曰：“大業之後不遂者為祟。”景公疾問韓厥，韓厥知趙孤在，乃曰：“大業之後，在晉絕祀者，其趙氏乎！夫自中行衍皆嬴姓也，中衍人面鳥喙，降佐殷帝太戊及周天子，皆有明德，下及幽厲無道，而叔帶去周適晉，事先君文侯，至於成公，世有立功，未嘗有絕祀；今及吾君獨滅之，趙宗國人哀之，故見龜策，唯君圖之。”景公問曰：“趙尚有後子孫乎？”韓厥具以實對，於是景公乃與韓厥謀立趙孤兒，召而匿之宮中，諸將入問疾，景公因韓厥之眾，以脅諸將而見趙孤，孤名曰武，諸將不得已乃曰：“昔下官之難屠岸賈為之，矯以君令，幷命群臣，非然孰敢作難，微君之疾，群臣固且請立趙後，今君有令，群臣之願也。”於是召趙武、程嬰遍拜諸將軍，將軍遂返與程嬰趙武攻屠岸賈，滅其族，復與趙武田邑如故。

Zhao Dun of Jin recommended Han Jue, and the ruler of Jin employed him as commandant of the central army; when Zhao Dun died, his son Shuo succeeded him as minister. In the third year of Duke Jing, Zhao Shuo was general of Jin and married the sister of Duke Cheng as his wife. The great officer Tu'an Gu wanted to put the Zhao clan to death. At first Zhao Dun dreamed of seeing Shu Dai holding the tortoise's waist weeping bitterly, and then laughing, clapping his hands and singing. Dun divined the dream and the verdict was that it would be cut off and then improve. Zhao's historian Yuan divined: this is very ill; it will not be in your own person but will reach your son, and yet it is also your fault. When it came to his son Zhao Shuo, the age declined further. Tu'an Gu had been in favor at first with Duke Ling, and when it came to Duke Jing of Jin, Gu was Minister of Crime and was about to start a persecution, and so he pursued the murderers of Duke Ling to this point. Zhao Dun told all the generals: "Zhao Chuan killed Duke Ling; though I did not know it, I was still the chief of the murderers. A minister killed his ruler and his descendants are in court; with what will we punish the crime? I ask that I be executed!" Han Jue said: "When Duke Ling met with the bandits, Zhao Dun was outside; our former ruler held that he was without guilt and therefore did not punish him. Now you generals are about to execute his descendants; this is not the former ruler's meaning, and rash execution afterwards is called a rebellious minister. In a great matter the ruler does not hear of it, which is to have no ruler." Tu'an Gu did not listen. Jue told Zhao Shuo to flee quickly, but Zhao Shuo refused, saying: "If you surely keep the Zhao sacrifices from being cut off, I will not resent dying." Han Jue agreed, claimed illness and did not go out. Gu, without asking leave, took it upon himself to attack the Zhao clan in the Lower Palace together with the generals, killed Zhao Shuo, Zhao Kuo and Zhao Yingqi, and destroyed their clans. Shuo's wife was the sister of Duke Cheng and was pregnant with a posthumous child; she fled to the ducal palace and hid, and later gave birth to a boy and nursed him. Shuo's retainer Cheng Ying took him and fled to hide in the mountains, and lived there for fifteen years. Duke Jing of Jin fell ill and consulted divination, which said: "The descendants of the Great Work are causing trouble because they have not been allowed to flourish." Duke Jing hurriedly asked Han Jue, and Han Jue, knowing that the Zhao orphan was still alive, said: "Of the descendants of the Great Work, those whose sacrifices were cut off in Jin are perhaps the Zhao! From Zhongyan on they were all of the Ying surname; Zhongyan had a human face and a bird's beak, and came down to assist Emperor Tai Wu of Yin and the Son of Heaven of Zhou, all having bright virtue; down to You and Li who were without the Way, Shu Dai left Zhou for Jin and served your former ruler Marquis Wen, and down to Duke Cheng, generation after generation they did meritorious service and the sacrifices were never cut off; now it falls to my lord alone to destroy it, and the people of the Zhao clan grieve, so it has appeared in the tortoise and milfoil; I ask only that my lord plan." Duke Jing asked: "Does Zhao still have descendants?" Han Jue reported everything truthfully. So Duke Jing planned with Han Jue to establish the Zhao orphan, and summoned him and hid him in the palace. When the generals came in to ask after his illness, Duke Jing relied on Han Jue's followers to compel the generals and received the Zhao orphan, whose name was Wu. The generals, having no choice, said: "The disaster of the Lower Palace in the past was done by Tu'an Gu, who falsely claimed the ruler's command and ordered all the ministers at once; otherwise who would have dared to make trouble? Had it not been for the ruler's illness, the ministers would have asked to establish the heir of Zhao; now that the ruler has given the order, it is the ministers' wish." So they summoned Zhao Wu and Cheng Ying and all the generals bowed to them, and the generals then went back and attacked Tu'an Gu together with Cheng Ying and Zhao Wu, destroyed his clan, and again gave Zhao Wu the fields and towns as before.

故人安可以無恩，夫有恩於此故復於彼；非程嬰則趙孤不全，非韓厥則趙後不復。韓厥可謂不忘恩矣。

So how can a person be without gratitude? Here there is a kindness and so there is a return there. Without Cheng Ying the Zhao orphan could not have been preserved, and without Han Jue the descendants of Zhao could not have been restored. Han Jue may be said to have not forgotten kindness.

北郭騷踵見晏子曰：“竊悅先生之義，願乞所以養母者。”晏子使人分倉粟府金而遺之，辭金而受粟。有間，晏子見疑於景公，出奔，北郭子召其友而告之曰：“吾悅晏子之義而嘗乞所以養母者。吾聞之曰：養其親者，身更其難；今晏子見疑，吾將以身白之。”遂造公庭求復者曰：“晏子天下之賢者也，今去齊國，齊國必侵矣，方必見國之侵也，不若先死請絕頸以白晏子。”逡巡而退，因自殺也。公聞之大駭，乘馳而自追晏子，及之國郊，請而反之，晏子不得已而反之，聞北郭子之以死白己也，太息而嘆曰：“嬰不肖，罪過固其所也，而士以身明之，哀哉！”

Beiguo Sao came following at his heels to see Yan Zi and said: "I privately delight in your righteousness, Master, and wish to beg something to support my mother." Yan Zi sent someone to divide the grain from his granary and the gold from his storehouse to give him, and he declined the gold and accepted the grain. Some time later, Yan Zi was suspected by Duke Jing and fled abroad. Master Beiguo summoned his friends and told them: "I delighted in Yan Zi's righteousness and once begged from him something to support my mother. I have heard that one who is supported for his parents' sake takes on that man's trouble with his own body; now Yan Zi is suspected, and I will vindicate him with my body." He went to the ducal court and asked the usher: "Yan Zi is a worthy man of the world; now he has left Qi, Qi will surely be invaded. Rather than see for sure that the state is invaded, better to die first; I ask to cut my neck to vindicate Yan Zi." He hesitated and withdrew, and then killed himself. The Duke heard and was greatly alarmed, and drove in a carriage at full speed to pursue Yan Zi in person, caught up with him in the suburbs of the capital, and begged him to return. Yan Zi, having no choice, returned, and hearing that Master Beiguo had died to vindicate him, sighed long and said: "I am unworthy, and the guilt rightly belonged to me, and a scholar has made it clear with his own body; how sad!"

吳赤市使於智氏，假道於衛，寧文子具紵絺三百制，將以送之，大夫豹曰：“吳雖大國也，不壞交假之道，則亦敬矣，又何禮焉！”寧文子不聽，遂致之吳赤市。至於智氏，既得事，將歸吳，智伯命造舟為梁，吳赤市曰：“吾聞之，天子濟於水，造舟為梁，諸侯維舟為梁，大夫方舟。方舟，臣之職也，且敬太甚必有故。”使人視之，視則用兵在後矣，將亦襲衛。吳赤市曰：“衛假吾道而厚贈我，我見難而不告，是與為謀也。”稱疾而留，使人告衛，衛人警戒，智伯聞之，乃止。

Wu Chishi, on a mission to the Zhi clan, asked Wei for passage. Ning Wenzi prepared three hundred pieces of ramie and fine kudzu cloth to give to him. The great officer Bao said: "Though Wu is a large state, if it does not damage relations and only borrows a road, that is respectful enough; what further courtesy need there be?" Ning Wenzi did not listen and gave them to Wu Chishi. Arriving at the Zhi clan, when his business was done and he was about to return to Wu, Zhi Bo ordered boats to be made into a bridge. Wu Chishi said: "I have heard that when the Son of Heaven crosses water, boats are made into a bridge; feudal lords tie boats into a bridge; great officers use paired boats. Paired boats are a minister's due; moreover, excessive courtesy must have a reason." He sent men to look, and they saw that behind there were troops being used, and that they were also about to attack Wei. Wu Chishi said: "Wei lent me the road and gave me generous gifts; if I see disaster and do not tell them, I am taking part in the plot." He claimed illness and stayed behind, and sent people to inform Wei, and the men of Wei were on guard. Zhi Bo heard of it and so stopped.

楚魏會於晉陽，將以伐齊，齊王患之，使人召淳于髡曰：“楚魏謀欲伐齊。願先生與寡人共憂之。”淳于髡大笑而不應，王后問之，又復大笑而不應，三問而不應，王怫然作色曰：“先生以寡人國為戲乎？”淳于髡對曰：“臣不敢以王國為戲也，臣笑臣鄰之祠田也，以奩飯與一鮒魚。其祝曰：下田洿邪，得谷百車，蟹堁者宜禾。臣笑其所以祠者少而所求者多。”王曰善，賜之千金，革車百乘，立為上卿。

Chu and Wei met at Jinyang and were about to attack Qi. The King of Qi was worried and sent for Chunyu Kun, saying: "Chu and Wei are planning to attack Qi. I hope you will share my worry." Chunyu Kun laughed loudly and did not answer. The King asked again, and he again laughed loudly and did not answer, and asked three times without answering. The King changed color angrily and said: "Do you take my state for a joke?" Chunyu Kun replied: "Your servant does not dare to take Your Majesty's state for a joke; I was laughing at my neighbor, who was sacrificing to the field spirit with a basket of rice and one carp. He prayed: 'Low fields and swampy waterlogged land, may I get a hundred cartloads of grain, and may the soil of crab holes suit the crops.' I laughed that he offered so little and asked for so much." The King said it was good, gave him a thousand pieces of gold and a hundred leather chariots, and made him senior minister.

陽虎得罪於衛，北見簡子曰：“自今以來，不復樹人矣。”簡子曰：“何哉？”陽虎對曰：“夫堂上之人，臣所樹者過半矣；朝廷之吏，臣所立者亦過半矣；邊境之士，臣所立者亦過半矣。今夫堂上之人，親郄臣於君；朝廷之吏，親危臣於眾；邊境之士，親劫臣於兵。”簡子曰：“唯賢者為能報恩，不肖者不能。夫樹桃李者，夏得休息，秋得食焉。樹蒺藜者，夏不得休息，秋得其刺焉。今子之所樹者，蒺藜也，自今以來，擇人而樹，毋已樹而擇之。”

Yang Hu offended in Wei, went north and saw Jianzi, saying: "From now on I will no longer cultivate people." Jianzi said: "Why?" Yang Hu replied: "Of those in the hall, I cultivated more than half; of the officials in the court, I established more than half; of the officers on the frontier, I established more than half. Now those in the hall, in the ruler's presence, themselves push me out; the officials in the court, among the multitude, themselves harm me; the officers on the frontier, with troops, themselves coerce me." Jianzi said: "Only the worthy can repay a kindness; the unworthy cannot. One who plants peaches and plums finds rest in summer and food in autumn. One who plants caltrops finds no rest in summer and gets thorns in autumn. What you have planted are caltrops; from now on, choose people first and then cultivate them; do not cultivate them first and then choose."

魏文侯與田子方語，有兩僮子衣青白衣，而侍於君前，子方曰：“此君之寵子乎！”文侯曰：“非也，其父死於戰，此其幼孤也，寡人收之。”子方曰：“臣以君之賊心為足矣，今滋甚，君之寵此子也，又且以誰之父殺之乎？”文侯愍然曰：“寡人受令矣。”自是以後，兵革不用。

Marquis Wen of Wei was talking with Tian Zifang when two boys in blue and white clothes were attending before the ruler. Zifang said: "Are these Your Lordship's favorite sons?" Marquis Wen said: "No; their fathers died in battle, and these are young orphans whom I took in." Zifang said: "I had thought that Your Lordship's harmful heart was already enough, but now it is even worse. You love these children, and whose father will you use to kill them?" Marquis Wen was moved and said: "I accept your instruction." From then on, weapons and armor were not used.

吳起為魏將，攻中山，軍人有病疽者，吳子自吮其膿，其母泣之，旁人曰：“將軍於而子如是，尚何為泣？”對曰：“吳子吮此子父之創而殺之於注水之戰，戰不旋踵而死；今又吮之，安知是子何戰而死，是以哭之矣！”

Wu Qi was a general of Wei attacking Zhongshan. One soldier had a boil, and Master Wu himself sucked out the pus. The soldier's mother wept over this, and a person beside her said: "The general treats your son like this; why do you still weep?" She replied: "Master Wu sucked the wound of this child's father and had him die in the battle of Zhushui; in battle he did not turn and died. Now he sucks this one too; how can I know in which battle this child will die? So I weep for him!"

東閭子嘗富貴而後乞，人問之，曰：“公何為如是？”曰：“吾自知吾嘗相六七年未嘗薦一人也；吾嘗富三千萬者再，未嘗富一人；不知士出身之咎然也。孔子曰：‘物之難矣，小大多少各有怨惡，數之理也，人而得之，在於外假之也。’”

Master Dongla was once rich and noble and later begged for food, and people asked him: "Why are you like this?" He said: "I know that I was prime minister for six or seven years and never recommended a single person; I was twice wealthy to thirty million and never made a single person rich; I did not know the fault of the scholar's origin was just this. Confucius said: 'The difficulty of things is that large and small, many and few each have their resentment and hate; it is the principle of numbers, and what people gain is by borrowing from outside.'"

齊懿公之為公子也，與邴歜之父爭田，不勝。及即位，乃掘而刖之，而使歜為僕；奪庸織之妻，而使織為參乘；公遊於申池，二人浴於池，歜以鞭抶織，織怒，歜曰：“人奪女妻，而不敢怒；一抶女，庸何傷！”織曰：“孰與刖其父而不病，奚若？”乃謀殺公，納之竹中。

Duke Yi of Qi, when he was still a prince, had contended with Bing Chu's father over a field and could not win. When he came to the throne, he dug up the corpse and cut off its feet, and made Chu a charioteer; he seized Yong Zhi's wife and made Zhi his chariot companion. The Duke was enjoying himself at Shenchi, and the two were bathing in the pool; Chu whipped Zhi, and Zhi was angry. Chu said: "Someone took your wife and you dared not be angry; I whip you once, how does it hurt!" Zhi said: "Compared to having his father's feet cut off and not hurting, how is that?" So they plotted to kill the Duke and put him inside bamboo.

楚人獻黿於鄭靈公，公子家見公子宋之食指動，謂公子家曰：“我如是必嘗異味。”及食大夫黿，召公子宋而不與；公子宋怒，染指於鼎，嘗之而出，公怒欲殺之。公子宋與公子家先遂殺靈公。子夏曰：“春秋者，記君不君，臣不臣，父不父，子不子者也；此非一日之事也，有漸以至焉。”

The men of Chu presented a great turtle to Duke Ling of Zheng. Prince Jia saw Prince Song's index finger twitch, and Prince Song said to Prince Jia: "When this happens I will surely taste something unusual." When the great officers were fed the turtle, the Duke summoned Prince Song but did not give him any; Prince Song was angry, dipped his finger into the cauldron, tasted it and left. The Duke was angry and wanted to kill him. Prince Song and Prince Jia struck first and killed Duke Ling. Zixia said: "The Spring and Autumn Annals records rulers who did not act like rulers, ministers who did not act like ministers, fathers who did not act like fathers, and sons who did not act like sons; this was not the matter of one day, but came to this by gradual steps."

政有三品：王者之政化之，霸者之政威之，強者之政脅之，夫此三者各有所施，而化之為貴矣。夫化之不變而後威之，威之不變而後脅之，脅之不變而後刑之；夫至於刑者，則非王者之所得已也。是以聖王先德教而後刑罰，立榮恥而明防禁；崇禮義之節以示之，賤貨利之弊以變之；修近理內政橛機之禮，壹妃匹之際；則莫不慕義禮之榮，而惡貪亂之恥。其所由致之者，化使然也。

Government has three grades: the government of a true king uses teaching and transformation, the government of a hegemon uses authority, and the government of a strongman uses coercion. Each of these has its application, but teaching and transformation are most valued. If teaching does not change people, then use authority; if authority does not change them, then use coercion; if coercion does not change them, then use punishment; once it comes to punishment, it is not something a true king does when he can avoid it. Therefore the sage kings put virtue and teaching first and punishment afterward, set up honor and shame and made clear prohibitions; they honored the restraint of ritual and righteousness to show it, despised the harm of wealth and profit to change it, cultivated what was near, governed internal affairs, and put in order the rites of the pivot and hinge, concentrating on the relation between spouses; so there was no one who did not admire the honor of righteousness and ritual and hate the shame of greed and disorder. What enabled them to reach this was that teaching and transformation made it so.

季孫問於孔子曰：“如殺無道，以就有道，何如？”孔子曰：“子為政，焉用殺，子欲善而民善矣。君子之德，風也；小人之德，草也；草上之風必偃。”言明其化而已矣，治國有二機，刑德是也；王者尚其德而布其刑，霸者刑德並湊，強國先其刑而後德。夫刑德者，化之所由興也。德者，養善而進闕者也；刑者，懲惡而禁後者也；故德化之崇者至於賞，刑罰之甚者至於誅；夫誅賞者，所以別賢不肖，而列有功與無功也。故誅賞不可以繆，誅賞繆則善惡亂矣。夫有功而不賞，則善不勸，有過而不誅，則惡不懼，善不勸而能以行化乎天下者，未嘗聞也。書曰：‘畢協賞罰’，此之謂也。

Ji Sun asked Confucius: "What if one kills those without the Way in order to accomplish those with the Way?" Confucius said: "In governing, why would you need to kill? If you desire good, the people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is wind; the virtue of the petty man is grass; when the wind blows over the grass it must bend." This speaks of making clear one's teaching and transformation. In governing a state there are two pivots, punishment and virtue; a true king honors his virtue and publishes his punishments, a hegemon gathers punishment and virtue together, and a strong state uses punishment first and then virtue. Punishment and virtue are what raise up teaching and transformation. Virtue nourishes good and advances what is lacking; punishment chastises evil and stops what follows. So when virtuous transformation is lofty, it comes to rewards; when punishment is severe, it comes to executions; executions and rewards are used to distinguish the worthy from the unworthy and to rank those with merit and those without. So executions and rewards cannot be mistaken; if they are mistaken, good and evil are thrown into confusion. If there is merit and no reward, good is not encouraged; if there is fault and no punishment, evil is not feared; I have never heard of one who, when good is not encouraged, can transform the world by conduct. The Book of Documents says: "Rewards and punishments are all in harmony." This is what is meant.