Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 5

魯哀公問於孔子曰：“當今之時，君子誰賢？”對曰：“衛靈公。”公曰：“吾聞之，其閨門之內，姑姐妹無別。”對曰：“臣觀於朝廷，未觀於堂陛之間也。靈公之弟曰公子渠牟，其知足以治千乘之國，其信足以守之，而靈公愛之。又有士曰王材，國有賢人，必進而任之，無不達也；不能達，退而與分其祿，而靈公尊之。又有士曰慶足，國有大事，則進而治之，無不濟也，而靈公說之。史■去衛，靈公邸舍三月，琴瑟不御，待史■之入也而後入，臣是以知其賢也。”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "In these times, who among the gentlemen is worthy?" He replied: "Duke Ling of Wei." The duke said: "I have heard that within his private chambers there is no distinction between aunts, sisters and others." He replied: "I look at his court; I have not looked between the hall and its steps. Duke Ling's younger brother is called Prince Qumou; his wisdom is sufficient to govern a state of a thousand chariots and his good faith is sufficient to hold it, and Duke Ling loves him. There is also a gentleman called Wang Cai: when the state has a worthy person, he promotes and employs him, and none fails to become eminent; if one cannot, he steps back and shares his own stipend with him, and Duke Ling honors him. There is another gentleman called Qing Zu: when the state has a great matter, he takes it up and manages it, and none fails to succeed, and Duke Ling delights in him. When Shi (the base text has a damaged character here) left Wei, Duke Ling stayed in a lodge for three months without playing the zither or se, and waited for Shi to enter before he entered. From this I know he is worthy."

介子推行年十五而相荊，仲尼聞之，使人往視，還曰：“廊下有二十五俊士，堂上有二十五老人。”仲尼曰：“合二十五人之智，智於湯武；幷二十五人之力，力於彭祖。以治天下，其固免矣乎！”

Jie Zitui at the age of fifteen became chancellor of Jing. When Zhongni heard of it, he sent someone to look, and the man returned and reported: "Under the corridor there are twenty-five outstanding gentlemen, and in the hall there are twenty-five elders." Zhongni said: "Combine the wisdom of twenty-five men, and the wisdom exceeds that of Tang and Wu; combine the strength of twenty-five men, and the strength exceeds that of Peng Zu. With these he governs the world; surely he can be free from danger!"

孔子閒居，喟然而嘆曰：“銅鞮伯華而無死，天下其有定矣。”子路曰：“願聞其為人也何若。”孔子曰：“其幼也敏而好學，其壯也有勇而不屈，其老也有道而能以下人。”子路曰：“其幼也敏而好學則可，其壯也有勇而不屈則可；夫有道又誰下哉？”孔子曰：“由不知也。吾聞之，以眾攻寡而無不消也；以貴下賤，無不得也。昔在周公旦制天下之政而下士七十人，豈無道哉？欲得士之故也，夫有道而能下於天下之士，君子乎哉！”

Confucius, at leisure, sighed and said: "If Bohua of Tongdi had not died, the world would perhaps be at peace." Zilu said: "I would like to hear what kind of person he was." Confucius said: "In youth he was quick and fond of learning, in his prime he was brave and unyielding, and in old age he had the Way and was able to humble himself before others." Zilu said: "Quick and fond of learning in youth is fine, brave and unyielding in his prime is fine; but with the Way, before whom would he humble himself?" Confucius said: "You do not know, You. I have heard that to attack the few with the many never fails to wear them down, and that to humble oneself from a high position before the low never fails to succeed. In the past, Zhou Gong Dan, in drawing up the government of the world, humbled himself before seventy scholars; did he lack the Way? It was because he wanted to win scholars. One who has the Way and can humble himself before the scholars of the world is a gentleman!"

魏文侯從中山奔命安邑，田子方從，夫子擊過之，下車而趨，子方坐乘如故，告太子曰：“為我請君，待我朝歌。”太子不說，因為子方曰：“不識貧窮者驕人，富貴者驕人乎？”子方曰：“貧窮者驕人，富貴者安敢驕人，人主驕人而亡其國，吾未見以國待亡者也；大夫驕人而亡其家，吾未見以家待亡者也。貧窮者若不得意，納履而去，安往不得貧窮乎？貧窮者驕人，富貴者安敢驕人。”太子及文侯道田子方之語，文侯嘆曰：“微吾子之故，吾安得聞賢人之言，吾下子方以行，得而友之。自吾友子方也，君臣益親，百姓益附，吾是以得友士之功；我欲伐中山，吾以武下樂羊，三年而中山為獻於我，我是以得有武之功。吾所以不少進於此者，吾未見以智驕我者也；若得以智驕我者，豈不及古之人乎？”

Marquis Wen of Wei hurried from Zhongshan to Anyi, with Tian Zifang following. When Crown Prince Ji passed by, he got down from his carriage and ran forward with small steps, but Zifang stayed seated in his carriage as before and told the Crown Prince: "Please ask your father to wait for me at Zhaoge." The Crown Prince was displeased and said to Zifang: "I do not know whether it is the poor who are arrogant to others or the rich and noble who are arrogant to others." Zifang said: "The poor are arrogant to others; how would the rich and noble dare be arrogant to others? When a ruler is arrogant to others he loses his state, and I have not seen anyone who held a state and waited for it to perish; when a grand master is arrogant to others he loses his house, and I have not seen anyone who held a house and waited for it to perish. If a poor man does not get his way, he puts on his shoes and leaves, and where would he not be poor? The poor are arrogant to others; how would the rich and noble dare to be arrogant to others?" The Crown Prince told Marquis Wen what Tian Zifang had said, and Marquis Wen sighed: "If it were not for you, sir, how could I hear the words of a worthy man? I lowered myself in conduct toward Zifang and was able to make friends with him. Since I made friends with Zifang, ruler and ministers have grown closer, the hundred clans have become more attached, and I have gained the merit of befriending scholars; I wanted to attack Zhongshan, so I humbled myself before Yue Yang through martial matters, and in three years Zhongshan was presented to me, and I gained the merit of military power. The reason I have not advanced a little further is that I have not seen anyone who is arrogant to me through wisdom; if I could have someone arrogant to me through wisdom, would I fall short of the ancients?"

晉文侯行地登隧，大夫皆扶之，隨會不扶，文侯曰：“會！夫為人臣而忍其君者，其罪奚如？”對曰：“其罪重死。”文侯曰：“何謂重死？”對曰：“身死，妻子為戮焉。”隨會曰：“君奚獨問為人臣忍其君者，而不問為人君而忍其臣者耶？”文侯曰：“為人君而忍其臣者，其罪何如？”隨會對曰：“為人君而忍其臣者，智士不為謀，辨士不為言，仁士不為行，勇士不為死。”文侯援綏下車，辭大夫曰：“寡人有腰髀之病，願諸大夫勿罪也。”

Marquis Wen of Jin was walking and climbing a tunnel path, and the grand masters all supported him, but Sui Hui did not. Marquis Wen said: "Hui! A subject who is cruel toward his lord, what should his punishment be?" He replied: "The punishment is to double death." Marquis Wen said: "What is meant by doubling death?" He replied: "He himself dies, and his wife and children are killed." Sui Hui said: "Why does your lordship ask only about a subject who is cruel toward his lord, and not about a ruler who is cruel toward his subjects?" Marquis Wen said: "What is the punishment for a ruler who is cruel toward his subjects?" Sui Hui replied: "For a ruler who is cruel toward his subjects, wise men will not plan for him, eloquent men will not speak for him, benevolent men will not act for him, and brave men will not die for him." Marquis Wen took the cord and stepped down from the carriage, and took leave of the grand masters, saying: "I have a complaint in my waist and thighs; I hope the grand masters will not blame me."

齊將軍田瞶出將，張生郊送曰：“昔者堯讓許由以天下，洗耳而不受，將軍知之乎？”曰：“唯然，知之。”“伯夷叔齊辭諸侯之位而不為，將軍知之乎？”曰：“唯然，知之。”“於陵仲子辭三公之位而傭為人灌園，將軍知之乎？”曰：“唯然，知之。”“智過去君第，變姓名，免為庶人，將軍知之乎？”曰：“唯然，知之。”“孫叔敖三去相而不悔，將軍知之乎？”曰：“唯然，知之。”“此五大夫者，名辭之而實羞之。今將軍方吞一國之權，提鼓擁旗，被堅執銳，旋迴十萬之師，擅斧鉞之誅，慎毋以士之所羞者驕士。”田瞶曰：“今日諸君皆為瞶祖道具酒脯，而先生獨教之以聖人之大道，謹聞命矣。”

When Tian Zhu, a general of Qi, went out to serve as commander, Zhang Sheng saw him off in the outskirts and said: "In the past, Yao offered the world to Xu You, and Xu You washed his ears and would not accept; does the general know this?" He said: "Yes, I know." "Boyi and Shuqi declined the rank of feudal lords and would not take it; does the general know this?" He said: "Yes, I know." "Zhongzi of Yuling declined the post of one of the Three Dukes and hired himself out to water gardens; does the general know this?" He said: "Yes, I know." "Zhi Guo left his lord's mansion, changed his name, and avoided being a commoner; does the general know this?" He said: "Yes, I know." "Sunshu Ao left the chancellorship three times without regret; does the general know this?" He said: "Yes, I know." "These five grand masters nominally declined, but in reality were ashamed of it. Now the general is swallowing the authority of a whole state, raising the drum and holding the banner, wearing firm armor and holding sharp weapons, turning around an army of a hundred thousand, monopolizing the execution by axe and halberd. Take care not to be arrogant to scholars with what scholars are ashamed of." Tian Zhu said: "Today all of you have prepared wine and dried meat for me, but you alone teach me with the Way of the sages; I respectfully receive the instruction."

魏文侯見段幹木，立倦而不敢息；及見翟璜，踞堂而與之言，翟璜不說。文侯曰：“段幹木，官之則不肯，祿之則不受；今汝欲官則相至，欲祿則上卿；既受吾賞，又責吾禮，毋乃難乎？”

When Marquis Wen of Wei met Duanganmu, he stood until tired but dared not rest; but when he met Di Huang, he squatted in the hall and talked with him, and Di Huang was displeased. Marquis Wen said: "Duanganmu, I offered him office and he refused, I offered him stipend and he would not accept. Now you want office, and the chancellorship has come to you; you want stipend, and you are given the position of senior minister. Having already accepted my reward, you now demand courtesy from me; I am afraid that is difficult, is it not?"

孔子之郯，遭程子於塗，傾蓋而語終日。有間，顧子路曰：“取束帛一以贈先生。”子路不對。有間，又顧曰：“取束帛一以贈先生。”子路屑然對曰：“由聞之，士不中而見，女無媒而嫁，君子不行也。”孔子曰：“由，詩不云乎：‘野有蔓草，零露溥兮，有美一人，清揚婉兮，邂逅相遇，適我願兮。’今程子天下之賢士也，於是不贈，終身不見。大德毋踰閒，小德出入可也。”

Confucius went to Tan and met Master Cheng on the road; they tilted their carriage canopies together and talked all day. After a while, he turned to Zilu and said: "Bring a bundle of silk to present to the gentleman." Zilu did not answer. After a while, he again turned and said: "Bring a bundle of silk to present to the gentleman." Zilu answered hurriedly: "I have heard that a scholar does not meet without an introduction, and a woman does not marry without a matchmaker; the gentleman does not do these things." Confucius said: "You, does the Book of Poetry not say: 'In the wilds the creeping grass spreads, the dew falls thick; there is a fair one, her eyes clear and lovely; a chance meeting, just as I wished'? Now Master Cheng is a worthy scholar of the world, and if I do not present a gift at this moment, I will never see him again in my life. In great virtue do not cross the boundary; in small virtue one may come and go."

齊桓公使管仲治國，管仲對曰：“賤不能臨貴。”桓公以為上卿而國不治，桓公曰何故？管仲對曰：“貧不能使富。”桓公賜之齊國市租一年而國不治，桓公曰何故？對曰：“疏不能制親。”桓公立以為仲父。齊國大安，而遂霸天下。孔子曰：“管仲之賢，不得此三權者，亦不能使其君南面而霸矣。”

Duke Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong to govern the state, and Guan Zhong replied: "The humble cannot rule over the noble." Duke Huan made him a senior minister, but the state was not governed. Duke Huan asked why, and Guan Zhong replied: "The poor cannot command the rich." Duke Huan gave him a year's market taxes of Qi, but the state was not governed. Duke Huan asked why, and he replied: "The distant cannot control the close." Duke Huan set him up as Uncle Zhong. Qi was greatly at peace and so became hegemon of the world. Confucius said: "With Guan Zhong's worth, if he had not obtained these three powers, he could not have made his lord face south as hegemon."

桓公問於管仲曰：“吾欲使爵腐於酒，肉腐於俎，得無害於霸乎？”管仲對曰：“此極非其貴者耳；然亦無害於霸也。”桓公曰：“何如而害霸？”管仲對曰：“不知賢，害霸；知而不用，害霸；用而不任，害霸；任而不信，害霸；信而復使小人參之，害霸。”桓公：“善。”

Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong: "I would like to let the wine cups rot with wine and the meat rot on the cutting board; surely that would not harm hegemony?" Guan Zhong replied: "That is certainly not what is most valuable, but it also does not harm hegemony." Duke Huan said: "What does harm hegemony?" Guan Zhong replied: "Not knowing the worthy harms hegemony; knowing them and not employing them harms hegemony; employing them and not entrusting them harms hegemony; entrusting them and not trusting them harms hegemony; trusting them and also letting petty people take part harms hegemony." Duke Huan said: "Good."

魯人攻鄪，曾子辭於鄪君曰：“請出，寇罷而後復來，請姑毋使狗豕入吾舍。”鄪君曰：“寡人之於先生也，人無不聞；今魯人攻我而先生去我，我胡守先生之舍？”魯人果攻鄪而數之罪十，而曾子之所爭者九。魯師罷，鄪君復修曾子舍而後迎之。

When the people of Lu attacked Bi, Zengzi took leave of the lord of Bi and said: "Please let me go out, and when the raiders stop I will return; please do not allow dogs and pigs into my lodging in the meantime." The lord of Bi said: "As for you, sir, there is no one who has not heard of how I treat you. Now the people of Lu attack me and you leave me; how can I guard your lodging?" The people of Lu did indeed attack Bi and enumerated ten charges against it, and Zengzi had contested nine of them. The Lu army stopped, and the lord of Bi had Zengzi's lodging repaired and then welcomed him back.

宋司城子罕之貴子韋也，入與共食，出與同衣；司城子罕亡，子韋不從，子罕來，復召子韋而貴之。左右曰：“君之善子韋也，君亡不從，來又復貴之，君獨不愧於君之忠臣乎？”子罕曰：“吾唯不能用子韋，故至於亡；今吾之得復也，尚是子韋之遺德餘教也，吾故貴之。且我之亡也，吾臣之削跡拔樹以從我者，奚益於吾亡哉？”

Zihan, Minister of Works of Song, valued Zi Wei; they went in together to eat and came out wearing the same clothes. When Zihan fled into exile, Zi Wei did not follow him, and when Zihan returned, he summoned Zi Wei again and valued him. Those at his side said: "Your lordship has been good to Zi Wei, but he did not follow you when you fled, and on your return you value him again. Are you not ashamed before your loyal ministers?" Zihan said: "It was only because I could not use Zi Wei that I came to flee; now that I have been restored, it is still the virtue and instruction that Zi Wei left behind, and that is why I value him. Moreover, when I fled, those ministers of mine who wiped out their tracks and pulled up trees to follow me, what benefit were they to my flight?"

楊因見趙簡主曰：“臣居鄉三逐，事君五去，聞君好士，故走來見。”簡主聞之，絕食而嘆，跽而行，左右進諫曰：“居鄉三逐，是不容眾也；事君五去，是不忠上也。今君有士見過人矣。”簡主曰：“子不知也。夫美女者，醜婦之仇也；盛德之士，亂世所疏也；正直之行，邪枉所憎也。”遂出見之，因授以為相，而國大治。由是觀之，遠近之人，不可以不察也。

Yang Yin saw Zhao Jianzhu and said: "When I lived in my village, I was driven out three times; when I served a ruler, I left five times. I have heard that you love scholars, so I have come running to see you." Jianzhu heard this, stopped eating, sighed, and walked on his knees. Those at his side remonstrated: "To be driven out of one's village three times means not being tolerated by the crowd; to leave a ruler five times means being disloyal to one's superior. Now you have a scholar whose insight surpasses others." Jianzhu said: "You do not understand. A beautiful woman is the enemy of an ugly one; a scholar of abundant virtue is kept at a distance by a disordered age; upright conduct is hated by the crooked." Then he went out to see him and gave him the chancellorship, and the state was greatly governed. From this we see that one cannot but examine people near and far.

應侯與賈午子坐，聞其鼓琴之聲，應侯曰：“今日之琴，一何悲也？”賈午子曰：“夫急張調下，故使人悲耳。急張者，良材也；調下者，官卑也。取夫良材而卑官之，安能無悲乎！”應侯曰：“善哉！”

The Marquis of Ying was sitting with Jia Wuzi and heard him play the zither. The Marquis of Ying said: "Why is today's zither so sad?" Jia Wuzi said: "The strings are taut and the tuning is low, and that is what makes people sad. Taut strings are fine material; a low tuning is a lowly office. To take that fine material and give it a lowly office, how could it not be sad!" The Marquis of Ying said: "Well put!"

十三年，諸侯舉兵以伐齊，齊王聞之，惕然而恐，召其群臣大夫告曰：“有智為寡人用之。”於是博士淳于髡仰天大笑而不應，王復問之，又大笑不應，三笑不應，王艴然作色不悅曰：“先生以寡人語為戲乎？”對曰：“臣非敢以大王語為戲也，臣笑臣鄰之祠田也，以一奩飯，一壺酒，三鮒魚，祝曰：‘蟹堁者宜禾，洿邪者百車，傳之後世，洋洋有餘。’臣笑其賜鬼薄而請之厚也。”於是王乃立淳于髡為上卿，賜之千金，革車百乘，與平諸侯之事；諸侯聞之，立罷其兵，休其士卒，遂不敢攻齊，此非淳于髡之力乎？

In the thirteenth year, the feudal lords raised troops to attack Qi. When the King of Qi heard of it, he was alarmed and afraid, and summoned his ministers and grand masters and told them: "Those with wisdom, put it to use for me." Then the Erudite Chunyu Kun looked up at the sky and laughed loudly without answering. The king asked again, and he laughed loudly again without answering; three times he laughed without answering. The king flushed and said unhappily: "Do you take my words as a joke, sir?" He replied: "I would not dare take Your Majesty's words as a joke. I was laughing at my neighbor, who sacrificed in his field with one box of rice, one jug of wine, and three crucian carp, and prayed: 'Soil from crab burrows, fit for grain; low swampy ground, a hundred cartloads; passed down to later generations, abundant and overflowing.' I was laughing at how little he gave the spirits and how much he asked." Then the king set up Chunyu Kun as a senior minister, gave him a thousand gold and a hundred leather-covered chariots, and settled the matter of the feudal lords with him. When the feudal lords heard of it, they immediately stopped their troops and let their soldiers rest, and so did not dare attack Qi. Was this not the power of Chunyu Kun?

田忌去齊奔楚，楚王郊迎至舍，問曰：“楚，萬乘之國也，齊亦萬乘之國也，常欲相幷，為之奈何？”對曰：“易知耳，齊使申孺將，則楚發五萬人，使上將軍將之，至禽將軍首而反耳。齊使田居將，則楚發二十萬人，使上將軍將之，分別而相去也。齊使眄子將，楚發四封之內，王自出將而忌從，相國上將軍為左右司馬，如是則王僅得存耳。”於是齊使申孺將，楚發五萬人，使上將軍至，擒將軍首反，於是齊王忿然，乃更使眄子將，楚悉發四封之內，王自出將，田忌從，相國上將軍為左右司馬，益王車屬九乘，僅得免耳。至舍，王北面正領齊袪，問曰：“先生何知之早也？”田忌曰：“申孺為人，侮賢者而輕不肖者，賢不肖者俱不為用，是以亡也；田居為人，尊賢者而賤不肖者，賢者負任，不肖者退，是以分別而相去也；眄子之為人也，尊賢者而愛不肖者，賢不肖俱負任，是以王僅得存耳。”

Tian Ji left Qi and fled to Chu. The King of Chu met him in the outskirts and escorted him to a lodging, and asked: "Chu is a state of ten thousand chariots, and Qi is also a state of ten thousand chariots; they have long wished to swallow each other. What should be done?" He replied: "It is easy to know. If Qi sends Shen Ru as commander, Chu sends fifty thousand men under a senior general, and when they arrive they simply seize the commander's head and return. If Qi sends Tian Ju as commander, Chu sends two hundred thousand men under a senior general, and they separate and part from each other. If Qi sends Mianzi as commander, Chu will mobilize everyone within its four borders, the king himself will come out as commander with Ji following, the chancellor and the senior general will serve as left and right marshals, and in this way the king barely manages to survive." So Qi sent Shen Ru as commander, Chu sent fifty thousand men, and a senior general arrived, seized the commander's head, and returned. The King of Qi was enraged and changed to send Mianzi as commander, and Chu mobilized everyone within its four borders, the king himself came out as commander, Tian Ji followed, the chancellor and the senior general served as left and right marshals, and the king's chariot retinue was increased by nine, and he barely escaped. Back at the lodging, the king faced north, straightened his collar and raised his sleeves, and asked: "How did you know so early, sir?" Tian Ji said: "Shen Ru, as a person, insults the worthy and looks down on the unworthy; neither the worthy nor the unworthy are used by him, and so he was lost. Tian Ju, as a person, honors the worthy and despises the unworthy; the worthy bear responsibility and the unworthy withdraw, and so they separate and part. Mianzi, as a person, honors the worthy and loves the unworthy; both the worthy and the unworthy bear responsibility, and so the king barely manages to survive."

魏文侯觴大夫於曲陽，飲酣，文侯喟然嘆曰：“吾獨無豫讓以為臣。”蹇重舉酒進曰：“臣請浮君。”文侯曰“何以？”對曰：“臣聞之，有命之父母，不知孝子；有道之君，不知忠臣。夫豫讓之君，亦何如哉？”文侯曰：“善！”受浮而飲之，嚼而不讓。曰：“無管仲鮑叔以為臣，故有豫讓之功也。”趙簡子曰：“吾欲得範中行氏良臣。”史黶曰：“安用之？”簡子曰：“良臣，人所願也，又何問焉？”曰：“君以無為良臣故也。夫事君者，諫過而薦可，章善而替否，獻能而進賢；朝夕誦善，敗而納之，聽則進，否則退。今範中行氏之良臣也，不能匡相其君，使至於難；出在於外，又不能入。亡而棄之，何良之為；若不棄，君安得之。夫良將營其君，使復其位，死而後止，何曰以來，若未能，乃非良也。”簡子曰：“善。”

Marquis Wen of Wei poured wine for his grand masters at Quyang, and they drank happily. Marquis Wen sighed and said: "I alone have no Yu Rang as a minister." Jian Zhong raised his cup and stepped forward: "I ask to penalize my lord with a drink." Marquis Wen said: "Why?" He replied: "I have heard that parents who have the mandate of Heaven do not know a filial son, and a ruler who has the Way does not know a loyal minister. As for Yu Rang's lord, what was he like?" Marquis Wen said: "Good!" He accepted the penalty and drank it down, draining it without refusal. He said: "Without Guan Zhong and Bao Shu as ministers, there was Yu Rang's merit." Zhao Jianzi said: "I wish to obtain the good ministers of the Fan and Zhonghang clans." Shi Yan said: "What use would they be?" Jianzi said: "Good ministers are what people long for; why do you ask?" He said: "It is because you do not act as a good minister yourself. Those who serve a lord remonstrate against faults and recommend what can be done, commend the good and set aside the bad, offer ability and advance the worthy; morning and evening they recite the good, and they take in failure; if heard, they advance, and if not heard, they withdraw. Now the good ministers of the Fan and Zhonghang clans could not set right and assist their lords, so that they came to hardship; when the lords were outside, they could not return. They fled and abandoned them; how can that be called good? If they did not abandon them, how could you get them? A good minister manages his lord's affairs, restores his position, and stops only at death; how can one speak of coming over? If he cannot, he is not good." Jianzi said: "Good."

子路問於孔子曰：“治國何如？”孔子曰：“在於尊賢而賤不肖。”子路曰：“範中行氏尊賢而賤不肖，其亡何也？”曰：“範中行氏尊賢而不能用也，賤不肖而不能去也；賢者知其不己用而怨之，不肖者知其賤己而讎之。賢者怨之，不肖者讎之；怨讎並前，中行氏雖欲無亡，得乎？”

Zilu asked Confucius: "How should one govern a state?" Confucius said: "It lies in honoring the worthy and despising the unworthy." Zilu said: "The Fan and Zhonghang clans honored the worthy and despised the unworthy; why did they perish?" He said: "The Fan and Zhonghang clans honored the worthy but could not use them, and despised the unworthy but could not remove them; the worthy knew they were not used and resented it, and the unworthy knew they were despised and were hostile. The worthy resented and the unworthy were hostile; with resentment and hostility both in front of him, even if Zhonghang wished not to perish, could he?"

晉荊戰於邲，晉師敗績，荀林父將歸請死，昭公將許之，士貞伯曰：“不可，城濮之役，晉勝於荊，文公猶有憂色，曰子玉猶存，憂未歇也；困獸猶鬥，況國相乎？”及荊殺子玉，乃喜曰：“莫予毒也。今天或者大警晉也，林父之事君，進思盡忠，退思補過，社稷之衛也，今殺之，是重荊勝也。”昭公曰：“善！”乃使復將。

When Jin and Jing fought at Bi, the Jin army was greatly defeated, and Xun Linfu was about to go back and ask for death, and Duke Zhao was about to allow it. Shi Zhenbo said: "It cannot be. At the Battle of Chengpu, when Jin defeated Jing, Duke Wen still had a look of worry and said that since Ziyu was still there, his worry had not ceased; a cornered beast still fights, how much more a state chancellor? When Jing killed Ziyu, he was glad and said: 'There is no one to harm me now.' Now Heaven perhaps gives Jin a strong warning; Linfu serves the lord, and in advancing he wants to be loyal, in withdrawing he wants to make up for faults; he is a defender of the altars of land and grain. To kill him now would be to add to Jing's victory." Duke Zhao said: "Good!" and had him serve again as a general.

易曰：“王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。”人臣之所以蹇蹇為難，而諫其君者非為身也，將欲以匡君之過，矯君之失也。君有過失者，危亡之萌也；見君之過失而不諫，是輕君之危亡也。夫輕君之危亡者，忠臣不忍為也。三諫而不用則去，不去則身亡；身亡者，仁人之所不為也。是故諫有五：一曰正諫，二曰降諫，三曰忠諫，四曰戇諫，五曰諷諫。孔子曰：“吾其從諷諫乎。”夫不諫則危君，固諫則危身；與其危君、寧危身；危身而終不用，則諫亦無功矣。智者度君權時，調其緩急而處其宜，上不敢危君，下不以危身，故在國而國不危，在身而身不殆；昔陳靈公不聽洩冶之諫而殺之，曹羈三諫曹君不聽而去，春秋序義雖俱賢而曹羈合禮。

The Book of Changes says: "The king's minister is firm and upright, not for his own sake." The reason a minister is firm and takes hardship in remonstrating with his lord is not for himself, but to set right the lord's faults and correct his errors. A lord's faults are the sprouts of danger and ruin; to see the lord's faults and not remonstrate is to make light of the lord's danger and ruin. A loyal minister cannot bear to do so. If he remonstrates three times and is not used, he leaves; if he does not leave, he perishes; to perish is what a benevolent man does not do. So there are five kinds of remonstrance: the first is called upright remonstrance, the second yielding remonstrance, the third loyal remonstrance, the fourth blunt remonstrance, and the fifth indirect remonstrance. Confucius said: "I would presumably follow indirect remonstrance." Not to remonstrate endangers the lord; to remonstrate stubbornly endangers oneself. Better to endanger oneself than the lord; but if one endangers oneself and in the end is not used, then the remonstrance has no merit either. The wise man measures the lord and weighs the time, balances the urgent and the slow, and stays within what is fitting: above, he does not dare endanger the lord, and below he does not use it to endanger himself. So in the state the state is not in danger, and in his person he is not in peril. In the past Duke Ling of Chen would not listen to Xie Ye's remonstrance and killed him, and Cao Ji remonstrated with the lord of Cao three times without being heeded and left; the Spring and Autumn Annals ranks them: though both were worthy in righteousness, Cao Ji accorded with ritual.

齊景公遊於海上而樂之，六月不歸，令左右曰：“敢有先言歸者致死不赦。”顏斶趨進諫曰：“君樂治海上而六月不歸，彼儻有治國者，君且安得樂此海也！”景公援戟將斫之，顏斶趨進，撫衣待之曰：“君奚不斫也？昔者桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干，君之賢非此二主也，臣之材，亦非此二子也，君奚不斫？以臣參此二人者，不亦可乎？”景公說，遂歸，中道聞國人謀不內矣。

Duke Jing of Qi roamed by the sea and enjoyed it so much that for six months he did not return, and he ordered his attendants: "Whoever dares speak first of returning will be put to death without pardon." Yan Chu hurried forward and remonstrated: "Your lordship enjoys governing by the sea and has not returned in six months; if there is someone over there who governs the state, how will your lordship be able to enjoy this sea?" Duke Jing raised his halberd to strike him, but Yan Chu hurried forward, smoothed his clothes and waited, saying: "Why does your lordship not strike? In the past Jie killed Guan Longfeng and Zhou killed Prince Bi Gan; your lordship's worth is not that of these two rulers, and my talents are not those of these two men. Why does your lordship not strike? Let me stand alongside these two men; would that not do?" Duke Jing was pleased and so returned, and on the way he heard that the people of the state were planning not to take him back.

楚莊王立為君，三年不聽朝，乃令於國曰：“寡人惡為人臣而遽諫其君者，今寡人有國家，立社稷，有諫則死無赦。”蘇從曰：“處君之高爵，食君之厚祿，愛其死而不諫其君，則非忠臣也。”乃入諫。莊王立鼓鍾之間，左伏楊姬，右擁越姬，左裯衽，右朝服，曰：“吾鼓鍾之不暇，何諫之聽！”蘇從曰：“臣聞之，好道者多資，好樂者多迷，好道者多糧，好樂者多亡；荊國亡無日矣，死臣敢以告王。”王曰善。左執蘇從手，右抽陰刃，刎鐘鼓之懸，明日授蘇從為相。

After King Zhuang of Chu was installed as ruler, for three years he did not attend court, and then he gave an order to the whole state: "I detest ministers who press their ruler with urgent remonstrance; now that I hold the state and have established the altars, anyone who remonstrates will be put to death without pardon." Su Cong said: "One who holds the ruler's high rank and eats the ruler's generous salary, but cherishes his own life and does not remonstrate with the ruler, is not a loyal minister." So he went in to remonstrate. King Zhuang stood between the drums and bells, with Lady Yang lying at his left and Lady Yue in his arms at his right, sleeping robes on the left and court robes on the right, and said: "I cannot even keep up with my drums and bells; what remonstrance is there to listen to!" Su Cong said: "I have heard that those who love the Way have much in resources, and those who love music have much delusion; those who love the Way have much grain, and those who love music are much ruined; the downfall of Jing is not many days off, and a minister who is as good as dead dares to come and tell Your Majesty." The king said it was good. With his left hand he seized Su Cong's hand, and with his right he drew a hidden blade and cut the hangings of the bells and drums, and the next day he made Su Cong chancellor.

晉平公好樂，多其賦斂，下治城郭，曰：“敢有諫者死。”國人憂之，有咎犯者，見門大夫曰：“臣聞主君好樂，故以樂見。”門大夫入言曰：“晉人咎犯也，欲以樂見。”平公曰：“內之。”止坐殿上，則出鐘磬竽瑟。坐有頃。平公曰：“客子為樂？”咎犯對曰：“臣不能為樂，臣善隱。”平公召隱士十二人。咎犯曰：“隱臣竊顧昧死御。”平公諾。咎犯申其左臂而詘五指，平公問於隱官曰：“占之為何？”隱官皆曰：“不知。”平公曰：“歸之。”咎犯則申其一指曰：“是一也，便遊赭盡而峻城闕。二也，柱梁衣繡，士民無褐。三也，侏儒有餘酒，而死士渴。四也，民有飢色，而馬有栗秩。五也，近臣不敢諫，遠臣不敢達。”平公曰善。乃屏鐘鼓，除竽瑟，遂與咎犯參治國。

Duke Ping of Jin loved music, imposed heavy levies, and had the city walls repaired below, saying: "Anyone who dares remonstrate will be put to death." The people of the state were worried. There was one Jiu Fan, who saw the gatekeeper and said: "I have heard that my lord loves music, so I come to be received through music." The gatekeeper went in and said: "A man of Jin, Jiu Fan, wishes to be received through music." Duke Ping said: "Let him in." He halted and sat in the hall, and bells, chimes, reed organs, and zithers were set out. After he had sat a while, Duke Ping said: "Does the guest perform music?" Jiu Fan replied: "I cannot perform music; I am good at riddles." Duke Ping summoned twelve riddle-masters. Jiu Fan said: "This humble official privately wishes to risk death to serve." Duke Ping agreed. Jiu Fan stretched out his left arm and curled up five fingers, and Duke Ping asked the riddle officials: "Divine what this is." The officials all said: "We do not know." Duke Ping said: "Let him go back." Jiu Fan then stretched out one finger and said: "This is one: the red earth is used up and the city towers rise steep. Two: the pillars and beams are clothed in embroidery while the scholars and people have no coarse clothes. Three: dwarf entertainers have spare wine while the soldiers are thirsty. Four: the people have faces of hunger while the horses draw a grain salary. Five: the ministers close by dare not remonstrate and the ministers far away dare not communicate." Duke Ping said it was good. So he removed the bells and drums and the reed organs and zithers, and then took part with Jiu Fan in governing the state.

孟嘗君將西入秦，賓客諫之百通，則不聽也，曰：“以人事諫我，我盡知之；若以鬼道諫我，我則殺之。”謁者入曰：“有客以鬼道聞。”曰：“請客入。”客曰：“臣之來也，過於淄水上，見一土耦人，方與木梗人語，木梗謂土耦人曰：‘子先，土也，持子以為耦人，遇天大雨，水潦並至，子必沮壞。’應曰：‘我沮乃反吾真耳，今子，東園之桃也，刻子以為梗，遇天大雨，水潦並至，必浮子，泛泛乎不知所止。’今秦，四塞之國也，有虎狼之心，恐其有木梗之患。”於是孟嘗君逡巡而退，而無以應，卒不敢西向秦。

Lord Mengchang was about to go west into Qin, and his guests remonstrated a hundred times without being heard. He said: "If you remonstrate with me with human affairs, I know them all; if you remonstrate with me by the way of ghosts, I will kill you." The usher went in and said: "A guest has come with the way of ghosts to report." He said: "Please let the guest in." The guest said: "When I came, I passed by the Zi River and saw a clay figure talking with a wooden figure. The wooden figure said to the clay figure: 'You were originally earth, and you were made into a figure; if heavy rain falls from the sky and the water gathers and comes together, you will surely collapse.' The clay figure replied: 'If I collapse I simply return to my true nature. Now you are a peach from the eastern garden, carved into a wooden figure; if heavy rain falls and the water gathers and comes together, it will surely carry you away, floating adrift, not knowing where you will stop.' Now Qin is a state with four barriers and has the heart of a tiger and wolf; I fear you will have the trouble of the wooden figure." Lord Mengchang then drew back hesitantly and had nothing to answer, and in the end did not dare go west to Qin.

吳王欲伐荊，告其左右曰：“敢有諫者，死！”舍人有少孺子者，欲諫不敢，則懷丸操彈，遊於後園，露沾其衣，如是者三旦，吳王曰：“子來何苦沾衣如此？”對曰：“園中有樹，其上有蟬，蟬高居悲鳴飲露，不知螳螂在其後也！螳螂委身曲附，欲取蟬而不顧知黃雀在其傍也！黃雀延頸欲啄螳螂而不知彈丸在其下也！此三者皆務欲得其前利而不顧其後之有患也。”吳王曰：“善哉！”乃罷其兵。

The King of Wu wanted to attack Jing and told his attendants: "Anyone who dares to remonstrate will die!" Among the retainers there was a young lad who wished to remonstrate but did not dare, so he hid pellets in his bosom, carried a slingshot, and strolled in the rear garden, the dew wetting his clothes, doing so for three mornings. The King of Wu said: "Why do you come and suffer so that your clothes are so wet?" He replied: "In the garden there is a tree, and on it a cicada, which perches high singing sadly and drinking dew, not knowing that a mantis is behind it! The mantis bends its body and clings close, wanting to catch the cicada, not noticing a yellow sparrow beside it! The yellow sparrow stretches its neck wanting to peck the mantis, not knowing the pellet is beneath it! These three all seek only the profit before them and do not heed the harm behind." The King of Wu said: "Good!" And he called off his troops.

楚莊王欲伐陽夏，師久而不罷，群臣欲諫而莫敢，莊王獵於雲夢，椒舉進諫曰：“王所以多得獸者，馬也；而王國亡，王之馬豈可得哉？”莊王曰：“善，不穀知詘強之可以長諸侯也，知得地之可以為富也；而忘吾民之不用也。”明日飲諸大夫酒，以椒舉為上客，罷陽夏之師。

King Zhuang of Chu wanted to attack Yangxia, and the army was long in the field without stopping; the ministers wanted to remonstrate but none dared. King Zhuang was hunting at Yunmeng, and Jiao Ju remonstrated, saying: "What lets Your Majesty take much game is the horses; but if Your Majesty's state is lost, could Your Majesty still get his horses?" King Zhuang said: "Good. I knew that making the strong submit lets one be a lord for long, and knew that gaining land makes one rich, but I forgot that my people are not being used well." The next day he gave a drinking feast for the grand officers, treated Jiao Ju as the chief guest, and stopped the army attacking Yangxia.

秦始皇帝太后不謹，幸郎嫪●，封以為長信侯，為生兩子，●專國事，浸益驕奢，與侍中左右貴臣俱博飲，酒醉爭言而鬥，瞋目大叱曰：“吾乃皇帝之假父也，窶人子何敢乃與我亢！”所與鬥者走行白皇帝，皇帝大怒，●懼誅，因作亂，戰咸陽宮。●敗，始皇乃取●四肢車裂之，取其兩弟囊撲殺之，取皇太后遷之於萯陽宮，下令曰：“敢以太后事諫者，戮而殺之！”從蒺藜其脊肉，幹四肢而積之闕下，諫而死者二十七人矣。齊客茅焦乃往上謁曰：“齊客茅焦願上諫皇帝。”皇帝使使者出問客，得無以太后事諫也，茅焦曰然，使者還白曰：“果以太后事諫。”皇帝曰走往告之，若不見闕下積死人邪？使者問茅焦，茅焦曰：“臣聞之天有二十八宿，今死者已有二十七人矣，臣所以來者，欲滿其數耳，臣非畏死人也。”走入白之，茅焦邑子，同食者盡負其衣物行亡，使者入白之，皇帝大怒曰：“是子故來犯吾禁，趣炊鑊湯煮之，是安得積闕下乎！”趣召之入，皇帝按劍而坐，口正沫出，使者召之入，茅焦不肯疾行，足趣相過耳，使者趣之，茅焦曰：“臣至前則死矣，君獨不能忍吾須臾乎？”使者極哀之，茅焦至前再拜謁起，稱曰：“臣聞之，夫有生者不諱死，有國者不諱亡；諱死者不可以得生，諱亡者不可以得存。死生存亡，聖主所欲急聞也，不審陛下欲聞之不？”皇帝曰：“何謂也？”茅焦對曰：“陛下有狂悖之行，陛下不自知邪！”皇帝曰：“何等也？願聞之。”茅焦對曰：“陛下車裂假父，有嫉妒之心；囊撲兩弟，有不慈之名；遷母萯陽宮，有不孝之行；從蒺藜於諫士，有桀紂之治。今天下聞之，盡瓦解無向秦者，臣竊恐秦亡為陛下危之，所言已畢，乞行就質。”乃解衣伏質。皇帝下殿，左手接之，右手麾左右曰：“赦之，先生就衣，今願受事。”乃立焦為仲父，爵之上卿；

The Queen Dowager of the First Emperor of Qin was not circumspect and favored the courtier Lao Ai (the received text has a damaged character here, which by sense is 'Ai'), enfeoffed him as Marquis of Changxin, and bore him two sons. He (the received text has a damaged character here) monopolized state affairs and gradually grew more arrogant and extravagant, gambling and drinking with the attendants and nobles around him; when drunk they quarreled and fought, and he glared and shouted: "I am the Emperor's step-father; how dare the son of a poor man stand against me!" The man who fought with him ran and told the Emperor, who was furious. (a character is missing in the received text) feared being executed and so rebelled, and fought at the Xianyang Palace. (a character is missing in the received text) was defeated, and the First Emperor had his four limbs torn apart by chariots, had his two younger brothers put in sacks and beaten to death, and had the Queen Dowager moved to Yiyang Palace, and ordered: "Anyone who dares to remonstrate on the matter of the Queen Dowager will be executed and killed!" Thorns were laid on their backs, and their limbs withered and were piled below the gate towers; twenty-seven had already died remonstrating. A guest from Qi, Mao Jiao, then went forward to present his card, saying: "The guest from Qi, Mao Jiao, wishes to remonstrate with the Emperor." The Emperor sent an envoy out to ask the guest whether he was going to remonstrate on the matter of the Queen Dowager. Mao Jiao said yes, and the envoy returned and reported: "He is indeed going to remonstrate on the Queen Dowager's matter." The Emperor said: "Run and tell him, does he not see the dead piled below the towers?" The envoy asked Mao Jiao, who said: "I have heard that Heaven has twenty-eight lunar mansions, and now twenty-seven have died; that is why I have come, wishing to fill out the number, nothing more; I am not afraid of death." The envoy ran in and reported, and Mao Jiao's fellow townsmen and those who ate with him all fled carrying their belongings. The envoy went in and reported, and the Emperor was furious and said: "This man has come on purpose to violate my prohibition; quickly heat the cauldron and boil him; how could he still be piled up below the towers!" He quickly summoned him in. The Emperor sat gripping his sword, spittle at his mouth. The envoy summoned him in, but Mao Jiao would not hurry, his steps only slightly faster than usual; the envoy urged him, and Mao Jiao said: "When I reach his presence I will be dead; can His Majesty not bear with me for a moment?" The envoy pitied him greatly. When Mao Jiao reached the Emperor's presence he bowed twice, rose, and said: "I have heard that the living do not shy from death and the ones who hold a state do not shy from ruin; those who shy from death cannot get life, and those who shy from ruin cannot be preserved. Death and life, survival and ruin are what a sage ruler is eager to hear; I do not know whether Your Majesty wishes to hear them." The Emperor said: "What do you mean?" Mao Jiao replied: "Your Majesty has acts of wildness and perversity; does Your Majesty not know it himself!" The Emperor said: "What are they? I wish to hear." Mao Jiao replied: "Your Majesty tore his step-father apart with chariots, which shows a jealous heart; put two younger brothers in sacks and beat them to death, which carries a name for unkindness; moved his mother to Yiyang Palace, which is an unfilial act; and laid thorns on remonstrating scholars, which is the rule of Jie and Zhou. Now the world has heard of it, and all have fallen apart and none look toward Qin; I privately fear Qin will perish and am afraid for Your Majesty. What I had to say is finished, and I ask to go to the block." Then he undid his clothes and lay on the block. The Emperor came down from the hall, caught him with his left hand, and with his right gestured to those around him: "Pardon him; Sir, put on your clothes; now I wish to receive your service." So he made Jiao his Second Father and gave him the rank of senior minister;

皇帝立駕，千乘萬騎，空左方自行迎太后萯陽宮，歸於咸陽；太后大喜，乃大置酒待茅焦，及飲，太后曰：“抗枉令直，使敗更成，安秦之社稷；使妾母子復得相會者，盡茅君之力也。”

the Emperor immediately had his carriage readied, with a thousand chariots and ten thousand riders, leaving the left seat empty, and went in person to Yiyang Palace to welcome the Queen Dowager and returned to Xianyang. The Queen Dowager was overjoyed and held a great banquet for Mao Jiao; when it came to the drinking, the Queen Dowager said: "To hold up what was bent and make it straight, to restore what was ruined, and to secure the altars of Qin, so that I and my son could meet again, all this is through the strength of Master Mao."

楚莊王築層臺，延石千重，延壤百里，士有三月之糧者，大臣諫者七十二人皆死矣；有諸御己者，違楚百里而耕，謂其耦曰：“吾將入見於王。”其耦曰：“以身乎？吾聞之，說人主者，皆閒暇之人也，然且至而死矣；今子特草茅之人耳。”諸御己曰：“若與子同耕則比力也，至於說人主不與子比智矣。”委其耕而入見莊王。莊王謂之曰：“諸御己來，汝將諫邪？”諸御己曰：“君有義之用，有法之行。且己聞之，土負水者平，木負繩者正，君受諫者聖；君築層臺，延石千重，延壤百里；民之釁咎血成於通塗，然且未敢諫也，己何敢諫乎？顧臣愚，竊聞昔者虞不用宮之奇而晉幷之，陳不用子家羈而楚幷之，曹不用僖負羈而宋幷之，萊不用子猛而齊幷之，吳不用子胥而越幷之，秦人不用蹇叔之言而秦國危，桀殺關龍逢而湯得之，紂殺王子比干而武王得之，宣王殺杜伯而周室卑；此三天子，六諸侯，皆不能尊賢用辯士之言，故身死而國亡。”遂趨而出，楚王遽而追之曰：“己子反矣，吾將用子之諫；先日說寡人者，其說也不足以動寡人之心，又危（一作色）加諸寡人，故皆至而死；今子之說，足以動寡人之心，又不危加諸寡人，故吾將用子之諫。”明日令曰：“有能入諫者，吾將與為兄弟。”遂解層臺而罷民，楚人歌之曰：“薪乎萊乎？無諸御己訖無子乎？萊乎薪乎？無諸御己訖無入乎！”

King Zhuang of Chu built a multi-storied terrace, hauling stone for a thousand layers and earth for a hundred li, with the laborers carrying three months of provisions; seventy-two ministers who remonstrated were all put to death. There was a Zhu Yuji, who farmed a hundred li outside Chu, and he said to his plowing partner: "I am going in to see the king." His plowing partner said: "By yourself? I have heard that those who persuade the ruler are all men of leisure, and even they die the moment they arrive; you are only a man of thatch and grass." Zhu Yuji said: "If it were plowing alongside you, we would compare strength; but as for persuading a ruler, I will not compare wits with you." He put down his plowing and went in to see King Zhuang. King Zhuang said to him: "Zhu Yuji has come; are you going to remonstrate?" Zhu Yuji said: "The ruler has righteousness to apply and law to carry out. Moreover, I have heard that earth receives its level from water and wood receives its straightness from the ink line, and a ruler who receives remonstrance is a sage; Your Majesty is building a multi-storied terrace, hauling stone for a thousand layers and earth for a hundred li; the people's blood and guilt have become a thoroughfare, yet no one dares to remonstrate; how would I dare to remonstrate? Only I am foolish, and I have privately heard that in the past Yu did not use Gong Zhiqi and Jin annexed it, Chen did not use Zijia Ji and Chu annexed it, Cao did not use Xi Fuji and Song annexed it, Lai did not use Zimeng and Qi annexed it, Wu did not use Zixu and Yue annexed it, the people of Qin did not use Jian Shu's words and the state of Qin was endangered; Jie killed Guan Longfeng and Tang gained the realm, Zhou killed Prince Bi Gan and King Wu gained it, King Xuan killed Du Bo and the house of Zhou declined; these three Sons of Heaven and six feudal lords could not honor the worthy and use the words of those who argued, and so died and their states were lost." Then he hurried out, and the King of Chu rushed after him, saying: "Master Ji, return; I will use your remonstrance. Those who persuaded me before had arguments not enough to move my heart, and they also placed danger (the received note says: one version reads 'looks') upon me, so all died on arrival; now your argument suffices to move my heart and does not place danger upon me, so I will use your remonstrance." The next day he gave an order: "Whoever can come in and remonstrate, I will take him as a brother." Then he took down the multi-storied terrace and ended the labor levies. The people of Chu sang: "Chai, oh Lai? Without Zhu Yuji, would it be finished, without you? Lai, oh Chai? Without Zhu Yuji, would it be finished, with no one coming in!"

齊桓公謂鮑叔曰：“寡人慾鑄大鐘，昭寡人之名焉，寡人之行，豈避堯舜哉？”鮑叔曰：“敢問君之行？”桓公曰：“昔者吾圍譚三年，得而不自與者，仁也；吾北伐孤竹，■令支而反者，武也；吾為葵丘之會，以偃天下之兵者，文也；諸侯抱美玉而朝者九國，寡人不受者，義也。然則文武仁義，寡人盡有之矣，寡人之行豈避堯舜哉！”鮑叔曰：“君直言，臣直對；昔者公子糾在上位而不讓，非仁也；背太公之言而侵魯境，非義也；壇場之上，詘於一劍，非武也；侄娣不離懷衽，非文也。凡為不善遍於物不自知者，無天禍必有人害，天處甚高，其聽甚下；除君過言，天且聞之。”桓公曰：“寡人有過乎？幸記之，是社稷之福也，子不幸教，幾有大罪以辱社稷。”

Duke Huan of Qi said to Bao Shu: "I wish to cast a great bell and make my name known; my conduct, does it yield even to Yao and Shun?" Bao Shu said: "May I ask about Your Lordship's conduct?" Duke Huan said: "In the past I besieged Tan for three years, and when I took it I did not keep it for myself; that is benevolence. I attacked Guzhu in the north (a character is missing in the received text) and Lingzhi and returned; that is martial. I held the meeting at Kuiqiu to stop the weapons of the world; that is civil. Nine states' feudal lords came to court carrying fine jade and I did not accept it; that is righteousness. Thus civil, martial, benevolence, and righteousness I all have; does my conduct yield to Yao and Shun!" Bao Shu said: "You speak plainly and I answer plainly: in the past Prince Jiu was in the higher position and you did not yield to him, which is not benevolence; you went against the Grand Duke's words and invaded the borders of Lu, which is not righteousness; at the altar you were cowed by one sword, which is not martial; your nieces and concubines never left your bosom and robes, which is not civil. Those who do evil that spreads to all things without knowing it will, if not suffering Heaven's calamity, surely be harmed by someone; Heaven dwells very high but hears very low; remove your overstatements, and Heaven will hear." Duke Huan said: "Have I any fault? Fortunately you recorded it; that is the altars' good fortune; had you not taken pains to instruct me, I would nearly have committed a great offense and shamed the altars."

楚昭王欲之荊臺遊，司馬子綦進諫曰：“荊臺之遊，左洞庭之波，右彭蠡之水；南望獵山，下臨方淮。其樂使人遺老而忘死，人君遊者盡以亡其國，願大王勿往遊焉。”王曰：“荊臺乃吾地也，有地而遊之，子何為絕我遊乎？”怒而擊之。於是令尹子西，駕安車四馬，徑於殿下曰：“今日荊臺之遊，不可不觀也。”王登車而拊其背曰：“荊臺之遊，與子共樂之矣。”步馬十里，引轡而止曰：“臣不敢下車，願得有道，大王肯聽之乎？”王曰：“第言之。”令尹子西曰：“臣聞之，為人臣而忠其君者，爵祿不足以賞也；為人臣而諛其君者，刑罰不足以誅也。若司馬子綦者忠君也，若臣者諛臣也；願大王殺臣之軀，罰臣之家，而祿司馬子綦。”王曰：“若我能止，聽公子，獨能禁我遊耳，後世遊之，無有極時，奈何？”令尹子西曰：“欲禁後世易耳，願大王山陵崩，為陵於荊臺；未嘗有持鐘鼓管絃之樂而遊於父之墓上者也。”於是王還車，卒不遊荊臺，令罷先置。孔子從魯聞之曰：“美哉！令尹子西，諫之於十里之前，而權之於百世之後者也。”

King Zhao of Chu wanted to go to Jing Terrace for pleasure, and Sima Ziqi remonstrated: "Pleasure at Jing Terrace has the waves of Dongting on its left and the waters of Pengli on its right; to the south one sees Hunting Hill, and below lies the Fang Huai. Its delight makes people abandon old age and forget death; all rulers who played there thereby ruined their states; I hope Your Majesty will not go." The king said: "Jing Terrace is my land; I have land and play there; why do you cut off my pleasure?" He grew angry and struck him. Then Prime Minister Zixi drove a four-horse carriage straight to below the hall and said: "Today's pleasure at Jing Terrace must be seen." The king got into the carriage and pressed him on the back, saying: "Pleasure at Jing Terrace; we shall delight in it together." They drove ten li, and he pulled the reins and stopped, saying: "I dare not get down from the carriage, but I wish to have a word of the Way; will Your Majesty hear it?" The king said: "Speak." Prime Minister Zixi said: "I have heard that a minister who is loyal to his ruler cannot be rewarded enough by rank and salary; a minister who flatters his ruler cannot be punished enough by penalty. Sima Ziqi is the loyal one, and I am the flatterer; I wish Your Majesty to kill my person and punish my household, and give Sima Ziqi a salary." The king said: "If I can stop, I will listen to you, Prince; but you can only prevent me from going; if later generations play there there will be no end; what then?" Prime Minister Zixi said: "It is easy to forbid later generations; I wish that when Your Majesty's mountain mound crumbles (the received text has an unreadable character here), you make your tomb at Jing Terrace; no one has ever played with the music of bells, drums, pipes, and strings on his father's grave." So the king turned his carriage around and in the end did not go to Jing Terrace, and ordered the pre-arranged setup stopped. Confucius, hearing of it in Lu, said: "How fine! Prime Minister Zixi remonstrated ten li beforehand and weighed the matter a hundred generations after."

荊文王得如黃之狗，箘簬之矰，以畋於雲夢，三月不反；得舟（一作丹）之姬，淫期年不聽朝。保申諫曰：“先王卜以臣為保吉，今王得如黃之狗，箘簬之矰，畋於雲澤，三月不反；及得舟之姬，淫期年不聽朝，王之罪當笞。”匍伏將笞王，王曰：“不穀免於襁褓，托於諸侯矣，願請變更而無笞。”保申曰：“臣承先王之命不敢廢，王不受笞，是廢先王之命也；臣寧得罪於王，無負於先王。”王曰：“敬諾。”乃席王，王伏，保申束細箭五十，跪而加之王背，如此者再，謂王起矣。王曰：“有笞之名一也。”遂致之。保申曰：“臣聞之，君子恥之，小人痛之；恥之不變，痛之何益？”保申趨出，欲自流，乃請罪於王，王曰：“此不穀之過，保將何罪？”王乃變行從保申，殺如黃之狗，折箘簬之矰，逐舟之姬，務治乎荊；兼國三十，令荊國廣大至於此者，保申敢極言之功也。蕭何王陵聞之曰：“聖主能奉先世之業，而以成功名者，其惟荊文王乎！故天下譽之至今，明主忠臣孝子以為法。”

King Wen of Jing obtained the dog Ruhuang and the arrow Junlu, and hunted at Yunmeng for three months without returning; he obtained the lady of Zhou (the received note says: one version reads 'Dan') and indulged for a full year without attending court. Bao Shen remonstrated: "The former king divined and found it auspicious to appoint me as guardian; now Your Majesty has obtained the dog Ruhuang and the arrow Junlu and hunts at Yunmeng for three months without returning; since obtaining the lady of Zhou you have indulged a full year without attending court; Your Majesty's offense deserves a flogging." He crawled forward to flog the king, and the king said: "Since leaving swaddling clothes I have entrusted myself to the feudal lords; I request to change my ways and not be flogged." Bao Shen said: "I received the former king's command and dare not discard it; if Your Majesty does not accept the flogging, that discards the former king's command; I would rather offend Your Majesty than betray the former king." The king said: "I respectfully obey." So a mat was spread for the king, and the king lay down; Bao Shen bundled fifty fine arrows and, kneeling, laid them on the king's back, doing so twice, and told the king to rise. The king said: "The name of being flogged is the same." So he sent the arrows away. Bao Shen said: "I have heard that the gentleman takes it as shame and the petty man takes it as pain; if shame does not lead to change, what benefit is there in pain?" Bao Shen hurried out, intending to exile himself, and begged the king's pardon. The king said: "This was my fault; what offense has Bao?" The king then changed his conduct and followed Bao Shen, killed the dog Ruhuang, broke the arrow Junlu, drove out the lady of Zhou, and devoted himself to governing Jing; he annexed thirty states and made the state of Jing as vast as it was; this was the merit of Bao Shen daring to speak to the utmost. Xiao He and Wang Ling heard of it and said: "A sage ruler who can carry on the work of earlier generations and so achieve merit and name is probably only King Wen of Jing! So the world has praised him to this day, and enlightened rulers, loyal ministers, and filial sons take him as a model."

晉平公使叔向聘於吳，吳人拭舟以逆之，左五百人，右五百人；有繡衣而豹裘者，有錦衣而狐裘者，叔向歸以告平公，平公曰：“吳其亡乎！奚以敬舟？奚以敬民？”叔向對曰：“君為馳底之臺，上何以發千兵？下何以陳鐘鼓？”諸侯聞君者，亦曰‘奚以敬臺，奚以敬民？’所敬各異也。”於是平公乃罷臺。

Duke Ping of Jin sent Shu Xiang on a diplomatic mission to Wu, and the people of Wu polished their boats to welcome him, with five hundred men on the left and five hundred on the right; some wore embroidered clothes and leopard furs, some wore brocade and fox furs. Shu Xiang returned and told Duke Ping, who said: "Wu will probably perish! Why do they honor boats? Why do they honor the people?" Shu Xiang replied: "If Your Lordship builds a terrace to ride over the plains, what is it used on top to send out a thousand troops? What is used below to display the bells and drums? The feudal lords who hear of Your Lordship also say: 'Why honor terraces, why honor the people?' What is honored is different in each case." Then Duke Ping stopped building the terrace.

趙簡子舉兵而攻齊，令軍中有敢諫者罪至死，被甲之士，名曰公盧，望見簡子大笑；簡子曰：“子何笑？”對曰：“臣有夙笑。”簡子曰：“有以解之則可，無以解之則死。”對曰：“當桑之時，臣鄰家夫與妻俱之田，見桑中女，因往追之，不能得，還反，其妻怒而去之，臣笑其曠也。”簡子曰：“今吾伐國失國，是吾曠也。”於是罷師而歸。

Zhao Jianzi raised troops to attack Qi and ordered that anyone in the army who dared to remonstrate would be guilty of a capital offense. There was an armored soldier named Gonglu, who saw Jianzi and laughed loudly. Jianzi said: "What are you laughing at?" He replied: "I have a long-standing habit of laughing." Jianzi said: "If you have an explanation, fine; if not, you die." He replied: "At the time of picking mulberry leaves, my neighbor and his wife went to the fields together, and he saw a woman among the mulberries and chased after her, but could not get her; when he returned, his wife was angry and left him; I laughed at how he came up empty." Jianzi said: "Now I attack another state and lose my own; that is my coming up empty." So he stopped the army and returned.

景公為臺，臺成，又欲為鍾，晏子諫曰：“君不勝欲為臺，今復欲為鍾，是重斂於民，民之哀矣；夫斂民之哀而以為樂，不祥。”景公乃止。

Duke Jing built a terrace, and when the terrace was done he wanted to cast a bell. Master Yan remonstrated: "Your Lordship could not satisfy his desire by building the terrace, and now wants to cast a bell, which increases the levies on the people and makes them sad; to gather the people's sorrow to make music is ill-omened." Duke Jing then stopped.

景公有馬，其圉人殺之，公怒，援戈將自擊之，晏子曰：“此不知其罪而死，臣請為君數之，令知其罪而殺之。”公曰：“諾。”晏子舉戈而臨之曰：“汝為吾君養馬而殺之，而罪當死；汝使吾君以馬之故殺圉人，而罪又當死；汝使吾君以馬故殺人，聞於四鄰諸侯，汝罪又當死。”公曰：“夫子釋之！夫子釋之！勿傷吾仁也。”

Duke Jing had a horse, and the groom who tended the horse killed it. The duke was angry and picked up a halberd to strike him down himself. Master Yan said: "In this way he would die without knowing his own crime; I beg to enumerate his offenses for Your Lordship, so that he knows his crimes before being killed." The duke said: "Good." Master Yan raised the halberd and, facing him, said: "You tended our ruler's horse and killed it; your crime deserves death; you made our ruler kill a groom because of a horse, and your crime again deserves death; you made our ruler kill a man for the sake of a horse, so that it reaches the neighboring feudal lords, and your crime again deserves death." The duke said: "Master, let him go! Master, let him go! Do not harm my benevolence."

景公好弋，使燭雛主鳥而亡之，景公怒而欲殺之，晏子曰：“燭雛有罪，請數之以其罪，乃殺之。”景公曰：“可。”於是乃召燭雛數之景公前曰：“汝為吾君主鳥而亡之，是一罪也；使吾君以鳥之故殺人，是二罪也；使諸侯聞之以吾君重鳥而輕士，是三罪也。數燭雛罪已畢，請殺之。”景公曰：“止，勿殺而謝之。”

Duke Jing liked shooting birds and had Zhu Chu in charge of the birds, but he lost them, and Duke Jing was angry and wanted to kill him. Master Yan said: "Zhu Chu has committed an offense; please enumerate his crimes and then kill him." Duke Jing said: "Very well." So he summoned Zhu Chu and, before Duke Jing, enumerated: "You were in charge of the birds for our ruler but lost them; this is the first crime; you made our ruler kill a man for the sake of a bird; this is the second crime; you made the feudal lords hear of it and think our ruler values birds and makes light of officers; this is the third crime. The enumeration of Zhu Chu's crimes is finished; please kill him." Duke Jing said: "Stop, do not kill him; apologize to him."

景公正晝被髮乘六馬，御婦人出正閨，刖跪擊其馬而反之，曰：“爾非吾君也。”公慚而不朝，晏子睹裔敖而問曰：“君何故不朝？”對曰：“昔者君正晝被髮乘六馬，御婦人出正閨，刖跪擊其馬而反之曰：‘爾非吾君也。’公慚而反，不果出，是以不朝。”晏子入見，公曰：“昔者寡人有罪，被髮乘六馬以出正閨，刖跪擊其馬而反之，曰：‘爾非吾君也。’寡人以天子大夫之賜，得率百姓以守宗廟，今見戮於刖跪以辱社稷，吾猶可以齊於諸侯乎？”晏子對曰：“君無惡焉。臣聞之，下無直辭，上無隱君；民多諱言，君有驕行。古者明君在上，下有直辭；君上好善，民無諱言。今君有失行，而刖跪有直辭，是君之福也，故臣來慶，請賞之，以明君之好善；禮之，以明君之受諫！”公笑曰：“可乎？”晏子曰：“可。”於是令刖跪倍資無正，時朝無事。

Duke Jing, in broad daylight with his hair loose, drove a six-horse carriage carrying a woman out of the main inner gate. A gate guard who had suffered the foot-cutting punishment struck his horses and made him turn back, saying: "You are not my lord." The duke was ashamed and did not attend court. Yan Zi saw Yi Ao and asked: "Why does the lord not attend court?" He replied: "Earlier the lord, in broad daylight with his hair loose, drove a six-horse carriage carrying a woman out of the main inner gate. A gate guard who had suffered the foot-cutting punishment struck his horses and made him turn back, saying: 'You are not my lord.' The duke was ashamed and returned, and in the end did not go out, so he did not attend court." Yan Zi went in to see him. The duke said: "Earlier I committed a fault: I drove a six-horse carriage with loose hair out of the main inner gate, and a gate guard who had suffered the foot-cutting punishment struck the horses and made me turn back, saying: 'You are not my lord.' By the favor of the Son of Heaven and the grand masters I have been able to lead the hundred clans and keep the ancestral temple, and now to be rebuked and humiliated by a gate guard who suffered the foot-cutting punishment brings shame on the altars of land and grain. Can I still stand among the feudal lords?" Yan Zi replied: "Do not hate this matter, my lord. I have heard that when there are no upright words below, there is a lord above who hides; when the people have many taboo words, the lord has arrogant conduct. In ancient times when an enlightened ruler was above, there were upright words below; when the lord loved the good, the people had no forbidden words. Now my lord has a faulty act, and a gate guard who suffered the foot-cutting punishment has upright words; this is the lord's fortune, and so I have come to congratulate you. Please reward him to show that my lord loves the good, and treat him with courtesy to show that my lord accepts remonstrance!" The duke smiled and said: "May it be done?" Yan Zi said: "It may." So he ordered that the gate guard who had suffered the foot-cutting punishment be given double provisions and exempted from taxes, and at that time there was no incident at court.

景公飲酒，移於晏子家，前驅報閭曰：“君至”。晏子被玄端立於門曰：“諸侯得微有故乎？國家得微有故乎？君何為非時而夜辱？”公曰：“酒醴之味，金石之聲，願與夫子樂之。”晏子對曰：“夫布薦席，陳簠簋者有人，臣不敢與焉。”公曰：“移於司馬穰苴之家。”前驅報閭曰：“君至”。司馬穰苴介冑操戟立於門曰：“諸侯得微有兵乎？大臣得微有叛者乎？君何為非時而夜辱？”公曰：“酒醴之味，金石之聲，願與夫子樂之。”對曰：“夫布薦席，陳簠簋者有人，臣不敢與焉。”公曰：“移於梁丘據之家。”前驅報閭曰：“君至”。梁丘據左操瑟，右挈竽，行歌而至，公曰：“樂哉！今夕吾飲酒也，微彼二子者何以治吾國！微此一臣者何以樂吾身！賢聖之君皆有益友，無偷樂之臣。”景公弗能及，故兩用之，僅得不亡。

Duke Jing was drinking and moved to Yan Zi's house. The advance runners reported at the village gate: "The lord has arrived." Yan Zi, in black ceremonial robes, stood at the door and said: "Surely there is no trouble among the feudal lords? Surely there is no trouble in the state? Why does my lord condescend to come at night, not at the usual time?" The duke said: "The flavors of wine and sweet liquor and the sounds of bells and chimes, I wish to enjoy together with you, Master." Yan Zi replied: "There are people whose task it is to lay out mats and set the ritual vessels; I do not dare take part." The duke said: "Move to the house of Sima Rangju." The advance runners reported at the village gate: "The lord has arrived." Sima Rangju, in armor and holding a halberd, stood at the door and said: "Surely there is no war among the feudal lords? Surely there is no rebellion among the great ministers? Why does my lord condescend to come at night, not at the usual time?" The duke said: "The flavors of wine and sweet liquor and the sounds of bells and chimes, I wish to enjoy together with you, Master." He replied: "There are people whose task it is to lay out mats and set the ritual vessels; I do not dare take part." The duke said: "Move to the house of Liangqiu Ju." The advance runners reported at the village gate: "The lord has arrived." Liangqiu Ju, holding the se in his left hand and the yu in his right, came singing as he walked. The duke said: "How delightful! Tonight I drink; without those two men, with whom would I govern my state! Without this one minister, with whom would I find joy for myself! Worthy and sage rulers all have friends who are beneficial, and have no ministers who steal pleasure." Duke Jing could not catch up with this, so he used both kinds, and barely managed to avoid ruin.

吳以伍子胥孫武之謀，西破強楚，北威齊晉，南伐越，越王句踐迎擊之，敗吳於姑蘇，傷闔廬指，軍卻，闔廬謂太子夫差曰：“爾忘句踐殺而父乎？”夫差對曰：“不敢。”是夕闔廬死，夫差既立為王，以伯嚭為太宰，習戰射，三年伐越，敗於夫湫，越王句踐乃以兵五千人（一作入）棲於會稽山上，使大夫種厚幣遣吳太宰嚭以請和，委國為臣妾，吳王將許之，伍子胥諫曰：“越王為人能辛苦，今王不滅，後必悔之。”吳王不聽，用太宰嚭計與越平。其後五年，吳王聞齊景公死，而大臣爭寵，新君弱，乃興師北伐齊，子胥諫曰：“不可。句踐食不重味，弔死問疾，且能用人，此人不死，必為吳患；今越，腹心之疾，齊猶疥癬耳，而王不先越，乃務伐齊，不亦謬乎？”吳王不聽，伐齊，大敗齊師於艾陵，遂與鄒魯之君會以歸，益疏子胥之言。其後四年，吳將復北伐齊，越王句踐用子胥之謀，乃率其眾以助吳，而重寶以獻遺太宰嚭，太宰嚭既數受越賂，其愛信越殊甚，日夜為言於吳王，王信用嚭之計，伍子胥諫曰：“夫越，腹心之疾，今信其遊辭偽詐而貪齊，譬猶石田，無所用之，盤庚曰：‘古人有顛越不恭’。是商所以興也，願王釋齊而先越，不然，將悔之無及也。”吳王不聽，使子胥於齊，子胥謂其子曰：“吾諫王，王不我用，吾今見吳之滅矣，女與吳俱亡無為也。”乃屬其子於齊鮑氏而歸報吳王。太宰嚭既與子胥有隙，因讒曰：“子胥為人，剛暴少恩，其怨望猜賊為禍也，深恨前日王欲伐齊，子胥以為不可，王卒伐之，而有大功，子胥計謀不用，乃反怨望；今王又復伐齊，子胥專愎強諫，沮毀用事，徼倖吳之敗，以自勝其計謀耳。今王自行，悉國中武力以伐齊，而子胥諫不用，因輟佯病不行，王不可不備，此起禍不難，且臣使人微伺之，其使齊也，乃屬其子於鮑氏。

Wu used the plans of Wu Zixu and Sun Wu: to the west it broke mighty Chu, to the north it overawed Qi and Jin, and to the south it attacked Yue. King Goujian of Yue met them in battle and defeated Wu at Gusu, wounding Helu's toe, and the army withdrew. Helu said to his Crown Prince Fuchai: "Have you forgotten that Goujian killed your father?" Fuchai replied: "I dare not." That night Helu died. After Fuchai was established as king, he used Bo Pi as Grand Steward, trained in war and archery, and in three years attacked Yue and defeated it at Fujiao. King Goujian of Yue then took five thousand troops (a note in the base text says one version reads 'entered') and rested on Mount Kuaiji, and sent the grand master Zhong with heavy gifts to Wu's Grand Steward Pi to ask for peace, entrusting his state to be a servant. The King of Wu was about to agree, but Wu Zixu remonstrated: "The King of Yue is the kind of man who can endure hardship. If Your Majesty does not destroy him now, you will certainly regret it later." The King of Wu did not listen, and made peace with Yue on the Grand Steward Pi's plan. Five years after that, the King of Wu heard that Duke Jing of Qi had died, that his ministers were vying for favor, and that the new ruler was weak, and so raised troops to attack Qi in the north. Zixu remonstrated: "It cannot be done. Goujian does not have two dishes at a meal, mourns the dead and consoles the sick, and also can employ people; if this man does not die, he will certainly become a calamity for Wu. Yue is an illness of the heart and belly, while Qi is no more than a scab; if Your Majesty does not first deal with Yue but strives to attack Qi, is that not absurd?" The King of Wu did not listen, attacked Qi, and defeated the Qi army greatly at Ailing, and then made a covenant with the rulers of Zou and Lu and returned, growing more distant from Zixu's words. Four years after that, Wu was about to attack Qi again in the north; King Goujian of Yue, following Zixu's plan, led his troops to help Wu and also offered heavy treasures to the Grand Steward Pi. The Grand Steward Pi had already accepted Yue's bribes many times, and his love and trust for Yue was especially deep, and day and night he spoke to the King of Wu, and the king trusted Pi's plans. Wu Zixu remonstrated: "Yue is an illness of the heart and belly; now you believe his persuasive words, his falseness and deceit, and go after Qi; it is like a stony field and is of no use. The Book of Documents says: 'The ancients had those who fell, overstepped, and were disobedient.' This is how Shang rose. I hope Your Majesty will put Qi aside and first deal with Yue; if not, you will regret it too late." The King of Wu did not listen and sent Zixu to Qi. Zixu said to his son: "I remonstrated with the king and the king did not use me. Now I see Wu is about to perish; to perish together with Wu would accomplish nothing." So he entrusted his son to the Bao clan of Qi and returned to report to the King of Wu. The Grand Steward Pi already had a quarrel with Zixu, and so slandered him: "Zixu, as a man, is harsh, violent, and sparing in kindness; his resentment, suspicion, and malice turn into calamity. He bitterly resents that when the king earlier wished to attack Qi, Zixu thought it should not be done; the king in the end attacked and gained great merit, and Zixu's plan was not used, so he turned to resentment. Now the king is again attacking Qi, and Zixu is overbearing and stubborn and forces his remonstrance, spoiling and slandering what is in power, hoping for Wu's defeat to show that his plan was right. Now the king himself is going out, using the full military strength of the state to attack Qi, but Zixu's remonstrance was not used, so he stopped and feigned illness and did not go; Your Majesty must not fail to guard against this, for it would be easy for him to start a disaster. Moreover I sent someone to watch him secretly, and when he was sent as envoy to Qi, he entrusted his son to the Bao clan.

夫人臣內不得意，外交諸侯，自以先王謀臣，今不用，常怏怏，願王早圖之。”吳王曰：“微子之言，吾亦疑之。”乃使使賜子胥屬鏤之劍，曰：“子以此死。”子胥曰：“嗟乎！讒臣宰嚭為亂，王顧反誅我，我令若父霸，又若立時，諸子弟爭立，我以死爭之於先王，幾不得立，若既立，欲分吳國與我，我顧不敢當，然若之何聽讒臣殺長者！”乃告舍人曰：“必樹吾墓上以梓，令可以為器，而抉吾眼著之吳東門，以觀越寇之滅吳也。”乃自刺殺，吳王聞之大怒，乃取子胥屍，盛以鴟夷革，浮之江中，吳人憐之，乃為立祠於江上，因名曰胥山。後十餘年，越襲吳，吳王還與戰不勝，使大夫行成於越不許，吳王將死曰：“吾以不用子胥之言至於此；令死者無知則已，死者有知，吾何面目以見子胥也？”遂蒙絮覆面而自刎。

A subject who is not satisfied within and conspires with the feudal lords outside, who considers himself a strategist of the former king and is now unused, is always discontented and resentful; I hope Your Majesty will make plans early." The King of Wu said: "Without your words, I also suspected him." So he sent an envoy to give Zixu the Shulou sword and said: "Die by this." Zixu said: "Alas! The slanderous minister Pi creates disorder, and the king instead executes me. I made your father hegemon, and when you were to be established, the princes and brothers contended to be set up, and I contended against them with my life before the former king, so that you almost could not be established; when you had been established, you wished to divide the state of Wu with me, and I did not dare accept; yet how can you listen to a slanderous minister and kill an elder!" Then he told his attendant: "Be sure to plant catalpa trees on my grave so that they can be made into vessels, and gouge out my eyes and hang them over the east gate of Wu to see the Yue raiders destroy Wu." Then he killed himself. When the King of Wu heard it, he was enraged and took Zixu's corpse, put it in a leather sack, and floated it in the river. The people of Wu pitied him and set up a shrine by the river, which is why it is named Mount Xu. More than ten years later, Yue attacked Wu, and the King of Wu returned and fought but could not win; he sent a grand master to ask Yue for peace, which was not allowed. When the King of Wu was about to die, he said: "Because I did not use Zixu's words, I have come to this; if the dead have no knowledge, so be it, but if the dead have knowledge, with what face shall I see Zixu?" He then covered his face with cotton wadding and killed himself.

齊景公有臣曰諸御鞅，諫簡公曰：“田常與宰予，此二人者甚相憎也，臣恐其相攻；相攻雖叛而危之，不可。願君去一人。”簡公曰：“非細人之所敢議也。”居無幾何，田常果攻宰予於庭，賊簡公於朝，簡公喟焉太息，曰：“餘不用鞅之言以至此患也。故忠臣之言，不可不察也。”

Duke Jing of Qi had a minister named Zhu Yuyang, who remonstrated with Duke Jian, saying: "Tian Chang and Zai Yu hate each other very much, and I fear that they will attack each other; if they attack each other, there will be rebellion and harm; it cannot be allowed. I hope Your Lordship will remove one of them." Duke Jian said: "This is not something a petty person dares to discuss." Not long after, Tian Chang indeed attacked Zai Yu in the courtyard and killed Duke Jian at court. Duke Jian sighed: "Because I did not use Yang's words, I have come to this calamity. So the words of a loyal minister must not go unexamined."

魯襄公朝荊，至淮，聞荊康王卒，公欲還，叔仲昭伯曰：“君之來也，為其威也；今其王死，其威未去，何為還？”大夫皆欲還，子服景伯曰：“子之來也，為國家之利也，故不憚勤勞，不遠道塗，而聽於荊也，畏其威也！夫義人者，固將慶其喜而吊其憂，況畏而聘焉者乎！聞畏而往，聞喪而還，其誰曰非侮也。姓是嗣王，太子又長矣，執政未易，事君任政，求說其侮，以定嗣君，而示後人，其讎滋大，以戰小國，其誰能止之？若從君而致患，不若違君以避難，且君子計而後行，二三子其計乎？有御楚之術，有守國之備，則可；若未有也，不如行！”乃遂行。

Duke Xiang of Lu went to pay court to Jing, and when he reached the Huai River, he heard that King Kang of Jing had died, and the duke wished to turn back. Shuzhong Zhaobo said: "Your lordship came because of his power; now that their king has died, his power has not been removed; why turn back?" The grand masters all wanted to turn back. Zifu Jingbo said: "You came for the benefit of the state, so you did not fear labor or mind the length of the road, and listened to Jing's orders out of fear of his power! A righteous person would truly congratulate on his joy and condole in his sorrow, how much more one who comes on a visit out of fear! To go because of fear and return because one hears of a funeral, who would not call this an insult (the base text has a character here in a private-use form, which cannot be identified). The heir is the successor king, the Crown Prince has grown up, the government has not changed; serving the lord and holding the government, if we wish to explain away that insult in order to settle the successor lord and show it to later people, the resentment would become greater, and with this to fight with a small state, who could stop it? If we follow the lord and bring disaster, it is better to go against the lord and avoid calamity. Moreover the gentleman plans and then acts; have you gentlemen planned? If there is a means of resisting Chu and preparation for defending the state, it is fine; if not yet, it is better to go forward!" So in the end they went forward.

孝景皇帝時，吳王濞反，梁孝王中郎枚乘字叔聞之，為書諫王，其辭曰：“君王之外臣乘，竊聞得全者全昌，失全者全亡。舜無立錐之地，以有天下；禹無十戶之聚，以王諸侯。湯武之地，方不過百里；上不絕三光之明，下不傷百姓之心者，有王術也！故父子之道，天性也，忠臣不敢避誅以直諫，故事無廢棄而功流於萬世也，臣誠願披腹心而效愚忠，恐大王不能用之；臣誠願大王少加意念惻怛之心於臣乘之言。夫以一縷之任，系千鈞之重，上懸之無極之高，下垂不測之淵，雖甚愚之人，且猶知哀其將絕也。馬方駭而重驚之，系方絕而重鎮之；系絕於天，不可復結；墜入深淵，難以復出；其出不出，間不容髮！誠能用臣乘言，一舉必脫；必若所欲為，危如重卵，難於上天；變所欲為，易於反掌，安於太山。今欲極天命之壽，弊無窮之樂，保萬乘之勢，不出反掌之易，以居太山之安；乃欲乘重卵之危，走上天之難，此愚臣之所大惑也！人性有畏其影而惡其跡者，卻背而走無益也，不知就陰而止，影滅跡絕。欲人勿聞，莫若勿言；欲人勿知，莫若勿為。欲湯之冷，令一人炊之，百人揚之，無益也；不如絕薪止火而已。不絕之於彼，而救之於此，譬猶抱薪救火也。養由基，楚之善射者也，去楊葉百步，百發百中，楊葉之小，而加百中焉，可謂善射矣，所止乃百步之中耳，比於臣未知操弓持矢也。福生有基，禍生有胎；納其基，絕其胎；禍何從來哉？泰山之溜穿石，引繩久之，乃以挈木；水非石之鑽，繩非木之鋸也，而漸靡使之然。夫銖銖而稱之，至石必差；寸寸而度之，至丈必過；石稱丈量，徑而寡失。夫十圍之木，始生於■，可引而絕，可擢而拔，據其未生，先其未形；磨礱砥礪，不見其損，有時而盡；種樹畜長，不見其益，有時而大；積德修行，不知其善，有時而用；

In the time of Emperor Xiaojing, Liu Bi, King of Wu, rebelled. Mei Cheng, styled Shu, a palace attendant of King Xiao of Liang, heard of it and wrote a letter to remonstrate with the king. His words were: "Your Majesty's outside subject Cheng privately hears that those who can preserve themselves flourish entirely, and those who lose their preservation perish entirely. Shun had no land to stand an awl in, and yet he held the world; Yu had no settlement of ten households, and yet he became king over the feudal lords. The land of Tang and Wu was no more than a hundred li square; above they did not cut off the light of the three luminaries, and below they did not injure the hearts of the hundred clans; they had the art of kingship! So the principle of father and son is Heaven's nature, and a loyal minister does not dare avoid execution in speaking directly, so that matters are not abandoned and merit is passed down for ten thousand generations. I sincerely wish to open my heart and offer my foolish loyalty, but I fear Your Majesty cannot use it; I sincerely wish that Your Majesty would slightly apply a heart of compassion to my words. A single strand of thread bears a weight of a thousand jun, hung above in a height without limit and hanging below over a depth that cannot be measured; even the most foolish person knows to pity it as about to break. A horse that is already startled is frightened again; a rope that is about to snap is still tugged on; once the rope breaks from the sky, it cannot be tied again; once it falls into the abyss, it is hard to come out; whether it comes out or not, there is no room for even a hair in between! If you could truly use my words, you would surely escape in a single move; if you carry out what you plan, danger is like piled-up eggs and harder than climbing the blue sky; if you change what you plan, it is easier than turning the palm and more secure than Mount Tai. Now you wish to exhaust the full span of your life, enjoy limitless pleasure, and preserve the power of ten thousand chariots; yet you do not step out of the ease of turning a palm to dwell in the security of Mount Tai, and instead wish to ride the peril of piled eggs and walk the difficulty of the sky; this is what bewilders this foolish subject most! There are people who fear their own shadow and hate their own footprints, and running away does no good; they do not know to go into the shade and stop, and then the shadow vanishes and the footprints cease. If you want people not to hear, it is better not to speak; if you want people not to know, it is better not to do. To make hot water cold, if one person stokes the fire and a hundred scoop it up, there is no benefit; it is better to cut off the firewood and stop the fire. Not cutting it off there but saving it here is like carrying firewood to put out a fire. Yang Youji was Chu's good archer; from a hundred paces from a willow leaf he hit a hundred of a hundred times; a willow leaf is that small, yet to add a hundred hits, he could be called good at shooting, yet where he stopped was only within a hundred paces, and compared to me he does not yet know how to handle bow and arrows. Fortune has a foundation where it arises, and calamity has an embryo where it arises; accept that foundation and cut off that embryo, and where would calamity come from? The dripping water from Mount Tai pierces stone, and a rope drawn for a long time finally lifts wood; water is not a drill for stone and rope is not a saw for wood, but gradual wearing makes it so. Weighing by zhu and zhu, by the time you reach a shi there is surely an error; measuring by inches, by the time you reach a zhang it must be exceeded; weigh by the shi and measure by the zhang, and it is direct with few mistakes. A tree of ten spans, when it begins to grow at (the base text has a damaged character here), can be pulled and snapped, can be drawn out and uprooted; one must seize it before it has grown and before it has taken shape. Grinding and honing, one does not see it diminish, yet at times it is used up; planting trees and raising them, one does not see them increase, yet at times they have grown large; accumulating virtue and cultivating conduct, one does not know their goodness, yet at times they are of use;

行惡為非，棄義背理，不知其惡，有時而亡。臣誠願大王孰計而身行之，此百王不易之道也。”吳王不聽，卒死丹徒。

doing evil and wrong, abandoning righteousness and going against reason, one does not know the evil of it, yet at times it leads to ruin. I sincerely hope Your Majesty will plan carefully and carry it out yourself; this is a principle that a hundred kings did not change." The King of Wu did not listen, and in the end died at Dantu.

吳王欲從民飲酒，伍子胥諫曰：“不可。昔白龍下清冷之淵，化為魚，漁者豫且射中其目，白龍上訴天帝，天帝曰：‘當是之時，若安置而形？’白龍對曰：‘我下清冷之淵化為魚。’天帝曰：‘魚固人之所射也；若是，豫且何罪？’夫白龍，天帝貴畜也；豫且，宋國賤臣也。白龍不化，豫且不射；今棄萬乘之位而從布衣之士飲酒，臣恐其有豫且之患矣。”王乃止。

The King of Wu wished to follow the common people in drinking wine, and Wu Zixu remonstrated: "It cannot be. In the past the White Dragon descended to a clear cold pool and transformed into a fish; the fisherman Yuju shot it in the eye. The White Dragon went up and complained to the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor said: 'At that time, where did you place your body?' The White Dragon replied: 'I descended to the clear cold pool and changed into a fish.' The Heavenly Emperor said: 'A fish is naturally what people shoot; being so, what is Yuju's crime?' The White Dragon was the Heavenly Emperor's precious creature; Yuju was a lowly subject of the state of Song. If the White Dragon had not transformed, Yuju would not have shot it. Now you abandon the position of ten thousand chariots and follow commoners in drinking; I fear you would have the calamity of Yuju's kind." The king then stopped.

孔子曰：“良藥苦於口，利於病；忠言逆於耳，利於行。故武王諤諤而昌，紂嘿嘿而亡，君無諤諤之臣，父無諤諤之子，兄無諤諤之弟，夫無諤諤之婦，士無諤諤之友；其亡可立而待。故曰君失之，臣得之；父失之，子得之；兄失之，弟得之；夫失之，婦得之；士失之，友得之。故無亡國破家，悖父亂子，放兄棄弟，狂夫淫婦，絕交敗友。”

Confucius said: "Good medicine is bitter to the mouth but beneficial for illness; loyal and upright words are harsh to the ear but beneficial for conduct. So King Wu flourished through blunt and upright words, while Zhou perished through silence. A ruler without a minister who speaks bluntly, a father without a son who speaks bluntly, an elder brother without a younger brother who speaks bluntly, a husband without a wife who speaks bluntly, a scholar without a friend who speaks bluntly: ruin can be awaited at once. So it is said that when a ruler has faults, the minister mends them; when a father has faults, the son mends them; when an elder brother has faults, the younger brother mends them; when a husband has faults, the wife mends them; when a scholar has faults, his friend mends them. Thus there are no ruined states and broken families, no rebellious fathers and disorderly sons, no exiled elder brothers and cast-off younger brothers, no mad husbands and lewd wives, no estranged and ruined friends."

晏子復於景公曰：“朝居嚴乎？”公曰：“朝居嚴，則曷害於國家哉？”晏子對曰：“朝居嚴，則下無言，下無言，則上無聞矣。下無言則謂之喑，上無聞則謂之聾；聾喑則非害治國家如何也？具合菽粟之微以滿倉廩，合疏縷之緯以成幃幕，太山之高，非一石也，累卑然後高也。夫治天下者，非用一士之言也，固有受而不用，惡有距而不入者哉？”

Yan Zi replied to Duke Jing: "Is the court assembly held in a severe manner?" The duke said: "If the court assembly is severe, what harm does it do to the state?" Yan Zi replied: "If the court assembly is severe, there are no words from below; if there are no words from below, those above cannot hear. No words from below is called mute, and those above not hearing is called deaf; deafness and muteness, what else is it but harm to governing the state? One gathers small beans and millet to fill the granary, gathers sparse silk threads into weft to make a curtain; the height of Mount Tai is not a single stone, but it accumulates the low and then is high. One who governs the world does not use only one scholar's words; certainly there are those he accepts and does not use, but how could there be those he refuses and does not let come in?"

存亡禍福，其要在身，聖人重誡，敬慎所忽。中庸曰：“莫見乎隱，莫顯乎微；故君子能慎其獨也。”諺曰：“誠無垢，思無辱。”夫不誠不思而以存身全國者亦難矣。詩曰：“戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。”此之謂也。

Survival and ruin, calamity and fortune, hinge on oneself, and the sage values warning and is respectful and careful even about what he overlooks. The Doctrine of the Mean says: "Nothing is more visible than what is hidden, nothing more manifest than what is subtle; so the gentleman is watchful over himself when alone." A proverb says: "If you are sincere, you have no stain; if you reflect, you have no shame." To be neither sincere nor reflective and yet to preserve oneself and the state is difficult indeed. The Book of Poetry says: "Trembling and fearful, as if facing a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice." This is what it means.

昔成王封周公，周公辭不受，乃封周公子伯禽於魯，將辭去，周公戒之曰：“去矣！子其無以魯國驕士矣。我，文王之子也，武王之弟也，今王之叔父也；又相天子，吾於天下亦不輕矣。然嘗一沐三握髮，一食而三吐哺，猶恐失天下之士。吾聞之曰：德行廣大而守以恭者榮，土地博裕而守以儉者安，祿位尊盛而守以卑者貴，人眾兵強而守以畏者勝，聰明睿智而守以愚者益，博聞多記而守以淺者廣；此六守者，皆謙德也。夫貴為天子，富有四海，不謙者先天下亡其身，桀紂是也，可不慎乎！故易曰，有一道，大足以守天下，中足以守國家，小足以守其身，謙之謂也。‘夫天道毀滿而益謙，地道變滿而流謙，鬼神害滿而福謙，人道惡滿而好謙。’是以衣成則缺衽，宮成則缺隅，屋成則加錯；示不成者，天道然也。易曰：‘謙亨，君子有終吉。’詩曰：‘湯降不遲，聖敬日躋。’其戒之哉！子其無以魯國驕士矣。”

In the past, King Cheng enfeoffed the Duke of Zhou, but the Duke of Zhou declined and did not accept, so the Duke of Zhou's son Boqin was enfeoffed in Lu. As he was about to leave to take his leave, the Duke of Zhou warned him: "Go! Do not be arrogant to scholars because of Lu. I am the son of King Wen, the younger brother of King Wu, and the uncle of the present king; I also assist the Son of Heaven, and I am not slight in the world. Yet I once washed my hair and three times held up my hair, ate one meal and three times spat out the food in my mouth, and still feared losing the scholars of the world. I have heard: those whose virtue is great but who guard it with respect are glorious; those whose land is broad and rich but who guard it with frugality are secure; those whose stipend and rank are honored and abundant but who guard it with humility are noble; those whose people are numerous and troops strong but who guard it with awe are victorious; those who are clever and wise but who guard it with simplicity are enriched; those who see and hear widely and remember much but who guard it with plainness are broad. These six kinds of guarding are all virtues of humility. Noble as Son of Heaven, rich as holding all within the four seas, the immodest are the first under heaven to lose themselves; Jie and Zhou were such. How can one be careless! So the Book of Changes says there is a Way that is great enough to hold the world, middling enough to hold a state, and small enough to hold oneself; this is humility. 'The Way of Heaven undermines the full and increases the humble; the Way of Earth changes the full and flows toward the humble; ghosts and spirits harm the full and bless the humble; the Way of man hates the full and loves the humble.' So when a garment is made it lacks a piece of the lapel, when a palace is made it lacks a corner, when a house is made an interlocking ornament is added; showing that it is not complete, the Way of Heaven is just so. The Book of Changes says: 'Humility brings success; the gentleman has a good end, auspicious.' The Book of Poetry says: 'Tang's descent in ritual was not slow, and his sage reverence rose day by day.' Be warned by this. Do not be arrogant to scholars because of Lu."

孔子讀易至於損益，則喟然而嘆，子夏避席而問曰：“夫子何為嘆？”孔子曰：“夫自損者益。自益者缺，吾是以嘆也。”子夏曰：“然則學者不可以益乎？”孔子曰：“否，天之道成者，未嘗得久也。夫學者以虛受之，故曰得，苟不知持滿，則天下之善言不得入其耳矣。昔堯履天子之位，猶允恭以持之，虛靜以待下，故百載以逾盛，迄今而益章。昆吾自臧而滿意，窮高而不衰，故當時而虧敗，迄今而逾惡，是非損益之徵與？吾故曰謙也者，致恭以存其位者也。夫豐明而動故能大，苟大則虧矣，吾戒之，故曰天下之善言不得入其耳矣。日中則昃，月盈則食，天地盈虛，與時消息；是以聖人不敢當盛。升輿而遇三人則下，二人則軾，調其盈虛，故能長久也。”子夏曰：“善，請終身誦之。”

Confucius, reading the Book of Changes, came to the hexagrams Sun and Yi and sighed. Zixia left his mat and asked: "Why does the Master sigh?" Confucius said: "What diminishes itself will increase, and what increases itself will be diminished; that is why I sigh." Zixia said: "Then should a student not seek increase?" Confucius said: "No. In the Way of Heaven, what is completed has never been able to last. A student receives with emptiness, and so is said to gain; if he does not know to guard against being full, the good words of the world cannot enter his ears. In the past Yao took the seat of Heaven and still kept it with sincerity and reverence, and treated those below with emptiness and quiet, so for a hundred years he grew only more prosperous, and to this day he shines more brightly. Kunwu was satisfied with himself as good, exhausted the heights and did not diminish, so he was ruined at the time and to this day is spoken of as worse; is that not the proof of Sun and Yi? What I call modesty is using reverence to keep one's position. Feng is bright and acts, so it can be great, but if it is great it will fail; I take warning from this, so I say that the good words of the world cannot enter his ears. When the sun reaches the middle of the sky it declines westward, and when the moon is full it wanes; the fullness and emptiness of heaven and earth wax and wane with the seasons; so the sage dares not take on fullness. When getting into a carriage, upon meeting three people he gets down, and upon meeting two he leans on the rail; he regulates his fullness and emptiness, and so can last long." Zixia said: "Good; may I recite it all my life."

孔子觀於周廟而有欹器焉，孔子問守廟者曰：“此為何器？”對曰：“蓋為右坐之器。”孔子曰：“吾聞右坐之器，滿則覆，虛則欹，中則正，有之乎？”對曰：“然。”孔子使子路取水而試之，滿則覆，中則正，虛則欹，孔子喟然嘆曰：“嗚呼！惡有滿而不覆者哉！”子路曰：“敢問持滿有道乎？”孔子曰：“持滿之道，挹而損之。”子路曰：“損之有道乎？”孔子曰：“高而能下，滿而能虛，富而能儉，貴而能卑，智而能愚，勇而能怯，辯而能訥，博而能淺，明而能闇；是謂損而不極，能行此道，唯至德者及之。易曰：‘不損而益之，故損；自損而終，故益。’”

Confucius was visiting the Zhou ancestral temple, where there was a tilting vessel. Confucius asked the temple keeper: "What is this vessel?" He replied: "It is probably a vessel kept at the right of the seat." Confucius said: "I have heard that the vessel kept at the right of the seat overturns when full, tilts when empty, and stands upright when moderate; is that so?" He replied: "Yes." Confucius had Zilu fetch water to try it: when full it overturned, when moderate it stood upright, and when empty it tilted. Confucius sighed and said: "Alas! How could anything be full and not overturn!" Zilu said: "May I ask whether there is a method for guarding against fullness?" Confucius said: "The method for guarding against fullness is to scoop out and reduce it." Zilu said: "Is there a method for reducing?" Confucius said: "When high, be able to be low; when full, be able to be empty; when rich, be able to be frugal; when noble, be able to be humble; when wise, be able to be simple; when brave, be able to be timid; when eloquent, be able to be slow; when broad, be able to be shallow; when bright, be able to be dim; this is called reducing without reaching the extreme. Only one of utmost virtue can practice this Way. The Book of Changes says: 'Not reducing but increasing it, therefore it is reduced; reducing oneself to the end, therefore it is increased.'"

常摐有疾，老子往問焉，曰：“先生疾甚矣，無遺教可以語諸弟子者乎？”常摐曰：“子雖不問，吾將語子。”常摐曰：“過故鄉而下車，子知之乎？”老子曰：“過故鄉而下車，非謂其不忘故耶？”常摐曰：“嘻，是已。”常摐曰：“過喬木而趨，子知之乎？”老子曰：“過喬木而趨，非謂敬老耶？”常摐曰：“嘻，是已。”張其口而示老子曰：“吾舌存乎？”老子曰：“然。”“吾齒存乎？”老子曰：“亡。”常摐曰：“子知之乎？”老子曰：“夫舌之存也，豈非以其柔耶？齒之亡也，豈非以其剛耶？”常摐曰：“嘻，是已。天下之事已盡矣，無以復語子哉！”

Chang Cong was ill, and Laozi went to inquire after him, saying: "Master, you are gravely ill; is there no parting instruction you could tell your disciples?" Chang Cong said: "Even if you had not asked, I would have told you." Chang Cong said: "When passing one's home village one gets down from the carriage; do you know why?" Laozi said: "When passing one's home village one gets down from the carriage; is it not to say one does not forget old friends?" Chang Cong said: "Ah, yes." Chang Cong said: "When passing a tall tree one hurries; do you know why?" Laozi said: "When passing a tall tree one hurries; is it not to say one respects the old?" Chang Cong said: "Ah, yes." He opened his mouth to show Laozi and said: "Is my tongue still there?" Laozi said: "It is." "Are my teeth still there?" Laozi said: "They are gone." Chang Cong said: "Do you know why?" Laozi said: "The tongue is still there; is it not because it is soft? The teeth are gone; is it not because they are hard?" Chang Cong said: "Ah, yes. The affairs of the world are all said and done; there is nothing more to tell you!"

韓平子問於叔向曰：“剛與柔孰堅？”對曰：“臣年八十矣，齒再墮而舌尚存，老聃有言曰：‘天下之至柔，馳騁乎天下之至堅。’又曰：‘人之生也柔弱，其死也剛強；萬物草木之生也柔■，其死也枯槁。因此觀之，柔弱者生之徒也，剛強者死之徒也。’夫生者毀而必復，死者破而愈亡；吾是以知柔之堅於剛也。”平子曰：“善哉！然則子之行何從？”叔向曰：“臣亦柔耳，何以剛為？”平子曰：“柔無乃■乎？”叔向曰：“柔者紐而不折，廉而不缺，何為■也？天之道，微者勝，是以兩軍相加而柔者克之；兩仇爭利，而弱者得焉。易曰：‘天道虧滿而益謙，地道變滿而流謙，鬼神害滿而福謙，人道惡滿而好謙。’夫懷謙不足之，柔弱而四道者助之，則安往而不得其志乎？”平子曰：“善！”

Han Pingzi asked Shu Xiang: "Which is firmer, the hard or the soft?" He replied: "I am eighty, and my teeth have fallen out again while my tongue is still there. Lao Dan had a saying: 'The softest thing in the world gallops over the hardest thing in the world.' He also said: 'A person alive is soft and weak, and when dead is stiff and hard; the myriad things, plants and trees, alive are soft (the received text has a damaged character here) and when dead are withered. From this, softness and weakness belong to the kind of life, and hardness and strength belong to the kind of death.' What is alive, if damaged, will surely recover; what is dead, once broken, is further destroyed; from this I know that the soft is firmer than the hard." Pingzi said: "Good! Then what do you follow in your conduct?" Shu Xiang said: "I am also only soft; what use is the hard?" Pingzi said: "I fear that softness (the received text has a damaged character here)?" Shu Xiang said: "The soft can be tied in knots without breaking, and has edges without being damaged; why (the received text has a damaged character here)? In the Way of Heaven, the weak prevail, so when two armies clash the soft overcomes the other; when two enemies contend for profit the weak one gains. The Book of Changes says: 'The Way of Heaven diminishes the full and increases the modest; the Way of Earth transforms the full and flows toward the modest; spirits harm the full and bless the modest; the Way of humankind hates the full and loves the modest.' Holding modesty and lack, soft and weak, and aided by four Ways, where could one fail to attain one's aim?" Pingzi said: "Good!"

桓公曰：“金剛則折，革剛則裂；人君剛則國家滅，人臣剛則交友絕。夫剛則不和，不和則不可用。是故四馬不和，取道不長；父子不和，其世破亡；兄弟不和，不能久同；夫妻不和，家室大凶。易曰：‘二人同心，其利斷金。’由不剛也。”

Duke Huan said: "Metal that is hard breaks, leather that is hard splits; a ruler who is hard loses his state, a minister who is hard loses his friends. Hardness brings disharmony, and disharmony makes one unusable. So if four horses are not in harmony, they do not travel far; if father and son are not in harmony, their line is ruined; if brothers are not in harmony, they cannot live together long; if husband and wife are not in harmony, the household meets great misfortune. The Book of Changes says: 'When two people are of one mind, their sharpness can cut metal.' This is because they are not hard."

老子曰：“得其所利，必慮其所害；樂其所成，必顧其所敗。人為善者，天報以福；人為不善者，天報以禍也。故曰：禍兮福所倚；福兮禍所伏；戒之，慎之！君子不務，何以備之？夫上知天、則不失時；下知地、則不。日夜慎之，則無災害。”

Laozi said: "When you obtain the benefit you must consider the harm; when you delight in success you must take thought of failure. When a person does good, Heaven repays with fortune; when a person does not do good, Heaven repays with misfortune. So it is said: misfortune, on which fortune leans; fortune, in which misfortune lurks; be warned by it and be careful! If the gentleman does not act, what will guard against it? Above, know Heaven and you will not lose the season; below, know Earth and you will not (the received text seems to have an omission here). Be careful day and night, and there will be no disaster."

曾子有疾，曾元抱首，曾華抱足，曾子曰：“吾無顏氏之才，何以告汝？雖無能，君子務益。夫華多實少者，天也；言多行少者，人也。夫飛鳥以山為卑，而層巢其巔；魚鱉以淵為淺，而穿穴其中；然所以得者餌也。君子苟能無以利害身，則辱安從至乎？官怠於宦成，病加於少愈，禍生於懈惰，孝衰於妻子；察此四者，慎終如始。詩曰：‘靡不有初，鮮克有終。’”

Zengzi was ill; Zeng Yuan held his head and Zeng Hua held his feet. Zengzi said: "I do not have Master Yan's talent; what shall I tell you? Even if without ability, the gentleman strives to increase. Many flowers and few fruit is Heaven; much talk and little action is human. Flying birds think the mountain low yet nest layer upon layer on its peak; fish and turtles think the deep pool shallow yet dig burrows within it; yet the reason they are caught is the bait. If a gentleman can avoid harming himself for profit, where would disgrace come from? Official careers slacken when success is achieved, illness worsens when it is just starting to ease, misfortune arises from laziness, and filial piety wanes at the wife's side; examine these four things, and be as careful at the end as at the beginning. The Book of Odes says: 'There is none without a beginning, but few can have an end.'"

單快曰：“國有五寒，而冰凍不與焉；一曰政外，二曰女厲，三曰謀洩，四曰不敬卿士而國家敗，五曰不能治內而務外；此五者一見，雖祠無福，除禍必得，致福則貸。”

Shan Kuai said: "A state has five kinds of cold, and the freezing of ice is not among them: first, government falling outside; second, harm and cruelty from women; third, plans leaked; fourth, not respecting ministers and officers so that the state is ruined; fifth, being unable to govern the inside while concentrating on the outside; once these five appear, even sacrifice brings no blessing, disaster is sure to be obtained, and seeking blessing will have the reverse effect."