Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 6

孔子曰：“存亡禍福，皆在己而已，天災地妖，亦不能殺也。”昔者殷王帝辛之時，爵生烏於城之隅，工人占之曰：“凡小以生巨，國家必祉，王名必倍。”帝辛喜爵之德，不治國家，亢暴無極，外寇乃至，遂亡殷國，此逆天之時，詭福反為禍至。殷王武丁之時，先王道缺，刑法弛，桑谷俱生於朝，七月而大拱，工人占之曰：“桑谷者，野物也；野物生於朝，意朝亡乎！”武丁恐駭，側身修行，思先王之政，興滅國，繼絕世，舉逸民，明養老之道；三年之後，遠方之君，重譯而朝者六國，此迎天時得禍反為福也。故妖孽者，天所以警天子諸侯也；惡夢者，所以警士大夫也。故妖孽不勝善政，惡夢不勝善行也；至治之極，禍反為福。故太甲曰：“天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可逭。”

Confucius said: "Survival and ruin, fortune and misfortune all lie in oneself; heavenly disasters and earthly omens cannot kill." In the past, in the time of King Di Xin of Yin, a sparrow gave birth to a crow at the corner of the city wall, and the craftsmen divined: "Whenever the small gives birth to the great, the state will surely have fortune and the king's name will surely double." Di Xin delighted in the sparrow's virtue, did not govern the state, and was haughty and violent to the extreme; foreign invaders then came and finally destroyed the state of Yin; this was going against Heaven's season, and a deceptive fortune instead turned into disaster. In the time of King Wuding of Yin, the Way of the former kings was lost and punishments were lax; mulberry and grain trees grew together in the court and in seven months were so large that two hands could barely encircle them. The craftsmen divined: "Mulberry and grain are wild things; if wild things grow in the court, it seems the court is about to fall!" Wuding was afraid, and turned and cultivated himself, thought on the governance of the former kings, revived ruined states, continued broken lines, promoted hidden people, and made clear the principle of honoring the aged; after three years, rulers from far away came to court through many layers of translation, six states in all; this was matching Heaven's time and receiving misfortune and turning it into fortune. So portents are what Heaven uses to warn the Sons of Heaven and feudal lords; bad dreams are used to warn officers and grand officers. Thus portents cannot overcome good government, and bad dreams cannot overcome good conduct; when governance reaches its utmost, misfortune turns into fortune. Hence the Book of Documents says: "Calamity made by Heaven can still be avoided; calamity made by oneself cannot be escaped."

石讎曰：“春秋有忽然而足以亡者，國君不可以不慎也！妃妾不一，足以亡；公族不親，足以亡；大臣不任，足以亡；國爵不用，足以亡；親佞近讒，足以亡；舉百事不時，足以亡；使民不節，足以亡；刑罰不中，足以亡；內失眾心，足以亡；外嫚大國，足以亡。”

Shi Chou said: "The Spring and Annals record things that arise suddenly and suffice to destroy a state; a ruler must not fail to be careful! Consorts and concubines not being single-minded suffice to destroy; the ducal clan not being close suffices to destroy; great ministers not being employed suffices to destroy; the state's ranks not being used suffices to destroy; being close to flatterers and near to slanderers suffices to destroy; undertaking the hundred affairs out of season suffices to destroy; employing the people without restraint suffices to destroy; punishments not being fitting suffices to destroy; losing the people's hearts within suffices to destroy; slighting great states without suffices to destroy."

夫福生於隱約，而禍生於得意，齊頃公是也。齊頃公、桓公之子孫也，地廣民眾，兵強國富，又得霸者之餘尊，驕蹇怠傲，未嘗肯出會同諸侯，乃興師伐魯，反敗衛師於新築，輕小嫚大之行甚。俄而晉魯往聘，以使者戲，二國怒，歸求黨與助，得衛及曹，四國相輔期戰於鞍，大敗齊師，獲齊頃公，斬逢醜父，於是戄然大恐，賴逢醜父之欺，奔逃得歸。弔死問疾，七年不飲酒，不食肉，外金石絲竹之聲，遠婦女之色，出會與盟，卑下諸侯，國家內得行義，聲問震乎諸侯，所亡之地弗求而自為來，尊寵不武而得之，可謂能詘免變化以致之，故福生於隱約，而禍生於得意，此得失之效也。

Fortune arises from obscurity and hardship, and misfortune arises from success; Duke Qing of Qi is an example. Duke Qing of Qi was a descendant of Duke Huan, with broad land and many people, strong troops and a rich state, and had also received the honor left by a hegemon; he was proud and negligent, and never would go out to meet with the feudal lords. So he raised troops to attack Lu and on the way back defeated the army of Wei at Xinzhu; his contempt for small states and slighting of great states was excessive. Soon Jin and Lu came on a mission, and he made fun of the envoys; the two states were angered, went back, sought allies, and obtained Wei and Cao; the four states aided one another and agreed to fight at An and utterly defeated the army of Qi, captured Duke Qing of Qi, and killed Feng Choufu, whereupon he was terrified and greatly afraid, and thanks to Feng Choufu's deception he escaped and returned. He mourned the dead and comforted the sick, for seven years did not drink wine or eat meat, rejected the sound of metal, stone, silk, and bamboo, kept away from the beauty of women, went out to meet and make covenants, humbled himself before the feudal lords, and within the state was able to practice righteousness, so that his reputation shook the feudal lords; the land he had lost came back without being sought, and honor and favor were gained without force of arms; he may be said to have been able to humble himself and avoid misfortune and by change to bring it about. So fortune arises from obscurity and hardship and misfortune arises from success; this is the proof of gain and loss.

大功之效，在於用賢積道，浸章浸明；衰滅之過，在於得意而怠，浸蹇浸亡，晉文公是其效也。晉文公出亡，修道不休，得至於饗國，饗國之時，上無明天子，下無賢方伯，強楚主會，諸侯背畔，天子失道，出居於鄭。文公於是憫中國之微，任咎犯、先軫、陽處父，畜愛百姓，厲養戎士，四年政治內定，則舉兵而伐衛，執曹伯，還敗強楚，威震天下，明王法率諸侯而朝天子，莫敢不聽，天下曠然平定，周室尊顯，故曰大功之效，在於用賢積道，浸章浸明，文公於是霸功立，期至意得湯武之心，作而忘其眾，一年三用師，且弗休息。遂進而圍許，兵亟弊不能服，罷諸侯而歸，自此而怠政事，為狄泉之盟，不親至，信衰誼缺，如羅不補，威武詘折不信，則諸侯不朝，鄭遂叛，夷狄內侵，衛遷於商止。故曰：衰滅之過，在於得意而怠，浸蹇浸亡。

The proof of great merit lies in employing the worthy and accumulating the Way, gradually becoming clear; the fault of decline and ruin lies in becoming complacent and negligent in success, gradually falling into hardship and then ruin; Duke Wen of Jin is the proof. Duke Wen of Jin went into exile, cultivated the Way without ceasing, and so was able to reach and possess his state. When he had the state, there was no enlightened Son of Heaven above and no worthy regional lord below; strong Chu presided over the covenant, the feudal lords turned away, the Son of Heaven lost the Way and lived in exile at Zheng. Duke Wen then pitied the weakness of the Central States, employed Jiu Fan, Xian Zhen, and Yang Chufu, nourished and cherished the people, encouraged and trained his warriors, and after four years of inner order he raised troops to attack Wei, captured the Earl of Cao, turned back and defeated strong Chu, his might shaking the world; he made the king's law clear and led the feudal lords to court the Son of Heaven, and none dared disobey; the world was broad and settled and the house of Zhou was honored; therefore it is said that the proof of great merit lies in employing the worthy and accumulating the Way, gradually becoming clear. When Duke Wen achieved hegemony, his hopes had risen and he was satisfied, and he had the heart of Tang and Wu; he rose and forgot his people, using troops three times in a year without rest. Then he advanced and besieged Xu; the army was repeatedly exhausted and could not subdue it, so he stopped the feudal lords and returned; from then on he grew negligent of government, and when the covenant at Ditan was made, he did not attend in person; trust waned and goodwill diminished, like a net broken and not mended, his authority bent and was not trusted, and then the feudal lords did not come to court; Zheng then rebelled, the barbarians invaded within, and Wei moved to Shangzhi. So it is said: the fault of decline and ruin lies in becoming complacent and negligent in success, gradually falling into hardship and then ruin.

田子方侍魏文侯坐，太子擊趨而入見，賓客群臣皆起，田子方獨不起，文侯有不說之色，太子亦然，田子方稱曰：“為子起歟？無如禮何！不為子起歟？無如罪何！請為子誦楚恭王之為太子也，將出之雲夢，遇大夫工尹，工尹遂趨避家人之門中，太子下車從之家人之門中曰：‘子大夫何為其若是？吾聞之，敬其父者不兼其子，兼其子者不祥莫大焉，子大夫何為其若是？’工尹曰：‘向吾望見子之面，今而後記子之心，審如此，汝將何之？’”文侯曰：“善。”太子擊前誦恭王之言，誦三遍而請習之。

Tian Zifang was seated in attendance on Marquis Wen of Wei when Crown Prince Ji hurried in to pay his respects; the guests and ministers all rose, but Tian Zifang alone did not rise. Marquis Wen showed displeasure, and so did the Crown Prince. Tian Zifang said: "If I rise for you, what then of ritual! If I do not rise for you, what then of the offense! Let me recite for you what happened when King Gong of Chu was Crown Prince and was about to go to Yunmeng: he met a grand officer, Gongyin, who hurried to hide in a commoner's gate; the Crown Prince got down from his carriage and followed him into the commoner's gate and said: 'Why does the Grand Officer do this? I have heard that one who respects his father does not include his son, and one who includes his son, no ill omen is greater; why does the Grand Officer do this?' Gongyin said: 'Earlier I saw your face, and from now on I will remember your heart; if it is truly like this, where will you go?'" Marquis Wen said: "Good." Crown Prince Ji stepped forward and recited King Gong's words, reciting them three times and asking to become familiar with them.

子贛之承，或在塗，見道側巾幣布擁蒙而衣衰，其名曰丹綽。子贛問焉，曰：“此至承幾何？”嘿然不對。子贛曰：“人問乎己而不應，何也？”屏其擁蒙而言曰：“望而黷人者，仁乎？睹而不識者，智乎？輕侮人者，義乎？”子贛下車曰：“賜不仁，過聞三言，可復聞乎？”曰：“是足於子矣，吾不告子。”於是子贛三偶則式，五偶則下。

Zigong was going to Cheng and was sometimes on the road when he saw a man by the roadside whose head was covered with a cloth and who wore mourning dress; his name was Dan Chuo. Zigong asked him: "How far is it from here to Cheng?" He was silent and did not answer. Zigong said: "When others ask him he does not respond; why?" He lifted the cloth from his head and said: "To look at someone and slight him, is it benevolent? To see someone and not recognize him, is it wise? To insult others lightly, is it righteous?" Zigong got down from the carriage and said: "I, Ci, am not benevolent, and have misheard three sentences; may I hear again?" He said: "This is enough for you; I will not tell you." Then Zigong, upon meeting three carriages, leaned on the rail, and upon meeting five, got down.

孫叔敖為楚令尹，一國吏民皆來賀，有一老父衣麤衣，冠白冠，後來吊，孫叔敖正衣冠而出見之，謂老父曰：“楚王不知臣不肖，使臣受吏民之垢，人盡來賀，子獨後來吊，豈有說乎？”父曰：“有說，身已貴而驕人者民去之；位已高而擅權者君惡之；祿已厚而不知足者患處之。”孫叔敖再拜曰：“敬受命，願聞餘教。”父曰：“位已高而意益下，官益大而心益小，祿已厚而慎不敢取；君謹守此三者足以治楚矣。

Sunshu Ao became prime minister of Chu, and all the officials and people of the state came to congratulate him. An old man in coarse clothes and a white cap came late to offer condolences. Sunshu Ao adjusted his clothes and cap and came out to see him, saying to the old man: "The King of Chu did not know I am unworthy and let me receive the disgrace of the officials and people; everyone came to congratulate me, and you alone came late to offer condolences; do you have a reason?" The old man said: "I have a reason. One who is already noble and is proud toward others, the people leave him; one who is already high in position and monopolizes power, his ruler hates him; one who is already generous in salary and does not know satisfaction, disaster lies in wait for him." Sunshu Ao bowed twice and said: "I respectfully receive your command and wish to hear the rest of your teaching." The old man said: "When one's position is already high, let one's mind be even lower; when one's office is greater, let one's heart be smaller; when one's salary is already generous, be careful and dare not take more; if you keep these three carefully, you will suffice to govern Chu."

魏安釐王十一年，秦昭王謂左右曰：“今時韓魏與秦孰強？”對曰：“不如秦強。”王曰：“今時如耳魏齊與孟嘗芒卯孰賢？”對曰：“不如孟嘗芒卯之賢。”王曰：“以孟嘗芒卯之賢，率強韓魏以攻秦，猶無奈寡人何也？今以無能如耳魏齊而率強韓魏以伐秦，其無奈寡人何，亦明矣！”左右皆曰然，申旗伏瑟而對曰：“王之料天下過矣。當六晉之時，智氏最強，滅範中行氏，又率韓魏之兵以圍趙襄子於晉陽，決晉水以灌晉陽之城，不滿者三板，智伯行水，魏宣子御，韓康子為驂乘，智伯曰：‘吾始不知水可以亡人國也，乃今知之；汾水可以灌安邑，絳水可以灌平陽。’魏宣子肘韓康子，康子履魏宣子之足，肘足接於車上，而智氏分，身死國亡，為天下笑。今秦雖強不過智氏，韓魏雖弱，尚賢其在晉陽之下也，此方其用肘足之時，願王之必勿易也。”於是秦王恐。

In the eleventh year of King Anxi of Wei, King Zhao of Qin said to his attendants: "Now who is stronger, Han and Wei or Qin?" They replied: "They are not as strong as Qin." The king said: "Now who is more worthy, Ru Er and Wei Qi, or Mengchang and Mang Mao?" They replied: "They are not as worthy as Mengchang and Mang Mao." The king said: "With the worth of Mengchang and Mang Mao, leading strong Han and Wei to attack Qin, they still could do nothing to me; now with the incompetent Ru Er and Wei Qi leading strong Han and Wei to attack Qin, that they can do nothing to me is also clear!" His attendants all agreed. Shen Qi, leaning on his zither, replied: "Your Majesty overestimates the world. At the time of the Six Jin, the Zhi clan was strongest, destroyed the Fan and Zhonghang clans, and led the troops of Han and Wei to besiege Zhao Xiangzi at Jinyang, breaking open the Jin River to flood the city of Jinyang until only three boards of wall remained. Zhi Bo inspected the water, with Wei Xuanzi driving the carriage and Han Kangzi as spearman. Zhi Bo said: 'At first I did not know that water could ruin a person's state; now I know; the Fen River can flood Anyi and the Jiang River can flood Pingyang.' Wei Xuanzi nudged Han Kangzi with his elbow and Kangzi stepped on Wei Xuanzi's foot; their elbow and foot touched in the carriage, and the Zhi clan was carved up, its master dead and its state lost, and laughed at by the world. Now Qin, though strong, does not exceed the Zhi clan; Han and Wei, though weak, are still more worthy than they were at the foot of Jinyang's walls; this is exactly the moment of their elbow and foot, and I hope Your Majesty will certainly not be careless." Then the King of Qin was afraid.

魏公子牟東行，穰侯送之曰：“先生將去冉之山東矣，獨無一言以教冉乎？”魏公子牟曰：“微君言之，牟幾忘語君，君知夫官不與勢期，而勢自至乎？勢不與富期，而富自至乎？富不與貴期，而貴自至乎？貴不與驕期，而驕自至乎？驕不與罪期，而罪自至乎？罪不與死期，而死自至乎？”穰侯曰：“善，敬受明教。”

Prince Mou of Wei was heading east, and the Marquis of Rang saw him off, saying: "Master, you are about to leave Ran for east of the mountains; do you have not a single word to teach Ran?" Prince Mou of Wei said: "Had you not said that, I would almost have forgotten to tell you. Do you know that office does not make an appointment with power, yet power comes by itself? Power does not make an appointment with wealth, yet wealth comes by itself? Wealth does not make an appointment with nobility, yet nobility comes by itself? Nobility does not make an appointment with arrogance, yet arrogance comes by itself? Arrogance does not make an appointment with offense, yet offense comes by itself? Offense does not make an appointment with death, yet death comes by itself?" The Marquis of Rang said: "Good; I respectfully receive your clear teaching."

高上尊賢，無以驕人；聰明聖智，無以窮人；資給疾速，無以先人；剛毅勇猛，無以勝人。不知則問，不能則學。雖智必質，然後辯之；雖能必讓，然後為之；故士雖聰明聖智，自守以愚；功被天下，自守以讓；勇力距世，自守以怯；富有天下，自守以廉；此所謂高而不危，滿而不溢者也。

Lofty and honoring the worthy, do not use it to be proud toward others; intelligent, sage, and wise, do not use it to make others suffer hardship; quick and nimble in resources, do not use it to get ahead of others; firm, resolute, and brave, do not use it to overcome others. If you do not know, ask; if you cannot, learn. Even if you have wisdom, you must be plain before you argue; even if you have ability, you must yield before you act. So a scholar, though intelligent, sage, and wise, guards himself with simplicity; though his merit covers the world, he guards himself with modesty; though his courage and strength can withstand a whole age, he guards himself with timidity; though he is rich as the world, he guards himself with integrity; this is what is called being high without danger and full without overflow.

齊桓公為大臣具酒，期以日中，管仲後至，桓公舉觴以飲之，管仲半棄酒。桓公曰：“期而後至，飲而棄酒，於禮可乎？”管仲對曰：“臣聞酒入舌出，舌出者言失，言失者身棄，臣計棄身不如棄酒。”桓公笑曰：“仲父起就坐。楚恭王與晉厲公戰於鄢陵之時，司馬子反渴而求飲，豎穀陽持酒而進之，子反曰：‘退，酒也。’穀陽曰：‘非酒也。’子反又曰：‘退，酒也。’穀陽又曰：‘非酒也。’子反受而飲之，醉而寢。恭王欲復戰，使人召子反，子反辭以心疾，於是恭王駕往入幄，聞酒臭曰：‘今日之戰，所恃者司馬，司馬至醉如此，是亡吾國而不恤吾眾也，吾無以復戢矣！’於是乃誅子反以為戮，還師。”夫穀陽之進酒也，非以妒子反忠，愛之而適足以殺之，故曰：“小忠，大忠之賊也；小利，大利之殘也。好戰之臣，不可不察也！”

Duke Huan of Qi prepared wine for his high ministers and set the time for midday. Guan Zhong arrived late, and the Duke raised a cup and made him drink. Guan Zhong drank half and threw the rest away. The Duke said, "You agreed on a time but came late, and you drank but threw the wine away; is that permissible in ritual?" Guan Zhong replied, "I have heard that when wine goes in, the tongue comes out; when the tongue comes out, speech goes wrong; a man whose speech goes wrong has himself cast aside. I calculated that it is better to cast away the wine than to cast away myself." The Duke smiled and said, "Uncle Zhong, get up and take your seat. When King Gong of Chu and Duke Li of Jin fought at Yanling, the Minister of War, Zifan, was thirsty and asked for a drink. His servant Gu Yang brought wine and offered it. Zifan said, 'Take it away, that is wine.' Gu Yang said, 'It is not wine.' Zifan said again, 'Take it away, that is wine.' Gu Yang again said, 'It is not wine.' Zifan took it and drank it, became drunk and fell asleep. King Gong wanted to fight again and sent for Zifan, but Zifan excused himself on grounds of a heart ailment. So King Gong drove his chariot into the tent, smelled the wine and said, 'In today's battle, what I relied on was the Minister of War. The Minister of War is this drunk; this is destroying my state and not caring for my troops. I have no way to fight again!' So he executed Zifan as a warning and withdrew his army." Gu Yang offered the wine not out of jealousy of Zifan; he was loyal to him and loved him, yet that was enough to kill him. So it is said: "Petty loyalty is the thief of great loyalty; petty profit is the ruin of great profit. A minister who loves war must be examined carefully!"

羞小恥以構大怨，貪小利以亡大眾；春秋有其戒，晉先軫是也。先軫欲要功獲名，則以秦不假道之故，請要秦師，襄公曰：“不可。夫秦伯與吾先君有結，先君一日薨而興師擊之，是孤之負吾先君，敗鄰國之交而失孝子之行也。”先軫曰：“先君薨而不弔贈，是無哀吾喪也；興師徑吾地而不假道，是弱吾孤也；且柩畢尚薄屋，無哀吾喪也。”興師。卜曰：“大國師將至，請擊之。”則聽先軫興兵要之殽，擊之，匹馬只輸（輪）無脫者，大結怨構禍於秦；接刃流血，伏屍暴骸，糜爛國家，十有餘年，卒喪其師眾，禍及大夫，憂累後世，故好戰之臣不可不察也。

To take a small shame as an insult and thereby create a great grudge, to covet small gain and thereby lose the multitude: the Spring and Autumn Annals has a warning for this, namely Xian Zhen of Jin. Xian Zhen wanted to win merit and fame, and because Qin had not lent passage, he asked to intercept the Qin army. Duke Xiang said, "We must not. The Earl of Qin had a friendship with my late lord. To raise an army and attack him the moment my late lord has died would be to betray my late lord, ruin relations with a neighboring state and lose the conduct of a filial son." Xian Zhen said, "When our late lord died, he did not come to offer condolences or send funeral gifts, which shows no sympathy for our mourning; he raised an army and marched straight through our land without asking passage, which bullies our orphan; moreover, the coffin is still in a thin-walled shed, and he does not pity our mourning." They raised an army. The divination said, "The army of a great state is about to arrive; attack." They followed Xian Zhen, raised an army and intercepted at Xiao, attacked them, and not one horse or one wheel (the original note reads: wheel) escaped, and they greatly created a grudge and brought disaster upon Qin. Blades met and blood flowed, corpses lay exposed and bones bared, the state was ruined for more than ten years, and in the end he lost his army and multitude, with calamity reaching the grand masters and sorrow burdening later generations. So a minister who loves war must be examined carefully.

魯哀公問孔子曰：“予聞忘之甚者，徙而忘其妻，有諸乎？”孔子對曰：“此非忘之甚者也，忘之甚者忘其身。”哀公曰：“可得聞與？”對曰：“昔夏桀貴為天子，富有天下，不修禹之道，毀壞闢法，裂絕世祀，荒淫於樂，沈酗於酒，其臣有左師觸龍者，諂諛不止，湯誅桀，左師觸龍者，身死，四支不同壇而居，此忘其身者也。”哀公愀然變色曰：“善！”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, "I have heard that the most forgetful person, when moving house, forgets his wife. Is there such a thing?" Confucius replied, "That is not the most forgetful. The most forgetful is one who forgets himself." Duke Ai said, "May I hear about it?" He replied, "In the past Jie of Xia was honored as Son of Heaven and possessed all under heaven, but he did not cultivate the Way of Yu, destroyed the laws and standards, split and cut off the generations of sacrifice, was dissolute in music and sunk in drunkenness. His minister, Left Teacher Chu Long, flattered him without ceasing. When Tang executed Jie, Left Teacher Chu Long himself died, and his four limbs did not rest in the same altar. These were people who forgot themselves." Duke Ai's face changed and he said, "Good!"

孔子之周，觀於太廟右陛之前，有金人焉，三緘其口而銘其背曰：“古之慎言人也，戒之哉！戒之哉！無多言，多口多敗；無多事，多事多患。安樂必戒，無行所悔。勿謂何傷，其禍將長；勿謂何害，其禍將大；勿謂何殘，其禍將然；勿謂莫聞，天妖伺人；熒熒不滅，炎炎奈何；涓涓不壅，將成江河；綿綿不絕，將成網羅；青青不伐，將尋斧柯；誠不能慎之，禍之根也；曰是何傷？禍之門也。強梁者不得其死，好勝者必遇其敵；盜怨主人，民害其貴。君子知天下之不可蓋也，故後之下之，使人慕之；執雌持下，莫能與之爭者。人皆趨彼，我獨守此；眾人惑惑，我獨不從；內藏我知，不與人論技；我雖尊高，人莫害我。夫江河長百穀者，以其卑下也；天道無親，常與善人；戒之哉！戒之哉！”孔子顧謂弟子曰：“記之，此言雖鄙，而中事情。詩曰：‘戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰’。行身如此，豈以口遇禍哉！”

When Confucius went to Zhou, he viewed the front of the right steps of the Grand Temple, where there was a bronze figure whose mouth was sealed with three seals, and on its back was inscribed: "The man of old who was careful with words: be warned! Be warned! Do not speak much; much speech brings much ruin. Do not meddle much; much meddling brings much trouble. In ease and comfort always be warned; do not do what you will regret. Do not say 'what harm is there'; the calamity will last long. Do not say 'what hindrance is there'; the calamity will be great. Do not say 'what injury is there'; the calamity will blaze up. Do not say 'no one hears'; the spirits of Heaven are watching people. A faint fire left unquenched, what will you do when it roars? A tiny stream left unblocked will become a river; threads left unbroken will become a net; green shoots left uncut will need the axe. If one truly cannot be careful, this is the root of calamity; saying 'what harm is there' is the gate of calamity. The violent do not die a natural death; those who love to win must meet their match. Robbers resent the master of the house, and the people harm their nobles. The gentleman knows that the world cannot be covered over, so he puts himself behind and below, which makes people admire him; holding to softness and staying low, there is no one who can contend with him. Everyone heads that way, but I alone hold to this way; the multitude is confused, but I alone do not follow; inside I hide my wisdom and do not compete with people in skill; though I am honored, no one harms me. The rivers and seas become the chiefs of the valleys because they stay low; the Way of Heaven has no partiality and always helps the good. Be warned! Be warned!" Confucius turned to his disciples and said, "Remember this. These words, though plain, strike at the heart of the matter. The Classic of Poetry says: 'Trembling and cautious, as if facing a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice.' If one conducts oneself like this, how could calamity ever come through the mouth!"

魯哀侯棄國而走齊，齊侯曰：“君何年之少而棄國之蚤？”魯哀侯曰：“臣始為太子之時，人多諫臣，臣受而不用也；人多愛臣，臣愛而不近也，是則內無聞而外無輔也。是猶秋蓬，惡於根本而美於枝葉，秋風一起，根且拔也。”

Marquis Ai of Lu abandoned his state and fled to Qi. The Marquis of Qi said, "Why did you, so young, abandon your state so early?" Marquis Ai of Lu said, "When I first served as crown prince, many people remonstrated with me, and I accepted but did not use their advice; many people loved me, and I loved them but did not draw close. Thus within I had nothing seen or heard, and outside I had no support. It is like the autumn tumbleweed, whose root is ugly while its branches and leaves are beautiful; when the autumn wind rises, the root will be pulled up."

孔子行遊中路聞哭者聲，其音甚悲，孔子曰：“驅之！驅之！前有異人音。”少進，見之，丘吾子也，擁鐮帶索而哭，孔子闢車而下，問曰：“夫子非有喪也？何哭之悲也。”丘吾子對曰：“吾有三失。”孔子曰：“願聞三失。”丘吾子曰：“吾少好學問，周遍天下，還後吾親亡，一失也。事君奢驕，諫不遂，是二失也。厚交友而後絕，三失也。樹欲靜乎風不定，子欲養吾親不待；往而不來者，年也；不可得再見者，親也。請從此辭。”則自刎而死。孔子曰：“弟子記之，此足以為戒也。”於是弟子歸養親者十三人。

Confucius was traveling when he heard on the road the sound of someone weeping, and the sound was very sad. Confucius said, "Drive on! Drive on! Ahead is the voice of an unusual person." After advancing a little, he saw him: it was Qiu Wuzi, holding a sickle and carrying a rope, weeping. Confucius left his carriage and got down and asked, "Sir, have you suffered a bereavement? Why do you weep so sadly?" Qiu Wuzi replied, "I have three losses." Confucius said, "I wish to hear the three losses." Qiu Wuzi said, "When young I loved learning and traveled all over the world; when I returned my parents had died; this is the first loss. In serving my ruler I was extravagant and arrogant, and my remonstrance could not succeed; this is the second loss. I treated my friends generously and later we broke off; this is the third loss. The tree wants to be still but the wind will not stop; the son wants to care for his parents but they are not there to wait for him; what goes and does not return is the years; what cannot be seen again is one's parents. Let me take my leave here." He then killed himself and died. Confucius said, "Disciples, remember this; it is enough to serve as a warning." Thereupon thirteen disciples went home to care for their parents.

孔子論詩至於正月之六章，戄然曰：“不逢時之君子，豈不殆哉？從上依世則廢道，違上離俗則危身；世不與善，己獨由之，則曰非妖則孽也；是以桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干，故賢者不遇時，常恐不終焉。詩曰：‘謂天蓋高，不敢不局；謂地蓋厚，不敢不蹐。’此之謂也。”

When Confucius discussed the Classic of Poetry and came to the sixth stanza of "The First Month," he was alarmed and said, "A gentleman who does not meet his time, is he not in danger? If he follows those above and follows the age, he abandons the Way; if he goes against those above and leaves the customs, he endangers himself. The age does not approve of goodness, and if he walks this road alone, people say that he is either a demon or a monster. For this reason Jie killed Guan Longfeng and Zhou killed Prince Bigan, so worthy men who do not meet their time are often afraid of not coming to a good end. The Classic of Poetry says: 'Though they say Heaven is high, one dares not but stoop; though they say Earth is thick, one dares not but tread lightly.' This is what is meant."

孔子見羅者，其所得者皆黃口也，孔子曰：“黃口盡得，大爵獨不得，何也？”羅者對曰：“黃口從大爵者不得，大爵從黃口者可得。”孔子顧謂弟子曰：“君子慎所從，不得其人則有羅網之患。”

Confucius saw a man setting a net, and all that he caught were yellow-mouthed fledglings. Confucius said, "You caught all the fledglings but not the large birds alone; why?" The man setting the net replied, "A fledgling that follows the large birds cannot be caught, but a large bird that follows the fledglings can be caught." Confucius turned to his disciples and said, "The gentleman must be careful about whom he follows; if he does not get the right people, he will suffer the misfortune of the net."

修身正行，不可以不慎：嗜慾使行虧，讒諛亂正心，眾口使意回，憂患生於所忽，禍起於細微，汙辱難湔灑，敗事不可後追，不深念遠慮，後悔當幾何？夫徼倖者，伐性之斧也；嗜慾者，逐禍之馬也；謾諛者，窮辱之舍也；取虐於人者，趨禍之路也，故曰去徼倖，務忠信，節嗜慾，無取虐於人，則稱為君子，名聲常存。怨生於不報，禍生於多福，安危存於自處，不困在於蚤豫，存亡在於得人，慎終如始，乃能長久。能行此五者，可以全身，己所不欲，勿施於人，是謂要道也。

In cultivating oneself and rectifying one's conduct, one cannot but be careful: appetites and desires make conduct deficient, slander and flattery disturb the upright heart, the voices of the crowd turn one's intentions around, worries arise from what is neglected, calamity rises from the tiniest things, a stain is hard to wash out, a ruined thing cannot be recovered afterward; without deep thought and far-reaching consideration, how much regret there will be! Luck is an axe that fells one's life; appetites and desires are horses that chase after calamity; deceit and flattery are the lodging of distress and shame; taking cruelty from others is the road that rushes toward calamity. So it is said: get rid of luck, devote oneself to loyalty and good faith, restrain appetites and desires, and do not take cruelty from others, and one is called a gentleman and his name will always endure. Resentment arises from not repaying; calamity arises from having too much good fortune; safety and danger lie in how one conducts oneself; not being in distress lies in preparing early; survival and ruin lie in winning people; being careful at the end as at the beginning is how one lasts long. One who can carry out these five can preserve himself. What one does not want for oneself, do not impose on others: this is called the essential Way.

顏回將西遊，問於孔子曰：“何以為身？”孔子曰：“恭敬忠信，可以為身。恭則免於眾，敬則人愛之，忠則人與之，信則人恃之；人所愛，人所與，人所恃，必免於患矣，可以臨國家，何況於身乎？故不比數而比疏，不亦遠乎？不修中而修外，不亦反乎？不先慮事，臨難乃謀，不亦晚乎？”

When Yan Hui was about to travel west, he asked Confucius, "What should I use to establish myself?" Confucius said, "Reverence, respect, loyalty and good faith can establish a person. With reverence one is spared by the people; with respect others love him; with loyalty others draw close to him; with good faith others rely on him. One whom others love, draw close to and rely on will surely be free from calamity, and can face a whole state, how much more his own person? So not being close to what is near but close to what is distant, is that not far? Not cultivating the inner but cultivating the outer, is that not backwards? Not considering matters beforehand but planning only when disaster arrives, is that not too late?"

凡司其身，必慎五本：一曰柔以仁，二曰誠以信，三曰富而貴毋敢以驕人，四曰恭以敬，五曰寬以靜。思此五者，則無兇命，用能治敬，以助天時，兇命不至，而禍不來。友人者，非敬人也，自敬也。貴人者，非貴人也，自貴也。昔者吾嘗見天雨金石與血；吾嘗見四月十日並出，有與天滑；吾嘗見高山之崩，深谷之窒，大都王宮之破，大國之滅；吾嘗見高山之為裂，深淵之沙竭，貴人之車裂；吾嘗見稠林之無木，平原為溪谷，君子為御僕；吾嘗見江河干為坑，正冬採榆葉，仲夏雨雪霜，千乘之君，萬乘之主，死而不葬。是故君子敬以成其名，小人敬以除其刑，奈何無戒而不慎五本哉！

In general, one who governs himself must be careful about five roots: first, gentle and humane; second, sincere and trustworthy; third, though rich and noble, not daring to be arrogant to others; fourth, reverent and respectful; fifth, generous and calm. Keeping these five in mind, there is no ominous fate; with them one can order reverence and assist the seasons of Heaven, so that ominous fate does not arrive and calamity does not come. To love others is not to respect others but to respect oneself. To honor others is not to honor others but to honor oneself. In the past I once saw Heaven send down metal, stone and blood; I once saw ten suns come out together on the tenth of the fourth month, some gliding along together with Heaven; I once saw high mountains collapse and deep valleys fill up, the palaces of great capitals destroyed and great states perish; I once saw high mountains split open, the sand of deep abysses dry up, and nobles torn apart by chariots; I once saw dense forests without trees and plains turned into ravines, and gentlemen serving as charioteers; I once saw rivers dry up into pits, elm leaves gathered in midwinter, frost and snow in midsummer, and rulers of a thousand chariots and lords of ten thousand chariots die without burial. For this reason the gentleman uses reverence to complete his name, and the petty man uses reverence to remove his punishment; how could one not be warned and not be careful about the five roots!

魯有恭士，名曰機泛，行年七十，其恭益甚，冬日行陰，夏日行陽，市次不敢不行參，行必隨，坐必危，一食之間，三起不羞，見衣裘褐之士則為之禮，魯君問曰：“機子年甚長矣，不可釋恭乎？”機泛對曰：“君子好恭以成其名，小人學恭以除其刑，對君之坐，豈不安哉？尚有差跌；一食之上，豈不美哉？尚有哽噎；今若泛所謂幸者也，固未能自必，鴻鵠飛沖天，豈不高哉？矰繳尚得而加之；虎豹為猛，人尚食其肉，席其皮；譽人者少，惡人者多，行年七十，常恐斧質之加於泛者，何釋恭為？”

In Lu there was a scholar of reverence and caution named Ji Fan, seventy years old, whose reverence grew even greater. In winter he walked in the shade and in summer in the sun; when staying in the market he did not dare omit the ceremonial greeting; when walking he always followed behind; when sitting he always sat upright; during a single meal he rose three times without shame, and when he saw scholars wearing coarse clothing he bowed to them. The ruler of Lu asked, "Master Ji, you are very old; can't you put down your reverence?" Ji Fan replied, "The gentleman loves reverence to complete his name; the petty man studies reverence to remove his punishment. Sitting before a ruler, is it not comfortable? Yet one may still stumble and fall. Being served a meal, is it not delicious? Yet one may still choke. Now as for a so-called lucky person like me, I cannot count on myself for certain. The swan flies up to heaven, is it not high? Yet the arrow with its cord can still be added to it. Tigers and leopards are fierce, yet people eat their flesh and make mats from their skins. Few praise others and many dislike others; at seventy years old I constantly fear that the axe and block will be applied to me; why should I put down reverence?"

成回學於子路三年，回恭敬不已，子路問其故何也？回對曰：“臣聞之，行者比於鳥，上畏鷹鸇，下畏網羅；夫人為善者少，為讒者多，若身不死，安知禍罪不施。行年七十，常恐行節之虧，回是以恭敬待大命。”子路稽首曰：“君子哉！”

Cheng Hui studied with Zilu for three years, and Hui's reverence never ceased. Zilu asked the reason. Hui replied, "I have heard that a traveler is like a bird, fearing hawks and falcons above and nets below. People who do good are few and those who slander are many; if one is not dead yet, how can one know that calamity and guilt will not be added to him? At seventy years old, I constantly fear that my conduct and integrity are deficient, so I am reverent and await the great decree." Zilu kowtowed and said, "A gentleman indeed!"

孫卿曰：“夫談說之術，齊莊以立之，端誠以處之，堅強以持之，譬稱以諭之，分別以明之，歡欣憤滿以送之，寶之珍之，貴之神之，如是則說常無不行矣。”夫是之謂能貴其所貴。傳曰：“唯君子為能貴其所貴也。”詩云：“無易由言，無曰苟矣。”鬼谷子曰：“人之不善而能矯之者難矣。說之不行，言之不從者，其辯之不明也；既明而不行者，持之不固也；既固而不行者，未中其心之所善也。辯之明之，持之固之，又中其人之所善，其言神而珍，白而分，能入於人之心，如此而說不行者，天下未嘗聞也。此之謂善說。”子貢曰：“出言陳辭，身之得失，國之安危也。”詩云：“辭之繹矣，民之莫矣。”夫辭者人之所以自通也。主父偃曰：“人而無辭，安所用之。”昔子產修其辭，而趙武致其敬；王孫滿明其言，而楚莊以慚；蘇秦行其說，而六國以安；蒯通陳說，而身得以全。夫辭者乃所以尊君、重身、安國、全性者也。故辭不可不修而說不可不善。

Sun Qing (Xunzi) said: "The method of persuasion is to establish it with order and gravity, to hold it with uprightness and honesty, to maintain it with firmness, to make it clear by metaphor and citation, to illuminate it by distinctions, to send it forth with joy and indignation, to treasure it and cherish it, to value it and make it divine; if one does this, persuasion will never fail." This is called being able to value what one values. The commentary says: "Only the gentleman can value what he values." The Classic of Poetry says: "Do not speak lightly; do not say that carelessness will do." Guiguzi said: "It is hard to correct a person who has something not good. If persuasion does not work and one's words are not followed, it is because the argument is not clear; if it is clear but does not work, it is because the holding is not firm; if it is firm and still does not work, it is because it has not struck what the other person likes in his heart. If you argue it and make it clear, hold it and make it firm, and strike what that person likes, and your words are marvelous and precious, clear and distinct, able to enter into people's hearts, then that persuasion will fail is something the world has never heard of. This is called being good at speaking." Zigong said: "Speaking words and setting out phrasing is the gain and loss of one's own person and the safety and danger of the state." The Classic of Poetry says: "When phrasing is harmonious, the people are settled." Phrasing is what people use to reach out for themselves. Zhufu Yan said: "A person without phrasing, what use is he?" In the past Zichan cultivated his phrasing, and Zhao Wu paid him respect; Wangsun Man clarified his words, and King Zhuang of Chu was ashamed; Su Qin carried out his persuasion, and the six states were thereby settled; Kuai Tong set out his persuasion, and his own person was preserved. Phrasing is used to honor the ruler, value one's person, settle the state and preserve life. So phrasing must be cultivated and persuasion must be done well.

趙使人謂魏王曰：“為我殺範痤，吾請獻七十里之地。”魏王曰：“諾”。使吏捕之，圍而未殺。痤自上屋騎危，謂使者曰：“與其以死痤市，不如以生痤市，有如痤死，趙不與王地，則王奈何？故不若與定割地，然後殺痤。”魏王曰：“善”。痤因上書信陵君曰：“痤故魏之免相也。趙以地殺痤而魏王聽之，有如強秦亦將襲趙之慾，則君且奈何？”信陵君言於王而出之。

Zhao sent someone to say to the King of Wei, "Kill Fan Cuo for me, and I will present you with seventy li of land." The King of Wei said, "Good." He sent officers to seize him, and they surrounded him but had not yet killed him. Cuo climbed up on the roof and sat astride the ridge, saying to the envoy, "Rather than make a deal with a dead Cuo, it is better to make a deal with a living Cuo. If Cuo dies and Zhao does not give the King the land, what will the King do? So it is better to settle the cession of land with them first and then kill Cuo." The King of Wei said, "Good." Cuo then wrote to Lord Xinling, saying, "Cuo was originally a dismissed chancellor of Wei. Zhao is using land to have Cuo killed and the King of Wei is going along with it. If mighty Qin should follow Zhao's wishes in the same way, what would you do?" Lord Xinling spoke to the King and had him released.

吳人入荊，召陳懷公，懷公召國人曰：“欲與荊者左，欲與吳者右。”逄滑當公而進曰：“吳未有福，荊未有禍。”公曰：“國勝君出，非禍而奚？”對曰：“小國有是猶復，而況大國乎？楚雖無德，亦不斬艾其民，吳日弊兵，暴骨如莽，未見德焉？天其或者正訓楚也！禍之適吳，何日之有？”陳侯從之。

The people of Wu entered Jing and summoned Duke Huai of Chen. Duke Huai summoned the people of the state and said, "Those who want to side with Jing, stand on the left; those who want to side with Wu, stand on the right." Pang Hua advanced before the Duke and said, "Wu has no blessing yet, and Jing has no calamity yet." The Duke said, "The state is defeated and its ruler has fled; if that is not calamity, what is?" He replied, "A small state that has suffered this can still recover, how much more a great state? Though Chu has no virtue, it does not butcher its people, while Wu tires its army day after day and its exposed bones are like clumps of grass; I do not see where the virtue lies. Perhaps Heaven is just now admonishing Chu! Calamity will fall on Wu, and how many days will it take?" The Marquis of Chen followed him.

桓公立仲父，致大夫曰：“善吾者入門而右，不善吾者入門而左。”有中門而立者，桓公問焉。對曰：“管子之知，可與謀天下，其強可與取天下。君恃其信乎？內政委焉；外事斷焉。驅民而歸之，是亦可奪也。”桓公曰：“善。”乃謂管仲：“政則卒歸於子矣，政之所不及，唯子是匡。”管仲故築三歸之臺，以自傷於民。

Duke Huan established Uncle Zhong (Guan Zhong), and assembled the grand masters, saying, "Those who think well of me, enter the gate and go right; those who think ill of me, enter the gate and go left." There was one who stood in the middle of the gate, and Duke Huan asked him. He replied, "Master Guan's wisdom is such that one can plan the world with him; his strength is such that one could use it to seize the world. Do you rely on his good faith? You entrust domestic government to him; external affairs are decided by him. If he drives the people to follow him, you too can be seized." Duke Huan said, "Good." He then said to Guan Zhong, "Government is finally entrusted to you; what government cannot reach, you alone will correct." Guan Zhong therefore built the Three Returns Terrace in order to diminish himself in the eyes of the people.

齊宣王出獵於社山，社山父老十三人相與勞王，王曰：“父老苦矣！”謂左右賜父老田不租，父老皆拜，閭丘先生不拜。王曰：“父老以為少耶？”謂左右復賜父老無徭役，父老皆拜，閭丘先生又不拜。王曰：“拜者去，不拜者前。”曰：“寡人今觀父老幸而勞之，故賜父老田不租，父老皆拜，先生獨不拜，寡人自以為少，故賜父老無徭役，父老皆拜，先生又獨不拜，寡人得無有過乎？”閭丘先生對曰：“惟聞大王來遊，所以為勞大王，望得壽於大王，望得富於大王，望得貴於大王。”王曰：“天殺生有時，非寡人所得與也，無以壽先生；倉廩雖實，以備災害，無以富先生；大官無缺，小官卑賤，無以貴先生。”閭丘先生對曰：“此非人臣所敢望也。願大王選良富家子，有修行者以為吏，平其法度，如此臣少可以得壽焉；春秋冬夏，振之以時，無煩擾百姓，如是臣可少得以富焉；願大王出令，令少者敬長，長者敬老，如是臣可少得以貴焉；今大王幸賜臣田不租，然則倉廩將虛也。賜臣無徭役，然則官府無使焉，此固非人臣之所敢望也。”齊王曰：“善。願請先生為相。”

King Xuan of Qi went out hunting at Mount She, and thirteen village elders of Mount She came together to console the king. The king said, "Elders, you have toiled!" He told his attendants to grant the elders land free of tax; the elders all bowed, but Master Lüqiu did not bow. The king said, "Do the elders think it too little?" He told his attendants to grant the elders exemption from labor service; the elders all bowed, and Master Lüqiu again did not bow. The king said, "Those who bowed, withdraw; those who did not bow, come forward." He said, "Now I have seen the elders and fortunately been able to console them, so I granted the elders land free of tax, and they all bowed, but you alone did not bow; I thought it too little, so I granted the elders exemption from labor service, and they all bowed, but you again alone did not bow; surely I have not made a mistake?" Master Lüqiu replied, "I only heard that Your Majesty was traveling, and so came to console Your Majesty, hoping to receive longevity from Your Majesty, hoping to receive wealth from Your Majesty, hoping to receive rank from Your Majesty." The king said, "Heaven's killing and giving life have their times and are not what I can give; I have nothing with which to give you longevity. Though the granaries are full, they are used to guard against disaster; I have nothing with which to give you wealth. The great offices have no vacancies and the small offices are lowly; I have nothing with which to give you rank." Master Lüqiu replied, "These are not things a subject would dare hope for. I wish Your Majesty to select as officials the sons of good and wealthy families who have cultivated conduct, so that the laws are fair; in this way I may somewhat gain longevity. In spring, autumn, winter and summer, distribute relief in due season and do not trouble the people; in this way I may somewhat gain wealth. I wish Your Majesty to issue an order that the young respect the elder, and the elder respect the aged; in this way I may somewhat gain rank. Now if Your Majesty fortunately gives me land free of tax, the granaries will be emptied; if you give me exemption from labor service, the government will have no one to employ. These are in truth not things a subject would dare hope for." The King of Qi said, "Good. I would like to ask you to be chancellor."

孝武皇帝時，汾陰得寶鼎而獻之於甘泉宮，群臣賀，上壽曰：“陛下得周鼎。”侍中虞丘壽王獨曰：“非周鼎。”上聞之，召而問曰：“朕得周鼎，群臣皆以為周鼎而壽王獨以為非，何也？壽王有說則生，無說則死。”對曰：“臣壽王安敢無說？臣聞夫周德始產於後稷，長於公劉，大於大王，成於文武，顯於周公，德澤上洞，天下漏泉，無所不通，上天報應，鼎為周出，故名周鼎。今漢自高祖繼周，亦昭德顯行，布恩施惠，六合和同，至陛下之身愈盛，天瑞並至，徵祥畢見。昔始皇帝親出鼎於彭城而不能得。天昭有德，寶鼎自至，此天之所以予漢，乃漢鼎，非周鼎也！”上曰：“善！”群臣皆稱：“萬歲！”是日賜虞丘壽王黃金十斤。

In the time of Emperor Xiaowu, a precious tripod was found at Fenyin and presented at the Ganquan Palace. The assembled ministers offered congratulations and said as a toast, "Your Majesty has obtained the Zhou tripod." Only the palace attendant Yuqiu Shouwang said, "It is not the Zhou tripod." The emperor heard this and summoned him and asked, "I have obtained the Zhou tripod, and the ministers all consider it the Zhou tripod, but Shouwang alone considers it not; why? If Shouwang has an explanation he will live, and if not he will die." He replied, "How would your servant Shouwang dare to be without an explanation? I have heard that Zhou's virtue began with Houji, grew with Gongliu, flourished with the Great King, was completed with Kings Wen and Wu, and shone brightly with the Duke of Zhou. Its virtuous favor reached upward, and all under heaven, like seeping springs, was reached without exception; Heaven responded, and the tripod appeared for Zhou, so it is called the Zhou tripod. Now the Han, from Emperor Gaozu, succeeded Zhou, likewise displaying virtue and manifesting conduct, bestowing kindness, so that the six directions were in concord; by Your Majesty's own time it has flourished even more, auspicious signs from Heaven have all arrived together, and omens and good signs have all appeared. In the past the First Emperor personally had a tripod raised at Pengcheng and could not obtain it. Heaven shows who has virtue, and the precious tripod came of itself; this is what Heaven gives to Han, so it is a Han tripod and not a Zhou tripod!" The emperor said, "Good!" The ministers all cried, "Ten thousand years!" On this day he gave Yuqiu Shouwang ten catties of gold.

晉獻公之時，東郭民有祖朝者，上書獻公曰：“草茅臣東郭民祖朝，願請聞國家之計。”獻公使使出告之曰：“肉食者已慮之矣。藿食者尚何與焉？”祖朝對曰：“大王獨不聞古之將曰桓司馬者，朝朝其君，舉而宴，御呼車，驂亦呼車，御肘其驂曰：‘子何越云為乎？何為借呼車？’驂謂其御曰：‘當呼者呼，乃吾事也，子當御正子之轡銜耳。子今不正轡銜，使馬卒然驚，妄轢道中行人，必逢大敵，下車免劍，涉血履肝者固吾事也。子寧能闢子之轡，下佐我乎？其禍亦及吾身，與有深憂，吾安得無呼車乎？’今大王曰：‘食肉者已慮之矣，藿食者尚何與焉？’設使食肉者一旦失計於廟堂之上，若臣等藿食者，寧得無肝膽塗地於中原之野與？其禍亦及臣之身。臣與有其憂深。臣安得無與國家之計乎？”獻公召而見之，三日與語，無復憂者，乃立以為師也。

In the time of Duke Xian of Jin, among the people of the Eastern Suburb there was one named Zu Chao, who wrote to Duke Xian saying, "Your thatch-roofed servant Zu Chao, a commoner of the Eastern Suburb, wishes to request to hear the plans of the state." Duke Xian sent an envoy out to tell him, "Those who eat meat have already considered it. What has one who eats bean leaves to do with it?" Zu Chao replied, "Has Your Majesty not heard that in ancient times there was a general called Huan Sima, who went to court in the morning to see his ruler, and as he moved to attend a banquet, the driver called out for the chariot, and the man riding beside him also called out for the chariot. The driver jabbed his elbow at the man beside him and said, 'Why do you overstep your post like this? Why are you calling for the chariot?' The man beside him said to the driver, 'To call out when it is time to call out is my business; you should just keep your reins and bit straight. Now if you do not keep the reins straight and the horses suddenly bolt and trample travelers on the road, you will surely meet a great enemy, and getting down and drawing the sword, treading in blood and stepping on livers, is certainly my business. Could you then put down your reins and come down to help me? That calamity would fall on me too, and I would share your deep worry; how could I not call for the chariot?' Now Your Majesty says: 'Those who eat meat have already considered it; what has one who eats bean leaves to do with it?' If those who eat meat were once to miscalculate in the temple hall, then people like me who eat bean leaves, could we avoid having our livers and gallbladders smeared on the ground on the plains of the central land? That calamity would fall on me as well. I share that deep worry. How could I not take part in the plans of the state?" Duke Xian summoned him and talked with him for three days, with no worries remaining, and appointed him as teacher.

客謂梁王曰：“惠子之言事也善譬，王使無譬，則不能言矣。”王曰：“諾。”明日見，謂惠子曰：“願先生言事則直言耳，無譬也。”惠子曰：“今有人於此而不知彈者，曰：‘彈之狀何若？’應曰：‘彈之狀如彈。’諭乎？”王曰：“未諭也。”“於是更應曰：‘彈之狀如弓而以竹為弦。’則知乎？”王曰：“可知矣。”惠子曰：“夫說者固以其所知，諭其所不知，而使人知之。今王曰無譬則不可矣。”王曰：“善。”

A guest said to the King of Liang, "Master Hui is good at using metaphors when discussing matters; if the King makes him stop using metaphors, he will not be able to speak." The King said, "Good." The next day he met Hui Shi and said, "I hope that when you discuss matters you simply speak plainly and do not use metaphors." Master Hui said, "Suppose there is a man here who does not know what a 'dan' is, and says, 'What shape is a dan?' and one answers, 'The shape of a dan is like a dan.' Is it clear?" The King said, "It is not clear." "Then suppose I change my answer and say, 'The shape of a dan is like a bow, but with a string made of bamboo.' Would he then know?" The King said, "He could know." Master Hui said, "One who persuades originally uses what a person knows to explain what he does not know, so that he comes to know. Now if the King says not to use metaphors, it cannot be done." The King said, "Good."

孟嘗君寄客於齊王，三年而不見用，故客反謂孟嘗君曰：“君之寄臣也，三年而不見用，不知臣之罪也？君之過也？”孟嘗君曰：“寡人聞之，縷因針而入，不因針而急，嫁女因媒而成，不因媒而親。夫子之材必薄矣，尚何怨乎寡人哉？”客曰：“不然，臣聞周氏之嚳，韓氏之盧，天下疾狗也。見菟而指屬，則無失菟矣；望見而放狗也，則累世不能得菟矣！狗非不能，屬之者罪也。”孟嘗君曰：“不然，昔華舟杞梁戰而死，其妻悲之，向城而哭，隅為之崩，城為之，君子誠能刑于內，則物應於外矣。夫土壤且可為忠，況有食谷之君乎？”客曰：“不然，臣見鷦鷯巢於葦苕，著之發毛，建之女工不能為也，可謂完堅矣。大風至，則苕折卵破子死者，何也？其所託者使然也。且夫狐者人之所攻也，鼠者人之所燻也。臣未嘗見稷狐見攻，社鼠見燻也，何則？所託者然也。”於是孟嘗君復屬之齊，齊王使為相。

Lord Mengchang entrusted a guest to the King of Qi, but for three years he was not employed, so the guest returned and said to Lord Mengchang, "You entrusted me, but for three years I was not employed; I do not know whether it is my fault, or yours?" Lord Mengchang said, "I have heard that thread enters because of the needle, but is not urgent because of the needle; a daughter's marriage is accomplished through the matchmaker, but is not made intimate by the matchmaker. Your talent must be shallow, so what do you blame me for?" The guest said, "That is not right. I have heard that Kui of the Zhou family and Lu of the Han family are the fastest dogs in the world. If one sees a rabbit and points to show where it is, the rabbit is never lost; if one only catches sight of it and then releases the dog, one will never get the rabbit for generations! The dog is not unable; it is the fault of the one who points." Lord Mengchang said, "That is not right. In the past Hua Zhou and Qi Liang died in battle, and their wives mourned them, weeping before the city wall, and a corner of the wall collapsed because of it, and the city thereby (the original has an unreadable private-use glyph here). If the gentleman truly can set an example within, then things will respond outside. Even soil can be made loyal, how much more a ruler who eats grain?" The guest said, "That is not right. I have seen the wren build its nest on the reed tips, binding it with hair, so that even a clever woman's handiwork could not make it, and it can be called firm and secure. When a great wind comes, the reed breaks, the eggs crack, and the young die; why? What it relied on made it so. Moreover, foxes are what people attack and rats are what people smoke out. I have never seen the fox in the grain-god's temple attacked or the rat in the earth-god's shrine smoked out; why? What they rely on makes it so." Lord Mengchang then entrusted him to Qi again, and the King of Qi made him chancellor.

陳子說梁王，梁王說而疑之曰：“子何為去陳侯之國而教小國之孤於此乎？”陳子曰：“夫善亦有道，而遇亦有時，昔傅說衣褐帶劍，而築於秕傳之城，武丁夕夢，旦得之，時王也；甯戚飯牛，康衢擊車輻而歌，顧見桓公得之，時霸也；百里奚自賣五羊之皮，為秦人虜，穆公得之，時強也。論若三子之行，未得為孔子駿徒也。今孔子經營天下，南有陳蔡之阨，而北幹景公，二坐而五立，未嘗離也。孔子之時不行，而景公之時怠也。以孔子之聖，不能以時行，說之怠，亦獨能如之何乎？”

Master Chen persuaded the King of Liang, and the King of Liang was pleased but doubted him, saying, "Why did you leave the state of the Marquis of Chen and come to teach the orphan of this small state?" Master Chen said, "Goodness has its way, and meeting has its time. In the past Fu Yue, wearing coarse clothes and carrying a sword, built walls at the city of Bichuan, and Wuding dreamed of him in the night and obtained him in the morning; this is meeting a king. Ning Qi was feeding oxen and sang while tapping the cart spokes on the great road, and Duke Huan turned and saw him and obtained him; this is meeting a hegemon. Baili Xi sold himself for five sheepskins and became a prisoner of the people of Qin, and Duke Mu obtained him; this is meeting a strong state. Judging by the conduct of these three men, they could not even be the outstanding disciples of Confucius. Now Confucius traveled around the world and in the south suffered the hardship between Chen and Cai, and then went north to seek an audience with Duke Jing, sitting twice and standing five times without leaving. Confucius's time did not allow him to proceed, and Duke Jing's time was slack. Even with Confucius's sagehood, he could not proceed in due time and his persuasion was neglected; what then can be done with him alone?"

林既衣韋衣而朝齊景公，齊景公曰：“此君子之服也？小人之服也？”林既逡巡而作色曰：“夫服事何足以端士行乎？昔者荊為長劍危冠，令尹子西出焉；齊短衣而遂偞之冠，管仲隰朋出焉；越文身剪髮，范蠡大夫種出焉；西戎左衽而椎結，由余亦出焉。即如君言，衣狗裘者當犬吠，衣羊裘者當羊鳴，且君衣狐裘而朝，意者得無為變乎？”景公曰：“子真為勇悍矣，今未嘗見子之奇辯也。一鄰之鬥也，千乘之勝也。”林既曰：“不知君之所謂者何也？夫登高臨危而目不眴，而足不陵者，此工匠之勇悍也；入深淵，刺蛟龍，抱黿鼉而出者，此漁夫之勇悍也；入深山，刺虎豹，抱熊羆而出者，此獵夫之勇悍也；不難斷頭，裂腹暴骨，流血中流者，此武士之勇悍也。今臣居廣廷，作色端辯，以犯主君之怒，前雖有乘軒之賞，未為之動也；後雖有斧質之威，未為之恐也；此既之所以為勇悍也。”

Lin Ji appeared before Duke Jing of Qi wearing leather clothes, and Duke Jing said, "Is this a gentleman's dress or a petty man's dress?" Lin Ji drew back with his face changed and said, "How could clothing be enough to rectify a scholar's conduct? In the past Jing used long swords and tall caps, and the Chancellor Zixi came from there; Qi used short clothing and hats with a suiye ornament, and Guan Zhong and Xi Peng came from there; Yue tattooed the body and cut the hair, and Fan Li and the grand master Zhong came from there; the Western Rong wore garments with the lapel to the left and mallet-shaped topknots, and You Yu also came from there. If it were as you say, one who wore dog-fur should bark like a dog and one who wore sheepskin should bleat like a sheep; and since you wear a fox coat to court, I suppose you will not turn into a fox because of it?" Duke Jing said, "You are really fierce, but until now I had not seen your extraordinary eloquence. A single neighbor's quarrel, a victory worthy of a thousand chariots." Lin Ji said, "I do not know what you mean. One who climbs high, faces danger, and yet his eyes do not swim and his feet do not stumble: this is the courage of the craftsman; one who enters the deep, stabs the dragon and comes out holding turtles and crocodiles: this is the courage of the fisherman; one who enters deep mountains, stabs tigers and leopards and comes out holding bears and brown bears: this is the courage of the hunter; one who does not shrink from having his head cut off, his belly split and bones exposed with blood flowing in the middle of the stream: this is the courage of the warrior. Now I stand in the broad court, change my expression and argue correctly, thereby offending the ruler's wrath; even if there were a reward of a carriage before me, I would not be moved by it; even if there were the threat of the axe and block behind me, I would not fear it; this is what counts as courage."

魏文侯與大夫飲酒，使公乘不仁為觴政曰：“飲不釂者浮以大白。”文侯飲而不盡釂，公乘不仁舉曰浮君。君視而不應，侍者曰：“不仁退，君已醉矣。”公乘不仁曰：“周書曰：‘前車覆，後車戒。’蓋言其危，為人臣者不易，為君亦不易。今君已設令，令不行，可乎？”君曰：“善。”舉白而飲，飲畢曰：“以公勝不仁為上客。”

Marquis Wen of Wei drank wine with his grand masters and appointed Gongcheng Buren to manage the rules of drinking, saying, "Those who drink without draining the cup are to be punished with the great white cup." The Marquis drank but did not drain the cup, and Gongcheng Buren raised the wine and said he would punish the ruler. The ruler looked at him but did not respond. An attendant said, "Buren, step back; the ruler is already drunk." Gongcheng Buren said, "The Classic of Documents says: 'When the cart in front overturns, the cart behind takes warning.' This probably speaks of that danger: it is not easy to be a minister and not easy to be a ruler. Now you have already set the order; may the order not be carried out?" The ruler said, "Good." He raised the great white cup and drank, and when he had finished he said, "Make Gongcheng Buren the chief guest."

襄成君始封之日，衣翠衣，帶玉劍，履縞舄，立於游水之上，大夫擁鍾錘，縣令執桴號令，呼：“誰能渡王者於是也？”楚大夫莊辛，過而說之，遂造托而拜謁，起立曰：“臣願把君之手，其可乎？”襄成君忿作色而不言。莊辛遷延沓手而稱曰：“君獨不聞夫鄂君子皙之泛舟於新波之中也？乘青翰之舟，極芘，張翠蓋而犀尾，班麗褂衽，會鐘鼓之音，畢榜枻越人擁楫而歌，歌辭曰：‘濫兮抃草濫予昌枑澤予昌州州●州焉乎秦胥胥縵予乎昭澶秦踰滲惿隨河湖。’鄂君子皙曰：‘吾不知越歌，子試為我楚說之。’於是乃召越譯，乃楚說之曰：‘今夕何夕搴中洲流，今日何日兮，得與王子同舟。蒙羞被好兮，不訾詬恥，心幾頑而不絕兮，知得王子。山有木兮木有枝，心說君兮君不知。’於是鄂君子皙乃修袂，行而擁之，舉繡被而覆之。鄂君子皙，親楚王母弟也。官為令尹，爵為執圭，一榜枻越人猶得交歡盡意焉。今君何以踰於鄂君子皙，臣何以獨不若榜枻之人，願把君之手，其不可何也？”襄成君乃奉手而進之，曰：“吾少之時，亦嘗以色稱於長者矣。未嘗過僇如此之卒也。自今以後，願以壯少之禮謹受命。”

On the day when Lord Xiangcheng was first enfeoffed, he wore kingfisher-colored clothes, carried a jade sword, wore white shoes and stood on the bank of the river; a grand master held the bell mallet, and the district magistrate held the drumstick to give the signal and called out, "Who can ferry the king across here?" Zhuang Xin, a grand master of Chu, was passing by and was pleased, so he stepped forward, entrusted himself and offered his respects, stood up and said, "I wish to hold your hand; may I?" Lord Xiangcheng, indignant, changed his expression and said nothing. Zhuang Xin drew back, folded his hands and said, "Has my lord not heard of Lord Zixi of E, who floated on the Xinbo river? Riding on a blue-green swift boat, with all effort (the original has an unreadable private-use glyph here) shade, spreading a kingfisher canopy and (the original has an unreadable private-use glyph here) rhinoceros tail, with brilliant and beautiful lapels, joined by the sounds of bells and drums; when it ended, the Yue boatman holding the oar sang a song, and the words were in the Yue language (the original keeps the sound without meaning, with a gap in the middle). Lord Zixi of E said, 'I do not know Yue songs; try explaining it for me in Chu speech.' So he summoned a Yue translator, who explained it in Chu speech: 'What night is this night, that we gather by the current in mid-islet? What day is this day, that I may share a boat with a prince? Bearing shame, I receive your kindness, not minding scorn and disgrace; my heart is almost foolish yet does not cease, for I know I have gained the prince. The mountain has trees, the trees have branches; my heart delights in you, but you do not know.' Then Lord Zixi of E (the original has an unreadable private-use glyph here) his long sleeves, went over and embraced him, and raised an embroidered quilt to cover him. Lord Zixi of E was the full brother of the King of Chu by the same mother, held the office of chancellor and the rank of jade-tablet bearer, yet even a Yue boatman was able to share joy and exhaust his feelings with him. Now by what is my lord superior to Lord Zixi of E, and by what am I alone inferior to the boatman, that I wish to hold my lord's hand and it cannot be?" Lord Xiangcheng then offered his hands respectfully and said, "When I was young, I too was once praised by elders for my looks. I have never met with insult so suddenly as this. From now on I wish to accept your commands respectfully with the courtesy due to a man in his prime."

雍門子周以琴見乎孟嘗君。孟嘗君曰：“先生鼓琴亦能令文悲乎？”雍門子周曰：“臣何獨能令足下悲哉？臣之所能令悲者，有先貴而後賤，先富而後貧者也。不若身材高妙，適遭暴亂，無道之主，妄加不道之理焉；不若處勢隱絕，不及四鄰，詘折儐厭，襲於窮巷，無所告愬；不若交歡相愛無怨而生離，遠赴絕國，無復相見之時；不若少失二親，兄弟別離，家室不足，憂蹙盈。當是之時也，固不可以聞飛鳥疾風之聲，窮窮焉固無樂已。凡若是者，臣一為之徽膠援琴而長太息，則流涕霑衿矣。今若足下千乘之君也，居則廣廈邃房，下羅帷，來清風，倡優侏儒處前選進而諂諛；燕則鬥象棋而舞鄭女，激楚之切風，練色以淫目，流聲以虞耳；水遊則連方舟，載羽旗，鼓吹乎不測之淵；野遊則馳騁弋獵乎平原廣囿，格猛獸；入則撞鐘擊鼓乎深宮之中。方此之時，視天地曾不若一指，忘死與生，雖有善琴者，固未能令足下悲也。”孟嘗君曰：“否！否！文固以為不然。”雍門子周曰：“然臣之所為足下悲者一事也。夫聲敵帝而困秦者君也；連五國之約，南面而伐楚者又君也。天下未嘗無事，不從則橫，從成則楚王，橫成則秦帝。楚王秦帝，必報讎於薛矣。夫以秦、楚之強而報讎於弱薛，譽之猶摩蕭斧而伐朝菌也，必不留行矣。天下有識之士無不為足下寒心酸鼻者。千秋萬歲後，廟堂必不血食矣。高臺既以壞，曲池既以漸，墳墓既以下而青廷矣。嬰兒豎子樵採薪蕘者，蹢躅其足而歌其上，眾人見之，無不愀焉，為足下悲之曰：‘夫以孟嘗君尊貴乃可使若此乎？’”於是孟嘗君泫然泣涕，承睫而未殞，雍門子周引琴而鼓之，徐動宮徵，微揮羽角，切終而成曲，孟嘗君涕浪汗增，欷而就之曰：“先生之鼓琴令文立若破國亡邑之人也。”

Yongmen Zizhou presented himself to Lord Mengchang with a zither. Lord Mengchang said, "Master, can your zither playing also make me sad?" Yongmen Zizhou said, "How can I alone make you sad? Those whom I can make sad are those who were first noble and later lowly, first rich and later poor. Or those whose talents are tall and fine yet meet with violence and chaos, a ruler without the Way who heaps on them unreasonable demands; or those who live in hidden and isolated places, unable to keep up with their four neighbors, bent, cast aside and suppressed, piled up in a poor alley with nowhere to tell it; or those who shared joy and loved each other without resentment but are separated while alive, going to a far remote land, with no time when they will see each other again; or those who lost both parents when young, whose brothers are parted and whose household is insufficient, with sorrow filling (the original has an unreadable private-use glyph here). At just such a time one certainly cannot bear to hear the sound of flying birds or swift wind, and being in extreme distress there is certainly no joy. For all such people, once I tune the strings and take up the zither and sigh long, they weep and wet their collars. Now as for you, you are a ruler of a thousand chariots; at home you have broad halls and deep rooms, lower gauze curtains and let in the cool breeze, with actors and dwarfs selecting and presenting before you and flattering; at feasts you play chess and have the women of Zheng dance, with the swift winds of the Jichu music, with trained colors to overwhelm the eyes and flowing sounds to delight the ears; on water excursions you link square boats and carry feathered banners and play music over unfathomable depths; on excursions in the wilds you gallop and hunt in the broad parks of the plain and fight fierce beasts; going inside you strike bells and beat drums in the deep palace. At just such a time, you look upon heaven and earth as less than one finger, forget death and life, and even if there were someone good at the zither, he certainly could not make you sad." Lord Mengchang said, "No! No! I certainly do not think that is so." Yongmen Zizhou said, "But there is one thing for which I do grieve for you. The one who in power rivaled the emperor and hemmed in Qin was you; the one who joined the covenant of the five states and attacked Chu to the south was also you. The world has never been without trouble: if not vertical alliance then horizontal alliance; if the vertical alliance succeeds, Chu becomes king, and if the horizontal alliance succeeds, Qin becomes emperor. If Chu becomes king and Qin becomes emperor, they will certainly take revenge on Xue. Using the strength of Qin and Chu to take revenge on weak Xue is like sharpening a dull axe to chop morning mushrooms, and they will certainly not stay their hand. There is no discerning scholar in the world who does not feel a chill and ache in the nose for you. After a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, your ancestral hall will surely have no blood offerings. The high terrace will be ruined, the winding pond filled with water, the tomb sunk low and the courtyard overgrown with green grass. Babies, children and woodcutters will stamp their feet on top and sing, and all who see it will be sorrowful and say in grief for you: 'With the nobility of Lord Mengchang, could he really have been allowed to come to this?'" Lord Mengchang then wept, tears reaching his lashes without falling. Yongmen Zizhou took up the zither and played, slowly plucking the gong and zhi notes, lightly sweeping the yu and jue notes, and ended the piece with urgent haste. Lord Mengchang's tears flowed ever faster, and sobbing he approached him and said, "Master, with your zither you have made me at once like a man whose state is broken and city lost."

蘧伯玉使至楚，逢公子皙濮水之上，子皙接草而待曰：“敢問上客將何之？”蘧伯玉為之軾車。公子皙曰：“吾聞上士可以托色，中士可以託辭，下士可以托財，三者固可得而託身耶？”蘧伯玉曰：“謹受命。”蘧伯玉見楚王，使事畢，坐談話，從容言至於士。楚王曰：“何國最多士？”蘧伯玉曰：“楚最多士。”楚王大悅。蘧伯玉曰：“楚最多士而楚不能用。”王造然曰：“是何言也？”蘧伯玉曰：“伍子胥生於楚，逃之吳。吳受而相之。發兵攻楚，墮平王之墓。伍子胥生於楚，吳善用之。釁蚡黃生於楚，走之晉，治七十二縣，道不拾遺，民不妄得，城郭不閉，國無盜賊，蚡黃生於楚而晉善用之。今者臣之來，逢公子皙濮水之上，辭言‘上士可以托色，中士可以託辭，下士可以托財，三者固可得而託身耶？’又不知公子皙將何治也。”於是楚王發使一駟，副使二乘，追公子皙濮水之上，子皙還重於楚，蘧伯玉之力也。故詩曰：“誰能烹魚，溉之釜鬵，孰將西歸，懷之好音。”此之謂也。物之相得，固微甚矣。

Qu Boyu went as an envoy to Chu and met Prince Xi on the Pu River. Zixi parted the grass and waited, saying, "May I ask where the honored guest is going?" Qu Boyu leaned on his carriage rail for him. Prince Xi said, "I have heard that the highest scholars can be entrusted with expression, the middling scholars with words, and the lowest scholars with goods; given these three, can one be entrusted with oneself?" Qu Boyu said, "I respectfully accept the command." Qu Boyu went in to see the King of Chu, and when the matters of the mission were done, they sat and talked, speaking at leisure about scholars. The King of Chu said, "Which state has the most scholars?" Qu Boyu said, "Chu has the most scholars." The King of Chu was greatly pleased. Qu Boyu said, "Chu has the most scholars, but Chu cannot use them." The king suddenly changed color and said, "What do you mean?" Qu Boyu said, "Wu Zixu was born in Chu and fled to Wu. Wu received him and employed him as chancellor. He sent troops to attack Chu and destroyed King Ping's tomb. Wu Zixu was born in Chu but Wu used him well. Xin Fenhuang Sheng was born in Chu, ran away to Jin, and governed seventy-two counties, where no one picked up lost items on the road, the people did not take things wrongfully, the city walls were not closed, and the state had no thieves; Fenhuang Sheng was born in Chu and Jin used him well. Now when I came, I met Prince Xi on the Pu River, and he said, 'The highest scholars can be entrusted with expression, the middling scholars with words, the lowest with goods; given these three, can one be entrusted with oneself?' And I do not know what Prince Xi will govern." Then the King of Chu sent out an envoy with one team of four horses and a deputy with two chariots to the Pu River to pursue Prince Xi, and Zixi's return and his being valued in Chu was due to Qu Boyu's effort. So the Classic of Poetry says: "Who can cook fish, I will wash the pot for him; who is going back west, I will cherish his good news." This is what is meant. The mutual fitting of things is originally very subtle.

叔向之弟羊舌虎善樂達，達有罪於晉，晉誅羊舌虎，叔向為之奴。既而祁奚曰：“吾聞小人得位，不爭不義，君子所憂，不救不祥。”乃往見範桓子而說之曰：“聞善為國者，賞不過；刑不濫。賞過則懼及淫人；刑濫則懼及君子。（與不幸而過），寧過而賞淫人，無過而刑君子，故堯之刑也，殛鯀於羽山而用禹；周之刑也，僇管、蔡而相周公，不濫刑也。”桓子乃命吏出叔向，救人之患者，行危苦而不避煩辱，猶不能免。今祁奚論先王之德而叔向得免焉，學豈可已哉？

Shuxiang's younger brother Yangshe Hu was on good terms with Le Da, and Da was guilty in Jin, so Jin executed Yangshe Hu, and Shuxiang became a slave because of it. Before long Qi Xi said, "I have heard that when petty men obtain positions, not to contend is unrighteous; what the gentleman worries about, not to rescue is inauspicious." He went to see Fan Huanzi and persuaded him, saying, "I have heard that one who governs the state well does not reward excessively and does not punish indiscriminately. Excessive rewards risk extending to the licentious; indiscriminate punishments risk extending to gentlemen. (Rather than unfortunately overstepping,) it is better to err by rewarding the licentious than to err by punishing gentlemen. So the punishment of Yao killed Gun at Yushan and employed Yu, and the punishment of Zhou slew Guan and Cai and used the Duke of Zhou as chancellor; this was not indiscriminate punishment." Huanzi then ordered officers to release Shuxiang. To rescue people from calamity, to go into danger and toil without avoiding trouble and disgrace still cannot avoid disaster. Now Qi Xi discussed the virtue of the former kings and Shuxiang was able to escape disaster; can learning ever be stopped?

張祿掌門，見孟嘗君曰：“衣新而不舊，倉庾盈而不虛，為之有道，君亦知之乎？”孟嘗君曰：“衣新而不舊，則是修也。倉庾盈而不虛，則是富也。為之奈何？其說可得聞乎？”張祿曰：“願君貴則舉賢，富則振貧，若是則衣新而不舊，倉庾盈而不虛矣。”孟嘗君以其言為然，說其意，辯其辭，明日使人奉黃金百斤，文織百純，進之張先生。先生辭而不受。後先生復見孟嘗君。孟嘗君曰：“前先生幸教文曰：‘衣新而不舊，倉庾盈而不虛，為之有說，汝亦知之乎？’文竊說教，故使人奉黃金百斤，文織百純，進之先生，以補門內之不贍者，先生曷為辭而不受乎？”張祿曰：“君將掘君之偶錢，發君之庾粟以補士，則衣弊履穿而不贍耳。何暇衣新而不舊，倉瘐盈而不虛乎？”孟嘗君曰：“然則為之奈何？”張祿曰：“夫秦者四塞之國也。遊宦者不得入焉。願君為吾為丈尺之書，寄我與秦王，我往而遇乎，固君之入也。往而不遇乎，雖人求間謀，固不遇臣矣。”孟嘗君曰：“敬聞命矣。”因為之書，寄之秦王，往而大遇。謂秦王曰：“自祿之來入大王之境，田疇益闢，吏民益治，然而大王有一不得者，大王知之乎？”王曰：“不知。”曰：“夫山東有相，所謂孟嘗君者，其人賢人，天下無急則已，有急則能收天下雄俊之士，與之合交連友者，疑獨此耳。然則大王胡不為我友之乎？”秦王曰：“敬受命。”奉千金以遺孟嘗君，孟嘗君輟食察之而寤曰：“此張生之所謂衣新而不舊，倉庾盈而不虛者也。”

Zhang Lu was a gatekeeper. He went to see Lord Mengchang and said: "Clothes that are new and do not turn old, granaries that are full and do not turn empty: there is a method for doing this. Does my lord know it?" Lord Mengchang said: "Clothes that are new and do not turn old means keeping them mended. Granaries that are full and do not turn empty means being rich. What should one do? May I hear the method?" Zhang Lu said: "If, when you are honored, you recommend the worthy, and when you are rich, you relieve the poor, then your clothes will be new and not turn old, and your granaries full and not turn empty." Lord Mengchang thought his words right, liked their meaning and understood their wording. The next day he sent a man to present a hundred jin of gold and a hundred bolts of patterned silk to Master Zhang. The master declined and would not accept. Later he came to see Lord Mengchang again. Lord Mengchang said: "Earlier, Master, you kindly instructed me: 'Clothes that are new and do not turn old, granaries that are full and do not turn empty: there is a method for doing this; do you know it?' In private I liked this teaching, so I sent a man to present a hundred jin of gold and a hundred bolts of patterned silk to make up what is lacking in your household; why do you decline and not accept?" Zhang Lu said: "If my lord were to dig up his strings of coins and open his granaries' grain to supply scholars, they would still not have enough even to supply torn clothes and shoes with holes. How would there be leisure for clothes to be new and not turn old, and granaries to be full and not turn empty?" Lord Mengchang said: "Then what should I do?" Zhang Lu said: "Qin is a state with strongholds on all four sides, and traveling officials cannot enter it. I hope my lord will write me a letter a foot long and commend me to the King of Qin. If I go and am well received, I am of course my lord's man. If I go and am not well received, then even if someone sought to be a spy, he could not catch me." Lord Mengchang said: "I respectfully hear the command." So he wrote the letter and commended him to the King of Qin, and he went and was greatly well received. He said to the King of Qin: "Since I entered Your Majesty's borders, the fields have been opened up more and the officials and people better governed, but there is one thing Your Majesty cannot obtain; does Your Majesty know what it is?" The King said: "I do not know." He said: "East of the mountains there is a chancellor called Lord Mengchang. He is a worthy man; if the world had no emergencies, it would not matter, but when there is an emergency, he can gather the heroic scholars of the world and make friends and allies with them; I think only this man can do so. Then why does Your Majesty not befriend him as I do?" The King of Qin said: "I respectfully accept the command." He presented a thousand jin of gold and sent it to Lord Mengchang. Lord Mengchang stopped eating, looked into it and realized, saying: "This is what Master Zhang meant by clothes that are new and do not turn old, and granaries that are full and do not turn empty."

莊周貧者，往貸粟於魏，文侯曰：“待吾邑粟之來而獻之。”周曰：“乃今者周之來，見道傍牛蹄中有鮒魚焉，大息謂周曰：‘我尚可活也？’周曰：‘須我為汝南見楚王，決江、淮以溉汝。’鮒魚曰：‘今吾命在盆甕之中耳，乃為我見楚王，決江、淮以溉我，汝即求我枯魚之肆矣。’今周以貧故來貸粟，而曰須我邑粟來也而賜臣，即來亦求臣傭肆矣。”文侯於是乃發粟百鍾，送之莊周之室。

Zhuang Zhou was poor and went to borrow grain from Wei. Marquis Wen said: "Wait until the grain from my towns arrives and I will give it to you." Zhou said: "Just as I was coming here, I saw a carp in a hoof-print on the roadside, who sighed and said to me: 'Can I still live?' I said: 'Wait until I go south to see the King of Chu on your behalf and have him cut open the Yangtze and the Huai to irrigate you.' The carp said: 'Now my life is only in a basin or jar, and you want to see the King of Chu for me and have the Yangtze and Huai cut open to irrigate me; you will then look for me in the dried-fish shop.' Now, because I am poor I have come to borrow grain, and you say wait until the grain from your towns arrives to give it to me; even when it arrives, you will look for me in the hired-labor market." Marquis Wen then issued a hundred zhong of grain and sent it to Zhuang Zhou's house.

晉平公問叔向曰：“歲饑民疫，翟人攻我，我將若何？”對曰：“歲飢來年而反矣，疾疫將止矣，翟人不足患也。”公曰：“患有大於此者乎？”對曰：“夫大臣重祿而不極諫，近臣畏罪而不敢言，左右顧寵於小官而君不知。此誠患之大者也。”公曰：“善。”於是令國中曰：“欲有諫者為之隱，左右言及國吏罪。”

Duke Ping of Jin asked Shu Xiang: "The year is a famine, the people have plague, and the Di are attacking me; what shall I do?" He answered: "A famine year turns around the next year, the plague will cease, and the Di are not enough to worry about." The Duke said: "Is there any trouble greater than this?" He answered: "Great ministers who value their salaries and do not strongly remonstrate; close ministers who fear punishment and dare not speak; attendants who look to favor from petty officials while the ruler does not know. These truly are the great troubles." The Duke said: "Good." Then he gave an order throughout the state: "Those who wish to remonstrate will be shielded; attendants who report to state officials are guilty."

趙簡子攻陶，有二人先登，死於城上，簡子欲得之，陶君不與。承盆疽謂陶君曰：“簡子將掘君之墓，以與君之百姓市曰：‘踰邑梯城者將赦之，不者將掘其墓，朽者揚其灰，未朽者辜其屍。’陶君懼，謂效二人之屍以為和。

Zhao Jianzi attacked Tao. Two men were the first to scale the wall and died on the wall, and Jianzi wanted their bodies, but the lord of Tao would not give them. Cheng Penju said to the lord of Tao: "Jianzi will dig up your ancestors' graves to bargain with your people, saying: 'Those who go over the city wall or put up a ladder and climb will be pardoned; those who do not will have their graves dug up, and if decayed their ashes will be scattered, and if not decayed their corpses will be torn apart.'" The lord of Tao was afraid and agreed to present the two men's bodies to make peace.

子貢見太宰嚭，太宰嚭問曰：“孔子何如？”對曰：“臣不足以知之。”太宰曰：“子不知，何以事之？”對曰：“惟不知，故事之，夫子其猶大山林也，百姓各足其材焉。”太宰嚭曰：“子增夫子乎？”對曰：“夫子不可增也。夫賜其猶一累壤也，以一累壤增大山，不益其高，且為不知。”太宰嚭曰：“然則子有所酌也。”對曰：“天下有大樽而子獨不酌焉，不識誰之罪也。”

Zigong saw the Grand Steward Pi. The Grand Steward Pi asked: "What is Confucius like?" He answered: "I am not enough to know him." The Grand Steward said: "If you do not know him, what do you serve him for?" He answered: "Precisely because I do not know him, I serve him. The Master is like a great mountain forest, where the people each take enough timber for their use." The Grand Steward Pi said: "Are you raising the Master higher?" He answered: "The Master cannot be raised higher. I am only like a hairpin's worth of earth; adding a hairpin of earth to a great mountain does not add to its height, and I would not even count as knowing it." The Grand Steward Pi said: "Then you have taken something to drink." He answered: "The world has a great wine vessel and you alone do not take a drink from it; I do not know whose fault that is."

趙簡子問子貢曰：“孔子為人何如？”子貢對曰：“賜不能識也。”簡子不說曰：“夫子事孔子數十年，終業而去之，寡人問子，子曰不能識，何也？”子貢曰：“賜譬渴者之飲江海，知足而已，孔子猶江海也，賜則奚足以識之。”簡子曰：“善哉！子貢之言也。”

Zhao Jianzi asked Zigong: "What kind of man is Confucius?" Zigong answered: "I cannot recognize him." Jianzi was displeased and said: "You served Confucius for decades, finished your studies and left him; I ask you, and you say you cannot recognize him; why?" Zigong said: "I am like a thirsty man drinking from the river or sea, who knows only to be satisfied; Confucius is like the river and sea, so how could I be enough to recognize him?" Jianzi said: "Good! Zigong's words."

齊景公謂子貢曰：“子誰師？”曰：“臣師仲尼？”公曰：“仲尼賢乎？”對曰：“賢。”公曰：“其賢何若？”對曰：“不知也。”公曰：“子知其賢而不知其奚若，可乎？”對曰：“今謂天高，無少長愚智皆知高，高几何？皆曰不知也，是以知仲尼之賢而不知其奚若。”

Duke Jing of Qi said to Zigong: "Whom do you take as your teacher?" He said: "My teacher is Zhongni." The Duke said: "Is Zhongni worthy?" He answered: "Worthy." The Duke said: "What is his worthiness like?" He answered: "I do not know." The Duke said: "You know he is worthy but do not know what he is like; is that all right?" He answered: "Now if one says Heaven is high, all, young or old, foolish or wise, know that it is high; how high? All say they do not know. Likewise I know Zhongni is worthy but do not know what he is like."

趙襄子謂仲尼曰：“先生委質以見人主七十君矣，而無所通，不識世無明君乎？意先生之道，固不通乎？”仲尼不對。異日，襄子見子路曰：“嘗問先生以道，先生不對，知而不對則隱也。隱則安得為仁；若信不知，安得為聖？”子路曰：“建天下之鳴鐘，而撞之以挺，豈能發其聲乎哉？君問先生，無乃猶以挺撞乎？”

Zhao Xiangzi said to Zhongni: "You have presented yourself with a gift of allegiance to seventy rulers and have not found success. I do not know whether there is no enlightened ruler in the world, or whether your Way is simply not workable." Zhongni did not answer. Another day Xiangzi saw Zilu and said: "I once asked the Master about the Way and he did not answer. To know and not answer is concealment. How can concealment be benevolence? If he truly does not know, how can he be a sage?" Zilu said: "When one sets up the great bell of the world, but strikes it with a wooden stick, can it give out its sound? My lord asked the Master; I fear it is still like striking it with a stick."

衛將軍文子問子貢曰：“季文子三窮而三通，何也？”子貢曰：“其窮事賢，其通舉窮，其富分貧，其貴禮賤。窮而事賢則不悔；通而舉窮則忠於朋友，富而分貧則宗族親之；貴而禮賤則百姓戴之。其得之，固道也；失之，命也。”曰：“失而不得者，何也？”曰：“其窮不事賢，其通不舉窮，其富不分貧，其貴不理賤，其得之，命也；其失之，固道也。”

General Wenzi of Wei asked Zigong: "Ji Wenzi was in distress three times and succeeded three times; why?" Zigong said: "When in distress, he served the worthy; when successful, he recommended the distressed; when rich, he shared with the poor; when honored, he treated the lowly with courtesy. By serving the worthy in distress, he had no regret; by recommending the distressed in success, he was loyal to his friends; by sharing with the poor when rich, his clan was close to him; by treating the lowly with courtesy when honored, the common people loved him. When he gained, it was the Way; when he lost, it was fate." He asked: "What about someone who loses and cannot gain; why?" He said: "In distress he does not serve the worthy, in success he does not recommend the distressed, when rich he does not share with the poor, and when honored he ignores the lowly. When he gains, it is fate; when he loses, it was the Way."

子路問於孔子曰：“管仲何如人也？”子曰：“大人也。”子路曰：“昔者管子說襄公，襄公不說，是不辯也；欲立公子糾而不能，是無能也；家殘於齊而無憂色，是不慈也；桎梏而居檻車中無慚色，是無愧也；事所射之君，是不貞也；召忽死之，管仲不死，是無仁也。夫子何以大之？”子曰：“管仲說襄公，襄公不說，管仲非不辯也，襄公不知說也；欲立公子糾而不能，非無能也，不遇時也；家殘於齊而無憂色，非不慈也，知命也；桎梏居檻車而無慚色，非無愧也，自裁也；事所射之君，非不貞也，知權也；召忽死之，管仲不死，非無仁也。召忽者，人臣之材也，不死則三軍之虜也；死之則名聞天下，夫何為不死哉？管仲者，天子之佐，諸侯之相也，死之則不免為溝中之瘠；不死則功複用於天下，夫何為死之哉？由！汝不知也。”

Zilu asked Confucius: "What kind of man was Guan Zhong?" Confucius said: "A great man." Zilu said: "Formerly Master Guan advised Duke Xiang, and Duke Xiang was not pleased; that is not being good at argument. He wanted to establish Prince Jiu and could not; that is lack of ability. His family in Qi was ruined and he showed no sorrow; that is lack of kindness. Wearing fetters and living in a prison cart, he showed no shame; that is lack of shame. He served a ruler he had shot at; that is not loyalty. Shao Hu died for the prince and Guan Zhong did not die; that is lack of benevolence. Why does the Master consider him great?" Confucius said: "When Guan Zhong advised Duke Xiang and Duke Xiang was not pleased, it was not that Guan Zhong was not good at argument; it was that Duke Xiang did not know how to be pleased. He wanted to establish Prince Jiu and could not, not for lack of ability but because he had not met the right time. His family in Qi was ruined and he showed no sorrow, not from lack of kindness but because he knew fate. Wearing fetters and living in a prison cart he showed no shame, not for lack of shame but because he judged for himself. He served a ruler he had shot at, not for lack of loyalty but because he knew how to adapt. Shao Hu died for the prince and Guan Zhong did not die, not for lack of benevolence. Shao Hu had the talent of a minister; had he not died he would have been a captive of the three armies; dying for him made his name known across the world, so why would he not die? Guan Zhong was the aide of a Son of Heaven and the chancellor of feudal lords; dying for the prince would not have kept him from being a thin bone in a ditch; not dying meant his merit could again be used for the world, so why would he die for him? You, You! You do not understand."

晉平公問於師曠曰：“咎犯與趙衰孰賢？”對曰：“陽處父欲臣文公，因咎犯，三年不達，因趙衰，三日而達。智不知其士眾，不智也；知而不言，不忠也；欲言之而不敢，無勇也；言之而不聽，不賢也。”

Duke Ping of Jin asked Music Master Kuang: "Of Jiu Fan and Zhao Cui, who is more worthy?" He answered: "Yang Chufu wanted to be a minister of Duke Wen. Through Jiu Fan, in three years he did not succeed; through Zhao Cui, in three days he succeeded. To be wise and not know the gentlemen of one's own crowd is not wise; to know and not speak is not loyal; to want to speak and not dare is lacking in courage; to speak and not be listened to is not worthy."

趙簡子問於成摶曰：“吾聞夫羊殖者，賢大夫也，是行奚然？”對曰：“臣摶不知也。”簡子曰：“吾聞之子與友親，子而不知，何也？”摶曰：“其為人也數變，其十五年也，廉以不匿其過；其二十也，仁以喜義，其三十也，為晉中軍尉，勇以喜仁，其年五十也，為邊城將，遠者復親。今臣不見五年矣。恐其變，是以不敢知。”簡子曰：“果賢大夫也，每變益上矣。”

Zhao Jianzi asked Cheng Tuan: "I have heard that Yang Zhi is a worthy senior official; what is his conduct like?" He answered: "I, Tuan, do not know." Jianzi said: "I have heard that you are close friends with him, yet you do not know; why?" Tuan said: "His character changes again and again: at fifteen he was upright and did not conceal faults; at twenty he was benevolent and loved righteousness; at thirty he served as commandant of the Jin central army, brave and fond of benevolence; at fifty he served as a general at a border city, making the distant draw close again. Now I have not seen him for five years. I fear he has changed, and so dare not say I know him." Jianzi said: "Indeed a worthy senior official; with every change he rises higher."

春秋之辭有相反者四，既曰：“大夫無遂事。”不得擅生事矣。又曰：“出境可以安社稷，利國家者則專之可也。”既曰：“大夫以君命出，進退在大夫”矣，又曰：“以君命出，聞喪徐行而不反”者，何也？曰：“此義者各止其科，不轉移也。不得擅生事者，謂平生常經也；專之可也者，謂救危除患也；進退在大夫者，謂將帥用兵也；徐行而不反者，謂出使道聞君親之喪也。公子子結擅生事，春秋不非，以為救莊公危也。公子遂擅生事，春秋譏之，以為僖公無危事也。故君有危而不專救，是不忠也。若無危而擅生事，是不臣也。傳曰：‘詩無通詁，易無通吉，春秋無通義。’此之謂也。”

The Spring and Autumn Annals has four sets of wording that seem contradictory. It says: "A senior official has nothing he may do on his own authority," so he cannot start affairs on his own. It also says: "One who goes beyond the border may act on his own if it will secure the altars of state and benefit the country." It says: "A senior official going out on the ruler's command, advance and retreat rest with the senior official," and also says: "One going out on the ruler's command who hears of a death walks slowly and does not return." Why is this? It is said: "These principles each stay within their own category and do not shift. Not starting affairs on one's own refers to the constant rule in ordinary times; acting on one's own is permitted when rescuing from danger and removing disaster; advance and retreat resting with the senior official refers to a general using troops; walking slowly and not returning refers to one who, on a mission and on the road, hears of the death of a lord or parent. Prince Zijie started an affair on his own and the Annals did not blame him, thinking he was rescuing Duke Zhuang from danger; Prince Sui started an affair on his own and the Annals criticized him, thinking Duke Xi had no danger. So if the ruler is in danger and one does not act alone to rescue him, that is disloyalty; if there is no danger and one starts an affair on one's own, that is not keeping the way of a minister. The commentary says: 'The Poetry has no universal gloss, the Changes has no universal auspiciousness, and the Annals has no universal righteousness.' This is what is meant."

趙王遣使者之楚，方鼓瑟而遣之，誡之曰：“必如吾言。”使者曰：“王之鼓瑟，未嘗悲若此也！”王曰：“宮商固方調矣！”使者曰：“調則何不書其柱耶？”王曰：“天有燥溼，弦有緩急，宮商移徙不可知，是以不書。”使者曰：“明君之使人也，任之以事，不制以辭，遇吉則賀之，兇則吊之。今楚、趙相去，千有餘裡，吉凶憂患，不可豫知，猶柱之不可書也。詩云：‘莘莘征夫，每懷靡及。’”

The King of Zhao sent an envoy to Chu, and while sending him off he was playing the zither and warned him: "You must do exactly as I say." The envoy said: "Your Majesty plays the zither and has never been so sad as this!" The King said: "The tones are already being tuned!" The envoy said: "If they are tuned, why not write them down on the bridges?" The King said: "Heaven has dry and damp, strings are loose or tight, and the shifts of the tones cannot be known, so I do not write them." The envoy said: "An enlightened ruler employs a man, entrusts the matter to him, and does not restrict him with words; when he meets good fortune he congratulates him and when he meets ill fortune he condoles with him. Now Chu and Zhao are more than a thousand li apart, and good and ill fortune and worries cannot be known in advance, just as the bridges cannot be written on. The Book of Poetry says: 'The many marchers are always anxious that they will not arrive in time.'"

楚莊王舉兵伐宋，宋告急，晉景公欲發兵救宋，伯宗諫曰：“天方開楚，未可伐也。”乃求壯士，得霍人解揚，字子虎，往命宋毋降，道過鄭，鄭新與楚親，乃執解揚而獻之楚。楚王厚賜，與約，使反其言，令宋趣降，三要，解揚乃許。於是楚乘揚以樓車，令呼宋使降，遂倍楚約而致其晉君命曰：“晉方悉國兵以救宋，宋雖急，慎毋降楚，晉今至矣。”楚莊王大怒，將烹之，解揚曰：“君能制命為義，臣能承命為信，受吾君命以出，雖死無二。”王曰：“汝之許我，已而倍之，其信安在？”解揚曰：“死以許王，欲以成吾君命，臣不恨也。”顧謂楚君曰：“為人臣無忘盡忠而得死者。”楚王諸弟皆諫王赦之。於是莊公卒赦解揚而歸之。晉爵之為上卿。故後世言霍虎。

King Zhuang of Chu raised troops to attack Song. Song reported its emergency, and Duke Jing of Jin wanted to send troops to rescue Song. Bo Zong remonstrated: "Heaven is now opening the way for Chu; it cannot be attacked." So he sought a stout man and found Xie Yang, a man of Huo, styled Zihu, and sent him to order Song not to surrender. On the road he passed through Zheng, which had recently become friendly with Chu, and Zheng seized Xie Yang and presented him to Chu. The King of Chu rewarded him richly and made an agreement with him that he should speak the opposite, ordering Song to surrender quickly. After three attempts to compel him, Xie Yang agreed. Then Chu had Yang climb the siege tower and call out to Song to make them surrender; instead he broke the agreement with Chu and delivered his Jin lord's command, saying: "Jin is now using the whole state's troops to rescue Song. Though Song is in danger, be careful not to surrender to Chu; Jin has arrived." King Zhuang of Chu was furious and was about to boil him. Xie Yang said: "For a lord to be able to establish commands is righteousness; for a minister to be able to receive commands is trustworthiness. I received my lord's command and went on this mission, and even if I die I have no second thought." The King said: "You had already agreed with me and afterward broke it; where is your trustworthiness?" Xie Yang said: "I agreed with the King in order to die, wishing to accomplish my lord's command; I have no resentment." He turned to the King of Chu and said: "Those who are ministers, do not forget the man who died fulfilling his loyalty." The King of Chu's younger brothers all remonstrated with the King to pardon him. So Duke Zhuang finally pardoned Xie Yang and sent him back. Jin gave him the rank of senior minister. So later ages call him Huo Hu.

秦王以五百里地易鄢陵，鄢陵君辭而不受，使唐且謝秦王。秦王曰：“秦破韓滅魏，鄢陵君獨以五十里地存者，吾豈畏其威哉？吾多其義耳。今寡人以十倍之地易之，鄢陵君辭而不受，是輕寡人也。”唐且避席對曰：“非如此也。夫不以利害為趣者，鄢陵君也。夫鄢陵君受地於先君而守之。雖復千里不得當，豈獨五百里哉？”秦王忿然作色，怒曰：“公亦曾見天子之怒乎？”唐且曰：“王臣未曾見也。”秦王曰：“天子一怒，伏屍百萬，流血千里。”唐且曰：“大王亦嘗見夫布衣韋帶之士怒乎？”秦王曰：“布衣韋帶之士怒也，解冠徒跣，以頸顙地耳，何難知者。”唐且曰：“此乃匹夫愚人之怒耳，非布衣韋帶之士怒也。夫專諸刺王僚，彗星襲月，奔星晝出；要離刺王子慶忌，蒼隼擊於臺上；聶政刺韓王之季父，白虹貫日，此三人皆布衣韋帶之士怒矣。與臣將四士，含怒未發，■厲於天。士無怒即已，一怒伏屍二人，流血五步。”即案匕首起視秦王曰：“今將是矣。”秦王變色長跪曰：“先生就坐，寡人喻矣。秦破韓滅魏，鄢陵獨以五十里地存者，徒用先生之故耳。”

The King of Qin offered five hundred li of land in exchange for Yanling. The lord of Yanling declined and would not accept, and sent Tang Ju to decline for him before the King of Qin. The King of Qin said: "Qin has broken Han and destroyed Wei, and Lord Yanling alone survives on fifty li of land; do you think I fear his might? I value his righteousness, that is all. Now I offer ten times the land in exchange, and Lord Yanling declines and will not accept; this is to despise me." Tang Ju left his mat and answered: "It is not so. The one who does not make profit and harm his goal is Lord Yanling. Lord Yanling received this land from his late lord and guards it. Even if he were to have another thousand li, it could not equal it, how much less five hundred li?" The King of Qin was furious and changed color, and said angrily: "Have you ever seen the anger of a Son of Heaven?" Tang Ju said: "The King's subject has never seen it." The King of Qin said: "When a Son of Heaven is angry, fallen corpses number a million and blood flows a thousand li." Tang Ju said: "Has Your Majesty ever seen the anger of a commoner in plain clothes and leather belt?" The King of Qin said: "When a commoner in plain clothes and leather belt is angry, he takes off his cap, goes barefoot, and strikes the ground with his neck and forehead; what is there hard to know?" Tang Ju said: "That is merely the anger of a common fool, not the anger of a commoner in plain clothes and leather belt. When Zhuan Zhu stabbed King Liao, a comet struck the moon; when Yao Li stabbed Prince Qingji, a gray falcon struck on the terrace; when Nie Zheng stabbed the uncle of the King of Han, a white rainbow pierced the sun. These three men were commoners in plain clothes and leather belts who were angry. With me there would be a fourth: my anger is held within and has not yet come out (the base text has a damaged character here), and it reaches Heaven. If a scholar is not angry, so be it; once he is angry, two corpses fall and blood flows five paces." Then he put his hand on his dagger, rose and looked at the King of Qin, and said: "It will be now." The King of Qin changed color, knelt upright and said: "Master, please sit; I understand. Qin broke Han and destroyed Wei, and Yanling alone survives on fifty li of land only because of you, Master."

齊攻魯。子貢見哀公，請求救於吳。公曰：“奚先君寶之用？”子貢曰：“使吳責寶而與我師，是不可恃也。”於是以楊幹麻筋之弓六往。子貢謂吳王曰：“齊為無道，欲使周公之後不血食，且魯賦五百，邾賦三百，不識以此益齊，吳之利與？非與？”吳王懼，乃興師救魯。諸侯曰：“齊伐周公之後，而吳救之。”遂朝於吳。

Qi attacked Lu. Zigong went to see Duke Ai and asked to seek help from Wu. The Duke said: "Why not use the treasures of the former lords?" Zigong said: "If we let Wu demand treasures and then give us troops, this cannot be relied on." So he went carrying six bows made of poplar shafts and hemp sinew. Zigong said to the King of Wu: "Qi is doing an unprincipled thing and wants to leave the descendants of the Duke of Zhou without blood sacrifice. Moreover Lu's levy is five hundred and Zhu's three hundred; I do not know whether using these to add to Qi is to Wu's advantage or not." The King of Wu was afraid and raised troops to rescue Lu. The feudal lords said: "Qi attacks the descendants of the Duke of Zhou and Wu rescues them." So they went to Wu to pay court.

魏文侯封太子擊於中山，三年，使不往來，舍人趙倉唐進稱曰：“為人子，三年不聞父問，不可謂孝。為人父，三年不問子，不可謂慈。君何不遣人使大國乎？”太子曰：“願之久矣。未得可使者。”倉唐曰：“臣願奉使，侯何嗜好？”太子曰：“侯嗜晨鳧，好北犬。”於是乃遣倉唐■北犬，奉晨鳧，獻於文侯。倉唐至，上謁曰：“孽子擊之使者，不敢當大夫之朝，請以燕閒，奉晨鳧，敬獻庖廚，■北犬，敬上涓人。”文侯悅曰：“擊愛我，知吾所嗜，知吾所好。”召倉唐而見之，曰：“擊無恙乎？”倉唐曰：“唯唯。”如是者三，乃曰：“君出太子而封之國君，名之，非禮也。”文侯怵然為之變容。問曰：“子之君無恙乎？”倉唐曰：“臣來時，拜送書於庭。”文侯顧指左右曰：“子之君，長孰與是？”倉唐曰：“禮，擬人必於其倫，諸侯毋偶，無所擬之。”曰：“長大孰與寡人。”倉唐曰：“君賜之外府之裘，則能勝之，賜之斥帶，則不更其造。”文侯曰：“子之君何業？”倉唐曰：“業詩。”文侯曰：“於詩何好？”倉唐曰：“好晨風、黍離。”文侯自讀晨風曰：“■彼晨風，鬱彼北林，未見君子，憂心欽欽，如何如何，忘我實多。”文侯曰：“子之君以我忘之乎？”倉唐曰：“不敢，時思耳。”文侯復讀黍離曰：“彼黍離離，彼稷之苗，行邁靡靡，中心搖搖，知我者謂我心憂，不知我者謂我何求？悠悠蒼天，此何人哉？”文侯曰：“子之君怨乎？”倉唐曰：“不敢，時思耳。”文侯於是遣倉唐賜太子衣一襲，敕倉唐以雞鳴時至。太子起拜，受賜發篋，視衣盡顛倒。太子曰：“趣早駕，君侯召擊也。”倉唐曰：“臣來時不受命。”太子曰：“君侯賜擊衣，不以為寒也，欲召擊，無誰與謀，故敕子以雞鳴時至，詩曰：‘東方未明，顛倒衣裳，顛之倒之，自公召之。’”遂西至謁。

Marquis Wen of Wei enfeoffed his crown prince Ji in Zhongshan, and for three years no envoys passed between them. The retainer Zhao Cangtang came forward and said: "A man who is a son and does not hear his father's inquiries for three years cannot be called filial. A man who is a father and does not ask after his son for three years cannot be called kind. Why does my lord not send someone as envoy to the great state?" The Crown Prince said: "I have wished to for a long time. I have not found a man who can go as envoy." Cangtang said: "I am willing to take the commission and go. What does the Marquis like?" The Crown Prince said: "The Marquis likes morning ducks and likes northern dogs." So he sent Cangtang with the northern dogs (the base text has a damaged character here) and presented morning ducks to offer to Marquis Wen. When Cangtang arrived, he sought an audience and said: "The envoy of the secondary son Ji does not dare to take on an audience with the officials; I ask that during your leisure time at home I may present morning ducks to the kitchen and offer the northern dogs (the base text has a damaged character here) to the keeper of the purse." Marquis Wen was pleased and said: "Ji loves me; he knows what I like and what I favor." He summoned Cangtang for an audience and said: "Is Ji not ill?" Cangtang said: "Yes, yes." He did this three times, and then said: "Releasing the Crown Prince and enfeoffing him as a ruler, and calling him by his personal name, is not in accord with ritual." Marquis Wen was startled and changed color. He asked: "Is your lord not ill?" Cangtang said: "When I came, I bowed to send off the letter in the courtyard." Marquis Wen turned and pointed to his attendants and said: "Your lord's height compares with these people how?" Cangtang said: "By ritual, one compares a person only with his own kind; a feudal lord has no match, so there is no one to compare him with." He said: "Compared with me, how tall?" Cangtang said: "If you grant him a fur from your outer treasury, he can wear it; if you give him a sash, he does not change what he had originally made." Marquis Wen said: "What does your lord study?" Cangtang said: "He studies the Book of Poetry." Marquis Wen said: "What does he like in the poems?" Cangtang said: "He likes Chen Feng and Shu Li." Marquis Wen himself recited Chen Feng: "(the base text has a damaged character here) that swift falcon, flying to the dense northern forest; I have not seen my lord, my anxious heart is troubled; what, what? you have forgotten me indeed too much." Marquis Wen said: "Does your lord think I have forgotten him?" Cangtang said: "He would not dare; he only thinks of you from time to time." Marquis Wen then recited Shu Li: "Those rows of millet, those sprouts of sorghum; I walk slowly, my heart is unsteady; those who know me say my heart is sad, those who do not know me ask what I seek. Far and wide is blue Heaven; who is this person?" Marquis Wen said: "Does your lord resent me?" Cangtang said: "He would not dare; he only thinks of you from time to time." Marquis Wen then sent Cangtang to give the Crown Prince a set of clothes and ordered Cangtang to arrive at cockcrow. The Crown Prince rose and bowed, received the gift and opened the chest, and saw that the garments were all upside down. The Crown Prince said: "Quickly, harness early; the Marquis is summoning me." Cangtang said: "When I came I received no such command." The Crown Prince said: "The Marquis has given me clothes not because I am cold but because he wants to summon me and has no one to plan with, so he ordered you to arrive at cockcrow. The Book of Poetry says: 'The east is not yet bright, he puts on his clothes upside down; upside down and inside out, he is summoned from the Duke.'" Then he went west and arrived for the audience.

文侯大喜，乃置酒而稱曰：“夫遠賢而近所愛，非社稷之長策也。”乃出少子摯，封中山，而復太子擊。故曰：“欲知其子，視其友；欲知其君，視其所使。”趙倉唐一使而文侯為慈父，而擊為孝子。太子乃稱：“詩曰：‘鳳凰于飛，噦噦其羽，亦集爰止，藹藹王多吉士，維君子使，媚於天子。’舍人之謂也。”

Marquis Wen was greatly pleased and set out wine, saying: "To keep the worthy at a distance and be close to those one loves is not a long-term plan for the altars of state." So he released his younger son Zhi, enfeoffed him in Zhongshan, and restored Crown Prince Ji. So it is said: "If you want to know a man's son, look at his friends; if you want to know a man's ruler, look at those he sends." With one mission by Zhao Cangtang, Marquis Wen became a kind father and Ji a filial son. The Crown Prince then said: "The Book of Poetry says: 'The phoenix flies, its wings beating; it too rests where it should rest; the many gentlemen of the courteous king are good; the lord's gentlemen are sent, to please the Son of Heaven.' This speaks of the retainer."