Xin Xu (新序) · Volume 2

晉文公出田逐獸，碭入大澤，迷不知所出，其中有漁者，文公謂曰："我若君也，道安從出，我且厚賜若。"漁者曰："臣願有獻。"公曰："出澤而受之。"於是遂出澤。公令曰："子之所欲以教寡人者，何等也？願受之。"漁者曰："檻鵠保河海之中，厭而欲移徙之小澤，則必有丸繒之憂，黿鼉保深淵，厭而出之淺渚，則必有羅網釣射之憂。今君逐獸，碭入至此。何行之太遠也？"文公曰："善哉！"謂從者記漁者名。漁者曰："君何以名，為君尊天事地，敬社稷，固四國，慈愛萬民，薄賦歛，輕租稅者，臣亦與焉。君不敬社稷，不固四國，外失禮於諸侯，內逆民心，一國流亡，漁者雖得厚賜，不能保也。"遂辭不受。曰："君前歸國；臣亦反吾漁所。"

Duke Wen of Jin went out hunting, chasing game, and fell into a great marsh, where he lost his way and could not find the way out. There was a fisherman in the marsh. Duke Wen said to him, "I am the lord of the state. Which way leads out of here? I will reward you richly." The fisherman said, "I wish to offer you something." Duke Wen said, "You will receive your reward once we are out of the marsh." So they got out of the marsh. The duke gave the order, "What did you wish to teach me? I am willing to hear it." The fisherman said, "Swans and wild geese live among the rivers and seas, but when they tire of it and wish to move to a small pond, they are sure to face the danger of pellets and stringed arrows. Soft-shelled turtles and crocodiles live in deep pools, but when they tire of it and come out to the shallow shoals, they are sure to face the danger of nets, hooks and shots. Now you, my lord, were chasing game and fell into this place. Why did you go so far?" Duke Wen said, "Well said!" and told his attendants to write down the fisherman's name. The fisherman said, "Why must my lord record my name? If you revere Heaven and serve Earth, honor the altars of the state, strengthen the neighboring states on all sides, love the myriad people, and lighten levies and taxes, then I too will benefit among them. If you do not honor the altars, do not strengthen your neighbors, are discourteous to the other lords abroad and go against the people's hearts at home, then once the state is in exile, even if this fisherman had received a rich reward, he could not keep it." With that he declined and would not accept anything. He said, "My lord, return to your state first; I will go back to the place where I fish."

晉文公逐麋而失之，問農夫老古曰："吾麋何在？"老古以足指曰："如是往。"公曰："寡人問子，子以足指，何也？"老古振衣而起曰："一不意人君如此也，虎豹之居也，厭閒而近人，故得；魚鱉之居也，厭深而之淺，故得；諸侯之居也，厭眾而遠遊，故亡其國。詩云：'維鵲有巢，維鳩居之。’君放不歸，人將君之。"於是文公恐，歸遇欒武子。欒武子曰："獵得獸乎？而有悅色！"文公曰："寡人逐麋而失之，得善言，故有悅色。"欒武子曰："其人安在乎？"曰："吾未與來也。"欒武子曰："居上位而不恤其下，驕也；緩令急誅，暴也；取人之善言而棄其身，盜也。"文公曰："善。"還載老古，與俱歸。

Duke Wen of Jin chased an elk and lost it. He asked a farmer, Lao Gu, "Where is my elk?" Lao Gu pointed with his foot and said, "It went this way." The duke said, "I am asking you, and you point with your foot. Why?" Lao Gu shook out his clothes and stood up, saying, "I never expected a ruler to be like this. Tigers and leopards live in quiet seclusion, but when they tire of it and come close to people, they are caught. Fish and turtles live in the depths, but when they tire of it and come to the shallows, they are caught. A feudal lord lives among the multitude, but when he tires of them and roams far away, he loses his state. The Book of Songs says, 'The magpie has a nest, and the dove comes to live in it.' If you let yourself go and do not return, someone else will become your lord." Duke Wen was frightened and went back, and met Luan Wuzi. Luan Wuzi said, "Did you catch any game on the hunt? Yet you look pleased!" The duke said, "I chased an elk and lost it, but I received good words, so I look pleased." Luan Wuzi said, "Where is that man?" The duke said, "I did not bring him with me." Luan Wuzi said, "To sit in a high position and not care for those below is arrogance. To give orders slowly but punish urgently is cruelty. To take a man's good words but discard the man himself is theft." The duke said, "You are right." He went back, took Lao Gu onto his carriage, and returned with him.

扁鵲見齊桓侯，立有間，扁鵲曰："君有疾在腠理，不治，將恐深。"桓侯曰："寡人無疾。"扁鵲出，桓侯曰："醫之好利也，欲治不疾以為功。"居十日，扁鵲復見曰："君之疾在肌膚，不治將深。"桓侯不應。扁鵲出，桓侯不悅。居十日，扁鵲復見曰："君之疾在腸胃，不治將深。"桓侯不應。扁鵲出，桓侯不悅。居十日，扁鵲復見，望桓侯而還走。桓侯使人問之，扁鵲曰："疾在腠理，湯熨之所及也；在肌膚，針石之所及也；在胃腸，大劑之所及也；在骨髓，司命之所無奈何也；今在骨髓，臣是以無請也。"居五日，桓侯體痛，使人索扁鵲，扁鵲已逃之秦國。桓侯遂死，故良醫之治疾也，攻之於腠理。此事皆治之於小者也。夫事之禍福，亦有腠理之地。故聖人蚤從事矣。

Bian Que went to see Marquis Huan of Qi. After standing for a while, Bian Que said, "My lord, you have an illness in the skin's texture. If it is not treated, I fear it will deepen." Marquis Huan said, "I have no illness." When Bian Que left, the marquis said, "Physicians are greedy for profit; they want to treat people with no illness and take the credit." Ten days later Bian Que saw him again and said, "Your illness is now in the muscles and skin. If it is not treated, it will deepen." The marquis did not answer. Bian Que left, and the marquis was displeased. Ten days later Bian Que saw him again and said, "Your illness is now in the intestines and stomach. If it is not treated, it will deepen." The marquis did not answer. Bian Que left, and the marquis was displeased. Ten days later Bian Que saw him again, and on catching sight of the marquis he turned and ran. The marquis sent someone to ask him why. Bian Que said, "When the illness is in the skin's texture, hot compresses can reach it. When it is in the muscles and skin, needles and stone lancets can reach it. When it is in the stomach and intestines, strong medicinal brews can reach it. When it is in the bone marrow, even the Director of Fates can do nothing. Now it is in the bone marrow, and so I no longer make any request." Five days later the marquis felt pain in his body and sent for Bian Que, but Bian Que had already fled to Qin. The marquis then died. Therefore a good physician treats an illness while it is still in the skin's texture. All these matters are managed while they are still small. The fortunes and misfortunes of affairs also have such a stage. So the sage acts early.

莊辛諫楚襄王曰："君王左州侯，右夏侯，從新安君與壽陵君同軒，淫衍侈靡而忘國政，郢其危矣。"王曰："先生老●歟？妄為楚國妖歟？"莊辛對曰："臣非敢為楚妖，誠見之也。君王卒近此四子者，則楚必亡矣！辛請留於趙以觀之。"於是不出十月，王果亡巫山江漢鄢郢之地。於是王乃使召莊辛至於趙。辛至，王曰："嘻！先生來邪！寡人以不用先生言至於此，為之奈何？"莊辛曰："君用辛言則可，不用辛言又將甚乎！此庶人有稱曰：'亡羊而固牢未為遲，見兔而呼狗未為晚。’湯武以百里王，桀紂以天下亡，今楚雖小，絕長繼短，以千里數，豈特百里哉！且君王獨不見夫青蛉乎？六足四翼，蜚翔乎天地之間，求蚊虻而食之，時甘露而飲之，自以為無患，與民無爭也。不知五尺之童子，膠絲竿，加之乎四仞之上，而下為蟲蛾食已。"

Zhuang Xin remonstrated with King Xiang of Chu, saying, "Your Majesty has Marquis Zhou on your left and Marquis Xia on your right, and you ride in the same carriage with Lord Xin'an and Lord Shouling. You indulge in extravagance and forget the affairs of state. Ying, the capital, is in danger." The king said, "Have you grown senile (a character is missing in the source text; the sense is 'muddled and perverse')? Or are you deliberately spreading ominous talk about Chu?" Zhuang Xin answered, "I would not dare to invent ominous talk about Chu; I have truly seen it. If Your Majesty in the end keeps close to these four men, Chu will surely perish! I ask leave to stay in Zhao and watch." Within ten months the king indeed lost the lands of Mount Wu, the Yangtze and Han rivers, and Yan and Ying. Only then did the king send someone to Zhao to summon Zhuang Xin. When Zhuang Xin arrived, the king said, "Ah! You have come, sir! Because I did not follow your words, I have come to this. What should be done?" Zhuang Xin said, "If you follow Xin's words now, it can still be mended; if you do not, it will be worse still! There is a saying among the common people: 'It is not too late to mend the pen after the sheep are lost; it is not too late to call the dogs after you see the hare.' Tang and Wu became kings from a hundred li of land, while Jie and Zhou were destroyed holding all under Heaven. Now Chu, though small, if you cut off the long and add to the short, measures a thousand li square; how could it be only a hundred li! Moreover, has Your Majesty not seen the dragonfly? With six legs and four wings, it flies between heaven and earth, hunting gnats and mosquitoes to eat and drinking sweet dew at the proper times. It believes it has no troubles and no quarrel with anyone. It does not know that a five-foot boy, with a rod of sticky thread, will set it on a line four ren above, and when it comes down it will be eaten by ants and insects."

青蛉猶其小者也，夫爵俛啄白粒，仰棲茂樹，鼓其翼，奮其身，自以為無患，與民無爭也。不知公子王孫，左把彈，右攝丸，定操持，審參連，故晝遊乎茂樹，夕和乎酸鹹。爵猶其小者也，檻鵠嬉遊乎江漢，息留乎大沼，俛啄鰋鯉，仰奮陵衡，修其六翮，而陵清風，麃搖高翔，一舉千里，自以為無患，與民無爭也。不知弋者選其弓弩，修其防翳，加繒繳其頸，投乎百仞之上，引纖繳，揚微波，折清風而殞，故朝遊乎江河，而暮調乎鼎俎，檻鵠猶其小者也，蔡侯之事故是也。蔡侯南遊乎高陵，北經乎巫山，逐麋□●鹿，彉溪子隨，時鳥嬉遊乎高蔡之囿，溢滿無涯，不以國家為事，不知子發受令宣王，厄以淮水，填以巫山，庚子之朝，纓以朱絲，臣而奏之乎宣王也。蔡侯之事猶其小者也，今君王之事，遂以左州侯，右夏侯，從新安君與壽陵君，淫衍侈靡，康樂遊娛，馳騁乎雲夢之中，不以天下與國家為事，不知穰侯方與奏王謀，窴之以黽厄之內，而投之乎黽塞之外。"襄王大懼，形體掉栗曰："謹受令。"乃封莊辛為成陵君，而用計焉。與舉淮北之地十二諸侯。

"The dragonfly is still a small matter. Consider the sparrow. It lowers its head to peck white grain and lifts its head to perch in the leafy trees, flapping its wings and bracing its body, believing it has no troubles and no quarrel with anyone. It does not know that the young nobles and princes hold a slingshot in the left hand and load pellets with the right, steady their aim and fix it for a continuous volley. So by day it plays in the leafy trees, and by evening it is seasoned with sour and salt. The sparrow is still a small matter. The swan plays on the Yangtze and Han and rests in the great marshes. It lowers its head to peck catfish and carp and raises it to soar over the balance of the winds. It tidies its six strong feathers, rides the clear breeze, and flies high and free, a thousand li in one flight, believing it has no troubles and no quarrel with anyone. It does not know that the fowler has chosen his bow and crossbow and prepared his hiding place, and that he lays the stringed arrow over its neck, shooting down from a hundred rens high, drawing in the fine line, raising a slight ripple, cutting off the clear breeze, and it falls. So in the morning it roams the rivers, and by evening it is seasoned in the cauldron and on the chopping board. The swan is still a small matter. The affair of the Marquis of Cai was like this. The Marquis of Cai roamed south to Gaoling and passed north through Mount Wu, chasing elk (a character is missing in the source text), with a Xizi crossbow drawn behind him. From time to time he roamed in the Gaocai park, overflowing without limit, not treating the state as a matter of concern. He did not know that Zifa had received King Xuan's order, blocked him with the Huai River and sealed him in with Mount Wu, and on the morning of the gengzi day, bound him with red silk and presented him to King Xuan as a captive. The affair of the Marquis of Cai was still a small matter. Now Your Majesty has Marquis Zhou on the left and Marquis Xia on the right, rides with Lord Xin'an and Lord Shouling, indulges in extravagance, enjoys pleasure and amusement, and gallops through the Yunmeng marsh, not treating the world and the state as matters of concern. You do not know that the Marquis of Rang is plotting with the King of Qin, to fill you into the Miane pass and cast you out beyond the Mian frontier." King Xiang was greatly afraid and trembled all over, saying, "I respectfully receive your instruction." He then enfeoffed Zhuang Xin as Lord of Chengling and adopted his plans. Together they took back the land north of the Huai, twelve feudal territories.

魏文侯出遊，見路人反裘而負芻。文侯曰："胡為反裘而負芻。"對曰："臣愛其毛。"文侯曰："若不知其裡盡，而毛無所恃耶？"明年；東陽上計錢布十倍，大夫畢賀。文侯曰："此非所以賀我也。譬無異夫路人反裘而負芻也，將愛其毛，不知其裡盡，毛無所恃也。今吾田不加廣，士民不加眾，而錢十倍，必取之士大夫也。吾聞之下不安者，上不可居也，此非所以賀我也。"

Marquis Wen of Wei went out on a tour and saw a man on the road carrying fodder grass on his back while wearing his fur coat inside out. Marquis Wen said, "Why do you wear your fur coat inside out to carry fodder?" He answered, "I cherish the fur." Marquis Wen said, "Do you not know that if the lining wears out, the fur has nothing to cling to?" The next year, Dongyang reported a tenfold increase in coin and cloth revenue, and the high officials all came to congratulate him. Marquis Wen said, "This is not something to congratulate me for. It is like that man on the road who wore his fur inside out to carry fodder: he meant to cherish the fur, but did not know that once the lining is worn out, the fur has nothing to cling to. Now my fields have not been enlarged and my gentlemen and people have not increased, yet the money has grown tenfold, so it must have been taken from the gentlemen and officials. I have heard that when those below are not at peace, those above cannot dwell safely. This is not something to congratulate me for."

楚莊王問於孫叔敖曰："寡人未得所以為國是也。"孫叔敖曰："國之有是，眾非之所惡也。臣恐王之不能定也。"王曰："不定獨在君乎？亦在臣乎？"孫叔敖曰："國君驕士曰：'士非我無逌富貴。’士驕君曰：'國非士無逌安強。’人君或失國而不悟，士或至飢寒而不進，君臣不合，國是無逌定矣。夏桀殷紂，不定國是，而以合其取捨者為是，以不合其取捨者為非，故致亡而不知。"莊王曰："善哉！願相國與諸侯士大夫共定國是，寡人豈敢以褊國驕士民哉！"

King Zhuang of Chu asked Sunshu Ao, "I have not yet obtained anything to serve as the state's standard of right." Sunshu Ao said, "A state does have a 'right,' but it is what the multitude denounces and hates. I fear Your Majesty cannot settle it." The king said, "Does the failure to settle it rest only with the ruler? Or does it rest with the ministers too?" Sunshu Ao said, "A ruler, in his arrogance, says to the gentlemen, 'Without me, gentlemen would have no way to become rich and honored.' A gentleman, in his arrogance, says to the ruler, 'Without gentlemen, a state would have no way to become secure and strong.' Some rulers lose their states and still do not awaken; some gentlemen reach hunger and cold and are still not employed. When ruler and ministers do not agree, the state's standard of right cannot be settled. Jie of Xia and Zhou of Yin did not settle the state's standard; they took whatever suited their own likes and dislikes as right and whatever did not as wrong, and so they brought on their destruction without knowing it." King Zhuang said, "Well said! I wish the chancellor to settle the state's standard together with the lords and officials. How would I dare be arrogant toward my gentlemen and people on account of a narrow state!"

楚莊王蒞政三年，不治，而好隱戲。社稷危，國將亡，士慶問左右群臣曰："王蒞政三年，不治，而好隱戲，社稷危，國將亡，胡不入諫？"左右曰："子其入矣。"士慶入再拜而進曰："隱有大鳥，來止南山之陽，三年不蜚不鳴，不審其故何也？"王曰："子其去矣，寡人知之矣。"士慶曰："臣言亦死，不言亦死，願聞其說。"王曰："此鳥不蜚，以長羽翼；不鳴，以觀群臣之慝，是鳥雖不蜚，蜚必沖天；雖不鳴，鳴必驚人。"士慶稽首曰："所願聞已。"王大悅士慶之問，而拜之以為令尹，授之相印。士慶喜，出門顧左右笑曰："吾王成王也。"中庶子聞之，跪而泣曰："臣尚衣冠御郎十三年矣，前為豪矢，而後為藩蔽。王賜士慶相印而不賜臣，臣死將有日矣。"王曰："寡人居泥塗中，子所與寡人言者，內不及國家，外不及諸侯。如子者，可富而不可貴也。"於是乃出其國寶璧玉以賜之。曰："忠信者，士之行也；言語者，士之道路也。道路不修，士無所行矣。"

King Zhuang of Chu had been in charge of government for three years without governing, and instead loved riddles and games. The altars of the state were in danger and the state was about to perish. Shi Qing asked the ministers around the king, "The king has been in charge of government for three years without governing, and loves riddles and games; the altars are in danger and the state is about to perish. Why do you not go in and remonstrate?" The attendants said, "You go in." Shi Qing went in, bowed twice, stepped forward and said, "In a riddle there is a great bird that came to rest on the south side of the Southern Mountain. For three years it has neither flown nor cried. I do not know the reason. What is it?" The king said, "You may withdraw. I understand." Shi Qing said, "If I speak I die, and if I do not speak I die. I wish to hear the explanation." The king said, "This bird does not fly because it is growing its wings; it does not cry because it is observing the treachery of the ministers. Though this bird does not fly, when it flies it will surely pierce the sky; though it does not cry, when it cries it will surely startle people." Shi Qing knocked his head on the ground and said, "What I wished to hear, I have heard." The king was very pleased with Shi Qing's question and appointed him Chief Minister, giving him the seal of chancellor. Shi Qing was delighted. Going out of the gate, he turned to the attendants and said with a laugh, "Our king is a King Cheng." A palace attendant heard this, knelt and wept, saying, "I have managed the king's robes and cap and served the gentlemen of the palace for thirteen years, as an arrow leading in front and a screen behind. The king gave Shi Qing the seal of chancellor and gave me nothing; I will probably die before long." The king said, "When I was in the mud, what you said to me did not reach the state within or the lords without. A man like you can be made rich but cannot be made noble." He then took out a precious jade disc from the state treasury and gave it to him. He said, "Loyalty and good faith are the conduct of a gentleman; words are the gentleman's road. If the road is not kept in repair, the gentleman has nowhere to walk."

靖郭君欲城薛；而客人多以諫，君告謁者，無為客通事。於是有一齊人曰："臣願一言，過一言，臣請烹。"謁者客。客曰："海大魚。"因返走。靖郭君曰："請少進。"客曰："否。臣不敢以死戲。"靖郭君曰："嘻！寡人毋得已，試複道之。"客曰："君獨不聞海大魚乎？網弗能止，繳不能牽，碭而失水，陸居則螻蟻得意焉。且夫齊，亦君之水也，君已有齊，奚以薛為？君若無齊，城薛猶且無益也。"靖郭君大悅，罷民弗城薛也。

Lord Jingguo wished to build a city wall for Xue. Many guests came to remonstrate, and the lord told the doorkeeper not to announce any guests. Then a man of Qi said, "I wish to say just one phrase. If I say more than one phrase, please boil me." The doorkeeper let the guest in to see him (a rare character in the source text was lost in transcription). The guest said, "A big fish in the sea." Then he turned and ran. Lord Jingguo said, "Please come a little closer." The guest said, "No. I dare not make a game of death." Lord Jingguo said, "Ah! I have no choice; try saying more." The guest said, "Has my lord not heard of the great fish in the sea? A net cannot hold it and a line cannot pull it in, but once it leaves the water and lives on dry land, the mole crickets and ants will have their way with it. Moreover, Qi is your water, my lord. You already have Qi, so what do you need Xue for? If you lose Qi, even a wall built around Xue will do no good." Lord Jingguo was greatly pleased, stopped conscripting the people, and did not build the wall at Xue.

齊有婦人，極醜無雙，號曰："無□女"。其為人也，臼頭深目，長壯大節，昂鼻結喉，肥項少發，折腰出胸，皮膚若漆。行年三十，無所容人，衒嫁不售，流棄莫執，於是乃拂拭短褐，自詣宣王，願一見，謂謁者曰："妾，齊之不售女也，閒君王之聖德，願備後宮之掃除，頓首司馬門外，唯王幸許之。"謁者以聞，宣王方置酒於漸臺，左右聞之，莫不揜口而大笑。曰："此天下強顏女子也。"於是宣王乃召見之，謂曰："昔先王為寡人取妃匹，皆已備有列位矣。寡人今日聽鄭衛之聲嘔吟感傷，揚瞠楚之遺風。今夫人不容鄉里布衣，而欲幹萬乘之王，亦有奇能乎？"無□女對曰："無有。直竊慕大王之美義耳。"王曰："雖然，何喜。"良久曰："竊嘗喜隱。"王曰："隱固寡人之所願也，試一行之。"言未卒，忽然不見矣。宣王大驚，立發隱書而讀之，退而惟之，又不能明。明日，復更召而問之，又不以隱對，但揚目銜齒，舉手拊肘曰："殆哉！殆哉！"如此者四。宣王曰："願遂聞命。"

In Qi there was a woman who was extremely ugly, with no equal, called the "Wuyan Woman" (a character is missing in the source text; it should be "yan"). Her appearance was this: a head like a mortar, deep-set eyes, a tall frame with thick joints, a high nose and a prominent throat, a fat neck and thin hair, a bent waist and jutting chest, and skin like lacquer. She was nearly thirty with no place to belong. She had offered herself in marriage but no one would take her, and cast out and abandoned she was wanted by no one. So she wiped her coarse short coat clean and went by herself to King Xuan, wishing for one audience. She said to the doorkeeper, "I am a woman of Qi who cannot find a husband. I have heard of Your Majesty's sagely virtue and wish to serve as a sweeper in your rear palace. I kowtow outside the Sima gate and only ask that the king graciously permit it." The doorkeeper reported this. King Xuan was holding a drinking party on the Jian Terrace, and when the attendants heard it, none failed to cover their mouths and laugh. They said, "This is the most thick-skinned woman under Heaven." King Xuan then summoned her and said to her, "Long ago the former kings chose consorts for me, and they are all in place with their ranks. Today I listen to the music of Zheng and Wei, moaning and grieving, and I carry on the lingering customs of Chu. Now, madam, you are not tolerated even by the commoners of your village, yet you seek an audience with the king of ten thousand chariots. Do you have some extraordinary talent as well?" The Wuyan Woman answered, "No. I only admire Your Majesty's fine righteousness in private." The king said, "Even so, what do you like?" After a long while she said, "I have privately liked riddles." The king said, "Riddles are just what I enjoy; try one." Before she had finished speaking, she suddenly vanished from sight. King Xuan was greatly startled. He at once opened his book of riddles and read it, then withdrew and pondered, but still could not understand. The next day he summoned her again and questioned her. She again did not answer with a riddle but only opened her eyes wide, bared her teeth, raised her hand and slapped her elbow, saying, "Danger! Danger!" She did this four times. King Xuan said, "I wish at last to hear your instruction."

無□女曰："今大王之君國也，西有衡秦之患，南有強楚之讎，外有二國之難，內聚奸臣，眾人不附。春秋四十，壯男不立，不矜眾子，而矜眾婦，尊所好而忽所恃，一旦山陵崩弛，社稷不定，此一殆也。漸臺五重，黃金白玉，琅玕龍疏，蓑蓑珠璣，莫落連飾，萬民罷極，此二殆也。賢者伏匿於山林，諂諛強於左右，邪偽立於本朝，諫者不得通入，此三殆也。酒漿沉琨，以夜續朝，女樂俳優，從橫大笑，外不修諸侯之禮，內不秉國家之治，此四殆也。故曰：'殆哉！殆哉！’。"於是宣王掩然無聲，意入黃泉，忽然而昂，喟然而嘆曰："痛乎無□君之言，吾今乃一聞寡人之殆，寡人之殆幾不全。"於是立停漸臺，罷女樂，退諂諛，去雕琢，選兵馬，實府庫，四闢公門，招進直言，延及側陋，擇吉日，立太子，進慈母，顯隱女，拜無□君為王后，而國大安者，醜女之力也。

The Wuyan Woman said, "Now Your Majesty governs the state. In the west there is the menace of Qin and its horizontal alliance; in the south there is the enmity of mighty Chu. Abroad there is the disaster of two states, while within you gather treacherous ministers and the multitude is not attached to you. You are nearly forty and have not established a grown son as heir. You do not take pity on your many sons but take pity on your many women. You exalt what you love and neglect what you rely on. If one day the mountains and hills collapse and the altars of the state are unsettled, this is the first danger. The Jian Terrace has five tiers, with yellow gold and white jade, langgan gems and dragon carvings, dangling pearls, and interlaced ornaments, while the myriad people are exhausted to the limit. This is the second danger. Worthy men lie hidden in the mountains and forests while flatterers flourish at your side. Deceit stands in the court and those who would remonstrate cannot get in. This is the third danger. You are sunk in drink, carrying the night on into the morning, with female musicians and jesters laughing wildly. Abroad you do not cultivate the courtesies due the lords, and within you do not hold to the governing of the state. This is the fourth danger. And so I said, 'Danger! Danger!'" King Xuan then fell silent and still, his mind sunk to the Yellow Springs. Suddenly he raised his head and sighed deeply, saying, "How painful are the words of Lady Wuyan! Only now have I heard of my own peril, and my peril was such that I could hardly have been kept safe." He at once stopped work on the Jian Terrace, dismissed the female musicians, drove away the flatterers, and did away with carving and ornament. He selected and drilled troops and filled the treasuries, opened the public gates on all four sides, summoned frank speech, and reached out to the lowly and obscure. He chose an auspicious day, established the crown prince, brought forward the kindly mother, and honored the hidden woman. He made Lady Wuyan his queen, and the state was greatly settled. This was the power of an ugly woman.

梁惠王謂孟子曰："寡人有疾，寡人好色。"孟子曰："王誠好色，於王何有？"王曰："若之何？好色可以王？"孟子曰："大王好色。詩曰：'古公亶父，來朝走馬，率西水滸，至於岐下。爰及姜女，聿來相宇。’大王愛厥妃，出入必與之偕。當是時，內無怨女，外無曠夫。王若好色，與百姓同之，民唯恐王之不好色也。"王曰："寡人有疾，寡人好勇。"孟子曰："王若好勇，於王何有？"王曰："若之何？好勇可以王？"孟子曰："詩曰：'王赫斯怒，爰整其旅，必按徂旅，以篤周佑，以對於天下。"此文王之勇也。文王一怒，而安天下之民。今王亦一怒，而安天下之民，民唯恐王之不好勇也。"

King Hui of Liang said to Mencius, "I have a fault: I love beauty." Mencius said, "If Your Majesty truly loves beauty, what harm is there to your being a true king?" The king said, "How so? Can loving beauty make one a king?" Mencius said, "Great King Tai loved beauty. The Book of Songs says: 'Gu Gong Danfu rode out at dawn, driving his horses, along the western riverbank, to the foot of Mount Qi. There he and the lady Jiang came together to plan a home.' Great King Tai loved his consort and wherever he went, in or out, he was sure to be with her. In those days there were no resentful women within and no bachelors without. If Your Majesty loves beauty and shares it with the people, the people will only fear that you do not love beauty." The king said, "I have a fault: I love courage." Mencius said, "If Your Majesty loves courage, what harm is there to your being a true king?" The king said, "How so? Can loving courage make one a king?" Mencius said, "The Book of Songs says: 'The king flared up in anger, and then he marshaled his army, to stop the enemy hosts that came, to deepen the blessings of Zhou, and to answer the hopes of all under Heaven.' This was King Wen's courage. With a single burst of anger, King Wen brought peace to the people of the world. Now if Your Majesty too, in one burst of anger, brought peace to the people of the world, the people would only fear that you do not love courage."

孫卿與臨武君議兵於趙孝成王前。王曰："請問兵要？"臨武君對曰："上得天時，下得地利，後之發，先之至，此用兵之要術也。"孫卿曰："不然。臣之所聞，古之道，凡戰，用兵之術，在於一民，弓矢不調，羿不能以中徵，六馬不和，造父不能以御遠；士民不親附，湯武不能以勝。故善兵者，務在於善附民而已。"

Sun Qing and Lord Linwu discussed the use of the military before King Xiaocheng of Zhao. The king said, "May I ask what is essential in using troops?" Lord Linwu answered, "Above, obtain the timing of Heaven; below, obtain the advantage of the ground; set out after the enemy yet arrive before him. This is the essential art of using troops." Sun Qing said, "That is not so. According to the way of the ancients as I have heard it, in all warfare, the method of using troops lies in making the people of one mind. If the bow and arrow are not well matched, Yi could not hit the mark. If the six horses are not in harmony, Zaofu could not drive far. If the gentlemen and people are not attached to their ruler, Tang and Wu could not win victory. Therefore one who is good at using troops must be good at winning the people's attachment, and that is all."

臨武君曰："不然，夫兵之所貴者，勢利也；所上者，變軸攻奪也。善用之者，奄忽焉莫知所從出，孫吳用之，無敵於天下。由此觀之，豈必待附民哉！"孫卿曰："不然，臣之所言者，王者之兵，君人之事也。君之所言者，勢利也；所上者，變軸攻奪也。仁人之兵不可軸也，彼可軸者，怠慢者也，落單者也。君臣上下之間，渙然有離德者也。若以桀軸桀，猶有幸焉，若以桀軸堯，譬之若以卵投石，若以指繞沸，若羽蹈烈火，入則焦沒耳，夫又何可軸也。故仁人之兵，鋌則若莫邪之利刃，嬰之者斷，銳則若莫邪之利鋒，當之者潰。圓居而方止，若盤石然，觸之者隴種而退耳。夫又何可軸也？"

Lord Linwu said, "That is not so. What the use of troops values is momentum and advantage; what it esteems is adaptation, attack and seizure. One who is good at it moves so suddenly that no one knows where he came from. Sun Wu and Wu Qi used this and were without equal under Heaven. Seen this way, why must one wait for the people's attachment!" Sun Qing said, "That is not so. What I am speaking of is the army of a true king and the affairs of one who is a ruler of men. What you speak of is momentum and advantage, and what you esteem is adaptation, attack and seizure. The army of a benevolent man cannot be defeated. Those that can be defeated are the negligent and the isolated, those between whom ruler and ministers, above and below, are scattered and estranged. If Jie were used to attack Jie, there might still be some luck in it; but if Jie were used to attack Yao, it would be like throwing an egg at a stone, stirring boiling water with a finger, or treading on a raging fire with feathers: the moment they went in they would be scorched and sunk. How could such an army be defeated? So the army of a benevolent man, when it advances, is like the sharp blade of the Moye sword: whatever meets it is cut. Its keenness is like the point of the Moye: whatever stands against it collapses. When it camps in a circle or halts in a square, it is like a boulder, and whatever meets it falls back in confusion. How could it be defeated?"

故仁人之兵，或將三軍同力，上下一心，臣之於君也，下之於上也，若子之事父也，若弟之事兄也，若手足之捍頭目而覆胸腹也。軸而襲之，與先驚而後擊之一也，夫又何可軸也？且夫暴亂之君，將誰與至哉？彼其所與至者，必其民也，民之親我，驩然如父母，好我芳如椒蘭，反顧其上，如灼黥，如仇讎。人之情，雖桀蹠豈有肯為其所惡，而賊其所好者哉！是指使人之孫子，而賊其父母也。詩曰：'武王載旆，有虔秉鉞，如火烈烈，則莫我敢曷。’此之謂也。"孝成王臨武君曰："善。"

Therefore the army of a benevolent man may command the three armies with united strength and one heart between those above and below. Ministers toward the ruler and inferiors toward superiors are like sons serving a father or younger brothers serving an elder brother, like hands and feet guarding the head and eyes and covering the chest and belly. To attack such an army by surprise is the same as first alarming it and then striking, so how could it be defeated? Moreover, a violent and disorderly ruler, with whom will he come? Those he comes with must be his own people, and the people are attached to me, cheerfully like parents, delighted with me as with the fragrance of pepper and orchid, and when they look back at their own ruler, they see him as a branding iron and as a sworn enemy. In human nature, even Jie and Zhi would not be willing to harm what they love for the sake of what they hate! This would be like ordering a man's grandchildren to harm his parents. The Book of Songs says: 'King Wu carried the banner and reverently held the battle-axe; like a blazing fire in its fierceness, no one dared to stop me.' This is what it means." King Xiaocheng and Lord Linwu said, "Well said."

昔者，秦魏為與國，齊楚約而欲攻魏，魏使人求救於秦，冠蓋相望，秦救不出。魏人有唐且者，年九十餘，謂魏王曰："老臣請西說秦，令兵先臣出，可乎？"魏王曰："敬諾。"遂約車而遣之。且見秦王。秦王曰："丈人罔然乃遠至此，甚苦矣。魏來求數矣，寡人知魏之急矣。"唐且答曰："大王已知魏之急而救不至，是大王籌筴之臣失之也。且夫魏一萬乘之國也。稱東藩，受冠帶，祠春秋者，為秦之強，足以為與也。今齊楚之兵已在魏郊矣，大王之救不至，魏急則割地而約齊楚，王雖欲救之，豈有及哉？是亡一萬乘之魏，而強二敵之齊楚也。竊以為大王籌筴之臣失之矣。"秦王懼然而悟，遽發兵救之，馳攙而往，齊楚聞之，引兵而去，魏氏復故。唐且一說，定強秦之筴，解魏國之患，散齊楚之兵，一舉而折沖消難，辭之功也。孔子曰："言語宰我。子貢。"故詩曰："辭之集矣，民之洽矣；辭之懌矣，民之莫矣。"唐且有辭，魏國賴之，故不可以已。

In former times, Qin and Wei were allied states. Qi and Chu agreed to attack Wei. Wei sent men to Qin to ask for rescue, so many envoys that their caps and carriage canopies could be seen one behind another, but Qin's relief troops did not come out. There was a man of Wei, Tang Ju, more than ninety years old. He said to the King of Wei, "This old minister asks to go west and persuade Qin, so that its army sets out ahead of me. Will that do?" The King of Wei said, "I respectfully agree." He prepared a carriage and sent him off. Tang Ju had an audience with the King of Qin. The King of Qin said, "Venerable sir, you have come this far though weary, and it must have been hard going. Wei has asked for rescue several times already, and I know Wei is in urgent trouble." Tang Ju answered, "If Your Majesty already knows Wei is in urgent trouble yet the relief troops have not arrived, then this old minister thinks Your Majesty has miscalculated. Moreover, Wei is a state of ten thousand chariots. It calls itself an eastern vassal, has accepted cap and sash from Qin, and offers sacrifices in spring and autumn, because Qin is strong enough to be an ally. Now the troops of Qi and Chu are already in Wei's outskirts. If Your Majesty's relief troops do not arrive, Wei in its distress will cede land and ally with Qi and Chu, and even if Your Majesty then wished to rescue it, how could there still be time? This would mean losing one state of ten thousand chariots and strengthening two enemy states, Qi and Chu. I privately think Your Majesty has miscalculated." The King of Qin was alarmed and realized his error, and at once sent troops to the rescue, galloping out. When Qi and Chu heard of it, they withdrew their troops and left, and Wei was restored. With a single persuasion, Tang Ju settled the policy of mighty Qin, lifted the troubles of Wei, and scattered the troops of Qi and Chu, repulsing the enemy and resolving the crisis in one stroke. This was the effect of words. Confucius said, "In speech: Zai Wo and Zigong." Therefore the Book of Songs says: "When words are harmonious, the people are in concord; when words are gracious, the people are at peace." Tang Ju had his words, and the state of Wei relied on him, so they must not be neglected.

燕易王時，國大亂，齊閔王興師伐燕，屠燕國，載其寶器而歸。易王死，及燕國復，太子立為燕王，是為燕昭王。昭王賢，即位卑身厚幣，以招賢者。謂郭隗曰："齊因孤國之亂，而襲破燕。孤極知燕小力少，不足以報，然得賢士與共國，以雪先王之醜，孤之願也。先生視可者得身事之。"隗曰："臣聞古人之君，有以千金求千里馬者，三年不能得，馬已死，買其骨五百金，反以報君。君大怒曰：'所求者生馬，安用死馬捐五百金。’涓人對曰：'死馬且市之五百金，況生馬乎？天下必以王為能市馬，馬今至矣。’於是不期年，千里馬至者二。今王誠欲必致士，請從隗始。隗且見事，況賢於隗者乎？豈遠千里馬哉？"於是昭王為隗築宮而師之。樂毅自魏往，鄒衍自齊往，劇辛自趙往，士爭走燕。燕王弔死問孤，與百姓同甘苦二十八年，燕國殷富，士卒樂軼輕戰。於是遂以樂毅為上將軍，與秦楚三晉合謀以伐齊。樂毅之筴，得賢之功也。

In the time of King Yi of Yan, the state fell into great disorder. King Min of Qi raised an army and attacked Yan, slaughtered its people, and carried the treasured vessels home. King Yi died, and when Yan was restored, the crown prince was set up as King of Yan; this was King Zhao of Yan. King Zhao was a worthy man, and after taking the throne he humbled himself and used generous gifts to attract the worthy. He said to Guo Wei, "Qi took advantage of the disorder in my isolated state to attack and break Yan. I know well that Yan is small and weak and not enough to take revenge, but to obtain worthy gentlemen to govern the state together and wash away the humiliation of the former king is my wish. If you know of a man who would do, I will serve him personally." Guo Wei said, "I have heard that among the rulers of old there was one who sought a thousand-li horse with a thousand pieces of gold and could not get one in three years. A court attendant asked to seek one, and the ruler sent him. He found the horse already dead, spent five hundred pieces of gold on its bones, and came back to report to the ruler. The ruler was furious and said, 'What I wanted was a living horse; what use is a dead horse for five hundred pieces of gold?' The attendant answered, 'If one pays five hundred pieces of gold even for a dead horse, how much more for a living one? The world will surely think Your Majesty can really buy horses, and horses will soon arrive.' Before a year was out, two thousand-li horses had come. Now if Your Majesty truly wishes to attract gentlemen, begin with me, Wei. If even Wei is served, how much more those more worthy than Wei? Would they consider a thousand li too far?" So King Zhao built a residence for Guo Wei and took him as his teacher. Yue Yi came from Wei, Zou Yan came from Qi, and Ju Xin came from Zhao, as gentlemen vied to rush to Yan. The King of Yan mourned the dead and comforted orphans, sharing the people's sweetness and bitterness for twenty-eight years. Yan became prosperous and rich, and its soldiers were glad to be at ease and made light of battle. Then he made Yue Yi senior general and plotted with Qin, Chu and the Three Jin to attack Qi. Yue Yi's strategy was the effect of obtaining worthy men.

樂毅為昭王謀，必待諸侯兵，齊乃可伐也。於是乃使樂毅使諸侯，遂合連四國之兵以伐齊，大破之。閔王亡逃，僅以身脫，匿莒，樂毅追之，遂屠七十餘城，臨淄盡降，唯莒即墨未下，盡復收燕寶器而歸，復易王之辱。樂毅謝罷諸侯之兵，而獨圍莒即墨，時田單為即墨令，患樂毅善用兵，田單不能軸也，欲去之，昭王又賢，不肯聽讒。會昭王死，惠王立，田單使人讒之惠王，惠王使騎劫代樂毅，樂毅之趙不歸。燕騎劫既為將軍，田單大喜，設軸大破燕軍，殺騎劫，盡復收七十餘城。是時齊閔公已死，田單得太子於莒，立為齊襄王。而燕惠王大慚。自悔易樂毅，以致此禍。

Yue Yi advised King Zhao that Qi could be attacked only after waiting for the troops of the other lords. So Yue Yi was sent as envoy to the lords, and he joined the troops of four states to attack Qi and badly defeated it. King Min fled and barely escaped, hiding in Ju. Yue Yi pursued and razed more than seventy cities, and the whole of Linzi surrendered. Only Ju and Jimo were not taken. He took back all of Yan's treasured vessels and returned, washing away the humiliation of King Yi. Yue Yi declined and dismissed the troops of the lords, and alone besieged Ju and Jimo. At that time Tian Dan was magistrate of Jimo. He worried that Yue Yi was skilled at war and that he, Tian Dan, could not defeat him, and he wished to remove him, but King Zhao was worthy and would not listen to slander. It happened that King Zhao died and King Hui took the throne. Tian Dan sent men to slander Yue Yi before King Hui, and King Hui sent Qi Jie to replace Yue Yi, while Yue Yi went to Zhao and did not return. When Qi Jie of Yan had become general, Tian Dan was overjoyed, laid a plan, and badly defeated the Yan army, killing Qi Jie and recovering all seventy-odd cities. By this time King Min of Qi was already dead. Tian Dan found the crown prince in Ju and set him up as King Xiang of Qi. King Hui of Yan was deeply ashamed and regretted having replaced Yue Yi, which had caused this disaster.

惠王乃使人遺樂毅書曰："寡人不佞，不能奉順君志，故君捐國而去，寡人不肖明矣，敢謁其願而君弗肯聽也，故使使者陳愚志，君誠諭之。語曰：'仁不輕絕，智不輕怨’。君於先王，世之所明知也，寡人望有非，則君覆蓋之，不虞君明棄之也；望有過則君教誨之，不虞君明罪之也，寡人之罪，百姓弗聞，君微出明怨，以棄寡人，寡人必有罪矣，然怨君之未盡厚矣。語曰：'厚者不捐人以自益，仁者不危軀以要名。’故覆人之邪者，厚之行也，救人之過者，仁之道也。世有復寡人之邪，救寡人之過，非君惡所望之。今君厚受德於先王之成尊，輕棄寡人以快心，則覆邪救過，難得於君矣。且世有厚薄，故施異；行有得失，故患同。今寡人任不肖之罪，而君有失厚之累，於為君擇無所取。國有封疆，猶家之有垣牆，所以合好覆惡也。室不能相和，出訟鄰家。未為通計也。怨惡未見而明棄之，未為盡厚也。

King Hui then sent a letter to Yue Yi, saying, "I am without talent and could not follow your aims, so you abandoned the state and left. That I am unworthy is clear. I dared to state my wishes but you were unwilling to listen, so I send an envoy to state my foolish intent, and I hope you will truly understand it. As the saying goes, 'The benevolent do not readily break off relations; the wise do not readily make enemies.' Your relation to the former king is known and understood throughout the world. I hoped that where I was in the wrong, you would cover for me, and did not expect you to abandon me openly. I hoped that if I erred, you would instruct me, and did not expect you to blame me openly. The people have not heard of my offense, yet you went out in secret and openly made an enemy of me in order to leave me. I surely must have some fault, but I resent that you have not shown full generosity. As the saying goes, 'A generous person does not abandon others to benefit himself; a benevolent person does not endanger himself to seek a name.' So to cover for another's wrong is generous conduct, and to rescue another's error is the principle of benevolence. If anyone in the world could cover my wrongs and rescue my errors, who but you could I look to? Now you have received generously from the former king the virtue that brought you high rank, and you lightly abandon me to please yourself; then covering wrongs and rescuing errors will be hard to get from you. Moreover, the world has the generous and the thin, so favors differ; conduct has gains and losses, so troubles are the same. Now I bear the guilt of being unworthy, while you bear the burden of lacking generosity, and for you there is nothing to choose in it. A state has its borders as a household has its walls, to keep harmony and cover over what is bad. If one cannot be at peace within the house and goes out to bring suit before the neighbors, that is not a farsighted plan. If resentment has not yet appeared and you abandon me openly, that is not full generosity.

寡人雖不肖，未如殷紂之亂也；君雖未得志，未如商容箕子之累也。然不內盡寡人，明怨於外，恐其適足以傷高義而薄於行也。非然，苟可以成君之高，明君之義，寡人雖惡名，不難受也。本以明寡人之薄，而君不得厚；揚寡人之毀，而君不得榮，是一舉而兩失也。義者不毀人以自益，況傷人以自捐乎？願君無以寡人之不肖，累往事之美。昔者，柳下季為理於魯，三絀而不去，或曰可以去矣。柳下季曰：'苟與人異，惡往而不絀乎？猶且絀也，寧故國耳。’柳下季不以絀自累，故自業不忘，不以去為心，故遠近無議，寡人之罪，國人不知，而議寡人者遍天下，諺曰：'仁不輕絕，知不簡功。’簡功棄大者，仇也；輕絕厚利者，怨也。仇而棄之，怨而累之，宜在遠者，不望之乎君。今寡人無罪，君豈怨之乎？願君捐忿和怒，追順先王，以復教寡人，寡人意君之曰："呈將快心以成而過，不顧先王以明而惡。’使寡人進不得循初，退不得變過，此君所制，唯君圖之。此寡人之愚志，敬以盡謁之。"

Though I am unworthy, I am not yet as disorderly as Zhou of Yin; though you have not obtained your wishes, you are not yet burdened as Shang Rong and Jizi were. Yet you did not give your heart to me within, and made an open enemy of me abroad. I fear this is just enough to harm lofty righteousness and thin your conduct. If it were not so, if it could achieve your loftiness and make your righteousness plain, I would not find it hard to accept even a bad name. But this would only display my thinness while you gain no generosity from it, and spread my disgrace while you gain no glory. This is one act and two losses. A righteous man does not slander others to benefit himself, much less harm others in order to damage himself. I hope you will not, because I am unworthy, burden the beauty of past events. In former times Liuxia Ji was a judge in Lu and was dismissed three times without leaving. Someone said he could leave. Liuxia Ji said, 'If I differ from others, where could I go and not be dismissed? Since I will be dismissed anyway, I would rather stay in my old state.' Liuxia Ji did not burden himself because of dismissal, so his own work was not forgotten, and he did not take leaving to heart, so there was no criticism near or far. My offense is unknown to my people, yet those who criticize me are all over the world. A proverb says, 'The benevolent do not readily break off relations; the wise do not slight merit.' To slight merit and abandon great achievement is enmity; to break off relations lightly and value private gain is resentment. Enmity and abandonment, resentment and burdening, ought to be with distant people, and I do not expect them from you. Now that I have no fault, can you really bear a grudge? I hope you will put down your anger, follow the former king, and come again to instruct me. I suppose you may say, 'I will please myself by making your fault complete, and I will ignore the former king and make plain your evil.' That would leave me unable to advance and follow my earlier course and unable to retreat and correct my mistakes. This is within your power, and I ask only that you consider it. This is my foolish intent, set out respectfully in full."

樂毅使人獻書燕王曰："臣不肖，不能奉承王命，以順左右之心，恐抵斧鉞之罪，以傷先王之明，有害足下之義，故遁逃自負，以不肖之罪，而不敢有辭說。今王數之以罪，恐侍御者不察先王之所以畜臣之理，不白乎臣之所以事先王之心，故不敢不以書對。臣聞賢聖之君，不以祿私親，功多者授之；不以官隨愛，能當者處之。故曰：'察能而授官者，成功之君也；論行而結交者，立名之士也。’臣以所學，觀先王舉措，有高世主之心，故假節於魏，以身得察於燕，先王過舉，擢之賓客之中，立之群臣之上，不謀父兄，以為亞卿，臣自以為奉令承教，可幸無罪，故受命不辭。先王命臣曰：'我有積怨深怒於齊，不量輕弱，欲以齊為事。’臣對曰：'夫齊者霸王之餘業，戰勝之遺事，閒於兵革，習於戰攻，王若欲攻之，必與天下圖之，圖之莫若往結趙，且淮北宋地，楚。魏之願也。趙若許，約楚。魏盡力，四國攻之，齊可大破也。’先王曰：'善。’臣乃受命具符節南使趙，顧反，起兵攻齊。以天下之道，先王之靈，河北之地，隨先王而舉之，齊上之兵，受命而勝之，輕卒銳兵，長驅至齊，齊王遁逃走莒，僅以身免，珠玉貨寶，車甲珍器，皆收入燕。大呂陳於元英，故鼎返於曆室，齊器設於寧臺，薊丘之植，植於汶篁。五伯以來，功業之盛，未有及先王者。先王以為快其志，以臣不捐令，故裂地而封臣，使比小國諸侯。臣聞賢聖之君，功立不廢，故著於春秋；蚤知之士；名成而不毀，故稱於後世。若先王之報怨雪醜，夷萬乘之齊，收八百年之積，及其棄群臣之日，餘令詔後嗣之義法，執政任事，循法令，順庶孽，施及萌隸，皆可以教後世。臣聞善作者不必善成，善始者不必善終。

Yue Yi sent a letter to the King of Yan, saying, "I am unworthy and could not carry out Your Majesty's commands in order to follow the wishes of those around you. I feared offending against the crime of the axe and halberd, thereby harming the former king's discernment and damaging Your Majesty's righteousness, and so I fled and shouldered the blame of being unworthy, without daring to argue. Now Your Majesty reproaches me with charges, and I fear your attendants do not understand why the former king kept me and do not know my heart in serving the former king, so I dare not fail to answer by letter. I have heard that a worthy and sage ruler does not use salaries to favor his relatives; he gives them to those whose merits are many. He does not use office to follow his affections; he places those whose abilities fit. Therefore it is said, 'One who examines ability before granting office is a ruler who succeeds; one who weighs conduct before making friends is a gentleman who makes a name.' By what I have studied, observing the former king's actions, I saw in him a mind higher than the rulers of his day, so I borrowed credentials from Wei and personally came to be examined in Yan. The former king raised me too highly, selecting me from among the guests and setting me above the ministers, without consulting his fathers and elder brothers, and made me a junior minister. I thought that by receiving orders and instruction I might with luck be without fault, so I accepted the appointment without declining. The former king ordered me, saying, 'I have an old grudge and deep anger against Qi, and without measuring my own weakness I wish to make Qi my business.' I answered, 'Qi has the remaining legacy of a hegemon and the lingering affairs of victory, is practiced in arms and skilled in war and attack. If Your Majesty wishes to attack it, you must plan together with the whole world, and nothing is better than to ally first with Zhao. Moreover, the lands north of the Huai and Song are what Chu and Wei desire. If Zhao agrees, bind Chu and Wei to exert their strength, and with four states attacking it, Qi can be badly defeated.' The former king said, 'Good.' I then accepted the order, prepared credentials and went south to Zhao, and on returning raised an army to attack Qi. By the way of the world and the power of the former king's spirit, the land north of the river rose together with the former king, and the troops on Qi's soil, receiving orders, won the battle. Light troops and sharp soldiers drove far into Qi. The King of Qi fled to Ju and barely escaped. Pearls, jade, goods and treasures, chariots, armor and rare vessels were all taken into Yan. The great bell Dalu was displayed in Yuanying, the old cauldrons returned to Lishi, the Qi vessels were set out in the Ning Terrace, and the plants of Ji Hill were planted in the bamboo fields of Wen. Since the Five Hegemons, no achievement has been as great as the former king's. The former king thought his ambition was satisfied, and because I did not abandon his orders, he divided land and enfeoffed me, making me comparable to the lords of small states. I have heard that for a worthy and sage ruler, achievements once established are not discarded, so they are recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals; a gentleman of foresight, once his name is made it is not ruined, so he is praised by later generations. As for the former king's avenging of grievance and washing away of shame, flattening Qi of ten thousand chariots and taking the accumulation of eight hundred years, when the day came that he left his ministers he left behind the laws and principles to instruct his heirs, so that those who govern and manage affairs, obey the laws, soothe the lesser sons, and extend this to the people can all be taught to later ages. I have heard that one who is good at beginning is not always good at completing, and one who is good at starting is not always good at ending.

昔伍子胥說聽於闔閭，吳為遠跡至郢，夫差不是也，賜之鴟夷，沈之江，故夫差不計先論之可以立功也，沈子胥而不悔，子胥不蚤見王之不同量也，故入江而不化。夫免身而全動，以明先王之跡，臣之上計也；離虧辱之誹，墮先王之明，臣之大恐也。臨不測之罪，以幸為利，義之所不敢出也。臣聞君子絕交無惡言，去臣無惡聲。臣雖不肖，數奉教於君子，臣恐侍御者親交之說，不察疏遠之行，故敢以書謝。"

In former times Wu Zixu's words were heard and used by Helu, and Wu's footprints reached as far as Ying. Fuchai did not think him right, gave him a leather wineskin, and sank him in the river. So Fuchai did not consider that Zixu's earlier counsel could bring achievement, and sank Zixu without regret, and Zixu did not see early that the king's capacity was different, so he entered the river and did not transform. To keep myself from disaster and preserve my achievements, to make plain the former king's deeds, is my best plan. To suffer insulting slander and ruin the former king's discernment is what I fear most. To face a crime beyond measure and treat luck as profit is what righteousness does not dare. I have heard that when a gentleman breaks off a friendship he utters no evil words, and a departing minister makes no evil sound. Though I am unworthy, I have repeatedly received instruction from gentlemen, and I fear that your attendants, who incline to what is close and bound in friendship, will not examine the conduct of the distant, so I dare to decline by letter."

齊人鄒陽客遊於梁，人或讒之於孝王，孝王怒，系而將欲殺之。鄒陽客遊，見讒自冤，乃從獄中上書，其辭曰："臣聞忠無不報，信不見疑。臣常以為然，徒虛言爾。昔者，荊軻慕燕丹之義，白虹貫日，太子畏之；衛先生為秦畫長平之計，太白蝕昂，昭王疑之。夫精變天地，而信不諭兩主，豈不哀哉？今臣盡忠竭誠，畢義願知，左右不明，卒從吏訊，為世所疑，是使荊軻衛先生復起，而燕秦不悟也，願大王熟察之。昔者，玉人獻寶，楚王誅之；李斯竭忠，胡亥極刑。是以箕子狂佯，接輿避世，恐遭此變也。願大王熟察玉人李斯之意，而後楚王胡亥之聽，無使臣為箕子接輿所嘆。

Zou Yang of Qi was a traveling guest in Liang. Someone slandered him to King Xiao, and the king was angry, had him imprisoned and was about to kill him. Zou Yang, a wandering guest slandered and feeling wronged, sent a letter from prison, which said, "I have heard that loyalty is never without reward and good faith is not doubted. I used to think this was so, but it is only empty words. In former times Jing Ke admired the righteousness of Prince Dan of Yan, and a white rainbow pierced the sun, yet the prince feared him. Master Wei planned the Changping strategy for Qin, and Venus ate into the Pleiades, yet King Zhao doubted him. Sincerity moved Heaven and Earth, but good faith could not make two rulers understand. Is this not sad? Now I have given all my loyalty and exhausted my sincerity, and spent my principles hoping to be known, but those around you are not discerning, and I end up before the prison officers for questioning and am doubted by the world. This is as if Jing Ke and Master Wei were raised again and Yan and Qin still did not awaken. I wish Your Majesty would examine this carefully. In former times the jade worker offered his treasure and the King of Chu had him executed; Li Si exhausted his loyalty and Huhai put him to the severest punishment. For this reason Jizi feigned madness and Jieyu avoided the world, fearing such calamity. I wish Your Majesty would examine closely the hearts of the jade worker and Li Si, and put behind you the credulity of the King of Chu and Huhai, so that I will not be sighed over by Jizi and Jieyu.

臣聞比干剖心，子胥鴟夷，臣始不信，乃今知之，願大王熟察之，少加憐焉。諺曰：'有白頭而新，傾蓋而故。’何則？知與不知也。昔者，樊於期逃秦之燕，籍荊軻首以奉丹之事；王奢去齊之魏，臨城自剄，以卻齊而存魏。王奢樊於期，非新於齊秦，而故於燕魏也，所以去二國，死兩君者，行合於志，而慕義無窮也。是以蘇秦不信於天下，為燕尾生，白圭戰亡六城，為魏取中山，何則？誠有以相知也。蘇秦相燕，燕人惡之於燕王，燕王按劍而怒，食之以駃騠；白圭顯於中山，中山人惡之於魏文侯，文侯投以夜光之璧。何則？兩主二臣，剖心析肝相信，豈移於畜辭哉！

I have heard that Bi Gan had his heart cut out and Zixu was wrapped in a leather sack. I did not believe it at first, but now I know it. I wish Your Majesty would examine this carefully and show a little pity. A proverb says, 'Some become new friends at white hair; some become old friends at a chance meeting of carriage canopies.' Why? It lies in knowing or not knowing. In former times Fan Yuqi fled from Qin to Yan and lent his head to Jing Ke to accomplish Prince Dan's plan. Wang She left Qi for Wei and cut his own throat at the city wall to drive back Qi and preserve Wei. Wang She and Fan Yuqi were not new friends to Qi and Qin, nor old friends to Yan and Wei, but they left the two states and died for two rulers because their conduct matched their aims and their admiration for righteousness was without end. For this reason Su Qin was not trusted by the world, yet was Yan's Weisheng; Bai Gui lost six cities in battle, yet won Zhongshan for Wei. Why? They truly had those who knew them. When Su Qin was chancellor of Yan, men of Yan spoke ill of him to the King of Yan, and the king put his hand on his sword in anger and sent him fine horse meat to eat. When Bai Gui became prominent in Zhongshan, men of Zhongshan spoke ill of him to Marquis Wen of Wei, and Marquis Wen threw him a night-shining jade disc. Why? With two rulers and two ministers who cut open their hearts and split their livers to trust one another, how could they be swayed by the words of the crowd!

故女無美惡，居宮見妒；士無賢不肖，入朝見嫉。昔司馬喜臏於宋，卒相中山；範睢拉脅折齒於魏，卒為應侯。此二人者，皆信必然之畫，捐朋黨之私，挾孤獨之交，故不能自免於嫉妒之人也。是以申屠狄蹈流之河，徐衍負石入海，不容於世，義不苟取，比周於朝，以移主上之心。故百里奚乞食於道路，繆公委之以政，甯戚飯牛車下，而桓公任之以國。此二人者，豈借官於朝，假譽於左右，然後二主用之哉！感於心，合於行，堅於膠漆，昆弟不能離，豈惑於眾口哉！

So a woman, whether beautiful or ugly, is envied once she enters the palace; a gentleman, whether worthy or not, is hated once he enters the court. In former times Sima Xi suffered the amputation of his kneecaps in Song and in the end became chancellor of Zhongshan; Fan Ju had his ribs broken and teeth knocked out in Wei and in the end became Marquis of Ying. These two men were firmly confident in their sure plans, gave up the private interests of cliques, and held to the friendship of the solitary, and so could not by themselves escape being envied. For this reason Shentu Di threw himself into the river and Xu Yan carried a stone into the sea, not tolerated by the world, unwilling in righteousness to take anything improperly, and not forming cliques in court to turn the ruler's heart. So Baili Xi begged for food on the road and Duke Mu entrusted the government to him; Ning Qi fed oxen beneath a cart and Duke Huan employed him in the affairs of state. Were these two men employed by the two rulers by relying on posts at court and borrowing the reputation of those around the ruler? Hearts that respond to each other and conduct that fits, firm as glue and lacquer, so that even brothers cannot drive a wedge between them; how could they be misled by the mouths of the crowd!

故偏聽生奸，獨任成亂。昔魯聽季孫之說逐孔子，宋信子冉之計逐墨翟。夫以孔墨之辯，而不能自免於諂諛，而二國以危。何則？眾口鑠金，積毀銷骨，是以秦用戎人由呈而霸中國，齊用越人子臧而強威宣，此二國豈拘於俗，牽於世，系奇偏之辭哉！公聽共觀，垂名當世，故意合，則胡越為兄弟，由呈子臧是也；不合，則骨肉為仇讎，朱象。管蔡是也。今人主如能用齊秦之明，後宋魯之聽，則五伯不足侔，三王易為比也。是以聖王覺悟，捐子之心，能不說于田常之賢，封比干之後，修孕婦之墓，故功業覆於天下。何則？欲善無厭也。夫晉文公親其讎，而強霸諸侯；齊桓公用其仇，而一匡天下，何則？慈仁殷勤，誠加於心，不可以虛辭借也。

Therefore listening to one side breeds treachery, and sole reliance causes disorder. In former times Lu listened to Ji Sun and drove out Confucius, and Song believed Zi Ran's plan and drove out Mo Di. With the eloquence of Confucius and Mo Di, they could not by themselves escape the flatterers, and the two states were endangered because of it. Why? The mouths of the crowd can melt gold, and accumulated slander can destroy bone. For this reason Qin used You Yu, a man of the Rong, and became hegemon over the central states, and Qi used Zi Zang, a man of Yue, and became strong under Kings Wei and Xuan. Were these two states bound by custom, burdened by the world, or tied to biased speech? They listened impartially and looked together, and made their names in their age. So when hearts agree, Hu and Yue become brothers, as with You Yu and Zi Zang; when they do not agree, flesh and blood become enemies, as with Danzhu, Xiang, Guanshu and Caishu. Now if a ruler could use the wisdom of Qi and Qin and put behind him the credulity of Song and Lu, the Five Hegemons would not be worth comparing, and the Three Kings would be easy to match. For this reason sage kings awakened, abandoned the hearts of their sons, and were not pleased with the worth of Tian Chang, enfeoffed the descendants of Bi Gan and repaired the tomb of the pregnant woman, and so their achievement covered the world. Why? They wanted to do good and were never satisfied. Duke Wen of Jin drew near to his enemy and became a strong hegemon over the lords; Duke Huan of Qi used his enemy and set the world right at one stroke. Why? Kindness and earnestness, with sincerity added to the heart, cannot be borrowed by empty words."

至夫秦用商鞅之法，東弱韓魏，立強天下，而卒車裂商君；越用大夫種之謀，擒勁吳，霸中國，卒誅其身，是以孫叔敖三去相而不悔；於陵仲子辭三公，為人灌園。今世主誠能去驕傲之心，懷可報之意，披心腹，見情素，隳肝膽，施德厚，終與之窮通，無愛於士，則桀之狗，可使吠堯；蹠之客，可使刺由。況因萬乘之權，假聖王之資乎？然則荊軻之沈七族，要離燔妻子，豈足為大王道哉！明月之珠，夜光之璧，以闇投入於道路，眾無不按劍相眄者，何則？無因至前也。幡木根柢，輪囷離奇，而為萬乘器者，以左右先為之容也。故無因而至前，雖出隨侯之珠，夜光之璧，只足以結怨而不見德。故有人先遊，則以枯木朽株，樹功而不忘，今使天下布衣窮居之士，身在貧賤，雖蒙堯舜之術，挾伊管之辯，素無根柢之容，而欲竭精神，開忠信，輔人主之治，則人主必襲按劍相眄之跡矣，是使布衣不得當枯木朽株之資也。

As for Qin, it used the laws of Shang Yang, weakened Han and Wei to the east, and at once became the strongest in the world, yet in the end Lord Shang was torn apart by chariots. Yue used the schemes of the grandee Zhong, captured mighty Wu and became hegemon over the Central States, yet in the end Zhong was put to death. Thus Sunshu Ao left the chancellorship three times without regret, and Chen Zhongzi of Yuling declined the post of one of the Three Ducal Ministers to water gardens for others. If a ruler of today could cast off a proud heart, cherish a sincere wish to be repaid in kind, open his chest and belly, show his true feelings, lay bare his liver and gall, bestow generous kindness, share good and bad fortune with his men to the end, and begrudge nothing to scholars, then even the dog of Jie could be made to bark at Yao, and the retainer of Zhi could be made to stab Xu You. How much more so for one who relies on the power of a ruler of ten thousand chariots and draws on the resources of a sage king! In that case, Jing Ke, whose seven clans were drowned for his deed, and Yao Li, who burned his own wife, are hardly worth mentioning to Your Majesty! A bright-moon pearl or a night-gleaming jade disc, if tossed in the dark before a man on the road, will make everyone grip a sword and glare sideways. Why? Because it arrived before them for no reason. A twisted tree root, coiled and strange, can become a vessel fit for a ruler of ten thousand chariots, because those around it first trimmed and adorned it. So when something arrives before a man for no reason, even if one presents the pearl of Marquis Sui or the night-gleaming disc, it only earns resentment and no gratitude. But when someone first speaks well of a man, even a withered tree or rotten stump can accomplish something and not be forgotten. Now suppose scholars in plain clothes who live in poverty, lowly and poor, were to receive the methods of Yao and Shun and hold the eloquence of Yi Yin and Guan Zhong, yet have never had the groundwork of such adornment, and wish to exhaust their spirit, open their loyalty and good faith, and assist a ruler's governance. Then the ruler will surely follow the practice of gripping the sword and glaring sideways. This deprives commoners of the chance to become even a withered tree or rotten stump.

是以聖王制世御俗，獨化於陶鈞之丘，能不牽乎卑亂之言，不惑乎眾多之口，故秦皇帝任中庶子蒙之言，以信荊軻之說，故匕首竊發。周文王校獵涇渭，載呂尚而歸，以王天下。秦信左右而弒，周用烏集而王。何則？以其能越攣拘之語，馳域外之議，獨觀於昭曠之道也。今人主沈於諂諛之辭，牽於帷牆之制，使不羇之士，與牛驥同皁，此鮑焦之所以忿於世，而不留於富貴之樂也。臣聞盛飾以朝者，不以私行義；砥礪名號者，不以利傷行。故里名勝母，而曾子不入；邑號朝歌，墨子回車。今使天下寥廓之士，籠於威重之權，脅於勢位之貴，回面汙行，以事諂諛之人，求親近於左右，則士有伏死崛穴巖藪之中耳，安有盡精神而趨闕下者哉！"書奏孝王，孝王立出之，卒為上客。

Therefore a sage king governing the world and steering its customs transforms things alone upon the potter's wheel, and is not burdened by base and chaotic words or confused by the clamor of the many. Thus the First Emperor of Qin listened to the words of the junior court attendant Meng and so believed Jing Ke's account, and the dagger struck in secret. King Wen of Zhou hunted between the Jing and Wei rivers, brought back Lu Shang in his carriage, and so became king of the world. Qin trusted those around him and was assassinated; Zhou used men gathered like crows and became king. Why? Because he could rise above cramped talk, range over discussions beyond the borders, and alone observe the bright and open Way. Now rulers sink into flattering words and are bound by the restraints of the curtained palace, so that unbridled scholars are made to share a trough with oxen and fine horses. This is why Bao Jiao hated the world and had no longing for the pleasures of wealth and rank. I have heard that one who dresses finely to attend court does not use private interests to practice righteousness, and one who hones his name does not harm his conduct for gain. Therefore when a village was named Victory over Mothers, Zengzi would not enter it; when a town was called Morning Song, Mozi turned his carriage around. Now if the broad-minded scholars of the world are overshadowed by the power of the mighty and pressed by the nobility of rank, and must turn their faces, foul their conduct, and serve flatterers to win favor with those around the ruler, then scholars will only hide away and die in caves and thickets. How could any of them exhaust their spirit and hasten to your palace gate!" When the memorial was presented to King Xiao, he released him at once, and in the end made him a guest.

管仲言齊桓公曰："夫墾田刱邑，闢田殖穀，盡地之利，則臣不若甯戚，請置以為田官。登降揖讓，進退閒習，則臣不若隰朋，請置以為大行。蚤入晏出，犯君顏色，進諫必忠，不重富貴，不避死亡，則臣不若東郭牙，請置以為諫臣。決獄折中，不誣無罪，不殺無辜，則臣不若弦寧，請置以為大理。平原廣囿，車不結軌，士不旋踵，鼓之而三軍之士，視死若歸，則臣不若王子成甫，請署以為大司馬。君如欲治國強兵，則此五子者足矣，如欲霸王，則夷吾在此。"夫管仲能知人，桓公能任賢，所以九合諸侯，一匡天下，不用兵車，管仲之功也。詩曰："濟濟多士，文王以寧。"桓公其似之矣。

Guan Zhong said to Duke Huan of Qi: "To open up fields, found towns, clear land and plant grain, and exploit the full yield of the earth, I am not the equal of Ning Qi; please appoint him Minister of Agriculture. In ascending and descending steps, bowing and yielding, advancing and withdrawing with ease, I am not the equal of Xi Peng; please appoint him Grand Herald. To enter early and leave late, to risk your displeasure, to remonstrate with sure loyalty, to hold wealth and rank lightly and not shun death, I am not the equal of Dongguo Ya; please appoint him remonstrating minister. To judge lawsuits fairly, not to frame the innocent nor kill the blameless, I am not the equal of Xian Ning; please appoint him Minister of Justice. On a level plain or broad pasture, with chariots not crossing each other's tracks and soldiers not turning back, so that at a single drumbeat the three armies face death as if going home, I am not the equal of Prince Chengfu; please appoint him Minister of War. If you wish to govern the state and strengthen the army, these five men are enough. If you wish to become hegemon or king, then Yiwu is here." Guan Zhong knew men, and Duke Huan could employ the worthy; so he gathered the lords nine times and set the whole world right at a stroke without using war chariots, which was the achievement of Guan Zhong. The Book of Songs says: "Many are the worthy gentlemen, and through them King Wen found peace." Duke Huan was probably like this.

有司請事於齊桓公，桓公曰："以告仲父。"有司又請，桓公曰："以告仲父。"若是者三。在側者曰："一則告仲父，二則告仲父，易哉為君。"桓公曰："吾未得仲父則難，已得仲父，曷為其不易也。"故王者勞於求人，佚於得賢。舜舉眾賢在位，垂衣裳，恭己無為，而天下治。湯文用伊。呂，成王用周。邵，而刑措不用，兵偃而不動，用眾賢也。桓公用管仲則小也，故至於霸，而不能以王。故孔子曰："小哉，管仲之器。"蓋善其遇桓公，惜其不能以王也。至明主則不然，所用大矣。詩曰："濟濟多士，文王以寧。"此之謂也。

When an official came to Duke Huan of Qi to ask for instructions, Duke Huan said: "Go and tell Zhongfu." The official asked again, and the duke said: "Go and tell Zhongfu." This happened three times. A man at his side said: "Once it is 'tell Zhongfu,' twice it is 'tell Zhongfu.' Being a ruler is really easy." Duke Huan said: "Before I had Zhongfu, it was hard. Now that I have him, why should it not be easy?" So a true king labors when seeking men and rests once he has found worthy ones. Shun promoted many worthy men to office, let his robes hang down, was reverent and did nothing, and the world was well governed. Tang and King Wen employed Yi Yin and Lu Shang, King Cheng employed the Duke of Zhou and Duke Shao, and punishments were set aside and weapons lay idle; this is what employing many worthy men means. Duke Huan's employment of Guan Zhong was on a smaller scale, so he reached hegemony but could not become king. Hence Confucius said: "How small was the capacity of Guan Zhong!" This probably praised him for meeting Duke Huan and lamented that he could not become king. With an enlightened ruler it is not so, for what he employs is greater. The Book of Songs says: "Many are the worthy gentlemen, and through them King Wen found peace." This is what it means.

公季成謂魏文侯曰："田子方雖賢人，然而非有土之君也，君常與之齊禮，假有賢於子方者；君又何以加之？"文侯曰："如子方者，非成所得議也。子方，仁人也。仁人也者，國之寶也；智士也者，國之器也；博通士也者，國之尊也，故國有仁人，則群臣不爭，國有智士，則無四鄰諸侯之患，國有博通之士，則入主尊固，非成之所議也。"公季成自退於郊三日請罪。

Gong Jicheng said to Marquis Wen of Wei: "Although Tian Zifang is worthy, he is not a lord with land, yet you often treat him with equal ceremony. If someone more worthy than Zifang appeared, what would you place above him?" Marquis Wen said: "A man like Zifang is beyond what Jicheng can discuss. Zifang is a man of humaneness. A humane man is the treasure of a state; a wise scholar is the instrument of a state; a broadly learned scholar is the honor of a state. So when a state has a humane man, the ministers do not quarrel; when a state has a wise scholar, there is no trouble from neighboring lords on all four sides; when a state has a broadly learned scholar, the ruler's honor is secure. This is beyond what Jicheng can discuss." Gong Jicheng withdrew to the outskirts by himself for three days and begged forgiveness.

魏文侯弟曰季成，友曰翟黃，文侯欲相之而未能決，以問李克。克對曰："君若置相，則問樂商與王孫苟端庸賢？"文侯曰："善。"以王孫苟端為不肖，翟黃進之；樂商為賢，季成進之，故相季成。故知人則哲，進賢受上賞，季成以知賢，故文侯以為相。季成，翟黃，皆近臣親屬也，以所進者賢別之，故李克之言是也。

Marquis Wen of Wei had a younger brother named Jicheng and a friend named Di Huang, and wished to appoint one of them chancellor but could not decide, so he asked Li Ke. Li Ke answered: "If you are choosing a chancellor, just ask which is worthier, Yue Shang or Wangsun Gouduan." Marquis Wen said: "Good." Wangsun Gouduan was unworthy and had been recommended by Di Huang; Yue Shang was worthy and had been recommended by Jicheng, so Jicheng was made chancellor. Thus to know men is wisdom, and to recommend the worthy earns the highest reward; because Jicheng knew the worthy, Marquis Wen made him chancellor. Jicheng and Di Huang were both close ministers and relatives, and Li Ke distinguished them by whether the men they recommended were worthy, so Li Ke's words were right.

孟嘗君問於白圭曰："魏文侯名過於桓公，而功不及五伯，何也？"白圭對曰："魏文侯師子夏，友田子方，敬段幹木，此名之所以過於桓公也。卜相則曰：'成與黃庸可？’此功之所以不及王伯也。以私愛妨公舉，在職者不堪其事，故功廢，然而名號顯榮者，三士翊之也，如相三士，則王功成，豈特霸哉！"

Lord Mengchang asked Bai Gui: "Marquis Wen of Wei had a reputation greater than Duke Huan's, yet his achievements fell short of the Five Hegemons. Why?" Bai Gui answered: "Marquis Wen took Zixia as his teacher, Tian Zifang as his friend, and respected Duangan Mu; this is why his reputation exceeded Duke Huan's. But when he divined about a chancellor and asked, 'Jicheng and Di Huang, which will do?', this is why his achievements fell short of the true kings and hegemons. Letting private affection obstruct public selection means those in office cannot bear their duties, so his accomplishments were wasted; yet his name was glorious because three scholars assisted him. If he had made those three scholars his chancellors, the achievement of a true king would have been completed. How could it have stopped at hegemony!"

晉平公問於叔尚曰："昔者齊桓公九合諸侯，一匡天下，不識其君之力乎？其臣之力乎？"叔尚對曰："管仲善制割，隰朋善削縫，賓胥無善純緣，桓公知衣而已。亦其臣之力也。"師曠侍曰："臣請譬之以五味，管仲善斷割之，隰朋善煎熬之，賓胥無善齊和之。羹以熟矣，奉而進之，而君不食，誰能強之，亦君之力也。"

Duke Ping of Jin asked Shuxiang: "In the past Duke Huan of Qi gathered the lords nine times and set the world right at a stroke. I do not know whether it was the strength of the ruler or of the ministers." Shuxiang answered: "Guan Zhong was good at cutting the cloth, Xi Peng was good at trimming and sewing, and Bin Xuwu was good at the edging; Duke Huan only knew how to put on the clothes. So it was also the ministers' strength." Shi Kuang, attending, said: "Allow me to use the five flavors as an analogy. Guan Zhong was good at slicing, Xi Peng was good at boiling, and Bin Xuwu was good at seasoning. When the soup was cooked, it was presented with both hands; but if the ruler did not eat, who could force him? That too was the ruler's strength."

昔者，齊桓公與魯莊公為柯之盟，魯大夫曹劌謂莊公曰："齊之侵魯，至於城下，城壞壓境，君不圖與？"莊公曰："嘻！寡人之生不若死。"曹劌曰："然，則君請當其君，臣請留其臣。"及會，兩君就壇，兩相相揖，曹劌手劍拔刀而進，迫桓公於壇上曰："城壞壓境，君不圖與？"管仲曰："然，則君何求？"曹劌曰："願請汶陽田。"管仲謂桓公曰："君其許之。"桓公許之，曹劌請盟，桓公遂與之盟。已盟，標劍而去。左右曰："要盟可倍，曹劌可讎，請倍盟而討曹劌。"管仲曰："要盟可負，而君不負；曹劌可讎，而君不讎，著信天下矣。"遂不倍。天下諸侯，翕然而歸之，為鄄之會，幽之盟，諸侯莫不至焉。為陽穀之會，貫澤之盟，遠國皆來，南伐強楚，以致菁茅之貫；北伐山戎，為燕開路，三存亡國，一繼絕世，尊事周室，九合諸侯，一匡天下，功次三王，為五伯長，本信起乎柯之盟也。

In the past, Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Zhuang of Lu made a covenant at Ke. Cao Gui, a grandee of Lu, said to Duke Zhuang: "Qi has invaded Lu up to the city wall, the walls are ruined and the borders are under pressure; does my lord not think about it?" Duke Zhuang said: "Alas! For me, living is worse than dying." Cao Gui said: "Then please let my lord confront their ruler, and let me hold their minister." When the meeting took place, the two rulers ascended the altar and the two chancellors bowed to each other; Cao Gui, sword in hand, drew his blade and advanced, and pressed Duke Huan on the altar, saying: "The walls are ruined and the borders are under pressure; does my lord not think about it?" Guan Zhong said: "Then what does your lord want?" Cao Gui said: "I wish to ask for the fields of Wenyang." Guan Zhong said to Duke Huan: "You had better agree." Duke Huan agreed, and Cao Gui asked to conclude the covenant, so Duke Huan made the covenant with him. After the covenant was sworn, Cao Gui put away his sword and left. Those around Duke Huan said: "A covenant made under duress may be broken, and Cao Gui may be treated as an enemy. Please break the covenant and attack Cao Gui." Guan Zhong said: "A covenant made under duress may be broken, but my lord should not break it; Cao Gui may be treated as an enemy, but my lord should not make him one. This is how you establish good faith before the world." So he did not break it. The lords of the world flocked to him, and at the meeting of Juan and the covenant of You, no lord failed to come. At the meeting of Yanggu and the covenant of Guanze, distant states all came; to the south he attacked mighty Chu and obtained the tribute of bundled sedge, to the north he attacked the Mountain Rong and opened a road for Yan, three times he preserved states that had perished and once he restored a severed line of succession, he honored the house of Zhou, gathered the lords nine times and set the world right at a stroke; his merit was second only to the Three Kings, and he became the foremost of the Five Hegemons. His good faith began from the covenant at Ke.

晉文公伐原，與大夫期五日，五日而原不降，文公令去之。軍吏曰："原不過三日，將降矣，君不待之？"君曰："得原失信，吾不為也。"原人聞之曰："有君義若此，不可不降也。"遂降，溫人聞之，亦請降。故曰："伐原而溫降。"此之謂也。於是諸侯歸之，遂侵曹伐衛，為踐土之會，溫之盟後南破強楚，尊事周室，遂成霸功，上次齊桓，本信由伐原也。

Duke Wen of Jin attacked Yuan and agreed with his grandees on a period of five days. After five days Yuan had not surrendered, and Duke Wen ordered withdrawal. A military officer said: "Yuan will surrender within three days at most; will you not wait?" The duke said: "To gain Yuan and lose good faith is something I will not do." When the people of Yuan heard this, they said: "A ruler with righteousness like this, we cannot but surrender." So they surrendered. The people of Wen heard of it and also asked to surrender. Hence it is said: "Attack Yuan and Wen surrenders." This is what it means. Then the lords came over to him, and he invaded Cao and attacked Wei, held the meeting at Jiantu and the covenant at Wen, later broke mighty Chu to the south and honored the house of Zhou, and finally achieved hegemony, ranking above and alongside Duke Huan of Qi. His good faith came from the attack on Yuan.

昔者，趙之中牟叛，趙襄子率師伐之，圍未合而城自壞者十堵，襄子擊金而退。士軍吏曰："君誅中牟之罪，而城自壞，是天助也，君曷為去之？"襄子曰："吾聞之於叔尚曰：'君子不乘人於利，不迫人於險。’使之城而後攻。"中牟聞其義，乃請降。詩曰："王猶允塞，徐方既來。"此之謂也。襄子遂滅知氏，幷代為天下強，本由伐中牟也。

In the past, Zhongmou of Zhao rebelled, and Zhao Xiangzi led an army to attack it. Before the encirclement was even closed, ten sections of the city wall collapsed by themselves, and Xiangzi sounded the gong to withdraw the troops. The soldiers and officers said: "You are punishing the crime of Zhongmou and the city wall collapses of itself; this is Heaven's help. Why does my lord leave?" Xiangzi said: "I heard from Shuxiang: 'A gentleman does not deceive others when it benefits him, and does not press them when they are in danger.' Let them repair the wall and then we will attack." When Zhongmou heard of his righteousness, it asked to surrender. The Book of Songs says: "The king's plans are sincere and solid, and the land of Xu has already come to submit." This is what it means. In the end Xiangzi destroyed the Zhi clan and annexed Dai, becoming one of the strongest in the world, which began with the attack on Zhongmou.

楚莊王伐鄭，克之。鄭伯肉袒，左執茅旌，右執鸞刀，以迎莊王。曰："寡人無良邊陲之臣，以幹天下之禍。是以使君王昧焉，辱到弊邑，君如憐此喪人，錫之不毛之地，唯君王之命。"莊王曰："君之不令臣交易為言，是以使寡人得見君王之玉面也，而微至乎此！"莊王親自手旌，左右麾軍，還舍七里。將軍子重進諫曰："夫南郢之與鄭相去數千裡，諸大夫死者數人，斯役死者數百人，今克而不有，無乃失民力乎？"莊王曰："吾聞之，古者盂不穿，皮不蠹，不出四方，以是君子重禮而賤利也，要其人不要其土，人告徙而不赦，不祥也，吾以不祥立乎天下，菑之及吾身，何日之有矣。"

King Zhuang of Chu attacked Zheng and took the city. The Earl of Zheng, bare to the waist, held a sedge banner in his left hand and a bell-hung knife in his right, and came to meet King Zhuang. He said: "I had no good ministers on my borders, and so I offended Heaven and brought down disaster. Because of this Your Majesty has not spared the toil and has condescended to visit my humble city. If you take pity on this man who has lost his state, grant him barren land where nothing grows, and I will obey only your command." King Zhuang said: "The bad ministers of yours spoke in turn, and so I was able to see the jade face of Your Lordship, and it has come to this by slight degrees!" King Zhuang himself took the banner in hand, directed the army left and right, and withdrew seven li to make camp. General Zizhong remonstrated: "Nanying is several thousand li from Zheng; several grandees have died, hundreds of menials have died, and now that we have taken it you do not keep it. I fear we will lose the people's strength." King Zhuang said: "I have heard that in ancient times bowls were not worn through and leather was not eaten by moths, and rulers did not go beyond the four quarters; so the gentleman values ritual and makes light of profit, and wants a man but not his land. If a man has already pleaded for transfer and I do not pardon him, it is ill-omened. If I stand before the world on an ill omen, how many days until disaster falls on me?"

既而晉人之救鄭者至，請戰，莊王許之，將軍子重進諫曰："晉，強國也，道近力新，楚師疲勢，君請勿許。"莊王曰："不可。強者我避之，弱者我威之，是寡人無以立乎天下也。"遂還師以逐晉寇，莊王援枹而鼓之，晉師大敗，晉人來渡河而南，及敗，奔走欲渡而北，卒爭舟，而以刃擊引，舟中之指可掬也，莊王曰："嘻，吾兩君之不能相也，百姓何罪。"乃退師，以軼晉寇。詩曰："柔亦不茹，剛亦不吐。不侮鰥寡，不畏強禦。"莊王之謂也。

Soon the men of Jin who had come to rescue Zheng arrived and asked for battle, and King Zhuang agreed. General Zizhong remonstrated: "Jin is a strong state, the road was short and its troops are fresh, while the Chu army is exhausted; my lord, please do not agree." King Zhuang said: "No. If I avoid the strong and overawe the weak, then I will have nothing left to stand on before the world." So he turned the army about and pursued the Jin invaders, and King Zhuang himself took up the drumstick and beat the drum, and the Jin army was utterly defeated. When the men of Jin came they had crossed the river southward; when they were routed they fled, wishing to cross northward, and the soldiers fought for boats and chopped off the hands clinging to the gunwales, until the fingers inside the boats could be scooped up by the handful. King Zhuang said: "Alas, the rulers of our two states could not yield to each other; what crime have the common people committed?" So he withdrew his army and let the Jin invaders go. The Book of Songs says: "The soft he does not swallow, the hard he does not spit out. He does not bully the widowed and lonely, nor fear the strong and mighty." This speaks of King Zhuang.

晉人伐楚，三舍不止。大夫曰："請擊之。"莊王曰："先君之時，晉不伐楚，及孤之身，而晉伐楚，是寡人之過也。如何其辱諸大夫也？"大夫曰："先君之時，晉不伐楚，及臣之身，而晉伐楚，是臣之罪也。請擊之。"莊王俛泣而起，拜諸大夫。晉人聞之曰："君臣爭以過為在己，且君下其臣猶如此，所謂上下一心，三軍同力，未可攻也。"乃夜還師。孔子聞之曰："楚莊王霸其有方矣。下士以一言而敵還，以安社稷，其霸不亦宜乎？"詩曰："柔遠能邇，以定我王。"此之謂也。

The men of Jin attacked Chu and withdrew three days' march, yet did not stop. A grandee said: "Please attack." King Zhuang said: "In the time of our former lord, Jin did not attack Chu; now that it has come to me, Jin attacks Chu. This is my fault. How can I bring shame on you, grandees?" The grandee said: "In the time of our former lord, Jin did not attack Chu; now that it has come to me, Jin attacks Chu. This is my crime. Please attack." King Zhuang lowered his head, wept, rose, and bowed to the grandees. When the men of Jin heard of it, they said: "Ruler and ministers vie to take the fault upon themselves, and moreover the ruler humbles himself before his ministers like this; this is what is called high and low being of one mind and the three armies of one strength. We cannot attack." So they withdrew their army by night. When Confucius heard of it, he said: "King Zhuang of Chu's hegemony had a method. With a single phrase he humbled himself before his men and the enemy withdrew, which secured the altars of the state; was it not fitting that he became hegemon?" The Book of Songs says: "Soothe those afar and befriend those near, to keep our king secure." This is what it means.

晉文公將伐鄴，趙衰言所以勝鄴，文公用之而勝鄴，將賞趙衰。趙衰曰："君將賞其末乎？賞其本乎？賞其末則騎乘者存；賞其本則臣聞之郄虎。"公召郄虎曰："衰言所以勝鄴，遂勝，將賞之。曰：'蓋聞之子，子當賞郄虎。’"對曰："言之易，行之難，臣言之者也。"公曰："子無辭。"郄虎不敢固辭，乃受賞。

Duke Wen of Jin was about to attack Ye. Zhao Cui explained the method for defeating Ye; the duke used it and defeated Ye, and was about to reward Zhao Cui. Zhao Cui said: "Will you reward the branch tips, or the root? If you reward the branch tips, then the men who ride horses and chariots are there; if you reward the root, then I heard it from Xi Hu." Duke Wen summoned Xi Hu and said: "Zhao Cui explained the method for defeating Ye, and so we won, and I was about to reward him. He said: 'I probably heard it from you, and you should receive the reward.'" Xi Hu answered: "Speaking is easy, foreseeing is hard. I am only the one who spoke." Duke Wen said: "Do not decline." Xi Hu did not dare refuse firmly, and accepted the reward.

梁大夫有宋就者，嘗為邊縣令，與楚鄰界。梁之邊亭，與楚之邊亭，皆種瓜，各有數。梁之邊亭人，劬力數灌其瓜，瓜美。楚人窳而稀灌其瓜，瓜惡。楚令因以梁瓜之美，怒其亭瓜之惡也。楚亭人心惡梁亭之賢己，因往夜竊搔梁亭之瓜，皆有死焦者矣。梁亭覺之，因請其尉，亦欲竊往報搔楚亭之瓜，尉以請宋就。就曰："惡是何可構怨禍之道也，人惡亦惡，何偏之甚也。若我教子必每暮令人往竊為楚亭夜善灌其瓜，勿令知也。"於是梁亭乃每暮夜竊灌楚亭之瓜，楚亭旦而行瓜，則又皆以灌矣，瓜日以美，楚亭怪而察之，則乃梁亭之為也。楚令聞之大悅，因具以聞楚王，楚王聞之，惄然愧以意自閔也，告吏曰："微搔瓜者，得無有他罪乎？此梁之陰讓也。"乃謝以重幣，而請交於梁王，楚王時則稱說，梁王以為信，故梁楚之歡，由宋就始。語曰："轉敗而為功，因禍而為福。"老子曰："報怨以德。"此之謂也。夫人既不善，胡足效哉！

Among the grandees of Liang there was one named Song Jiu, who once served as magistrate of a border county adjoining Chu. The border post of Liang and the border post of Chu both planted melons, each with its fixed quota. The men of the Liang post worked hard and watered their melons often, so their melons were fine. The men of Chu were lazy and rarely watered, so their melons were poor. The Chu magistrate was angry that the Liang melons were fine and the post's melons were poor. The men of the Chu post, resenting that the Liang post surpassed them, secretly went at night and scratched up the Liang melons, so that they all withered and died. The Liang post noticed this and asked the commandant, wishing also to secretly retaliate by scratching up the Chu melons. The commandant took the matter to Song Jiu. Song Jiu said: "How could we do that? That is the road to enmity and disaster. If others do wrong and I do wrong too, how narrow that would be. If you will follow my instruction, send someone each evening to secretly water the Chu post's melons well at night, and do not let them know." So every night the Liang post secretly watered the Chu melons, and when the Chu post inspected the melon field in the morning, it had already been watered, and the melons grew finer day by day. The men of the Chu post were puzzled and investigated, and found it was the Liang post's doing. The Chu magistrate was greatly pleased when he heard, and reported everything to the King of Chu. Hearing it, the King of Chu was troubled and ashamed, felt pity for himself, and told his officials: "Those who secretly scratched the melons, surely they must have other faults too? This is Liang's secret humility." So he apologized with heavy gifts and asked to form ties with the King of Liang. The King of Chu often spoke of it, and the King of Liang believed him, so the friendship between Liang and Chu began with Song Jiu. The common saying goes: "Turn defeat into success, and make disaster into fortune." Laodan said: "Repay resentment with virtue." This is what it means. If others are already not good, how is it worth imitating them!

梁嘗有疑獄，群臣半以為當罪，半以為無罪，雖梁王亦疑。梁王曰："陶之朱公，以布衣富侔國，是必有奇智。"乃召朱公而問曰："梁有疑獄，獄吏半以為罪，半以為不當罪，雖寡人亦疑，吾子決是奈何？"朱公曰："臣鄙民也，不知當獄，雖然，臣之家有二白璧，其色相如也，其徑相如也，其澤相如也。然其價一者千金，一者五百金。"王曰："徑上色澤相如也，一者千金。一者五百金，何也？"朱公曰："側而視之，一者厚倍，是以千金。"梁王曰："善。"故獄疑則從去，賞疑則從與，梁國大悅。由此觀之，牆薄則前壞，繒薄則前裂，器薄則前毀，酒薄則前酸。夫薄而可以曠日持久者，殆未有也。故有國畜民施政教者，宜厚之而可耳。

Liang once had a doubtful case, in which half the ministers thought the man should be convicted and half thought he was innocent, and even the King of Liang was unsure. The King of Liang said: "Lord Zhu of Tao became as rich as a state from the status of a commoner; he must have extraordinary wisdom." So he summoned Lord Zhu and asked: "Liang has a doubtful case. Half the prison officials think the man is guilty and half think he should not be convicted, and even I am in doubt. How would you decide this matter?" Lord Zhu said: "I am an ignorant commoner and do not know how to judge cases. Even so, in my house I have two white jade discs, alike in color, alike in diameter, alike in luster. Yet one is priced at a thousand in gold and the other at five hundred." The king said: "They are alike in diameter, top color and luster, yet one is a thousand in gold and the other five hundred; why?" Lord Zhu said: "Seen from the side, one is twice as thick, so it is worth a thousand in gold." The King of Liang said: "Good." So in doubtful cases, punishment was lightened, and in doubtful cases of reward, it was granted generously, and the state of Liang was greatly pleased. From this we see that a thin wall collapses first, thin silk tears first, thin vessels break first, and thin wine turns sour first. Anything thin that lasts for a long time is probably unknown. So those who hold a state, nurture the people and carry out governance and teaching should be generous.