When Ts`ui Chu of Ch`i assassinated Duke Chuang,[2]
Ching
K`uai-jui[3]
was on a mission to Chin. As he returned, [his driver
said, "Ts`ui Chu has assassinated Duke Chuang. What shall you
do?"
Ching K`uai-jui said, "Drive quickly. I am going to enter
(the capital) and die so as to repay my prince."][4]
His driver said, "None of the neighboring feudal lords in every
direction but has heard of the lack of principle on the part of our
ruler. Is it not a difficult thing to expect you, Master, to die
for him?"
Ching K`uai-jui said, "Well said![5]
[But it comes too late.]
Had you spoken earlier, I might have remonstrated. Then if he
failed to make use of my remonstrance, I would have been able to
leave. But now since I did not remonstrate and did not leave—
as I have heard, `You eat his food and you die for his cause.'
Since I have eaten the food of a bad prince,[6]
how am I to get a
good prince[7]
to die for?" And making haste in his chariot he
entered [the capital] and died.[8]
The driver said, "If a man with a bad prince[6]
must still die
for him, can I, who had a good master,[9]
do anything but die?"
And tying the reins, he cut his throat in the chariot.
On hearing of this the superior man says, "It can be said of
Ching K`uai-jui that he preserved his virtue and died for his
principles (i). The driver, however, had no reason to die. It was
like encountering poison in eating or drinking.[10]
The Ode says,[11]
Never idle, day or night,
In the service of the One man.
This could be said of Master Ching. The
I [
ching] says,
[12]
`One
who does not continuously maintain his virtue. There are those
who will impute this to him as a disgrace.' This could be said of
the driver."