Annotations to Canon II:—
When Duke Huan of Ch`i was going to make Kuan Chung
Uncle Chung, he ordered the officials to the effect that as
His Highness was going to make Chung Kuan Uncle Chung,
those in favour of the measure, after entering the gate, keep
to the left, and those against it, after entering the gate, keep
to the right. Tung-kou Ya kept standing in the centre of
the gate. Thereupon Duke Huan asked: "I am making
Kuan Chung Uncle Chung and have ordered those in favour
of the measure to keep to the left and those against it to
keep to the right. Now why do you keep standing in the centre
of the gate?" "Does Your Highness regard the wisdom of
Kuan Chung as able
[12]
to devise schemes for coping with Allunder-Heaven?"
asked Ya in return. "Certainly able,"
replied the Duke. "Does Your Highness think his decisions
daring to carry out great plans?" "Certainly daring." "If
his wisdom
[13]
is able to scheme for All-under-Heaven and
his decisions dare to carry out any great plan wherefore
Your Highness trusts him with the grips of the state, then how
can the Ch`i State, as governed by Kuan Chung with his own
wisdom and the advantage of Your Highness's position, be
without danger?" "Right," said the Duke, and, accordingly,
ordered Hsi P`êng to administer home affairs and Kuan Chung
to administer foreign affairs so as to make them watch each
other.
When Duke Wên went out into exile, Ch`i Chêng carried
bowls of food along and followed him. One day he lost his
way and went astray from the Duke. Hungry, he wept by the
road. Sleeping off his starvation, he dared not eat the food.
After Duke Wên returned to his country, raised an army to
attack Yüan, vanquished it, and took it, Duke Wên said:
"Who could easily endure the hardship of hunger and would
by all means keep the bowls of food perfect, is certainly not
going to rebel in Yüan." So saying he raised Chêng and
appointed him Governor of Yüan. Hearing about this, High
Officer Hun Hsien disapproved the policy and said: "Is it
not tactless to expect Chêng not to rebel in Yüan because he
did not touch the bowls of food? Thus the enlightened
sovereign would not count on people's non-violation of him,
but on his own inviolability by them; not on people's nondeception
of him, but on his own undeceivability by them."
Yang Hu, in discussing the attitude of minister towards
ruler said: "If the sovereign is worthy and enlightened,
then exert all your mental energy to serve him; if he is unworthy,
then devise crooked artifices to test him." Banished
by Lu and suspected by Ch`i, he came to Chao, where Lord
Chien of Chao welcomed him and appointed him premier.
With wonder the attendants asked: "Hu is skilful in usurping
the reins of government from the ruler. Why did Your
Highness make him premier?" In reply Lord Chien said:
"Yang Hu strives to usurp the power. I strive to maintain
the power." So saying, he held right tact in hand and thereby
controlled him. As a result, Yang Hu dared not do any
wrong, but served Lord Chien well and promoted the strength
of the Lord till he nearly became Hegemonic Ruler.
Duke Ai of Lu once asked Confucius: "I have heard that
there was a one-legged[14]
creature called Kuei. Was it really
one-legged?" "No," replied Confucius, "Kuei was not
one-legged. Kuei was irritable and ill-tempered. Most
people did not like him. However, he was not hurt by
anybody because of his faithfulness. Therefore, people used
to say, `Only one good quality like this is sufficient'. Thus,
Kuei was not a one-legged creature, but his only one good
point was sufficient." "Certainly, if he possessed such a
good quality, that was sufficient," said Duke Ai.
According to a different source: Duke Ai asked Confucius,
"I have heard that Kuei was one-legged. Was it true?"
In reply Confucius said: "Kuei was a man. Why was he
one-legged? He was not different from anybody else except
in his proficiency in music. Therefore, Yao said, `Kuei
has one talent and that is sufficient,' and made him Master of
Music. Thenceforth, gentlemen would say, `Kuei has one
sufficiency.' He was not one-legged."
