University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER II

HOLD FAST THE PLOUGH

a. The Lord Grand Secretary: The true King should stopper
Nature's wealth,[1] restrict and regulate tax-barriers and markets;
in his hand lies the power of adjusting the balance of trade and
in his keeping is the right utilization of the seasons; for through
his control of the ratio of production[2] he can curb the people.
In years of abundance with harvest tall, he stores and bins to
provide for times of scarcity and want; in evil years of dearth he
circulates moneys and goods and tempers the flow of surplus to
meet[3] the deficiency. In ancient days during the flood of Yü and
the drought of T'ang, when the masses of the people, at the end
of their resources, were forced to borrow from one another in order
to obtain the prime necessities of life, food and clothing, Yü coined
money for the people out of the metal of Li Shan, and T'ang out
of the copper of Yen Shan, and the world praised their benevolence.[4]
Some time ago, on account of financial difficulties, our fighting
forces occasionally could not get their pay. Recently[5] due to natural
calamities East of the Mountains, Ch'i and Chao[6] suffered from a

major famine.[7] It was entirely due to the stores accumulated through
the system of equable marketing and the hoard in public granaries
that the troops were provided for and the distressed people succored.
Thus the goods of equable marketing and the capital of the
Treasury are not for the purpose of exploiting the people or solely
for military uses, but also for the relief of the needy and as a
recourse against flood and drought.

b. The Literati: The rulers of antiquity taxed the people but a
tithe, while they kept open the ponds and weirs according to season
without restrictions, so that all the Black Haired People spread
themselves in the southern fields[8] never neglecting their occupations.
Thus three years' farming would yield a store of one year's surplus;
nine years' farming would yield a store of three years' surplus.[9]
This is how Yü and T'ang prepared against flood and drought and
made the people content. But if the grass and weeds be not cleared
and the fields not regularly cultivated, there would be no sufficiency
even though a monopoly over the wealth of the mountains and
seas be effected and a hundred sorts of profit[10] be developed. Hence
the ancients honored manual labor and attended to the fundamental
industry, so that they sowed and planted in abundance, everyone
worked on the land according to season, and food and clothing
were always sufficient. People did not suffer even in the face of
several bad years. Agriculture should be the fundamental occupation
of men, clothes and food being of primary necessity to the people.
With both of these attended to, the country will be rich and the
people at peace. In the words of the Book of Poetry: Those hundred
houses being full, the wives and children have a feeling of repose.[11]

c. The Lord Grand Secretary: The worthies and the sages did

not found their families by means of one room,[12] nor did they
enrich the state through one way. Thus Kuan Chung[13] won the
Protectorate through the shrewd use of his power, while the Fan[14]
clan perished because of its strength and size. If one must resort
to agriculture alone to make a living and found a family, then
Shun[15] would not have had to make pottery and I Yin[16] would not
have had to be a cook. Hence, the Empire Builder acts according
to the principle: I honor what the whole world despises and value
what the whole world slights.[17] He would exchange the non-essential
for the fundamental and secure the substantial with his own emptiness.
Now the treasures of the mountains and marshes and the
reserves of the equable marketing system are means of holding
the balance of natural wealth and controlling the principalities.
Ju Han gold[18] and other insignificant articles of tribute are means
of inveigling foreign countries and snaring the treasures of the
Ch'iang and the Hu.[19] Thus, a piece of Chinese plain silk can be
exchanged with the Hsiung Nu for articles worth several pieces of
gold and thereby reduce the resources of our enemy. Mules, donkeys
and camels enter the frontier in unbroken lines; horses, dapples
and bays and prancing mounts,[20] come into our possession. The
furs of sables, marmots, foxes and badgers, colored rugs and decorated
carpets[21] fill the Imperial treasury, while jade and auspicious stones,
corals and crystals, become national treasures. That is to say, foreign
products keep flowing in, while our wealth is not dissipated. Novelties
flowing in, the government has plenty. National wealth not being
dispersed abroad, the people enjoy abundance. So the Book of Poetry
describes it: Those hundred houses being full, the wives and children
have a feeling of repose.

d. The Literati: In ancient times merchants circulated goods
without premeditation, artisans got their price[22] without cheating.
Therefore when the true gentleman farmed, hunted or fished he
was in reality doing but one thing. Trade promotes dishonesty.
Artisans provoke disputes.[23] They lie in wait for their chance without
a scruple. Thus avaricious men become cheats and honest men
avaricious. In the olden time when Chieh filled the palace halls
with singing girls in embroidered clothes, I Yin withdrew himself
and went to Pao,[24] while the singing girls finally ruined his state.
Now mules and donkeys are not as useful as cattle and horses.
Sable and marmot furs, wool and felt goods do not add substance
to silk. Beautiful jades and corals come from mount K'un.[25] Pearls
and ivory[26] are produced in Kuei Lin.[27] These places are more than
ten thousand li distant from Han.[28] Calculating the labor for farming
and silk raising and the costs in material and capital, it will be
found that one article of foreign import costs a price one hundred

times its value, and for one handful, ten thousand weight of grain
are paid. As the rulers take delight in novelties, extravagant clothing
is adopted among the masses. As the rulers treasure the goods from
distant lands, wealth flows outward. Therefore, a true King does
not value useless things, so to set an example of thrift to his subjects;
does not love exotic articles, so to enrich his country. Thus
the principle of administering the people lies only in carefulness in
expenditure,[29] in honoring the primary occupation, and in distribution
of land according to the "well tithe".[30]

e. The Lord Grand Secretary: From the capital,[31] east, west,
north and south, across the mountains and rivers, and throughout
the provinces and the demesnes, you will find that none of the
prosperous, rich and great municipalities has not streets extending
in all directions, where the merchants gather and all commodities
are exposed. Thus, the Sage utilizes nature's seasons and the Wise
utilizes the wealth of the land. Superior men acquire through others.
The mediocre burden their own bodies. Thus Chang Chü and Chieh
Ni[32] never accumulated even a hundred pieces of gold, and the
followers of Chih and Ch'iao[33] never possessed the wealth of I-Tun.[34]
But the merchants of Yuan, Chou, Ch'i and Lu[35] spread all over

the world. These merchants doubtless amass[36] fortunes of ten thousands
of pieces of gold by going after profit and utilizing the surplus.
Why then must one encourage simple agriculture in order to enrich
the country, and observe the "well-tithe" to provide for the people?

f. The Literati: When the great flood threatened Heaven,[37] we had
the achievement of Yü.[38] When the River broke loose, we had the
building of the Hsüan Fang.[39] When Chou of Shang[40] raged in
tyranny, we had the plan at the ford of Mêng.[41] When the world
is in disturbance, we have speculative fortunes. In remote antiquity
when perfect order prevailed, the people were simple and held to
the fundamental; peaceful and happy their wants were few. At that
time, few travellers were seen on the roads and grass grew in the
markets. If farmers do not work hard, there will be nothing to fill
the empty stomach; if weavers do not work hard, there will be
nothing to cover our bodies; and in spite of the needs of a great
congregation of people, there would be no chance for a potter's
family to exercise their craft.[42] For from ancient times till now,
there has never been reward without contribution or achievement
without effort.