University of Virginia Library

Chapter XXIII

COLLECTED PERSUASIONS, THE LOWER SERIES[1]

Pai-lo[2] once taught two men how to select horses that
kick habitually. Later, he went with them to Viscount
Chien's stable to inspect the horses. One of the men pulled
out a kicking horse. The other man[3] went near behind the
horse and patted its flank three times, but the horse never
kicked.[4] Therefore, the man who had pulled out the horse[5]
thought he had been wrong in the way of selection. Yet the
other man said: "You were not wrong in the way of
selection. The shoulders of this horse are short but its laps
are swollen. The horse that kicks habitually has to raise
the hindlegs and lay its whole weight upon the forelegs.
Yet swollen laps are not dependable. So the hind legs cannot
be raised. You were skilful in selecting kicking horses
but not in observing[6] the swollen laps." Verily, everything
has the supporter of its weight. However, that the forelegs
have swollen laps and therefore cannot support its whole
weight, is known only by intelligent men. Hui Tzŭ said:

"Suppose the monkey was put into a cage, it would turn
as clumsy as the pig." For the same reason, as long as
the position is not convenient, nobody can exert his ability.

Viscount Wên, a general of the Wei State, once called
on Tsêng Tsŭ. Tsêng Tzŭ did not stand up but asked him
to take a seat while he set himself on a seat of honour.[7]
Later, Viscount Wên said to his coachman: "Tsêng Tzŭ
is rustic. If he thinks I am a gentleman, why should he
pay me no respect? If he thinks I am a rascal, why should
he offend a rascal? That Tsêng Tzŭ has never been
humiliated is good luck."

A kind of bird called "little cuckoo" has a heavy head
and a curved tail. On drinking water from the river, it is
bound to be overturned. Therefore, another bird has to
hold its feather upward and let it drink. Similarly, men
who fall short of drinking ought to find support for their
own feather.[8]

Eels are like snakes, silkworms like caterpillars. Men are
frightened at the sight of snakes and shocked at the sight of
caterpillars. However, fishermen would hold eels in hand
and women would pick up silkworms. Thus, where there
is profit, there everyone turns as brave as Mêng Pên and
Chuan Chu.

Pai-lo taught men whom he disliked how to select swift
race-horses and taught men whom he liked how to select
inferior horses, because swift race-horses being few and far
between would yield slow profits while inferior horses being
sold every day would bring about quick profits. That swift

race-horses yield profits is as casual[9] as the use of vulgar
words in a refined style mentioned in the Book of Chou.

Huan[10] Hê said: "The first step of sculpture is to make
the nose large and the eyes small. Because the nose, if too
large, can be made small, but, if too small, cannot be
enlarged; and the eyes, if too small, can be enlarged, but,
if too large, cannot be made small. The same is true with
the beginning of any enterprise. If made recoverable at
any time, it seldom fails.

Marquis Ch`ung and Wu-lai knew that they would not
be chastised by Chow but never foresaw that King Wu would
destroy them. Pi-kan and Tzŭ-hsü knew that their masters
would go to ruin but never knew the impending death of
themselves. Hence the saying: "Marquis Ch`ung and
Wu-lai knew the mind of their master but not the course of
events while Pi-kan and Tzŭ-hsü knew the course of events
but not the minds of their masters. The saintly man knowing
both is always secure."

The Prime Minister of Sung was powerful and in charge
of all important decisions. When Chi Tzŭ was about to
visit the Ruler of Sung, Liang Tzŭ heard about it and said
to him: "During the interview, are you sure the Prime
Minister will be present? Otherwise, you might not be
able to evade disasters." Chi Tzŭ, accordingly, persuaded
the Ruler of the need of taking care of his health[11] and
leaving the state affairs in the hands of able vassals.

Yang Chu's younger brother, Yang Pu, once wore white
clothes and went out. As it started raining, he took off

the white clothes and put on black ones. Upon his return,
his dog, unable to recognize him, barked at him. Yang
Pu became very angry and was about to beat it, when Yang
Chu said: "Don't beat the dog. You will do the same,
too. Supposing the dog went out white and came back
black, wouldn't you feel strange?"

Hui Tzŭ said: "If Hou Yi put the thimble[12] on his right
thumb, held the middle of the edge with his left hand, drew
the bow, and then released the string, then even men of
Yüeh would contentiously go to hold the target for him.
But when a small child draws the bow, then even the
compassionate mother will run into the house and shut
the door." Hence the saying: "If certain of no miss, even
men of Yüeh would not doubt Hou Yi. If not certain of
no miss, even the compassionate mother will escape her
small child."

Duke Huan of Ch`i once asked Kuan Chung if there
was any limit of wealth. In reply Kuan Chung said: "Where
there is no more water, there is the limit of water. Where
there is content with wealth, there lies the limit of wealth.
If one cannot stop with his content, it is because he forgets[13]
the limit of wealth."

In Sung there was a rich merchant named Chien Chih
Tzŭ. Once, when he was competing with other people for
buying an uncut jade quoted at one hundred taels of gold,
he pretended to drop it and thereby break it by mistake.
As a result, he had to pay one hundred taels of gold for the
damage. Then he repaired the breakage and sold it for
twenty thousand taels.[14] Thus, affairs are started and are

sometimes ruined. People must have considered it wise
not to have started the competition at the moment when
the merchant had to pay the damages.

Once there was a man who owing to his skilfulness in
driving wanted to see the King of Ching. All coachmen
became jealous of him. Therefore, he said, "Thy servant
when driving can catch deer." So he was granted an audience.
When the King himself drove, he could not catch any deer.
Then the man drove and caught them. The King praised
his driving, when he told the King about the coachmen's
jealousy of him.

When Ching ordered Kung-sun Ch`ao[15] to lead the
expeditionary forces against Ch`ên, his father-in-law saw
him off, saying, "Chin is strong. Be sure to take precautions
against their reinforcements." "Why should Father
worry?" said Kung-sun Ch`ao. "I will rout the Chins
on your behalf." "All right," said his father-in-law. "Then
I will build a hut outside the south gate of the capital of
Ch`ên and wait there for mournful news." "Why do you
say that?" asked Ch`ao. "I have to laugh," replied the old
man, "at the thought that if it is so easy to scheme for the
ruin of enemies as you suppose, why should Kou-chien alone
have to endure ten years' hardships in secret and solitude?"

Yao transferred the rule over All-under-Heaven to Hsü
Yu. But Hsü Yu ran away. When he stayed in a farmer's
house, the farmer put his fur hat out of the guest's sight.
Indeed, the farmer put his hat out of the sight of Hsü Yu
who had even declined the rule over All-under-Heaven
because he never knew of Hsü Yu.

Once three lice were biting a pig and disputing with one
another. Another louse, passing by them, asked, "What
are you disputing about?" "We are fighting for fat places,"
replied the three lice. "If you fellows do not worry about
the arrival of the mid-winter festival and the burning of the
miscanthus, what else should you worry about?" So
saying, the last louse joined the three in biting the body of
the pig and ate as much as they wanted. In the meantime,
the pig became very thin, wherefore people did not kill it
at the time of the festival.

There is a kind of worm called "tapeworm", which has
two mouths. Once they quarrelled for food and bit each
other, till they killed each other. All ministers who quarrel
about public affairs and thereby ruin the state, are all like
tapeworms.

If buildings are painted white and furniture cleansed with
water, then there is cleanliness. The same is true of human
conduct and personality. If there is left no room for further
painting and cleansing, then faults must be few.

When Prince Chiu was about to cause a rebellion, Duke
Huan of Ch`i sent spies to watch him. They came back with
the report that Prince Chiu, inasmuch as he never rejoiced
when laughing and never saw when looking at a thing, would
certainly cause a rebellion. Hearing this, Duke Huan made
the Lus kill him.

Kung-sun Hung bobbed his hair and became a cavalier of
the King of Yüeh. To sever his relationship with him,
Kung-sun Hsi sent someone to tell him, "I and you will
no longer be brothers." In reply Kung-sun Hung said:
"I have my hair cut off. You might have your neck cut
off while serving in the army under somebody else. What

do I have to say to you then?" True, in the battle south
of Chou, Kung-sun Hsi was killed.

A man who lived next-door to a rascal thought of selling
off his estate and thereby keeping away from him. Thereupon
someone said to him, "His string of wickedness will soon
be full. Better wait for a while." "I am afraid he is going
to do something against me for filling his measure of wickedness,"
was the reply. So saying, the man left for elsewhere.
Hence the saying: "No hesitation on the verge of danger."

Confucius once asked his disciples, "Who can tell me
the way Tzŭ-hsi made his name?" "Tz`ŭ[16] can," replied
Tzŭ-kung, "and hopes nobody will doubt it. Tzŭ-hsi[17]
said: `Be broad-minded, never be enticed by profit, and
keep the people upright. By nature the people follow certain
constant principles, considering crookedness crooked and
straightness straight.' " "Yet Tzŭ-hsi could not evade a
disastrous end," remarked Confucius. "During the rebellion
of the Duke of White he was killed. Hence the saying:
`Who pretends to straightness in conduct, is crooked in
desire.' "

Viscount Wên of Chung-hang of Chin, while living in
exile, once passed through a county town, when his followers
said: "The squire of this place is an old acquaintance of
Your Excellency. Why does Your Excellency not stay in
his house and wait for the carriage coming from behind?"
In reply Viscount Wên said: "I used to love music, when
this man presented me with an automatic harp. When I
liked girdle ornaments, he presented me with a jade bracelet.

In this way, he aggravated my indulgences. Who ingratiated
himself with me by using such articles as presents, will
ingratiate himself with others by using me as a present
too." So saying, he left the place. Meanwhile, the man
actually retained Viscount Wên's two carriages that arrived
later and presented them to his ruler.

Chou Ts`ao once said to Kung T`a, "Will you tell the
King of Ch`i that if His Majesty helps me attain to high
office in Wey with Ch`i's influence I will in return make
Wey serve Ch`i?" "No," replied Kung T`a. "Your
request will show him your being powerless in Wey. I am
sure the King of Ch`i would not help any powerless man in
Wey and thereby incur hatred from the powerful men in
the country. Therefore, you had better say, `Whatever His
Majesty wants, thy servant will make Wey do accordingly.'
Then the King of Ch`i would think you are powerful in
Wey and support you. In this way, after you become
influential in Ch`i, you will gain influence in Wey with Ch`i's
support."[18]

Pai Kuei once said to the Premier of Sung: "As
soon as your master grows up, he will administer the state
affairs himself, and you will have nothing to do. Now
your master is young and fond of making a name. Better
make the Ching State congratulate him on his filial piety.
Then your master never will deprive you of your post and
will pay high respects to you and you will always hold high
office in Sung."

Kuan Chung and Pao Shu said to each other: "The
Ruler who is extremely outrageous, is bound to lose the

State. Among all the princes in the Ch`i State, the one worth
supporting must be Prince Hsiao-pai, if not Prince Chiu.
Let each of us serve one of them and the one who succeeds
first recommend the other." So saying, Kuan Chung served
Prince Chiu and Pao Shu served Hsiao-pai. In the meantime,
the Ruler was actually assassinated by his subjects. Hsiao-pai
entered the capital first and proclaimed himself Ruler. The
Lus arrested Kuan Chung and sent him to Ch`i. Thereupon
Pao Shu spoke to the Throne about him and made him
Prime Minister of Ch`i. Hence the proverb saying: "The
magician makes good prayers for people but cannot pray
for keeping himself away from evil spirits; Surgeon
Ch`in[19] was skilful in curing diseases but unable to treat
himself with the needle." Similarly, despite his own wisdom,
Kuan Chung had to rely on Pao Shu for help. This is
exactly the same as what a vulgar proverb says, "The slave
sells fur coats but does not buy them, the scholar praises
his eloquent speeches but does not believe in them."

The King of Ching attacked Wu. Wu sent Chü Wei
and Chüeh Yung to entertain Ching's troops with presents.
The Commander of the Ching Army said, "Arrest them
and kill them for painting the festive drum with their blood."
Then he asked, "Did you divine your fortunes before you
started coming here?" "Yes, we did." "Good luck?"
"Of course, good luck." "Now, we are going to kill you
and paint our festive drum with your blood. Why?"
"That is the reason why the omen is good," replied the
two men. "Wu sent us here to test Your Excellency.[20]
If Your Excellency is serious, they will dig deep trenches

and build high ramparts; if not, they will relax their preparations.
Now that Your Excellency kills thy servants, the
Wus will take strict precautions against your attack. Moreover,
the state's divination was not for one or two men.
Verily, if it is not called lucky to have one subject killed
and thereby preserve the whole state, what is? Again,
dead persons never feel. If so, there is no use painting the
drum with the blood of thy servants. If dead persons can
feel and know, thy servants will make the drum stop sounding
during the battle." Accordingly, the Chings did not kill
them.

Earl Chih was about to attack the Ch`ou-yu State, and
found the path too hazardous to go through. Thereupon
he cast large bells and offered to present them to the Ruler of
Ch`ou-yu. The Ruler of Ch`ou-yu, greatly pleased thereby,
thought of clearing up the path for accepting the bells.
"No," said Ch`ih-chang Wan-chi, "he is acting in the way
a small state pays respects to a big power. Now that a big
state is sending us such a present, soldiers will certainly follow
it. Do not accept it." To this counsel the Ruler of Ch`ouyu
would not listen but accepted the bells in the long run.
Therefore, Ch`ih-chang Wan-chi cut the naves of his carriage
short enough for the narrow road and drove away to the
Ch`i State. Seven months afterwards Ch`ou-yu was destroyed.

Yüeh having already vanquished Wu asked for reinforcements
from Ching in order to attack Chin. Thereupon the
Left Court Historiographer Yi Hsiang said to the King of
Ching: "Indeed, Yüeh on smashing Wu had able officers
killed, brave soldiers extinguished, and heavily-armed
warriors wounded. Now they are asking for reinforcements
from us to attack Chin and showing us that they are not

exhausted. We had better raise an army to partition Wu with
them." "Good," said the King of Ching, and, accordingly,
raised an army and pursued the Yüehs. Enraged thereby,
the King of Yüeh thought of attacking the Chings. "No,"
said the High Officer Chung. "Our able officers are
practically all gone and heavily-armed warriors wounded.
If we fight them, we will not win. Better bribe them."
Accordingly, the King ceded as bribe to Ching the land of
five hundred li on the shady side of the Dew Mountains.

Ching attacked Ch`ên. But Wu went to rescue it. There
was only thirty li between the opposing armies. After
having been rainy for ten days, the weather began to clear[21]
up at night. Thereupon the Left Court Historiographer
Yi Hsiang said to Tzŭ-ch`i: "It has been raining for ten
days. The Wus must have assembled piles of armour
and a number of troops. To-night they would come.
Better make preparations against their raid." Accordingly,
they pitched their camps.[22] Before the camps were completed,
the Wus actually arrived, but, seeing the camps of the
Chings, they withdrew. "The Wus have made a round trip
of sixty li," remarked the Left Court Historiographer.
"By this time their officers must be resting, and their soldiers
eating. If we go thirty li and attack them, we will certainly
be able to defeat them." Accordingly, they pursued them
and routed Wu's troops by long odds.

When Han and Chao were menacing each other, the
Viscount of Han asked for reinforcements from Wey, saying,
"We hope you will lend us troops to attack Chao." In
reply Marquis Wên of Wey said, "Wey and Chao are

brothers. I cannot listen to you." Likewise, when Chao
asked for reinforcements from Wey to attack Han, Marquis
Wên of Wey said, "Wey and Han are brothers. I dare not
listen to you." Receiving no reinforcements, both countries
were angry and withdrew. After they found out that Marquis
Wên had intended to patch up a peace between them, both
paid visits to the Court of Wey.

Ch`i attacked Lu and demanded the tripod made in Ch`an.
Lu sent them a forged one. "It's a forged one," said the
Ch`is. "It's a real one," said the Lus. "Then bring Yo-chêng
Tzŭ-ch`un here to look at it," said the Ch`is. "We will
listen to what he is going to say." Thereupon the Ruler of
Lu asked Yo-chêng Tzŭ-ch`un to take his side. "Why did
you not send them the real one?" asked Yo-chêng Tzŭ-ch`un.
"Because I love it," replied the Ruler. "I love my own
reputation, too," replied Yo-chêng.

When Han Chiu proclaimed himself Ruler and everything
was not as yet stabilized, his younger brother was in Chou.
The Court of Chou wanted to support him but feared the
Hans might not accept him.[23] Thereupon Ch`i-mu Hui
said: "The best is to send him back with one hundred
chariots. If the people accept him, we will say that the
chariots are precautions against emergencies. If they refuse
to accept him, we will say that we are delivering their traitor
to them."

When the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo[24]
was about to build city
walls around Hsüeh, many of his guests remonstrated

against the plan. The Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, therefore, told
the usher not to convey their messages to him. However,
there came a man from Ch`i who requested an interview,
saying, "Thy servant begs to speak only three words. If
he utters more than three words, he will be willing to be
steamed to death." The Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, therefore,
granted him an audience. The visitor ran forward and said,
"Big sea fish," and then ran away. "May I know its
meaning?" asked the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo. "Thy servant
dare not regard dying as joking," said the visitor. "Be
kind enough to explain its meaning to me," insisted the
Lord of Ch`ing-kuo. In reply the visitor said: "Has Your
Highness ever heard about the big fish? Neither the net can
stop it nor the string arrow can catch it. When it jumps at
random and gets out of water, then even ants would make
fun of it. Now, what the Ch`i State is to Your Excellency,
that is the sea to the big fish. As long as Your Excellency
remains powerful in Ch`i, why should he care about Hsüeh?
Yet once you lose power in Ch`i, then though the city walls
of Hsüeh are as high as heaven, you will labour in vain."
"Right," said the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, and, accordingly,
never built walls around Hsüeh.

The younger brother of the King of Ching was in Ch`in.
When Ch`in refused to send him home, a certain lieutenant[25]
spoke to the King, "May Your Majesty finance thy servant
with one hundred taels of gold. Then thy servant will be
able to make Prince Wu come home." Accordingly, he
took one hundred taels of gold along and went to Chin.
There he called on Shu-hsiang and said: "The younger

brother of the King of Ching is in Ch`in but Ch`in would
not let him go home. Therefore His Majesty with one
hundred taels of gold as present begs Your Excellency to
help his brother go home." Having accepted the money,
Shu-hsiang went to see Duke P`ing of Chin[26] and said:
"It is now time to construct walls around the Pot Hill."
"Why?" asked Duke P`ing. In reply he said: "The
younger brother of the King of Ching is in Ch`in but Ch`in
refuses to send him home. This means that Ch`in has hatred
for Ching. Therefore, Ch`in will certainly not dare to
protest against our construction of walls around the Pot
Hill. If they do, then we will tell them that if they let the
younger brother of the King of Ching go home, we will
not build the walls. In case they let Prince Wu go home,
we will place the Chings under obligation to us. In case
they refuse to send him home, they will execute their wicked
plan and therefore certainly not dare to protest against our
construction of the walls around the Pot Hill." "Right,"
said the Duke, and, accordingly, started building walls
around the Pot Hill and told the Duke of Ch`in that if
he would send the younger brother of the King of Ching
home, the Chins would not build the walls. In accordance
with the demand Ch`in sent Prince Wu back to Ching.
Thereat the King of Ching was greatly pleased, and presented
Chin with two thousand taels of fused gold.

Ho-lü attacked Ying and in the fighting won three battles.
Then he asked Tzŭ-hsü, "May we turn back now?" In
reply Tzŭ-hsü said: "Who wants to drown anybody and
stops after giving him one drink, cannot drown him to

death.[27] Even to keep giving him water, is not as quick as
to follow the force of circumstances and sink him."

A man of Chêng[28] had a son. On going to take up his
official post, he said to the family folks, "Be sure to repair the
broken places on the mud fence. Otherwise, bad men might
come in to steal things." Some dweller in the same alley
also said, "Keep the fence in good repair!" Actually a
thief broke into the house. The family,[29] therefore, considered
the young man wise but suspected that the dweller in the
same alley who had warned them was the thief.