University of Virginia Library

BOOK TWELVE

Chapter XXXIII

OUTER CONGERIES OF SAYINGS, THE LOWER
LEFT SERIES[1]

I. Censured for a crime, nobody feels bitter against the
superior. For this reason, the footless[2] gate-keeper saved the
life[3] of Tzŭ-kao. Rewarded for merit, no subject feels grateful
to the sovereign. For this reason Chieh Huang held the right
half of a tally in hand and rode in the coach of a feudal lord.
King Hsiang did not know this principle, wherefore Chao
Mao compared the reward of five chariots for his meritorious
services to the upstart's wearing hemp sandals. If the principal
makes no mistake in appointing subordinates to office and
the subordinates do not feign ability, then every subordinate
will be as good as Shao Shih-chou.

II. The sovereign should depend upon his own position
and not upon the faithfulness of the ministers. For this
reason, Tung-kuo Ya lodged a protest against the appointment
of Kuan Chung to premiership. The sovereign should
count on his tact and not on the faithfulness of the ministers.
For this reason, Hun Hsien disapproved Duke Wên's policy.
Therefore the tactful sovereign would make reward of
faith so as to exert the abilities of the subjects and make
punishment definite so as to forbid wickedness. Though the
ministers have mixed deeds, he would always get the benefit

out of them. For instance, Lord Chien appointed Yang Hu
to premiership; and Duke Ai asked about the one-legged
creature.

III. If the distinction between ruler and minister is lost
sight of, the ruler will have to do the same as King Wên,
who tied[4] his own sock strings and boasted of his virtue.
If no difference between court ceremonies and private
etiquette is made, one will have to live in the same way as
Chi-sun who maintained his dignity all his life but met
assassins in the end.

IV. If the sovereign expects profit from what ought to
be prohibited and prohibits what is profitable, be he superhuman,
he cannot enforce his policy. If he honours men held
guilty and disgraces the rewarded, be he as great as Yao, he
cannot attain any political order. Indeed, to open a gate
but not to make people go through it, or to promise profit
but not to make the people strive for it, is the cause of disorder.

If the Ruler of Ch`i granted his attendants no request and
the Sovereign of Wey listened to no honourable recommendation
but observed clearly and carefully the body of officials,
then Chü could not spend money and Ch`uan could not use
jade as a bribe. Hsi-mên Pao petitioned for reappointment to
the Magistracy of Yeh. Thereby he knew the harm caused by
the courtiers of the country. The courtiers would honour or
disgrace the people as improperly as the son of the petty thief
boasted of his father's fur coat and the son of the legless
man prided himself upon his father's specially made clothes.
If the ruler listens to the courtiers, he is doing what Tzŭ-ch`o
called "drawing a circle with the left hand and a square with

the right hand simultaneously" and the same as a stupid man
who tried to get rid of ants with meat and drive flies away with
fish. If so, how can he avoid the same worry as Duke Huan
had over the number of office-hunters and Viscount[5] Hsüan
had over the skinniness of the horses?

V. If ministers regard humility and frugality as virtues,
then ranks are not sufficient to encourage and reward them.
If favour and glory are not regulated, ministers will violate
and intimidate the ruler. The saying is based on Miao Pên-huang's
criticism of Hsien-pai and on Confucius's estimate
of Yen Ying. For further illustration, Chung-ni spoke of
Kuan Chung and Sun-shu[6] Ao about the former's extreme
extravagance and the latter's extreme frugality; Yang Hu
said his subordinates' attitude to him at his departure had
become different from their attitude to him when he entered
Ch`i and recommended them to the Ruler[7] ; and Lord Chien's
remark on the way of recommending officials missed the
right tact of a sovereign. If friends and partisans play into
each other's hands and ministers give rein to their ambitions,
the lord of men will be left in isolation. If all the officials make
upright recommendations and do not play into each other's
hands then the lord of men will be clear-sighted and even Yang
Hu will become as worthy as Chao Wu and as just as Chieh
Hu. However, Lord Chien condemned those officials who

were first recommended by their friends and later acted against
them as hedge and bramble thorns, which is not the right
way to teach the people in the country to become public-spirited.

VI. If the prestige of the royal house is low, then ministers
will refrain from uttering upright words. If self-seeking
deeds triumph, then meritorious services for the public
will become few. The saying is based on Wên-tzŭ's speaking
without reserve, for which his father, Wu-tzŭ, used a stick
to whip him, and on Tzŭ-ch`an's loyal remonstrations, for
which his father, Tzŭ-kuo, blamed him and was angry at
him. Furthermore, Liang Ch`ê enforced the law but Marquis
Ch`êng recalled the official seal from him. Kuan Chung acted
according to public justice, but his countrymen spoke ill
of him and resented his action.

So much for the Canons.

Annotations to Canon I:—

Confucius was Premier of Wei. His disciple, Tzŭ-kao,
was the judge of a criminal court and once cut off the feet
of a criminal. The footless man became their gate-keeper.
Some people slandered Confucius before the Ruler of Wei,
saying that Chung-ni was plotting a disturbance. Therefore,
the Ruler of Wei wanted to arrest Confucius. Confucius
ran away. All his disciples escaped. Tzŭ-kao went to the back[8]
gate. The footless gate-keeper led the way and sheltered
him in the basement beneath the gate. The officials sought
for him but could not find him. At midnight, Tzŭ-kao asked
the footless gate-keeper, "I could not bend the legal decree
of the sovereign and cut off your feet with my own hands.

This is the time for you to take revenge. Why are you willing
to shelter me? How can I receive such a kindness from you?"
In reply the footless man said: "I had my feet cut off as my
crime deserved such punishment. Nothing could be done
about it. Nevertheless, when Your Excellency was about to
decide on the case against thy servant, Your Excellency
interpreted the ordinance in all possible ways and supplied
words either before or after thy servant's pleas, being so
anxious to hold thy servant innocent, which thy servant
understood very well. When the case was settled and the
sentence was passed, Your Excellency in excess of pity felt
unpleasant as expressed in the facial colour, which thy servant
saw and also understood. That was not because of Your
Excellency's private favour to thy servant but because of
his inborn nature and benevolent heart. This is the reason
why I have felt pleased and grateful to Your Excellency."

T`ien Tzŭ-fang went to Wey from Ch`i. He saw from a
distance Chieh Huang riding in the coach of a feudal lord
with cavaliers around and marching out in full dignity.
Fang at first thought Marquis Wên was going out, and therefore
moved his carriage to a side-track in order to avoid
the procession. Later, he found Chieh Huang alone[9] in the
coach. "Why are you riding in this coach?" asked Fang.
In reply Huang said: "When His Highness was scheming
to attack Central Hills, thy servant recommended Chieh Chioh
to him and a proper scheme was devised. When His Highness
was actually going to attack Central Hills, thy servant recommended
Yo Yang to him and Central Hills was taken. After
the conquest of Central Hills, His Highness worried over

the governorship of the country, when thy servant recommended
Li K`o to him, and as a result Central Hills became
orderly. For this reason, His Highness awarded thy servant
this coach." Thereupon Fang said: "To such a merit the
reward is still too small to be equivalent."

When Ch`in and Han were attacking Wey, Chao Mao
went westward on an itinerant tour and Ch`in and Han
stopped the campaign. When Ch`i and Ching were attacking
Wey, Mao went eastward on an itinerant tour and Ch`i and
Ching stopped the campaign. Accordingly, King Hsiang
of Wey supported him with the emolument[10] of five chariots.
Complaining of the meagreness of the emolument, Mao said:
"Formerly, when Po-i was buried with the dignity of a general
at the foot of the Shou-yang Mountain, All-under-Heaven
said, `Indeed, in view of the worthiness of Po-i and his
reputation for benevolence, to bury him with the dignity of a
general is hardly sufficient—not even enough to cover his
hands and feet underground.' Now thy servant stopped the
invading forces of four states. And for meritorious services
Your Majesty granted thy servant five chariots. To reward for
such meritorious services in this way is to do the same as
an upstart in spite of his wealth wearing hemp sandals.

Confucius said: "Who knows how to be an official,
plants gratitude in the mind of the people; who does not
know how to be an official plants resentment in the mind of
the people. The strickle is for adjusting the measure. The
official is for adjusting the law. Who governs a state should
not lose sight of the means of adjustment."

Shao Shih-chou was a faithful, honest, clean, and earnest

man of antiquity. He served Lord Hsiang of Chao as bodyguard.
Once he contested in strength with Hsü Tzŭ from
Chung-mou and found himself not as strong as Hsü Tzŭ.
He then went into the court and told Lord Hsiang to replace
himself with Hsü Tzŭ. "Your post," said Lord Hsiang, "is
coveted by everybody else. Why do you want Hsü Tzŭ to
replace you?" "Thy servant serves Your Highness,"
replied Shao Shih-chou, "with his physical strength. Now,
Hsü Tzŭ's strength is greater than mine. Unless thy servant
offers to be replaced by him, thy servant is afraid others might
recommend him to Your Highness and thy servant might be
guilty of suppressing an able man."

According to a different source: Shao Shih-chou served
as aide-de-camp to Lord Hsiang. Upon their arrival at
Chin-yang, a wrestler named Niu Tzŭ contested with him
in strength, but he could not win. Thereupon Chou spoke
to the Lord: "Your Highness made thy servant an aide-decamp[11]
because Your Highness thought thy servant had
great strength. Now that there is somebody having greater
strength than thy servant may thy servant beg to present him
to Your Highness?"

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."

Annotations of Canon III:—

King Wên was attacking Ch`ung. When he arrived at
the Yellow Phoenix Mound,[15] the strings of his socks became
loosened. Accordingly, he tied them up himself. "Why
did you do that?" asked T`ai-kung Wang. "Of the people
whom the ruler deals with," replied the King, "on the top[16]
all are the ruler's teachers, in the middle all are his friends, and
on the bottom all are his employees. Now, everybody here
was a minister to the late King. Therefore, I found nobody
to tie my strings."

According to a different source: Duke Wên was at war
with the Chiu men. When he arrived at the Yellow Phoenix
Hill, his shoe strings became loosened. Accordingly, he tied
them up himself. "Could you not find anybody to do it for
you?" asked the attendants. In reply the Duke said:
"I have heard, `Everybody around the superior is respected
by him; everybody around the ordinary ruler is loved by
him; and everybody around the inferior ruler is despised by
him.' Although Your Highness is unworthy, the late ruler's
men are all here. So it is hard to have anybody tie my shoe
strings."

Chi-sun was fond of entertaining scholars. All his life he
lived in a dignified manner. In his private dwelling and
clothing he always kept the same formality as in the court.
Once he happened to neglect the formality and commit some
faults, and could not keep up the same dignity. In consequence
his guests thought he disliked and despised them, and altogether
developed resentment at him, till they killed him.
Hence the saying: "The gentleman shuns excess and shuns
deficit."

According to a different source[17] : Nan-kung Ching-tzŭ
asked Yen Cho-chü: "Chi-sun supported Confucius's
disciples. Those who wore court costumes and sat with him
in the court, numbered tens. But he met assassins. Why?"
In reply Yen said: "Formerly King Ch`êng of Chou kept
actors and clowns around in order to amuse himself as he
wanted, but consulted with gentlemen when he decided on
state affairs. That was the reason why he could realize his
ambition in All-under-Heaven. On the contrary, Chi-sun
supported Confucius's disciples, and those who wore court
costumes and sat with him in the court, numbered tens, but
when deciding on state affairs, he consulted with actors and
clowns. That was the reason why he met assassins. Hence
the saying: `Success or failure rests not with room-mates
but with councillors.' "

Confucius was attending on Duke Ai of Lu, when Duke
Ai gave him peaches and grains of glutinous millet. "Please
help yourself," said Duke Ai. Confucius ate the millet first
and then the peaches. Thereat the attendants all, covered
their mouths with their hands, and laughed. "The grains
are not for eating," remarked Duke Ai, "but for wiping off

the skin of the peaches." In reply Chung-ni said: "Ch`iu
knew it from the beginning. Indeed, glutinous millet is
the head of the five[18] cereals. On commemorating the early
kings it is used as the best offering. There are six[19] kinds of tree
and grass fruits,[20] among which the peach is the lowest in
rank and cannot enter the shrine on commemorating the
early kings. Ch`iu has heard, `The gentlemen cleans
the noble with the humble,' but never heard that he cleans the
humble with the noble. Now, to clean the lowest among
fruits with the highest among the cereals is to clean the worst
with the best. Ch`iu regards such an act as contrary to
righteousness and therefore dare not eat the peaches[21]
before eating the best offering in the shrine of the royal
ancestors."

Viscount Chien of Chao once said to the Chamberlains:
"The sheet inside the carriage is too beautiful. Indeed, the
crown, however simple, is always put on the head; the shoes,
however good, are always put on the feet. Now, the sheet
inside the carriage is very beautiful. What shoes shall I wear?
Indeed, to wear beautiful things below and simple things
above is the origin of the violation of righteousness."

Fei Chung spoke to Chow: "The Earl of the West,
Ch`ang, is worthy. The hundred surnames like him. The
feudal lords turn to him. He must be censured. If not
ousted, he will be a menace to the Yin Dynasty." "You are
speaking," said Chow, "of a righteous lord. Why should he
be censured?" In reply Fei Chung said: "The crown,

however worn-out, is always put on the head; the shoes,
though decorated with five colours, are trodden upon the
ground. Now the Earl of the West, Ch`ang, is subordinate to
Your Majesty. He has practised righteousness, wherefore
people turn to him. Surely, it must be Ch`ang who will
eventually become a trouble to All-under-Heaven. Any
minister[22] who does not serve his master with his worthiness
must be censured. Moreover, being the ruler, Your Majesty
censures a guilty minister. How can there be any fault in
so doing?" "Indeed, with benevolence and righteousness
the ruler encourages the subjects. Now that Ch`ang is fond
of benevolence and righteousness, it is impracticable to
censure him." Though persuaded for three times, he never
listened. Hence followed the fall of Yin.

King Hsüan of Ch`i asked K`uang Ching: "Do the
literati gamble?" "No, they don't." "Why?" asked the
King. In reply K`uang Ching said: "The gamblers make
much of the owl dice.[23] The winner of the owl dice, however,
has to kill[24] it. Thus, to kill the owl dice is to kill the object
of esteem. The literati, regarding this as harmful to righteousness,
refrain from gambling." "Do the literati shoot birds
with stringed arrows?" asked the King further. "No, they
don't. To shoot birds with stringed arrows is to shoot above
from below. This is the same as the subjects who injure the
ruler. The literati, regarding this as harmful to righteousness,
refrain from shooting with stringed arrows." "Do the literati
play the instrument Sê?" asked the King furthermore.
"No, they don't. Indeed, that kind of harp gets large sounds

from small strings and small sounds from large strings. This
is the same as the large and the small reversing their order
and high and low exchanging status. The literati, regarding
this as harmful to righteousness, refrain from playing the
Sê instrument." "Good," said King Hsüan.

Chung-ni said, "Better let the people flatter the superior
than let them flatter the inferior".[25]

Annotations to Canon IV:—

Chü was a retired scholar in Ch`i; Ch`uan in Wey. The
Rulers of Ch`i and Wey were not enlightened and not able
to penetrate into the actual conditions within the boundaries,
and both followed the words of the attendants. Therefore,
the two men used gold and jade and sought to join
governmental service.

Hsi-mên, while Magistrate of Yeh, was clean and honest
and had no self-interest even as small as the tip of an autumn
spikelet. He was, however, very indifferent towards the
courtiers. Therefore the courtiers joined one another and
together did him an ill turn. After one yeat of his term, he
handed in his report on local finance; then the Ruler took
back his official seal. Thereupon he presented to the Ruler his
own petition saying: "Formerly thy servant did not know
how to be Magistrate of Yeh. Now that thy servant has the
right way, may he petition for the seal in order to govern Yeh
again? If his work is again not equal to the official duty, may
Your Highness sentence him to capital punishment with axe
and anvil." Marquis Wên, unable to bear dismissing him,
gave him the post again. Pao, accordingly, imposed heavy
taxes upon the hundred surnames and began to bribe the

courtiers as promptly as possible. After one year he handed in
his report. This time Marquis Wên went out to welcome him
and even made bows to him. In response Pao said: "During
the preceding year thy servant governed Yeh for Your Highness's
sake, but Your Highness took away the official seal of
thy servant. This year thy servant governed Yeh for the
courtiers' sake, but Your Highness makes bows to thy servant.
Thy servant is no longer able to govern the place." So saying
he returned the seal and took his leave. Marquis Wên,
refusing to accept the seal, said: "Formerly I did not know
you but now know you well. Please do now well govern
the place for my sake." So saying he did not accept the
resignation.

In Ch`i once the son of a dog-like thief[26] and the son of a
legless man played together and boasted before each other.
The thief's son said: "My father's fur-coat alone has a tail."
"My father alone never falls short of trousers[27] even in cold
winter," said the other boy.

Tzŭ-ch`o said: "Nobody is able to draw a square with
the left hand and a circle with the right hand at the same time."

Expel ants with meat! Then ants will multiply. Drive
flies away with fish! Then flies will come nearer and nearer.

Once Duke Huan said to Kuan Chung: "Official posts
are few, but office-hunters are many. Over this I am worried."
"If Your Highness grants the attendants no request but
awards men with emoluments only in accordance with their
abilities and gives men official posts only in correspondence

to their merits, then nobody dare hunt any office. What will
Your Highness be worried about then?"

Viscount Hsüan of Han said: "My horses have had an
abundance of madder[28] and grain. But why are they so
skinny? I am worried over it." In reply Chou Shih said:
"If the stableman feeds them with all the beans and grain,
then they are bound to become fat. But suppose he give
them much in the name but little in fact. Then they are bound
to become skinny. If Your Highness does not investigate the
causes of the fact but remains seated and worried over it,
the horses never will become fat."

Duke Huan asked Kuan Chung about the appointment of
officials to different posts. Kuan Chung said: "With
reference to eloquence and penetration in wording, honesty
and integrity in money, and knowledge of human affairs,
thy servant is not as good as Hsien Shang. May Your Highness
appoint him Supreme Judge! With reference to the manners
in ascending and descending steps and courtesies shown to
guests, thy servant is not as good as Hsi P`êng. May Your
Highness appoint him Supreme Usher. In matters of cultivating
grass lands, collecting taxes from towns, opening up
wildernesses, and growing grain, thy servant is not as good
as Ning Wu. May Your Highness appoint him Minister of
Agriculture. Regarding the ability to make the warriors look
upon death as going home when the three armies[29] have
already formed in line, thy servant is not as good as Prince
Ch`êng-fu. May Your Highness appoint him Minister of

War. In moving against the facial expression of the ruler
and making utmost remonstrations, I am not as good as
Tung-kuo Ya. May Your Highness appoint him Minister of
Censorship. To govern the Ch`i State, these five gentlemen
are sufficient. If our Highness wants to become Hegemonic
Ruler, I-wu is here at his service."[30]

Annotations to Canon V:—

Yü[31] Hsien-pai was Premier of Chin.[32] Beneath his reception
hall there grew beans and weeds and outside his gate
thorns and brambles. He never had two courses at a meal nor
two sheets on the chair. None of his concubines wore silk.
At home he gave no grain to his horses. When out, he never
took his carriage. Hearing this, Shu Hsiang told Miao
Pêng-huang about it. Pêng-huang, disapproving such a life,
said: "This is to win the hearts of the subordinate people
with the rank and emolument bestowed by the sovereign."

According to a different source: Yü[33] Hsien-pai of Chin
was newly appointed High Noble. Shu Hsiang went to
congratulate him. By the gate there were a coachman and
a carriage,[34] but the horse was not eating fodder. Therefore,
Hsiang asked, "Why don't you have two horses and two
carriages?" In reply Hsien-pai said: "Our fellow countrymen
seem still hungry to me. Therefore, I do not give fodder
to my horses. Most of the grey-haired men walk on foot.
Therefore, I do not have two carriages." "At first I came,"
said Hsiang, "to congratulate you upon your appointment

to High Nobility, but now I congratulate you upon your
frugality." Then Hsiang went out and told Miao Pêng-huang,
"Join me in congratulating Hsien-pai on his frugality."
"Congratulations on what?" remarked Miao Tzŭ. "Indeed,
to bestow ranks and emoluments, flags and badges, is to
differentiate the various kinds of merits as well as to distinguish
between the worthy and the unworthy. Thus,
according to the law of the Chin State, a Senior High Officer
is entitled to two carriages and two teams of horses,[35] a
Middle High Officer, to two carriages and one team: and
a Junior High Officer, to one team only. This is to make grade
and ranks clear. Moreover, every noble must attend to
military duties, and therefore must keep his carriages and
horses in good condition,[36] form his soldiers and chariots
in lines, and thereby prepare for military action, so that in
case of emergency they can provide against all eventualities
and in time of peace they can serve in the court affairs. Now,
he has been disturbing the state affairs of Chin and loosening
the provisions against eventualities simply on purpose to
perfect his private virtue and exalt his personal reputation.
Is the frugality of Hsien-pai commendable at all? If not,
then congratulations on what?"[37]

Kuan Chung, on becoming Premier of Ch`i, said to
Duke Huan, "Thy servant is noble but poor." "You shall
have the same wealth as the Building of Three Returns,"[38]
said Duke Huan. "Then thy servant is wealthy but still
low in rank." Duke Huan, accordingly, raised him above the

Kaos and the Kuos. "Thy servant is now high in rank but
very remote in relation from the ruling family." Thereupon
the Duke made him Uncle Chung. Hearing this, Confucius
disapproved of him and said, "Having become too extravagant
he came to embarrass his superior."

According to a different source: Uncle Kuan Chung on
going out would put red covers on his carriages and blue
costumes on his attendants, and on coming home would have
drum music played. In his yard stood tripods. His household
has as much wealth as the Building of Three Returns.
Therefore, Confucius said: "A good official, indeed! But
his extravagance is sufficient to embarrass his superior.
Sun-shu Ao, Premier of Ch`u, used a wooden cart pulled by
a mare and took coarse rice with vegetable soup and dried fish
for his meal. In winter he wore a lamb-skin coat and linen
clothes in summer. His face always had the look of hunger.
A good official, indeed. But in this case his frugality is
sufficient to oppress his inferiors."[39]

Yang Hu left Ch`i and found shelter in Chao. There Lord
Chien asked him, "I have heard that you are good in raising
able men." "While in Lu," said Hu, "thy servant raised
three men, all of whom became magistrates. After Hu was
found guilty in Lu, all of them searched after Hu. While
living in Ch`i, thy servant recommended three men: One
became an attendant on the King; one became a prefect;
and the third became an official receiver of public guests.
After I was found guilty, the attendant refused to see me;
the prefect intended to arrest me on receiving me; and the

official receiver pursued me up to the frontier, could not catch
me, and stopped. Really I am not good in raising men."
The Lord turned his face downwards with a smile and said:
"Indeed, the planter of mandarin orange and pomelo trees,[40]
on eating fruits, gets the sweet taste; the planter of hedgerows
and brambles finds them prickly when they grow up.
Hence the gentleman is cautious in raising men."

Chung-mou had no magistrate. Therefore Duke P`ing
of Chin[41] asked Chao Wu: "Chung-mou is a place
strategically important to three countries.[42] It is the key to the
city of Han-tan. I want a good magistrate for it. Who will
be the right man?" "Hsing Pai-tzŭ will be the right
man," replied Wu. "Isn't he your enemy?" asked the Duke.
"No private feud should go through public gates," was the
reply. Then the Duke asked, "For the magistracy of Chung-fu,
who is the right man?" "My son is the right one," was
the reply. Hence the saying: "Recommend the right man
from outsiders even if your enemy; recommend the right
man among your relatives even if your son." Upon Chao
Wu's death, all the forty-six men whom he had recommended
to the Ruler, took their seats among the guests at
his funeral service. To such an extent he had shown no
personal favour to anybody all his life!

Duke P`ing once asked Shu Hsiang, "Among the ministers,
who is the worthiest?" "Chao Wu," was the reply. "You
side with your senior official," remarked the Duke. "No,"
said Hsiang, "Chao Wu, when standing up, looks undignified
even in his full dress, and, when speaking, seems unable to

utter his sentiments. Nevertheless, the officials he recommended
number several tens, all of whom he enabled to
exert their respective abilities, and in whom the public
authorities put great trust, not to mention the fact that in his
life Wu never utilized them to benefit his own family and
upon his death never committed orphans to their charge.
Therefore, thy servant dares to consider him the worthiest."

Chieh Hu recommended his enemy to Lord Chien for
premiership. The enemy thought he had by good luck
forgiven him, and so went purposely to thank him. Thereupon
Hu drew his bow, and, on receiving him, aimed at him,
saying: "To be sure, I recommended you because I
regarded your ability equal to the post. To have hatred for
you is my private feud with you. I never on account of my
feud with you kept[43] you from my master." Hence the
saying: "No private feud should go through public gates."

According to a different source: Chieh Hu recommended
Hsing Pai-liu to the governorship of Shang-tang. Liu went
to thank him and said: "You have forgiven me my fault.
How dare I not repeat bows to you?" In reply Hu said:
"To raise you is a public matter; to hate you is a private
affair. You had better go. My hatred for you remains the
same as before."

One day a man from the Prefecture of Chêng was selling
pigs. When somebody asked him about the price, he said,
"The way is still so long. The sun is setting. How can I
have time to talk with you?"[44]

Annotations to Canon VI:—

Fan Wên-tzŭ was fond of speaking without reserve. His
father, Wu-tzŭ, whipped him with a stick and said[45] : "Who
makes discussions without reserve is not tolerated by people.
If tolerated by nobody, he is in danger. He endangers not
only himself but also his father."

Tzŭ-ch`an was son of Tzŭ-kuo. Tzŭ-ch`an was loyal to the
Ruler of Chêng. Thereat Tzŭ-kuo was angry and reprimanded
him, saying: "To be sure, when you act sharply different
from the rest of the ministers and remain loyal to the sovereign
by yourself, if the sovereign is worthy and enlightened,
he will listen to you; if he is not enlightened, he will not
listen to you. You cannot always foretell whether or not he
is going to listen to you. Yet you have estranged yourself
from the rest of ministers. If estranged from them, you certainly
endanger yourself—not only yourself, but your
father too."

Liang Ch`ê was Magistrate of Yeh. One day his elder
sister went to see him. At dusk she arrived too late for the
office hour. The gate was shut.[46] So she went over the wall
and entered the city. Ch`ê cut off her feet, accordingly.
Regarding this as not compassionate, Marquis Ch`êng of
Chao took the official seal away from him and dismissed
him from the magistracy.

Kuan Chung was arrested and brought from Lu to Ch`i.
On the way he was hungry and thirsty. When passing through
I-wu, he begged the frontier guard for food. The guard
knelt down and presented the food to him with great reverence.

Then in private the guard said to Chung: "If by any lucky
chance you are not killed after you reach Ch`i but are taken
into service instead, with what are you going to requite me?"
In reply Kuan Chung said: "If my fate turns out as you
have just said, I will take the worthy into service, give the
able employment, and commend the serviceable. With what
shall I requite you?" Accordingly the guard resented such
an ungrateful saying.