University of Virginia Library

BOOK FOURTEEN

Chapter XXXV

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

I. If the Ruler enforces reward and punishment with the
minister, then prohibitions and ordinances will take no
effect. How can I make this clear? With the cases of Tsao-fu
and Yü-ch`i as illustration. Tzŭ-han acted like the jumping
pig; T`ien Hêng made benevolence and kindness as attractive
as the garden pool. In consequence, the Ruler of Sung
and Duke Chien were murdered. The calamity of its practice
is also illustrated by Wang Liang and Tsao-fu driving the
same chariot and T`ien Lien and Ch`êng Chiao playing the
same lute.

II. Order and strength are due to the law; weakness and
disorder, to its crookedness. If the ruler understands this
principle, he must rectify reward and punishment but never
assume humanity towards his inferiors. Rank and emolument
are due to meritorious services; censure and punishment,
to criminal offences. If the minister understands this,
he must exert his strength even at the risk of his life but never
assume loyalty to the ruler. Thus, with the ruler well
versed in the practice of inhumanity and the minister in that
of disloyalty, it is possible to rule over All-under-Heaven.
For illustration, King Chao-hsiang, knowing the gist of
the sovereign, stopped giving the starvelings fruits and
vegetables from the Five Parks; and T`ien Yu, knowing the

gist of the minister, gave instructions to his son, T`ien
Chang. Kung Yi refused the present of fish.

III. If the lord of men takes no interest in foreign affairs,
then itinerants from abroad are bound to be successful. For
instance, Su Tai reproved the King of Ch`i before the King
of Yen. If the lord of men takes interest[2] in ancient
precepts, then private scholars are certain to become celebrated.
For instance, P`an Shou extolled the acts of King Yü.
It was because the lord of men in so doing perceived no
fault of his own. Knowing this principle, Fang Wu was
afraid of sharing anything with any kin. How much more
should the ruler of men be afraid of letting any minister
exercise his authority? Knowing this principle, Wu Chang
spoke about the futility of anybody showing pretentious love
or hatred. How much more futile must it be to show true
love or true hatred? The King of Chao disliked the
tiger's eyes and thereby incurred delusion. The way of the
enlightened sovereign is very often like the way of the official
usher of the court of Chou refusing the Ruler of Wei
admission.

IV. The lord of men abides by the law and calls actual
results to account in order thereby to perform his great
achievement. We hear about people who behave well by
themselves despite the dissipation of the magistrate; but
we never hear about any magistrate who governs himself well
but has rebellious people. Therefore, the enlightened
sovereign governs the magistrates but never directly governs
the people. The basis of this argument is found in shaking
the tree by its root and drawing the net by its rope. Therefor,

take for further illustration the fire brigade. On
suppressing the fire, if the captain takes one jar of water and
runs to the fire with it, it means that he performs the function
of only one man; whereas if he takes a whip in hand and
drives other men to work then he can make a myriad men
work. Therefore, upholders of tact can accomplish the result
as easily as Tsao-fu handling a frightened horse. When
Tsao-fu led the horse and pulled the carriage, he could
not advance them. When he replaced the coachman, held the
reins in hand and took the whip along, then the horses would
all start galloping. Therefore, the principle can be illustrated
with the iron hammer flattening metallic plates and the wooden
stand straightening bows. Action contrary to the principle
is[3] instanced by Cho Ch`ih serving Ch`i and murdering
King Min and in the case of Li Tai serving Chao and starving
the Father Sovereign to death.

V. If you follow the right course of a task, you will
accomplish it without hard work. For this reason, Tzŭ Chêng
sat on the shaft and sang and thereby went across the arch
of a bridge. The contrary is instanced by the tax collector
asking Lord Chien of Chao about the increase and decrease
in taxation and by Po Yi speaking about the satiation of the
stomach of the country. In this remark Lord Chien rejoiced,
but the public treasury was running empty; the hundred
surnames were starving, but the officials were wealthy.
For further illustration, Duke Huan inspected the real
situation of the people, so that Kuan Chung used up the
surplus money in the treasury and sent away the resentful
girls from the court. Action contrary to the principle is
instanced by Cho Tzŭ of Yen-ling who could not advance

his carriage while driving the horses and by whom Tsao-fu
passed and for whom he wept.

So much above for the canons.

Annotations to Canon I:—

Tsao-fu managed four horses, drove them as fast as
possible, turned them around everywhere, and thus moved in
any direction as he pleased. He could manage the horses in
the way he pleased, because he handled the reins and the
whip at his will. However, when horses were frightened by
the jumping pig, Tsao-fu lost control of them, not because
the severity of the reins and the whip became insufficient,
but because his authority over the horses was shaken by the
jumping pig. Prince Yü-Ch`i harnessed extra horses alongside
his chariot, and, without holding the reins and any whip,
managed the horses at his pleasure. This was on account of the
attractiveness of the fodder and water he was giving them.
However, when the horses passed by the garden pool, the
extra horses broke away, not because the benefit of his fodder
and water became insufficient, but because his kindness was
shaken by the garden pool.

For the same reason, though Wang Liang and Tsao-fu
were skilful drivers in All-under-Heaven, if you let Wang
Liang hold the left rein and thunder the horse onward and
let Tsai-fu hold the right rein and whip it on, the horse will
not be able to go even ten li, because they held the reins
of the same horse together. Likewise, though T`ien Lien
and Ch`êng Chiao were skilful players of the lute in Allunder-Heaven,
yet if T`ien Lien played the upper notes and
Ch`êng Chiao played the lower notes, the result could not
be any tune at all, because they handled the same lute.

Indeed, even Wang Liang and Tsao-fu, despite their skill
could not put the horse to use when they held the reins and
the horse together. How much less could the lord of men
succeed in government by sharing his power with his
ministers? Even T`ien Lien and Ch`êng Chiao, despite their
skill, could not make a tune when they played the same lute
together. How much less could the lord of men accomplish
any achievement by sharing his august position with his
ministers?

According to a different source: Tsao-fu served as
assistant charioteer to the King of Ch`i. Once, when he
thought his work in training the horses to bear thirst was
complete he drove the chariot to the garden. As soon as the
thirsty horses sw the garden pool they broke away from the
chariot and ran to the pool, so that the harness was broken
to pieces.

As regards Prince Yü-ch`i, he on behalf of Lord Chien of
Chao shaped his course to race for a goal one thousand li
away. When he started, a pig hid itself in a ditch. As he got
the reins and the whip ready and began to make a rush for the
goal, the pig all of a sudden jumped out from the ditch.
Thereby the horse was frightened, and the harness was broken
to pieces.

Tzŭ-han, Garrison Commander of the Capital, said to the
Ruler of Sung: "Reward and bestowal are welcomed by
the people. May Your Highness confer them! Execution
and punishment are disliked by the people. May thy servant
beg to perform them?" "All right," replied the Ruler of
Sung. Thenceforth, on issuing important ordinances and
on censuring chief vassals, he always said: "Ask Tzŭ-han
to give a decision!" Thereupon, chief vassals became afraid

of Tzŭ-han while the masses of people turned to him. In
the course of one year, Tzŭ-han murdered the Ruler of Sung
and usurped the reins of government. Thus, Tzŭ-han acted
like a jumping pig and thereby usurped the state from his
ruler.

Duke Chien from his supreme status inflicted heavy punishment,
carried severe censure, increased taxes, and executed
culprits. On the contrary, T`ien Hêng[4] always created
compassion and favour and displayed generosity and kindness.
Thus, Duke Chien turned the people into thirsty horses and
conferred no favour upon them; whereas T`ien Hêng made
benevolence and kindness as attractive to the people as the
garden pool to the thirsty horses.

According to a different source: Tsao-fu served as
assistant charioteer to the King of Ch`i and trained the horses to
bear thirst. In one hundred days the training was complete.[5]
Then he asked the King of Ch`i to try harnessing the team.
"Try them in the garden," ordered the King. When Tsao-fu
drove the chariot into the garden, the horses, seeing the
garden pool ran wild, and Tsao-fu could not stop them.
For a long time Tsao-fu trained the horses to bear thirst.
Yet in the presence of a pool the horses all at once ran wild,
when even Tsao-fu could not restrain them. Now, for a
long period the law of Duke Chien restrained the people;
whereas T`ien Hêng gave all kinds of profits to them. In
other words, T`ien Hêng emptied the water of the garden
pool and showed it to the thirsty people.

According to a different source: Prince Yü-ch`i on

behalf of the Ruler of Sung was running a race of one thousand
li. After he had harnessed the horses to the chariot, he rubbed
the mane[6] and touched the line of the bridle-bit. Then he
started, drove on, and advanced the horses. The rings of
the yokes hit the leather-ropes, which he immediately
stretched and pulled. The horses then bent their knees,
straightened their bodies, and started galloping. All of a
sudden a pig jumped out from a ditch. The horses moved
back and retreated. Even by whipping them he could not
drive them forward. They ran wild. He could not stop them
by holding the reins.

According to a different source: Ssŭ-ch`êng Tzŭ-han said
to the Ruler of Sung: "Reward and bestowal are welcomed
by the people. May Your Highness confer them personally!
Punishment and execution are disliked by them. May thy
servant beg to take charge of them?" Thenceforth, on
executing crooked people or on censuring chief vassals, the
Ruler always said, "Ask Tzŭ-han to give decision!" In the
course of one year, the people knew the order to kill was
issued by Tzŭ-han. In consequence, the whole country
turned to him. In the long run, Tzŭ-han intimidated the
Ruler of Sung and usurped his reins of government.
Hence the saying: "Tzŭ-han acted like the jumping pig;
T`ien Hêng[7] made benevolence and kindness as attractive
as the garden pool." Suppose Wang Liang and Tsao-fu
drove the same chariot, each holding the rein on one side,

and went out[8] of the village gate. Then the harness would
break, and the destination would never be reached. Suppose
T`ien Lien and Ch`êng Chiao had the same lute, each handling
one string, and started playing it. Then the notes would
become disharmonious and no tune could be performed.

Annotations to Canon II:—

King Chao of Ch`in was ill. The hundred surnames in
every hamlet bought an ox and every family prayed for the
King's earliest recovery. When Kung-sun Shu went out, he
saw it. Therefore, he went in to congratulate the King and
said, "The hundred surnames in every village bought an ox
to pray for Your Majesty's earliest recovery." The King,
accordingly, sent men out to inquire into the matter, and
found it true. Therefore, the King said: "Make the people of
every village pay a fine[9] of two suits of armour. To be sure,
who with no order offers prayers at his pleasure, loves me,
the King. Indeed, when the people love me, I will have to
alter the law and bend my will to comply with their requests.
In this manner the law will not stand. If the law does not
stand, it leads to chaos and ruin. Thus, the best measure is to
fine the people of every village two suits of armour and restore
them to order."

According to a different source: King Hsiang of Ch`in was
ill. The hundred surnames prayed for his earliest recovery.
When he was perfectly recovered from illness, they killed
oxen as sacrifices to thank the gods. When courtier Yen O
and Kung-sun Yen went out, they saw it and said, "This is

not the time of any festival.[10] Why do the people kill oxen
and sacrifice them at the shrines?" Out of curiosity they
put the question to the people. In reply they said: "When
His Majesty was ill, we prayed for his recovery. As he is
perfectly recovered from the illness, we kill oxen as sacrifice
to thank the gods." Glad to hear this, Yen O and Kung-sun
Yen interviewed the King and offered bows and congratulations,
saying, "Your Majesty has surpassed Yao and Shun!"
"What do you mean?" asked the King in wonder. In reply
they said: "During the reigns of Yao and Shun the people
never came to pray for the ruler's recovery from his illness.
Now, when Your Majesty was ill, the people in the prayers for
his earliest recovery promised the gods oxen sacrifices. When
Your Majesty had perfectly recovered from the illness, they
killed the oxen to fulfil their promise. Therefore, thy servants
personally think that Your Majesty surpasses Yao and
Shun." The King, accordingly, sent men out to inquire into
the matter, found out those villages which had held prayers,
and fined every village headman and every leader of five
families two suits of armour[11] each. Ashamed of their thoughtlessness,
Yen O and Kung-sun Yen dared not speak about it.
Several months afterwards, one day, when the King was
half-seas-over and happy at a carousal, they both said to the
King: "Formerly thy servants said Your Majesty surpassed
Yao and Shun, and thereby dared not mean to flatter you.
When Yao and Shun were ill, the people never came to pray
for the ruler's recovery. Now, when Your Majesty was ill,
the people in their prayers for his earliest recovery pledged
themselves to sacrifice oxen. When Your Majesty was perfectly
recovered from the illness, they killed the oxen to
fulfil their pledge. Unexpectedly, however, Your Majesty
fined every village headman and every leader of five families
two suits of armour each. At such a measure thy servants have
been wondering personally." In response the King said:
"Why don't you gentlemen know such a reason as this? As
to why the people work for me, it is not because of my love
that they work for me, it is because of my position. Suppose
I discard my position and attempt to win the hearts of the
people with love. Then, as soon as I happen to slacken my
love, they will no longer work for me. Therefore, I extirpate
the policy of love."

Once, when Ch`in had a great famine, Marquis Ying petitioned
His Majesty and said: "The grass,[12] vegetables,
acorns, dates, and chestnuts in the Five Parks are sufficient
to save the people. May Your Majesty give them out?"
In reply King Chao-hsien said: "In accordance with the
law of our country the people shall be rewarded for merits and
punished for crimes. Now, if I give out the vegetables and
fruits of the Five Parks, I will in so doing reward men of
merit and no merit equally. To be sure, to reward men of
merit and no merit equally, leads to disorder. Indeed, instead
of giving out the products of the Five Parks and thereby inviting
confusion, we may as well discard the fruits and
vegetables and thereby maintain order."

According to a different source, the King said: "If I
order the fruits of grass, vegetables, dates, and chestnuts in
the Five Parks to be given out to the people, these may be

sufficient to save them. The measure, however, is to make
men of merit and no merit struggle with each other for my
gifts. To be sure, instead of giving life to them and thereby
inviting confusion, we may as well let them die and thereby
keep order. High Officer, leave the matter out!"

T`ien Yu taught his son, T`ien Chang, and said: "If you
want to benefit yourself, benefit your ruler first; if you want
to benefit your family, benefit your country first."

According to a different source: T`ien Yu taught his son,
T`ien Chang, and said: "The sovereign offers ranks and
offices; the minister offers wisdom and strength. Hence the
saying `Rely on nobody but yourself!' "

Kung-yi Hsiu, Premier of Lu, was fond of fish. Therefore,
people in the whole country contentiously bought fish,
which they presented to him. However, Kung-yi Tzŭ would
not accept the presents. Against such a step his younger
brother remonstrated with him and said: "You like fish,
indeed. Why don't you accept the present of fish?" In reply
he said: "It is solely because I like fish that I would not
accept the fish they gave me. Indeed, if I accept the fish, I will
be placed under an obligation to them. Once placed under
an obligation to them, I will sometime have to bend the law.
If I bend the law, I will be dismissed from the premiership.
After being dismissed from the premiership, I might not be
able to supply myself with fish. On the contrary, if I do not
accept the fish from them and am not dismissed the premiership,
however fond of fish, I can always supply myself with
fish." Thus, he understood the principle that self-reliance
is better than reliance on others and also the principle that
self-help is better than help by others.

Annotations to Canon III:—

Tzŭ-chih, Premier of Yen, was influential and in charge
of all governmental decisions. Once Su Tai representing
Ch`i went to Yen, where the King asked him, "What
kind of a ruler is the King of Ch`i?" "He will never attain
Hegemony," was the reply. "For what reason?" asked the
King of Yen. "When Duke Huan was Hegemonic Ruler,"
replied Tai, "he entrusted Pao Shu with home affairs and
Kuan Chung with foreign affairs while he himself left his
hair uncombed, enjoyed drives with women, and every day
strolled down-town. The present King of Ch`i, however,
put no trust in his chief vassals." Thereafter, the King of
Yen increased his confidence in Tzu-chih accordingly.
Hearing about this, Tzu-chih sent men to present Su Tai
one hundred ih of gold and let him use it at his pleasure.

According to a different source: Su Tai went to Yen as
envoy from Ch`in. Perceiving that unless he could benefit
Tzŭ-chih, he would have to go homeward without accomplishing
his mission and would be given no bestowal upon
his return to Ch`in, therefore, when he was having an
audience with the King of Yen, he purposely praised the
King of Ch`i. "If the King of Ch`i is so worthy," asked
the King of Yen, "will he become ruler over All-underHeaven?"
"If he is hardly able to save his country from
ruin," replied Tai, "how can he become ruler over Allunder-Heaven?"
"Why?" asked the King of Yen.
"Because he does not put his whole confidence in his
beloved ministers," replied Tai. "Why will the country go
to ruin?" asked the King of Yen. In reply Tai said:
"Formerly Duke Huan of Ch`i loved Kuan Chung, made
him Uncle, and let him administer home affairs and give

decision on foreign affairs, till the whole country turned
to him for government. As a result, Duke Huan brought
All-under-Heaven under one rule and called nine conferences
of the feudal lords. The present King of Ch`i, however,
does not put his whole confidence in his beloved ministers.
Therefore, thy servant knows his country will go to ruin."
"All-under-Heaven have not yet heard," said the King of
Yen, "that I have put my whole confidence in Tzŭ-chih."
On the following day, he, accordingly, called an assembly of
officials in the court and entrusted Tzŭ-chih with all state
affairs.

P`an Shou said to the King of Yen: "Your Majesty had
better transfer the state to Tzŭ-chih. People have called
Yao worthy because he transferred the rule over All-underHeaven
to Hsü Yu. As Hsü Yu never would accept the throne,
Yao gained the fame for abdicating in favour of Hsü Yu while
in fact he never lost his rule over All-under-Heaven. Now,
if Your Majesty alienate the state to Tzŭ-chih, Tzŭ-chih
never will accept it. Yet in that case Your Majesty will gain
fame for abdicating in favour of Tzŭ-chih and do the same
as Yao." The King of Yen, accordingly, committed the
whole state affairs to the hands of Tzŭ-chih, wherefore Tzŭ-chih
became very powerful.

According to a different source: P`an Shou was a retired[13]
scholar. Yen sent out men to engage him in public service.
When P`an Shou had an audience with the King of Yen, he
said. "Thy servant is afraid Tzŭ-chih will be like Ih."
"Why will he be like Ih?" asked the King. In reply Shou
said: "In antiquity, when Yü was dying and about to

transfer the rule over All-under-Heaven to Ih, the followers
of Ch`i joined one another in attacking Ih and set up Ch`i on
the throne. Now, Your Majesty trusts and loves Tzŭ-chih and
is going to alienate the state to him. Yet all the followers of
the Crown Prince are holding official seals, whereas there is
none of Tzŭ-chih's men in the court. Should by any unlucky
chance Your Majesty pass away from the body of officials,
Tzŭ-chih would suffer like Ih." Accordingly, the King
recalled all the seals from the officials whose bounties were
above three hundred piculs, and left them in the hands of Tzŭ-chih,
whereupon Tzŭ-chih became very powerful. Indeed, the
means whereby the lord of men looks at himself as in a
mirror, are envoys from other feudal lords, but now all those
envoys are partisans of private families. Again, the means
whereby the lord of men spreads his own powers are scholars
from rocky caves, but now all those envoys are henchmen
of private families. What is the reason for this? This is
because the power of life and death is held by such influential
men as Tzŭ-chih. Therefore, Wu Chang said: "The lord
of men should not pretentiously hate or love anybody.
Should he pretentiously love anybody, he would be unable
to hate the person again; should he pretentiously hate anybody,
he would not be able to love the person again."

According to another different source: When the King
of Yen wanted to alienate the state to Tzŭ-chih, he asked
P`an Shou about the measure. In reply P`an Shou said:
"Yü loved Ih and entrusted him with All-under-Heaven.
Later, he appointed followers of Ch`i officials. In his old
age, he considered Ch`i unfit to rule over All-under-Heaven
and therefore alienated All-under-Heaven from Ih; while all
posts and powers were held in the hands of Ch`i. Later,

Ch`i and his partisans attacked Ih and robbed him of the rule
over All-under-Heaven. Thus, in name Yü transferred the
rule over All-under-Heaven to Ih, but in fact he let Ch`i
take the throne. Clearly enough from this viewpoint, Yü
was not as great as Yao and Shun. Now, Your Majesty wants
to abdicate in favour of Tzŭ-chih while every official is a
follower of the Crown Prince. This is to abdicate in favour
of him in name but let the Crown Prince take the throne
in fact." Thereupon the King of Yen recalled all seals from
the officials whose bounties were above three hundred piculs,
and left all of them in the hands of Tzŭ-chih. After all,
Tzŭ-chih became powerful.

Fang Wu Tzŭ said: "I have heard that according to the
etiquette of antiquity no ruler should take the same carriage
with any wearer of the same kind of clothes or share the same
house with any kin. How much less should he allow any
minister to exercise his ruling authority and dislocate his
august position?"

Wu Chang said to King Hsüan of Han: "The lord of
men should not pretentiously love anybody; for, if he does
one day, he will not be able to hate him again. Nor should
he pretentiously hate anybody; or, if he does one day,
he will not be able to love him again. Therefore, if the
signs of pretentious hatred and pretentious love[14] are visible,
then flatterers will take advantage of the opportunities either
to disgrace their enemies or to honour their friends. Even
then the enlightened sovereign cannot save the situation.
How much less could he restore the status of affairs if he
showed anybody true love or true hatred?"

One day the King of Chao took a walk in the Royal
Garden. When the attendants were going to give rabbits to
the tiger, he stopped to look at the tiger. The tiger angrily
strained its eyes round and round. "How awful the tiger's
eyes are!" remarked the King. "The eyes of Lord P`ingyang,"
said some attendant, "are even more awful than these.
When people see the tiger's eyes, they do not always get
hurt; but when they see the eyes of Lord P`ing-yang
strained in this way, they are sure to die." On the following
day, Lord P`ing-yang heard about this remark and sent men
to kill the speaker, but the King never censured them.

Once the Ruler of Wei was paying a visit to the court of
Chou. The official usher of Chou asked his pen-name.
"The Feudal Lord of Wei,[15] Land-Extender,"[16] was the reply.
The usher, refusing him admission, said, "No feudal lord
is supposed to have the same name as the Son of Heaven."
Thereupon the Ruler of Wei changed his pen-name and said,
"The Feudal Lord of Wei, Hui." Thereafter he was ushered
into the court. Hearing about this, Chung-ni said: "How
extensive the prohibition of intimidation is! Even an empty
name would not be lent to others, to say nothing of a real
fact."

Annotations to Canon IV:—

If someone wants to move a tree and pulls each leaf, he
works hard but cannot shake the whole tree. If he holds the
root from the right and the left, then all the leaves will be
shaken. If you shake the tree by the pool, then the birds will

be scared and fly up and the fish will be frightened and swim
down. Who is skilful in hauling in a net, draws in the rope
and never pulls the knots, one after another, till he gets the
whole net. If he pulls the knots, one after another, so as to
get the whole net, he works hard and meets difficulties. If he
draws in the net by the rope, the fish will have been trapped.
For the same reason, magistrates are the roots and ropes of the
people. Therefore, the sage governs the magistrates but
never directly governs the people.

In the case of the fire brigade, if the captain carries water in
jars and pots and runs to the fire, he will perform the function
of only one man; whereas if he takes a whip in hand and
thereby gives directions to the workmen, then he will rule
over a myriad of men. For this reason, the sage does not look
after the trifles of the people and the enlightened sovereign
does not attend to small affairs.

One day, when Tsao-fu was picking weeds in the field,
there passed by him father and son riding in a carriage.
The horses were frightened and refused to go any farther. The
son alighted from the carriage and pulled the horses. The
father[17] pushed the carriage. Then they asked Tsao-fu,
"Will you help us move the carriage?" Tsao-fu, accordingly
put the implements together, stopped[18] working, and left them
on the carriage. Then he helped the son get into the carriage.
Finally, he held the reins in hand and took the whip along.
Before he started moving the reins and the whip, the horses
all began galloping[19] of a sudden. Were Tsao-fu unable

to drive the carriage, then even though he exerted his strength
and exhausted his body to help them move the carriage, the
horses would still be unwilling to go forward. Because he
knew how to drive, he took his ease, had a ride, and placed
strangers under an obligation. Likewise, the state is the
carriage of the Ruler; the august position is his horse. If
the Ruler does not know how to drive the carriage, then even
though he exhausts himself, he cannot avoid chaos. If he
knows how to drive, he will remain in the place of ease and
joy and accomplish the achievement of the emperor and the
king.

Iron hammers are for flattening metallic plates. Wooden
stands are for collecting crooked arrows. The sage makes laws
in order thereby to flatten the indented and correct the crooked.

When Cho Ch`ih was serving Ch`i he pulled the sinews
out of King Min's body. When Li Tai was serving Chao,
he starved the Father Sovereign to death. These two rulers
were both unable to use their iron hammers and wooden
stands with the result that they were put to death and became
the laughing-stock of All-under-Heaven.

According to a different source: After entering Ch`i one
would hear of Cho Ch`ih only and never hear of the King of
Ch`i; after entering Chao one would hear of Li Tai only and
never hear of the King of Chao. Hence the saying: "If
the lord of men does not apply tact, his prestige and position
will become insignificant and ministers will celebrate themselves
at leisure."

According to another different source: When T`ien Ying
was Premier of Ch`i, somebody said to the King of Ch`i:
"If Your Majesty does not spend a few days in listening to
the annual financial reports personally, then Your Majesty

will have no other way to know the officials' wickednesses
and corruptions." "Right," said the King. Hearing about
this T`ien Ying immediately went to ask the King to listen
to his reports. When the King was about to listen to the
reports, T`ien Ying ordered his subordinate officials to get
ready the officially signed documents and the accounts of
measures of grain. To these the King listened personally,
till he could no longer listen to any more reports. After his
lunch,[20] he sat down again. At dusk he had no more time left
for his supper. Then T`ien Ying said: "These reports
involve such duties as the officials night and day all year
around dare not neglect. If Your Majesty spends an evening
in listening to them, the officials will be encouraged."
"All right," said the King. All of a sudden the King fell
asleep. In the meantime the officials pulled knives out and
whittled the remaining documents and accounts of measures.[21]
Thus, as the King listened to the reports personally, disorder
began.

According to a different source: King Wu-ling entrusted
King Hui-wên with the state affairs, and appointed Li Tai
premier. As King Wu-ling did not hold the power of life and
death over the people himself, he was eventually intimidated
by Li Tai.

Annotations to Canon V:—

Tzŭ Chêng was pulling a push-cart to go across the arch of
a bridge, but was unable to bear the weight. So he sat on the
shaft and started singing. Meanwhile the passers-by from
the front stopped and those from the rear ran forward to help

him, till the push-cart went up the arch. Suppose Tzŭ
Chêng had no technique to attract people. Then even though
he exhausted himself to death, the cart would not be able to
go across the bridge. Now that he did not exhaust himself
while the cart went up the arch of the bridge, was because
he had the technique to make use of people.

When Lord Chien of Chao was sending tax-collectors
out, they asked him about the rate of taxation. Thereupon
Lord Chien said: "Neither too high nor too low. If too
high, it will profit the superior. If too low, it will profit the
people. The magistrates who seek no private profit, are
honest . . ."[22]

Once Po Yi said to Lord Chien of Chao: "The stomach
of the country of your Highness is well satiated." Rejoicing
in such a remark, Lord Chien gladly asked, "In what way?"
In reply Yi said: "On the top the treasury and the granary
are empty and running low; at the bottom the hundred
surnames are poor and starving; whereas in the centre the
crooked officials are wealthy."

Once Duke Huan went out in disguise and inspected the
domestic conditions of the people. There was an aged man
in a house supporting himself. So Duke Huan asked him
why he was left alone. In reply the man said: "Thy servant
has three sons. The whole family being poor, I have been
unable to find wives for them. They are in the employ of
other people and have not yet come back." Upon his return
to the court, Duke Huan related this situation to Kuan Chung.
Kuan Chung said: "If the public treasury has a surplus
amount of money, the people must be suffering hunger and
starvation. If the court has discontented girls, many men must

be having no wives." "Right," the Duke said, and then
instructed the court to give women in marriage and issued an
order among the people to the effect that "men must start
housekeeping at twenty, and women must get married at
fifteen."

According to a different source: Once Duke Huan went
out in disguise among the people. There was an old man
named Lu Mên-chi. He had lived seventy years and had no
wife. Therefore, Duke Huan asked Kuan Chung, "Is there
anyone among the people who has lived up to old age and
had no wife?" "There is a man," replied Kuan Chung,
"named Lu Mên-chi who has lived seventy years and had
no wife." "Then how can we make every man have a wife?"
asked Duke Huan. "Thy servant has heard," replied Kuan
Chung, "if the sovereign has money saved, the subjects must
be suffering destitution. If the court has discontented girls,
there must be men who live up to old age and have no wives."
"Right," said Duke Huan. Then he ordered the court to
give in marriage those girls who had never attended on the
Ruler, and also ordered men to start housekeeping at twenty
and women to get married at fifteen. In consequence, there
were no discontented girls inside the court and no wifeless
men outside.

Cho Tzŭ of Yen-ling rode in a carriage pulled by a team of
blue-haired horses with the herring-bone design.[23] The horses
were equipped with spur-reins[24] in the front and with hoes
plated with gold in the back. Thus, on going forward, they
were stopped by the spur-ornaments; on going backward,
the plated hoes struck them. Finally the horses began to

jump sideways. Thereby Tsao-fu passed and with tears
running down said: "Exactly in the same way the ancients
governed the people. Indeed, reward is for encouraging
people, but disgrace goes with it. Punishment is for prohibiting
people, but to it is added honour. The people, then
standing on the middle line, do not know which way to follow.
For this reason the sage wept for them."

According to a different source: Cho Tzŭ of Yen-ling
rode in a carriage pulled by a team of blue-haired horses with
the herring-bone design. They were equipped with spurornaments
in the front and sharp hoes at the back. On going
forward, he pulled the spurs; on going backward, he moved
the hoes. The horses could not go either forward or backward,
till they avoided either way and jumped sideways.
Therefore, he pulled his knife and cut off the horses' legs.
Seeing this, Tsao-fu shed tears and stopped eating all day
long. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said: "By
whipping the horses he wanted to advance them, but the
spur-ornaments were in the front. By pulling them he wanted
to withdraw them, but the sharp hoes were in the back.
Now, the lord of men promotes men on account of their
purity and honesty, but degrades them because they do not
suit the courtiers. He honours men on account of their
justice and fairness, but removes them because they do not
blindly obey him. In consequence, the people, feeling uneasy,
keep standing on the middle line and do not know which
way to follow. For this reason, the sage weeps for them."