說林上

Tang, having attacked Jie, feared that All-Under-Heaven would call him greedy. So he offered All-Under-Heaven to Wu Guang. But fearing that Wu Guang might accept, he sent someone to persuade Wu Guang, saying: 'Tang has killed his sovereign and now wishes to transfer the odium to you -- that is why he offers All-Under-Heaven to you.' Wu Guang thereupon drowned himself in the river.

Ziyu introduced Confucius to the Grand Steward of Song. After Confucius departed, Ziyu entered and asked for the Grand Steward's assessment of the guest. The Grand Steward said: 'Now that I have met Confucius, I see you as no larger than a flea or louse. I intend to present him to our lord.' Ziyu, fearing Confucius would become more honored than himself at court, said to the Grand Steward: 'Once our lord has met Confucius, he will also see you as no larger than a flea or louse.' The Grand Steward therefore never presented Confucius.

Jin invaded Xing. Duke Huan of Qi was about to rescue it. Bao Shu said: 'Too soon. If Xing does not perish, Jin will not be exhausted. If Jin is not exhausted, Qi's importance will not grow. Moreover, the merit of sustaining a state in danger is less than the virtue of restoring a state from extinction. My lord would do better to rescue Xing late, thereby exhausting Jin -- which truly benefits Qi -- and then wait until Xing has perished before restoring it. The fame from this would be far more glorious.' Duke Huan therefore did not rescue Xing.

Zhibo demanded territory from Lord Xuan of Wei. Lord Xuan refused. Ren Zhang said: 'Why not give it?' Lord Xuan said: 'He demands territory without cause, so I refuse.' Ren Zhang said: 'Demanding territory without cause will alarm the neighboring states. His greed being insatiable, All-Under-Heaven will be frightened. If you give him the land, Zhibo will grow arrogant and underestimate his enemies; the neighboring states will be frightened and draw closer together. With the army of allied states awaiting a power that underestimates its enemies, Zhibo's life will not last long. The Book of Zhou says: "If you wish to defeat someone, you must first assist him; if you wish to take from someone, you must first give to him." My lord would do better to give in order to make Zhibo arrogant. Besides, why should my lord abandon the chance to let All-Under-Heaven bring down the Zhi clan, and instead make our state alone a hostage to them?'

The lord said: 'Excellent.' He gave Zhibo a fief of ten thousand households. Zhibo was greatly pleased and then demanded territory from Zhao. Zhao refused, and Zhibo besieged Jinyang. Han and Wei turned against him from outside; the Zhao house responded from within. The Zhi clan was thus destroyed.

Guan Zhong and Xi Peng accompanied Duke Huan on an expedition against Guzhu. They set out in spring and returned in winter, losing their way in confusion. Guan Zhong said: 'We can make use of the wisdom of old horses.' They released an old horse and followed it, and found the road. Traveling through the mountains, they ran out of water. Xi Peng said: 'Ants live on the sunny side of mountains in winter and the shady side in summer. Where there is an ant mound one inch high, there is water below.' They dug into the ground and found water.

With all of Guan Zhong's sagacity and Xi Peng's intelligence, when they reached something they did not know, they did not disdain to learn from an old horse and from ants. Yet people today, in their ignorance, do not learn from the wisdom of sages. Is this not a grave error?

Someone presented an elixir of immortality to the King of Chu. The gatekeeper took it in hand to carry it inside. A palace guard asked: 'May this be eaten?' The gatekeeper said: 'Yes.' The guard snatched it and ate it. The king was furious and ordered the guard's execution. The guard sent someone to plead his case: 'I asked the gatekeeper whether it could be eaten. He said yes. Therefore I ate it -- my crime lies with the gatekeeper, not with me. Moreover, a guest presented an elixir of immortality; I ate it and yet the king would kill me -- this makes it an elixir of death, meaning the guest deceived the king. To kill an innocent minister while confirming that you have been deceived -- it would be better to release me.' The king did not kill him.

Yue Yang served as a general of Wei and attacked Zhongshan. His son was being held in Zhongshan. The lord of Zhongshan boiled his son and sent the broth to Yue Yang. Yue Yang sat beneath the command tent and drank it, draining the cup. Marquis Wen said to Du Shizan: 'Yue Yang ate his own son's flesh for my sake.' Du Shizan replied: 'If he can eat his own son, whose flesh would he not eat?' After Yue Yang conquered Zhongshan, Marquis Wen rewarded his merit but suspected his character.

Mengsun went hunting and caught a fawn. He gave it to Qin Xiba to carry home, but the doe followed, crying. Qin Xiba could not bear it and released the fawn to its mother. When Mengsun returned and asked for the fawn, Qin Xiba said: 'I could not bear it and gave it back to its mother.' Mengsun was furious and dismissed him. After three months, he summoned Qin Xiba back and made him tutor to his son. His charioteer asked: 'Before, you were going to punish him; now you make him your son's tutor. Why?' Mengsun said: 'If he could not bear to let the fawn suffer, how much less would he let my son suffer?'

Therefore it is said: 'Clumsy sincerity surpasses artful deceit.' Yue Yang, despite his merit, was met with suspicion. Qin Xiba, despite his offense, was trusted all the more.

Chiyi Zipi served Tian Chengzi. When Tian Chengzi fled Qi and headed for Yan, Chiyi Zipi carried the travel documents and followed. Reaching Wangyi, Zipi said: 'Have you not heard the parable of the snakes in the dried marsh? When the marsh dried up, the snakes had to migrate. A small snake said to a large snake: "If you slither along and I follow, people will see just ordinary snakes and will surely kill you. Better for us to entwine -- you carry me on your back. People will take me for a spirit lord." So they entwined and crossed the public road. People all avoided them, saying: "A spirit lord!" Now, you are handsome and I am ugly. If you serve as my honored guest, I appear as a lord of a thousand chariots. If you serve as my envoy, I appear as a minister of a state of ten thousand chariots. Would you not be willing to act as my retainer?'

Tian Chengzi thereupon carried the documents and followed. When they arrived at an inn, the innkeeper treated them with great respect and offered wine and meat.

Zhou of Shang had ivory chopsticks made, and Jizi was filled with dread. He reasoned: ivory chopsticks would surely not be paired with earthen bowls -- they would require cups of rhinoceros horn and jade. Ivory chopsticks and jade cups would not serve bean-and-vegetable soup -- they would require yak tail, elephant, and leopard embryo. Such delicacies would not be eaten in rough cloth under a thatched roof -- they would require brocade robes in nine layers, lofty terraces and grand halls. Pursuing things on this scale, All-Under-Heaven would not suffice.

The sage perceives the subtle to know the sprout; perceives the beginning to know the end. Therefore he saw ivory chopsticks and was filled with dread, knowing that All-Under-Heaven would not suffice.

A man of Wei married off his daughter and instructed her: 'Be sure to save secretly. It is common for a married woman to be sent away; that she remains is merely good fortune.' His daughter therefore saved secretly, and her mother-in-law considered her too acquisitive and sent her away. What the daughter brought back was double what she had brought as a dowry. The father did not blame himself for teaching his daughter wrongly -- he only congratulated himself on his increased wealth. Consider that ministers who hold office are all of this kind.

Xi Simi visited Tian Chengzi. Tian Chengzi took him up a tower to survey the four directions. Three sides afforded a clear view, but looking south, the trees of Xi Simi's estate blocked the view. Tian Chengzi said nothing. Xi Simi went home and ordered men to cut them down. After a few strokes of the axe, he stopped them. His steward asked: 'Why the sudden change?' Xi Simi said: 'There is an old proverb: "One who can see the fish in the depths is ill-omened." Tian Chengzi is planning something great, and I have shown him that I perceive the unspoken. This will surely endanger me. Not cutting down the trees is no offense; but showing that I know what another has not said -- that is a grave offense.' So he did not cut them down.

Yang Zi stopped at an inn in Song while traveling east. The innkeeper had two concubines: the ugly one was honored and the beautiful one was lowly. Yang Zi asked the reason. The innkeeper replied: 'The beautiful one considers herself beautiful -- I do not see her beauty. The ugly one considers herself ugly -- I do not see her ugliness.' Yang Zi said to his disciples: 'Act with worth but without the self-consciousness of being worthy, and wherever you go you will be appreciated.'

Tian Boding patronized men of talent and thereby preserved his lord. Bai Gong patronized men of talent and thereby threw Chu into chaos. Their patronage of men of talent was the same; their purposes were different. Gongsun You mutilated himself to elevate Baili Xi. Shu Diao castrated himself to ingratiate himself with Duke Huan. Their self-mutilation was the same; their reasons for self-mutilation were different.

Huizi said: 'The madman runs eastward; his pursuer also runs eastward. Their running eastward is the same; their reasons for running eastward are different.' Therefore it is said: 'People who do the same things must be carefully examined.'