難二

Duke Jing visited Yanzi and said: 'Your residence is small and close to the market. Let me move your household to the gardens of Yuzhang.' Yanzi bowed twice and declined: 'My household is poor. We depend on the market for food, going there morning and evening. It cannot be far away.' Duke Jing laughed: 'Your household knows the market well. Do you know what is dear and what is cheap?' At this time, Duke Jing was excessive in his punishments. Yanzi replied: 'Prosthetic feet are dear and shoes are cheap.' Duke Jing asked why. Yanzi replied: 'Because there are too many amputations.' Duke Jing's expression changed abruptly: 'Am I so cruel?' Thereupon he reduced punishments by five-tenths.

One may object: Yanzi's remark about prosthetic feet was not sincere; he wished to use clever words to stop excessive punishment. This is the error of not examining governance carefully. When punishments are appropriate, they are never too many; when inappropriate, they are never too few. Yanzi did not present the case as one of inappropriateness, but argued that they were too numerous -- this is the failing of having no method. When a defeated army is punished, the executions number in the hundreds and thousands, and still they do not stop retreating. When governing disorder, punishments seem never enough, and still villainy is not exhausted. Now Yanzi did not examine whether the punishments were appropriate or not, but merely argued they were too many. Is this not reckless?

Duke Huan of Qi got drunk and lost his cap. Ashamed, he did not hold court for three days. Guan Zhong said: 'This is not a disgrace for a ruler of a state. Why not wash away the shame through good governance?' The duke said: 'Excellent!' He opened the granaries and distributed grain to the poor, reviewed the prisons and released those convicted of minor offenses. Within three days, the people sang: 'Would that our lord might lose his cap again!'

One may object: Guan Zhong washed away Duke Huan's shame before the common people, but created a new shame for Duke Huan before the principled. If opening the granaries and releasing minor offenders was not righteous, then it cannot wash away shame. If it was righteous, then Duke Huan had long known what was right but waited until he lost his cap to act -- which means he acted from embarrassment, not righteousness. Though this washes away the shame of the lost cap before the common people, it creates the shame of delayed righteousness before the principled.

Moreover, opening the granaries to give to the poor is rewarding those without merit. Releasing minor offenders is failing to punish transgressions. Rewarding those without merit causes the people to seek unearned favors and look to the ruler for handouts. Failing to punish transgressions causes the people to feel no deterrence and to transgress easily. These are the roots of disorder. How can they wash away shame?

In the past, King Wen invaded Meng, conquered Ju, and took Feng. After these three campaigns, King Zhou of Shang grew hostile toward him. King Wen became afraid and offered to cede the territory west of the Luo River -- the domain of red soil, a thousand li on each side -- in exchange for the abolition of the punishment of roasting on the bronze pillar. All-Under-Heaven rejoiced. Confucius heard and said: 'How benevolent, King Wen! He gave up a domain of a thousand li to request the abolition of roasting on the bronze pillar. How wise, King Wen! He gave up territory of a thousand li and won the hearts of All-Under-Heaven.'

One may object: Confucius's judgment that King Wen was wise is surely mistaken. A wise man is one who recognizes the ground of disaster and avoids it, so that his person never comes to harm. If King Zhou's hostility toward King Wen arose because Wen had not won the people's hearts, then seeking the people's hearts to resolve the hostility would be reasonable. But Zhou was hostile precisely because Wen had won too many hearts. To then give up territory to win even more hearts is to redouble the suspicion -- and this is precisely why he was shackled and imprisoned at Youli.

Duke Ping of Jin asked Shu Xiang: 'In the past, Duke Huan of Qi united the feudal lords nine times and rectified All-Under-Heaven. Was this the ministers' achievement, I wonder, or the ruler's?' Shu Xiang replied: 'Guan Zhong was skilled at cutting the pattern, Bin Xuwu at trimming the seams, Xi Peng at hemming the edges. The garment was completed, and the lord merely lifted it and wore it. It was the ministers' achievement. What contribution did the lord make?' Shi Kuang leaned on his zither and laughed.

One may object: The answers of both Shu Xiang and Shi Kuang are one-sided. To unite All-Under-Heaven and assemble the feudal lords nine times -- this is a great achievement. It was not solely the ruler's doing, nor solely the ministers'.

In the time of Duke Huan of Qi, a visitor from Jin arrived and the officials asked about protocol. Duke Huan said 'Tell Zhongfu' three times. A court jester laughed: 'How easy it is to be a ruler! First it's Zhongfu, then it's Zhongfu.' Duke Huan said: 'I have heard that being a ruler is laborious in seeking the right man, but leisurely once one has found him. Finding Zhongfu was already difficult. After finding Zhongfu, why should it not be easy?'

One may object: Duke Huan's response to the jester is not the speech of a true ruler. He considered ruling laborious because of seeking men -- but what is laborious about seeking men? Yi Yin offered himself as a cook to Tang; Baili Xi offered himself as a slave to Duke Mu. Enduring humiliation to approach a ruler is the urgency of the worthy man's concern for the world. A ruler need only not reject the worthy, and seeking them is not difficult.

Moreover, official positions exist to employ the worthy; ranks and salaries exist to reward merit. When positions are established and ranks displayed, worthy men come of their own accord. What labor is there for the ruler?

Li Dui governed Zhongshan. The magistrate of Kuxing submitted his annual accounts showing excessive revenue. Li Dui said: 'Speech that is eloquent and pleasant to hear but does not accord with righteousness is called suspicious speech. Revenue that is abundant without the resources of mountains, forests, marshes, and valleys is called suspicious goods. A gentleman does not listen to suspicious speech and does not accept suspicious goods. You may go -- you are dismissed.'

One may object: To call excessive revenue 'suspicious goods' is not a principle that can be applied broadly. Li Dui should have detected the fraud early and prevented it from reaching the accounting stage -- that was his real failure. Moreover, without techniques to investigate, how can one know whether the revenue is legitimate? Excess revenue may simply come from a good harvest. Even if it doubles, what of it?

Lord Jian of Zhao was besieging the outer walls of Wei, standing behind rhinoceros-hide shields and mantlets within range of arrows and stones. He beat the drum, but the soldiers would not rise to attack. Lord Jian threw down his drumstick and said: 'Alas! My soldiers are worn out.' The herald Zhuguo removed his helmet and replied: 'I have heard this: there are only rulers who cannot manage their soldiers. There are no soldiers who are worn out.'

One may object: The herald had no real argument. He merely cited the facts that under Duke Hui these same people lost, and under Duke Wen they achieved hegemony -- but he never explained how to use people effectively. Lord Jian should not have hastily removed his shields and mantlets.

A devoted son whose parents are in danger will brave arrows and stones -- that is filial love. But filial sons are one in a hundred. To assume that because the leader exposes himself to danger, his soldiers will all fight like filial sons protecting parents -- this is the herald's deception.

Desiring gain and fearing harm -- this all people share. When rewards are generous and reliable, people will face the enemy lightly. When punishments are severe and certain, those who fail will not collude with each other.