問田

Xu Qu asked Tian Jiu: "I have heard that the wise officer does not bypass lower ranks to meet the ruler, and the sage does not present himself to superiors without proven merit. Now Yangcheng Yiqu is a brilliant general, yet he is stationed at the Maobo post; Gongsun Dan Hui is a sage minister, yet he is checked at the prefecture level. Why is this?" Tian Jiu said: "There is no other reason or strange circumstance -- it is because the ruler has standards and the sovereign has techniques. Has Your Excellency alone not heard how Chu appointed Song Gu as general and lost its governance, or how Wei appointed Feng Li as minister and lost its state? Those two rulers were driven by rhetoric and dazzled by eloquent persuasion. They did not test at the Maobo post, they did not check at the prefecture level -- and so they suffered the calamity of lost governance and a ruined state. Seen from this perspective, without the testing at Maobo and the checking at the prefectures, how would the enlightened ruler have his safeguards?"

Lord Tangxi said to Master Han: "I have heard that observing ritual propriety and yielding to others is the art of self-preservation, and cultivating virtue while retiring from cleverness is the way of self-completion. Now you, sir, establish systems of law and techniques, and set up measures and standards. I privately think this endangers your person and imperils your life. How do I demonstrate this? From what I have heard of your doctrines, you say: 'Chu did not employ Wu Qi and was diminished and disordered; Qin implemented Shang Yang's reforms and became rich and powerful. The words of these two men were proven correct, yet Wu Qi was dismembered and Shang Yang was torn apart by chariots -- the calamity of not encountering the right age and the right ruler.' Favorable encounters cannot be guaranteed, and calamity cannot be warded off. To abandon the way of self-preservation and self-completion and to indulge in dangerous conduct -- I privately think there is nothing in this for you, sir."

Master Han said: "I understand your words clearly. The handle for governing All-Under-Heaven and the standards for ordering the common people are indeed not easy matters. Yet the reason I set aside the teachings of the former kings and practice what this humble minister has chosen is that I believe establishing systems of law and techniques and setting up measures and standards is the way to benefit the common people and bring convenience to the masses. Therefore, not fearing the calamity that comes from chaotic rulers and benighted sovereigns, but resolutely striving to provide the people with resources and benefits -- this is the conduct of benevolence and wisdom. To fear the calamity from chaotic rulers and benighted sovereigns, to avoid the harm of death and destruction, to have clear understanding yet fail to see the people's need because one is calculating for oneself -- this is the conduct of greed and baseness. I cannot bring myself to turn toward greed and baseness, and I dare not impair the conduct of benevolence and wisdom. Your words, sir, carry the intention of caring for me, yet in substance they would do me great harm."