威王問於莫敖子華曰：「自從先君文王以至不穀之身，亦有為爵勸，不以祿勉，以憂社稷者乎？」莫敖子華對曰：「如華不足知之矣。」王曰：「不於大夫，無所聞之。」莫敖子華對曰：「君王將何問者也？彼有廉其爵，貧其身，以憂社稷者；有崇其爵，豐其祿，以憂社稷者；有斷脰決腹，壹瞑而萬世不視，不知所益，以憂社稷者；有勞其身，愁其志，以憂社稷者；亦有不為爵勸，不為祿勉，以憂社稷者。」
王曰：「大夫此言，將何謂也？」
莫敖子華對曰：「昔令尹子文，緇帛之衣以朝，鹿裘以處；未明而立於朝，日晦而歸食；朝不謀夕，無一月之積。故彼廉其爵，貧其身，以憂社稷者，令尹子文是也。
「昔者葉公子高，身獲於表薄，而財於柱國；定白公之禍，寧楚國之事，恢先君以掩方城之外，四封不侵，名不挫於諸侯。當此之時也，天下莫敢以兵南鄉。葉公子高，食田六百畛。故彼崇其爵，豐其祿，以憂社稷者，葉公子高是也。
「昔者吳與楚戰於柏舉，兩御之間夫卒交。莫敖大心撫其御之手，顧而大息曰：『嗟乎子乎，楚國亡之月至矣！吾將深入吳軍，若撲一人，若捽一人，以與大心者也，社稷其為庶幾乎？』故斷脰決腹，壹瞑而萬世不視，不知所益，以憂社稷者，莫敖大心是也。
「昔者吳與楚戰於柏舉，三戰入郢。寡君身出，大夫悉屬，百姓離散。棼冒勃蘇曰：『吾被堅執銳，赴強敵而死，此猶一卒也，不若奔諸侯。』於是贏糧潛行，上崢山，逾深溪，蹠穿膝暴，七日而薄秦王之朝。雀立不轉，晝吟宵哭。七日不得告。水漿無入口，瘨而殫悶，旄不知人。秦王聞而走之，冠帶相及，左奉其首，右濡其口，勃蘇乃蘇。秦王身問之：『子孰誰也？』棼冒勃蘇對曰：『臣非異，楚使新造盩棼冒勃蘇。吳與楚人戰於柏舉，三戰入郢，寡君身出，大夫悉屬，百姓離散。使下臣來告亡，且求救。』秦王顧令不起：『寡人聞之，萬乘之君，得罪一士，社稷其危，今此之謂也。』遂出革車千乘，卒萬人，屬之子滿與子虎。下塞以東，與吳人戰於濁水而大敗之，亦聞於遂浦。故勞其身，愁其思，以憂社稷者，棼冒勃蘇是也。
「吳與楚戰於柏舉，三戰入郢。君王身出，大夫悉屬，百姓離散。蒙谷給斗於宮唐之上，舍斗奔郢曰：『若有孤，楚國社稷其庶幾乎！』遂入大宮，負離次之典以浮於江，逃於雲夢之中。昭王反郢，五官失法，百姓昏亂；蒙谷獻典，五官得法，而百姓大治。此蒙谷之功，多與存國相若，封之執圭，田六百畛。蒙谷怒曰：『谷非人臣，社稷之臣。苟社稷血食，余豈悉無君乎？』遂自棄於磨山之中，至今無冒。故不為爵勸，不為祿勉，以憂社稷者，蒙谷是也。」
王乃大息曰：「此古之人也。今之人，焉能有之耳？」
莫敖子華對曰：「昔者先君靈王好小要，楚士約食，馮而能立，式而能起，食之可欲。忍而不入；死之可惡，然而不避。章聞之，其君好發者，其臣抉拾。君王直不好，若君王誠好賢，此五臣者，皆可得而致之。」
King Wei asked Mo'ao Zihua: "From the time of our ancestor King Wen down to my own unworthy person, has there ever been one who worried for the state without being enticed by rank or motivated by salary?"
Mo'ao Zihua replied: "One such as Zihua is hardly wise enough to know."
The king said: "If I cannot learn it from you, my lord, there is no one to ask."
Mo'ao Zihua replied: "What does Your Majesty wish to ask about? There are those who held their rank lightly and impoverished themselves in worry for the state. There are those who held high rank and received generous stipends yet still worried for the state. There are those who had their throats cut and their bellies slashed — eyes closed for ten thousand ages, never to open again, not knowing what good it did — yet worried for the state. There are those who exhausted their bodies and afflicted their spirits in worry for the state. And there are those who were neither enticed by rank nor motivated by salary, yet worried for the state."
The king said: "What do you mean by this?"
Mo'ao Zihua replied: "In former times, Prime Minister Ziwen wore black silk robes to court and deerskin at home. He stood at court before dawn and returned to eat only after dark. He never planned for tomorrow's meal and had no month's provisions stored. He who held his rank lightly and impoverished himself in worry for the state — that was Prime Minister Ziwen.
"In former times, the Lord of She, Zigao, won glory in battle and attained the rank of Pillar of the State. He suppressed the rebellion of the Lord of Bai, restored order to Chu, extended the borders of our former kings beyond Fangcheng, kept the four frontiers from invasion, and maintained Chu's reputation among the feudal lords. In that era, none in All-Under-Heaven dared march south with their armies. The Lord of She, Zigao, received six hundred parcels of farmland. He who held high rank and generous stipends yet worried for the state — that was the Lord of She, Zigao.
"When Wu fought Chu at Boju, with the charioteers of both sides not yet engaged, Mo'ao Daxin clasped his charioteer's hand, looked back, and sighed deeply: 'Alas, my friend — the month of Chu's destruction has arrived! I will plunge deep into the Wu army. If I can strike down one man, seize one man — anyone who is with Daxin — perhaps the state may yet survive.' He who had his throat cut and belly slashed, eyes closed for ten thousand ages never to open again, not knowing what good it did, yet worried for the state — that was Mo'ao Daxin.
"When Wu fought Chu at Boju, three battles and they entered Ying. Our lord fled in person, all the ministers were scattered, the people dispersed. Fen Mao Bosu said: 'If I don armor and take up weapons and rush at the enemy to die, I am merely one soldier. Better to run to the feudal lords for help.' So he packed provisions and traveled in secret, climbing steep mountains, crossing deep valleys, his feet worn through and his knees blistered. After seven days he reached the court of the King of Qin. He stood like a sparrow, motionless, moaning by day and weeping by night. For seven days he could not obtain an audience. No water or broth passed his lips. He grew faint, his mind went dark, and he lost consciousness entirely. The King of Qin heard of it and rushed to him, barely getting his cap and belt on in time. He cradled Bosu's head with one hand and moistened his lips with the other. Bosu revived. The King of Qin asked personally: 'Who are you?' Fen Mao Bosu replied: 'I am no one special — I am the Chu envoy from Xinzao and Zhou, Fen Mao Bosu. Wu fought Chu at Boju, three battles and entered Ying. Our lord fled in person, all the ministers were scattered, the people dispersed. He sent your humble servant to report the calamity and beg for rescue.' The King of Qin looked around and ordered his attendants not to rise: 'I have heard that when a lord of ten thousand chariots offends a single gentleman, the state is endangered. This is exactly such a case.' He then dispatched a thousand war chariots and ten thousand soldiers, placing them under Zi Man and Zi Hu. They descended through the passes to the east and fought the Wu forces at Zhuo River, defeating them decisively, with word reaching Suipu as well. He who exhausted his body and afflicted his spirit in worry for the state — that was Fen Mao Bosu.
"When Wu fought Chu at Boju, three battles and entered Ying. The king fled in person, all the ministers were scattered, the people dispersed. Meng Gu was fighting at the Temple of Gongtang. He abandoned the fight and ran toward Ying, saying: 'If the young prince survives, Chu's state may yet endure!' He entered the Great Palace, shouldered the Lici statutes, and floated down the Yangtze, hiding in the marshes of Yunmeng. When King Zhao returned to Ying, the five offices had lost their codes and the people were in chaos. Meng Gu presented the statutes; the five offices recovered their codes and the people were well governed. Meng Gu's achievement was comparable to saving the state itself. He was enfeoffed as Holder of the Jade Tablet with six hundred parcels of farmland. Meng Gu was furious: 'I am not a minister of men — I am a minister of the state. So long as the altars of state receive blood sacrifice, do I not have a lord?' He abandoned his post in the mountains of Mo, and to this day his line has no titles. He who was neither enticed by rank nor motivated by salary, yet worried for the state — that was Meng Gu."
The king sighed deeply: "These were men of antiquity. How could men of today ever match them?"
Mo'ao Zihua replied: "In former times our ancestor King Ling loved slender waists. The men of Chu ate sparingly: they would lean on something to stand and brace themselves to rise. They desired food but endured without eating; they dreaded death but did not shrink from it. I have heard it said: when a lord loves archery, his ministers take up the bow-ring and arm-guard. It is simply that Your Majesty does not love these things. If Your Majesty truly loved virtue, these five kinds of ministers could all be obtained and summoned to your service."
