Book 1B · King Hui of Liang, Part Two

2.1 Zhuang Bao visited Mencius and said, “I had an audience with the king, who told me that he loves music. I did not know what to say.” He asked, “What do you think of loving music?”Mencius said, “If the king loves music deeply, Qi may yet prosper!”On another day Mencius had an audience with the king and said, “Your Majesty once told Zhuang Bao that you love music. Is that so?”The king's face changed. “I cannot claim to love the music of the ancient kings; I only love the music of our age.”“If Your Majesty loves music deeply, Qi may yet prosper. The music of today is like that of antiquity in this respect.”“May I hear how?”“Which brings greater joy: enjoying music alone or enjoying it with others?”“With others.”“And which brings greater joy: enjoying it with a few or with many?”“With many.”“Then let me speak to Your Majesty of music. If you play music here today and the people hear your bells and drums, pipes and flutes, they will clutch their aching heads, knit their brows, and tell one another, ‘Our king loves music, but why has he brought us to such misery? Fathers and sons cannot see each other; brothers, wives, and children are scattered.’ If Your Majesty hunts here and the people hear your horses and carriages and see your splendid feathered banners, they will clutch their heads, knit their brows, and say the same: ‘Our king loves hunting, but why has he brought us to such misery? Fathers and sons cannot see each other; brothers, wives, and children are scattered.’ There is no other reason: you do not share your joy with the people. But if Your Majesty plays music here and the people hear the bells, drums, pipes, and flutes, they will rejoice and say to one another with happy faces, ‘Our king must be free of illness, or how could he play music?’ If you hunt and they hear the horses and carriages and see the lovely feathered banners, they will rejoice and say, ‘Our king must be free of illness, or how could he hunt?’ There is no other reason: you share your joy with the people. If Your Majesty shares the people's joy now, you will become king of the world.”

2.2 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Was King Wen's game park seventy li square?”Mencius replied, “So it is recorded.”“Was it really so large?”“The people thought it too small.”“My park is forty li square, and the people think it too large. Why?”“King Wen's park was seventy li square, but those gathering fodder or firewood went there, and so did those hunting pheasants and rabbits. He shared it with the people. Is it any wonder they thought it too small? When I first reached your border, I asked about the state's great prohibitions before I dared enter. I heard that within the suburban gates is a park forty li square, and killing one of its deer carries the same penalty as killing a person. That is to set a forty-li-square trap in the midst of the state. Is it any wonder the people think it too large?”

2.3 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Is there a way to deal with neighboring states?”Mencius replied, “Yes. Only the humane can use their greatness to serve the small; thus Tang served Ge, and King Wen served the Kunyi. Only the wise can use their smallness to serve the great; thus the Great King served the Xunyu, and Goujian served Wu. To serve the small from a position of strength is to rejoice in Heaven; to serve the great from a position of weakness is to stand in awe of Heaven. Those who rejoice in Heaven safeguard the world; those who stand in awe of Heaven safeguard their state. The Odes say, ‘He stood in awe of Heaven's majesty and thereby preserved it.’”The king said, “These are great words! But I have a failing: I love courage.”Mencius replied, “Your Majesty, do not love petty courage. To grip one's sword, glare fiercely, and say, ‘Who dares face me?’—that is the courage of an ordinary man, enough to fight one person. Enlarge your courage! The Odes say, ‘The king flared up in anger, and ordered his hosts, to check the march on Ju, strengthen Zhou's blessing, and answer the world.’ Such was King Wen's courage: with one outburst of anger he brought peace to the people of the world. The Documents say, ‘Heaven brought forth the people below and appointed for them rulers and teachers, saying only: Let them aid the Lord on High and favor the four quarters. Guilty or innocent, all rest with me; who under Heaven would dare defy his will?’ That a single man should range violently over the world shamed King Wu. Such was his courage; one outburst of anger brought peace to the people of the world. If Your Majesty, too, grows angry once and brings peace to the people of the world, the people will fear only that you do not love courage enough.”

2.4 King Xuan of Qi met Mencius in the Snow Palace. “Do the worthy have pleasures like this?” he asked.“Yes,” Mencius replied. “When people cannot enjoy them, they blame those above. To blame those above simply because they cannot enjoy them is wrong; yet for a ruler not to share joy with the people is also wrong. One who delights in the people's joys will find that they delight in his joys; one who grieves over their troubles will find that they grieve over his. To share the world's joy and share its sorrow, and yet fail to become king of the world—such a thing has never been. Once Duke Jing of Qi asked Yanzi, ‘I wish to sightsee at Zhuanfu and Chaowu, follow the coast southward, and reach Langye. What must I do to make my journey comparable to the tours of the former kings?’ Yanzi replied, ‘An excellent question! When the Son of Heaven went to the lords, it was called an inspection tour: he inspected what they guarded. When a lord appeared at the Son of Heaven's court, it was called a report of duty: he reported the work entrusted to him. Neither journey was without purpose. In spring the ruler inspected the plowing and supplied what was lacking; in autumn he inspected the harvest and helped those in need. A Xia proverb says, “If our king did not travel, how would we rest? If our king did not tour, how would we receive help? One journey, one tour, became a model for the lords.” Today things are different. The army marches and consumes the food, while the hungry have none to eat and the weary cannot rest. People glare and slander each other, and turn to wrongdoing. Rulers defy their charge and afflict the people, while food and drink flow like water. Their drifting and lingering, their reckless hunts and drunken excesses, are a burden to the lords. To follow the current downstream and forget to return is called drifting; to go upstream and forget to return is lingering; to hunt beasts without satisfaction is reckless hunting; to drink wine without satisfaction is drunken excess. The former kings knew no pleasure in drifting or lingering, no conduct of reckless hunting or drunken excess. The choice is yours, my lord.’ Duke Jing was pleased. He made great preparations throughout the state and lodged outside the city. Then he began opening the stores to make up the people's shortages. He summoned the master of music and said, ‘Compose music for me on the mutual delight of ruler and ministers.’ The pieces called Summons in the Zhi and Summons in the Jiao modes arose from this. Their verse asks, ‘What fault is there in restraining one's lord?’ To restrain one's lord is to care for him.”

2.5 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Everyone tells me to demolish the Bright Hall. Should I demolish it, or leave it?”Mencius replied, “The Bright Hall is the hall of a true king. If Your Majesty wishes to practice kingly government, do not demolish it.”“May I hear about kingly government?”“When King Wen governed Qi, cultivators paid one part in nine, officials held hereditary stipends, gates and markets were inspected but not taxed, fishing in ponds and rivers was unrestricted, and the families of criminals were not punished. An old man without a wife is a widower; an old woman without a husband is a widow; an old person without children is solitary; a young child without a father is an orphan. These four are the most destitute people in the world and have no one to turn to. King Wen, in enacting humane government, put them first. The Odes say, ‘The wealthy fare well; pity the lonely and bereft.’”“Excellent words!” said the king.“If Your Majesty approves, why not put them into practice?”“I have a failing: I love wealth.”“In ancient times Duke Liu loved wealth. The Odes say, ‘He filled bins and granaries, wrapped up his provisions, filled sacks and bags. He thought to unite his people and bring them glory. Bows and arrows were strung; shields, spears, axes, and halberds were ready. Then at last they set forth.’ Those who stayed had stores in the granaries and those who traveled had provisions wrapped for the road; only then could they set forth. If Your Majesty loves wealth and shares it with the people, what stands in the way of kingship?”“I have a failing: I love women.”“In ancient times the Great King loved women; he cherished his consort. The Odes say, ‘Old Duke Danfu rode his horse at morning, followed the western riverbank, and reached the foot of Mount Qi; there with Lady Jiang he came to seek a home.’ At that time no woman inside the household was left resentful, no man outside left without a wife. If Your Majesty loves women and shares that good fortune with the people, what stands in the way of kingship?”

2.6 Mencius said to King Xuan of Qi, “Suppose one of your ministers entrusted his wife and children to a friend and traveled to Chu. When he returned, he found them cold and hungry. What should be done?”“Abandon the friend,” said the king.“If the chief judge cannot govern his judges, what should be done?”“Dismiss him.”“If everything within the four borders is misgoverned, what should be done?”The king looked to either side and spoke of something else.

2.7 Mencius visited King Xuan of Qi and said, “What is called an old-established state is not one with ancient trees, but one with ministers whose families have served for generations. Your Majesty has no trusted ministers. Men you promoted in the past are gone today, and you do not even know it.”The king said, “How can I tell who is unfit and dismiss him?”“When a ruler promotes the worthy, he should do so as if he had no alternative, for this will place those of low standing above the honored and distant relations above kin. Can he fail to be careful? If all your attendants call a man worthy, that is not enough; if all your ministers do, that is not enough. When all the people of the state call him worthy, examine him; if he proves worthy, employ him. If all your attendants say a man is unfit, do not listen; if all your ministers do, do not listen. When all the people say he is unfit, examine him; if he proves unfit, remove him. If all your attendants say a man should be executed, do not listen; if all your ministers do, do not listen. When all the people say he should be executed, examine him; if he deserves execution, execute him. Thus it can be said, ‘The people of the state put him to death.’ Only in this way can you be father and mother to the people.”

2.8 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Did Tang banish Jie, and King Wu attack Zhou?”“So the records say,” Mencius replied.“Is it right for a minister to kill his ruler?”“One who destroys humaneness is called a robber; one who destroys rightness is called a mutilator. A man who mutilates and robs is called a mere fellow. I have heard of the execution of the mere fellow Zhou, but have not heard of the murder of a ruler.”

2.9 Mencius visited King Xuan of Qi and said, “If you were building a great hall, you would have the master carpenter seek great timbers. When he found them, you would rejoice, knowing they could bear the load. If another carpenter cut them down to small pieces, you would be angry, knowing they could not bear it. Now a man studies a teaching in youth and wishes to put it into practice in maturity, but Your Majesty says, ‘Set aside what you learned and follow me.’ What is that like? If you had a block of uncut jade here, even if it were worth ten thousand yi, you would certainly have a jade craftsman carve it. Yet when it comes to governing the state, you say, ‘Set aside what you learned and follow me.’ How is that different from trying to teach the jade craftsman how to carve jade?”

2.10 Qi attacked Yan and conquered it. King Xuan asked, “Some tell me not to take it; others tell me to take it. A state with ten thousand chariots attacked another of ten thousand and captured it in fifty days: human strength alone could not do this. If I do not take it, Heaven will surely send disaster. What if I take it?”Mencius replied, “If the people of Yan rejoice when you take it, take it; King Wu was an ancient who did so. If the people of Yan do not rejoice, do not take it; King Wen was an ancient who refrained. When one state of ten thousand chariots attacks another and its people greet the king's army carrying baskets of food and jars of drink, why do they do so? To escape flood and fire. If the flood becomes deeper and the fire burns hotter, they will only turn elsewhere.”

2.11 Qi attacked Yan and took it. The lords plotted to rescue Yan. King Xuan said, “Many lords plan to attack me. How should I face them?”Mencius replied, “I have heard of Tang, who ruled the world from a territory of seventy li. I have never heard of a ruler with a thousand li of land who feared others. The Documents say, ‘Tang's first punitive campaign began with Ge.’ The world trusted him. When he marched east, the tribes in the west complained; when he marched south, the tribes in the north complained, saying, ‘Why does he leave us until last?’ The people looked for him as in great drought they look for clouds and rainbows. Those returning from market did not stop, and farmers did not abandon their work. He punished their ruler and comforted their people, like timely rain falling. The people rejoiced greatly. The Documents say, ‘We await our lord; when he comes, we shall live again.’ Now the ruler of Yan abused his people; when Your Majesty went to punish him, they thought you would rescue them from flood and fire and greeted your army with baskets of food and jars of drink. But if you kill their fathers and elder brothers, bind their sons and younger brothers, destroy their ancestral temples, and carry off their precious ritual vessels, how can this be allowed? The world already feared Qi's strength. Now that you have doubled your territory without instituting humane government, you are setting the world's armies in motion. Issue an order quickly: return their old and young, leave their precious vessels, consult the people of Yan, install a ruler, and then withdraw. It may still be possible to halt the attack.”

2.12 Zou and Lu fought. Duke Mu asked, “Thirty-three of my officers died, but none of the people died for them. If I execute the people, there are too many to execute; if I do not, they have stood watching their superiors die without rescuing them. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “In years of bad harvest and famine, the old and weak among your people fell into ditches and ravines, while almost a thousand strong people scattered to the four quarters. Yet your granaries were full and your treasuries well supplied, and none of your officers told you. Those above neglected and injured those below. Zengzi said, ‘Take warning, take warning! What goes out from you comes back to you.’ Now the people have had their chance to return what they received. Do not blame them, my lord. Practice humane government, and the people will hold their superiors dear and die for their leaders.”

2.13 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “Teng is a small state caught between Qi and Chu. Should we serve Qi, or Chu?”Mencius replied, “Such a strategy is beyond my powers. If I must answer, there is one course: dig your moat, build your walls, and defend them alongside the people. If they will fight to the death and not desert you, something can be done.”

2.14 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “The people of Qi are about to fortify Xue. I am very afraid. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “Long ago the Great King lived in Bin. When the Di invaded, he left and settled beneath Mount Qi. He did not choose that place because it pleased him; he had no alternative. If you do good, one of your descendants will surely become king. A noble person establishes a foundation and leaves a tradition his successors can carry forward. Success lies with Heaven. What can you do about those people? Strive only to do good.”

2.15 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “Teng is a small state. Even when I do all I can to serve the great states, I cannot escape their threats. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “Long ago the Great King lived in Bin. When the Di invaded, he served them with skins and silks, but could not escape them. He served them with dogs and horses, but could not escape them. He served them with pearls and jade, but could not escape them. Then he gathered his elders and told them, ‘What the Di want is our land. I have heard that a noble person does not use what should nourish people to harm them. Why worry that you will have no ruler? I shall leave.’ He departed from Bin, crossed Mount Liang, and founded a settlement below Mount Qi. The people of Bin said, ‘He is a humane man; we must not lose him.’ They followed him as crowds stream toward a market. Others say, ‘The land is an inheritance guarded from generation to generation; it is not yours to dispose of. Defend it to the death and do not leave.’ My lord, you must choose between these two courses.”

2.16 Duke Ping of Lu was about to go out when his favorite Zang Cang asked, “On other days, when my lord goes out, he tells his officers where he is going. Today the carriage is harnessed, but they do not know the destination. May I ask?”“I am going to see Mencius.”“Why should my lord demean himself and be the first to visit a common man? Do you consider him worthy? Ritual propriety and rightness come from the worthy, but Mencius gave his later parent a more elaborate funeral than his earlier one. Do not go to see him!”“Very well,” the duke said.Yue Zheng entered and asked, “Why does my lord not see Meng Ke?”“Someone told me Mencius's later funeral surpassed the earlier one. That is why I did not go to see him.”“What does my lord mean by ‘surpassed’? At the first he was a man of service, at the second a minister; the first used three offering vessels, the second five?”“No, I mean the splendor of the inner and outer coffins, the burial clothes and covering.”“That is not what ‘surpassed’ means. He was poor at one time and rich at the other.”Yue Zheng visited Mencius and said, “I spoke to the ruler, and he was going to come and see you. His favorite Zang Cang stopped him, so he never came.”Mencius said, “When a man goes forward, something may prompt him; when he stops, something may restrain him. But advance and retreat are not in human hands. That I have not met the lord of Lu is Heaven's doing. How could the son of Zang keep me from meeting him?”

2.1 Zhuang Bao visited Mencius and said, “I had an audience with the king, and he told me he liked music. I had no answer for him. What should I say about liking music?”Mencius said, “If the king greatly enjoys music, Qi may soon be well governed!”Another day Mencius met the king and asked, “Did you tell Zhuang Bao that you like music?”The king's expression changed. He said, “I cannot claim to enjoy the music of the ancient kings. I just enjoy popular music.”“If you greatly enjoy music, Qi may soon be well governed! Today's music serves the same purpose as the music of old.”“Can you explain that?”“Which is more enjoyable: enjoying music alone or with others?”“With others.”“Which is more enjoyable: sharing it with a few or with many?”“With many.”“Let me explain enjoyment to you. Suppose you play music here now. The people hear your bells and drums and the pipes and flutes. They all wince and frown, telling one another, ‘Our king loves to play music, so why does he bring us to this state? Fathers and sons cannot see one another; brothers, wives, and children are separated.’ Suppose you go hunting here now. The people hear your carriages and horses and see your lovely banners with feathers and yak tails. They all wince and frown, telling one another, ‘Our king loves hunting, so why does he bring us to this state? Fathers and sons cannot see one another; brothers, wives, and children are separated.’ This happens simply because you do not share your enjoyment with the people. Now suppose you play music here and the people hear your bells, drums, pipes, and flutes. All of them look happy and tell one another, ‘Perhaps our king is healthy! How else could he be playing music?’ Suppose you go hunting here and the people hear your carriages and horses and see your lovely banners. All of them look happy and tell one another, ‘Perhaps our king is healthy! How else could he be hunting?’ This happens simply because you share your enjoyment with the people. If you share your enjoyment with them now, you will rule as a true king.”

2.2 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Was King Wen's hunting park seventy li square?”Mencius replied, “That is what the records say.”“Was it really so large?”“The people still thought it small.”“My park is forty li square, and the people still think it large. Why?”“People gathering fodder and firewood and people hunting pheasants and rabbits could enter King Wen's seventy-li-square park. He shared it with the people. No wonder they thought it small. When I reached your border, I asked about your state's strictest prohibitions before I dared enter. I was told that within the gates on the outskirts there is a park forty li square and that killing a deer there carries the same penalty as killing a person. That makes an area forty li square within the state a trap. No wonder the people think it large.”

2.3 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Is there a right way to deal with neighboring states?”Mencius replied, “Yes. Only a kind ruler can serve a smaller state while ruling a larger one. That is why Tang served Ge, and King Wen served the Kunyi. Only a wise ruler can serve a larger state while ruling a smaller one. That is why the Great King served the Xunyu, and Goujian served Wu. A large ruler who serves a small state takes pleasure in Heaven's will. A small ruler who serves a large state respects Heaven's power. The one who takes pleasure in Heaven's will keeps the world safe; the one who respects Heaven's power keeps his own state safe. The Book of Songs says, ‘He respected Heaven's power, and so kept it safe.’”The king said, “Those are great words! But I have a weakness: I like courage.”Mencius replied, “Please do not favor small displays of courage. Grasping a sword and glaring, saying, ‘How dare he face me?’ is the courage of an ordinary man who can face just one enemy. Please seek something greater. The Book of Songs says, ‘The king grew fiercely angry and ordered his troops to stop the advance against Ju, to strengthen the blessings of Zhou and answer the hopes of the world.’ That was King Wen's courage. His one burst of anger brought peace to the people of the world. The Book of Documents says, ‘Heaven brought forth the people and appointed rulers and teachers for them, saying only that they must help the Lord on High care for the four quarters. Whether a person is guilty or innocent is my concern; who in the world dares defy his will?’ King Wu was ashamed that a single man behaved lawlessly in the world. That was King Wu's courage. His one burst of anger also brought peace to the people of the world. If your anger brought peace to the people today, their only fear would be that you did not like courage enough.”

2.4 King Xuan of Qi met Mencius at the Snow Palace. He asked, “Do wise people enjoy a place like this too?”Mencius replied, “They do. If people have no chance to enjoy such things, they criticize their ruler. It is wrong for them to criticize their ruler just because they do not have them; it is also wrong for a ruler not to share his enjoyment with the people. When a ruler enjoys what his people enjoy, they enjoy what he enjoys. When he worries about what troubles them, they worry about what troubles him. No one who shares the whole world's pleasures and worries has failed to rule as a true king. Long ago Duke Jing of Qi asked Yanzi, ‘I want to visit Zhuanfu and Chaowu, travel south along the coast, and reach Langye. What should I do to make my trip like those of the ancient kings?’ Yanzi answered, ‘That is a good question! When the Son of Heaven went to the lords, it was called an inspection tour: he inspected what they were charged with guarding. When the lords came to the Son of Heaven, it was called reporting on their duties: they reported what they had done. Neither journey was without work to do. In spring the ruler inspected the plowing and supplied those who lacked seed; in autumn he inspected the harvest and helped those without enough food. A saying from Xia goes, “If our king does not travel, how can we rest? If our king does not make an excursion, how can we get help? His journeys and excursions set the standard for the lords.” Today things are different. An army marches out and consumes the food; hungry people do not get to eat and exhausted people do not get to rest. They glare and complain to one another, and wrongdoing grows among them. Rulers disobey commands and mistreat their people, while food and drink pour out in streams. Their endless outings and wasteful excess become a worry for the other lords. Going downstream and forgetting to return is called drifting; going upstream and forgetting to return is called lingering; hunting without satisfaction is called excess; drinking without satisfaction is called dissipation. The ancient kings had none of the pleasures of drifting and lingering or the conduct of excess and dissipation. Now it is up to you how you act.’ Duke Jing was pleased. He made extensive preparations in the state and camped outside the city. Then he began to open his stores and help those in need. He summoned the chief musician and said, ‘Compose music for me celebrating how ruler and ministers please each other.’ The tunes called the Zheng Shao and Jiao Shao apparently came from this. Their song says, ‘What is wrong with correcting your ruler?’ To correct your ruler is to love him.”

2.5 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Everyone tells me to tear down the Bright Hall. Should I tear it down, or leave it?”Mencius replied, “The Bright Hall is the hall of a true king. If you want to govern as a true king, do not tear it down.”“Can you tell me about such government?”“Long ago, when King Wen governed Qi, farmers paid one part in nine as tax; officials held hereditary stipends; inspectors checked goods at the border and market but charged no taxes; fishing and gathering in the marshes were unrestricted; and a criminal's wife and children were not punished with him. An old man without a wife is called a widower; an old woman without a husband, a widow; an old person without children, alone; and a child without a father, an orphan. These four groups are the world's poorest and most helpless people. When King Wen introduced kind government, he always put them first. The Book of Songs says, ‘The rich do well; I pity these lonely people.’”“What good words!” the king said.“If you think they are good, why not act on them?”“I have a weakness: I like wealth.”“Long ago Duke Liu liked wealth too. The Book of Songs says, ‘They heaped grain in stores and barns, packed dry provisions into sacks and bags. They thought how to settle and prosper; they strung their bows, took up shields, spears, and axes, and then set out.’ Those staying behind had full barns, and those setting out had packed food. Only then could they set out. If you like wealth, share it with the people. What would prevent you from ruling as a true king?”“I have a weakness: I like women.”“Long ago the Great King liked women and loved his wife. The Book of Songs says, ‘In the morning Gugong Danfu rode his horse, following the western riverbank to the foot of Mount Qi; with the woman Jiang he came to look for a place to live.’ At that time there were no unmarried women left bitter at home and no unmarried men left alone outside. If you like women, share the chance for family life with the people. What would prevent you from ruling as a true king?”

2.6 Mencius said to King Xuan of Qi, “Suppose one of your ministers entrusted his wife and children to a friend before traveling to Chu. When he returned, he found them cold and hungry. What should he do?”“Give up that friendship,” the king said.“What if the chief judge cannot manage his officers?”“Dismiss him.”“What if the land within all four borders is not well governed?”The king looked at the people beside him and changed the subject.

2.7 Mencius visited King Xuan of Qi and said, “An established state is not one with tall old trees, but one with ministers whose families have served for generations. You have no close ministers now. You promoted men in the past, but today you do not even know when they leave.”The king asked, “How can I recognize those who are incompetent and dismiss them?”“When a ruler promotes worthy people, he should do it only after careful thought, because it puts those of low rank above those of high rank and people outside his family above his relatives. How could he fail to take care? If your attendants all call someone worthy, that is not enough. If all your officials call him worthy, that is not enough. Only when all the people of the state call him worthy should you examine him, and appoint him only when you find that he is worthy. If all your attendants say someone is unfit, do not listen. If all your officials say it, do not listen. Only when the people of the state say it should you examine him and dismiss him if you find he is unfit. If all your attendants say someone should be executed, do not listen. If all your officials say so, do not listen. Only when the people of the state say so should you examine his case and execute him if you find he deserves death. That is why it is said, ‘The people of the state put him to death.’ Only by acting this way can you be like a parent to the people.”

2.8 King Xuan of Qi asked, “Did Tang exile Jie and King Wu attack Zhou?”Mencius replied, “That is what the records say.”“Is it acceptable for a minister to kill his ruler?”“Someone who destroys kindness is called a thief. Someone who destroys rightness is called a destroyer. A person who destroys both is called merely ‘one man.’ I have heard of the execution of the one man Zhou, but I have never heard of the murder of a ruler.”

2.9 Mencius visited King Xuan of Qi and said, “If you were building a huge house, you would have your master builder look for large timbers. When he found them you would be pleased, thinking he could do his job. If a carpenter then cut them down to smaller pieces, you would be angry, thinking he could not do his job. Now suppose a man learns something when he is young and wants to put it into practice as an adult, but you say to him, ‘Set aside what you learned and follow my instructions.’ What do you think of that? If there were a piece of uncut jade here, even worth ten thousand yi, you would certainly have a jade worker carve it. Yet when it comes to governing the state, you say, ‘Set aside what you learned and follow my instructions.’ How is that different from telling a jade worker how to carve jade?”

2.10 Qi attacked Yan and won. King Xuan asked, “Some say I should not take it; others say I should. A state with ten thousand war chariots has taken another state with ten thousand war chariots in fifty days. Human strength alone could not do that. If I do not take it, Heaven will surely bring disaster. Should I take it?”Mencius replied, “Take it if the people of Yan will be glad. King Wu did so in ancient times. Do not take it if the people of Yan will not be glad. King Wen did so in ancient times. When a state with ten thousand chariots attacks another state with ten thousand chariots and the people bring baskets of food and jars of drink to welcome its army, their reason is simply to escape suffering as terrible as flood and fire. If the flood gets deeper and the fire gets hotter, they will just turn to someone else.”

2.11 Qi attacked and took Yan. Other rulers planned to rescue Yan. King Xuan said, “Many rulers are planning to attack me. How should I respond?”Mencius replied, “I have heard of Tang ruling the world from a territory seventy li square. I have never heard of a ruler with a thousand li of territory being afraid of others. The Book of Documents says, ‘Tang's first campaign began with Ge.’ The world trusted him. When he went east to punish a ruler, the people of the west complained; when he went south, those of the north complained, ‘Why are we last?’ The people longed for him as in a terrible drought they long for clouds and a rainbow. Merchants kept going to market; farmers continued their work. He punished their ruler and comforted his people, like a welcome rain falling. The people were overjoyed. The Book of Documents says, ‘We wait for our lord; when he comes, we will live again.’ Now Yan was cruel to its people. When you went to punish its ruler, they thought you would save them from flood and fire. They welcomed your army with baskets of food and jars of drink. But if you kill their fathers and older brothers, bind their sons and younger brothers, destroy their ancestral temples, and carry off their valued ritual vessels, how could that be right? The world already fears Qi's strength. Now that you have doubled your territory without putting kind government into practice, you will stir up all the world's armies. Issue orders at once: return their old people and children, stop removing their ritual vessels, consult the people of Yan, establish a ruler, and then withdraw. You may still have time to stop the attacks.”

2.12 Zou and Lu fought. Duke Mu asked, “Thirty-three of my officials died, but none of the people died for them. I cannot execute all the people; there are too many. Yet if I do not punish them, they have watched their superiors die and refused to help. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “In years of famine your old and weak people rolled into the ditches and ravines, and almost a thousand able-bodied people scattered in all directions. Yet your barns were full, your treasuries well stocked, and none of your officials told you about it. Those above neglected their duties and harmed those below. Zengzi said, ‘Take care! What goes out from you comes back to you.’ Now the people have had their chance to repay what was done to them. Do not blame them. If you practice kind government, they will love their superiors and be willing to die for their leaders.”

2.13 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “Teng is a small state caught between Qi and Chu. Should I serve Qi or Chu?”Mencius replied, “That decision is beyond my ability to plan. If you must have an answer, there is one: dig deep moats and build strong walls, and defend them together with the people. If you are ready to die and the people do not leave you, then this course can work.”

2.14 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “Qi is going to fortify Xue. I am very afraid. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “Long ago the Great King lived in Bin. When the Di people invaded, he left and settled at the foot of Mount Qi. He did not choose this place because he preferred it; he had no choice. If you do good, one of your descendants will surely become a king. A noble person lays the foundations of a state and hands down a tradition that later people can continue. Whether he succeeds is up to Heaven. What can you do about those people? Just do your utmost to act well.”

2.15 Duke Wen of Teng asked, “Teng is a small state. Even when I do everything I can to serve the great states, I cannot avoid attack. What should I do?”Mencius replied, “Long ago the Great King lived in Bin, and the Di people invaded. He gave them hides and cloth as tribute but could not avoid attack. He gave them dogs and horses but could not avoid it. He gave them pearls and jade but could not avoid it. So he gathered his elders and said, ‘The Di want our land. I have heard that a noble person does not use the land that supports people as a reason to harm them. Why should you worry that you will have no ruler? I will leave.’ He left Bin, crossed Mount Liang, and founded a settlement at the foot of Mount Qi. The people of Bin said, ‘He is a kind man. We cannot lose him.’ They followed him as eagerly as people going to a market. Others say, ‘The land has been held and defended for generations. One person cannot simply give it up. Defend it to the death; do not leave.’ Please choose between these two ways.”

2.16 Duke Ping of Lu was about to go out. His favorite attendant Zang Cang asked, “On other days when you go out, you tell the officers where you are going. Today your carriage is ready, but they still do not know where you are going. May I ask?”The duke said, “I am going to see Mencius.”“Why would you lower yourself to visit an ordinary man first? Do you think he is worthy? Proper conduct and rightness come from worthy men, but Mencius spent more on his later funeral than on the earlier one. Do not visit him!”“All right,” said the duke.Yue Zheng entered and asked, “Why did you not see Meng Ke?”“Someone told me, ‘Mencius spent more on the later funeral than on the earlier one.’ That is why I did not go to see him.”“What did that person mean by ‘more’? That Mencius performed the first when he was a man of service and the later one when he was an official? That he used three ritual cauldrons for the first and five for the later one?”“No. He meant the quality of the inner and outer coffins, clothing, and shrouds.”“That is not what it means to go too far. His means were different when he was poor and when he was rich.”Yue Zheng visited Mencius and said, “I spoke to the duke, and he was going to come and see you. But his favorite attendant Zang Cang stopped him, so he did not come after all.”Mencius said, “Something may prompt a person to go or prevent him from going. But whether he goes or stops is not within another person's power. That I did not meet the ruler of Lu was Heaven's doing. How could a son of the Zang family stop me from meeting him?”