Book 2B · Gongsun Chou, Part Two

4.1 Mencius said, “Favorable weather is less valuable than advantageous terrain; advantageous terrain is less valuable than human solidarity. An inner city three li around, with outer walls seven li around, may be surrounded and attacked without being taken. Those who surround it must have chosen favorable weather, yet they do not prevail: weather is less valuable than terrain. A city's walls may be high, its moat deep, its weapons and armor strong and sharp, its rice and grain plentiful; yet its defenders abandon it and flee. Terrain is less valuable than human solidarity. Thus one cannot confine the people by borders, secure a state by mountains and ravines, or awe the world with sharp weapons and sturdy armor. The one who has the Way receives abundant help; the one who loses it receives little. When help dwindles to the utmost, even relatives rebel; when help abounds to the utmost, the whole world follows. If one supported by the world attacks one abandoned by his own relatives, he may choose not to fight; if he fights, he is certain to win.”

4.2 Mencius was about to attend the king's court. The king sent a messenger saying, “I would have come to see you, but a chill makes it impossible for me to face the wind. I shall hold court tomorrow morning; may I hope to see you then?”Mencius replied, “Unfortunately I am ill and cannot attend court.”The next day he went out to offer condolences to the Dongguo family. Gongsun Chou said, “Yesterday you declined on grounds of illness. Is it right to go to a house of mourning today?”“I was ill yesterday and have recovered today. Why should I not pay my respects?”The king sent someone to ask after his health, and a doctor came. Meng Zhongzi answered, “Yesterday, when the king's command came, he was indisposed and could not attend court. Today he is somewhat better and has hurried to the court, though I do not know whether he can reach it.” He sent men to intercept Mencius on the road and say, “Please do not return home; go to court at all costs.”Unable to return, Mencius spent the night with Jing Chou.Jing Chou said, “Within the family, father and son; outside it, ruler and minister: these are the great human relationships. Between father and son love is paramount; between ruler and minister, respect. I have seen the king's respect for you, but have not seen how you respect the king.”“What are you saying? The people of Qi do not speak to the king of humaneness and rightness. Is it because they think these things are not good? In their hearts they say, ‘He is hardly worth discussing humaneness and rightness with.’ Nothing is more disrespectful than that. I would not dare set before the king anything but the Way of Yao and Shun. No one in Qi respects the king more than I do.”“No, that is not what I mean. The Rites say, ‘When your father calls, do not just answer; when your ruler summons you, do not wait for the carriage to be harnessed.’ You intended to attend court, but, on hearing the king's command, did not go after all. That hardly seems to accord with ritual propriety.”“Is that what you mean? Zengzi said, ‘I cannot match the wealth of Jin and Chu. They may present their wealth, but I present my humaneness; they may present their rank, but I present my rightness. What reason have I to feel inadequate?’ Could Zengzi have said this without reason? There is a principle here. Three things command universal respect in the world: rank, age, and virtue. At court rank counts most; among neighbors, age; for aiding the world and leading its people, virtue. How can a man use the one he possesses to slight the other two? A ruler who means to accomplish great things must have ministers he cannot summon: when he wants their advice, he goes to them. Unless he honors virtue and delights in the Way to this degree, he cannot accomplish anything. Tang learned from Yi Yin before making him his minister, and so became king without labor; Duke Huan learned from Guan Zhong before making him his minister, and so became hegemon without labor. Today the states are alike in extent and their rulers alike in virtue; none can surpass the rest. The reason is simply that they like to appoint as ministers those whom they teach, not those from whom they might learn. Tang did not dare summon Yi Yin, nor Duke Huan Guan Zhong. If even Guan Zhong could not be summoned, how much less a man who refuses to be Guan Zhong!”

4.3 Chen Zhen asked, “Earlier, in Qi, you refused the king's gift of a hundred pieces of fine gold. In Song you accepted seventy yi, and in Xue fifty. If refusing before was right, accepting now is wrong; if accepting now is right, refusing before was wrong. You must admit one of these.”Mencius said, “All were right. In Song I was about to make a long journey; one gives travelers a parting gift, and it was offered as ‘provisions for the road.’ Why should I not accept it? In Xue I had reason to fear for my safety, and it was offered with the words ‘I heard you were in danger, so I give this to buy weapons.’ Why should I not accept? In Qi, however, there was no such occasion. To give a man a gift for no reason is to try to buy him. How could a noble person be bought with gifts?”

4.4 Mencius went to Pinglu and told its governor, “If one of your spear-bearing soldiers fell out of formation three times in a day, would you dismiss him?”“I would not wait for the third time.”“You yourself have fallen out of formation many times. In years of famine, old and feeble people under your charge have fallen into ditches and ravines, while nearly a thousand strong people have scattered to the four quarters.”“This is not something I, Kong Juxin, can prevent.”“If a man accepted another's sheep and cattle to tend, he would surely find pasture and fodder for them. If he could find neither, should he return the animals to their owner, or stand and watch them die?”“This is my fault,” Kong Juxin said.Another day Mencius had an audience with the king and said, “I know five governors of Your Majesty's cities. Only Kong Juxin acknowledges his fault.” He related the conversation to the king.The king said, “The fault is mine.”

4.5 Mencius said to Chi Wa, “You were right to resign from Lingqiu and seek the office of chief judge, since that office would allow you to speak out. Several months have passed: have you still had no occasion to speak?”Chi Wa remonstrated with the king, was ignored, resigned his office, and left.The people of Qi said, “His advice to Chi Wa was sound, but as for his own conduct, we do not understand it.”Gongduzi reported this to Mencius.Mencius said, “I have heard that one charged with an office should leave when he cannot fulfill its duties, and one charged with offering counsel should leave when he cannot make himself heard. I hold no such office and bear no such duty. Am I not then free to advance or withdraw as I please?”

4.6 When Mencius was a minister in Qi, he went to Teng to offer condolences. The king sent Wang Huan, governor of Gai, as his assistant on the journey. Morning and evening Wang Huan came to see him, yet throughout the journey between Qi and Teng, going and returning, Mencius never spoke to him about the mission.Gongsun Chou asked, “The office of a Qi minister is no small thing, and the road between Qi and Teng is not short. Why did you never discuss the mission with him, there or back?”“Someone else had already seen to it. What need had I to say anything?”

4.7 Mencius went from Qi to Lu to bury his mother. On his return to Qi he stopped at Ying. Chong Yu asked, “Previously, though you knew I lacked skill, you placed me in charge of the craftsmen. In the press of the funeral I did not dare ask, but now I would like to: the wood of the coffins seemed exceptionally fine.”Mencius said, “In the earliest days there was no rule for the thickness of inner and outer coffins. In later antiquity the inner coffin was seven inches thick and the outer made in proportion; this was so from the Son of Heaven down to ordinary people. It was not merely for display, but to satisfy one's heart. One cannot take pleasure in this if one is forbidden to do it; nor if one lacks the means. If one is allowed and has the means, all the ancients did it. Why should I alone refrain? Besides, to keep earth from touching the body of one who has returned to it—is this not some comfort to the heart? I have heard a noble person say that one does not stint on one's parents for the sake of anything in the world.”

4.8 Shen Tong asked Mencius privately, “Is it right to attack Yan?”“Yes. Zikuai had no right to give Yan to Zizhi, and Zizhi had no right to receive Yan from Zikuai. Suppose an official here pleases you, and without telling the king you privately grant him your rank and stipend; and suppose that official privately accepts them without the king's command. Would that be right? How does this differ?”Qi attacked Yan. Someone asked Mencius, “Did you urge Qi to attack Yan?”“No. Shen Tong asked, ‘Is it right to attack Yan?’ I replied, ‘Yes,’ and they went and attacked it. Had he asked, ‘Who has the right to attack it?’ I would have answered, ‘One acting as Heaven's officer has that right.’ If someone has committed murder and a man asks, ‘May a murderer be executed?’ I would say, ‘Yes.’ But if he asks, ‘Who may execute him?’ I would say, ‘The chief judge.’ Now one state like Yan attacks Yan. Why would I urge them to do it?”

4.9 When the people of Yan rebelled, the king said, “I feel deeply ashamed before Mencius.”Chen Jia said, “Your Majesty need not worry. Do you believe yourself as humane and wise as the Duke of Zhou?”“What are you saying?”“The Duke of Zhou appointed his brother Guan Shu to oversee Yin, and Guan Shu led Yin in rebellion. If the duke knew he would rebel yet appointed him, he was not humane; if he did not know, he was not wise. Even the Duke of Zhou did not possess perfect humaneness and wisdom. How much less Your Majesty! Let me visit Mencius and explain it.”He met Mencius and asked, “What kind of man was the Duke of Zhou?”“An ancient sage.”“He appointed Guan Shu to oversee Yin, and Guan Shu rebelled with Yin. Is that so?”“Yes.”“Did the Duke of Zhou know beforehand that he would rebel?”“No.”“Then even a sage may err?”“The Duke of Zhou was the younger brother, and Guan Shu the elder. Was it not natural that the duke should make that mistake? Moreover the noble people of antiquity corrected their errors; the noble people of today accommodate theirs. The ancients' errors were like eclipses of sun and moon: everyone saw them, and when they corrected them, everyone looked up to them. Those of today do more than accommodate their errors: they also invent excuses for them.”

4.10 Mencius resigned his ministry and prepared to return home. The king came to see him and said, “Formerly I wanted to see you but could not. To have you beside me at court gave me great pleasure. Now you are leaving me again. Might I continue to see you?”Mencius replied, “I would not dare ask, but it is certainly what I wish.”Another day the king said to Shizi, “I want to give Mencius a house in the center of the state and ten thousand measures of grain to support his disciples, so that my ministers and people may all have someone to revere and emulate. Why not tell him for me?”Shizi told Chenzi, who conveyed the message to Mencius.Mencius said, “Yes. How could Shizi know why this is impossible? If I wished for wealth, would I have refused a hundred thousand measures only to accept ten thousand? Would that show a desire for wealth? Jisun said, ‘How strange Zishu Yi is! If he held power but his counsel was not used, he should have stopped there. Instead, he made his sons and younger brothers ministers. Everyone desires wealth and honor, but he alone has tried to corner a private share in their very midst.’ In antiquity, markets were places where people exchanged what they had for what they lacked, and officers merely kept order. But a base fellow sought out a high rise, climbed it, and watched in every direction to capture all the market's profit. Everyone considered him contemptible and began to tax him. Taxing merchants began with this base fellow.”

4.11 As Mencius left Qi, he lodged at Zhou. A visitor who wished to keep him there for the king sat and spoke to him. Mencius gave no reply, but leaned against his armrest and lay down.The visitor was displeased. “I prepared myself by fasting and abstinence before I dared speak to you. You lie down and will not listen. I shall not presume to see you again.”“Sit down. Let me explain clearly. In former times Duke Mu of Lu could not keep Zisi content without someone attending him at Zisi's side; Xie Liu and Shen Xiang could not keep their positions secure without someone attending Duke Mu at his side. You thought of the elder, but did not think as far as Zisi. Is it you who are breaking with the elder, or the elder with you?”

4.12 As Mencius left Qi, Yin Shi told someone, “If he did not know the king could never become a Tang or King Wu, he lacked insight; if he knew and came anyway, he was seeking favors. He traveled a thousand li to see the king, then left when he found no place there. Why linger three nights at Zhou before departing? I find this displeasing.”Gaozi reported this to Mencius.Mencius said, “What does Yin Shi know of me? I wanted to travel a thousand li to see the king; I did not want to leave when I found no place there. I had no choice. Even after staying three nights at Zhou, I felt I had left too quickly. Perhaps the king would change! If he changed, he would certainly call me back. Only when I left Zhou and the king did not send after me did I firmly resolve to return home. Even then, have I abandoned the king? He is still capable of doing good. If he employed me, not only Qi's people but all the people of the world would find peace. Perhaps the king will change! I await it every day. Am I like the petty man who, after offering advice his ruler rejects, grows angry and shows his resentment on his face, then leaves and walks the whole day to get as far away as he can before lodging?”When Yin Shi heard this, he said, “I truly am a petty man.”

4.13 As Mencius left Qi, Chong Yu asked along the road, “Master, you look unhappy. Once I heard you say, ‘The noble person does not resent Heaven or blame other people.’”“That was one time; this is another. Every five hundred years a true king must arise, with men of renown in the intervening years. More than seven hundred years have passed since Zhou: by the count the time is overdue, and judging by the age, the time is ripe. Perhaps Heaven does not yet wish to bring peace and order to the world. If it did, who but I, in this age, would do so? Why should I be unhappy?”

4.14 After leaving Qi, Mencius stayed in Xiu. Gongsun Chou asked, “Is taking office without receiving a stipend a practice of antiquity?”“No. At Chong I had an audience with the king; when I left I meant to depart and did not wish to change my purpose, so I refused the stipend. Then a military order prevented me from requesting leave. It was never my wish to remain in Qi so long.”

4.1 Mencius said, “Good timing matters less than favorable terrain, and favorable terrain matters less than people acting together. A walled town three li across with an outer wall seven li around it might withstand an attack from all sides. Attackers who can surround it must have chosen a favorable time. If they still cannot take it, terrain matters more than timing. A city might have high walls, a deep moat, sturdy armor and sharp weapons, and plenty of grain. Yet if its defenders abandon it and run away, acting together matters more than terrain. So I say: borders do not keep people in a state; difficult mountains and rivers do not make it secure; good weapons do not make it feared throughout the world. A ruler who follows the Way has many helpers; one who abandons it has few. With very few helpers, even his relatives desert him. With very many, everyone in the world supports him. If a ruler supported by the world attacks one abandoned even by his relatives, he cannot lose. So a noble person may choose not to fight, but if he fights, he will win.”

4.2 Mencius was about to attend court when the king sent a messenger to say, “I would have come to see you, but I have a chill and cannot go out in the wind. I will attend court tomorrow morning. Could I see you there?”Mencius replied, “Unfortunately I am ill and cannot come to court.”The next day he went to pay condolences to the Dongguo family. Gongsun Chou asked, “You excused yourself yesterday on grounds of illness. Is it right to make a condolence visit today?”“I was ill yesterday but have recovered today. Why shouldn't I pay condolences?”The king sent someone to inquire after his health, and a doctor arrived. Meng Zhongzi answered, “When the king sent his invitation yesterday, he had a small illness and could not come to court. He has now recovered a little and has rushed to court. I do not know whether he has arrived yet.” He sent several men to intercept Mencius on the road, saying, “Please do not come home; go straight to court.”Having no other choice, Mencius went and spent the night at Jing Chou's house.Jing Chou said, “Between father and son within the family, and ruler and minister outside it, are the great human relationships. The first rests on affection and the second on respect. I have seen the king show you respect, but I have not seen you show him respect.”“What are you saying?” Mencius replied. “People in Qi do not speak to the king about kindness and rightness. Do they think kindness and rightness are not good? No; inwardly they say, ‘He is not worth discussing them with.’ There could be no greater disrespect. I would never present the king with anything other than the way of Yao and Shun. No one in Qi respects the king as much as I do.”“That is not what I mean,” Jing Chou said. “The Book of Rites says, ‘When a father calls, answer immediately. When the ruler summons you, do not wait for your carriage.’ You were about to attend court, but on hearing the king's request you did not go. That hardly seems to agree with proper conduct.”“Is that what you mean? Zengzi said, ‘I cannot match the wealth of Jin and Chu. They have their wealth, but I have kindness; they have high rank, but I have rightness. How am I any worse off?’ Would Zengzi have said that if it had not been right? There is a principle here. The world recognizes three grounds for respect: official rank, age, and virtue. At court rank comes first; among neighbors age comes first; but for helping the world and governing people virtue comes first. How can one possess one of these and use it to slight the other two? A ruler who wants to accomplish great things must have ministers he cannot simply summon. When he needs advice, he goes to them. Unless he respects virtue and values the Way like that, he cannot accomplish anything. Tang first learned from Yi Yin and only then employed him, and so became king without great difficulty. Duke Huan first learned from Guan Zhong and only then employed him, and so became a hegemon without great difficulty. Today the states are evenly matched in land and virtue, and none can rise above the others. That is simply because rulers like to employ men they can teach, not men from whom they must learn. Tang would not have summoned Yi Yin; Duke Huan would not have summoned Guan Zhong. If not even Guan Zhong could be summoned, how much less could someone who would not follow Guan Zhong's example?”

4.3 Chen Zhen asked, “In Qi you refused a gift of a hundred pieces of fine gold from the king. In Song you accepted seventy yi of gold, and in Xue you accepted fifty. If refusing before was right, accepting later was wrong; if accepting later was right, refusing before was wrong. Surely one of these must be true.”Mencius said, “All were right. In Song I was about to make a long journey, and travelers are given parting gifts. The message called it a parting gift, so why should I refuse? In Xue I had reason to fear danger; the message said, ‘I have heard you need to take precautions, so I give this for weapons.’ Why should I refuse? But in Qi there was no particular reason for a gift. To give someone money without a reason is to try to buy him. How could a noble person be bought?”

4.4 Mencius went to Pinglu and asked its official, “If one of your soldiers lost his place in the ranks three times in a day, would you dismiss him?”“I would not wait for three times.”“Then you have often failed in your place. During famine years, your elderly and weak people have fallen into ditches and ravines, and nearly a thousand able-bodied people have scattered in all directions.”“This is not something I, Kong Juxin, can do anything about.”“Suppose someone entrusted another man with his cattle and sheep to tend. That man would have to find pasture and fodder for them. If he could not find any, should he return them to their owner, or just stand and watch them die?”“This is my fault,” said Juxin.Later Mencius met the king and said, “I know five officials who govern your cities, but only Kong Juxin recognizes his fault. Let me tell you what he said.”The king replied, “Then the fault is mine.”

4.5 Mencius said to Chi Wa, “It seemed right for you to leave Lingqiu and request the office of chief judge, since it would let you speak frankly. It has been several months now. Have you not had a chance to speak?”Chi Wa gave advice to the king, but the king did not follow it, so he resigned and left.People in Qi said, “Mencius gave Chi Wa good advice, but we do not know how he accounts for his own conduct.”Gongduzi told Mencius this. Mencius said, “I have heard that a man with an official duty should resign if he cannot carry it out. A man charged with giving advice should resign if his words are ignored. I hold no official duties and have no duty to advise. Surely I can choose freely whether to stay or leave.”

4.6 While Mencius was a high minister in Qi, he went to Teng to pay condolences. The king sent Wang Huan, the official from Gai, to assist him on the journey. Wang Huan met him morning and evening, but on the whole journey from Qi to Teng and back Mencius never discussed official business with him.Gongsun Chou asked, “A high minister's position in Qi is important, and the road to Teng is long. Why did you go and return without ever discussing your work with him?”Mencius said, “Someone else was already handling it. What was there for me to say?”

4.7 Mencius left Qi to perform a burial in Lu. On his return to Qi he stopped at Ying. Chong Yu asked him, “Recently you did not know that I was unfit, and you made me supervise the craftsmen. While the arrangements were under way, I did not dare ask. Now I would like to ask you privately: wasn't the wood rather fine?”Mencius said, “In early times there was no set measure for inner and outer coffins. Later the inner coffin was seven inches thick, with an outer coffin to match, from the Son of Heaven down to ordinary people. People did this not just to make them look good but to express their full feelings. A person who is not permitted to do it cannot feel satisfied; nor can a person without the means. If it is permitted and a person has the means, people of old all did it. Why should I alone not do so? And does it not satisfy our feelings to keep the earth from touching the body of the dead? I have heard a noble person should not deny a parent something just to be thrifty with all the world's wealth.”

4.8 Shen Tong asked Mencius privately, “Is it right to attack Yan?”“Yes,” Mencius replied. “Zikuai had no right to give Yan away, and Zizhi had no right to accept it from him. Suppose you liked an official and privately gave him my rank and salary without informing the king. Would it be right for that man to accept them from you without an order from the king? How is this different?”Qi attacked Yan. Someone asked Mencius, “Did you encourage Qi to attack Yan?”“No. Shen Tong asked, ‘Is it right to attack Yan?’ and I answered, ‘Yes.’ That is why they attacked. If he had asked, ‘Who has the right to attack it?’ I would have answered, ‘One who acts on Heaven's behalf has the right.’ If someone had committed murder and a person asked me, ‘Is it right to execute him?’ I would say, ‘Yes.’ But if he asked, ‘Who has the right to execute him?’ I would say, ‘The chief judge has the right.’ Now one Yan has attacked another Yan. Why would I encourage that?”

4.9 The people of Yan rebelled. The king said, “I am deeply ashamed before Mencius.”Chen Jia said, “Do not worry. Do you think you are kinder and wiser than the Duke of Zhou?”“What are you saying?” said the king.“The Duke of Zhou put his elder brother Guan Shu in charge of overseeing Yin, and Guan Shu rebelled with Yin. If the duke knew he would rebel but appointed him, he was not kind. If he did not know, he was not wise. Even the Duke of Zhou was not perfect in kindness and wisdom, so how could you be? Let me go and explain it to Mencius.”Chen Jia met Mencius and asked, “What sort of man was the Duke of Zhou?”“A sage of old.”“He put Guan Shu in charge of Yin, and Guan Shu rebelled with Yin. Is that true?”“Yes.”“Did the Duke of Zhou know he would rebel when he appointed him?”“No.”“So even a sage makes mistakes?”“The Duke of Zhou was the younger brother, and Guan Shu was the older. Is it surprising that the duke made this mistake? Moreover, noble people in ancient times corrected their mistakes. Today's noble people accept their mistakes as right. The mistakes of noble people in ancient times were like eclipses of the sun and moon: everyone saw them. When they corrected those mistakes, everyone looked up to them again. Noble people today do more than accept their errors: they make excuses for them.”

4.10 Mencius resigned his position and went home.The king went to see him and said, “Before, I wanted to see you but could not. It made me happy to serve alongside you at court. Now you are leaving me and going home. Can I hope to see you again?”Mencius replied, “I would not dare to ask, but I certainly hope so.”Later the king said to Shi Zi, “I want to give Mencius a house in the middle of the state and ten thousand measures of grain to support his disciples. Then the officials and people of Qi will all have someone to look up to as an example. Why don't you speak to him for me?”Shi Zi told Chen Zi, who passed his words on to Mencius.Mencius said, “Yes, but how can Shi Zi not see that this is unacceptable? If I wanted to be rich, would I turn down a hundred thousand measures only to accept ten thousand? Ji Sun said, ‘Zishu Yi is strange. He was given charge of government but was not listened to; he could have simply stopped. Instead he tried to put his sons and younger brothers in high office. Everyone wants wealth and rank, but he alone tried to claim a privileged perch in the midst of them.’ In the old days at a market, people traded what they had for what they lacked, while officials simply kept order. But a petty man decided to climb to a high mound and look around in every direction so he could capture all the market's profits. Everyone thought him contemptible, so they began charging him a tax. Taxes on merchants began with that petty man.”

4.11 Mencius left Qi and stayed overnight in Zhou. A man who wanted to persuade him to stay for the king sat and spoke to him. Mencius did not answer; he leaned on a table and lay down.The visitor was displeased. “I purified myself and waited before daring to speak to you. You lie down and do not listen. I will not presume to visit you again.”“Sit down,” said Mencius. “Let me explain. In the past Duke Mu of Lu could not keep Zisi comfortably at his court unless someone around Zisi acted as a go-between. Xie Liu and Shen Xiang could not remain secure unless someone around Duke Mu spoke for them. You have thought about the elder man here, but have not thought about Zisi. Which of us is breaking off relations with the other: you or I?”

4.12 Mencius left Qi. Yin Shi told someone, “If Mencius did not know that the king could not become like Tang and King Wu, he lacked insight. If he knew but came anyway, he came seeking favor. He traveled a thousand li to see the king, and left when he was not welcomed. Then he stayed three nights in Zhou before going on. Why linger like that? I am not pleased.”Gaozi told Mencius. Mencius said, “What does Yin Shi know about me? I traveled a thousand li to see the king because I wanted to. Did I want to leave without finding a welcome? I had no choice. I stayed in Zhou for three nights and still thought I was leaving too quickly. I hoped the king might change his mind. If he had, he would certainly have called me back. Only after I left Zhou and he did not send after me did I set my heart on going home. Even then, have I given up on him? He can still do good. If he employed me, it would not be just Qi's people who found peace; all the people of the world would. I hope he may yet change his mind. I wait for it each day. Am I like a petty man who, if the ruler ignores his advice, gets angry and shows it on his face, then marches as far as his strength will take him before stopping for the night?”When Yin Shi heard this, he said, “I was truly a petty man.”

4.13 As Mencius was leaving Qi, Chong Yu asked him on the road, “You look unhappy. I once heard you say, ‘A noble person does not complain against Heaven or blame other people.’”Mencius said, “That was one time; this is another. Every five hundred years a true king must arise, with famous men in the years between. More than seven hundred years have passed since Zhou. By the count the time has already passed; considering the situation, the time is right. But Heaven does not yet wish to bring peace and order to the world. If it did, who else in this age could do it but me? Why should I be unhappy?”

4.14 Mencius left Qi and stayed in Xiu. Gongsun Chou asked, “Is it an ancient practice to hold office without taking a salary?”“No. I met the king at Chong and came away intending to leave. I did not want to change my mind, so I took no salary. Then a call to arms came and I could not ask to leave. Staying in Qi so long was not my wish.”