Book 5A · Wan Zhang, Part One

9.1 Wan Zhang asked, “When Shun went out to the fields, he cried aloud to the vast heavens. Why did he weep?”Mencius said, “From sorrow and longing.”Wan Zhang said, “If parents love you, you rejoice and never forget them. If they hate you, you work hard without resentment. Was Shun, then, resentful?”Mencius said, “Chang Xi once asked Gongming Gao, ‘I understand why Shun went to the fields, but why did he cry aloud to Heaven and to his parents?’ Gongming Gao replied, ‘This is beyond your understanding.’ He meant that the heart of a devoted son could not be so indifferent as to say, ‘I plow with all my strength and fulfill a son's duty; what does it matter if my parents do not love me?’ The emperor sent nine sons and two daughters, officials, cattle and sheep, and full granaries to serve Shun as he worked in the fields. Men of service from everywhere came to him, and the emperor meant to transfer the world into his care. Yet because his parents were not pleased with him, he was like a destitute man who had nowhere to turn. To be loved by the men of service is something people desire, but it could not dispel his sorrow. Beauty is something people desire; he married the emperor's two daughters, but it could not dispel his sorrow. Wealth is something people desire; he possessed the wealth of the world, but it could not dispel his sorrow. Rank is something people desire; he held the rank of Son of Heaven, but it could not dispel his sorrow. The love of others, beauty, wealth, and rank were powerless; only his parents' approval could dispel it. When young, people long for their parents. When they discover desire, they long for a young beauty; when they have wives and children, for their families; when they take office, for their rulers, and if the rulers do not favor them, they burn with longing. But one of great devotion longs for his parents his whole life. In great Shun I have seen a man who longed for them even at fifty.”

9.2 Wan Zhang asked, “The Odes say, ‘How does one take a wife? One must tell one's parents.’ If anyone should have followed this, it was Shun. Why did he marry without telling them?”Mencius said, “Had he told them, he could not have married. The union of man and woman is one of humanity's great relationships. Had he told them, he would have abandoned this relationship and blamed his parents. That is why he did not tell them.”“I understand why Shun married without telling them. But why did the emperor give his daughters to Shun without telling Shun's parents?”“He too knew that if he told them, the marriage could not take place.”Wan Zhang said, “Shun's parents ordered him to repair a granary, withdrew the ladder, and his father Gu Sou set it on fire. They sent him to clean a well; after he escaped, they covered it. His brother Xiang said, ‘The plot to bury our noble brother succeeded because of me! Let father and mother have his cattle, sheep, and granaries. His spears, zither, and bow shall be mine, and his two wives shall tend my bed.’ Xiang went into Shun's house and found Shun playing the zither on his couch. ‘How deeply I have been longing for you!’ he said in embarrassment. Shun said, ‘Come, help me govern my officers and people.’ Could Shun have been unaware that Xiang intended to kill him?”“How could he be unaware? When Xiang was troubled, Shun was troubled; when Xiang was happy, Shun was happy.”“Was Shun merely pretending to be happy?”“No. Once someone gave Zichan of Zheng a live fish. Zichan ordered his pond keeper to rear it in the pond. The keeper cooked and ate it, then reported, ‘When I first released it, it seemed weak; soon it swam freely, then sped away.’ Zichan said, ‘It found its place! It found its place!’ The keeper went out and said, ‘Who calls Zichan wise? I cooked and ate the fish, and he said, “It found its place!”’ A noble person may be deceived by someone appealing to the right feeling, but not duped by something wholly against reason. Xiang approached Shun in the manner of a loving brother; Shun believed him sincerely and rejoiced. How was that a pretense?”

9.3 Wan Zhang asked, “Xiang spent every day plotting to kill Shun. When Shun became Son of Heaven, why did he merely banish him?”“He granted him a fief,” Mencius replied. “Some call that banishment.”“Shun exiled Gonggong to Youzhou, sent Huandou to Mount Chong, killed the leader of the Three Miao at Sanwei, and executed Gun at Mount Yu. When these four were punished, the whole world submitted: he had punished the inhumane. Xiang was supremely inhumane, yet Shun gave him Youbi. What wrong had the people of Youbi done? Is this how a humane man acts—punishing strangers but granting a fief to his brother?”“A humane man does not harbor anger toward his brother or nurse old resentment; he simply cherishes and loves him. Because he cherishes him he wishes him honor; because he loves him he wishes him wealth. Granting him Youbi gave him wealth and honor. If Shun himself had been Son of Heaven while his brother remained an ordinary man, could that be called cherishing and loving him?”“What, then, does the claim that he banished him mean?”“Xiang was not allowed to govern his fief. The Son of Heaven sent officials to govern it and collect its tribute, which is why some called it banishment. How could Shun let him brutalize its people? Yet Shun wished to see him often, so Xiang came to him repeatedly. The saying ‘They met through affairs of government even before tribute fell due’ refers to this.”

9.4 Xianqiu Meng asked, “There is a saying, ‘A man of supreme virtue cannot be treated as a subject by his ruler or as a son by his father.’ Shun faced south on the throne, while Yao led the lords facing north to pay court to him; Gu Sou also faced north to pay court. When Shun saw his father, his face showed distress, and Confucius said, ‘At that moment the world was in grave peril!’ Is the story true?”“No,” said Mencius. “This is not a noble person's account, but the tale of a rustic from eastern Qi. When Yao grew old, Shun acted as regent. The Canon of Yao says, ‘After twenty-eight years, Fangxun passed away. The people mourned him as a father or mother; for three years the four seas stilled the eight kinds of music.’ Confucius said, ‘There are not two suns in Heaven or two kings among the people.’ If Shun were already Son of Heaven and then led all the lords in three years of mourning for Yao, there would have been two Sons of Heaven.”“I understand that Shun did not make Yao his subject,” said Xianqiu Meng. “But the Odes say, ‘Under the broad sky no land is not the king's; across the reaches of the earth no one is not the king's subject.’ If Shun was Son of Heaven, how could Gu Sou not be his subject?”“That poem speaks of something else: the speaker was worn out in royal service and unable to support his parents. He said, ‘All these are the king's tasks; why must I alone labor so hard?’ Whoever explains a poem must not let a word damage a sentence, or a sentence obscure its meaning; meet the poet's intent with your own understanding, and you will grasp it. If we insist on literal words, the ode Cloudy Han says, ‘Not one person of Zhou's remaining multitude survived.’ Were that literally true, Zhou would have no people left. The highest devotion to parents is to honor them; the highest honor is to support them with the whole world. To be father of the Son of Heaven is the highest honor; to be supported by the whole world is the highest support. The Odes say, ‘Forever he cherished devotion to parents; his devotion became the rule.’ This is what they mean. The Documents say, ‘Shun went reverently to see Gu Sou, with awe and care; and Gu Sou came to be genuinely kind.’ Does that sound like a father unable to treat his son as a son?”

9.5 Wan Zhang said, “Did Yao give the world to Shun?”“No,” said Mencius. “The Son of Heaven cannot give the world to another.”“Then who gave it to Shun?”“Heaven.”“Did Heaven command him in plain words?”“No. Heaven does not speak, but shows its will through conduct and events.”“How does it do that?”“The Son of Heaven can recommend someone to Heaven, but cannot make Heaven give him the world. A lord can recommend someone to the Son of Heaven, but cannot make the Son of Heaven grant him a lordship. A minister can recommend someone to his lord, but cannot make the lord grant him a ministry. Yao recommended Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him; he presented him to the people, and they accepted him. So I say Heaven does not speak, but shows its will through conduct and events.”“How did Heaven and the people accept him?”“Yao put Shun in charge of sacrifices, and the many spirits enjoyed them: Heaven accepted him. He put Shun in charge of affairs, and they were well governed, while the people lived at peace: the people accepted him. Heaven gave it to him; the people gave it to him. Thus I say the Son of Heaven cannot give the world to another. Shun served Yao as minister for twenty-eight years; no human arrangement could have achieved this—it was Heaven. When Yao died and three years of mourning had ended, Shun withdrew from Yao's son to the south of the southern river. But the lords who came to court went to Shun, not Yao's son; those with lawsuits went to Shun; those who sang songs sang of Shun. That is why I call it Heaven's doing. Only then did Shun go to the central lands and take the place of Son of Heaven. Had he occupied Yao's palace and pressed his son aside, it would have been usurpation, not a gift from Heaven. The Great Oath says, ‘Heaven sees through the eyes of our people; Heaven hears through the ears of our people.’ This is what it means.”

9.6 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say, ‘By Yu's time virtue had declined, for he passed the throne to his son instead of to a worthy man.’ Is that true?”“No. When Heaven gives it to a worthy man, he receives it; when Heaven gives it to a son, he receives it. Shun recommended Yu to Heaven for seventeen years. When Shun died and three years of mourning had ended, Yu withdrew from Shun's son to Yangcheng. The people of the world followed Yu, just as after Yao's death they followed Shun rather than Yao's son. Yu recommended Yi to Heaven for seven years. When Yu died and three years of mourning had ended, Yi withdrew from Yu's son to the north side of Mount Ji. Those who came to court or brought lawsuits went to Qi, not Yi, saying, ‘He is our ruler's son.’ Those who sang songs sang of Qi, not Yi, saying the same. Danzhu and Shun's son were unworthy; Shun had served Yao and Yu had served Shun for many years, spreading blessings among the people for a long time. Qi was worthy and able to honor and carry on Yu's Way, whereas Yi had served Yu only briefly and had not long benefited the people. The time Shun, Yu, and Yi served, and the worth or unworthiness of their sons, were matters for Heaven, not things human beings could arrange. What happens without human contrivance is Heaven's doing; what comes about without being brought about is the Mandate. An ordinary man can possess the world only if he has virtue like Shun's or Yu's and is recommended by a Son of Heaven; hence Confucius did not possess the world. A hereditary ruler loses the world only if Heaven has rejected him as it rejected Jie and Zhou; hence Yi, Yi Yin, and the Duke of Zhou did not possess it. Yi Yin served Tang as minister and helped him become king of the world. When Tang died, Taiding died before taking the throne; Waibing reigned two years and Zhongren four. Taijia overturned Tang's laws and institutions, so Yi Yin sent him away to Tong for three years. Taijia repented his errors, reproached and reformed himself, lived humanely and turned toward rightness at Tong, listening for three years to Yi Yin's instructions. He then returned to Bo. The Duke of Zhou's not possessing the world was like Yi's in Xia and Yi Yin's in Yin. Confucius said, ‘Tang and Yu passed the throne to worthies; Xia, Yin, and Zhou passed it to descendants. The principle was one and the same.’”

9.7 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say Yi Yin sought an audience with Tang by becoming his cook and preparing his food. Is that true?”“No,” said Mencius. “Yi Yin cultivated fields in Youxin and delighted in the Way of Yao and Shun. If something was against rightness and the Way, even the world as a stipend would not make him look up, nor would a thousand teams of horses catch his eye. If something was against rightness and the Way, he would neither give nor take even a trifle. Tang sent someone bearing gifts to invite him. Yi Yin said calmly, ‘What need have I of Tang's gifts? Is it not better to remain in my fields, delighting in the Way of Yao and Shun?’ Tang sent invitations three times. Then Yi Yin changed his mind: ‘Rather than remain in the fields and delight in their Way, why not make this ruler a ruler like Yao and Shun, and these people a people like Yao and Shun? Why not witness it with my own eyes? When Heaven brought forth the people, it made those who understood first awaken those who understood later. I am among Heaven's people who awakened first; I shall use this Way to awaken them. If I do not awaken them, who will?’ When he thought of even one man or woman in the world who had not received Yao and Shun's blessing, it felt as though he himself had pushed them into a ditch. Such was the burden of the world he placed upon himself. So he went to Tang and urged him to attack Xia and rescue the people. I have never heard of a man who could bend himself and straighten others, much less disgrace himself to straighten the world. Sages act in different ways: some stay apart, some draw near; some leave, others remain. All come back to keeping themselves pure. I have heard that Yi Yin won Tang over with the Way of Yao and Shun, not with his cooking. The Instructions of Yi say, ‘Heaven's punishment began at the palace of Mu; my work began at Bo.’”

9.8 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say that in Wei Confucius lodged with the surgeon Yongju, and in Qi with the eunuch Jihuan. Is that true?”“No. Mischief-makers invented it. In Wei he stayed with Yan Chouyou. Mizi's wife and Zilu's wife were sisters. Mizi told Zilu, ‘If Confucius stays with me, he can obtain a ministership in Wei.’ Zilu told Confucius, who said, ‘That rests with the Mandate.’ Confucius advanced through ritual propriety and withdrew through rightness; whether he attained office, he said, ‘That rests with the Mandate.’ To stay with Yongju or the eunuch Jihuan would be to have neither rightness nor trust in the Mandate. When Confucius found no favor in Lu or Wei, he encountered Marshal Huan of Song, who planned to intercept and kill him, and passed through Song in disguise. In that danger he lodged with Sicheng Zhenzi, who became a minister of the lord of Chen, Zhou. I have heard that to judge a ruler's close ministers you look at whom they entertain as guests, and to judge distant ministers you look at whose homes they enter as guests. If Confucius lodged with Yongju and Jihuan, how would he be Confucius?”

9.9 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say Baili Xi sold himself for five sheepskins to a cattle-keeper in Qin and fed the cattle in order to reach Duke Mu of Qin. Is that true?”“No. Mischief-makers invented it. Baili Xi came from Yu. The men of Jin offered the jade of Chuiji and the horses of Quchan to borrow a road through Yu so that they might attack Guo. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated, but Baili Xi did not: he knew the duke of Yu could not be advised, and left. By the time he reached Qin he was seventy. If he failed to know that feeding cattle to gain Duke Mu's favor was degrading, could he be called wise? He refused to advise a ruler who could not be advised; does that make him unwise? He foresaw the duke of Yu's fall and left first: that was surely wisdom. When called to serve in Qin, he knew Duke Mu was a man with whom he could achieve something and became his minister: was that unwise? He made Qin's ruler renowned throughout the world, with a fame that endured for generations. Could an unworthy man do that? Even a self-respecting villager would not sell himself to advance a ruler's cause. Would a worthy man do so?”

9.1 Wan Zhang asked, “Shun went out into the fields and cried out to the wide sky. Why did he cry?”Mencius replied, “He was grieving because he longed for his parents' love.”Wan Zhang said, “If your parents love you, you are happy and never forget it; if they dislike you, you work hard but do not resent them. Did Shun resent his parents?”Mencius said, “Chang Xi once asked Gongming Gao, ‘I understand why Shun went into the fields, but I do not understand why he cried out to the wide sky and called to his parents.’ Gongming Gao answered, ‘You cannot understand this.’ Gongming Gao knew that a child who respected his parents could not be so indifferent as to say, ‘I plow the fields with all my strength and do my duty as a child. If my parents do not love me, that is no concern of mine.’ The emperor sent his nine sons and two daughters, as well as officials, cattle and sheep, and full barns, to serve Shun as he worked among the fields. Many men of service throughout the world came to him, and the emperor was about to hand him the world. But because he could not please his parents, Shun felt like a poor man with nowhere to turn. Being admired by men of service is something people want, but it did not relieve his worry. People want beautiful partners: he married the emperor's two daughters, but that did not relieve it. People want wealth: he had the riches of the whole world, but that did not relieve it. People want rank: he reached the rank of Son of Heaven, but that did not relieve it. Neither public approval, beautiful partners, wealth, nor rank eased his worry. Only pleasing his parents could do that. When young, people long for their parents. When they come to desire romance, they long for attractive young people. With a wife and children, they long for their family. Once they hold office, they long for their ruler's approval; if they cannot get it, they grow anxious. Someone who cares for his parents completely longs for them all his life. I have seen this longing at the age of fifty in the great Shun.”

9.2 Wan Zhang asked, “The Book of Songs says, ‘If you marry a wife, what must you do? Tell your parents first.’ If that is true, no one should have obeyed it more than Shun. Why did Shun marry without telling his parents?”Mencius replied, “If he had told them, he could not have married. Marriage between a man and a woman is an important human relationship. Telling his parents would have meant giving up that relationship and resenting them, so he did not tell them.”“I understand why Shun did not tell them. Why did the emperor give Shun his daughters in marriage without telling Shun's parents?”“The emperor also knew that if he told them, the marriage could not take place.”Wan Zhang said, “Shun's parents sent him to repair a barn, removed the ladder, and his father Gusou set the barn on fire. They sent him to deepen a well, and when he climbed out, they filled it in. His brother Xiang said, ‘It was my plan to bury our brother alive, so all his things are mine. Our parents can have his cattle, sheep, and barns. I will have his shields, spears, lute, and bow. His two wives will look after my room.’ Xiang went into Shun's home and found him playing his lute on his bed. ‘I was so worried about you,’ Xiang said, looking embarrassed. Shun said, ‘Then please help me govern these officials and people.’ Did Shun really not know Xiang had tried to kill him?”“Of course he knew. When Xiang was worried, Shun worried; when Xiang was happy, Shun was happy.”“Was Shun only pretending to be happy?”“No. Once someone gave Zichan of Zheng a live fish. Zichan told a pond keeper to keep it in the pool. The keeper cooked and ate it. He reported, ‘When I first put it in, it looked weak. After a while it swam freely, then it darted away.’ Zichan said, ‘It has found its proper place! It has found its proper place!’ When the keeper went out, he said, ‘Who says Zichan is wise? I cooked and ate the fish, and he says it found its proper place!’ A noble person can be deceived in a believable way but cannot be fooled by something contrary to what is reasonable. Xiang came to Shun in the manner of a brother who loved him, so Shun sincerely believed him and rejoiced. How was that pretense?”

9.3 Wan Zhang asked, “Xiang spent his days trying to kill Shun. Why, when Shun became Son of Heaven, did he merely send Xiang away?”Mencius replied, “Shun granted him a territory. Some people call that exile.”Wan Zhang said, “Shun sent Gonggong away to Youzhou, exiled Huandou to Mount Chong, put the leader of the Three Miao to death at Sanwei, and executed Gun at Mount Yu. The whole world accepted the punishment of these four men, since they were cruel. Xiang was extremely cruel, yet Shun granted him Youbi. What had the people of Youbi done wrong? Is that how a kind man behaves: punishing others but granting his brother a territory?”Mencius said, “A kind man does not store up anger against his younger brother or keep a grudge. He simply remains close to him and loves him. Because he is close to him, he wants him to have high rank; because he loves him, he wants him to be rich. Granting Xiang Youbi made him rich and honored. Could Shun have called himself close and loving if he was Son of Heaven while his brother was an ordinary man?”“Then what do people mean when they say Xiang was exiled?”“Xiang could not govern his territory. The Son of Heaven sent officials to govern it and collected its tribute, so some call it exile. How could Shun let Xiang abuse its people? But he wanted to see his brother often, so Xiang kept coming to visit. ‘Before tribute was due, the ruler came on official business to Youbi’: that is what the saying refers to.”

9.4 Xianqiu Meng asked, “A saying goes, ‘A man of great virtue cannot be treated as a minister by his ruler or as a son by his father.’ It says Shun faced south on the throne while Yao led the lords to face north and pay court to him, and Shun's father Gusou also faced north and paid court. When Shun saw his father, he looked distressed. Confucius supposedly said, ‘The world was in danger then, hanging by a thread!’ Is this account true?”“No,” said Mencius. “These are not the words of a noble person but a tale from the country people east of Qi. Yao had grown old and Shun acted in his place. The Canon of Yao says, ‘Twenty-eight years later, Yao died. The people mourned as for a father or mother. For three years, music from the eight kinds of instruments fell silent throughout the four seas.’ Confucius said, ‘There cannot be two suns in the sky or two kings over the people.’ If Shun had already been Son of Heaven but then led all the lords in three years of mourning for Yao, there would have been two Sons of Heaven.”Xianqiu Meng said, “I understand that Shun did not make Yao his minister. But the Book of Songs says, ‘All beneath the sky is the king's land, and everyone across that land is the king's subject.’ If Shun was Son of Heaven, why wasn't Gusou his subject?”Mencius replied, “The song does not mean that. Its speaker works so hard for the king that he cannot support his parents. He says, ‘Everything is the king's work, yet I alone have to work so hard.’ When interpreting a song, do not let individual words obscure the sentence or the sentence obscure the poet's meaning. Use your understanding to reach that meaning. If you read only the words, the song Cloudy Han says, ‘Of Zhou's remaining people, not one was left.’ If you took that literally, Zhou would have had no survivors. The highest respect for parents is to honor them; the highest honor is to support them with the resources of the whole world. To be father of the Son of Heaven is the highest honor; to be supported by the whole world is the fullest support. The Book of Songs says, ‘Always think of respecting your parents; let that respect be your rule.’ This is what it means. The Book of Documents says, ‘He respectfully went to see Gusou, full of care and awe, and Gusou too became compliant.’ Does that sound as though a father could no longer treat Shun as his son?”

9.5 Wan Zhang asked, “Did Yao give the world to Shun?”“No,” Mencius said. “The Son of Heaven cannot give the world to another person.”“Then who gave it to Shun?”“Heaven.”“Did Heaven speak plainly and command him to take it?”“No. Heaven does not speak; it shows its choice through deeds and events.”“How?”“The Son of Heaven can present a man to Heaven but cannot make Heaven give him the world. A lord can present a man to the Son of Heaven but cannot make him give the man a lordship; an official can present a man to a lord but cannot make him give the man an office. Yao presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He displayed Shun before the people, and the people accepted him. That is why I say Heaven does not speak; it shows its choice through deeds and events.”“How did Heaven accept his presentation and the people accept his display?”“Yao put Shun in charge of offerings, and all the spirits received them: Heaven accepted him. Yao put him in charge of government, and the work was well done and the people lived peacefully: they accepted him. Heaven gave Shun the world, and the people gave it to him. That is why the Son of Heaven cannot give it to another person. Shun helped Yao for twenty-eight years. No human being could have arranged such an opportunity: Heaven did. When Yao died, Shun finished three years of mourning and moved south of the Southern River to avoid Yao's son. But the lords of the world went to pay court to Shun, not to Yao's son. Those bringing lawsuits went to Shun, not Yao's son. Singers sang of Shun, not Yao's son. That is why I say Heaven gave it to him. Only after that did Shun enter the central states and take the place of Son of Heaven. If he had stayed in Yao's palace and forced Yao's son aside, that would have been usurpation, not a gift from Heaven. The Great Oath says, ‘Heaven sees through the eyes of our people; Heaven hears through their ears.’ That is what it means.”

9.6 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say, ‘By Yu's time virtue had declined, and he handed power to his son instead of a worthy man.’ Is that true?”“No,” said Mencius. “When Heaven gives power to a worthy man, it is given to him; when Heaven gives it to a son, it is given to the son. Shun presented Yu to Heaven for seventeen years. After Shun died and Yu finished mourning for three years, Yu went to Yangcheng to avoid Shun's son. The people followed Yu, just as after Yao's death they followed Shun instead of Yao's son. Yu presented Yi to Heaven for seven years. After Yu died and Yi finished three years of mourning, Yi went to the northern side of Mount Ji to avoid Yu's son. Those paying court or bringing lawsuits went not to Yi but to Qi, saying, ‘He is our ruler's son.’ Singers sang of Qi, not Yi, saying the same. Yao's son Danzhu was unworthy, and so was Shun's son. Shun helped Yao and Yu helped Shun for many years and benefited the people for a long time. Qi was worthy and could respectfully carry on Yu's work. Yi helped Yu for only a few years and had not benefited the people for long. Shun, Yu, and Yi spent different lengths of time in office; their sons differed in ability. Heaven determined that, not any human being. What happens though no one makes it happen is Heaven's doing; what comes though no one brings it about is destiny. For an ordinary man to come to rule the world, he must have virtue like Shun's or Yu's, and a Son of Heaven must present him. That is why Confucius did not rule the world. A ruler who inherits the world loses it only if Heaven rejects him, and then he must be like Jie or Zhou. That is why Yi, Yi Yin, and the Duke of Zhou did not rule the world. Yi Yin helped Tang rule the world. After Tang died, his son Tai Ding had not yet taken power; Wai Bing ruled for two years and Zhong Ren for four. Tai Jia overturned Tang's laws. Yi Yin sent him away to Tong for three years. Tai Jia regretted his wrongs and reproached himself. At Tong he practiced kindness, moved toward rightness, and listened to Yi Yin's instruction for three years; then he returned to Bo. The Duke of Zhou did not rule the world for the same reason Yi did not rule Xia and Yi Yin did not rule Yin. Confucius said, ‘In the age of Yao and Shun, rulers handed power to worthy men; Xia, Yin, and Zhou passed it down to heirs. The principle behind both was the same.’”

9.7 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say Yi Yin used his skill as a butcher and cook to get Tang's attention. Is it true?”“No,” said Mencius. “Yi Yin farmed in the fields of Youxin and took pleasure in the Way of Yao and Shun. He would not even look at the income of the whole world or at a thousand teams of horses if accepting them violated rightness and the Way. If it violated rightness and the Way, he would neither give nor take a single small thing. Tang sent men with gifts to invite him. Yi Yin said calmly, ‘What do I need Tang's gifts for? I would rather remain in the fields and enjoy the Way of Yao and Shun.’ Tang sent invitations three times. Then Yi Yin changed his mind and said, ‘Instead of staying in the fields and enjoying the Way of Yao and Shun alone, why not help this ruler become a ruler like Yao or Shun and help these people become like the people of Yao and Shun? Why not see it happen myself? Heaven brings people into the world so that those who know first can inform those who do not yet know and those who understand first can enlighten those who do not yet understand. I am among the first of Heaven's people to understand. I will use this Way to enlighten them. If I do not, who will?’ He felt that if even one man or woman in the world had not received the benefits of Yao's and Shun's rule, it was as though he had pushed that person into a ditch himself. He took the world's welfare on his shoulders. So he went to Tang and urged him to attack Xia and save the people. I have never heard of someone setting others right by acting wrongly himself, much less of setting the world right by disgracing himself. Sages have acted in different ways: some lived far away, some nearby; some left, some stayed. In the end, all kept themselves free of wrong. I have heard that Yi Yin won Tang over with the Way of Yao and Shun, not with cooking. The Instructions of Yi say, ‘Heaven's punishment began in the palace of Mu; I began my work in Bo.’”

9.8 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say Confucius stayed with the sore doctor Yong Ju in Wei and with the attendant Ji Huan in Qi. Is that true?”“No,” said Mencius. “People fond of gossip made it up. In Wei Confucius stayed with Yan Chouyou. The wife of Mizi and the wife of Zilu were sisters. Mizi told Zilu, ‘If Confucius stays with me, he can become a minister in Wei.’ Zilu told Confucius, who replied, ‘It depends on destiny.’ Confucius sought advancement according to proper conduct and left when rightness required it; whether he won office he left to destiny. To stay with Yong Ju or the attendant Ji Huan would have shown neither rightness nor belief in destiny. Confucius was not welcomed in Lu or Wei and came upon Huan, the marshal of Song, who tried to intercept and kill him. He went through Song in disguise. At that dangerous time he stayed with Sicheng Zhenzi, who was a minister of Marquis Zhou of Chen. I have heard that you can judge ministers close to a ruler by whom they receive as guests, and ministers from distant states by whose hospitality they accept. If Confucius had stayed with Yong Ju and Ji Huan, how could he have been Confucius?”

9.9 Wan Zhang asked, “Some say Baili Xi sold himself to a keeper of animals in Qin for five sheepskins. He fed cattle to attract the attention of Duke Mu of Qin. Is that true?”“No,” said Mencius. “People fond of gossip made it up. Baili Xi was from Yu. Jin gave Yu the jade of Chuiji and a team of horses from Quchan to get passage through Yu and attack Guo. Gong Zhiqi advised against it. Baili Xi said nothing, since he knew the ruler of Yu would not listen, and left. He went to Qin when he was already seventy. If he did not know it would be demeaning to seek Duke Mu's favor by feeding cattle, could he be called wise? If he knew the ruler of Yu would not listen and chose not to advise him, could he be called unwise? He knew Yu was about to fall and left first: that was wise. In Qin he was appointed to office. He recognized that Duke Mu could work with him and helped him: that too was wise. As minister of Qin he made its ruler famous throughout the world and left achievements remembered by later ages. Could anyone without ability have done that? Even an ordinary man who cares for his reputation would not sell himself to win favor for his ruler. Would a worthy man do so?”