Section 32.1
A directive [from the king of Jiangdu] to the administrator [Dong Zhongshu] stated: [There was] Great Officer [Fan] Li, Great Officer [Wen] Zhong, Great Officer [Shi] Yong, Great Officer Gao, and Great Officer Che Cheng. The king of Yue, together with these five great officers, made a plan to attack [the state of] Wu. After they destroyed Wu, they [considered themselves] avenged for the humiliation they had suffered at Guiji. Ultimately, [the king of Yue] became a hegemon. Fan Li left the state; Wen Zhong died there. I, the Orphaned One,
1 [i.e., the king of Jiangdu] consider that both these two great officers were worthy men. Confucius said: “There were three humane men [during] the Yin [dynasty].”
2 Now considering the worthiness of the king of Yue and the capabilities of Fan Li and Wen Zhong, I, the Orphaned One, submit that there also were three humane men in Yue. What is your opinion? As Duke Huan [of Qi] handed off his questions to Guan Zhong, so do I, the Orphaned One, hand off mine to you.
Dong Zhongshu prostrated himself and bowed twice. He [then] said: Zhongshu’s knowledge is petty and his learning superficial. They do not suffice to decide this. Nonetheless, when a king has a question for his servant, his servant does not dare but do his utmost to respond, for [such are the rules of] propriety.
Your servant Dong Zhongshu has heard that in earlier times, the duke of Lu asked Liuxia Hui: “I wish to attack Qi. What do you think?” Liuxia Hui responded: “That is not permissible.” Liuxia Hui returned home with a worried expression and said: “I have heard that when [the ruler] is going to attack another state, he does not question those who are humane. Why were these questions directed at me?” [Liuxia Hui] was ashamed merely to have been asked about this. How much more would that be the case if it had come to the point of hatching a treacherous scheme to attack [the kingdom of] Wu?
3 The inappropriateness of such a scheme is clear. Looking at the question from this perspective, [the kingdom of] Yue fundamentally lacked even one humane man, much less three. A humane man is one who
corrects his Way but does not calculate what benefits that will bring him;
adheres to principles without hurrying after success.
[Devoted to non-action, though practices and customs are greatly transformed by him: such a man can be called both humane and sagely. The Three Kings
4 were of that sort.]
5 The righteousness of the
Spring and Autumn honors trustworthiness and censures deceit. To deceive others to achieve victory, even if successful, is not something a noble man would do. This is why even a five-foot-tall
6 [i.e., young] boy who [lodges in] the gate of [i.e., follows the teachings of] Confucius is ashamed to mention the Five Hegemons. In their use of deceit to achieve their accomplishments, they simply were engaging in treachery. Therefore, they are not worthy of being mentioned in the gate of the great Noble Man. Compared with other Lords of the Land, the Five Hegemons were worthy; compared with the sages,
7 how can they be considered worthy? They were but coarse stone to polished jade. Your servant Dong Zhongshu [again] prostrates himself and bows twice, [to acknowledge] having been heard.
8 [32/41/31–32/42/12]