Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn

Wood [corresponds to] the minister of agriculture. If the minister of agriculture acts treacherously, he will form factions and partisan cliques. [These, in turn, will] obstruct the ruler’s clarity, force worthy officials into retirement and hiding, extinguish the lineages of nobles and high officers, and teach the people to be wasteful and extravagant. There will be much coming and going of visitors and guests, and people will not exert themselves in agricultural affairs. They will amuse themselves with cockfights, dog racing, and horsemanship. Old and young will lack propriety; the great and small will oppress each other, and thieves and bandits will rise up. Growing arrogant and presumptuous, the people will defy proper principles. [Consequently,] the minister of mobilization will punish [the errant minister of agriculture]. Duke Huan of Qi exemplifies this.¹ In carrying out his duties as hegemon, he employed soldiers and attacked Cai; Cai was defeated. Later he attacked Chu, and the people of Chu submitted. In this way he brought peace to the Central States. [The phase] Wood [corresponds to one of] the ruler’s officials. Wood [corresponds to the minister of] agriculture; the minister of] agriculture [is in charge of] the people. If the people do not submit and [instead] rebel, then to order the minister of mobilization to punish their leaders is the correct [course of action]. Thus it is said: Metal conquers Wood.

Fire [corresponds to] the minister of war. If the minister of war acts slanderously, with rebellious words and a quick tongue he will defame others. Within [the court,] he will become isolated from flesh and blood relatives, while outside [the court] he will grow distant from [the ruler’s] loyal ministers. Sages and worthies will be expelled or exterminated, while slander and evil will grow stronger day by day. Grand Minister Jisun of Lu exemplifies this.2 He seized authority, usurped power, and depleted the state’s awe-inspiring Virtue. Instead, he relied on hateful means to slander his numerous officials and rob and mislead his ruler. Confucius became the minister of justice in Lu, and relying on the righteous principles [of the Spring and Autumn,] he implemented the law. Jisun yielded his power [to Confucius] and destroyed the cities of Fei and Hou; armor and weapons [were stored there in accordance with the appropriate] distinctions [in rank]. Fire corresponds to the current dynasty.³ When the minister of war slanders and misleads the ruler, the administrator of the law will punish him. The administrator of the law [corresponds to] Water. Thus it is said: Water conquers Fire.

Earth [corresponds to one of] the ruler’s officials. Its counterpart is the minister of public works. If the minister of public works treats the ruler as if he were a deity,⁴

with carved ornaments, inlaid with gold, and radiant with the five colors. [But] his taxes and levies will know no limits, robbing the people of their livelihood. He will increase military expeditions and corvée labor, robbing the people of their time. He will engage the people in limitless projects, robbing them of their strength. [Consequently,] the common people will grow distressed and rebel or flee from the state. King Ling of Chu exemplifies this.5 He built the watchtower at Qianxi, and after three years when it still was not completed, the people were so exhausted that they revolted and assassinated him. Earth [corresponds to one of] the ruler’s officials. [Wood corresponds to the minister of public works.] When the ruler is recklessly extravagant, exceeds the proper limits, and loses [his sense of] propriety, the people will rebel. When the people rebel, the ruler will be lost. Thus it is said: Wood conquers Earth.

Metal [corresponds to] the minister of mobilization. If the minister of mobilization acts deceptively, inside the court he will obtain what properly belongs to the ruler, and outside the court he will behave arrogantly toward the soldiers and officers. Seizing authority and usurping power, he will kill the innocent, invade and attack brutally and recklessly, wage war, and loot indiscriminately. He will fail to carry out orders and will not stop at what is prohibited; he will insult the military leaders and misuse the troops. The troops will grow weary; territory will be lost; and the ruler will be disgraced. [Consequently,] the minister of war will punish [the errant minister of mobilization]. Chu’s killing the minister [Ziyu] Dechen exemplifies this. Dechen repeatedly attacked and defeated his enemies; inside [the palace] he obtained what properly belonged to the ruler, [and outside] he behaved arrogantly and proudly and did not show sympathy toward his subordinates, so the soldiers were not willing to be led. Thus when facing the enemy, they were weak and the state of Chu was endangered.6 [Consequently,] the minister of war punished him. Metal [corresponds to] the minister of mobilization. When the minister of mobilization is weak and unable to lead his soldiers, the minister of war will punish him. Thus it is said: Fire conquers Metal.

Water [corresponds to] the minister of justice. If the minister of justice acts in a disorderly fashion, he will use excessive respect and petty caution, employ crafty words and an insinuating countenance, accept bribes when hearing cases, and become partisan and unjust, tardily carrying out orders but hastily punishing others and executing the guiltless. [Consequently,] the minister of public works will punish him. Ying Tang exemplifies this.⁷ He was the minister of justice in the state of Qi. When Grand Duke [Wang] was enfeoffed in the state of Qi, he questioned him about the essentials of ordering the state. Ying Tang responded: “Employ humaneness and righteousness. That is all.” Grand Duke [Wang] said: “How does one employ humaneness and righteousness?” Ying Tang responded: “Humaneness means to love others. Righteousness means to respect the old.” Grand Duke [Wang] asked: “How then does one love others and respect the old?” Ying Tang answered: “In the case of loving others, this means that when you have sons, [you] do not sap their strength. In the case of respecting the old, this means that when the wife is older than the husband, he submits to the wife.” Grand Duke [Wang] responded: “I want to use humaneness and righteousness to order the state of Qi, but currently you are using humaneness and righteousness to disorder the state of Qi. I must punish you and bring order to the state of Qi.”⁸ Water [corresponds to] the administrator of the law [and] the minister of justice. When the administrator of the law is partisan and unjust and manipulates the law to punish others, the minister of public works will punish him. Thus it is said: Earth conquers Water. [58/60/9–58/61/7]

Why did they lead troops and raze the cities of Hou and Fei? When Jisun held the power of Lu in his hands, he followed the words of Confucius and for three months did not defy him. Confucius said: “The homes of ministers should not store armor and weapons. The cities where great officers are enfeoffed should not have walls measuring more than 100 chi 尺 [i.e., about 75 feet thick in modern measure].” Thereupon, they led troops and razed the city of Hou and the city of Fei.

Taigong Wang was enfeoffed in Qi. By the eastern sea of Qi there were retired scholars named Kuangyu and Haoshi. These two brothers set forth their principles as follows: “Neither of us would [serve as] ministers to the Son of Heaven or make friends with the Lords of the Land. We would till and work and live on the crops, and dig a well and drink the water. We would not ask anybody for help and would not accept either title from any superior or emolument from any ruler. We attend not to any official post but to our own physical strength.” When Taigong Wang arrived at Encampment Hill, he sent men to arrest and punish them with execution. (Hanfeizi 34/99/28–30)

Why should sycophants be executed? Because they disturb good conduct and upset the state’s government. The Han shi nei zhuan says: “When Confucius became minister of justice of Lu, his first act was to execute Shao Zhengmao, of whom he said that his sycophantic ways had always brought confusion to the government of the state.” (Bohutong 11/29/24–25; Tjan Tjoe Som, trans., Po Hu T’ung: The Comprehensive Discussions in the White Tiger Hall [Leiden: Brill, 1952], 2:457)