| | 齊威虞姬: |
虞姬者，名娟之，齊威王之姬也。威王即位，九年不治，委政大臣，諸侯並侵之。其佞臣周破胡專權擅勢，嫉賢妒能，即墨大夫賢，而日毀之，阿大夫不肖，反日譽之。 |
| | Yu Ji was a concubine of King Wei of Qi, whose given name was Juanzhi. After King Wei ascended the throne, he did not govern for nine years, entrusting state affairs to his ministers, and as a result, various feudal lords invaded him simultaneously. His sycophant minister Zhou Pohu monopolized power and authority, envying the virtuous and talented. Dafu Jimo was a virtuous man, yet he was slandered daily by Zhou; Dafu E was unworthy, but instead received daily praise from him.
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| | 齊威虞姬: |
虞姬謂王曰：「破胡，讒諛之臣也，不可不退。齊有北郭先生者，賢明有道，可置左右。」破胡聞之，乃惡虞姬曰：「其幼弱在於閭巷之時，嘗與北郭先生通。」王疑之，乃閉虞姬於九層之臺，而使有司即窮驗問，破胡賂執事者，使竟其罪，執事者誣其辭而上之。 |
| | Yu Ji said to the king: "Pohu is a minister who spreads slander and flattery; he cannot be left in power." "There is a man named Beiguo Xiansheng in Qi, who is virtuous, wise, and moral; he should be placed at your side." Upon hearing this, Pohu harbored resentment toward Yu Ji and said: "When she was young and weak and living in the lanes of the common people, she once had an affair with Beiguo Xiansheng." The king doubted her, so he confined Yu Ji on a nine-story pavilion and ordered the officials to thoroughly investigate. Pohu bribed those in charge of the case, instructing them to fabricate charges against her. The officials then falsely accused her and submitted the report.
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| | 齊威虞姬: |
王視其辭，不合於意，乃召虞姬而自問焉，虞姬對曰：「妾娟之幸得蒙先人之遺體，生於天壤之閒，去蓬廬之下，侍明王之讌，泥附王著，薦床蔽席，供執埽除，掌奉湯沐，至今十餘年矣。惓惓之心，冀幸補一言，而為邪臣所擠，湮於百重之下，不意大王乃復見而與之語。妾聞玉石墜泥不為汙，柳下覆寒，女不為亂。積之於素雅，故不見疑也。經瓜田不躡履，過李園不正冠，妾不避，此罪一也。既陷難中，有司受賂，聽用邪人，卒見覆冒，不能自明。妾聞寡婦哭城，城為之崩。亡士歎市，市為之罷。誠信發內，感動城市。妾之冤明於白日，雖獨號於九層之內，而眾人莫為豪釐，此妾之罪二也。既有汙名，而加此二罪，義固不可以生。所以生者，為莫白妾之汙名也。且自古有之，伯奇放野，申生被患。孝順至明，反以為殘。妾既當死，不復重陳，然願戒大王，群臣為邪，破胡最甚。王不執政，國殆危矣。於是王大寤，出虞姬，顯之於朝市，封即墨大夫以萬戶，烹阿大夫與周破胡。遂起兵收故侵地，齊國震懼，人知烹阿大夫，不敢飾非，務盡其職，齊國大治。君子謂虞姬好善。《》云：「」此之謂也。 |
| | The king read the accusations and found them inconsistent with his expectations, so he summoned Yu Ji to question her himself. Yu Ji replied: "I, Juanzhi, am fortunate enough to inherit my ancestors' legacy; I was born in this world, leaving behind the humble thatched hut, to serve Your Majesty at banquets. Like mud clinging to the king's robe, I have covered his mat and cushioned his seat, sweeping and cleaning for him, providing warm baths and toiletries—this has continued for more than ten years now." "With devoted sincerity, I had hoped to offer even a single word of advice, yet I have been pushed aside by wicked ministers and buried beneath countless layers of injustice. I did not expect Your Majesty himself would see me again and speak with me." "I have heard that jade or stone falling into mud does not become dirty, and a woman under the cold shade of willows does not fall into disorder." "Accumulated virtue in purity and elegance is why one remains unsuspected." "One should not walk barefoot through a melon field or pass by a plum orchard without adjusting one's hat. I have never avoided such situations—this is my first crime." "Having fallen into this predicament, the officials accepted bribes and listened to wicked men. In the end, I was falsely accused and could not clear my name." "I have heard that a widow's weeping over a city can cause it to collapse." "A wandering scholar lamenting in the marketplace can bring about its closure." "Sincere and honest feelings arise from within, capable of moving cities and towns." "My innocence is as clear as daylight. Even if I cry out alone within the nine-story pavilion, no one among the people dares to offer even a tiny bit of help—this is my second crime." "With an unjust reputation and these two added crimes, righteousness no longer allows me to live." "The reason I have lived thus far is solely in hopes of clearing my false name and disgrace." "Moreover, since ancient times there have been such cases: Boyi was exiled to the wilderness, and Shen Sheng suffered misfortune." "They were filial and upright beyond reproach, yet they were wrongly considered cruel or wicked." I am now doomed to die and will not repeat my words further, but I wish to warn Your Majesty: among the ministers who act wickedly, Pohu is the worst. The king does not govern; the state is in grave danger. Thus, the king was greatly enlightened and released Yu Ji, publicly honoring her in the palace and marketplace. He bestowed upon Dafu Jimo a fief of ten thousand households, while boiling to death Dafu E and Zhou Pohu. He then raised an army to reclaim the lost territories, and the state of Qi was filled with awe. People knew that Dafu E had been boiled alive; no one dared to conceal wrongdoings but instead diligently fulfilled their duties, leading to great governance in the state of Qi. The virtuous men said that Yu Ji loved goodness. "The Book of Songs" says: "Now I have seen the gentleman, my heart is at peace." This is what it means.
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| | 齊威虞姬: |
頌曰：齊國惰政，不治九年，虞姬譏刺，反害其身，姬列其事，上指皇天，威王覺寤，卒距強秦。 |
| | Ode: The state of Qi neglected governance, failing to rule for nine years. Yu Ji criticized the corruption, yet suffered harm herself. She recounted her plight, pointing blame upward to Heaven; King Wei awoke from his delusion and ultimately resisted the powerful Qin.
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