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五曰── |
| | The fifth is──
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亡國之主，不可以直言。不可以直言，則過無道聞，而善無自至矣。無自至則壅。 |
| | A ruler who loses his state cannot be addressed with blunt speech. If one cannot speak bluntly, then faults will not become known through righteousness, and goodness will have no way to arrive on its own. If goodness has no way to arrive on its own, then obstruction will occur.
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秦繆公時，戎彊大，秦繆公遺之女樂二八與良宰焉。戎王大喜，以其故，數飲食，日夜不休。左右有言秦寇之至者，因扞弓而射之。秦寇果至，戎王醉而臥於樽下，卒生縛而擒之。未擒則不可知，已擒則又不知。雖善說者猶若此，何哉？ |
| | During the reign of Qin Mu Gong, the Rong were strong and powerful. King Mu of Qin sent them sixteen female musicians and fine butchers. The Rong king was greatly pleased, and because of this, he indulged in eating and drinking day and night without rest. When someone on his staff mentioned the arrival of Qin invaders, the Rong king would immediately draw his bow and shoot at them. The Qin forces indeed arrived, but the Rong king was drunk and lying beneath a wine vessel; he was suddenly bound and captured. Before his capture, it was impossible to know [his true nature]; after his capture, he still did not know [the consequences of his actions]. Even the most skillful advisors are still subject to this outcome—why is that?
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齊攻宋，宋王使人候齊寇之所至。使者還，曰：「齊寇近矣，國人恐矣。」左右皆謂宋王曰：「此所謂肉自至蟲者也。以宋之強，齊兵之弱，惡能如此？」宋王因怒而詘殺之。又使人往視齊寇，使者報如前，宋王又怒詘殺之。如此者三。其後又使人往視：齊寇近矣，國人恐矣。使者遇其兄。曰：「國危甚矣，若將安適？」其弟曰：為王視齊寇，不意其近，而國人恐如此也。今又私患鄉之先視齊寇者，皆以寇之近也報而死。今也報其情，死；不報其情，又恐死；將若何？」其兄曰：「如報其情，有且先夫死者死，先夫亡者亡。」於是報於王曰：「殊不知齊寇之所在。國人甚安。」王大喜。左右皆曰：「鄉之死者宜矣。」王多賜之金。寇至，王自投車上馳而走，此人得以富於他國。夫登山而視牛若羊，視羊若豚。牛之性不若羊，羊之性不若豚，所自視之勢過也，而因怒於牛羊之小也，此狂夫之大者。狂而以行賞罰，此戴氏之所以絕也。 |
| | Qi attacked Song, and King of Song sent someone to spy on how far the Qi forces had advanced. The envoy returned and said, "The Qi forces are near, and the people of our state are frightened." Those around him all told King of Song, "This is what is called a situation where the flesh arrives on its own to attract worms." Given the strength of Song and the weakness of Qi's forces, how could it be like this?" King of Song then became angry and had him executed. He sent another person to observe the Qi forces, and when the envoy reported as before, King of Song again became angry and had him executed. This happened three times. Later, he sent someone else to observe: the Qi forces were near, and the people of Song were frightened. The envoy met his elder brother. He said, "Our state is in great peril; where will you go?" His younger brother replied, "I was sent by the king to observe the Qi forces. I did not expect them to be so close, and yet the people of our state are so frightened." He now privately fears that those who previously reported on the Qi forces, saying they were near, have all been killed for their reports. If I report the truth now, I will die; If I do not report the truth, I am also afraid of dying; What should I do?" His elder brother said, "If you report the truth, those who died before you will have died for it, and those who perished before you will have perished for it." He then reported to the king, "I do not know where the Qi forces are located. The people of our state are very calm." King was greatly pleased. Those around him all said, "The previous messengers who were killed were justly so." King gave him many gold rewards. When the enemy forces arrived, King fled by leaping onto a carriage and riding away, while this man was able to become wealthy in another state. Looking up a mountain, one might see oxen as if they were sheep, and sheep as if they were pigs. The nature of oxen is not like that of sheep, and the nature of sheep is not like that of pigs; this misperception arises from the vantage point one takes. To become angry at their seeming smallness is the height of foolishness. To govern with rewards and punishments while being foolish is why the House of Dai perished.
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齊王欲以淳于髡傅太子，髡辭曰：「臣不肖，不足以當此大任也，王不若擇國之長者而使之。」齊王曰：「子無辭也。寡人豈責子之令太子必如寡人也哉？寡人固生而有之也。子為寡人令太子如堯乎？其如舜也？」凡說之行也，道不智聽智，從自非受是也。今自以賢過於堯、舜，彼且胡可以開說哉？說必不入。不聞存君。 |
| | King Qi wanted to appoint Chunyu Kun as the tutor for his crown prince. Kun declined, saying, "I am not capable; I am insufficient to bear such a great responsibility. Your Majesty would be better off selecting an elder and virtuous man from the state to serve in this role." King Qi said, "You must not refuse. Do I truly expect you to make the crown prince exactly like me? I was born with these qualities naturally. Do you intend to make the crown prince as virtuous as Yao? Or as Shun?" For a persuasive argument to be effective, it must not rely on the wise being heard by the unwise, but rather follow the principle of those who acknowledge their own faults and accept what is right. Now that he considers himself more virtuous than Yao and Shun, how can anyone possibly persuade him? Persuasion will surely not be accepted. He does not hear of preserving the ruler.
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齊宣王好射，說人之謂己能用彊弓也。其嘗所用不過三石，以示左右。左右皆試引之，中關而止，皆曰：「此不下九石，非王，其孰能用是？」宣王之情，所用不過三石，而終身自以為用九石，豈不悲哉？非直士其孰能不阿主？世之直士，其寡不勝眾，數也。故亂國之主，患存乎用三石為九石也。 |
| | King Xuan of Qi enjoyed archery and took pleasure in people saying that he was capable of using a strong bow. The bow he had previously used required no more than three dan of strength, which he showed to those around him. Those around him all tried drawing it and found that they could only pull it to the center notch, then stopped. They all said, "This bow is no less than nine dan in strength; if not for Your Majesty, who else could use such a bow?" King Xuan's actual ability was to draw no more than a three-dan bow, yet he spent his entire life believing himself capable of drawing a nine-dan one—was this not tragic? If not for an upright and honest person, who else could possibly refrain from flattering the ruler? In this world, upright men are few and cannot prevail against the many—this is a natural order of things. Therefore, rulers of chaotic states suffer from the problem of regarding three-dan bows as nine-dan ones.
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