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周處年少時，兇彊俠氣，為鄉里所患。又義興水中有蛟，山中有邅跡虎，並皆暴犯百姓，義興人謂為三橫，而處尤劇。或說處殺虎斬蛟，實冀三橫唯餘其一。處即刺殺虎，又入水擊蛟，蛟或浮或沒，行數十里，處與之俱。經三日三夜，鄉里皆謂已死，更相慶，竟殺蛟而出。聞里人相慶，始知為人情所患，有自改意。乃自吳尋二陸，平原不在，正見清河，具以情告，並云：「欲自修改，而年已蹉跎，終無所成。」清河曰：「古人貴朝聞夕死，況君前途尚可。且人患志之不立，亦何憂令名不彰邪？」處遂改勵，終為忠臣孝子。 |
| | Zhou Chu was a young man who was fierce and had an air of chivalry; he became a problem for his hometown. In addition, there was a dragon in the waters of Yixing and a tianji tiger in the mountains; both were violent and harassed the common people. The people of Yixing called these three evils "the Three Heng," and Zhou Chu's actions were especially severe. Some advised Zhou Chu to kill the tiger and slay the dragon, hoping that with three evils reduced by two, only one would remain. Zhou Chu immediately pierced and killed the tiger; then he entered the water to attack the dragon. The dragon would sometimes float up and sometimes sink down, traveling for several li, with Zhou Chu accompanying it all along. After three days and nights, the people of his hometown all thought he had died, so they celebrated among themselves; in the end, he killed the dragon and emerged. Hearing that his fellow villagers were celebrating, Zhou Chu realized for the first time that he had been a burden to others, and thus resolved to reform himself. He then went from Wu to seek out the two Lus, but Pingyuan was not there; he met only Qinghe. He told him all about his situation and also said: "I wish to reform myself, but my years have already been wasted, so I will ultimately accomplish nothing." Qinghe said, "Ancients valued hearing the truth in the morning and dying in the evening; how much more so is your future still promising. Moreover, people are concerned about not establishing a firm will; if you do have such a will, what need is there to worry that your good name will not become known?" Zhou Chu then reformed and worked hard, eventually becoming a loyal minister and filial son.
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| | 自新: |
戴淵少時，遊俠不治行檢，嘗在江、淮間攻掠商旅。陸機赴假還洛，輜重甚盛。淵使少年掠劫，淵在岸上，據胡床，指麾左右，皆得其宜。淵既神姿峰穎，雖處鄙事，神氣猶異。機於船屋上遙謂之曰：「卿才如此，亦復作劫邪？」淵便泣涕，投劍歸機，辭厲非常。機彌重之，定交，作筆薦焉。過江，仕至征西將軍。 |
| | Dai Yuan was young when he roamed as a chivalrous bandit, neglecting moral conduct. He once attacked and robbed merchants traveling along the Yangtze and Huai rivers. Lu Ji was returning to Luoyang after a leave of absence, with an impressive amount of baggage and retinue. Dai Yuan sent young men to rob and pillage, while he himself remained on the shore, sitting on a huchuang (a type of low chair), directing those around him with clear commands, and everything was carried out appropriately. Dai Yuan had an extraordinary appearance and sharp demeanor; even though he was engaged in vulgar affairs, his spirit and bearing remained remarkable. From the boat's cabin, Lu Ji called out to him from a distance, saying, "With talents like yours, are you also becoming a bandit?" Dai Yuan immediately wept and threw his sword to surrender to Lu Ji, speaking with an intensity that was most unusual. Lu Ji valued him even more highly, formed a bond of friendship with him, and wrote a letter of recommendation for him. After crossing the river (to the south), he served as far as General of the Western Expedition.
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