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孟嘗君名文，姓田氏。文之父曰靖郭君田嬰。田嬰者，齊威王少子而齊宣王庶弟也。田嬰自威王時任職用事，與成侯鄒忌及田忌將而救韓伐魏。成侯與田忌爭寵，成侯賣田忌。田忌懼，襲齊之邊邑，不勝，亡走。會威王卒，宣王立，知成侯賣田忌，乃復召田忌以為將。宣王二年，田忌與孫臏、田嬰俱伐魏，敗之馬陵，虜魏太子申而殺魏將龐涓。宣王七年，田嬰使於韓、魏，韓、魏服於齊。嬰與韓昭侯、魏惠王會齊宣王東阿南，盟而去。明年，復與梁惠王會甄。是歲，梁惠王卒。宣王九年，田嬰相齊。齊宣王與魏襄王會徐州而相王也。楚威王聞之，怒田嬰。明年，楚伐敗齊師於徐州，而使人逐田嬰。田嬰使張丑說楚威王，威王乃止。田嬰相齊十一年，宣王卒，湣王即位。即位三年，而封田嬰於薛。 |
| | Mengchang Jun's name was Wen, and his surname was Tian. Wen's father was Jingguo Jun Tian Ying. Tian Ying was the youngest son of Qi Weiwang and a younger half-brother of Qi Xuanwang. Tian Ying held office and wielded power since the time of Weiwang, and together with Chenghou Zou Ji and General Tian Ji he rescued Han and attacked Wei. Chenghou and Tian Ji vied for the king's favor, and Chenghou betrayed Tian Ji. Tian Ji was afraid, so he attacked a border town of Qi but failed to win, and then fled. At that time Weiwang died and Xuanwang ascended the throne; he learned of Chenghou's betrayal of Tian Ji, so he summoned Tian Ji back and appointed him as a general. In the second year of Xuanwang's reign, Tian Ji and Sun Bin, along with Tian Ying, attacked Wei, defeating them at Maling, capturing Wei's Crown Prince Shen, and killing Wei's general Pang Juan. In the seventh year of Xuanwang's reign, Tian Ying was sent on a mission to Han and Wei, and both Han and Wei submitted to Qi. Ying met with King Zhao of Han and King Hui of Wei at the southern part of Dong'e in the east for an audience with Qi Xuanwang, and they formed an alliance before departing. The following year, he met again with King Hui of Liang at Zhen. In that year, King Hui of Liang died. In the ninth year of Xuanwang's reign (, 307 BC), Tian Ying became prime minister of Qi. Qi Xuanwang and King Xiang of Wei met at Xu Zhou and conferred royal titles upon each other. Chu Weiwang heard about this and was angry with Tian Ying. ල The following year, Chu attacked and defeated the Qi army at Xu Zhou, and sent someone to drive out Tian Ying. Tian Ying sent Zhang Chou to persuade King Weiwang of Chu, and King Weiwang then ceased his actions. After serving as prime minister for eleven years, Tian Ying was still in office when Xuanwang died and Minwang ascended the throne. Three years after ascending the throne, he granted Tian Ying the fief of Xue.
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初，田嬰有子四十餘人。其賤妾有子名文，文以五月五日生。嬰告其母曰：「勿舉也。」其母竊舉生之。及長，其母因兄弟而見其子文於田嬰。田嬰怒其母曰：「吾令若去此子，而敢生之，何也？」文頓首，因曰：「君所以不舉五月子者，何故？」嬰曰：「五月子者，長與戶齊，將不利其父母。」文曰：「人生受命於天乎？將受命於戶邪？」嬰默然。文曰：「必受命於天，君何憂焉。必受命於戶，則可高其戶耳，誰能至者！」嬰曰：「子休矣。」 |
| | Initially, Tian Ying had more than forty sons. One of his concubines had a son named Wen, who was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Ying told his mother, "Do not raise him." His mother secretly raised him. When he grew up, his mother used her brothers to introduce her son Wen to Tian Ying. Tian Ying angrily scolded his wife, saying, "I ordered you to get rid of this child, yet you dared to raise him. Why?" Wen kowtowed and then asked, "What is the reason my lord did not allow a child born on the fifth day of May to be raised?" Ying said, "A child born in the fifth month grows up to be as tall as the door lintel; it will bring misfortune to his parents." Wen asked, "Is a person's fate determined by Heaven?" "Or is it determined by the door lintel?" Ying fell silent. lando Wen said, "If a person's fate is determined by Heaven, what should my lord be worried about?" "If it is determined by the door lintel, then we can simply raise the height of the door; who could possibly reach that!" Ying said, "You may rest now."
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久之，文承閒問其父嬰曰：「子之子為何？」曰：「為孫。」「孫之孫為何？」曰：「為玄孫。」「玄孫之孫為何？」曰：「不能知也。」文曰：「君用事相齊，至今三王矣，齊不加廣而君私家富累萬金，門下不見一賢者。文聞將門必有將，相門必有相。今君後宮蹈綺縠而士不得（短）［裋］褐，仆妾餘粱肉而士不厭糟糠。今君又尚厚積餘藏，欲以遺所不知何人，而忘公家之事日損，文竊怪之。」於是嬰乃禮文，使主家待賓客。賓客日進，名聲聞於諸侯。諸侯皆使人請薛公田嬰以文為太子，嬰許之。嬰卒，謚為靖郭君。而文果代立於薛，是為孟嘗君。 |
| | After some time, Wen took the opportunity to ask his father Ying, "What are your sons like?" He replied, "They are my grandsons." "What about the children of my grandsons?" He replied, "They are great-grandsons." "What about the descendants of my great-grandsons?" He replied, "I cannot know." Wen said, "You have held power as prime minister of Qi for three kings now. Yet the territory of Qi has not expanded further while your private family wealth has accumulated to tens of thousands of gold pieces, and there is not a single virtuous person among those in your household." Wen had heard that the son of a general will surely become a general, and the son of a prime minister will surely become a prime minister. Now, your harem ladies tread on brocade and silk, while the scholars cannot even afford coarse cloth; your servants and concubines have more than enough of rice and meat, yet the scholars are not satisfied with scraps and bran. Now you still hoard wealth in abundance, wishing to leave it for someone unknown, yet forget that the affairs of the state are deteriorating day by day. I find this strange." At this, Ying treated Wen with courtesy and appointed him to manage the household and entertain guests. The number of guests increased daily, and his reputation became known among the feudal lords. All the feudal lords sent envoys to request that Xue Gong Tian Ying designate Wen as heir, and Ying agreed. After Ying died, he was posthumously honored with the title Jingguo Jun. And indeed Wen succeeded him as ruler of Xue and became known as Mengchang Jun.
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孟嘗君在薛，招致諸侯賓客及亡人有罪者，皆歸孟嘗君。孟嘗君舍業厚遇之，以故傾天下之士。食客數千人，無貴賤一與文等。孟嘗君待客坐語，而屏風後常有侍史，主記君所與客語，問親戚居處。客去，孟嘗君已使使存問，獻遺其親戚。孟嘗君曾待客夜食，有一人蔽火光。客怒，以飯不等，輟食辭去。孟嘗君起，自持其飯比之。客慚，自剄。士以此多歸孟嘗君。孟嘗君客無所擇，皆善遇之。人人各自以為孟嘗君親己。 |
| | While in Xue, Mengchang Jun attracted guests from the feudal lords and fugitives who had committed crimes; all of them flocked to Mengchang Jun. Mengchang Jun provided generous hospitality, which is why he attracted the talents from across the land. He had thousands of guests who dined with him, and regardless of their status, they were all treated equally to Wen. When Mengchang Jun conversed with his guests while they were seated, there was always a scribe behind the screen who recorded what he said to each guest and inquired about their relatives' whereabouts. After the guests left, Mengchang Jun had already sent envoys with inquiries and gifts for their relatives. Once, while Mengchang Jun was hosting a guest for dinner at night, one person blocked the light of the fire. The guest became angry, thinking his food was not equal to others', and stopped eating before leaving in protest. Mengchang Jun rose and personally took the guest's meal to compare it with his own. The guest was ashamed and cut off a piece of his hair as an apology. Because of this, many scholars came to follow Mengchang Jun. Mengchang Jun did not discriminate among his guests and treated them all kindly. Everyone felt as if Mengchang Jun personally favored them.
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秦昭王聞其賢，乃先使涇陽君為質於齊，以求見孟嘗君。孟嘗君將入秦，賓客莫欲其行，諫，不聽。蘇代謂曰：「今旦代從外來，見木禺人與土禺人相與語。木禺人曰：『天雨，子將敗矣。』土禺人曰：『我生於土，敗則歸土。今天雨，流子而行，未知所止息也。』今秦，虎狼之國也，而君欲往，如有不得還，君得無為土禺人所笑乎？」孟嘗君乃止。 |
| | King Zhao of Qin heard of his virtue and so first sent Jingyang Jun as a hostage to Qi in order to request an audience with Mengchang Jun. When Mengchang Jun was about to go to Qin, none of his guests wanted him to make the journey and advised against it, but he did not listen. Su Dai said, "This morning I came from outside and saw a wooden figure of Yu and an earthen figure of Yu conversing with each other." The wooden figure said, "If it rains in the sky, you will collapse." The earthen figure replied, "I was born from earth; if I fall apart, I shall return to it. "But today the rain falls and washes you away, and no one knows where you will finally rest." "Now Qin is a country of tigers and wolves, yet you wish to go there. If you cannot return, will you not be laughed at by the earthen figure?" Mengchang Jun then stopped his journey.
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齊湣王二十五年，復卒使孟嘗君入秦，昭王即以孟嘗君為秦相。人或說秦昭王曰：「孟嘗君賢，而又齊族也，今相秦，必先齊而後秦，秦其危矣。」於是秦昭王乃止。囚孟嘗君，謀欲殺之。孟嘗君使人抵昭王幸姬求解。幸姬曰：「妾願得君狐白裘。」此時孟嘗君有一狐白裘，直千金，天下無雙，入秦獻之昭王，更無他裘。孟嘗君患之，遍問客，莫能對。最下坐有能為狗盜者，曰：「臣能得狐白裘。」乃夜為狗，以入秦宮臧中，取所獻狐白裘至，以獻秦王幸姬。幸姬為言昭王，昭王釋孟嘗君。孟嘗君得出，即馳去，更封傳，變名姓以出關。夜半至函谷關。秦昭王後悔出孟嘗君，求之已去，即使人馳傳逐之。孟嘗君至關，關法雞鳴而出客，孟嘗君恐追至，客之居下坐者有能為雞鳴，而雞齊鳴，遂發傳出。出如食頃，秦追果至關，已後孟嘗君出，乃還。始孟嘗君列此二人於賓客，賓客盡羞之，及孟嘗君有秦難，卒此二人拔之。自是之後，客皆服。 |
| | In the twenty-fifth year of King Minwang's reign, Qi once again sent Mengchang Jun to Qin, and King Zhao immediately appointed Mengchang Jun as prime minister of Qin. Someone advised King Zhao of Qin, saying, "Mengchang Jun is virtuous and also a member of the Qi clan. Now that he serves as prime minister to Qin, he will surely favor Qi over Qin; this would be dangerous for Qin." Thus King Zhao of Qin dismissed him from office. They imprisoned Mengchang Jun and plotted to kill him. Mengchang Jun sent someone to approach King Zhao's favored concubine in order to seek release. The favored concubine said, "I wish to have your white fox fur robe." At that time Mengchang Jun had one white fox fur robe, worth a thousand gold pieces; it was unparalleled in the world. He presented it to King Zhao when he arrived in Qin and now had no other robes left. Mengchang Jun worried about this, and asked all his guests; none could respond. A guest seated at the lowest place, who was skilled in stealing like a dog, said, "I can obtain the white fox fur robe." So that night he acted like a dog and sneaked into the Qin palace storeroom, retrieved the white fox fur robe that had been presented, and brought it to offer to King Zhao's favored concubine. The favored concubine spoke on his behalf to King Zhao, who then released Mengchang Jun. Mengchang Jun was able to leave and immediately rode away at full speed, changed the seals on his travel permits, altered his name and surname, and passed through the pass. At midnight he arrived at Hangu Pass. After King Zhao of Qin regretted releasing Mengchang Jun, he searched for him but found that he had already left. He then sent men in fast carriages to pursue him. When Mengchang Jun reached the pass, there was a regulation that guests could only leave at dawn when the rooster crowed. Fearing pursuit, one of his lower-ranking guests who could imitate a rooster's crow did so, and all the roosters in the area began to crow together; thus they departed through the gate. Just a meal's time later, the Qin pursuers indeed arrived at the pass but found Mengchang Jun had already left and so they returned. At first, Mengchang Jun listed these two men among his guests, and all the other guests were ashamed of them. But when Mengchang Jun encountered trouble in Qin, it was ultimately these two who rescued him. From then on, the guests all respected them.
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孟嘗君過趙，趙平原君客之。趙人聞孟嘗君賢，出觀之，皆笑曰：「始以薛公為魁然也，今視之，乃眇小丈夫耳。」孟嘗君聞之，怒。客與俱者下，斫擊殺數百人，遂滅一縣以去。 |
| | Mengchang Jun passed through Zhao and was received as a guest by Lord Pingyuan of Zhao. The people of Zhao heard that Mengchang Jun was virtuous and came out to see him, all laughing and saying, "We originally thought Lord Xue was a tall and imposing figure, but now we look at him and find he is merely a short, insignificant man." Mengchang Jun heard this and became angry. The guests who traveled with him went down, attacked the people, killing hundreds of them, and then destroyed an entire county before leaving.
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齊湣王不自得，以其遣孟嘗君。孟嘗君至，則以為齊相，任政。 |
| | King Minwang of Qi was not at ease because he had sent Mengchang Jun away. When Mengchang Jun returned, King Minwang appointed him as prime minister of Qi and entrusted him with governance.
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孟嘗君怨秦，將以齊為韓、魏攻楚，因與韓、魏攻秦，而借兵食於西周。蘇代為西周謂曰：「君以齊為韓、魏攻楚九年，取宛、葉以北以彊韓、魏，今復攻秦以益之。韓、魏南無楚憂，西無秦患，則齊危矣。韓、魏必輕齊畏秦，臣為君危之。君不如令敝邑深合於秦，而君無攻，又無借兵食。君臨函谷而無攻，令敝邑以君之情謂秦昭王曰『薛公必不破秦以彊韓、魏。其攻秦也，欲王之令楚王割東國以與齊，而秦出楚懷王以為和』。君令敝邑以此惠秦，秦得無破而以東國自免也，秦必欲之。楚王得出，必德齊。齊得東國益彊，而薛世世無患矣。秦不大弱，而處三晉之西，三晉必重齊。」薛公曰：「善。」因令韓、魏賀秦，使三國無攻，而不借兵食於西周矣。是時，楚懷王入秦，秦留之，故欲必出之。秦不果出楚懷王。 |
| | Mengchang Jun resented Qin, and planned to use Qi's forces on behalf of Han and Wei to attack Chu. Thus he allied with Han and Wei in an attack against Qin, borrowing troops and supplies from the Western Zhou state. Su Dai, on behalf of the Western Zhou, said, "You have used Qi's forces to help Han and Wei attack Chu for nine years, seizing areas north of Wan and Ye to strengthen Han and Wei. Now you are attacking Qin again in order to further benefit them. With no worries from Chu in the south and no threats from Qin in the west, Han and Wei will have nothing to fear, which means Qi itself is now at risk. Han and Wei are sure to look down on Qi and fear Qin; I am deeply concerned for your safety." "You would be better off allowing my humble state to form a close alliance with Qin, and you should refrain from attacking or borrowing troops and food." "If you approach Hangu Pass without attacking, I will convey your intentions to King Zhao of Qin and say, 'Lord Xue certainly will not destroy Qin in order to strengthen Han and Wei.'" "The reason he attacks Qin is that he wants Your Majesty to order King of Chu to cede the eastern territories to Qi, and in return, Qin would release King Huai of Chu as a gesture of peace." "If you allow my humble state to offer this proposal to Qin, then Qin will avoid destruction and retain the eastern territories for itself. This is something that Qin must certainly desire." "King of Chu can thus be released and would surely show gratitude toward Qi. "With the eastern territories, Qi will grow stronger, and your fiefdom of Xue will remain free from trouble for generations to come." "Qin will not be greatly weakened, yet it is located west of the three Jin states; as a result, the three Jin states will certainly respect Qi." Lord Xue said, "Well said." Therefore he ordered Han and Wei to send congratulations to Qin, ensuring that the three states would not attack each other, and thus no longer needed to borrow troops or food from Western Zhou. At this time, King Huai of Chu had entered Qin, but the state of Qin detained him; thus, they wanted to ensure his release. However, Qin did not actually release King Huai of Chu.
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孟嘗君相齊，其舍人魏子為孟嘗君收邑入，三反而不致一入。孟嘗君問之，對曰：「有賢者，竊假與之，以故不致入。」孟嘗君怒而退魏子。居數年，人或毀孟嘗君於齊湣王曰：「孟嘗君將為亂。」及田甲劫湣王，湣王意疑孟嘗君，孟嘗君乃奔。魏子所與粟賢者聞之，乃上書言孟嘗君不作亂，請以身為盟，遂自剄宮門以明孟嘗君。湣王乃驚，而蹤跡驗問，孟嘗君果無反謀，乃復召孟嘗君。孟嘗君因謝病，歸老於薛。湣王許之。 |
| | While Mengchang Jun was prime minister of Qi, one of his retainers named Wei Zi collected the revenues from Mengchang Jun's fief. He made three trips but failed to deliver even a single payment. Mengchang Jun asked him about this, and he replied, "There is a worthy man; I secretly lent the money to him, which is why I did not deliver the revenue." Mengchang Jun became angry and dismissed Wei Zi. After several years, someone slandered Mengchang Jun to King Min of Qi, saying, "Lord Mengchang is about to rebel." When Tian Jia took the king hostage, King Min suspected Lord Mengchang and so Mengchang Jun fled. The worthy man to whom Wei Zi had given the grain heard of this, and so he wrote a letter stating that Mengchang Jun would not rebel. He offered his life as an oath, and then cut off his nose at the palace gate in order to clear Mengchang Jun's name. King Min was greatly shocked, and he investigated thoroughly by following clues and questioning people. It turned out that Mengchang Jun indeed had no plot to rebel, so King Min summoned him back. Mengchang Jun then claimed illness as an excuse and returned to Xue to retire in old age. King Min agreed.
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其後，秦亡將呂禮相齊，欲困蘇代。代乃謂孟嘗君曰：「周最於齊，至厚也，而齊王逐之，而聽親弗相呂禮者，欲取秦也。齊、秦合，則親弗與呂禮重矣。有用，齊、秦必輕君。君不如急北兵，趨趙以和秦、魏，收周最以厚行，且反齊王之信，又禁天下之變。齊無秦，則天下集齊，親弗必走，則齊王孰與為其國也！」於是孟嘗君從其計，而呂禮嫉害於孟嘗君。 |
| | Later, Qin's defected general Lü Li became prime minister of Qi and wanted to trap Su Dai. Su Dai then said to Mengchang Jun, "Zhou Zui was very close to Qi, yet King of Qi expelled him and listened to Qin instead by appointing Lü Li as prime minister; this is because he wants to ally with Qin." "If Qi and Qin form an alliance, then Prince Qinfu and Lü Li will become very influential. "You are of no use to them; therefore, Qi and Qin must surely look down on you." "You would be better off quickly moving your troops northward, hastening to Zhao in order to mediate between Qin and Wei. Bring Zhou Zui back with you as a sign of sincerity; this will not only restore King of Qi's trust in you but also prevent changes from occurring across the world." "If Qi is not allied with Qin, then all under heaven will gather to support Qi. Prince Qinfu must flee; in that case, who would be more suitable than you to govern the state for King of Qi!" Thus Mengchang Jun followed his plan, and Lü Li became jealous and hostile toward Mengchang Jun.
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孟嘗君懼，乃遺秦相穰侯魏冉書曰：「吾聞秦欲以呂禮收齊，齊，天下之彊國也，子必輕矣。齊秦相取以臨三晉，呂禮必并相矣，是子通齊以重呂禮也。若齊免於天下之兵，其讎子必深矣。子不如勸秦王伐齊。齊破，吾請以所得封子。齊破，秦畏晉之彊，秦必重子以取晉。晉國敝於齊而畏秦，晉必重子以取秦。是子破齊以為功，挾晉以為重；是子破齊定封，秦、晉交重子。若齊不破，呂禮復用，子必大窮。」於是穰侯言於秦昭王伐齊，而呂禮亡。 |
| | Mengchang Jun was afraid, so he sent a letter to Hui Ran, the prime minister of Qin, saying, "I have heard that Qin wants to use Lü Li to bring Qi under its control. Qi is a powerful state in all under heaven; you must surely be looked down upon." "If Qin and Qi support each other to dominate the three Jin states, Lü Li must certainly become a joint prime minister. This would mean that you are using your connection with Qi to elevate Lü Li's status." "If Qi is exempted from the wars of all under heaven, its enmity toward you will surely be deepened." "You would be better off advising King of Qin to attack Qi. "If Qi is defeated, I will request that the territories we gain from it be granted to you as a fief." "Once Qi is broken, Qin will fear the strength of Jin. Then Qin must surely value you highly in order to gain Jin's favor." "Jin is exhausted by its war with Qi and fears Qin; therefore, Jin must also value you highly in order to seek favor from Qin." "This way, you would destroy Qi as a great achievement and use Jin's support to strengthen your own position; "you will be granted a fief for breaking Qi, and both Qin and Jin would hold you in high esteem." "If Qi is not defeated, Lü Li will regain power, and you must certainly face great difficulties." Thus Hui Ran advised King Zhao of Qin to attack Qi, and Lü Li fled.
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後齊湣王滅宋，益驕，欲去孟嘗君。孟嘗君恐，乃如魏。魏昭王以為相，西合於秦、趙，與燕共伐破齊。齊湣王亡在莒，遂死焉。齊襄王立，而孟嘗君中立於諸侯，無所屬。齊襄王新立，畏孟嘗君，與連和，復親薛公。文卒，謚為孟嘗君。諸子爭立，而齊魏共滅薛。孟嘗絕嗣無後也。 |
| | Later, after King Min of Qi destroyed the state of Song, he became even more arrogant and wanted to remove Mengchang Jun. Mengchang Jun was frightened, so he went to Wei. King Zhao of Wei appointed him as prime minister and formed a western alliance with Qin and Zhao, uniting with Yan to attack and defeat Qi. King Min of Qi fled and took refuge in Ju, where he eventually died. When King Xiang of Qi was enthroned, Mengchang Jun remained neutral among the feudal lords and did not pledge allegiance to any one state. King Xiang of Qi had just ascended the throne and feared Mengchang Jun, so he formed an alliance with him and once again became close to Lord Xue. Wen died and was posthumously honored as Mengchang Jun. His sons vied for succession, and Qi and Wei jointly destroyed Xue. The house of Mengchang had no surviving descendants to continue its lineage.
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
初，馮驩聞孟嘗君好客，躡蹻而見之。孟嘗君曰；「先生遠辱，何以教文也？」馮驩曰：「聞君好士，以貧身歸於君。」孟嘗君置傳舍十日，孟嘗君問傳舍長曰：「客何所為？」答曰：「馮先生甚貧，猶有一劍耳，又蒯緱。彈其劍而歌曰『長鋏歸來乎，食無魚』。」孟嘗君遷之幸舍，食有魚矣。五日，又問傳舍長。答曰：「客復彈劍而歌曰『長鋏歸來乎，出無輿』。」孟嘗君遷之代舍，出入乘輿車矣。五日，孟嘗君復問傳舍長。舍長答曰：「先生又嘗彈劍而歌曰『長鋏歸來乎，無以為家』。」孟嘗君不悅。 |
| | Initially, Feng Huan heard that Mengchang Jun loved to entertain guests, so he put on his straw sandals and went to see him. Mengchang Jun said; "Sir, you have come from afar to honor me. What advice do you offer to Wen?" Feng Huan said, "I heard that you love talented men, so I have come to you in my poverty." Mengchang Jun kept Feng Huan at the guesthouse for ten days. Mengchang Jun then asked the head of the guesthouse, "What has this guest been doing?" The reply was: "Master Feng is very poor; he still has only one sword, and also some kuaigou." "He struck his sword and sang: 'Return with your long sword, for there is no fish to eat.'" Mengchang Jun moved him to a better guesthouse where he was provided with food that included fish. Five days later, Mengchang Jun again asked the head of the guest house. The reply was: "The guest struck his sword and sang again, saying 'Return with your long sword; I have no carriage to go out.'" Mengchang Jun then moved him to an even better guesthouse where he could now travel in and out by carriage. Five days later, Mengchang Ju again asked the head of the guests house. The guesthouse keeper replied: "Master Feng once more struck his sword and sang, saying 'Return with your long blade; I have nothing to support my family.'" Mengchang Jun was displeased.
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
居朞年，馮驩無所言。孟嘗君時相齊，封萬戶於薛。其食客三千人。邑入不足以奉客，使人出錢於薛。歲餘不入，貸錢者多不能與其息，客奉將不給。孟嘗君憂之，問左右：「何人可使收債於薛者？」傳舍長曰：「代舍客馮公形容狀貌甚辯，長者，無他伎能，宜可令收債。」孟嘗君乃進馮驩而請之曰：「賓客不知文不肖，幸臨文者三千餘人，邑入不足以奉賓客，故出息錢於薛。薛歲不入，民頗不與其息。今客食恐不給，願先生責之。」馮驩曰；「諾。」辭行，至薛，召取孟嘗君錢者皆會，得息錢十萬。乃多釀酒，買肥牛，召諸取錢者，能與息者皆來，不能與息者亦來，皆持取錢之券書合之。齊為會，日殺牛置酒。酒酣，乃持券如前合之，能與息者，與為期；貧不能與息者，取其券而燒之。曰：「孟嘗君所以貸錢者，為民之無者以為本業也；所以求息者，為無以奉客也。今富給者以要期，貧窮者燔券書以捐之。諸君彊飲食。有君如此，豈可負哉！」坐者皆起，再拜。 |
| | After a year, Feng Huan said nothing at all. Mengchang Jun served as prime minister of Qi at that time and was granted ten thousand households in Xue as his fief. He had three thousand retainers. The revenue from his fief was insufficient to support the guests, so he sent people out to lend money in Xue. After more than a year without repayment, many of those who had borrowed the money could not pay back even the interest; as a result, there would soon be insufficient funds to support his retainers. Mengchang Jun was worried about this and asked those around him, "Who among you can be sent to collect the debts in Xue?" The guesthouse keeper said, "Among those staying at the better quarters is a guest named Feng Gong. He has an impressive appearance and demeanor; he is a man of integrity with no other special skills. It would be appropriate to send him to collect the debts." Mengchang Jun thus summoned Feng Huan and said to him, "My guests do not know that I am unworthy; they have come to me in the thousands. The revenue from my fief is insufficient to support them, so we lent money out in Xue for interest. "But after a year with no repayment, the people have largely failed to pay even the interest. "Now I fear that there will not be enough food for my guests; I hope you will go and collect it on my behalf." Feng Huan said; "Yes." After bidding farewell and setting out, Feng Huan arrived at Xue and summoned all those who had borrowed money from Mengchang Jun. They gathered together, and he collected ten thousand in interest payments. He then brewed a large amount of wine and bought fat cattle. He summoned all the debtors, those who could repay their interest came, as did those who could not; he had them all bring the written contracts for their debts to be verified. A gathering was held in Xue, and every day they slaughtered cattle and served wine. When the drinking reached its height, Feng Huan took out the contracts as before to verify them; for those who could repay their debts, he set a date for repayment. For those too poor to repay, he took their contracts and burned them. He said, "Lord Mengchang lends money in order to help the people establish their livelihoods; the reason he seeks interest is because there is not enough revenue to support his guests. Now, those who are wealthy and able will repay according to the agreed terms, while for the poor and destitute I have burned their contracts so they may be free of debt." "You all should enjoy your food and drink heartily. "With a lord like Lord Mengchang, how could you possibly betray him!" All those present stood up and bowed twice.
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
孟嘗君聞馮驩燒券書，怒而使使召驩。驩至，孟嘗君曰：「文食客三千人，故貸錢於薛。文奉邑少，而民尚多不以時與其息，客食恐不足，故請先生收責之。聞先生得錢，即以多具牛酒而燒券書，何？」馮驩曰：「然。不多具牛酒即不能畢會，無以知其有餘不足。有餘者，為要期。不足者，雖守而責之十年，息愈多，急，即以逃亡自捐之。若急，終無以償，上則為君好利不愛士民，下則有離上抵負之名，非所以厲士民彰君聲也。焚無用虛債之券，捐不可得之虛計，令薛民親君而彰君之善聲也，君有何疑焉！」孟嘗君乃拊手而謝之。 |
| | When Mengchang Jun heard that Feng Huan had burned the contracts, he became angry and sent a messenger to summon him back. When Feng Huan arrived, Mengchang Jun said, "I have three thousand retainers; that is why I lent money in Xue. "The revenue from my fief was already insufficient, and many of the people still failed to repay their interest on time. I feared that there would not be enough food for the guests, which is why I asked you to collect the debts." "I heard that upon receiving the money, you immediately prepared many cattle and wine, then burned the contracts. Why did you do this?" Feng Huan said: "Yes. "If I had not prepared many cattle and wine, the gathering could not have been completed, and there would have been no way to know who was wealthy or poor. "For those with surplus wealth, I set a repayment date. "For those who were in poverty, even if you pursued them for ten years and collected more interest, they would become desperate and either flee or commit suicide. "If you pressed them hard, they would never be able to repay. Above all, this would make your lordship appear greedy and uncaring toward the people; below, it would give them a reputation of being disloyal and defiant. This is not how one inspires the people or enhances your lord's reputation. "By burning useless and fictitious debt contracts, I eliminated impossible demands. This made the people of Xue feel affection for you and highlighted your lord's good reputation. What is there for you to doubt!" Mengchang Jun then clapped his hands in appreciation and thanked him.
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
齊王惑於秦、楚之毀，以為孟嘗君名高其主而擅齊國之權，遂廢孟嘗君。諸客見孟嘗君廢，皆去。馮驩曰：「借臣車一乘，可以入秦者，必令君重於國而奉邑益廣，可乎？」孟嘗君乃約車幣而遣之。馮驩乃西說秦王曰：「天下之游士馮軾結靷西入秦者，無不欲彊秦而弱齊；馮軾結靷東入齊者，無不欲彊齊而弱秦。此雄雌之國也，勢不兩立為雄，雄者得天下矣。」秦王跽而問之曰：「何以使秦無為雌而可？」馮驩曰：「王亦知齊之廢孟嘗君乎？」秦王曰：「聞之。」馮驩曰：「使齊重於天下者，孟嘗君也。今齊王以毀廢之，其心怨，必背齊；背齊入秦，則齊國之情，人事之誠，盡委之秦，齊地可得也，豈直為雄也！君急使使載幣陰迎孟嘗君，不可失時也。如有齊覺悟，復用孟嘗君，則雌雄之所在未可知也。」秦王大悅，乃遣車十乘黃金百鎰以迎孟嘗君。馮驩辭以先行，至齊，說齊王曰：「天下之游士馮軾結靷東入齊者，無不欲彊齊而弱秦者；馮軾結靷西入秦者，無不欲彊秦而弱齊者。夫秦齊雄雌之國，秦彊則齊弱矣，此勢不兩雄。今臣竊聞秦遣使車十乘載黃金百鎰以迎孟嘗君。孟嘗君不西則已，西入相秦則天下歸之，秦為雄而齊為雌，雌則臨淄、即墨危矣。王何不先秦使之未到，復孟嘗君，而益與之邑以謝之？孟嘗君必喜而受之。秦雖彊國，豈可以請人相而迎之哉！折秦之謀，而絕其霸彊之略。」齊王曰：「善。」乃使人至境候秦使。秦使車適入齊境，使還馳告之，王召孟嘗君而復其相位，而與其故邑之地，又益以千戶。秦之使者聞孟嘗君復相齊，還車而去矣。 |
| | King Qi was misled by the slander of Qin and Chu, believing that Mengchang Jun had a reputation surpassing his ruler and had seized power in the state of Qi. Thus, he deposed Mengchang Jun. When all his retainers saw that Mengchang Jun was dismissed, they all left him. Feng Huan said: "May I borrow a single carriage, and if it can enter the state of Qin, I will surely make you hold greater influence in your country and receive an even larger fief. Is that acceptable?" Mengchang Jun then prepared a carriage and gifts and sent him off. Feng Huan then went west to persuade King Qin, saying: "All the traveling scholars who fasten their reins and drive west into Qin have no other desire than to strengthen Qin and weaken Qi; "those who fasten their reins and travel east into Qi, on the other hand, have no desire but to strengthen Qi and weaken Qin. lø These are rival powers; their positions cannot coexist as equals. The one who becomes the dominant power will gain control over all under heaven." King Qin rose to his knees and asked him: "What can be done to ensure that Qin does not become the weaker of the two?" Feng Huan said, "Your Majesty also knows about King Qi's dismissal of Mengchang Jun, does he not?" King Qin replied: "I have heard of it." Feng Huan said: "The one who made Qi hold great weight in the world is Mengchang Jun. "Now King Qi dismissed him on false accusations, and he will be resentful; he must certainly turn his back on Qi; "if he turns from Qi and enters Qin, then all the secrets of Qi's state affairs and the sincerity of its people will be entrusted to Qin. The land of Qi can thus be obtained—this is not merely a matter of becoming dominant!" "Your Majesty should immediately send envoys with gifts to secretly welcome Mengchang Jun back. You must not miss this opportunity." "If the state of Qi realizes its mistake and reappoints Mengchang Jun, then it remains uncertain which power will be dominant." King Qin was greatly pleased. He immediately sent ten carriages and a hundred jin of gold to welcome Mengchang Jun. Feng Huan, pretending to go ahead first, arrived in Qi and persuaded King Qi: "All the traveling scholars who fastened their reins and traveled east into Qi have no other desire but to strengthen Qi while weakening Qin; "those who fastened their reins and drove west into Qin, on the other hand, had no desire but to strengthen Qin while weakening Qi. "Qin and Qi are rival powers. If Qin becomes strong, then Qi will become weak—this is a situation where both cannot be dominant at the same time. "Now I have secretly heard that Qin has sent ten carriages loaded with a hundred jin of gold in order to welcome Mengchang Jun. "If Mengchang Jun does not go west, then it is fine. But if he goes west and becomes a chancellor of Qin, the world will follow him, making Qin dominant while Qi becomes weak. If that happens, Linzi and Jimo will be in danger. "Why does Your Majesty not act before the envoys from Qin arrive, reinstate Mengchang Jun and give him more territory as a gesture of apology?" "Mengchang Jun will surely be pleased and accept it. "Although Qin is a powerful state, would they dare to invite someone from another country to serve as chancellor?" "This will thwart Qin's plan and cut off its strategy for dominance." King Qi said, "Good." He then sent men to the border to await Qin's envoys. Just as the Qin envoys' carriages entered Qi's territory, the messengers hurried back to inform them. King Qi summoned Mengchang Jun and restored his position as chancellor, returning to him his former fief and adding a thousand households to it. When the envoys of Qin heard that Mengchang Jun had been reinstated as chancellor in Qi, they turned their carriages around and left.
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
自齊王毀廢孟嘗君，諸客皆去。後召而復之，馮驩迎之。未到，孟嘗君太息嘆曰：「文常好客，遇客無所敢失，食客三千有餘人，先生所知也。客見文一日廢，皆背文而去，莫顧文者。今賴先生得復其位，客亦有何面目復見文乎？如復見文者，必唾其面而大辱之。」馮驩結轡下拜。孟嘗君下車接之，曰：「先生為客謝乎？」馮驩曰：「非為客謝也，為君之言失。夫物有必至，事有固然，君知之乎？」孟嘗君曰：「愚不知所謂也。」曰：「生者必有死，物之必至也；富貴多士，貧賤寡友，事之固然也。君獨不見夫（朝）趣市［朝］者乎？明旦，側肩爭門而入；日暮之後，過市朝者掉臂而不顧。非好朝而惡暮，所期物忘其中。今君失位，賓客皆去，不足以怨士而徒絕賓客之路。願君遇客如故。」孟嘗君再拜曰：「敬從命矣。聞先生之言，敢不奉教焉。」 |
| | Since King Qi slandered and dismissed Mengchang Jun, all his retainers had left him. Later, when he was recalled and reinstated, Feng Huan went to welcome him back. Before arriving, Mengchang Jun sighed and said: "I have always loved to entertain guests, and I never dared to treat them improperly. I had more than three thousand retainers—this is something you know well, Master. "When my guests saw that I was dismissed in a single day, they all turned their backs on me and left; none looked back at me." "Now I rely on you to regain my position. What face do these guests have to see me again?" "If any of them dare to appear before me, they will certainly spit in their faces and greatly humiliate them." Feng Huan fastened his reins and knelt down to bow. Mengchang Jun got out of the carriage to greet him, saying: "Are you here on behalf of my guests to apologize?" Feng Huan said: "I am not here for the sake of your guests, but because you made a wrong statement. "Certain things are bound to happen; certain events have their natural course—do you understand this?" Mengchang Jun said: "I am foolish and do not know what you mean." He said, "To be born is to face death—this is an inevitable fate of things; "Prosperity and honor bring many followers, while poverty and low status lead to few friends—this is the natural course of events. "Have you never seen those who go early in the morning to the market? "At dawn, they crowd shoulder to shoulder and rush through the gates; "After dusk, those who pass by the market square simply wave their arms and do not look back. "It is not that they like morning but dislike evening—it is because what they hoped to obtain has already been forgotten in the process. "Now, when you lost your position and all your guests left, it is not enough to blame the scholars for this; doing so would only cut off your own path to retainers. "I hope that you will treat your guests as before." Mengchang Jun bowed twice and said: "I shall follow your advice. "Having heard your words, how could I dare not accept your instruction?"
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| | 孟嘗君列... : |
太史公曰：吾嘗過薛，其俗閭里率多暴桀子弟，與鄒、魯殊。問其故，曰：「孟嘗君招致天下任俠，姦人入薛中蓋六萬餘家矣。」世之傳孟嘗君好客自喜，名不虛矣。 |
| | Grand Historian said: "I once passed through Xue, and found that the local customs were such that most of the young men in the lanes and neighborhoods were violent and unruly, quite different from those of Zou and Lu. "When I asked the reason, they said: 'Mengchang Jun attracted from all under heaven those who took justice into their own hands. The number of lawless people who entered Xue must have been over 60,000 families.'" "The world has passed down the story that Mengchang Jun loved to entertain guests and took pride in it—his reputation is indeed well deserved.
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