| | The Grand Historian said: Laws and decrees are what guide the people. Punishments are what prevent evildoers. When the civil and military systems are not fully prepared, upright citizens who fearfully cultivate their conduct have never been disturbed by officials. Serving one's duties in accordance with reason can also bring about good governance; why is it necessary to rely on authority and severity? Gongyi Xi served as the prime minister of Lu. He adhered to laws and followed reason, making no changes or alterations. All government officials naturally conducted themselves properly. He ensured that those who received official salaries could not compete with common people for profit; those in high positions could not take from the lowly. A guest once presented him with fish as a gift, but he did not accept it. The guest said: I heard that you enjoy eating fish, so I gave you fish; why didn't you accept it? The prime minister said: Precisely because I like fish, I do not accept it. Now that I am prime minister, I can provide myself with fish. If I were to accept this gift and then be dismissed from office, who would give me fish in the future? Therefore, I do not accept it. He once tasted vegetables and found them delicious, so he uprooted the cabbages in his own garden and discarded them. When he saw that the cloth woven by his wife was of fine quality, he immediately sent her away from home and burned the loom, saying: "If I allow this, where would farmers and artisans sell their goods?"
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