| | 臣不易: |
昔孔子言，為臣不易，或人以為易，言臣之事君，供職奉命，敕身恭己，忠順而已，忠則獲寵安之福，順則無危辱之憂，曷為不易哉。此言似易，論之甚難。 |
| | In the past, Confucius said that it is not easy to be a minister. Some people think it is easy, saying that as a subject serving his ruler, one merely needs to perform official duties and obey commands, discipline himself and conduct with reverence, being loyal and obedient. If one is loyal, he will gain favor and enjoy happiness; if one is obedient, there will be no danger or disgrace. Why then should it not be easy? This statement seems easy, but discussing it proves very difficult.
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| | 臣不易: |
夫君臣之接，以愚奉智不易，以明事暗為難，唯以賢事聖，以聖事賢為可，然賢聖相遭既稀，又周公之於成王，猶未能得，斯誠不易也。且父子以恩親，君臣以義固，恩有所為虧，况義能無所為缺哉。苟有虧缺，亦何容易。 |
| | The relationship between ruler and minister is difficult when the foolish serve the wise, and even more challenging when the enlightened serve those in darkness. Only when a virtuous person serves a sage or a sage serves a virtuous person can it be considered feasible. However, such encounters of virtue and sainthood are already rare; even Zhou Gong serving King Cheng was not entirely successful. This truly is not easy. Moreover, the relationship between father and son is bound by affectionate ties, while that of ruler and minister relies on righteousness to be firm. If affection can sometimes be impaired, how much more so could righteousness possibly remain without any deficiency? If there is any impairment or deficiency, it is indeed not easy at all.
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| | 臣不易: |
且夫事君者，竭忠義之道，盡忠義之節，服勞辱之事，當危之難，肝腦塗地，膏液潤草而不辭者，以安上治民，宣化成德，使君為一代之聖明，己為一世之良輔，輔千乘則念過管晏，佐天下則思醜稷禹，豈為七尺之軀，寵一官之貴，貪充家之禄，榮華囂之觀哉。 |
| | Moreover, those who serve their ruler must devote themselves to the path of loyalty and righteousness, fulfill the principles of loyalty and righteousness completely, endure laborious and disgraceful tasks, face dangers, spill one's blood and brains, and spread fat and oil to nourish the grass without hesitation. This is done in order to ensure stability for the ruler and good governance for the people, promote moral education, and cultivate virtue, so that the ruler becomes a sage of his generation and oneself becomes an outstanding assistant of the age. When assisting a feudal lord, one aspires to surpass Guan Zhong and Yan Ying; when aiding the whole world, one thinks of rivaling Hou Ji and Yu. How could such service be for the sake of preserving one's seven-foot body, seeking the honor of an official position, greedily pursuing family wealth, or enjoying luxurious and ostentatious displays?
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| | 臣不易: |
以忠臣之事主，投命委身，期於成功立事，便國利民，故不為難易變節，安危革行也。然為大臣者，或仍舊德，藉故勢，或見拔擢重任，其所以保寵成功，承上安下，則當遠威權之地，避嫌疑之分，知虧盈之數，達止足之義，動依典禮，事念忠篤，乃當匡上之行，諫主之非，獻可濟否，匪躬之故，剛亦不吐，柔亦不茹，所謂大臣以道事君也。然當托於幽微，當行於隱密，使怨咎從己身，而衆善自君發，為羣寮之表式，作萬官之儀範，豈得偷樂容悅而已哉。然或為邪臣所譖，幸臣所亂，聽一疑而不見信，事似然而不可釋，忠詭計而為非，善事變而為惡，罪結於天，無所禱請，激直言而無所訴，深者即時伏劍賜死，淺者以漸斥逐放弃，蓋比干龍逢所以見害於飛廉惡來，孔子周公所以見毁於管蔡季孫也。斯則大臣所以不易也。 |
| | With the actions of a loyal minister serving his lord, risking life and entrusting one's body, expecting to achieve success and accomplish great deeds that benefit the country and its people. Therefore, he does not change his principles according to whether things are difficult or easy, nor alter his conduct in times of safety or danger. However, as a high minister, one may still possess old virtue and rely on former influence, or be suddenly promoted to important responsibilities. In order to preserve favor and achieve success, to support the ruler above and ensure stability below, he should stay away from positions of power and authority, avoid situations of suspicion and conflict, understand the cycle of gains and losses, grasp the meaning of knowing when to stop, act in accordance with established rites and ceremonies, and always bear loyalty and sincerity in mind. Only then can one properly assist the ruler's conduct, advise against his mistakes, offer what is feasible while correcting what is not, all for the sake of the state rather than personal interest. He must be firm without being stubborn, flexible without being weak—this is what is meant by a great minister serving the ruler according to the Way. Yet, one must entrust matters to subtle and obscure means, act in secrecy and discretion, allowing blame and resentment to fall upon oneself while all good deeds originate from the ruler. One should set an example for fellow officials and serve as a model of conduct for thousands of officers; how could this be achieved merely by seeking personal pleasure or gaining favor? Yet, sometimes a loyal minister may be slandered by wicked ministers or disturbed by favored favorites. The ruler listens to one suspicion and does not believe in the truth; matters appear reasonable but cannot be clarified. Loyalty is twisted into treachery, good deeds are transformed into evil. Guilt accumulates under heaven, with no place for prayer or petition. Honest remonstrance incites anger without recourse. Those deeply implicated may immediately commit suicide by sword or be executed on the spot; those less involved will gradually be exiled and abandoned. This is why Bi Gan and Long Peng were harmed by Fei Lian and E Lai, and why Confucius and Zhou Gong were defamed by Guan Pao, Ji Sun, and others. This is precisely why being a great minister is not easy.
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| | 臣不易: |
為小臣者，得任則治其職，受事修其業，思不出其位，慮不過其責，竭力致誠，忠信而已。 |
| | For a minor official, when entrusted with responsibility, one should manage his duties; upon receiving tasks, he should cultivate his profession. His thoughts must not exceed the scope of his position, and his concerns must not go beyond his responsibilities. He should exert all efforts to offer sincerity—this is loyalty and trustworthiness alone.
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| | 臣不易: |
然或困辱而不均，厭抑而失所，是以賢者或非其議，預非其事，不著其陋，不嫌其卑，庶貫一言而利一事。 |
| | Yet, if one suffers hardship and disgrace unfairly or is suppressed without cause, then even the virtuous may criticize unjustly, anticipate blame for matters not their own, conceal their shortcomings, avoid appearing lowly, and hope to achieve a single beneficial word or action.
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| | 臣不易: |
然以至輕至微，至疏至賤，幹萬乘之主，約以禮義之度，匡以行事之非，忤執政之臣，暴其所短，說合則裁，自若不當，則離禍害，或計不欲人知，事不從人豫，而己策謀適合，陳偶同上者，或顯戮其身以神其計，在下者或妒其人而奪其策，蓋關思見殺於鄭，韓非受誅於秦，龐涓刖孫臏之足，魏齊折應侯之脅，斯又孤宦小臣所以為難也。 |
| | Yet, even when one is extremely lowly and insignificant, distant and humble, daring to approach the ruler of a great state, urging him with rites and righteousness, correcting his improper actions, opposing powerful ministers in power, exposing their weaknesses—when such advice coincides with the ruler's will, it may be accepted; if not, disaster follows. Sometimes one's plan is secret and others are unaware, or events do not proceed as expected, yet one's strategy happens to align perfectly with what is proposed by another. In such cases, the advisor might be publicly executed to glorify his idea, while those in lower positions may envy him and seize credit for his strategy. This explains why Guanshi was killed in Zheng, Han Fei was executed in Qin, Pang Juan had Sun Bin's feet amputated, and Wei Qi broke Ying Hou's ribs—these are precisely the difficulties faced by isolated officials of low rank.
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| | 臣不易: |
為小臣者，一當恪恭職司，出內惟允，造膝詭辭，執心審密，忠上愛主，媚不求奧竈而已，若為苟若此，患為外人所彈，邪臣所嫉，以職近而言易，身親而見信，奉公俠私之吏求害之以見直，懷奸抱邪之臣欲除之以示忠，言有若是，事有似然，雖父子之間，猶不能明，况臣之於君而得之乎。故上官毁屈平，爰盎譖晁錯，公孫排主父，張湯陷嚴助，夫數子者，雖示純德，亦親近之臣所以為難也。 |
| | For a minor official, one must always be conscientious and respectful in his duties, act internally and externally with integrity, speak cautiously when approaching the ruler, maintain sincerity and discretion. One should serve the ruler with loyalty and affection, without seeking favor or special treatment. If someone behaves carelessly, he will suffer accusations from outsiders and jealousy from wicked ministers. Because of his close position to official duties and easy access in speech, as well as the ruler's trust due to personal closeness, upright officials who harbor private interests might seek to harm him to appear just, while corrupt and treacherous ministers may wish to eliminate him to demonstrate their own loyalty. If words sound reasonable and matters seem plausible, even between father and son it is difficult to clarify; how much more so for a minister before his ruler? Therefore, the superior official destroyed Qu Ping; Yuan Ang slandered Chao Cuo; Gong Sun expelled Zhu Fu Yan; Zhang Tang framed Yan Zhu. These several men, although they displayed pure virtue, still faced difficulties as trusted ministers.
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| | 臣不易: |
為外臣者，儘力致死，其義一也。不以遠而自外，疏而自簡，親涉其事而掌其任，苟有可以興利除害，安危定亂，雖違本朝之議，詭常法之道，陳之於主，行之於身，志於忠上濟事，憂公無私，善否之間，在已典主可也。然患為左右所輕重，貴臣所壅制，或逆而毁之，使不得用，或用而害之，使不得成，或成而譖之，使不得其所，吳起見毁於魏，李牧見殺於趙，樂毅見讒於燕，章邯畏誅於秦，斯又外臣所以為危也。此舉梗槩耳，曲折纖妙，豈可得備論之哉。 |
| | For an external minister, to exert one's utmost strength and even die for it—this is the same principle of righteousness. One should not distance oneself because of remoteness, nor become careless due to being distant. One must personally involve in the affairs and shoulder the responsibility. If there is a way to promote benefits and remove harms, ensure stability and resolve chaos, even if it goes against the opinions of the court or deviates from conventional laws, one should present it to the ruler and carry it out oneself. The intention lies in loyalty to the sovereign and accomplishing tasks, worrying for public affairs without personal interest; whether a matter is good or bad depends on what is appropriate between oneself and the ruler. Yet, the danger lies in being influenced by those on either side—being favored or neglected—and controlled by powerful ministers. Sometimes they oppose and slander one so that his proposals are not used; sometimes they use them but then sabotage their success; sometimes after success is achieved, they defame him to prevent recognition. Wu Qi was defamed in Wei, Li Mu was killed in Zhao, Yue Yi was slandered in Yan, Zhang Han feared execution in Qin—these illustrate precisely the dangers faced by external ministers. This merely outlines a general idea; as for the intricate and subtle details, how could they possibly be fully discussed?
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| | 臣不易: |
治本。 |
| | Root governance.
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| | 臣不易: |
夫治國之本有二，刑也。德也。二者相須而行，相待而成矣。天以陰陽成歲，人以刑德成治，故雖聖人為政，不能偏用也。故任德多，用刑少者，五帝也。刑德相半者，三王也。杖刑多，任德少者，五霸也。純用刑强而亡者，秦也。夫人君欲治者，既達專持刑德之柄矣。位必使當其德，禄必使當其功，官必使當其能，此三者，治亂之本也。位當其德，則賢者居上，不肖者居下，禄當其功，則有勞者勸，無勞者慕，未之有也。 |
| | The root of governing a state has two aspects: punishment and law. Virtue. The two must be used together, relying on each other to achieve success. Heaven completes the year through yin and yang; humans complete governance through punishment and virtue. Therefore, even when a sage governs, he cannot rely on only one of them. Therefore, those who relied more on virtue and less on punishment were the Five Emperors. Those who balanced punishment and virtue equally were the Three Sovereigns. Those who used corporal punishment more frequently but relied less on virtue were the Five Hegemons. Those who purely relied on punishment and thus became strong yet perished were the Qin dynasty. A ruler who wishes to govern well must first understand how to hold firmly the instruments of punishment and virtue. Rank must correspond with virtue, salary must match merit, and office must suit ability. These three are the foundation of order or chaos in governance. When rank corresponds with virtue, the virtuous will be in higher positions and the unworthy in lower ones. When salary matches merit, those who have labored will be encouraged, while those without labor will admire them—this has never been seen.
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| | 臣不易: |
凡國無常治，亦無常亂，欲治者治，不欲治者亂，後之國土人民，亦前之有也。前之有，亦後之有也。而禹獨以安，幽，厲獨以危，斯不易天地，異人民，欲與不欲也。吳阪之馬，庸夫統銜則為弊乘，伯樂執轡即為良驥，非馬更異，教民亦然也。故遇禹，湯則為良民，遭桀，紂則為凶頑，治使然也。故善治國者，不尤斯民而罪諸己，不責諸下而求諸身。傳曰：禹，湯罪己，其興也勃焉。桀，紂罪人，其亡也忽焉。由是言之，長民治國之本在身。故詹何曰：未聞身治而國亂者也。若詹者，可謂知治本矣。 |
| | A state has no permanent order, nor does it have perpetual disorder. When a ruler desires governance, there is order; when he does not desire it, there is chaos. The land and people of later generations are the same as those of previous ones. What existed before also exists after. Yet Yu alone brought stability, while You and Li alone caused danger—this does not result from changes in heaven and earth or differences among the people; it is simply a matter of desire versus lack thereof. A horse from Wu Ban, when led by an ordinary man with a bridle, becomes a poor mount; but in the hands of Bo Le holding the reins, it becomes a fine steed. It is not that the horse has changed—it is the same for educating the people. Therefore, when encountering Yu or Tang, they become good citizens; but under Jie and Zhou, they turn into wicked and stubborn people—this is a result of governance. Therefore, a good ruler governing the state does not blame the people but holds himself responsible; he does not accuse his subordinates but examines himself. The Classic says: "Yu and Tang blamed themselves, and thus their rise was vigorous." 龙头 Jie and Zhou blamed others, and so their downfall came suddenly. From this we can see that the root of governing the people and managing a state lies in oneself. Therefore, Zhan He said: "I have never heard of a case where one's own conduct was orderly yet the country fell into chaos." One who understands this like Zhan can truly be called someone who knows the root of governance.
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