Yan Hui asked Zhong Ni for permission to make a trip.
“Where
are you going?” he said.
“To
Wey.”
“What
for?”
“I
have heard that the Lord of Wey is young and willful. He trifles with his state
and won't admit his mistakes. He is so careless with people’s lives
that the dead fill the state like falling leaves in a swamp. The people have nowhere to turn. I have heard my teacher say, ‘Leave the
well-governed state and go to the chaotic one. There are plenty sick people at
the doctor’s door.’ I want to use what I have learned to think of a way that the
state might be healed.” [1]
Zhongni said, “Sheesh! You’re just going to get yourself hurt. The way does not like
complexity. Complexity quickly becomes too much. Too much leads to agitation,
agitation leads to worry, and worry never solved anything. The perfect people
of olden times first found it in themselves before looking for it in others. If
what you’ve found in yourself isn’t settled yet, what leisure can you spare for
this bully’s behavior?[2]
“Do
you know how powers squandered and where knowledge comes from? Powers are squandered in fame and knowledge comes from struggle. People use fame to
trample each other and knowledge as a weapon. Both of them are tools of
ill-fortune, not the means of finishing your mission. [3]
“Though
your powers are deep and your faith strong, you have not comprehended people's feelings. You’ve got a reputation for not
being contentious but you have not comprehended the human mind. If you insist
on parading standards of kindness and morality before this bully, you
will just make him look bad in comparison to you. That’s antagonism, and one
who antagonizes others is sure to be antagonized in return. You don’t want to antagonize
him!
“Or just suppose he likes worthy people and dislikes the depraved, then what use is
there in changing him? Better not to speak! Kings and dukes always ride people and force their submission. He’ll want to dazzle your eyes, nonpluss your expression,
tongue-tie your mouth, cue your posture, and make up your mind. Trying to reform this kind of person
is like piling fire on fire or water on water. It’s adding to the
excessive. Your initial compliance won't end until he no longer trusts
your good word. You will surely die at this bully’s hands.
In the past, the tyrant Jie murdered his worthy advisor Guan Longfeng and tyrant Zhou killed his uncle, Prince Bi Gan. Both cultivated themselves. They humbled themselves in order help the people and to prod their superiors. So their lords crushed them on account of their cultivation. Because they valued their reputation. [4]
In the past, Emperor Yao attacked Congzhi and Xu-ao and Emperor Yu attacked Youhu. They destroyed the countries and slaughtered the people. Their use of arms was endless and their search for substance limitless. Both sought reputation and substance; haven't you heard? If even wise people can't resist reputations and substance, how can you? [5]
Even so, you
must have a plan. Come, tell me about it!”
Yan Hui said, “Suppose I am upright but dispassionate, energetic but not divisive.
Would that work?”
"No!
How could that work?” said Zhong Ni. “You’d use all your energy to sustain the
empty show and your face would be unsettled. Other people can’t stand that,
so they have to resist what you suggest in order to ease their own minds. If what you might call 'gradual powers' wouldn’t work, how much less such a great show of force! He’ll dig
in his heels and resist change. Though he may seem well-disposed on the
outside, on the inside he’ll never consider it. How could that ever work?”
Yan
Hui said, “Then how about being inwardly straight but outwardly bending, having
integrity but conforming to my superiors? By being inwardly straight, I could
follow heaven. As a follower of heaven, I would know that the emperor and I are both children of heaven. If I speak only for myself, why worry about
the approval or disapproval of other people? This way, I could be what people call 'childlike,' which is what I call 'following heaven.'
“By
being outwardly bending, I could follow other people. Lifting the ceremonial
tablets, kneeling, bending, bowing—this is the etiquette of a minister. Others
do it, why shouldn’t I? So long as I do what other people do, who can complain?
This is what I call 'following people.'
“Having
integrity and conforming to superiors, one follows olden times. My words,
whether they are in fact instructions or even criticisms, belong to antiquity;
they are not my own. This way one can be straightforward without causing
injury. This is what I call 'following olden times.' Would that work?”
Zhong Ni
said, “No! How could that work? That's too many strategies. If you plan without reconnaissance, sure, you can avoid blame. But it would stop
there. How could you hope to change him? You’re still making the mind your
teacher.” [6]