In former times, Prince Chong’er of Jin fled into exile and passed through Zheng. The Duke of Zheng treated him discourteously. Shu Zhan remonstrated: “This is a worthy prince. If you treat him generously, you may accumulate virtue.” The duke refused. Shu Zhan warned again: “If you will not treat him well, you had better kill him, to avoid future trouble.” The duke still refused. When the prince returned to rule Jin, he raised troops to attack Zheng, defeating it severely and seizing eight cities.
Duke Xian of Jin used jade discs from Chuiji to borrow passage through Yu to attack Guo. Minister Gong Zhiqi remonstrated: “Do not do so. When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Yu and Guo support each other not out of kindness, but for mutual survival. If Jin conquers Guo today, Yu will perish tomorrow.” The Duke of Yu refused, accepted the jade, and granted passage. After conquering Guo, Jin turned back and destroyed Yu.
These two ministers advised at the early subtle stage of trouble, yet both dukes ignored them. Shu Zhan and Gong Zhiqi were the Bian Que of Zheng and Yu. Rejecting their counsel, Zheng was defeated and Yu perished. Hence the saying: “What is peaceful is easy to sustain; what shows no omens is easy to plan against.”
Note
This passage reinforces a core political lesson: unseen early dangers are easiest to resolve; rejecting wise ministers’ timely warnings leads to irreversible state collapse.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Illustrating Laozi (Yu Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He extends the Bian Que parable to state‑level political warning.
Prince Chong’er (Duke Wen of Jin)
Later overlord of the Spring‑and‑Autumn Period; his exile‑time humiliation led to Zheng’s defeat.
Shu Zhan
Loyal minister of Zheng who foresaw Jin’s retaliation.
Duke Xian of Jin
Used bribery to conquer Guo and Yu via the “borrow‑a‑path” trick.
Gong Zhiqi
Famous loyal minister of Yu, originator of the idiom “when lips are gone, teeth grow cold”.
Lip‑Teeth Metaphor
Classic Chinese idiom for interdependent survival of allied states.
Early‑Stage Trouble Prevention
Linking medical early‑diagnosis logic (Bian Que) to political risk prevention: ministers detect emerging threats like physicians detect early illness.
Bian Que was a legendary physician from the Spring and Autumn Period, regarded as the “father of Chinese medicine.” According to legend, he could see inside the human body, leading to the famous story of “Bian Que meeting Duke Huan of Cai.” His medical legacy profoundly influenced traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
Legalist Remonstrance Principle
Rulers must accept early‑warning advice to avoid catastrophic national ruin.
昔晉公子重耳出亡過鄭，鄭君不禮，叔瞻諫曰：「此賢公子也，君厚待之，可以積德。」鄭君不聽。叔瞻又諫曰：「不厚待之，不若殺之，無令有後患。」鄭君又不聽。及公子返晉邦，舉兵伐鄭，大破之，取八城焉。晉獻公以垂棘之璧假道於虞而伐虢，大夫宮之奇諫曰：「不可。脣亡而齒寒，虞、虢相救，非相德也。今日晉滅虢，明日虞必隨之亡。」虞君不聽，受其璧而假之道。晉已取虢，還，反滅虞。此二臣者皆爭於腠理者也，而二君不用也。然則叔瞻、宮之奇亦虞、鄭之扁鵲也，而二君不聽，故鄭以破，虞以亡。故曰：「其安易持也，其未兆易謀也。」
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