Zhuang Bao (a close minister to King Xuan of Qi during the Warring States period.) went to see Mencius, and said,
“I was given an interview by the king, who told me that he enjoyed music. I was at a loss what to say.”
Then he added,
“What do you think of the enjoyment of music?”
Mencius answered,
“If the king enjoys music intensely, then there may be hope for State of Qi.”
On another day when Mencius was received by the king, he said,
“Your Majesty told Zhuang Bao that you enjoy music, didn’t you?”
The king blushed with shame, saying ,
“It is not the music of the ancient kings (classic music) that I enjoy; I enjoy only popular music.”
“If Your Majesty enjoys music intensely, there may be hope for the State of Qi. Actually the music of today and that of the ancient times make no difference.”
“May I hear more about that?”
“Which is the more delightful, enjoyment by yourself or enjoyment along with others?”
“Along with others.”
“Which is the more delightful, enjoyment along with a few or enjoyment along with many?”
“Along with many.”
”Please allow me to tell you something about enjoyment of music: now suppose you were having a musical performance here, and, hearing the sound of your bells and drums and the notes of your pipes and flutes, all the people, with pained head and knitted brow, said to one another, ‘Why does our king, in enjoying music, reduce us to such a woeful predicament that fathers and sons can not see each other, and brothers, wives and children are separated and scattered about?’
Again, suppose Your Majesty were hunting here, and, hearing the noise of your chariots and horses and seeing the splendid show of your banners, all the people, with pained head and knitted brow, said to one another, ‘Why does our king, in enjoying his hunting, reduce us to such a woeful predicament that fathers and sons can not see each other, and brothers, wives and children are separated and scattered about?’
The reason would only be your failure to share your enjoyment with the people.
Now suppose you were having a musical performance here, and, hearing the sound of your bells and drums and the notes of your pipes and flutes, all the people looked cheerful, and said to one another, ‘Our king is probably healthy, or how could he be in the mood for music?’
Again, suppose you were hunting here, and, hearing the noise of your chariots and horses and seeing the splendid show of your banners, all the people looked cheerful and said to one another, ‘Our king is probably healthy, or how could he be in the mood for hunting?’
The reason for their saying so would only be your sharing your enjoyment with the people.
Now, if you share your enjoyment with the people, you will be able to unify the whole world.”
莊暴見孟子，曰：「暴見於王，王語暴以好樂，暴未有以對也。」曰：「好樂何如？」
孟子曰：「王之好樂甚，則齊國其庶幾乎！」
他日，見於王曰：「王嘗語莊子以好樂，有諸？」王變乎色，曰：「寡人非能好先王之樂也，直好世俗之樂耳。」
曰：「王之好樂甚，則齊其庶幾乎！今之樂猶古之樂也。」曰：「可得聞與？」
曰：「獨樂樂，與人樂樂，孰樂？」曰：「不若與人。」
曰：「與少樂樂，與眾樂樂，孰樂？」曰：「不若與眾。」
「臣請為王言樂：今王鼓樂於此，百姓聞王鐘鼓之聲，管籥之音，舉疾首蹙頞而相告曰：『吾王之好鼓樂，夫何使我至於此極也？父子不相見，兄弟妻子離散。』今王田獵於此，百姓聞王車馬之音，見羽旄之美，舉疾首蹙頞而相告曰：『吾王之好田獵，夫何使我至於此極也？父子不相見，兄弟妻子離散。』此無他，不與民同樂也。」
「今王鼓樂於此，百姓聞王鐘鼓之聲，管籥之音，舉欣欣然有喜色而相告曰：『吾王庶幾無疾病與？何以能鼓樂也？』今王田獵於此，百姓聞王車馬之音，見羽旄之美，舉欣欣然有喜色而相告曰『吾王庶幾無疾病與？何以能田獵也？』此無他，與民同樂也。今王與百姓同樂，則王矣。」
Note
In the bustling capital of Linzi during the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi – though no great conqueror – was known for his love of music.
As previously mentioned in the story of “Mr. Nan Guo and the Phony Reed Flute Player,” King Xuan of Qi had a fondness for listening to the yu (a reed flute), particularly grand ensemble performances. He sent envoys far and wide to recruit skilled musicians, assembling a 300-member yu ensemble. Those selected to serve in the palace were granted exceptionally generous treatment.
One day, he confessed to his minister Zhuang Bao:
“I delight in music.”
Zhuang Bao was startled. In an age when ritual and music were pillars of statecraft, a ruler’s “delight in music” risked being seen as indulgence in frivolity. The Confucian tradition revered “the music of ancient kings” – solemn, orderly ya yue (elegant music) – as a tool for moral cultivation. In contrast, popular tunes from Zheng and Wei were dismissed as “licentious sounds,” unfit for noble ears.
Uncertain how to respond, Zhuang Bao sought advice from Mencius, who was then in Qi advocating humane governance.
Mencius did not condemn the king. Instead, he asked:
“If the king delights in music, do the people share in that joy?”
He then requested an audience with King Xuan of Qi.
Expecting rebuke, the king braced himself. But Mencius began gently:
“Your Majesty, since you love music – why not share it with the people?”
Surprised, the king asked,
“Can music truly be shared with the common folk?”
Mencius painted two vivid scenes.
“Imagine this,” he said. “You sit atop your palace, drums thundering, flutes soaring, bells ringing in perfect harmony. Yet outside your walls, the people are starving – parents cannot feed their children, families scatter in desperation. When they hear your joyful music, they cover their ears and cry: ‘Our king revels while we perish!’ No matter how refined the melody, it becomes the sound of a dying state.”
Then he offered another vision:
“But suppose your music rises at a time when fields are bountiful, granaries full, the old clothed and fed, the young educated. When the people hear your instruments, they smile and say: ‘Our king is at peace – surely the realm is well-governed!’ Their hearts turn toward you, and loyalty flows like water downhill.”
He concluded with a radical idea:
“The music of today is no different from the music of ancient kings. What matters is not whether you play the Shao or the songs of Zheng – but whether you share your joy with the people. To enjoy alone is less than to enjoy with others; to enjoy with others is less than to enjoy with the people.”
King Xuan rose, deeply moved.
“Master, your words have lifted the clouds from my eyes. I now see: my love of music is not a private whim – it is a mirror of governance.”
This episode, from Mencius: King Hui of Liang II, aligns perfectly with Mencius’s broader teachings – like “fifty paces laughing at a hundred” and “protect the people to become king” – all rooted in one principle: the ruler’s personal life is political. True harmony lies not in the purity of notes, but in the peace of the people who hear them.
Later, the Record of Music in the Book of Rites would echo this truth:
“Music arises from the human heart’s response to the world.”
For Mencius, the most beautiful symphony was the sound of a contented populace.
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