Duke Wen of Teng asked Mencius:
“Teng is a small state. We’ve exhausted every effort to serve the large states, yet we still cannot escape their aggression. What should we do?”
Mencius replied:
“In ancient times, when King Tai (Gugong Danfu) was in Bin, but the Di tribes kept invading. He first offered them furs and silks – still no peace. Then he gave them dogs and horses – still no peace. Finally, he presented pearls and jade – yet still no peace.
So he gathered the elders and said: ‘What the Di truly want is our land. I have heard: ‘A noble person does not use what sustains life to cause harm. Why should you worry about lacking a ruler? I will leave.’
He departed from Bin, crossed Mount Liang, and settled at the foot of Mount Qi. The people of Bin said: ‘He is a man of benevolence – we cannot lose him!’ They followed him in such numbers as if to marketplace.
Yet others argued: ‘This land has been guarded by our ancestors for generations – it is not ours to abandon. We would rather die than leave.’
Your Highness, please choose between these two paths.”
滕文公問曰：「滕，小國也。竭力以事大國，則不得免焉。如之何則可？」
孟子對曰：「昔者大王居邠，狄人侵之。事之以皮幣，不得免焉；事之以犬馬，不得免焉；事之以珠玉，不得免焉。乃屬其耆老而告之曰：『狄人之所欲者，吾土地也。吾聞之也：君子不以其所以養人者害人。二三子何患乎無君？我將去之。』去邠，踰梁山，邑于岐山之下居焉。邠人曰：『仁人也，不可失也。』從之者如歸市。或曰：『世守也，非身之所能為也。效死勿去。』君請擇於斯二者。」
Note
This passage from Mencius: King Hui of Liang II presents a profound ethical dilemma: when survival demands impossible choices, should a ruler prioritize the people’s lives or ancestral territory? Mencius offers no easy answer – but insists that true leadership lies in moral clarity, not mere survival.
This dialogue profoundly illustrates Mencius’s moral philosophy in the face of power politics.
The futility of “Serving the Power”: the realistic dilemma of weak states
Teng is a small state, squeezed between the great powers of Qi and Chu. Earlier, Duke Wen of Teng and Mencius discussed how a small state should survive. Duke Wen’s initial thought was to seek alignment with a larger state. Mencius advocated for independence and self-determination, strengthening defense as a survival strategy for a small state. Duke Wen expressed concerns about military threats from powerful states, while Mencius argued for implementing benevolent governance and winning the people’s hearts as the appropriate response.
Duke Wen of Teng’s predicament as specified in the passage above epitomizes that of small states during the Warring States period: no matter how humbly they submitted or lavishly they paid tribute, dominant states remained unsatisfied and ultimately annexed them. Through the story of King Tai (Gugong Danfu), Mencius shows that when an aggressor’s goal is land itself, material appeasement is utterly futile.
Tension between two moral loyalties: Benevolent Governance vs. Territorial Defense
Rather than prescribing a single course, Mencius presents two ethically defensible options:
- The “Departure” of King Tai: prioritizing the people’s lives over territory, voluntarily relocating to spare citizens from war – embodying the principle that “a noble person does not use what sustains life (land) to cause harm.” Land exists to nourish the people; it should not become a reason to sacrifice them.
- The “Stand-and-Die” Position: emphasizing loyalty to ancestral heritage, choosing martyrdom over retreat, reflecting integrity and filial duty to tradition.
Both views find grounding within Confucian thought:
- The first aligns with Confucius’s “the humane person loves others” and Mencius’s “the people are most important; the state comes second; the ruler least.”
- The second resonates with the Book of Rites: “Guard the Dao/Tao even unto death.”
Mencius’s brilliance lies not in giving orders, but in inviting the ruler to choose through moral self-awareness – highlighting conscience and responsibility over rigid dogma.
Popular support as legitimacy
When King Tai left Bin, the people “followed him as if going to a marketplace,” demonstrating that true political legitimacy resides not in territory or ancestral temples, but in the hearts of the people. This is a living example of Mencius’s teaching in Li Lou I:
“He who wins the common people becomes Son of Heaven.”
The people follow not soil, but virtue.
Historical context and lasting influence
During the Warring States period, small states like Teng, Xue, and Zhu were mostly swallowed up. Mencius’s words reflect both a sober understanding of geopolitical reality and a steadfast commitment to moral idealism.
- In the late Eastern Han, Liu Bei’s “crossing the river with the people” was seen as a revival of “King Tai’s benevolence.” In 208 CE, Cao Cao invaded Jingzhou, Because Cao Cao had massacred the people of Xuzhou twice before (The first massacre of Xuzhou vs. The second massacre of Xuzhou), and his army had committed numerous killings wherever they passed, the residents of Xiangyang feared Cao Cao. Over a hundred thousand people voluntarily followed Liu Bei in flight, taking their families along.
- During the Southern Song’s resistance to Jin and Yuan invasions, scholars fiercely debated whether to “defend Lin’an to the death” or “relocate south to protect the people” – a direct echo of this dilemma.
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