King Xuan of Qi received Mencius in the Snow Palace and asked,
“Does a virtuous man also enjoy such a thing as this palace?”
Mencius answered,
“Yes, he does. A man who can not come in for a share of such enjoyment will complain against those in authority. It is, of course, wrong for a man with no share of such enjoyment to complain against those in authority. And it is equally wrong for those in authority not to share their enjoyment with the people. The people will delight in the joy of a ruler who delights in their joy, and will grieve at the sorrow of a ruler who grieves at their sorrow. If a ruler shares joys and sorrows with the people of the world, he will certainly be able to unify the whole world.
Once, Duke Jing of Qi asked Yanzi, ‘I would like to travel to Mounts Zhuanfu and Chaowu and then to go southward along the seashore to Mount Langye. What should I do to be able to emulate the travels of the former emperors?’
‘What a splendid question!’ answered Yanzi. ‘lf the emperor goes to the feudal lords, it is called an imperial inspection tour, whose purpose is to inspect the land under their jurisdiction. If the feudal princes attend at the court of the emperor it is called the report on duties, whose purpose is to report on duties they are charged with. Neither tour is made without good reason. In spring, ploughing is inspected for the purpose of helping those who have not enough farm tools or seeds; in autumn, harvesting is inspected for the purpose of helping those who have not enough food. A saying of the Xia Dynasty runs like this:
‘If our king didn’t travel,
Who’d tell us to take our rest?
If our king didn’t tour,
Who’d help us at our request?
Each time he travels and tours,
To lords he’s the model best.’But this is not the case with the rulers of today. Many people march in attendance on the rulers and consume stores of food provisions. The hungry can not get food, and the toilers can not get rest. They look askance and complain. Thus the people are forced to do evil. Traveling in this way, the rulers violate Heaven’s will and misuse the people. Food and drink are wasted like flowing water. The rulers indulge in drifting, lingering, rioting, and intemperance. These excesses prevailing among the feudal princes cause worry and grief. By ‘drifting’ is meant flowing downstream without thinking of returning; by ‘lingering’, going upstream without thinking of returning; by ‘rioting’, hunting without satiety; and by ‘intemperance’, drinking without satiety. The ancient kings never indulged in these excesses. It is for you, my lord, to decide on your course of action.’
Duke Jing was pleased. He made ample preparations in the capital and then went to stay on the outskirts. Then he opened up the granaries to help the needy. Then he summoned the Grand Musician and told him, ‘Compose for me music expressing harmony between ruler and subject.’ This resulted in the creation of the Zhizhao (Zhishao) and Juezhao (Jueshao, or Jiaoshao) tunes. The text of the song reads: ‘What harm is there in restraining the ruler?’ To restrain one’s ruler is to care for him.”
齊宣王見孟子於雪宮。王曰：「賢者亦有此樂乎？」
孟子對曰：「有。人不得，則非其上矣。不得而非其上者，非也；為民上而不與民同樂者，亦非也。樂民之樂者，民亦樂其樂；憂民之憂者，民亦憂其憂。樂以天下，憂以天下，然而不王者，未之有也。
「昔者齊景公問於晏子曰：『吾欲觀於轉附、朝儛，遵海而南，放于琅邪。吾何脩而可以比於先王觀也？』晏子對曰：『善哉問也！天子適諸侯曰巡狩，巡狩者巡所守也；諸侯朝於天子曰述職，述職者述所職也。無非事者。春省耕而補不足，秋省斂而助不給。夏諺曰：「吾王不遊，吾何以休？吾王不豫，吾何以助？一遊一豫，為諸侯度。」今也不然：師行而糧食，飢者弗食，勞者弗息。睊睊胥讒，民乃作慝。方命虐民，飲食若流。流連荒亡，為諸侯憂。從流下而忘反謂之流，從流上而忘反謂之連，從獸無厭謂之荒，樂酒無厭謂之亡。先王無流連之樂，荒亡之行。惟君所行也。』景公說，大戒於國，出舍於郊。於是始興發補不足。召大師曰：『為我作君臣相說之樂！』蓋徵招角招是也。其詩曰：『畜君何尤？』畜君者，好君也。」
Note
This passage is from Mencius: King Hui of Liang II.
The Xue Palace (Snow Palace) was a royal retreat built exclusively for King Xuan of Qi’s personal enjoyment. His question carried two implicit intentions: first, to test whether “the virtuous also pursue material pleasures,” and second, to seek moral justification for his own indulgence. Mencius’s response centered on the core principle that a ruler’s joy and sorrow must be shared with the people.
Shared with the People, Not Enjoyed Alone
Mencius clearly affirmed that rulers may indeed enjoy leisure and comfort – but only on the condition that the common people are also living in peace and prosperity. The idea of “rejoicing with all under heaven, worrying with all under heaven” lies at the heart of the Way of the Humane Sovereign (Wang Dao) and provides the sole legitimate foundation for a ruler’s enjoyment.
Two Kinds of Royal Travel: Governance vs. Decadence
In antiquity, sage-kings traveled not for pleasure but for “inspection tours” – journeys aimed at overseeing governance and attending to the people’s welfare. In contrast, later rulers embarked on excursions driven purely by selfish desire – what Mencius called “wandering into ruin and excess”. This distinction marks the fundamental divide between benevolent rule and tyrannical governance.
The Contemporary Relevance of Historical Allusion
Yan Ying was a renowned statesman, thinker and diplomat of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. He served as the Prime Minister of Qi, holding office for more than fifty years through the reigns of three monarchs: Duke Ling, Duke Zhuang and Duke Jing of Qi. Yan Ying was praised for his skill in offering earnest advice, and he also possessed exceptional diplomatic ability. His most famous diplomatic feat is the story of Yan Zi’s Mission to Chu.
By invoking the story of Yanzi advising Duke Jing of Qi, Mencius subtly warned King Xuan: a ruler’s choices directly determine whether he wins or loses the people’s hearts. Only by following the example of ancient kings – sharing joy with the populace – can a state achieve stability. Indulging in self-serving extravagance, however, inevitably breeds popular resentment.
Cultural Legacy
The ideal of “rejoicing with all under heaven, worrying with all under heaven” became a defining aspiration for Confucian scholar-officials throughout Chinese history. It was famously echoed and elevated by Fan Zhongyan of the Northern Song dynasty in his Record of the Yueyang Pavilion: “Be the first to worry about the world’s troubles, and the last to enjoy its pleasures”. This phrase crystallized the people-centered ethos of traditional Chinese political thought and remains one of its most enduring expressions.
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