King Xuan of Qi asked,
“Everyone suggests that I should pull down the Hall of Light, Should I do or not?”
Answered Mencius,
”The Hall of Light has always been a hall fit for a unifier of the whole world. If Your Majesty should wish to practice the government of a world unifier, you had better not pull it down.”
“May I hear about the government of a unifier of the world?”
“Formerly, when King Wen ruled over the area situated in the Qi Mountains, tillers of land had to cultivate for the government only one ninth of the land with the rest belonging to themselves; descendants of officials received hereditary emoluments; there was only inspection but no levy at the passes and marketplaces; fishweirs were open to all; penalty did not extend to the wife and children of a criminal. Old men without wives, old women without husbands, old people without children, young children without fathers – these four kinds of common people are most miserable as they have no one to help them. King Wen carried out the benevolent measures and always took them first into account. The Book of Poetry says:
‘The rich can get through,
But alas for the helpless!’”
“Well said!” said the king.
“If it is well said, why not act on it?”
“I have a weakness,” said the king, “I am fond of wealth.”
“Formerly Duke Liu was also fond of wealth. The Book of Poetry
says:‘He stocked and stored his grain
With the dried grain in sacks.
He unified the people
With glories made in stacks.
He then commenced his march
With arrow and with bow,
With spear, and shield, and axe.’Only when those who stayed at home had full granaries, and those who went out had full sacks, could the march be commenced. What difficulty will there be in your work of unification of the world, if you share the fondness of wealth with the people?”
“I have a weakness,” said the king, ” I am fond of women.”
“Formerly, King Tai was fond of women, and loved his concubines,
The Book of Poetry says:‘The ancient Duke Tanfu
In the morning galloped his horse,
Along west watercourse,
Till he arrived at Mount Qi
With Lady Jiang on the road,
Looking for their abode.’At that time there were neither complaining old maids nor unmarried men. What difficulty will there be in your work of unification of the world, if you share the fondness of women with the people?”
齊宣王問曰：「人皆謂我毀明堂。毀諸？已乎？」
孟子對曰：「夫明堂者，王者之堂也。王欲行王政，則勿毀之矣。」
王曰：「王政可得聞與？」
對曰：「昔者文王之治岐也，耕者九一，仕者世祿，關市譏而不征，澤梁無禁，罪人不孥。老而無妻曰鰥。老而無夫曰寡。老而無子曰獨。幼而無父曰孤。此四者，天下之窮民而無告者。文王發政施仁，必先斯四者。《詩》云：『哿矣富人，哀此煢獨。』」
王曰：「善哉言乎！」
曰：「王如善之，則何為不行？」
王曰：「寡人有疾，寡人好貨。」
對曰：「昔者公劉好貨，《詩》云：『乃積乃倉，乃裹餱糧，于橐于囊。思戢用光。弓矢斯張，干戈戚揚，爰方啟行。』故居者有積倉，行者有裹糧也，然後可以爰方啟行。王如好貨，與百姓同之，於王何有？」
王曰：「寡人有疾，寡人好色。」
對曰：「昔者大王好色，愛厥妃。《詩》云：『古公亶甫，來朝走馬，率西水滸，至于岐下。爰及姜女，聿來胥宇。』當是時也，內無怨女，外無曠夫。王如好色，與百姓同之，於王何有？」
Note
This dialogue comes from Mencius: King Hui of Liang II and encapsulates the core of Mencius’s philosophy of “humane governance under the Way of the True King”.
The essence lies in Humane Policies, Not ceremonial forms
King Xuan of Qi was preoccupied with whether to demolish the “Bright Hall” (Hall of Light) – a ritual structure symbolizing royal authority. Mencius immediately clarified: the value of the Bright Hall lies not in the building itself, but in whether it embodies true kingly governance (benevolent governance). If the ruler genuinely practices humane policies, the Hall of Light deserves preservation; if he abandons the benevolent governance, destroying it would be meaningless.
This insight rejects the fallacy of prioritizing form over substance and underscores that the heart of humane governance is the concrete implementation of pro-people policies.
Concrete Principles: Enriching the People and Caring for the Vulnerable
Using King Wen of Zhou’s rule over Qi Mountain as a model, Mencius outlined specific measures of kingly governance:
- Economically: Lighten taxes and corvee labor. Farmers paid only a “one-in-nine” tax (roughly 11%); customs checkpoints and markets were monitored but not taxed; lakes, rivers, and fishing weirs were open to all without restriction.
- Judicially: Apply lenient and humane punishments. “Punish the offender, not his family” – ensuring innocent spouses and children were not punished for one person’s crime.
- Socially: Prioritize aid to society’s most vulnerable – specifically “the widowed, the childless, the solitary elderly, and the orphaned”, whom Mencius regarded as the moral baseline of humane rule.
At the heart of these policies is the principle of “enriching the people”, enabling commoners to live in security and prosperity – reflecting Mencius’s foundational belief that “the people are the root of the state.”
Private Desires vs Public Good
When King Xuan excused himself from practicing humane governance by citing his personal inclinations – “I love wealth” and “I love beauty” – Mencius did not condemn these desires.
Instead, he proposed a transformative logic: private desires can serve public virtue when extended to the people.
Loving wealth is not shameful: Gongsun Liu, an ancestor of the Zhou dynasty, also valued material resources – but ensured “those at home had full granaries, and travelers carried provisions,” turning his concern for supplies into widespread prosperity.
Loving beauty is not wrong: Duke Gu of Zhou (also known as Gugong Danfu, Tanfu, or King Tai, the grandfather of King Wen) deeply cherished his wife Jiang, yet made sure “no woman remained unmarried within the palace, and no man went wifeless in the countryside,” transforming his desire for familial harmony into a policy ensuring timely marriages for all.
Mencius’s central message is clear: a ruler’s private desires are not inherently problematic – the issue lies in whether he “shares them with the people”. When personal preferences are expanded to benefit the populace, private impulses become engines of humane governance rather than obstacles.
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