Duke Jing of Qi owned four thousand horses (in ancient China, a team of four horses was called a “si”; thus, one thousand si equals four thousand horses), enjoying immense wealth and luxury. Yet on the day he died, the people could find no virtue in him to praise. Bo Yi and Shu Qi…
The Master said, “A thoroughbred horse is praised not for its strength, but for its virtue.”
The stable caught fire. When Confucius returned from court, his first question was, “Was anyone hurt?” He did not ask about the horses.
Chen Gong played a crucial role in Cao Cao’s early rise to power. When Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yan Province(Yanzhou), was killed in battle against the Yellow Turban rebels in 192 AD, a power vacuum emerged. Chen Gong, a native scholar-official of Yan Province and a man of high moral standing, took decisive…
8.12 The Master said, “One who will study for three yearsWithout thought of rewardWould be hard indeed to find.”
8.4 When Master Zeng was ill, Meng Jing came to see him.