6.9
The Ji Family wanted to make Min Ziqian governor of Mi.
Min Ziqian said, “Invent a polite excuse for me. If that is not accepted and they try to get at me again, I shall certainly install myself on the far side of the Wen.”
季氏使閔子騫為費宰。閔子騫曰：「善為我辭焉。如有復我者，則吾必在汶上矣。」
Notes
The “Ji Clan” refers to the powerful minister Ji Sun (Jisun) of Lu, who controlled the state and frequently violated ritual norms. When Ji sought to recruit Confucius’ disciple Min Ziqian (Min Sun) to govern his fiefdom, Min resolutely declined, declaring he would cross the Wen River to the north (into Qi territory) if pressured further.
Min’s refusal transcended mere disinterest in office; it reflected principled defiance based on clear judgment of Ji’s character and his own ethical standards.
Following are just some manifestations of their family’s ritual usurpation.
- Confucius once criticized the Ji Family daring to perform the Eight-Row Dance in his courtyard;
- The Ji family went to make the offerings on Mount Tai.
Min Ziqian’s rejection of the offer from the Ji clan embodies the Confucian ideal of upholding the Dao without compromise.
At its core, Min Ziqian’s stance defines the scholar’s bottom line:
Ethical principles stand above official emoluments. When service violates the Dao, one chooses unemployment over compromise.
Confucius put forward the core principle of “When the Dao prevails under heaven, then show yourself; when the Dao does not prevail, then remain hidden”, which is perfectly consistent with Min Ziqian’s refusal to serve the Ji clan. As a powerful minister of the State of Lu who usurped royal authority and monopolized state governance, the Ji clan was a representative of “a regime without the Dao”. Min Ziqian’s rejection of the position of governor of Fei was exactly a practice of the principle “do not dwell in a state that is in chaos; remain hidden when the Dao does not prevail”, avoiding the disgrace of serving a ruler who did not uphold the Dao.
“What a gentleman Qu Boyu is! When the Dao prevails in a state, he takes office; when the Dao does not prevail, he rolls up his abilities and keeps them in his bosom.”(Analects 15.7)
Qu Boyu’s attitude toward life – “take office when the Dao prevails in a state; roll up his abilities and keep them in his bosom when the Dao does not prevail” – serves as an excellent parallel to Min Ziqian’s conduct. The phrase “roll up his abilities and keep them in his bosom” means to restrain one’s talents and retire to preserve one’s integrity. By declaring “I shall certainly be on the north bank of the Wen River”, Min Ziqian was precisely “rolling up his moral integrity and talents and keeping them in his bosom”, refusing to compromise with the Ji clan.
“Serve your ruler in accordance with the Dao; if this is not possible, then resign.”(Analects 11.23)
Confucius clarified that the bottom line for taking official office is to “serve one’s ruler in accordance with the Dao”. If a ruler is unwilling to uphold the Dao, one ought to resign and leave. The Ji clan’s attempt to appoint Min Ziqian was essentially an effort to consolidate their own power by leveraging his reputation for virtue, rather than to promote the benevolent Dao. Min Ziqian’s refusal was a faithful practice of the principle “if this is not possible, then resign” – he preferred to live in seclusion rather than take office, rather than go against the moral Dao.
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