8.20
Shun had five ministers and all that is under Heaven was well ruled.
King Wu said, “I have ten ministers.”
Master Kong said, “True indeed is the saying that ‘the right material is hard to find’; for the turn of the Tang and Yu dynasties was the time most famous for this. (As for King Wu,) There was a woman among his ten, so that in reality there were only nine men. Yet of all that is under Heaven he held two parts in three, using them in submissive service to the dynasty of Yin. The moral power (virtue) of Zhou may, indeed, be called an absolutely perfect moral power!”
舜有臣五人而天下治。武王曰：「予有亂臣十人。」孔子曰：「才難，不其然乎？唐虞之際，於斯為盛。有婦人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷。周之德，其可謂至德也已矣。」
Notes
This passage from the Analects reflects Confucius’ perspective on the relationship between “virtuous talent and governance” and his admiration for “individuals who embody both ability and integrity.” Shun achieved peace with five wise ministers; King Wu relied on ten ministers to stabilize chaos and rule the world. Even more commendably, the Western Zhou dynasty—despite controlling two-thirds of the territory and enjoying widespread feudal support—remained loyal vassals to the Shang Yin dynasty. Such virtue, Confucius argued, represented the pinnacle of moral excellence.
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