Hanfeizi - Tigers on the market

龐 恭 與 太 子 質 於 邯 鄲 ， 謂 魏 王 曰 ： 『 今 一 人 言 市 有 虎 ， 王 信 之 乎 ？ 』 曰 ： 『 不 信 。 』 『 二 人 言 市 有 虎 ， 王 信 之 乎 ？ 』曰 ： 『 不 信 。 』 『 三 人 言 市 有 虎 ， 王 信 之 乎 ？ 』 王 曰 ： 『 寡 人 信 之 。』 龐 恭 曰 ： 『 夫 市 之 無 虎 也 明 矣 ， 然 而 三 人 言 而 成 虎 。 今 邯 鄲 之 去 魏 也 遠 於 市 ， 議 臣 者 過 於 三 人 ， 願 王 察 之 。 』 龐 恭 從 邯 鄲 反 ， 竟 不 得 見。

As Pangong was about to serve, with the crown prince, as a hostage in Handan, he told the king of Wei: "If someone said there is a tiger on the market square, would you believe him? -- I would not. -- And if two persons said that there was a tiger on the market, would you believe them? -- I would not. -- And if three persons said there is a tiger on the market, would you believe them?" The king said : "I would". He replied : "It is clear that there is no tiger on the market square, yet three persons saying there is one make it real. Now, Handan is farther from Wei than the market square, and there will be more than three people criticising me. I hope your majesty will consider this." Yet, when Pangong came back from Handan, he was not granted royal audiences anymore.

Forest of anecdotes 6 - Wu Zixu and the pearl

子 胥 出 走 ， 邊 候 得 之 ， 子 胥 曰 ： 『 上 索 我 者 ， 以 我 有 美 珠 也 。 今 我 已 亡 之 矣 ， 我 且 曰 子 取 吞 之 。 』 候 因 釋 之 。

When Wu Zixu was fleeing, he was captured by a border guard. Zixu said : “the king wants me arrested because I have a beautiful pearl. I now have lost it, but I will say that you took it and swallowed it.” The guard released him.

Note : Wu Zixu (end of the 6th century BC, beginning of the 5th) was fleeing Chu . The king of Chu had put a reward on his head.

Forest of anedotes 5 - Hegemons and virtue

晉 人 伐 邢 ， 齊 桓 公 將 救 之 ， 鮑 叔 曰 ： 『 太 蚤 。 邢 不 亡 ， 晉 不 敝 ， 晉 不 敝 ， 齊 不 重 。 且 夫 持 危 之 功 ， 不 如 存 亡 之 德 大 。君 不 如 晚 救 之 以 敝 晉 ， 齊 實 利 。 待 邢 亡 而 復 存 之 ， 其 名實 美 。 』 桓 公 乃 弗 救 。

The people of Jin had attacked Xing, and duke Huan of Qi was about to rescue it. But Bao Shu said: “This is too early. Xing is not destroyed, and Jin has not been weakened. As Jin is not weak, Qi will not prevail. Besides, supporting a state in danger is not as great a deed as restoring it after it was destroyed. You lordship should delay its rescue until Jin is weakened, this would be better for Qi. And waiting until Xing is destroyed to restore it, will earn you a greater fame”. Duke Huan did not rescue Xing.

Note
Duke Huan of Qi was the first hegemon of the Springs and Autumns. As the leader of the feudal princes, he was supposed to rescue small states, like Xing.

Forest of anecdotes 4 - On being arrogant

魏 惠 王 為 臼 里 之 盟 ， 將 復 立 於 天 子 ， 彭 喜 謂 鄭 君 曰 ： 『 君 勿 聽 ， 大 國 惡 有 天 子 ， 小 國 利 之 。 若 君 與 大 不 聽 ， 魏 焉 能 與 小 立 之 。 』

After he led the conference of Jiuli, King Hui of Wei intended to claim the title of Son of Heaven. Peng Xi told the lord of Zheng: “Do not heed him. Great states use to dislike the Son of Heaven, whereas small states show him respect. If you ignore him, like a large state would, how could Wei treat you like a small one.

Forest of anecdotes 3 - Confucius, the bane of advisors

子 圉 見 孔 子 於 商 太 宰 ， 孔 子 出 ， 子 圉 入 ， 請 問 客， 太 宰 曰 ： 『 吾 已 見 孔 子 ， 則 視 子 猶 蚤 蝨 之 細 者 也 。 吾 今 見 之 於 君 。』 子 圉 恐 孔 子 貴 於 君 也 ， 因 謂 太 宰 曰 ： 『 君 已 見 孔 子 ， 亦 將 視 子 猶 蚤蝨 也 。 』 太 宰 因 弗 復 見 也 。

Ziyu introduced Confucius to the prime minister of Shang. After Confucius left, Ziyu came in and asked the premier about his visitor. He answered: “now that I have seen Confucius, I see you are as tiny as a flea. I shall present him to our lord.” Ziyu, fearing that the lord would prefer Confucius to him, then told the prime minister: “When the lord will have seen Confucius, will he not think that you are as tiny as a flea?” The prime minister never arranged the other meeting.

Note
Shang is the state of Song. Its capital was Shangqiu, and its rulers claimed to be descended from the Shang sovereigns.

Ziyu is a style name, this character does not appear elsewhere, but he is typical of the counsellors which were very common in the late Springs and Autumns.

Forest of anecdotes 2 - the king and the charioteer

秦 武 王 令 甘 茂 擇 所 欲 為 於 僕 與 行 事 ， 孟 卯 曰 ： 『公 不 如 為 僕 。 公 所 長 者 、 使 也 ， 公 雖 為 僕 ， 王 猶 使 之 於 公 也 。 公 佩 僕 璽 而 為 行 事 ， 是 兼 官 也 。 』

King Wu of Qin ordered Gan Mao to choose whether he wanted to become a charioteer or a minister. Meng Mao told him: “You should better be a charioteer. Anyway, you have to serve those above you. Even if you are a charioteer, the king will still ask you to serve him. You will wear the charioteer insigna on your belt, yet act as a minister, and therefore you will hold the two positions.”

Note
King Wu of Qin reigned in the beginning of the 7th century BC, Gan Mao was one of his ministers. The post of charioteer (driver of the king’s chariot) was a very important one.

Forest of anecdotes 1 - Tang the cynic

湯 以 伐 桀 ， 而 恐 天 下 言 己 為 貪 也 ， 因 乃 讓 天 下 於 務 光 。 而 恐 務 光 之 受 之 也 ， 乃 使 人 說 務 光 曰 ： 『 湯 殺 君 而 欲 傳 惡 聲 于 子 ， 故 讓 天 下 於 子 。 』 務 光 因 自 投 於 河 。

After Tang attacked Jie, he was afraid every one would say he acted out of greed, and he ceded the imperial throne to Wu Guang. Yet, he was afraid Wu Guang would accept. So he sent someone tell Wu Guang : “Tang has killed his lord, and wants the blame to fall upon you. This is why he offers you the throne.” Because of this Wu Guang threw himself into the Yellow River.

Notes

Tang (湯) is Cheng Tang, the founder of the Shang dynasty, Jie (桀) is the tyrant Jie, the last ruler of the Xia (overthrown in 1765 BC according to traditional chronology)

The story of Wu Guang (務 光) cannot be found in history books like the Shangshu or Shiji, but other versions of this story can be found in other pre-Han works.

The Chu Ci number 38 (哀 時 命) mentions the story of Wu Guang : (務 光 自 投 於 深 淵 兮 。 不 獲 世 之 塵 垢 。)

Zhuangzi has, in chapter 28, a different version of this story, in which Cheng Tang asks Wu Guang (among others) for advice before attacking Jie. Wu Guang refuses to help, but points out that Yi Yin (who actually helped Tang to overthrow Jie) is violent enough for this. After, his victory, Tang offers (in good faith according to Zhuangzi) the throne to Wu Guang, who says he would not participate in such a crime, and throws himself in the river.

In both story, Cheng Tang is pictured as a bad man, Han Feizi makes him a little worse.