Wan Zhang I · Passage 09 / 09 · 孟子 5A.9

Mencius 5A.9: Bai Li Xi would not sell himself

Mencius rejects the tale that Bai Li Xi sold himself and fed oxen to gain access to Duke Mu of Qin.

萬章問曰：「或曰：『百里奚自鬻於秦養牲者，五羊之皮。食牛，以要秦繆公。』信乎？」孟子曰：「否然，好事者為之也。百里奚，虞人也。晉人以垂棘之璧與屈產之乘，假道於虞以伐虢。宮之奇諫，百里奚不諫，知虞公之不可諫而去。之秦，年已七十矣，曾不知以食牛干秦繆公之為污也，可謂智乎？不可諫而不諫，可謂不智乎？知虞公之將亡而先去之，不可謂不智也。時舉於秦，知繆公之可與有行也而相之，可謂不智乎？相秦而顯其君於天下，可傳於後世，不賢而能之乎？自鬻以成其君，鄉黨自好者不為，而謂賢者為之乎？」

wàn zhāng wèn yuē：「huò yuē：『bǎi lǐ xī zì yù wū qín yǎng shēng zhě， wǔ yáng zhī pí。 shí niú， yǐ yào qín móu gōng。』 xìn hū？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「fǒu rán， hǎo shì zhě wéi zhī yě。 bǎi lǐ xī， yú rén yě。 jìn rén yǐ chuí jí zhī bì yǔ qū chǎn zhī chéng， jiǎ dào wū yú yǐ fá guó。 gōng zhī qí jiàn， bǎi lǐ xī bú jiàn， zhī yú gōng zhī bù kě jiàn ér qù。 zhī qín， nián yǐ qī shí yǐ， céng bù zhī yǐ shí niú gān qín móu gōng zhī wéi wū yě， kě wèi zhì hū？ bù kě jiàn ér bú jiàn， kě wèi bú zhì hū？ zhī yú gōng zhī jiāng wáng ér xiān qù zhī， bù kě wèi bú zhì yě。 shí jǔ wū qín， zhī móu gōng zhī kě yǔ yǒu xíng yě ér xiāng zhī， kě wèi bú zhì hū？ xiāng qín ér xiǎn qí jūn wū tiān xià， kě chuán wū hòu shì， bù xián ér néng zhī hū？ zì yù yǐ chéng qí jūn， xiāng dǎng zì hǎo zhě bù wéi， ér wèi xián zhě wéi zhī hū？」

Wan Zhang asked Mencius, 'Some say that Bai Li Xi sold himself to a cattle-keeper of Jin for the skins of five rams, and fed his oxen, in order to find an introduction to the duke Mu of Qin - was this the case?' Mencius said, 'No; it was not so. This story was invented by men fond of strange things. Bai Li Xi was a man of Yu. The people of Jin, by the inducement of a round piece of jade from Chui Ji, and four horses of the Qu breed, borrowed a passage through Yu to attack Guo. On that occasion, Gong Zhi Qi remonstrated against granting their request, and Bai Li Xi did not remonstrate. When he knew that the duke of Yu was not to be remonstrated with, and, leaving that State, went to Qin, he had reached the age of seventy. If by that time he did not know that it would be a mean thing to seek an introduction to the duke Mu of Qin by feeding oxen, could he be called wise? But not remonstrating where it was of no use to remonstrate, could he be said not to be wise? Knowing that the duke of Yu would be ruined, and leaving him before that event, he cannot be said not to have been wise. Being then advanced in Qin, he knew that the duke Mu was one with whom he would enjoy a field for action, and became minister to him; could he, acting thus, be said not to be wise? Having become chief minister of Qin, he made his prince distinguished throughout the kingdom, and worthy of being handed down to future ages; could he have done this, if he had not been a man of talents and virtue? As to selling himself in order to accomplish all the aims of his prince, even a villager who had a regard for himself would not do such a thing; and shall we say that a man of talents and virtue did it?'