Qi Xuanwang asked Mencius, "Can I listen to Qi Huangong and Jin Wengong?"

Mencius replied, "None of Confucius' disciples told the story of Qi Huangong and Jin Wengong, so later generations lost them. I haven't heard of it. If you can't help talking, let's talk about the king! "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "What kind of virtue does it take to be king of the world?"

(Mencius) said: "Only by stabilizing the people can you be king, and no one can resist him."

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "Can people like me appease the people?"

(Mencius) said, "Yes."

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "Where did you know I could?"

Mencius said: "I heard from Hu Bi (I heard from Hu Bi):' You are sitting in the main hall, and a person walks past your royal highness with a petunia. You see this man and ask, "Where are the cows?" (The man) replied, "I will use it to sacrifice the clock." You said, "Forget it! I can't bear to see it tremble with fear, so it died innocent. " (The man asked): "So, in this case, do you want to give up the bell-offering ceremony?" You said, "How can it be abolished? Use sheep for it. " I wonder if there is such a thing. "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "There is this."

(Mencius) said: "This kind of heart is enough to be king in the world. People think the king is stingy. I know you are sorry. "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "Yes. There are such people (misunderstand me). Although Qi is a small country, how can I be stingy with a cow? I just can't bear to watch it tremble with fear, so it's innocent but dying, so I exchange it with a sheep. "

Mencius said, "Don't be surprised that others think you are stingy. How do they know what you are thinking when you trade small for big? Lament that it is innocent but dies. What is the difference between a cow and a sheep? "

Qi Xuanwang smiled and said, "What kind of idea is this? (I don't know), I (really) didn't mean money, I changed the cow into a sheep. (It seems that) people say that I am stingy. "

(Mencius) said, "Never mind, it shows the way of kindness, because you see cows instead of sheep." Moral people treat birds and beasts: when they see them alive, they can't bear to see them die; Hearing its voice, I can't bear to eat its meat. Therefore, a gentleman is not close to the kitchen. "

Qi Xuanwang was very happy and said, "The Book of Songs says,' I can guess what others are thinking.' -That's what I'm talking about, sir. People like you. I did, and then I thought about it, and I couldn't figure out why. Sir, what you said really touched my heart! What is the reason for this inner conformity with the king? "

(Mencius) said: "(suppose) someone reported to the king:' I am strong enough to lift three thousand pounds, but I can't lift a feather; My eyesight is enough to see the two ends of the new fine hair of birds and animals in autumn, but I can't see the firewood of the whole car. "So, your majesty, do you believe it? "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "I don't believe it."

"Now your kindness is enough to promote animals, but ordinary people can't get your merits. Why? In this way, lifting a feather is effortless; I can't see the firewood of the whole car, because I don't need to see it; People are not protected because they refuse to give kindness. Therefore, your majesty, you can't rule the country with a king, but you won't do it, not that you can't do it. "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "What's the difference between refusing to do it and not being able to do it?"

(Mencius) said, "Jumping over the Bohai Sea with Mount Tai in your arms and telling others,' I can't. "It's really impossible. Bow your head and tell others,' I can't do it.' This is unwilling to do, not impossible. Kings can't rule the world, so they don't belong to things like Mount Tai crossing the Bohai Sea. The king can't unify the world, which belongs to the matter of bowing to his elders. Respect for their own elderly, and then extended to respect for others; Take care of your own children, and then extend to take care of other people's children. Unifying the world is as easy as turning things in your hand. The Book of Songs says: "(The monarch) sets a good example for his wife, spreads it to his brothers, and then manages a country well." -that's just to spread this heart to others. Therefore, Ender's promotion is enough to appease people all over the world. Without it, even his wife and children could not be comforted. The reason why ancient saints greatly surpassed others was nothing more than being good at publicizing their own good behavior. Now (your kindness) can be extended to animals, but ordinary people can't get your benefits. What is the reason? Only by weighing can we know the weight; Only by measuring with a ruler can we know the length. Everything is like this, especially the human heart. Your majesty, please think about it!

"Or will you be happy if you start a war and let the soldiers risk their lives and be enemies of the vassal States?"

Qi Xuanwang said, "No, how can I be happy doing this? I intend to use this method to get what I want most. "

Mencius said, "What do you want most? Can I listen? "

Qi Xuanwang just smiled, but said nothing.

Mencius said, "Is it because there is not enough fat food to eat? What about light and warm clothes? Or is it because the color is not enough? Wonderful music is not enough? Isn't it enough to be around the people you love? (These) can be completely supplied by your ministers. Is this really your majesty's reason? "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "No, that's not why I did it."

(Mencius) said: "Then, you can know what the king wants to do most: he wants to expand the territory, let Qin Chu appear before the court, rule the whole Central Plains region, and appease the ethnic minorities in all directions. (But) pursuing such an ideal in this way is like climbing a tree to catch fish. "

Qi Xuanwang said, "Is it that serious?"

(Mencius) said: "I am afraid it is more serious than this. Climbing to the tree to catch fish, although you can't catch fish, there is no future trouble; If you pursue such an ideal in this way and do it wholeheartedly, the result will be disaster. "

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "(What is the reason) can I listen?"

Mencius said, "Who do you think will win if Zou goes to war with Chu?"

(Qi Xuanwang) said, "Chu will win."

Mencius said: "Then, a small country should not be an enemy of a big country, a country with few people should not be an enemy of a country with many people, and a weak country should not be an enemy of a strong country. There are nine countries in the world with a land area of more than 1,000 miles, and only one has finally got up. What's the difference between Zou Guo and Chu State's single-handedly surrender to stereotyped writing? Let's get back to basics. (If) you now issue a decree to implement benevolent government, so that all officials in the world want to be officials in your court, so that all farmers want to farm in your fields, so that all businessmen want to store goods in the king's market, so that all travelers want to go in and out on the king's road, so that people in all countries who hate their monarch want to come and complain to you. Who can resist you if you are like this? "

Qi Xuanwang said, "I'm confused and can't understand this truth. I hope you can help me (realize) my wish, sir. Teach me clearly, although I am not smart, please (let me) try. "

(Mencius) said: "No industry can sustain people's lives for a long time, only people with lofty ideals can do it. As for ordinary people, there is no fixed industry, so there is no long-term heart. If there is no long-term goodwill, there will be (there will be) disobedience and resistance, and there will be nothing to do. When (they) commit crimes, punish them with criminal law, which is to frame the people. How could the ruling benevolent monarch do such a thing to frame the people? Therefore, the wise monarch stipulates the inheritance rights of ordinary people, which will certainly enable them to support their parents in this world and their wives and children in the future; You can have plenty of food and clothing when you grow up, but you won't starve to death if you grow up badly. After that, urge them to do good deeds. So it is easy for ordinary people to follow the monarch. It is now stipulated that the people's property can't support their parents all over the world, nor can it support their wives and children in the future. In good years, they always live in hardship, and in bad years, they are bound to starve to death. In this case, I'm afraid it's not enough to save myself from death. Where can I afford to be polite? The king really wants to practice benevolent government, why not return to the original? Mulberry trees are planted in a house with five acres of land, so that 50-year-old people can wear silk clothes; Domestic animals such as chickens, piglets, dogs and big pigs should not lose season, so that 70-year-olds can have meat to eat; One hundred acres of land will not delay the farming season, so that a family of eight people will no longer starve; Pay attention to school education, and remind them repeatedly on the principle of filial piety, so that white-haired old people will no longer walk on the road with things on their backs. Old people wear silk clothes to eat meat, while ordinary people are not hungry or frozen. If this can't unify the whole country, there is no such thing. "

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This article is one of Mencius' representative works, which can reflect the basic characteristics of Mencius' prose, such as rigorous structure, prominent center, clear argument, full reasoning, intense emotion and majestic momentum. This article is a conversational argumentative essay. If Mencius wanted him to accept his own political ideas in the dialogue with Qi Xuanwang, he had to ponder each other's psychology and induce them to speak according to their own ideas. Therefore, this paper is written in a tortuous and euphemistic way, with in-depth hierarchy and logical and vivid reasoning.