Wei Zi, Chapter 18

Wei Zi left the tyrant Zhou, Ji Zi was reduced to slavery, and Bi Gan was put to death for remonstrance. Confucius said, "The Yin dynasty had three benevolent men!"

Liu Xia Hui served as a minister of justice and was dismissed many times. Someone said, "Can you not leave this state?" He replied, "If I serve my lord by the straight way, where can I go and not be dismissed many times? If I serve my lord by the crooked way, why should I leave my own country?"

Duke Jing of Qi, speaking of how to treat Confucius, said, "To treat him like the ruler of Lu treats the Ji family, I cannot do that. I will treat him with rites between those accorded to the Ji and the Meng families." Shortly after, he said, "I am old; I cannot employ him." Confucius then left Qi.

The people of Qi sent a troupe of female musicians and dancers. Ji Huanzi accepted them and did not hold court for three days. Confucius then left Lu.

Jie Yu, the madman of Chu, passed by Confucius' carriage singing, "Phoenix! Phoenix! How your virtue has declined! What is past cannot be remedied, but what is to come may still be pursued. Give up! Give up! Those who engage in politics today are in danger!" Confucius got out of the carriage, wishing to speak with him, but Jie Yu hurriedly avoided him, and Confucius could not speak with him.

Chang Ju and Jie Ni were plowing together in a field. Confucius, passing by, sent Zi Lu to ask where the ford was. Chang Ju said, "Who is that driving the carriage?" Zi Lu said, "It is Kong Qiu." Chang Ju said, "Is he the Kong Qiu of Lu?" Zi Lu said, "Yes." Chang Ju said, "Then he already knows the ford!" Zi Lu then asked Jie Ni. Jie Ni said, "Who are you?" Zi Lu said, "I am Zhong You." Jie Ni said, "Are you a disciple of Kong Qiu of Lu?" Zi Lu replied, "Yes." Jie Ni said, "The whole world is like a raging flood—who can change it with you? Moreover, rather than follow one who flees from evil men, is it not better to follow one who flees from the whole world?" Then he continued covering the seeds without stopping. Zi Lu returned and reported this to Confucius, who said with a sigh, "One cannot flock with birds and beasts. If I do not associate with the people of this world, with whom shall I associate? If the Way prevailed under Heaven, I would not be involved in changing it."

Zi Lu, following Confucius on a journey, fell behind and met an old man carrying a weeding tool on his staff. Zi Lu asked, "Have you seen my master?" The old man said, "Your limbs are not laboring, and you cannot tell the five grains apart—who is your master?" Then he planted his staff in the ground and began weeding. Zi Lu stood respectfully with folded hands. The old man kept Zi Lu overnight, killed a chicken, made millet rice for him to eat, and introduced his two sons to him. The next day, Zi Lu caught up with Confucius and told him about this. Confucius said, "He is a recluse." He sent Zi Lu back to see him again. When Zi Lu arrived, the old man had already left. Zi Lu said, "Not to take office is not righteous. The rites between elder and younger cannot be abandoned; how can the righteousness between lord and subject be abandoned? To seek personal purity is to disrupt the great ethical relationship. A gentleman takes office to perform his righteous duty. As for the Way not prevailing, this has long been known."

The neglected worthy men were: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liu Xia Hui, and Shao Lian. Confucius said, "Not lowering their aspirations, not disgracing their persons—these were Bo Yi and Shu Qi!" Commenting on Liu Xia Hui and Shao Lian, he said, "They lowered their aspirations and disgraced their persons, but their words were in accord with the standard, and their actions were carefully considered. That is all." Commenting on Yu Zhong and Yi Yi, he said, "They lived in seclusion and spoke freely. They preserved their persons pure, and their resignation from office was expedient." Confucius said, "I am different from all of them—there is no 'may' and no 'may not' for me."

The Grand Musician Zhi fled to Qi; the musician for the second meal, Gan, fled to Chu; the musician for the third meal, Liao, fled to Cai; and the musician for the fourth meal, Que, fled to Qin. The drummer Fang Shu entered the Yellow River region; the shaker of the rattle-drum, Wu, entered the Han River region; the Junior Musician Yang and the stone-chime player Xiang entered the coastal region.

The Duke of Zhou said to the Duke of Lu, "A gentleman does not neglect his relatives, nor does he cause his great ministers to complain of being unused. If old acquaintances have no great faults, do not cast them aside. Do not demand perfection from any one person."

The Zhou dynasty had eight worthy men: Bo Da, Bo Shi, Zhong Tu, Zhong Hu, Shu Ye, Shu Xia, Ji Sui, and Ji Gua.