《弘道錄》Vol. 6

On the first day of the fifth month in the ninth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1016), during the Song Zhenzong reign, the Crown Prince was born.

The child was born to Lady Li of the imperial harem. At the time, Zhou Qi, the prefect of Kaifeng, was presenting a memorial. Zhenzong asked him, “Do you know that I have good news?” Zhou Qi replied, “I do not.” The emperor said, “I have just had a son.” Then he went into the palace, took gold coins from his robes, and gave them to Zhou Qi as a reward.

Lady Li was from Hangzhou. When she first entered the palace, she served Liu Xiuyi. She was dignified in her bearing and spoke little. After Zhenzong summoned her to his bedchamber, she became pregnant. Once, as she accompanied the emperor up onto a terrace, her jade hairpin fell. In private, Zhenzong divined that if the hairpin remained intact, the child would be a boy. An attendant picked it up and presented it to him; sure enough, it was undamaged. Zhenzong was delighted. Lady Li later gave birth to a son, who became Emperor Renzong.

The Hongdao lu comments: “The succession of the state and the establishment of its fortunes throughout the Song dynasty were, in truth, connected to this event. The Song seized the realm in haste. Although people at the time raised no objections, later generations might not all have approved. After three generations had passed, Renzong took the throne and ruled for forty-two years. His abundant benevolence and Virtue (De) benefited the people, further magnifying the foundation laid by the Song ancestors and securing the imperial succession. Even a junzi living a hundred generations after Renzong would sincerely rejoice and be grateful that he was born.”

The book also says: “Renzong’s birth mother, Consort Chen, was from Hangzhou. The Empress Dowager Shou’an of our own time is also from Hangzhou, and she gave birth to Emperor Xingxian. The rise of these figures seems to have been accompanied by dragons and phoenixes in flight and a spiritual aura in the mountains and rivers; it did not happen without signs. The saying that ‘a king will arise every five hundred years’ finds further confirmation here.”

In the second month of the second year of the Jingyou era (1035), during Renzong’s reign, the palace took in Zongshi, a son of Zhao Yunrang, Prince of Runan. Zhao Yunrang was a grandson of Emperor Taizong of Song; his father was Zhao Yuanfen, Prince of Shang. Renzong had no children at the time, so he entrusted Zongshi to the empress to raise. Zongshi was then four years old.

The Hongdao lu comments: “At the time, Renzong had been on the throne for thirteen years and was only twenty-six. Empress Cao had been installed as empress just over a year earlier. Why, then, did they so quickly bring someone else’s child into the palace to raise? It is because one important reason later generations called Renzong ‘Benevolent’ and Empress Cao ‘Worthy’ lies here.

“Nothing shows greater impartiality and selflessness among the ancients than making arrangements for an heir. Even families with a thousand gold pieces in property often struggle bitterly over inheritance. Even when they have no choice, people are reluctant to openly raise the child of their own brother. How much more so in the household of an emperor who possesses all under Heaven?

“In antiquity, Emperor Yao married both his daughters to Yu Shun. Ban Gu comments in the Book of Han: ‘The ancients said that relations between men and women are the foremost of human bonds. How, then, could they be treated carelessly? Women differ in temperament and in their conduct within and beyond the household. They should complement and harmonize with one another, so that their dispositions are agreeable and their observance of ritual is proper. Yao had Shun live with his two daughters in order to observe whether he could manage affairs within the household, and thus learn about his character.’

“Renzong took the impartiality of the ancients as his own standard and had the empress raise Zongshi. In this way, he fulfilled the bonds of family affection and made the bond between father and son deep. How could such a thing be done unless benevolence and filial devotion came from the heart? There was also a saying at the time that Zongshi was the empress’s own son. Since Renzong and the empress entrusted him to one another’s care, their benevolence and filial devotion were all the more evident. The achievements of the Song ancestors were thereby able to endure. Could this have been only a small contribution?”

How much more was at stake with so vast an empire, so weighty an ancestral legacy, and the throne entrusted to the person favored by the mandate of the dynastic cycles? Unless an emperor’s heart was wholly clear and just, free of the slightest private desire, who could remain untouched by self-interest?

If rulers in later generations took Emperor Renzong of Song and Empress Cao as their models, then even if the successor were not their own child, they would still be praised by generations to come as sage rulers and heads of the ancestral line, and the descendants of the dynasty could endure for a long time. But if even a trace of selfishness were mixed in, and the empire inherited from the ancestors were not treated as a public trust—if, instead, people shrank from speaking of the succession—then, when a sudden crisis arose, they would surely be unable to act with openness and integrity.

Someone might ask: “Emperor Renzong of Song was so benevolent and virtuous. Why did he have no biological heir?” The answer is that the Book of Changes says, “He has washed his hands, but has not yet presented the offerings; his sincerity is solemn and awe-inspiring.” This means that at a sacrifice, one may have washed and purified one’s hands but not yet presented the offerings, and still communicate with the spirits through a sincere and reverent bearing. A ruler may still his heart and cleanse his thoughts, governing the realm with sincerity and reverence, though the response to this may not become visible. Yet the people of the realm, now and in later generations, already believe in the honor of his virtue. Given this, why be concerned about whether the offerings have been presented?

Therefore, a noble person can strive to do good and pass virtue on, but cannot guarantee that descendants will inherit it; one can do one’s utmost to cultivate virtue and pass it down through the generations, but cannot determine that the blessings of each generation will surely continue. What can be accomplished depends on human effort; what cannot be accomplished is determined by Heaven. “What comes about of itself, without anyone making it happen, is Heaven; what arrives of itself, without anyone bringing it about, is destiny.” This is what that means.

On the first day of the fifth lunar month in the summer of the first year of the Jianyan era (1127), Prince Kang ascended the throne as emperor. Before this, Empress Yuanyou, the empress of Emperor Zhezong of Song, had written an edict in her own hand and circulated it throughout the court and beyond. Its general meaning was: “For two hundred years since the founding of the state, people have not known what war was; through nine generations of rulers, the dynasty has never lost its virtue. Though someone among the imperial clan committed a crime like the rebellion at the imperial gate, all the people of the realm still cherish the wish to support the Left Ancestor. Now Heaven has shown favor to a worthy prince, allowing him to set aside the usual rules and inherit the old imperial legacy. The Han dynasty met with calamity, but after ten generations it was right for Emperor Guangwu to restore it. Of the nine sons of Duke Xian of Jin, only Chong’er remained. This was Heaven’s will—how could human schemes have brought it about?”

Just then, Zong Ze urged the emperor to go to Nanjing, the place where Emperor Taizu of Song had established the dynasty. Prince Kang therefore resolved to proceed to Yingtiàn Prefecture and had an altar built to the left of the prefectural offices. He ascended the altar and accepted the mandate. That same day, Empress Yuanyou withdrew the curtains in Dongjing and ceased to rule from behind them.

The Hongdao lu records: “Emperor Yuan of Jin, Emperor Suzong of Tang, and Emperor Gaozong of Song were all rulers who ascended the throne on their own.”

The edict of Empress Dowager Yuanyou (Empress Meng, wife of Emperor Zhezong of Song) put the matter plainly. Heaven had preserved the descendants of Emperor Taizu of Song, allowing two emperors to succeed to the throne; perhaps this could be said to have fulfilled the benevolent purpose of continuing the imperial line. But at the time, the moral order had been almost entirely overturned, and the righteous Way between Heaven and Earth was on the verge of being severed. This would not only bring to ruin the achievements of the emperors who had reigned since Taizu, but also extinguish the legitimate succession of China that had endured since antiquity. It seemed that even a single day’s delay could not be tolerated. Hu Mingzhong (Hu Anguo, whose courtesy name was Mingzhong) made this argument in a memorial to the throne. In my private view, he overstated the case.

Emperor Xiaozong was a seventh-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu of Song. The Prince of Qin, Zhao Defang, fathered Zhao Weixian, Duke of Ying; Zhao Weixian fathered Zhao Congyu, Marquis of Xinxing; Zhao Congyu fathered Zhao Shijiang, Marquis of Huayin; Zhao Shijiang fathered Zhao Linghua, Duke of Qing; and Zhao Linghua fathered Zhao Cheng, who was the Prince of Xiu. Lady Zhang gave birth to Xiaozong on the Wuyin day of the tenth month in the first year of Jianyan (1127), at an official residence in Qingshan Zha, Xiuzhou.

After the Crown Prince Yuanyi died, Emperor Gaozong had no children. When Empress Zhaoci Shengxian (Lady Wu, wife of Emperor Gaozong of Song) returned from Jiangxi, she privately raised the matter with Gaozong. Right Vice Director Fan Zongyin also entered the palace to advise him, and Lou Renliang, assistant magistrate of Shangyu County, went further and submitted a direct memorial. Gaozong suddenly saw the matter clearly and said, “Taizu used his divine might to pacify the realm, yet his descendants have been unable to enjoy the throne. Now, in these troubled times, they are scattered and diminished, which is truly pitiable. If I do not follow the example of Emperor Renzong and act for the sake of the realm, how can I comfort Taizu’s spirit in Heaven?” He then issued an edict selecting a descendant of Taizu and bringing him into the palace to be raised there in the fifth month of the second year of Shaoxing (1132). In 1162, the thirty-second year of Shaoxing, he was appointed Crown Prince. On the Yihai day, he ascended the throne as emperor; this was Xiaozong.

Emperor Lizong was also a tenth-generation descendant of Taizu. His father, Zhao Xilu, was later posthumously granted the title Prince of Rong, and his mother was Lady Quan. Lizong was born on the Guihai day of the first month in the first year of Kaixi (1205), at the family residence in Hongqiaoli, Shaoxing. After Ningzong’s Crown Prince Jingxian died without an heir, the court selected a descendant of Taizu who had reached the age of fifteen. Following the precedent set by Gaozong when he selected the Prince of Pu’an and the Prince of Enping, the young man was brought into the palace to be raised there. Lizong entered the palace together with Zhao Hong, the Prince of Ji.

Lizong was composed and grave, spoke little, and enjoyed cleanliness, quiet, and reading. Each day, while waiting to attend court, the others often chatted and laughed; he alone remained solemn, inspiring respect in all who saw him. Later, the Prince of Ji came into conflict with the prime minister Shi Miyuan, who then turned his favor toward Lizong. On the Bingxu day of the eighth month in the seventeenth year of Jiading (1224), Ningzong fell gravely ill, and Lizong was appointed Crown Prince. On the Dingyou day, he succeeded to the throne as emperor; this was Lizong.

When I read the history of the Southern Song, I often marvel that Heaven’s will truly has its designs. After Emperor Gaozong took the throne, he forgot to avenge his father and elder brother. How could this fail to inspire anger and sorrow? Yet Heaven’s will has its own purpose; perhaps this was precisely to clear the obstacles for Taizu.

Emperor Huizong had thirty-one sons, yet not one remained after a single turn of events. Could Heaven have had no purpose in this? Suppose the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong had one day returned from beyond the northern deserts: Huizong would not yet have been old, and Qinzong would have been in his prime. How many descendants they might have had would have been impossible to predict. Even if Gaozong and Xiaozong had had no sons, how could Xiaozong and Lizong later have taken the throne? In the end, the imperial line passed through six emperors and endured for 150 years, matching the length of the Northern Song. From this we can see how the Way of Heaven brings things to their proper conclusion. Some people refuse to investigate the principle behind it and instead absurdly claim that Nianhan was Taizu reborn. Alas, how can such a claim be believed lightly? How can it be believed lightly?

When Cao Yun, father of the Duke of Wu-hui, Cao Bin, was watching over his son on his first birthday, he placed various toys before him to see what he would pick up. Cao Bin took a weapon in his left hand and ritual vessels in his right. A little later, he picked up a seal and paid no attention to anything else. People at the time thought this extraordinary.

When Cao Bin grew up and became a general, he often slowed the advance during the campaign against Jiangnan, hoping that Li Yu would submit. He sent someone to urge Li Yu, saying, “The situation has come to this. The only ones deserving pity are the people within the city. Submission is the best course.”

As the city was about to fall, Cao Bin suddenly declared himself ill and stopped attending to military affairs. The generals all came to visit him. He said, “My illness cannot be cured with medicine. I will recover only if you all swear sincerely that, on the day the city is taken, you will not kill a single person arbitrarily.” The generals agreed and burned incense together as they swore their oath. Thereupon, Li Yu, ruler of the Southern Tang, led his officials in surrender. Cao Bin comforted them and treated them as honored guests. From the beginning of the campaign to the triumphant return, not one person was killed, and Jiangnan was spared.

Cao Bin had seven sons. Among them, Cao Can, Cao Wei, and Cao Xian were all celebrated generals, renowned for their achievements. Cao Xu married the daughter of the Prince of Qin and was invested as Princess Ping. Cao Xuan served as Commissioner for Palace Affairs; Cao Zhen as Deputy Commissioner of the Left Treasury; Cao Xun as a Vice Director in the Ministry of Works; Cao Cong as Commissioner of the Eastern Palace Gate; and Cao Zhen as Deputy Commissioner of the Western Palace Gate, while also holding the post of Military Commissioner of Zhenhai. Cao Zhen’s daughter was Empress Cisheng Guangxian, wife of Emperor Renzong. Later, Cao Yun was posthumously granted the title Prince of Wei, Cao Bin was posthumously ennobled as Prince of Han, and Cao Zhen as Prince of Wu. Cao Bin’s grandchildren also rose to prominent positions in government; the family’s fortunes never declined.

The Record says: The “six generations and seven generations of sages” mentioned in the “Mu Oath” chapter of the Book of Documents refers to the sages’ use of military force.

The Taishi says, “United in heart and united in De.” This is the foundation on which sages accomplish great deeds. Military force should be used only when there is truly no other choice. If a matter can indeed be settled, yet the people are harmed to satisfy one’s own desire, this violates the Way of Heaven. And history offers examples near and far of the retribution that follows in human affairs: long ago, Xiang Yu and others at the end of the Qin dynasty; more recently, figures such as Han and Quan Bin. Punishment by people and retribution from ghosts and spirits may even come within one’s own lifetime. Some have lost their sons in childhood and had no heirs; their descendants, too, failed to survive. How, then, can one say that the whole family line prospered for generations?

Some say that Jiangnan was originally without fault, but that the saying “No one may sleep undisturbed beside my bed” meant that others could not be tolerated there. Such conduct is unlike the upright and just army that acts openly. If one has no principle against killing, one is merely perpetuating evil and indulging in an old dream of cruelty. Cao Bin, the renowned general of the Northern Song, acted with far-reaching purpose; he did not do so merely to calculate what benefits he might gain in the future.

Wang Hu, father of the statesman Wang Dan, once served as Vice Minister of War. He was renowned for his writing in the Later Han and Later Zhou periods, and after entering the Song he served Emperors Taizu and Taizong, becoming a celebrated official. He was once ordered to persuade Du Chongwei not to rebel against the Later Han. He also thwarted Lu Duoxun’s plan to harm Zhao Pu, and staked the lives of his entire household, a hundred people, to guarantee that Fu Yanqing was innocent. People often praised him for accumulating hidden virtue. Wang Hu planted three locust trees in his courtyard with his own hands and said, “Surely one of my descendants will hold one of the Three Ducal Offices.” This was the aspiration he set for himself.

As a child, Wang Dan was quiet and reserved, and loved reading and writing. Wang Hu thought highly of him and said, “This child will surely become a chief minister one day.” At first, Wang Hu’s longstanding reputation brought him responsibility for the court’s documents for many years; in less than ten years, Wang Dan had succeeded him. People of the time regarded this as a fine story. Qian Ruoshui had a gift for recognizing talent. On meeting Wang Dan, he said, “He truly has the makings of a chief minister.” When the two served at court together, Qian Ruoshui often remarked, “Mr. Wang is like a pillar rising high into the clouds, standing firm in the valley. His future rank and distinction are beyond measure; I cannot compare with him.” Li Hang, who was born in the same year as Wang Dan, also held him in high esteem and considered his prospects boundless. Emperor Zhenzong of Song had always valued Wang Dan and said, “This is surely the man who can bring peace and prosperity to fruition for me.”

A note in the Hongdao lu says: “After reading the teachings of Lord Sima, Sima Guang, on accumulating virtue in secret, I came to understand what hidden virtue means. The principles of Heaven are clear, yet people conceal their virtue in their hearts and accumulate it within themselves. Others cannot see or hear it; this is what is meant by ‘the unseen and unheard,’ and it is also what is meant by doing good in secret. But how could hidden virtue be accumulated in a day or a night? To begin with what is closest at hand, one must first have a generous heart. Without generosity, one becomes impatient and pressuring, narrow and constrained. Can we really refuse to show forbearance even for a moment? Thus, generosity can be used to accumulate hidden virtue. Loving-kindness is the root of virtue; without benevolence…”

I would rather not part from a benevolent heart even for a moment, because benevolence can accumulate hidden virtue (yinde), the merit gained by doing good in secret.

Fairness is an inner balance, an even-handedness that does not lean to either side. Unfairness leads one to favor private interests and to bend the law crookedly. I would rather not turn away from a fair mind even for a single instant, because fairness can accumulate hidden virtue.

Forgiveness is the standard within the heart. To be unwilling to forgive leads one to find fault and to pick at others in a hundred ways. I would rather hold a forgiving mind for even a single thought, because forgiveness can accumulate hidden virtue. This is not like the profound, remote stillness of extinction and non-action (wuwei) that Buddhism describes.

Fan Zhongwen Gong (Fan Zhongyan) had four sons, named Chunyou, Chunren, Chunli, and Chuncui. Chunyou served his parents with great filial devotion and never left their side. He did not sit for the civil examinations. Instead he took a post as Registrar of the Directorate of Works (an office in charge of palace construction) through his father's protection. Because this was not work he cared for, he resigned and left. Chunren passed the jinshi examination but refused to take up his post because his parents were elderly. He said, "How could one value an official salary and lightly leave one's parents?"

After Fan Zhongyan died, his sons began to take office. He once said, "What I learned in my life came from the two words 'loyalty' (zhong) and 'reciprocity' (shu), and I will never use them up." He stood on these two words in his conduct and in his service at court. He treated his colleagues and friends in this way, and he treated his kinsmen with affection and harmony. He never departed from them for a moment.

He often warned his descendants: "Even a person of extreme foolishness is usually clear-sighted when blaming others, and even a person of great intelligence is often muddled when indulging himself. If one can blame oneself with the mind one uses to blame others, and treat others with the mind one uses to indulge oneself, there is no need to worry about failing to reach the state of the sages." He also said, "The Six Classics (the Confucian canonical texts) teach the way of the sages. Master one word and you must practice that word. Whether in haste or in hardship and danger, one must act according to these principles. This is what a person with lofty aspirations ought to achieve."

Fan Zhongyan once said to his sons, "Chunren received my loyalty, Chunli received my calm, and Chuncui received my simplicity." Who understands a son better than his father?

The Hongdao lu comments: "There is a saying that the benevolent and generous will have good descendants. How could one abandon the way of benevolence and generosity? Fan Zhongwen Gong was orphaned and poor in his early years, merely an impoverished scholar. Later, he rose to the ranks of minister and general, and his sons all became men of renown. This was no accident. What he held in his heart differed greatly from ordinary people, and that is why he was able to achieve this.

"To take the sorrows of all under heaven as one's own sorrows, and the joys of all under heaven as one's own joys, is something even a ruler should do, let alone the ministers who assist him. Loyalty and reciprocity are the essentials of self-cultivation: to exhaust one's own heart and to live with others without conflict. If even the sages did this, how much more should those who study? This is also why each of the sons obtained, respectively, the strengths of loyalty, calm, and simplicity. Alas, looking at what they received, one can see that the state they later reached was no accident."

Han Zhonggong (Han Qi) had eight sons, named Gang, Zong, Jiang, Yi, Wei, Zhen, Wei, and Mian. Jiang, Wei, Zhen...

His service in the prefectural government was always measured and proper. Jiang, Shi, Tong, Wei, Zheng, Zhen, Yan, Yi, Xing, and Fang were all his sons, and each had a distinct character and manner.

Shi was upright and steady in temperament and strict in managing the household. Even when he lived at leisure at home, he never showed any sign of laxity or neglect. He often read the memorials submitted by local governments, and when he saw officials impeached for minor lapses, he would grow displeased and say: "When the realm is at peace, it is the wish of an enlightened ruler. Even insects and plants are meant to find their proper place. Today, the greatest hope of an official is to become a minister, the next is to become a palace attendant, and the next is to serve at the capital or in an advisory post. Why should we block their futures in a time of peace?"

Later, when Wei was serving as Vice Director of the Chancellery, the censor Zhang Shunmin was dismissed from office for discussing affairs of state, and Wang Yansou stepped forward to plead for him. Wei wrote a private letter urging his superior Jun to show restraint, but the letter was leaked. Someone advised Wang Yansou to stop getting involved, and Wei explained: "When subordinates exchange letters to discuss matters and to urge and reproach one another, this is really a mutual encouragement to do good. How does it harm the principle? If people are punished merely for such trifles, I fear it will do no good for the affairs of state." The matter was thereupon dropped.

The Hongdao Lu comments: I find that the words of Han Zhongxian Gong, though he lived in a different era from Yuan Shaogong, share the same principle. A gentleman should not overlook this way of treating others with generosity. Still, one who does not serve as a remonstrating official and has no responsibility for recommending and appointing officials need not bear such duties. But if one holds such a post and keeps this principle in mind, it preserves the vital strength of the state and also accumulates blessings for oneself. Is this not a good thing? Some may say that one who harbors a generous heart may nonetheless find fault where none exists, make trouble where there is none, and suspect hidden intentions where none were meant. This indeed deserves careful reflection. Even among Gong, Tong, Wei, Zheng, Zhen, Yan, Yi, and Fang, these sons were not all alike, let alone the vast world beneath heaven. If one does not readily seize upon the faults of others but instead brings their virtues to light, one may act with a clear conscience.

Xu, the Exemplar of Integrity and Filial Piety, possessed a filial nature that came from his very disposition. When he was three years old, his father died, and every day he sorrowfully searched for him. Whenever he read the Classic of Filial Piety, he often wept and could not restrain himself. He served his mother with great devotion, dressing neatly in the morning and evening to pay his respects to her. When he traveled to the capital to sit for the examinations, he could not bear to leave her. Because his father was named Shi, which also means stone, he never used stone implements for the rest of his life. When he came upon a stone on the road, he was so saddened that he could not bear to step upon it.

After his mother died, he went seven days without water or food, grieving until he vomited blood. He built a hut beside her grave and kept vigil there for three years. He slept with a clod of earth as his pillow, wore mourning clothes, and never took them off. Often, on snowy nights, he lay prostrate beside the grave and wept without ceasing. When the scholar Lü Zhen passed by his hut, he happened to hear him……

(Preceding text missing) When he wept, sweet dew fell from heaven. Each year, apricot trees grew in the cemetery, and two of their branches joined into one, forming □. After the mourning period ended, he still did not remove the mats and tables, and his daily routine and offerings of sacrifices remained as they had been while his parents were alive. The prefecture reported his deeds, and the court bestowed grain and cloth upon him.

In the early Yuanyou era, close attendants jointly recommended him. They said that at home he cared for his parents and was renowned for filial piety, that in his village he was known for integrity, and that he was famed for his righteousness and learning throughout the east. The court thereupon appointed him Instructor of Chuzhou.

He instructed his students, saying: "If you gentlemen wish to become junzi (gentlemen of virtue) yet must expend your own strength and money and still refuse to do so, that is understandable. But if you neither exert effort nor spend money, why not become a gentleman? If the villagers despise you and your parents also dislike you, and you still refuse to become a gentleman in such circumstances, that too is understandable. But if the villagers praise you and your parents hope you will become a gentleman, why not do it?

"It can also be said this way: no one has ever existed who speaks good words, does good deeds, and holds good thoughts, yet fails to become a gentleman. Likewise, no one has ever existed who speaks unwholesome words, does unwholesome deeds, and holds unwholesome thoughts, yet fails to become a petty person (xiaoren)." The listeners all straightened their clothing and listened with respect.

The compiler of Hongdao Lu (Record of Propagating the Way) writes: In my view, the Song dynasty flourished and the realm was at peace precisely because it valued integrity and filial conduct. A person's filial feeling springs from their nature, yet it may not be known to everyone under heaven. If everyone strives to do good, then which of the children under heaven would fail to benefit? If this principle is extended throughout the realm, why worry that no one would possess the conduct of a gentleman? Continually accumulating and extending this intention is what makes an age of flourishing so precious. As for refusing to wear wooden clogs for a lifetime and always wearing mourning garments, such things can be accomplished through effort.

Yue Fei was naturally filial. His father's surname was Yue, and his mother's surname was Yao. When Yue Fei was born, a great bird cried out on the roof, so he was named "Fei" (Flying). Before he had reached one month of age, the Yellow River breached its banks at Neihuang, and floodwaters surged in suddenly. His mother held him and sat in a large jar, which drifted with the flood waves until it reached the shore. Mother and son escaped danger, and people all considered the event remarkable.

As Yue Fei grew up, he was resolute in his integrity, steady in temperament, and spoke little. His family was poor, yet he studied diligently, especially loving the Zuoshi Chunqiu (Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals) and the military treatises of Sun Wu and Wu Qi. When unrest arose on the northern frontier, his mother urged him to join the army and serve the state. At first he could not bear to leave her. Only after she urged him many times did he reluctantly leave his wife to care for her and set out alone to follow Emperor Gaozong of Song across the Yellow River.

Later, Hebei fell and news was cut off. Yue Fei sought his mother day and night, but for several years there was no word. Before long, someone came from his mother with a message: "Tell Fifth Son to strive to serve the sage sovereign, and do not worry on account of this old woman." Yue Fei secretly sent men to fetch his mother, but they were blocked by the enemy……

He made eighteen campaigns, going out and returning each time, before he came home at last. Later, though he suffered from a stubborn illness, he still carried out his duties at court. Often, when dusk had fallen and the night grew deep, he would quietly find time to visit his family, personally tasting and bringing their medicine and sitting with them to talk. In his daily movements he never made a sound. Whenever he set out with an army, he carefully arranged the affairs of the household, and his family in turn served the women of the house with great care.

After he died, his family went three days without drinking water or eating, and their grief nearly cost them their lives. His son Yun walked barefoot, supporting the coffin in the funeral procession. After the burial, Yun built a hut beside the grave to keep vigil, and he carved a wooden figure in his father's likeness. He served it food at the proper times and inquired after its well-being, just as he had done when his father was alive.

The five sons were named Yun, Lei, Lin, Zhen, and Ting. Yun began fighting alongside the army at the age of twelve and won many outstanding feats, and the soldiers called him "Ying Guanren." He died at only twenty-three. There was also a daughter, not yet grown, who, grieving over the wrongs done to her father and brother, cradled a silver vase and threw herself into a well. When Emperor Xiaozong came to the throne, he restored the official ranks their father had held, and he honored and posthumously bestowed titles upon the father, the sons, and the daughter according to their individual circumstances.

The Hongdao Lu comments: How could one regard the Yue family lightly? Zixia said, "In serving one's parents, one can exhaust one's strength; in serving one's ruler, one can offer up one's own body." Yue Fei truly accomplished this. He did not come to understand these principles through lectures and discussion; rather, he practiced them personally to such a degree. The saying "Though he has not received learning, I would say he is a man of learning" — could it be merely an idle remark?

Even so, if Yue Fei was like this, how could there be no one like Yue Yun? As an adopted son, Yun did not benefit from the instruction of a strict teacher or a virtuous father; and the daughter was still young and ignorant, so how could she have understood lofty principles such as "sacrificing one's life to achieve humaneness"? An ancient saying goes, "When one's own person is upright, even without issuing orders, affairs will proceed." From the father, brothers, and children of the Yue family, I have seen the meaning of this saying.

In the final years of the Xianchun era, Xu Yingbiao took the examinations and was appointed as a student of the Imperial Academy. In the second year of the Dehou era, the Song dynasty fell, and the Duke of Yingguo was taken to the lands of Yan, with all three Imperial Academy students following him there. Xu Yingbiao was unwilling to go along, so he and his sons Qi and Song, together with his daughter Yuanniang, swore an oath to burn themselves to death together in loyalty to the state. The children all gladly agreed to follow him.

The Imperial Academy had long housed a shrine to Yue Fei's younger brother. Xu Yingbiao prepared wine and meat and offered sacrifices to Yue Fei, saying, "Heaven has not protected the Song, and the state has already perished. I, Xu Yingbiao, am willing to die to repay the nation, and I vow not to travel north together with the other students of the Academy. After my death, I wish to entrust my spirit to the King of Yue, to become one of the spirit tablets enshrined beside him, forever accompanying the lofty spirit of the King without ever growing weary." Qi also composed a poem to swear his own oath.

When the sacrifice was over, they divided the wine and meat among the servants. Once the servants had drunk until they were drunk and fallen asleep, Xu Yingbiao and his children entered the Tiyun Tower, stacked the books and trunks from every room around them, and set fire to themselves. A servant had not yet fallen asleep; hearing the sound of the fire, he got up and rushed to the foot of the tower. Peering in through a window opening, he saw that the father and his children were still sitting and standing with solemn dignity, as if……

A temple statue suddenly collapsed. Someone ran to inform the attendants, who tore down the walls, entered the building, and put out the fire, but even with sickles they could not save him. His children left the house in grief, and afterward no one knew where he had gone. The next day, his body was found in the well in front of the ancestral hall. The people standing there were all frozen in place, their eyes wide open, and his complexion looked the same as when he was alive. The attendants prepared a coffin and provided for his burial. The Prince of Yi (Yi Wang) praised his integrity and posthumously conferred on him the titles Chaofeng Lang (Gentleman Attendant of Chaofeng) and Mige Xiuzhuan (Compiler in the Secretariat Pavilion). Later, his fellow student Liu Wenjun (Liu Wenjun) collected and buried him, and privately bestowed on him the posthumous title "Zhengjie Xiansheng" (Master of Upright Integrity) at Fangjia Yu (Fangjia Yu).

The Hongdao Lu (Record of Broadening the Way) comments: after the decline of order in the Song dynasty, some scholars were disgraced early and met with hardships beyond the ordinary, so they were wounded in their urgency. Chen Dong (Chen Dong) and Ouyang Che (Ouyang Che) were such men. They were passionate and unyielding, yet they could not preserve themselves in peace. Others did not encounter such urgent crises but sank into lowliness and filth. The three Imperial College students were of this kind: their conduct was mediocre and shameful. Who would have thought that Juweng (Juweng) and his son should arise in such an age?

To die for the Way and bring one's humaneness to completion is the fine integrity of a gentleman. Considering his ordinary cultivation, Qi (Qi) and Song (Song) even said that before misfortune or blessing had truly come upon oneself, a person in high office could still shift responsibility away. Then what kind of person was his daughter, Yuanniang (Yuanniang)? In terms of temperament, she was gentle and had no spirit of going boldly to meet righteousness. In terms of age, she was still young and could not claim the steadfast virtue that appears only when one has endured the test of the winter cold. Yet when the state fell and the ruler died in danger, she was willing to die alongside them. From this we can see that the goodness of her innate nature should not be despised because she was young and gentle. Those who at that time betrayed the state to surrender and became captives, if they examined their own hearts, would they not be ashamed like swine?

Furthermore, after Jian (Jian) died, his deeds were reported to Yue Fei (Yue Fei), and the two men's spirits had long been in accord. When an entire household is loyal and filial, how could it fail to move people to rise up? The bearing of Yue Fei's daughter likely did not arise by chance. Alas, this may be called humaneness.

Shi Tianze (Shi Tianze) of the Yuan dynasty had eight sons: Ge (Ge), Zhang (Zhang), Di (Di), Gang (Gang), Qi (Qi), Zi (Zi), Kai (Kai), and Bin (Bin), all of whom held prominent offices. Shi Tianze did not begin to devote himself wholeheartedly to study until he was forty, and in daily life he never boasted. When faced with matters of great importance that required decision, he firmly regarded himself as bearing the great responsibility of the realm, and the views he put forward often surprised others.

On the day he was appointed chancellor, the gate of his home was very quiet. Someone urged him to take the opportunity to expand his power. He replied, "Rank, salary, punishment, and reward are all the privileges of the Son of Heaven. Why should I seek power?" He thereupon declined the suggestion, and the man who had urged him felt ashamed and convinced. At the end of the Jin dynasty, many renowned scholars were wandering in other lands with nowhere to settle. He arranged livelihoods for them and treated them with the courtesy due to guests, and afterward many of these men rose to distinguished positions. When he took Guide (Guide), he released Li Dalang (Li Dalang) and did not kill him, and even sent him to Zhending (Zhending) and appointed him as a military advisor. His whole life was spent moving in and out of positions among generals and ministers.

Note: In the original text, the phrase rendered "yi qi xi ze you" should be understood in context as "on the question of age, he was still young," and the character missing from the phrase rendered "bing ... zhi liang" is left untranslated; here it is rendered as "the good nature innately possessed."

For more than fifty years, he was never met with suspicion by his superiors, nor did his subordinates and the common people resent him. He was compared to Guo Ziyi (a famous Tang general noted for achieving great merit and still ending his life in peace). Cao Wuhui (Cao Wuhui) said:

The Hongdao lu (Record of Broadening the Way) records: I observe that the fortunes of the Yuan dynasty first rose amid warfare and later declined in the Central Plains. Emperor Yingzong (Yingzong) and his brothers and fathers and sons were as close as hands and feet. Though he himself had been appointed a general and raised to the office of chancellor, he yielded and held back from wealth and power, as if he feared being tainted by something foul. Later, it was seen that before his death he had foretold the massacres and plunder that would come. In the end Jiangnan submitted, and Bayan (a Yuan general) could not claim the merit for himself alone, so this matter has been recorded.

The Wulun shu (Book of the Five Relationships) records: When Yingzong was still the crown prince, Renzong (Renzong) fell gravely ill, and he grew so anxious that his expression changed. One night he burned incense and wept, saying, "Your Majesty governs the realm with benevolence, your affairs of state run smoothly, and the four seas are at peace. Now Heaven has sent a grave illness. Let me bear the punishment in your stead, so that Your Majesty may remain ruler of the realm for a long time."

After Renzong died, Yingzong's grief went beyond what ritual prescribed. He wore plain mourning clothes, slept on the ground, and took only a bowl of congee each day. After his accession, he issued an edict to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (the office in charge of ritual music and sacrifices), saying, "I intend to personally perform the seasonal sacrifices at the Taishi (the imperial ancestral temple). Concerning the rites, you should deliberate together and not reduce anything out of fear that my sacrifices will tire me. Everything must be carried out in accordance with ritual propriety."

The Hongdao lu says: Histories record that Renzong was by nature loving and filial, intelligent, humble, and frugal. He understood the Confucian teachings, cherished the strength of the common people, and governed the state with diligence. He was a Yuan ruler of outstanding virtue who upheld the civil governance of his predecessors. Yingzong, who succeeded him, was benevolent, filial, sincere, and generous. Since the late Yuan, two rulers such as these have been rare.

The Mingchao mingchen lu (Record of Famous Ministers of the Ming) records: Zhang Yi (Zhang Yi) was extremely filial by nature. At the age of twenty, he followed a teacher from his home district, and having heard that Jinhua was a center of learning and writing, he often traveled there to study and seek instruction. When he reached Wuling (Hangzhou), he was suddenly seized with palpitations and resolutely took leave to return home. By the time he arrived, his father's illness was already critical, and his father died eight days later. People believed this was the result of his filial devotion moving Heaven.

Before the funeral arrangements were completed, war broke out, and the houses in the village were burned. Zhang Yi kowtowed and called out to Heaven, and when the fire reached the place where the coffin stood, it went out. When his mother died, he was overcome with grief, and while building her tomb he carried the earth and stones himself, so his illness grew even worse. His relative He Jun (He Jun) came to visit and urged him, "You should restrain your mind and not cling so tightly to grief." Zhang Yi replied, "I already understand this."

He had lived apart from his two elder brothers for a long time. Later, he built a new house at Longyu (Longyu), invited his brothers to live with him, and the brothers were harmonious and close. At that time the realm was in turmoil, so he withdrew into Fujian.

Taizu (Emperor Taizu of Ming) sent an envoy to summon Zhang Yi. He came to Jianye (Nanjing) together with Liu Ji (Liu Ji), Ye Shen (Ye Shen), and Song Lian (Song Lian), and they presented themselves at court. The emperor consoled them, saying, "For the sake of the realm, I have troubled the four of you to come out and serve."

The Hongdao lu records that Wei Wuzhi held that conduct like that of Weisheng and Xiaoji did not help in winning or losing, or in success or failure. Is this really so? Chen Yi could advance and withdraw freely between visibility and retirement, and he upheld the way of rectifying the heart and cultivating the person. When he saw his mother, she often trembled in fear. After her death, he grieved so deeply that it seemed he could never let it go for the rest of his life. Later he assisted Lie Zu, took part in the campaigns that seized Jianzhou and entered Fujian, and planned matters such as land reclamation and troop mobilization, all of which were effective. It can be said that he combined the fundamental and the practical, and that there was no barrier between serving in office and retiring from it. Could he have been a dull, incompetent man who never achieved his aims?

From these examples, we can roughly see how the Ming and Han dynasties employed talented men.

Chen Xianzhang lost both parents in his youth, and later served his stepmother (called Cai shi in the text) with great reverence. Believing he could not remain away from his mother for long, he once took the examination of the Board of Rites and afterward did not sit for further examinations. He was later summoned several times and declined each time. On this occasion, the court urged him to go to the capital, so he submitted a memorial, the gist of which was as follows:

"My mother was widowed young in poverty, and her life was hard. Her worries accumulated until they became illness, and as she has grown older, her condition has grown worse. If I leave my home and live far away as a stranger, her anxiety will deepen day by day; the deeper her anxiety, the worse her illness; and the worse her illness, the deeper her anxiety. Worry and sickness press upon each other, and truly she cannot bear them for long. I am ill myself, and I also fear for her old age. She has not yet reached the end of her natural span, yet her body is already frail; I wish in my heart to fulfill filial duty, but my strength cannot keep up. If the heart is free of the sickness of troubled thoughts, then outward affairs will not seem difficult. If the ruler is supremely benevolent, then among his subordinates there will be many who understand reason and are willing to help others succeed."

After the memorial was presented, the Emperor Xianzong read it over and over again personally. The next day, the emperor specially granted Chen Xianzhang the post of Compiler in the Hanlin Academy and permitted him to return home to care for his mother.

The Hongdao lu comments: Emperor Xianzong emulated and approved this memorial of Chen Xianzhang, and its brilliance may be compared with Li Mi's "Memorial on My Feelings" (Chen Qing Biao). The saying "when the ruler is supremely benevolent, many subordinates will be willing to help" is exactly so. The imperial dynasty's governance of the realm through filial piety had already differed from Li Mi's era, and there was no need to move the ruler through a memorial such as the "Chen Qing Biao." Yet Chen Xianzhang in the end returned home to live, and in his household he nourished his mother, his filial care growing ever deeper, and all under heaven admired him. How could this compare with having him take up the post of magistrate of Wenzhou, or having him engage in administrative affairs because he disliked monks? The emperor specially issued an edict to confer office, yet he did not go to the capital to take the examination of the Ministry of Personnel. This also differs from cases in which someone resigned and returned to the fields because he had no connections and no one at court to recommend him. For this reason, the matter is recorded here.

When Chen Maolie served as Censor, he once impeached Minister Lü Zhong and Vice Minister Cui. When his mother grew old, he requested to resign from office and return home to care for her. The Ministry of Personnel, considering that his family was poor, cited the precedent of Vice Minister Pan Li and memorialized to request that three shi of grain be granted to him each month to support his aged mother. He submitted a memorial declining the gift, the gist of which was: "Your Majesty promotes the teaching of filial piety and encourages the customs of integrity and cleanliness, and now this grace reaches even a humble minister such as myself..."

I have also been taken in and cared for by the court, but how could this good fortune belong to my family alone? I only reflect that my family has always been poor, so we kept the Cold Food Festival (a traditional holiday when fire was forbidden and only cold food was eaten) with great simplicity. For this reason my mother was content to be supported by me, and I could bear our poverty with equanimity. This is not because I possess an integrity beyond that of ordinary people, nor because I have a special understanding of how to restrain myself through filial piety.

Among the ancients there were people who carried grain on their backs to support their parents, and I am not yet able to match them. My mother raised me while our family was poor and small in number, so she endured a hundredfold hardship on my account. Although I have exhausted my strength in caring for her, I have never been able to repay even a fraction of her kindness. She is now eighty-six years old, and I fear the days ahead are not many. A child's wish to repay a parent's nurture is to serve them with all one's effort, yet to accept an official salary in order to support my mother fills me with genuine unease.

The emperor issued an edict declaring: "The court governs the realm by filial piety. Chen Maolie kept to integrity in poverty, which is worthy of praise, and he is not to be permitted to resign." After his mother died, Chen Maolie wailed in grief, and in the end his sorrow brought on an illness from which he never recovered. To this day, his native district has erected a marker in his honor, calling him "Filial and Upright" (xiaolian).

The Hongdao Lu (Record of Propagating the Way) comments: The Song History describes Mr. Xu as a model of "integrity and filiality," and people believe Chen Maolie's conduct is no different. He examined and cultivated himself at home, reflected in quiet thought when dealing with friends, and was known for uprightness at court. Why, then, did his inner realization and cultivation, and his pure conduct that he kept hidden, produce no descendants? I once passed by his gate, admired his virtue, and so recorded his deeds here.

Duke Geng Qinghui, Geng Jiuchou, and his son, Duke Wenke, Geng Yu, served four reigns in succession: those of Emperors Xuanzong, Yingzong, Xianzong, and Xiaozong. Geng Qinghui rose to become Minister of Justice in the Southern Capital, and he was renowned throughout the realm for his incorruptible conduct and lofty reputation. He advanced through the ranks to hold prominent posts, and he did nothing to fall short of the standards of a Confucian scholar. Geng Yu later served as Minister of Personnel, under the sobriquet Qingya. He had served as a historiographer, Director of the Imperial Academy, and an official in the Board of Rites. Father and son both kept their integrity unstained, and among Confucian scholars they were regarded as outstanding. The censor Wang Xuan memorialized the throne, saying that Geng Yu was open-minded, clear-hearted, and free of any selfish motive, and could be compared with Wang Zhongsu and Wang Duanyi.

Duke Zhou Zhuangyi, Zhou Xuan, and his son, Duke Wenrui, Zhou Jing, were both distinguished ministers. Zhou Zhuangyi rose to become Minister of Justice in the Southern Capital. He was generous of temperament and possessed a calm, refined bearing. Throughout his life he served his ruler, and he was especially known for his reverence and caution. He held posts in the judicial offices of the capital and the Southern Capital for nearly forty years, with no record of wrongfully harming the innocent or injuring the common people. His contributions in overseeing famine relief and loans, and in managing the granaries of the capital, were also considerable, for they saved the people and benefited the localities. He later attained high rank and lived to nearly eighty. His descendants also held distinguished and honorable offices. Zhou Wenduan entered officialdom through the civil service examinations and served in the Hanlin Academy and the Office of the Crown Prince for nearly thirty years.

When Emperor Xiaozong was still Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, Zhou Gong served as a lecturer. He repeatedly offered counsel and guidance to the prince and played an important role in doing so. He often lectured……

Emperor Xiaozong (Xiaozong Huangdi) always rose and clasped his hands in respect whenever he listened to Xuan's discourses, and he observed the proper etiquette in this way. Later, as Vice Minister of Rites, he invoked the Confucian classics whenever policy was debated. Whenever the court carried out benevolent governance, he always did his utmost to assist and bring it about. After his transfer to the Ministry of Personnel, he asked the emperor to hold morning audiences and to attend diligently to state affairs. When he was appointed Minister of Revenue, he took on the work in person and did not weigh his own gain or loss. He selected subordinate officials, adjudicated affairs himself, and handled complicated matters and unexpected changes, rarely allowing anything to be delayed. In directing government and enforcing the law, he was not swayed by imperial in-laws or powerful figures, and he closely resembled the worthy ministers of antiquity.

Xu Xiangyi Gong (Xu Jin, "Xiangyi" being his posthumous title) had eight sons, named Gao, Zhao, Zan, Ji, Shi, Ci, Lun, and Zhi. By nature he was filial and cautious. Once, when his father disciplined him with a family lesson, his fingers were beaten until they bled. From then on, whenever he showed the wound to others, he was always moved to sighs. When enemy forces invaded the border region, the court appointed him Assistant Censor-in-Chief and Governor of Gansu. Turfan and Hami had long been enemies. Turfan sent a tribal chieftain to drive out the King of Hami and seize the city of Hami. Xu Jin and Commander Liu Ning mobilized the tribes of Chisin and Honadong to give support, and on a snowy night they attacked and entered the city, defeating the enemy. Among the rebel forces were eight hundred people, and some proposed that they all be executed. Xu Jin disagreed. A commentator said, "Xiangyi saved the lives of eight hundred people; he was a man of great benevolence. It is only right that his descendants should inherit his distinction." Later, his son Xu Gao again served as Minister of Revenue. Xu Zan held the posts of Minister of Personnel, Minister of Revenue, and Minister of Justice, and served as Grand Secretary of the Hall of Martial Valor. Xu Lun served as Censor-in-Chief and as Governor of Shuntian. The prominence of this family has not declined to this day.

Lin Wen'an Gong (Lin Han, "Wen'an" being his posthumous title) had nine sons: Tinggui, Tingdong, Tingkai, Tingbiao, Tingzhang, Tingyu, Tingfen, Tingzhi, and Tingji. When he served as an official in the Imperial Academy (the highest national institution of learning), he governed with strictness and yet with generous kindness. He memorialized the throne requesting an increase in the examinations for recommended candidates, so as to select talent broadly and prevent capable people from being overlooked and blocked from advancement. During the Zhengde reign, he submitted a memorial raising four matters: consolidating Nanjing, to honor the foundation of the ancestral enterprise; supporting the heir apparent, to honor the foundation of the realm; pacifying the common people, to honor the foundation of the state; and cultivating worthy talent, to honor the foundation of clear and orderly government.

Later he was promoted to Minister of War in Nanjing, where he took part in assisting with important military and administrative affairs. Because of unusual portents, he again submitted a memorial setting out twelve matters. Its gist was as follows: Your Majesty has received the great trust bequeathed by the late emperor and should employ senior ministers, changing the men the late emperor had relied upon and appointed. Major policies should be established, and the plans left by the late emperor should not be lightly altered. Those who are close to petty men should be dismissed and kept at a distance, and Your Majesty should strive to follow the late emperor's example of drawing near to worthy people and keeping away from treacherous ones. Do not depend on the nobility; rather, strive to practice the late emperor's self-restraint in setting aside private desires……

Lord Ren (a gentleman-official of the Ren surname) always thought of how the late emperor had never forgotten the defense against foreign incursions when he put the frontier garrisons' supplies in order, and how the late emperor had never forgotten the livelihood of the common people and the opinions of the scholars when he economized on expenditures.

Weizhi (a personal name) carried out the administration of government affairs. Yao Zhen said that in the prosperous reign of Emperor Xiaozong, Lord Ren had received the recognition of men like Han Yu and Fan Zhongyan. His household was harmonious and well ordered, and his descendants were sincere and prudent, with the bearing of Lord Shi of the Han, Shi Fen, whose strict household management and filial descendants were renowned. The village where he lived was transformed by his example, and his customs spread throughout the commanderies and kingdoms, so that, like Yang Cheng and Jin Bi, he instructed the locality through virtue. Lord Ren was advanced in years and rich in virtue, his beard and eyebrows white, and his fellow villagers revered and looked up to him. Among the venerable elders and famous scholars of Luoyang, represented by Wen Yanbo, Duke of Lu, and Fu Bi, he too enjoyed a high reputation.

Later, Tingzhuo was again appointed Minister of Works and also served as Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Tingshao became a prefect, and Tingji became a Compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Tingzhuo's son Xuan and Tingji's son Ran were both able to carry on the family's traditions.

The compiler of the Hongdao Lu remarks: I observe that the Lü, Taiyuan, and Lingbao families were each famous ministers of their generation, and the Quanshan and Yuande lines should not be overlooked either. The affection and virtue between father and son in these families are especially worthy of praise. From this we can see that the gentleman ought to strive to do good, and so this matter is recorded.

The Minglun Dadian (Great Compendium of Ming Ethics) records that on the day Renwu of the fourth month of the sixteenth year of the Zhengde era, the Emperor took leave of the tomb of Prince Xingxian. Once the tomb had been completed, he performed the rites, then wept in grief and prostrated himself on the ground, and his attendants helped him up. He still gazed about and could not bear to leave, and he performed the rites twice more with weeping, and none in his retinue failed to be moved to tears. On the day Guiwei, the imperial carriage departed from Anlu. The Emperor could not bear to leave his mother at once, and he wept until his voice choked with sobs.

The Holy Mother said, "My child, this journey carries a heavy responsibility. You must be careful and not speak lightly." The Emperor replied, "I will respectfully heed your instruction."

The compiler of the Hongdao Lu remarks: The chapter opens with the filial deeds of the great Shun to clarify the orthodox transmission of abdication, and it presents filial piety as the root of all goodness. It closes with the present emperor's grief in remembering his parents, so as to complete the sovereign's sincerity and trustworthiness, the virtue that can serve as a model for all under heaven. The Book of Odes says, "Ever think of filial piety; filial piety is the standard." Are the sages of earlier and later ages not all following the same principle and running through one lineage?

End of Volume Six of the Hongdao Lu.