The OuterThe Chapters: Outer Chapters: Stories That Stories are Similar That Are to OthersSimilar To Others367 The Outer Chapters: Stories That are Similar to Others Told of Master Yan

2.7.1 Lord Jing was Drinking Wine and Ordered Master Yan Not to Behave with Due Ritual Propriety. Master Yan Remonstrated1

Lord Jing was enjoying himself drinking wine for many days in succession. He took off his hat and removed his skirt personally drumming on a basin and ewer.2 He said to his entourage: “Can a benevolent man enjoy himself like this?” Liangqiu Ju replied: “The eyes and ears of a benevolent man are just the same as those of other people. How could [a benevolent man] be the only kind of person not to enjoy this?” His lordship said: “Drive quickly and go and col- lect Master Yan.” When Master Yan arrived he was dressed in proper court costume; when he was given a goblet of wine he bowed twice.3 His lordship said: “I really enjoyed this music so I wanted you to join in. Please do not stand on ceremony.” Master Yan responded: “My lord, you are wrong in what you say! If all your ministers were indeed to stop behaving with proper ritual when serving you, I

1 This story is also found in the Xinxu, 815–819 [“Cishe 刺奢”]; and Han Shi waizhuan, 313–314 [9.8]. As noted by Wu Zeyu, Yanzi chunqiu jinshi, 431n2, this story may originally have been located in one of the “Remonstrances” chapters, since there are a number of quotations which record this origin. 2 The transmitted text reads “he undid his clothing and hat and personally drummed on an [up-turned] wine-jar” (shi yi guan zi gu fou 釋衣冠自鼓缶). The Han Shi waizhuan, 313 [9.8], gives the parallel line as “he loosened his clothing and hat and strummed on a qin to amuse himself” (jie yi guan gu qin yi zi le 解衣冠鼓琴以自樂). There are a large number of quota- tions from this story, which all give this line as “he took off his hat and removed his skirt, drumming on the basin and ewer [to amuse] himself” (qu guan bei cheng zi gu penweng 去冠 被裳自鼓盆甕); see for example Beitang chaoshu, 129.8a. The transmitted text of the Yanzi chunqiu seems to have been altered from its original wording at some point, so this line is now identical to that found in the Xinxu, 815 [“Cishe”]. According to the commentary by Zhang Chunyi, Yanzi chunqiu jiaozhu, 176, the wording found in the Taiping yulan represents the older tradition. 3 It seems that some early editions give this line as “Master Yan arrived wearing clothes” (Yanzi fu yi zhi 晏子服以至); this has now been corrected to “Master Yan arrived dressed in proper court costume” (Yanzi chaofu yi zhi 晏子朝服以至); see Sun Xingyan, Yanzi chunqiu yinyi, B.86.

© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2016 | doi 10.1163/9789004309661_011 368 The Outer Chapters: Stories That Are Similar To Others am afraid that your lordship would not be pleased.4 Today, any child in the state of Qi who is five chi tall is stronger than I am; indeed they are also stron- ger than you are, my lord. The reason why they do not dare to cause trouble is because they are restrained by proper ritual [and ceremonial].5 If superiors behave without proper ritual, then they will not be able to make their inferiors obey them; if inferiors do not behave with due ceremony, they will not be able to serve their superiors. For example, deer do not have ritual propriety, there- fore father and son can share the same doe. The reason that human beings are nobler than the birds and the beasts is that we have proper ritual. I have heard it said:

If a ruler does not behave with due ceremony, he will not be able to gov- ern the country; If a grandee does not behave with due ceremony, he will not be respected by other officials; If a father does not behave with due ceremony, his family will treat him badly; If brothers do not behave with due ceremony, then they will not be able to live in the same household for long.6

The Book of Songs says:

‘If a man does not behave with ritual propriety,

4 The transmitted text reads “I am afraid that a gentleman would not be pleased” (kong junzi zhi bu yu ye 恐君子之不欲也). As noted in the commentary by Wang Niansun, Dushu zazhi, 6:2.226, Master Yan is addressing Lord Jing of Qi, therefore this should read jun 君 (your lord- ship) for junzi 君子 (a gentleman). 5 The present text of the Yanzi chunqiu reads “they are restrained by proper ritual” (wei li 畏禮). The same wording is found in the Xinxu, 816 [“Cishe”]; the Han Shi waizhuan, 313 [9.8] gives it as “they are restrained by proper ritual and ceremonial” (wei li yi 畏禮義). Wang Niansun, Dushu zazhi, 6:1.226–227; and Zhang Chunyi, Yanzi chunqiu jiaozhu, 177, both suggest that the character yi 義 should be regarded as integral to the text, but that it should be read as yi 儀 (ceremonial). As noted by Wu Zeyu, Yanzi chunqiu jishi, 433n17, there are some early editions that give this line as “they are restrained by proper ritual and ceremonial.” 6 This sentence consists of four characters per line verse, with the rhyme words being bang 邦 (country), gong 恭 (to be respected), xiong 凶 (badly), and tong 同 (the same). The transmit- ted text reads “he will not be able to govern his country” (wu yi lin qi bang 無以臨其邦), however, the character qi 其 (his) has been omitted here, in accordance with the commentary by Zhang Chunyi, Yanzi chunqiu jiaozhu, 177, to preserve the correct line length.