19. Kung-nî said, "Formerly, when the duke of
Kâu was administering the government, he did so
while he (continued to) go up by the eastern steps.
He (also) set forth the rules for a crown prince in
(his dealing with) Po-khin, and it was thus that he
secured the excellence of king Khǎng. I have
heard it said, 'A minister will sacrifice himself to
benefit his ruler, and how much more will he swerve
from the ordinary course to secure his excellence!'
This was what the duke of Kââm did with ease and
unconcern.
20. Therefore he who knows how to show himself what a son should be can afterwards show himself what a father should be; he who knows how to show himself what a minister should be can afterwards show himself what a ruler should be; he who knows how to serve others can afterwards employ them. King Khǎng, being quite young, could not discharge the duties of the government. He had no means of learning how to show himself what the crown prince should be[1]. On this account the rules for a crown prince were exhibited in (the treatment of) Po-khin, and he was made to live with the young king that the latter might thus understand all that was right between father and son, ruler and
minister, elders and youngers[2]."
- ↑ His father being dead.
- ↑ With reference to this paragraph, which, he thinks, appears here as from Confucius, Wû Khǎng says:—"When king Wû died, Khǎng was quite young. (His uncles of) Kwan and 𝖅hâi sent their reports abroad, and the people of Yin planned their rebellion. Then the duke of Kâu left the capital, and dwelt in the east, and Po-khin went to his jurisdiction, and defeated the people of Hsü and the Zung. Three years afterwards the duke of
