114 You Yu and Liao

A5.33 

King Rong sent You Yu as an envoy to Qin. You Yu's ancestors were from Jin and fled to Rong, but You Yu could still speak the Jin dialect. When King Rong heard that Duke Mu was wise, he sent You Yu to Qin to investigate. Duke Mu of Qin showed You Yu the palaces and wealth of Qin. You Yu said: "Even if the ghosts and gods were asked to build these palaces, they would feel tired. If we let people build it, the people will suffer too much.” Duke Mu was surprised and asked, "China the Central Kingdom use poetry, books, rituals, music and laws to govern the country, but there are still frequent disasters. Now you Rongyi don't have these things, how are you going to govern your country? Isn't this very difficult?" You Yu smiled and said, “This is why disasters often occur in the Central Kingdom. The ancient sage Huangdi established the laws of rites, music and personally took the lead in implementing them, but he only achieved a small peace. In later generations, kings became increasingly arrogant and extravagant. Relying on the power of the law, the monarch harshly criticizes and supervises the subjects below. The subjects below are exhausted to the extreme and will resent the monarch and hope that benevolence and righteousness will be practiced. In this way, the monarch and the lower classes will resent each other, which will lead to usurpation of the throne, regicide, and even the extermination of the entire family. Disasters are caused by this kind of reasons. But it is not the case with the Rongyi. The superior treats the inferior with kindness, and the inferior serves the superior with loyalty. Governing the country is like taking care of one's own body. There is no need to know how to govern. This is the way a true sage governs a country. " After the court session, Duke Mu asked the Internal Historian Liao, "I heard that if a sage appears in a neighboring country, it will be a threat to the enemy country. Now You Yu is too virtuous and will become a disaster for me, what should I do? " Liao, the Internal Historian, said: "King Rong lives in a remote place and has never heard the music of the Central Kingdom. You can try to send entertaining girls to King Rong to weaken his will, and then ask for credit on behalf of You Yu to alienate their relationship. You can also keep You Yu from going back and delay his return deadline. This way it would certainly make King Rong feel strange and start to suspect You Yu. Once a gap is created between the monarch and his subjects, they can be captured. Besides, if the King of Rong falls in love with the music of the Central Kingdom, he will definitely neglect state affairs.” Duke Mu said, "Okay." So he sat around with You Yu, toasted each other, and ate together. He asked You Yu about the topography and military situation in Rong land, and then asked the Internal Historian Liao to send sixteen entertaining girls to the King of Rong. King Rong was very happy accepting those entertaining girls, and he was so obsessed with them that he totally ignored the state affairs from then on. Only then did the State of Qin allow You Yu to return home. You Yu advised King Rong many times, but King Rong would not listen. Duke Mu sent people to secretly invite You Yu many times, so You Yu left Rongyi and defected to the State of Qin. Duke Mu received him as a guest and asked him about his strategy for conquering the Rong people. 

戎王使由余于秦。由余，其先晋人也，亡入戎，能晋言。闻缪公贤，故使由余观秦。秦缪公示以宫室、积聚。由余曰：“使鬼为之，则劳神矣。使人为之，亦苦民矣。”缪公怪之，问曰：“中国以诗书礼乐法度为政，然尚时乱，今戎夷无此，何以为治，不亦难乎？”由余笑曰：“此乃中国所以乱也。夫自上圣黄帝作为礼乐法度，身以先之，仅以小治。及其后世，日以骄淫。阻法度之威，以责督于下，下罢极则以仁义怨望于上，上下交争怨而相篡弑，至于灭宗，皆以此类也。夫戎夷不然。上含淳德以遇其下，下怀忠信以事其上，一国之政犹一身之治，不知所以治，此真圣人之治也。”于是缪公退而问内史廖曰：“孤闻邻国有圣人，敌国之忧也。今由余贤，寡人之害，将奈之何？”内史廖曰：“戎王处辟匿，未闻中国之声。君试遗其女乐，以夺其志；为由余请，以疏其间；留而莫遣，以失其期。戎王怪之，必疑由余。君臣有间，乃可虏也。且戎王好乐，必怠于政。”缪公曰：“善。”因与由余曲席而坐，传器而食，问其地形与其兵势尽察，而后令内史廖以女乐二八遗戎王。戎王受而说之，终年不还。于是秦乃归由余。由余数谏不听，缪公又数使人间要由余，由余遂去降秦。缪公以客礼礼之，问伐戎之形。