Confucius answered. For the lord to be lord and the liege, liege, the father to be father and the son, son.
True indeed! said the Duke. If the lord were no lord and the liege no liege, the father no father and the son no son, though the grain were there, could I get anything to eat?
12. The Master said, To stint a quarrel with half a word Yu[120] is the man.
Tzu-lu never slept over a promise.
13. The Master said, At hearing lawsuits I am no better than others. What is needed is to stop lawsuits.
14. Tzu-chang asked, What is kingcraft?
The Master said, To be tireless of thought and faithful in doing.
15. The Master said, Breadth of reading and the ties of courtesy will keep us, too, from false paths.
16. The Master said, A gentleman shapes the good in man, he does not shape the bad in him. The small man does the contrary.
17. Chi K'ang[121] asked Confucius how to rule.