18. Tzu-kung said, When Duke Huan slew the young duke Chiu, and Kuan Chung could not face death and even became his minister, surely he showed want of love?
The Master said, By Kuan Chung helping Duke Huan to put down the great vassals and make all below heaven one, men have fared the better from that day to this. But for Kuan Chung our hair would hang down our backs and our coats would button to the left; or should he, like the bumpkin and his lass, their troth to keep, have drowned in a ditch, unknown to anyone?
19. The minister Hsien, who had been steward to Kung-shu Wen, went to audience of the Duke together with Wen.
When the Master heard of it, he said, He is rightly called Wen (well-bred).
20. The Master spake of Ling Duke of Wei's contempt for the Way.
K'ang[132] said, If this be so, how does he escape ruin?
Confucius answered, With Chung-shu Yü in charge of the guests, the reader T'o in charge of the Ancestral Temple, and Wang-sun Chia in charge of the troops, how should he come to ruin?
21. The Master said, When words are unblushing, they are hard to make good.
22. Ch'en Ch'eng murdered Duke Chien.[133]