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bookofjin · 8 years ago

Text

Biography of Lu Ji, Part 2

[From JS054]

Its last scroll says:

Formerly the kings of three regions, the people of Wei occupied Central Xia, the Han clan had Min and Yi, Wu ruled Jing, Yang and completely had Jiao and Guang. The Cao clan, though merited in aiding the various Hua, their cruelty likewise was extreme, their people hated [them]. Grampa Liu because of the narrow passes was thereby decorated with wisdom, his merits in the end were slight, his customs coarse.

As for Wu, King Huan founded it using his martial [ability], Taizu completed it using virtue. Clever, bright, shrewd and intelligent, the admirable measures were vastly numerous. His search for the worthy similarly was not catching up [?], the blood's abundant people were like immature children, connecting with gentlemen exhaustively filling the appearance of virtue, personally benevolently exhausting the fondness of the vermilion government [?].

He pulled out Lü Meng for military action, and tested Pan Jun for tying up in imprisonment [?]. He pushed forward sincere and honest gentlemen, he did not pity our deception of the people [?]. His capacity was able to confer receptacles, he did not worry about our pressure for power [?]. He held the whip and nourishing personally, thereby esteeming the power of the Honourable Lu. He comprehensively appointed military guards, thereby helping the host [?] of Zhou Yu.

A low palace and fragrant food [?], the rewards of abundantly merited subjects. He split his breast and emptied himself, accepting the calculations of planning gentlemen. For that reason Lu Su alone faced and relied on himself [?], gentlemen adjusting Meng's strategic points and effecting the instructions.

He exalted the virtue of Excellency Zhang, and scrutinized the pleasures of the excursion fields. He admired the words of Zhuge and divided [his] feelings desires. He perceived the regulations of Excellency Lu, and removed the bothersome of the penal laws. He was amazed by the opinions of Liu Ji and made the oath of the three feudal ranks. He shielded the airs and crouched the steps, thereby waiting to clarify the illness of Ziming. He divided the multiplying and diminished the sweet, thereby producing the solitary of Ling Tong [?]. He climbed the altar with ardent anger, returning the merits of Master Lu. He scraped off and threw the hated words, trusting the modesty of Ziyu.

Thus accordingly loyal subjects contended to exhaust their plans, aspiring gentlemen united to indulge their power, vast regulations for far-reaching plots, firmly not tiring of those men of little account [?]. For these reasons the hundred officials cautiously combined, the numerous things not yet at leisure.

When began to have the capital at Jianye, the crowd of subjects requested to prepare the rites and procedures, the Son of Heaven refused and did not allow it, saying: “Why does Under Heaven thus speaks to Us?” [?] The palace rooms, cart and clothes, were no doubt satisfied like [this] [?].

Leading on to reaching the middle leaf, the division of Heaven and Man already settled, for that reason the deficit of the hundred measures were roughly cultivated [?]. Though densely reforming the esteemed guide-ropes, not yet the teeth to the sovereign replacement [?], pressing down their body of state's plans for passing through the nation [?], likewise sufficient to use it for government affairs.

The area of the land, how many ten thousands li? Belts and armour commanding a million, its country rich, its troops practised, its arms sharp, its wealth abundant. To the east shouldering the blue sea, to the west obstructing the narrow passes, the Long Jiang regulating its wards and buildings, steep mountains girdling its fenced boundaries. The gains of the house of state are not seen to be vast for those of the present [?].

Were it that [we could] defend it using the Way, manage itusing techniques, sincerely leading the bequeathed the canons [?], industrious people prudently governing, cultivating and deciding plans, defending regularly the strategic points, then [we] could use long generations and eternal years, and not have be endangered by worries for destruction [?].

Some say: “Wu and Shu as states were lips and teeth. As for the extermination of Shu and destruction of Wu, inherently then made it so [?].” As for Shu, no doubt protecting and aiding it with the state [?], but not the life or death of the people of Wu. Thus at the connection of outlands and frontiers, heavy mountains store up narrow passes, the lands are without paths for long wheel-hubs. The streams at the defiles flow swift, the water has the difficulties of surprising waves.

Even if there is a keen host of a million, beginning the journey, it does not exceed a thousand men. Axles and pulleys for a thousand li, the vanguard does not exceed a hundred warships. For that reason, at the attack of the Liu clan, Excellency Lu likened it to a long snake, its power being so [?].

Formerly before the destruction of Shu [?], the court officials [had] different schemes, some desiring to store up rocks to thereby block its flow, some desiring to contrive weapons to thereby resists its catastrophe. The Son of Heaven gathered the crowd of consultants consider communicating about it to the Grand Marshal, Excellency Lu. His Excellency, due to the Four Rivers and Heaven and Earth being by which measures proclaims its vapour [?], firmly not possible to suppress its arrangement [?], but machinery then they and us together [?]. Supposed they abandoned the long talents [?] to thereby approach crouching, if in Jing and Chu then the using of striving ships and oars, this would be Heaven aiding us. Commanding cautiously and defending the mouth of the gorge [could be] considered awaiting capture, and that was all.

Arriving at the chaos of Bu Chan, [he] relied on Baocheng [?] to thereby delay the stubborn robbers, with riches and heavy currency thereby persuading the crowd of the Man. At the time the multitudes of the great nation, clouds, soaring and lightning striking, were suspended between the Jing and Jiang [?], [he] built ramparts on Zunzhu, lapel and belt the strategic point, thereby halting to the west of the people of Wu, the naval host of Ba and Han, coming down east along the Jiang.

Excellency Lu with an army division of thirty thousand, to the north occupied Dongkeng, with deep ditches and tall ramparts, rubbing armour and raising power. The rebels and caitiffs were as if seeking out and waiting for slaughter [?], and did not dare look north for livelihood [?]. The stubborn robbers achieved defeat and escaped in the night, losing of their host the greater half. He separately instructed a sharp host of 5 000, to in the west defend against the naval army, east and west were both victorious, the presented prisoners tallied ten thousand. Truly indeed the plans of a worthy person, why should he deceive us!

From this the signal fires were rarely alarmed, the fenced region had few worries. When Excellency Lu was lost, there were secret plans in the millions [?], in Wu quarrels went deep and the Six Hosts were terrified. As for the labours of Taikang, the multitudes were no as abundant as hosts of former days; in the chaos of Guang province, calamity was more and more as in the difficulties of earlier times, yet the national house was toppled and turned over, the ancestral temple was laid waste.

Alas! “When people are speaking of destruction, the nation and state will end in collapse”, did it not turn out so?

The Changes says: “Tang and Wu recast the Instructions, obeying indeed Heaven”. Some say “If chaos does not reach the top [?], then the rule does not take shape”, speaking of causes for emperor and kings at the time [appointed by] Heaven. The ancients had a saying: “The times [appointed by] Heaven are not equal to the advantages of the Earth”. The Changes says: Kings and princes build strategic points to thereby defend their states”, speaking of them being reliant on the strategic points of the state. They also said: “The advantages of the Earth are not equal to the harmony of Men”, and “to be virtuous is not to be strategic”, speaking of there being people who defends the strategic points [?].

During the flourishing of Wu, they took part in and being employed by it [?]. Sun Qing was speaking of combining its participants [?]. Reaching its destructions, it relied on strategic points and that was all. Again Sun Qing was speaking of releasing its participants [?]. As for the sprouts of four provinces not being without a multitude, south of the Great Jiang not lacking in capable, the easy defences of the mountains and streams, the easy employment of the instruments of the strong and keen, the easy cultivating of the stratagems of former governments, achievement did not flourish and disaster struck, why was that? By the loss of those employed. [?]

In the past the former kings arrived at the leading rules binding together the state [?], examining the several arrivals of survival and destruction, humbling themselves to thereby calm the hundred families, with sincere kindness thereby making people peaceful, broadly conciliatory to thereby induce the plans of [those] capable of governing, kind and peaceful to thereby join together the love of the gentlemen and commoners.

Thus, due to their calm, the numerous populace celebrated together with them. Reaching their danger, the million multitudes worried together with them. If during calm the masses celebrated together with them, then their danger could not happen. If during danger the subordinates worried together with them, then their difficulties would not be sufficient for blood to proliferate.

As such, in the past [had they been] able to protect their altars of soil and grain, and strengthen their territories, the Barley Ears would be without thoughts of grief for Yin, the Millet Hanging would be without feelings of pity for Zhou.

Reaching the end of Taikang [280 -289], he and his younger brother Yun entered Luo together, and paid visit to the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Zhang Hua [JS036]. Hua had a long standing esteem for their fame, as if they had known each other in the past, and said:

In the labours of the attack on Wu, we have swiftly captured two paragons.

He also once went to the Palace Attendant, Wang Ji¤ [JS042]. Ji¤ pointed at sheep curd and spoke to Ji, saying:

Sir, within Wu, what can rival this?

He replied, stating:

Thousand li water-shield stew, without putting in salted beans.

At the time people considered it to be a famous reply.

Zhang Hua recommended him to the various Excellencies. Later the Grand Tutor, Yang Jun [JS040], nominated him to be a Libationer. When it happened that Jun was executed, he amassed to move to Forerunner to the Heir-Apparent and Gentleman Preparer.

Lu Zhi of Fanyang [JS044] from within the multitudes asked Ji, saying:

Lu Xun and Lu Kang, are they distant or near to you, Lord?

Ji said:

Like you Lord to Lu Yu and Lu Ting.

Zhi fell silent. When they had risen, Yun spoke to Ji, saying:

Different nations distant and remote, [their] appearance are not known to each other, why go as far as this!

Ji said:

Our father and grandfather's fame have spread to the Four Seas, how could he not know!

Those who discussed it used this to settle who of the two Lu [Ji and Yun] was superior and inferior.

#js054

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