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Yizhoushu 逸周書 "The Lost book of Zhou"

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1.2.3.

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(C) Ulrich Theobald 2000-2004 < a>

景公舉兵欲伐魯，問于晏子，晏子對曰：「不可．魯好義而民戴之，好義者 安，見戴者和，伯禽之治存焉，故不可攻．攻義者不祥，危安者必困．且嬰 聞之，伐人者德足以安其國，政足以和其民，國安民和，然後可以舉兵而征暴．

今君好酒而辟，德無以安國，厚藉斂，意使令，無以和民．德無以 安之則危，政無以和之則亂．未免乎危亂之理，而欲伐安和之國，不可，不若修 政而待其君之亂也．其君離，上怨其下，然後伐之，則義厚而利多，義 厚則敵寡，利多則民歡．」公曰：「善．」遂不果伐魯．

3.Inner Chapters "Asking" (1st part), 3. Duke Jing asked about attacking Lu. Yanzi answered, the best is to renovate the own government to wait for the uprising of Lu's people

Duke Jing the Illustrious of Qi conscripted troops to attack the state of Lu. He asked Yanzi about this matter, who answered: "Don't do this. (The ruler of) Lu likes righteousness, and his people supports him. (A country with a ruler liking righteousness is peaceful, and a ruler that is supported, can rule harmoniously. In such a country, it is as if the politics of Bo Qin were existant, and therefore it is better not to attack Lu. Attacking a righteous ruler will be of no fortune, and endangering a peaceful country will evoke problems. I, the kid (Master Yan's personal name Ying), have heard that someone who wants to attack another ruler must have goodness enough to bring his own country to peace, and his government must be sufficient to hamonize the population. Only if the country is at peace and the people lives in harmony, a ruler can raise the weapons and attack the cruel rulers.

Your majesty loves the wine and the rulership, but your good virtue is not sufficient to give peace to your country. You appreciate collecting swords, and your wishes realize by commands, but you have nothing to harmonize your people. If your virtue is not sufficient to bring peace to your country, it is highly endangered; if your politics are not sufficient to bring harmony to your people, it will end in riots. Not being escaped danger and unrest but planning to attack a country that is peaceful and harmonious, that is no good idea. It would be better to renovate the government and to wait until the people of Qi stands up against their ruler. After this, when (the people of Lu) have left their ruler and the governing persons cause the anger of the ruled people, then you can attack Lu, because then, your righteousness is strong and your harvest is rich. The righteousness of Qi's ruler being strong, your enemies in Lu will be alone; the harvest of Qi being rich, the people of Lu will welcome you as their new ruler." The duke said: "You spoke well," and finally he did not attack Lu.

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