📖 Selections from A New Account of the Tales of the World - Volume I

Xun Jubo traveled a long distance to visit a friend who had fallen ill, but arrived just as barbarian raiders attacked the commandery. His friend said to him, "I am doomed. You should flee!" Jubo replied, "I came all this way to see you, and now you ask me to leave? To abandon righteousness in exchange for life is that the way of Xun Jubo?" When the raiders arrived, they asked him, "The army is near, and the whole commandery has fled. What sort of man are you, to stay here alone?" Jubo answered, "My friend lies ill I cannot bear to abandon him. I would rather offer my life in place of his." The raiders spoke among themselves, "We are men without honor, yet we have intruded into a land where honor lives!" So they withdrew their troops, and the commandery was spared in its entirety.

Hua Xin and Wang Lang were fleeing by boat when a man sought refuge with them. Hua immediately voiced his objection, but Wang said, "There's still room why should we refuse him?" Later, when bandits pursued them, Wang wished to abandon the man they had taken in. Hua said, "This was exactly why I hesitated in the first place. But now that he has entrusted himself to us, how can we cast him aside in a moment of danger?" And so they continued to protect and assist him as before. Thus was the character of Hua and Wang judged by the world, and their virtue weighed accordingly.

Kong Wenju, at the age of ten, followed his father to Luoyang. At the time, Li Yuanli enjoyed great fame and served as Inspector of the Capital. Those who came to visit him were all men of distinguished talent or clear reputation, and only relatives by blood or marriage were allowed through. When Wenju arrived at the gate, he told the guards, "I am kin to Lord Li." Thus he was granted entry and took a seat. Li Yuanli asked, "What kinship do you and I share?" He replied, "In times past, my late ancestor Zhongni and your esteemed forebear Boyang held the bond of master and disciple so our two houses have long shared ties of friendship." All present, including Li and his guests, were astonished by the boy. Later, Senior Grand Master Chen Wei arrived, and someone recounted the boy's words to him. Wei remarked, "Precocious in youth, rarely great in maturity!" Wenju responded, "Then I suppose, sir, you must have been quite precocious yourself." Wei was left utterly abashed.

On a snowy winter day, Grand Tutor Xie held a gathering at home, discussing literature and meaning with his children. Suddenly the snow began to fall heavily, and he cheerfully asked, "What does this flurry of white snow resemble?" His nephew Hu responded, "Scattering salt in the air comes close." His niece said, "Not quite it's more like willows flurrying in the wind." The Grand Tutor laughed with great delight. That niece was none other than the daughter of his eldest brother, married to General of the Left, Wang Ningzhi.

In Zheng Xuan's household, even the maidservants were literate. Once he sent one on an errand, and she failed to meet expectations. He was about to have her whipped. As she was pleading her case, Zheng, still angry, had someone drag her by the sash into the mud. Shortly after, another maid approached and asked, "Why are you in the mud?" She replied, "I went with simple words to explain myself but met his wrath instead."

Emperor Wen once commanded King of Dong'e to compose a poem within seven steps, failing which he would face severe punishment. Instantly, he recited: "Boil the beans to make soup, strain the dregs for juice. The stalks burn beneath the pot, the beans weep within. Born of the same root, why such urgency to fry?" The Emperor was deeply ashamed.

Ji Kang stood seven feet eight inches tall, with a bearing of rare elegance. Those who saw him sighed in admiration, saying, "Solemn and austere, bright and pure in stature." Others said, "Like the wind beneath pine boughs lofty and slow in grace." Shan Gong remarked, "Ji Shuye was a man like a solitary pine, firm and alone; and when drunk, he swayed like a mountain of jade on the verge of collapse."

Wang Ziyou was living in Shanyin. One night, as snow fell heavily, he awoke, opened his chambers, and ordered wine. Looking out at the bright expanse, he rose in inspiration, wandering about while reciting Zuo Si's Poem of Summoning the Recluse. Suddenly he recalled Dai Andao, who was then in Shan. Without hesitation, he boarded a small boat and set off to visit him by night. After traveling all night, he arrived at the gate but turned back without entering. Asked why, Wang replied, "I set out on a whim and now that the feeling has passed, why insist on meeting Dai?"