The Three Principle Texts of Daoism translated by ... - Bad Request

high favour with the prince of Chin, taking no office butstanding on a par with the three Ministers of State. Anyone on whom he turned a partial eye was marked out fordistinction; while those of whom he spoke unfavourablywere forthwith banished. People thronged his hall in thesame way as they went to Court. Tzu Hua used toencourage his followers to contend amongst themselves,so that the clever ones were always bullying theslowwitted, and the strong riding rough-shod over theweak. Though this resulted in blows and wounds beingdealt before his eyes, he was not in the habit of troublingabout it. Day and night, this sort of thing served as anamusement, and practically became a custom in theState.One day, Ho Shêng and Tzu Po, two of Fan's leadingdisciples, set off on a journey and, after traversing astretch of wild country, they put up for the night in thehut of an old peasant named Shang Ch'iu Wai. Duringthe night, the two travellers conversed together,speaking of Tzu Hua's reputation and influence, hispower over life and death, and how he could make therich man poor and the poor man rich. Now, Shang Ch'iuWai was living on the border of starvation. He had creptround under the window and overheard this conversation.Accordingly, he borrowed some provisions and,shouldering his basket, set off for Tzu Hua'sestablishment.This man's followers, however, were a worldly set, whowore silken garments and rode in high carriages andstalked about with their noses in the air. Seeing that