ABSTRACT
Why must Your Majesty speak of profits (li)? All you must have are simply humanity (Ren) and righteousness (Yi). 1 If Your Majesty asks, ‘What is to be done to profit my kingdom?’, [and] each superior officer asks, ‘What is to be done to profit my fief?’, then every inferior officer and the common people will also ask, ‘What is to be done to profit my person?’ Now superiors and inferiors all fight for profits against each other, and the kingdom is in danger…. If interest is placed above righteousness, then superior officers will never be content until they snatch away all properties from their king. But, there has never been a single man of humanity who would ignore his parents, nor a single man of righteousness who would disrespect his king. Thus, Your Majesty has only to speak of humanity and righteousness, and why even mention profits?
