Khǎn Khî-kî[1] were pursuing the army of Wû, and came up with it. The latter said to Shang Yang, "It is the king's[2] business. It will be well for you to take your bow in hand." He did so, and Khî-kî. told him to shoot, which he did, killing a man, and returning immediately the bow to its case. They came up with the enemy again, and being told as before to shoot, he killed other two men; whenever he killed a man, he covered his eyes. Then stopping the chariot, he said, "I have no place at the audiences; nor do I take part in the feasts. The death of three men will be sufficient for me to report." Confucius said, "Amidst his killing of men, he was still observant of the rules of propriety[3]."
25. The princes were engaged in an invasion of Khin, when duke Hwan of Зhǎo died at their meeting[4]. The others asked leave to (see) the plugging of his teeth with the jade, and they were made to enshroud (his corpse)[5].
Duke Hsiang being in attendance at the court of King, king Khang died[6]. The people of King said to him, "We must beg you to cover (the corpse
- ↑ Khî-kî was a son of the king of Khû, and afterwards became king Phing. Khû, in B.C. 534, reduced Khǎn to be a dependency of itself, and put it under Khî-kî who became known as Khî-kî of Khǎn.
- ↑ "The king's business;" that is, the business of the count of Khû, who had usurped the title of king.
- ↑ It is not easy to discover the point of Confucius' reply. Even Зze-lû questioned him about it (as related in the Narratives of the School), and got an answer which does not make it any clearer.
- ↑ In B.C. 578.
- ↑ Probably by the marquis of 𝖅in—duke Wǎn—as "lord of Meetings and Covenants."
- ↑ In B.C. 545.
