Han Feizi said, "Confucian literati disrupt the laws with their writings, while chivalrous heroes violate the prohibitions with their martial skills." He criticized both of these types of people, but people really looked up to them. Those who become prime ministers and high officials through political maneuvering, assist the monarch, and have their achievements recorded in history naturally have nothing to criticize. But people like Jici and Yuan Xian, who are just ordinary commoners, after studying, hold onto the gentlemanly virtues of leading a virtuous life, refusing to compromise their principles, and are mocked by society. So Jici and Yuan Xian lived their whole lives in simple houses, wearing coarse clothes, eating plain food, never complaining. Over four hundred years after their deaths, their disciples still looked up to them. As for the chivalrous heroes today, although their actions may not be just, they always keep their promises, act decisively, fulfill their commitments, do not cherish their own lives, help friends out of trouble, even sacrificing their lives, and they never boast about their talents or flaunt their merits, which is also commendable.
Life always has its ups and downs, which is normal. Sima Qian once said: in the past, Yu Shun was trapped in a well, Yi Yin imprisoned in a kitchen, Fu Shuo hidden in Fu Xian, Lv Shang trapped in Jijin, Bailixi imprisoned, Baili Fan enslaved, Confucius frightened in Kuangdi, enduring hunger in Chen and Cai. These were all people with righteousness and benevolence as described by Confucian scholars, yet they faced such disasters; how could anyone possibly endure such hardships? And the hardships faced by ordinary folk in times of turmoil? Beyond imagining!
I have an opinion: "Who knows what it means to be a good person? Only those who have enjoyed the benefits of doing what's right are qualified to say that they are virtuous." Therefore, Boyi felt ashamed during the Zhou Dynasty and starved to death on Shouyang Mountain, but King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou did not belittle him because of this; Dao Zhi and Meng Jiao were cruel by nature, but their disciples always praised their loyalty. From these examples, "those who steal chickens and dogs are beheaded, while those who seize the world are enfeoffed; benevolence and righteousness also exist in the marquisate," this is not a lie.
Now, those bookish types with narrow perspectives, living alone in the world for a long time, how can they compare with those smooth operators who go with the flow and are more likely to gain fame and fortune? But those common people, who keep their promises, propagate loyalty from afar, and would die for a friend, this is also their advantage, not hypocrisy. So those poor scholars willing to help others, are they not the people between the wise and the heroes as people say? If the everyday heroes from the countryside are compared in terms of ability and strength, and serve the present world, the result will be completely different. The key is to look at their achievements and reputation; how can we underestimate the loyalty of these heroes?
In the past, those heroes from commoner backgrounds had never even been heard of. In the past few hundred years, characters like Yanling Jizi, Meng Changjun, Chunshen Jun, Pingyuan Jun, and Xinling Jun all had royal relatives or relied on the wealth of powerful ministers with fiefdoms, recruiting talents from all over the world and becoming famous in the vassal states; of course, they can be considered wise men. It's like adding fuel to a fire; the voice hasn't gotten louder, but the momentum has become stronger.
However, for those heroes who come from common people, wanting to rely on their own virtues and reputation to make the world praise them as wise men is too difficult! Confucians and Mohists ignored them completely and didn't even mention them in their books. Before the Qin Dynasty, the stories of common folk heroes were basically drowned out, and that's a pity.
As far as I know, during the Han Dynasty, there were people like Zhu Jia, Tian Zhong, Wang Gong, Ju Meng, and Guo Jie. Although they sometimes opposed the government at that time, they were upright and honest in private, down-to-earth and respectful, and had many commendable qualities. You don't get a good reputation for nothing, and real talent doesn't just latch onto anyone. However, those who were in cahoots, fleeced the poor, oppressed and insulted orphans and widows, and only cared about their own enjoyment would be looked down upon by chivalrous figures.
What really gets to me is how people miss the point about these chivalrous figures, instead confusing them with the tyrannical bullies and laughing at them all the same. Speaking of which, the Zhu family in Lu region was a contemporary of Emperor Gaozu of Han. Most folks in Lu followed Confucian teachings, but the Zhu family was famous for their chivalry. They took in a ton of heroes—at least a hundred, plus countless ordinary folks. However, the Zhu family never flaunted their talents or boasted of their merits; they kept a low profile in everything they did. They always started by helping the poorest people. They were dirt poor, patching their clothes, eating simple fare, and getting around in an old ox cart. They dedicated themselves to helping those in need, never thinking twice about themselves.
They once secretly helped General Ji Bu out of a predicament, but Ji Bu never saw the Zhu family again after he became successful. East of Hangu Pass, everyone wanted to be friends with the Zhu family.
In the State of Chu, there was a man named Tian Zhong, known for being a stand-up guy and generous, and he liked to wear a sword. He worked for the Zhu family, but always felt like he was way below their league. After Tian Zhong's death, a man named Ju Meng emerged in Luoyang. During the Zhou Dynasty, people prospered through commerce, but Ju Meng gained fame among the powerful guys for his chivalrous deeds. When Wu and Chu were causing such a ruckus, Lord Tiao served as the Grand Commandant and went to Henan in an official carriage, where he coincidentally met Ju Meng. Lord Tiao exclaimed, "Wu and Chu are making such a mess, yet they did not seek Ju Meng's help. I know they will not succeed!" Back then, things were so chaotic that having Ju Meng on your side was like having a whole extra army. Ju Meng's behavior was similar to that of the Zhu family, but he was a gambler and had blown through years' worth of cash. However, when Ju Meng's mother passed away, he gave her a huge funeral procession, with over a thousand carts. When Ju Meng passed away, there were not even ten bucks left in his house. And then there was Wang Meng from Fu Li, another big name in the Jianghuai region for his chivalry. At that time, the Jianshi and Chen Zhouyong of Jinan were also famous for being badasses. When Emperor Jing heard about them, he had them all whacked. After that, more guys like Zhu Bai, Liang Han Wubei, Yangzhai Xue Xiong, and Shan Han Ru popped up.
Guo Jie, from Zhixian County, was the grandson of the fortune teller Xu Fu. Guo Jie's father was executed for being a stand-up guy during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han. Guo Jie was short and powerfully built, and he did not drink alcohol. When he was young, he had a fierce personality and would just start swinging when he saw things he didn't like, resulting in the deaths of many people at his hands. He often sought revenge for his friends, harbored fugitives, and was involved in everything from theft and robbery to counterfeiting and grave robbing – you name it. However, he was always lucky and managed to escape dangerous situations every time, like he had a guardian angel. As Guo Jie grew older, he changed his ways, becoming frugal, returning good for evil, showing kindness to others, and rarely seeking anything in return. However, he increasingly thought of himself as a real hero. He saved many people without boasting about his achievements, but his inner fierce nature remained, often getting angry easily, just like before. Many young people admired his actions and took revenge on his behalf without him even knowing.
Guo Jie's sister's son, riding on Guo Jie's clout, forced others to drink alcohol with him. If someone refused, he would force them to drink. Once, someone got angry and stabbed Guo Jie's sister's son to death, then fled. Guo Jie's sister was furious, saying, "With Wengbo's (Guo Jie) righteousness, someone killed my son, but the murderer is still at large!" She left her son's body on the road, unburied, in an attempt to humiliate Guo Jie. Guo Jie secretly investigated and found out where the murderer was hiding. The murderer, desperate, returned and confessed everything to Guo Jie. Guo Jie said, "He had it coming; my son wasn't exactly a saint." He then let the murderer go, reprimanded his sister's son, and arranged for his son's body to be buried. When the other tough guys heard about this, they admired Guo Jie's righteousness even more and became even more loyal to him.
There was a guy named Guo Jie, always ready to help and skilled at handling disputes. Many people avoided him, afraid of getting involved. But one guy lounged around with his feet up, not giving him a second thought. Guo Jie sent someone to ask his name, and this guy wanted to kill Guo Jie. Guo Jie said, "I live in the city, and nobody respects me. It seems I have behaved poorly. What's his problem?" Then, Guo Jie secretly instructed the prison guard, "This guy is someone I urgently need to save. Release him when it's time to change shifts." When the shift changed, Guo Jie kept reminding the guard, but he ignored him. The guard found it strange and asked why, only to realize it was Guo Jie who ordered the release. The guy finally went to Guo Jie bare-chested to apologize. When young people heard about this, they admired Guo Jie even more.
In the city of Luoyang, two families were in mutual hatred, and a dozen mediators had failed to resolve the conflict. Later, they found Guo Jie. Guo Jie went to see the enemies at night, and to everyone's surprise, they actually listened to his mediation. Guo Jie said to them, "I heard that all the prominent figures in Luoyang tried to mediate but failed. Now you listen to me. Wouldn't I be stealing their thunder?" So, Guo Jie left that night without letting anyone know, saying, "Forget about it for now. When I leave, let those prominent figures in Luoyang try to mediate. Maybe they will succeed."
Guo Jie was very respectful, even refusing to ride a carriage to the county office. When he went to other counties to help others, if he succeeded, he succeeded; if not, he tried to satisfy the other party before eating and drinking. The bigwigs respected him greatly, all over him for his services. Young people in the city and nearby counties, as well as the prominent figures and wealthy, often had dozens of carriages pull up to Guo Jie's house in the middle of the night, requesting to crash.
So, the government decided to move all the rich folks from Luoyang to Maoling. Guo Jie was dirt poor and nowhere near rich enough to be moved, but the officials were too scared to leave him off the list. General Wei stepped in for Guo Jie, saying, "He's dirt poor; he shouldn't be on this list!" The Emperor scoffed, "A nobody gets a general to plead for him? Sounds like he's not so poor after all!" So, Guo Jie got moved. The bribes the officials gave him added up to over ten million. Yang Jizhu's son, the Zhi County magistrate, handled Guo Jie's move—and Guo Jie's nephew chopped off his head for it. And that's how the Yangs and Guos became enemies.
Guo Jie entered Guanzhong, and the powerful people in Guanzhong, whether they knew him or not, were all vying for his friendship after hearing about his reputation. Guo Jie was short, did not drink alcohol, and never rode a horse when going out. Later, he also killed Yang Jizhu. Yang Jizhu's family reported him, and the person who pressed charges was killed outside the palace. When the emperor heard about this, he sent officials to arrest Guo Jie. Guo Jie fled, leaving his family in Xiayang, and escaped to Linjin. The county magistrate of Linjin, Ji Shaogong, did not originally know Guo Jie. Guo Jie went under an alias and asked Ji Shaogong to let him leave the city. Ji Shaogong let Guo Jie go, and Guo Jie then went to Taiyuan, saying goodbye to his hosts along the way. Officials pursued him, and the investigation led back to Ji Shaogong. Ji Shaogong killed himself. It took a long time to catch Guo Jie. When they investigated his crimes, those he killed had committed offenses before the amnesty. In Zhi County, there was a Confucian scholar who, while dining with an envoy, praised Guo Jie. The Confucian scholar said, "Guo Jie relies on deceit to violate public law. How can you call him virtuous?" When Guo Jie's guests heard this, they killed the Confucian scholar and cut out his tongue. The authorities questioned Guo Jie about this, and Guo Jie didn't know who killed the scholar. The killer had also fled, and no one knew who it was. The officials reported that Guo Jie was innocent. However, the Grand Secretary Gongsun Hong said, "Guo Jie, a commoner, relied on chivalry and righteousness. Killing someone over a minor grudge, even though Guo Jie didn't know who did it, is more serious than Guo Jie killing someone himself! This is simply unbelievable!" Therefore, Guo Jie's whole family was wiped out.
Since then, there have been many chivalrous figures—so many that they cannot be counted—but most of them are nothing more than arrogant bullies with little actual ability. However, Fan Zhongzi of Chang'an in Guanzhong, Zhao Wangsun of Huai Li, and others—Gao Gongzi from Changling, Guo Gongzhong from Xihe, Lu Gongru from Taiyuan, Er Changqing from Linhuai, and Tian Junru from Dongyang—though they are also chivalrous figures, they are all humble and cautious, behaving like true gentlemen. As for the Yao clan of the north, the Zhu clan of the west, the Qiu Jing from the south, the Zhaos and Yugongzi from the east, and the Zhao from Nanyang, these others were nothing but common thugs, a disgrace to their families and communities.
Sima Qian said: Guo Jie wasn't much to look at, and he wasn't a silver-tongued speaker. Yet everyone, good or bad, admired his reputation, regardless of whether they knew him personally. Those who call themselves chivalrous figures all take him as a role model. You can't always have it all, can you? Such a shame.
