From the beginning of written records, we can understand the ancient world mainly from ancient texts and historical accounts. These books mention that emperors before Tang Yao and Yu Shun had their titles and posthumous names. As for their ministers, not much is written about them. However, the works of various schools of thought do mention quite a lot. Many of these accounts weren't verified by Confucius, but they're still valuable. They were written to celebrate good deeds, condemn bad ones, and teach future generations. Therefore, I have extensively collected this information.
Confucius said, "Who am I to compare myself to sages and virtuous people?" He also asked, "What must one do to achieve virtue? One must first achieve sagehood!" He pointed out, "If one doesn't know what virtue is, how can one achieve it?" He explained that those who know it from birth are superior people; those who learn it afterwards are average; those who learn it through the teaching of others are even lower; and those who encounter difficulties and do not learn are the lowest of all. He also noted, "People of average and above can discuss noble matters with them." He remarked, "Only the most intelligent and the most foolish will not change."
The texts also say that, for example, Yao, Shun, Yu, Ji, Hou Ji, and Qi wanted to do good deeds with them, so they did; while Huan Dou and Gong Gong wanted to do bad things with them, they punished them. Smart people know when to cooperate and when to stand firm. Jie and Zhou, along with Long Feng and Bi Gan, wanted to do good things with them, but they were killed; while Chong Hou Hu and Fei Zhong wanted to do bad things with them, and they went along with it. The most foolish people are those who can only do bad things with them but not good things. Duke Huan of Qi, with the assistance of Guan Zhong, became hegemonic; with the assistance of Shu Diao, he caused great chaos in the world. The average person can do both good and bad things with them.
Based on these insights, I have listed the hierarchical order of nine types of people, carefully studied the classics and historical records, and summarized the situations of all generations, covering the highlights of history.
