使者返，言之景公。
Yanzi gave part of his food to the messenger, with the result that neither he nor Yanzi ate his fill.
When the messenger returned and spoke of this to Lord Jing, the latter said, “Good heavens, could his household be that poor?
景公曰：「嘻，夫子之家若是其貧也！
I have been at fault!” He thereupon ordered a functionary to convey an order conferring a town of a thousand households to Yanzi as a stipendiary fief.
寡人不知也，是寡人之過也。
Yanzi bowed twice and said, “My household is not poor.
Thanks to his lordship’s generosity, the three branches of my relations have all grown prosperous, and his benefactions have reached as well to my associates and friends, with resulting advantage to the common people.
」令吏致千家之縣一於晏子，晏子再拜而辭，曰：「嬰之家不貧，以君之賜，澤覆三族，延及交遊，以振百姓，君之賜也厚矣，嬰之家不貧也。
His lordship’s gifts have been generous; my household is not poor.
I have heard that obtaining much from a ruler and then distributing it in gifts to others is the same as acting as a ruler in the ruler’s stead; a loyal officer does not behave in this way.
嬰聞之，厚取之君，而厚施之人，是代君為君也，忠臣不為也；厚取之君而藏之，是筐篋存也，仁人不為也；厚取之君而無所施之，身死而財遷於他人，是為宰藏也，智者不為也。
Obtaining much from a ruler and then concealing it is to be like a storage chest; a person of humane understanding does not do this.
嬰也聞為人臣進不事上以為忠，退不克下以為廉，八升之布，一豆之食，足矣。
And obtaining much from a ruler and making no use of it, so that after one’s death the goods pass into others’ hands, is to act like the supervisor of a storehouse; a wise person does not act thus.
I have also heard that an officer, when in office, does not perform lowly services for his ruler in order to appear loyal; and, when out of office, he does not exact contributions from his subordinates in order to appear honest.
」使者三返，遂辭不受也。
Rough hempen clothes and a bowl of food are sufficient.” The functionary went and returned three times, but Yanzi declined the gift each time.
Lord Jing: Lord Jing of Qi.