说苑/吳起為苑守，行縣，適息，問屈宜臼曰：13「王不知起不肖，以為苑守，先生將何以教之？

Addressing Qu Yi Jiu, he said, “The king, unaware of my unworthiness, has made me governor of Wan. What instructions do you have for me sir?” Master Qu said nothing in reply.

A year later, Wu Qi was made chief counselor (lingyin) by the king.

On making a tour of the districts, he came again to Xi and said to Qu Yi Jiu, “When I asked you earlier, sir, you had no instructions for me.

Now the king, unaware of my ineptitude, has made me high counselor.

Try considering how I should conduct myself in this position.” “What do you plan to do?” asked Master Qu.

“I am going to regularize Chu’s court positions,” said Wu Qi, “and make Chu’s stipends conform to a standard scale.

I will diminish the stipends that are excessive in order to bolster those that are insufficient.

I will put armor and weapons in order so that, when a propitious time appears, Chu may vie with the other states for supremacy.” “I have heard,” said Master Qu, “that in former times those who were good at governing states did not change old and customary practices— but now you are going to regularize Chu’s positions and make its stipends conform to a set scale, diminishing excessive stipends so as to bolster the insufficient ones.

To act thus is to change old and customary practices.

I have heard as well that weapons are implements of ill omen and that warfare is the antithesis of virtue.

But now you are laying dark schemes that go counter to virtue and are fond of using ill-omened implements.

This, I fear, is what people reject with scorn; it is the epitome of perverse behavior.

“Wanton behavior brings no profit to those who practice it.

It was moreover not fitting, when you used troops of Lu, that you should have obtained a victory in Qi, but you got what you aimed for there.

It was not fitting, when you used troops of Wey, that you should have obtained a victory in Qin, but you got what you aimed for there as well.

I have heard a saying that goes, ‘Only disastrous people can create disasters.’ I have long been astonished that no disasters have arisen in consequence of our king’s many violations of the Way of Heaven. Ah me!