Frightened, the Guo ruler made to dart away, but the spirit roared, “Halt!
The Lord on High has this day ordered Jin to make a surprise attack on your city gates!” The lord of Guo struck his head on the ground in acknowledgment.
On waking up, he summoned archivist Yin115 and had him make a divination concerning the matter.
“If it was indeed as Your Lordship has related,” said Yin, then it was Ru Shou, a spirit who punishes misdeeds; in heaven he is in charge of the records of terrestrial blessings and disasters.” The lord of Guo had Yin imprisoned and ordered his officers to present him with congratulations.
Zhou Zhi Qiao116 made an announcement to his clansmen, saying, “Guo will not endure long—I now see this plainly.
If a ruler does not alter his behavior and regards an attack by a great state as a fine thing, how shall this benefit him?
I have heard that, when a great state follows the Way and a small state enters it, this is called ‘submission’; but, when a small state is proud and a great state enters it, this is called ‘punishment.’ The people resent the ruler’s extravagance and are thus inclined to disobey his decrees.
Now that he is celebrating his dream, his extravagance will be apparent for all to see.
This shows that Heaven has taken away his mirror and is adding to his faults.
With the people hating his faults, with Heaven clouding his mind, with a great state coming to punish him, and with his orders disobeyed; with a ruling line that is lowly, with lords of other states keeping him at a distance, and with no internal or external support, who can rescue him from his fate?
I can endure this no longer; I am leaving.” He then went with his clansmen to Jin. Guo perished three years later.117 113 Lord of Guo 虢: no more precise designation of this ruler is known.