1B.5  King Xuan¹ of Qi said: I have a weakness. I love wealth.

Mengzi replied: If Your Majesty love wealth, let your people enjoy the same, and what difficulty will there be for you to become the true king of the empire?

The King said: I have a weakness, I love sex.

Mengzi replied: If Your Majesty love sex, let your people enjoy the same, and what difficulty will there be for you to become the true king of the empire?

王曰：「寡人有疾，寡人好貨。」對曰：「 · · · 王如好貨，與百姓同之，於王何有？」王曰：「寡人有疾，寡人好色。」對曰：「 · · · 王如好色，與百姓同之，於王何有？」

1B.7  Mengzi said to King Xuan: When all your immediate ministers say that a man is worthy, it is not sufficient. When all your great officers say so, it is not sufficient. When all your people say so, look into the case, and if you find him to be worthy, then employ him. When all your immediate ministers say that a man is no good, do not listen to them. When all your great officers say so, do not listen to them. When all your people say so, look into the case, and if you find him to be no good, then dismiss him. When all your immediate ministers say that a man should be executed, do not listen to them. When all your great officers say so, do not listen to them. When all your people say so, look into the case, and if you find that the person should be executed, then execute him. It is therefore said that the people execute him. Only in this way can a ruler become parent of the people.²

曰：「 · · · 左右皆曰賢，未可也；諸大夫皆曰賢，未可也；國人皆曰賢，然後察之；見賢焉，然後用之。左右皆曰不可，勿聽；諸大夫皆曰不可，勿聽；國人皆曰不可，然後察之；見不可焉，然後去之。左右皆曰可殺，勿聽；諸大夫皆曰可殺，勿聽；國人皆曰可殺，然後察之；見可殺焉，然後殺之。故曰，國人殺之也。如此，然後可以為民父母。」

1B.8  King Xuan of Qi asked: Was it a fact that Tang³ banished King Jie⁴ and that King Wu punished King Zhou?

Mengzi replied: Yes, according to records.

The King said: Is it all right for a minister to murder his king?

Mengzi said: He who injures humanity is a bandit. He who injures righteousness is a destructive person. Such a person is a mere fellow. I have heard of killing a mere fellow Zhou, but I have not heard of murdering [him as] the ruler.

齊宣王問曰：「湯放桀，武王伐紂，有諸？」孟子對曰：「於傳有之。」曰：「臣弒其君可乎？」曰：「賊仁者謂之賊，賊義者謂之殘，殘賊之人謂之一夫。聞誅一夫紂矣，未聞弒君也。」