VI. Sixth year.

  1.  春．王正月．公至自會．
  2. 二月．辛巳．立武宮．
  3. 取鄟．
  4. 衛孫良夫帥師侵宋．
  5. 夏．六月．邾子來朝．
  6. 公孫嬰齊如晉．
  7. 壬申．鄭伯費卒．
  8. 秋．仲孫蔑．叔孫僑如．帥師侵宋．
  9. 楚公子嬰齊帥師伐鄭．
  10. 冬．季孫行父如晉．
  11. 晉欒書帥師救鄭．
 1. In his sixth year, in spring, in the king's first month, the duke arrived from the meeting [at Chonglao].
2. In the second month, on Xinsi, we set up a temple to [duke] Wu.
3. We took Zhuan.
4. Sun Liangfu of Wey led a force, and made an incursion into Song.
5. In summer, in the sixth month, the viscount of Zhu came to Lu on a court-visit.
6. Gongsun Yingqi went to Jin.
7. On Renshe, Fei, earl of Zheng, died.
8. In autumn, Zhongsun Mie and Shusun Qiaoru led a force, and made an incursion into Song.
9. The Gongzi Yingqi of Chu led a force, and invaded Zheng.
10. In winter, Jisun Hangfu went to Jin.
11. Luan Shu of Jin led a force and relieved Zheng.

 傳六年．

春．鄭伯如晉拜成．子游相．授玉于東楹之東．士貞伯曰．鄭伯其死乎．自棄也已．視流而行速．不安其位．宜不能久．
 This spring, the earl of Zheng went to Jin to pay his acknowledgments for the peace [to which Jin had admitted him], Ziyou [The Gongzi Yan in the 1st Zhuan after p. 5 of last year] attending him. He delivered his mace of jade on the east of the eastern pillar [of the hall], on which Shi Zhenbo (Shi Wozhuo) said, "The death of the earl of Zheng cannot be far off." He quite forgets himself. His eyes roll about, he walks rapidly, and does not rest in his place. We may well conclude that he will not live long.
 二月．季文子以鞍之功立武宮．非禮也．聽於人以救其難．不可以立武．立武由己．非由人也．In the 2d month, Ji Wenzi, on account of the victory at An, set up a temple of War;—which was contrary to rule. [A State] dependent on others to save it in its distress cannot establish a character for prowess. The establishment of that must proceed from itself, and not from others.
 取鄟．言易也． We took Zhuan, the brief record in the text intimates the ease with which the thing was accomplished.
 三月．晉伯宗．夏陽說．衛孫良夫．甯相．鄭人．伊雒之戎．陸渾．蠻氏．侵宋．以其辭會也．師于鍼．衛人不保．說欲襲衛．曰．雖不可入．多俘而歸．有罪不及死．伯宗曰．不可．衛唯信晉．故師在其郊．而不設備．若襲之．是棄信也．雖多衛俘而晉無信．何以求諸侯．乃止．師還．衛人登陴． In the 3d month, Bozong and Xiayang Yue of Jin, Sun Liangfu and Ning Xiang of Wey, an officer of Zheng, the Rong of Yi and Luo, those of Luhun  and the Manshi, made an incursion into Song,—because [the duke] had declined to attend the meeting [proposed at Chonglao]. When their army was at Qian, the people of Wey were not maintaining any guard, and Yue wished to make a dash upon its capital], saying, "Although we may not be able to enter it, yet we shall bring back many prisoners, and our offence will not be deemed a mortal one." Bozong, however, said, "No. Wey is trusting Jin; and therefore, though our army is in the outskirts of the city, it has made no preparations against an attack. If we make a dash upon it, we abandon our good faith. Though we should take many prisoners, yet having lost our faith, how could Jin seek the leading of the States?" Yue then gave up his purpose. When the army returned, the people of Wey manned their parapets.
 晉人謀去故絳．諸大夫皆曰．必居郇瑕氏之地．沃饒而近盬．國利君樂．不可失也．韓獻子將新中軍．且為僕大夫．公揖而入．獻子從公立於寢庭．謂獻子曰．何如．對曰．不可．郇瑕氏土薄水淺．其惡易覯．易覯則民愁．民愁則墊隘．於是乎有沈溺重膇之疾．不如新田．土厚水深．居之不疾．有汾澮以流其惡．且民從教．十世之利也．夫山澤林盬．國之寶也．國饒．則民驕佚．近寶．公室乃貧．不可謂樂．公說．從之．夏．四月．丁丑．晉遷于新田． The people of Jin were consulting about leaving [their capital at] old Jiang; and the great officers all said, "We must occupy the site of the [former] Xunxia. The soil is rich and fruitful, and it is near the salt marsh. There is profit in it for the people, and enjoyment for the ruler. Such a site is not to be lost." [At this time] Han Xianzi [Han Jue] commanded the new army of the centre, and was also high chamberlain. The marquis bowed to him to follow him, which he did to the court before the State chamber; and as they stood there, the marquis asked his opinion on the subject. Xianzi replied, "At Xunxia the soil is thin and the water shallow. The evil airs about it are easily developed. This will make the people miserable. In their misery they will become feeble and distressed; and then we shall have swollen legs, and all the diseases generated by damp. The site there is not like that of Xintian, where the soil is good and the water deep. It may be occupied without fear of disease. There are the Fen and the Kuai to carry away the evil airs; and the people, moreover, are docile. It offers advantages for ten generations. Mountains, marshes, forests, and salt-grounds are indeed most precious to a State; but when the country is rich and fruitful, the people grow proud and lazy. Where a capital is near such precious places, the ruling House becomes poor;—such a site cannot be called enjoyable." The marquis was pleased, and followed the suggestion. In summer, in the 4th month, on Dingchou, Jin removed its capital to Xintian.
 六月．鄭悼公卒．子叔聲伯如晉．命伐宋．秋．孟獻子．叔孫宣伯．侵宋．晉命也． Zishu Shengbo went to Jin, and got orders [for Lu] to invade Song. In autumn, Meng Xianzi and Shusun Xuanbo made an incursion into Song, according to the orders of Jin.
 楚子重伐鄭．鄭從晉故也． Zichong of Chu invaded Zheng, because Zheng was [now] following the party of Jin.
 冬．季文子如晉．賀遷也． In winter, Ji Wenzi went to Jin, the object of this visit was to congratulate Jin on the transference of its capital.
 晉欒書救鄭．與楚師遇於繞角．楚師還．晉師遂侵蔡．楚公子申．公子成．以申息之師救蔡．禦諸桑隧．趙同．趙括．欲戰．請於武子．武子將許之．知莊子．范文子．韓獻子．諫曰．不可．吾來救鄭．楚師去我．吾遂至於此．是遷戮也．戮而不已．又怒楚師．戰必不克．雖克不令．成師以出．而敗楚之二縣．何榮之有焉．若不能敗．為辱已甚．不如還也．乃遂還．於是軍師之欲戰者眾．或謂欒武子曰．聖人與眾同欲．是以濟事．子盍從眾．子為大政．將酌於民者也．子之佐十一人．其不欲戰者．三人而已．欲戰者可謂眾矣．商書曰．三人占．從二人．眾故也．武子曰．善鈞從眾．夫善．眾之主也．三卿為主．可謂眾矣．從之．不亦可乎． Luan Shu of Jin [marched] to relieve Zheng, and at Raojiao, met with the army of Chu which retired from the State. The army of Jin then proceeded to make an incursion into Cai, to the relief of which came the Gongzis, Shen and Cheng, with the forces of Shen and Xi, which took up their position at Sangsui. Zhao Tong and Zhao Kuo wished to risk a battle, and begged Wuzi [Luan Shu] to do so. He was about to accede to their request, when Zhi Zhuangzi [Xun Shou], Fan Wenzi [Shi Xie], and Han Xianzi [Han Jue] remonstrated, saying, "Do not. We came to relieve Zheng, and when the army of Chu moved away from us, we came on here. Thus we have transferred the scene of our attack; and if we go on to attack the army of Chu, shall enrage it, and be sure to lose any battle. Even should we conquer, it will not be well. We came out with all our hosts; and should we defeat the forces of two districts of Chu, what glory will there be in the achievement? But should we not be able to do so, the disgrace will be extreme. Our best plan is to return." Upon this, the army returned to Jin. At this time nearly all the leaders of the army wished to fight, and some one said to Luan Wuzi, "The sages found the way to success in the agreement of their wishes and those of the multitude. Why not [now] follow the multitude? You are commander-in-chief, and should decide according to the views of the people. Of your eleven assistant commanders there are only three who do not wish to fight; —those who wish to fight may be pronounced a great majority. One of the Books of the Shang shu (Shu, V.iv.24) says, 'When three men obtain and interpret the indications and symbols, two [consenting] are to be followed;'—the two being the majority." Wuzi said, "[To follow] the best is as good as to follow the multitude. The best are the lords of the multitude. Such are the three high ministers [who advise against fighting];—they may be called a majority. Am I not doing also what is proper in following them?"

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