Liu Xiang (d. 5 BC) was one of the great people investigating the imperial library of the Han 漢 emperors. He was an important official serving several emperors. We owe him fragments of a bibliography called Liuyilüe 六藝略 "Short to the six classical artes". But he is much more known for his compilations of several collections of short stories: Xinxu 新序 "New Introductions", Shuoyuan 說苑"Garden of Persuasions", Lienüzhuan 列女傳 "Stories of Exemplarious women", Liexianzhuan 列仙傳 "Biographies of Immortals", and Zhanguoce 戰國策 "Stratagems of the Warring States". The book Shuoyuan is a collection of historical stories and anecdotes, headed under twenty themes concerning government and social behaviour. Source: Contents 1.君道 Jundao 2.臣術 Chenshu 3.建本 Jianben 4.立節 Lijie 5.貴德 Guide Esteeming virtue 6.復恩 Fuen 7.政理 Zhengli Principles of government 8.尊賢 Zunxian 9.正諫 Zhengjian 10.敬慎 Jingshen 11.善說 Shanshuo 12.奉使 Fengshi 13.權謀 Quanmou 14.至公 Zhigong 15.指武 Zhiwu 16.談叢 Tancong 17.雜言 Zayan 18.辨物 Bianwu 19.脩文 Youwen 20.反質 Fanzhi

Exemplarious translation: １．君道 １．１．晉平公問於師曠曰：「人君之道如何？」對曰：「人君之道清淨無為，務在博愛，趨在任賢；廣開耳目，以察萬方；不固溺於流俗，不拘繫於左右；廓然遠見，踔然獨立；屢省考績，以臨臣下。此人君之操也。」平公曰：「善！」 The Way of the Ruler ２．臣術 ２．３．湯問伊尹曰：「古者所以立三公、九卿、大夫、列士者，何也？」伊尹對曰：「三公者，所以參五事也；九卿者，所以參三公也；大夫者，所以參九卿也；列士者，所以參大夫也。故參而有參，是謂事宗；事宗不失，外內若一。」 Skills of the Ministers Tang (the first ruler of Xia) asked (his minister) Yiyin: "In old times, the offices of the Three Dukes, the Nine Chamberlains, the and the were established. What was the purpose of these charges?" Yiyin replied: "The duty of the Three Dukes is to manage the five tasks by dividing them (參=散). The Nine Chamberlains shall again .. the burden (or power?) of the Three Dukes." ５．貴德 ５．２．魏武侯浮西河而下，中流顧謂吳起曰：「美哉乎！河山之固也，此魏國之寶也。」吳起對曰：「在德不在險。昔三苗氏左洞庭，右彭蠡，德義不修，而禹滅之；夏桀之居，左河濟，右太華，伊闕在其南，羊腸在其北，修政不仁，湯放之；殷紂之國，左孟門而右太行，常山在其北，太河經其南，修政不德，武王伐之。由此觀之，在德不在險。若君不修德，船中之人盡敵國也。」武侯曰：「善！」 Esteeming Virtue When Marquis Wu of Wei was floating down the Western River (Yellow River), he turned backwards to Wu Qi and said: "How beautiful! The .. of the mountains and the Yellow River is , this is a real treasure for our country of Wei." Wu Qi replied: "XXX" Translated by Ulrich Theobald.