Section 3: Nine Three (九三)

"Nine Three: The nobles universally enjoy favor with the Son of Heaven; the petty man cannot do this." (九三，公用亨于天子，小人弗克。)

I. Interpretation of the Line Statement Terms.

"Gong" (公) is an honorable title for feudal lords. Among the five ranks of nobility (Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron) in antiquity, "Gong" was the highest. However, "Gong" here broadly refers to officials who hold rank and virtue.

"Yong Heng Yu Tianzi" (用亨于天子): The character "Heng" has two interpretations: one is "Xiang" (享, to feast or present offerings); the other is "Heng" (to penetrate/prosper). Most Pre-Qin classicists believe this "Heng" should be read as "Xiang," meaning the feudal lords feast or present offerings to the Son of Heaven. "Yong Heng Yu Tianzi" means presenting offerings to the Son of Heaven, sharing the fruits of great possession with the Son of Heaven.

"Petty man cannot" (小人弗克): "Fu Ke" means cannot do it. "Xiao Ren" refers to those of shallow virtue and low position. The petty man cannot perform this act of the noble lord feasting with the Son of Heaven.

II. Analysis of the Line Position.

Nine Three, a Yang line in a Yang position, is correctly situated (dangwei). It is at the peak of the lower trigram Qian, the utmost of the lower trigram. Nine Three stands at the junction of upper and lower, like a feudal lord situated between the Son of Heaven and the common people.

Nine Three relies on the ruler Sixth Five above, and governs the masses of Initial Nine and Nine Two below. Its position is precisely that of a high minister or noble, serving the Son of Heaven above and managing the common people below.

III. Why can Nine Three "feast with the Son of Heaven"$24

In the time of Da You, the realm is abundant. Nine Three, with its firm and upright virtue, occupies the highest position in the lower trigram, possessing abundant resources and achievements. However, what Nine Three possesses is not private property; it must be used to "Heng (Xiang) the Son of Heaven," meaning its possessions must be dedicated to the public good and shared with the sovereign.

This accords with Pre-Qin institutions. The Rites of Zhou (Zhouli) describes the ritual of feudal lords having audiences with the Son of Heaven, presenting contributions from their lands periodically. The Liji, Wang Zhi, states: "The feudal lords, in relation to the Son of Heaven, present minor tributes annually, major tributes every three years, and have an audience every five years" (诸侯之于天子也，比年一小聘，三年一大聘，五年一朝). At the audience, the lords presented their local produce to the Son of Heaven, who in turn offered rewards. This is the institutional background for "the noble lord feasts with the Son of Heaven."

IV. Why "the petty man cannot do this"$25

This statement carries profound meaning. Why can the petty man not perform this act$26

One, the petty man lacks virtue. Feasting with the Son of Heaven is not merely a material contribution but also a spiritual demonstration of reverence. One must possess utmost sincerity and respectful virtue to perform this great ritual. The petty man harbors selfish motives and lacks a sense of public righteousness, thus unable to perform it.

Two, the petty man lacks measure. In the time of Da You, possessions are abundant. The petty man sees profit and forgets righteousness, unwilling to dedicate his possessions to the public, thus unable to perform it.

Three, the petty man lacks position. Presenting offerings to the Son of Heaven is the duty of high ministers. A petty man of low rank has no qualification to perform this great ritual.

However, the "petty man" here has a deeper meaning: anyone whose mind is narrow and unable to prioritize the realm’s public good is a "petty man." Even if occupying the position of Nine Three, if one’s mind is that of a petty man, one "cannot" feast with the Son of Heaven. This is not necessarily related to high or low rank; the key lies in the breadth of one's spirit.

V. Political Philosophy of this Line.

The political philosophy revealed by the Nine Three statement is extremely profound. In the time of Da You, when wealth is abundant, how should the possessor dispose of his holdings$27 The answer is: dedicate them to public service; do not hoard them privately.

This aligns with the instruction in the Shangshu, Hong Fan: "Do not be biased or leaning, follow the righteousness of the King" (无偏无陂，遵王之义). The wealth of the realm is not the private property of one person but the public wealth of the entire realm. The possessor merely holds it on behalf of the Son of Heaven and must ultimately dedicate it to public service.

The Zuo Zhuan, Xi Gong 33, records Ji Zi’s words: "I have heard: when going out, treat others as guests; when serving, treat it as a sacrifice" (出门如宾，承事如祭). Serving the Son of Heaven is like sacrificing to Heaven—the utmost reverence. The "Heng" of Nine Three is precisely this image of respectful public service.

VI. Interpretation by the Xiao Xiang Zhuan.

The Xiao Xiang Zhuan states: "The noble lord universally enjoys favor with the Son of Heaven; the petty man causes harm" (公用亨于天子，小人害也).

"The petty man causes harm"—if a petty man occupies this position but fails to feast with the Son of Heaven, instead appropriating resources selfishly, he becomes a source of harm. This indicates that when the petty man occupies a position of Da You but fails to follow the Way of Da You, he becomes a detriment.

This warning is extremely incisive. Historically, how many powerful ministers possessed great authority and wealth but failed to adhere to law and propriety, ultimately leading to ruin$28 This is the clear lesson of "the petty man cannot."

VII. Historical Reference.

A prime example is the feudal system established in the early Zhou. After King Wu conquered Yin, he enfeoffed many feudal lords. The Duke of Zhou was enfeoffed in Lu, the Grand Tutor in Qi, Shao Gong in Yan, and Kang Shu in Wei. Each lord had his own state and territory, but all respected the Son of Heaven as sovereign and came to periodic audiences and offered tribute. This is precisely the institution of "the noble lord feasts with the Son of Heaven."

The Zuo Zhuan, Zhao Gong 13, records the words of Shu Xiang: "When the feudal lords were enfeoffed, they all received ritual vessels from the royal house to pacify their own states" (诸侯之封也，皆受明器于王室，以镇抚其社稷). The lords' "possession" originated from the "gift" of the Son of Heaven. Therefore, the great possession of the lords must be repaid by feasting/presenting to the Son of Heaven. This is the principle of Pre-Qin feudalism.

Conversely, during the time of King Zhou of Yin, Hou Chonghu and others did not serve the Son of Heaven with virtue but assisted Zhou in tyranny; this is the harm caused by the petty man occupying a position of power.