A Deep Exploration of the Way of Sovereign and Minister in 'The Analects: Xian Wen' and the Contingency of Benevolence and Righteousness
This paper focuses on the core political discourse passages in 'The Analects: Xian Wen' concerning figures like Zang Wuzhong, Guan Zhong, and Duke Ling of Wei. It analyzes Confucius's profound insights into the sovereign-minister relationship, the distinction between hegemony and true kingship, and the calibration of benevolence (Ren) and righteousness (Yi), particularly investigating the gap between 'the difficulty of action' and 'the essence of Ren'.
Section 3: "Without Guan Zhong, I Would Surely Have My Hair Unbound and My Lapel Left Over Right" – The Civilizational Height
"Without Guan Zhong, I would surely have my hair unbound and my lapel left over right" (Wei Guan Zhong, wu qi bei fa zuo ren yi)—If not for Guan Zhong, we might all have unbound hair and left-over-right lapels.
The shock value of this statement can only be fully appreciated by understanding the cultural significance of "Bei Fa Zuo Ren" in antiquity.
"Bei Fa" (Unbound Hair)—The civilized men of Huaxia tied up their hair; this was a sign of civilization. Liji, Guan Yi states: "What makes man human is rites and righteousness. The beginning of rites and righteousness lies in straightening the outward appearance, harmonizing the countenance, and conforming to orders. When the appearance is straight, the countenance harmonized, and the orders conformed, then rites and righteousness are complete." The coming-of-age ceremony (Guan Li) was crucial for men, symbolizing the transition from a natural being to a civilized one. "Bei Fa"—unbound hair, neither tied nor capped—was the custom of the northern Di and southern Yi; it symbolized being "uncivilized."
In the ancient mythological and folk tradition, "unbound hair" carried deeper meaning. Shanhaijing, Haiwai Beijing records: "The god of Mount Zhong, named Zhuyin, sees as day, closes his eyes as night, blows as winter, and sighs as summer." Many gods and foreign peoples in the Shanhaijing are depicted with unbound or loose hair. In the minds of the Huaxia people, tied hair represented the transcendence of the natural state—one was no longer merely a natural being, but a civilized being with culture, ritual, and order.
"Zuo Ren" (Lapel Left Over Right)—Huaxia people wore their robes with the lapel overlapping right over left (right lapel over left, You Ren); wearing it left over right (Zuo Ren) was the mark of the Yi (barbarians). Liji, Sangfu Daji has relevant records—only the deceased wore robes left-over-right, symbolizing their return to a natural state, no longer part of the world of the living. A living person wearing it left-over-right implied that person had "died" according to Huaxia standards—their civilized identity had been lost.
In Pre-Qin literature, "Zuo Ren" was almost a synonym for barbarism. "Bei Fa Zuo Ren" combined means the complete collapse of Huaxia civilization—we would regress to a state of ignorance and savagery.
The Master saying "Without Guan Zhong, I would surely have my hair unbound and my lapel left over right" elevates Guan Zhong’s merit to the level of civilizational survival. Guan Zhong was not just a minister of Qi or an assistant to Duke Huan; he was the guardian of Huaxia civilization. His merit lay not in helping one state achieve hegemony, but in preserving the continued existence of the collective Huaxia civilization.
This allows us to understand why the Master said, "It was like Ren!"—because Guan Zhong’s Ren was a Ren on the civilizational plane, a Ren for all people under Heaven. This Ren far surpassed personal loyalty to a single lord.