Analects 14.22

The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四

陳成子弒簡公。孔子沐浴而朝、吿於哀公曰、陳恆弒其君、請討之。公曰、吿夫三子。孔子曰、以吾從大夫之後、不敢不吿也、君曰、吿夫三子者。之三子吿、不可、孔子曰、以吾從大夫之後、不敢不吿也。

1. Chan Ch'ang murdered the Duke Chien of Ch'i.

2. Confucius bathed, went to court, and informed the duke Ai, saying, "Chan Hang has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will undertake to punish him."

3. The duke said, "Inform the chiefs of the three families of it."

4. Confucius retired, and said, "Following in the rear of the great officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter, and my prince says, 'Inform the chiefs of the three families of it.'"

5. He went to the chiefs, and informed them, but they would not act. Confucius then said, "Following in the rear of the great officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter."

James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.

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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.