Zhao Jianzi, the famous general of the State of Jin, prepared to attack the State of Qi. He ordered: "If anyone in the army dares to dissuade¹ me, I will sentence him to death."

 

A warrior² named Gong Luwang, wearing armour³ and holding a sharp weapon in his hand, laughed loudly the moment he saw Zhao Jianzi.

 

Zhao Jianzi asked hurriedly: "Why are you laughing?"

 

Gong Luwang replied: "I thought of something funny."

 

Jianzi said in a stern voice: "Military command is no joke. If you can explain the reason, I will let you go. Otherwise I will sentence you to death."

 

Calmly Gong Luwang told a story: "It was the season for gathering⁴ mulberries. My neighbours, a couple, went to the field. The husband found a woman in the depths of the mulberry groves⁵. He chased after her but could not catch her, so he returned unhappily. At that time, his wife had already left him in anger. I laugh at my neighbour who had not caught the woman but lost his wife and became single in the end."

 

After Zhao Jianzi heard Gong Luwang's story, he looked as if he had just wakened from a dream. He said: "Now, if I attack other states, I may possibly fail, then I'll become the subject of a subjugated⁶ state."

 

Consequently, he gave orders to withdraw his troops and return home.

 

晋国名将赵简子准备出兵进攻齐国。他命令说：“如果军队里有人敢劝阻我，我就判处他死刑！”

 

有个武士名叫公卢望，他身上穿着恺甲，手里拿着锐利的兵器，一看到赵简子就放声大笑。

 

简子忙问：“你笑什么？”

 

公卢望回答说：“我想起了一件好笑的事情。”

 

简子严厉地说：“军令不是开玩笑，你讲得出道理就放过你；要是讲不出来，就判你死刑！”

 

公卢望不慌不忙地讲了一个故事：“正好是采桑的季节，我邻居家夫妇俩一起下了田。丈夫发现桑林深处有个女子，就追了上去，可是没有追上她，很不愉快地回来了。这时候，他的妻子却早就气愤地离开了他。我笑邻居追女没追到，反而失去了妻子，成了个光棍。”

 

赵简子听完公卢望的故事，像做梦刚醒过来一样，说：“现在，我去进攻别国，有可能失败，那我不就反而成了亡国的主将。”

 

于是，他下令收兵回国。

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