| Rewards and Punishments:...: |
Duke Wen of Jin wished to make clear the system of punishments, in order to gain the affection of the people. Thereupon, he assembled together all the feudal lords and great officers in the Shi-Qian Palace, but Dien Xie arrived too late and asked for punishment. The prince said: 'Employ stabbing, and the lictors thereupon cut through Dien Xie's spine and made him die an expiatory death. The scholars of the state of Jin, having investigated the matter, were all afraid, and said: 'Considering that Dien Xie was a favourite and still he has been sawn through, as an expiatory death, how will it fare with us?' He raised an army and attacked Cao and Wu-lu. He also overturned the lowlands of Zheng and veered towards the east the fields of Wei; he conquered the people of Jing at Cheng-pu. The soldiers of his three armies were so disciplined that stopping them was as if their feet were cut off and in marching they were like flowing water, and none of the soldiers of the three armies dared to transgress his prohibitions. So by basing himself on this one affair of Dien Xie, where a light offence was severely punished, Duke Wen caused the state of Jin to enjoy order. |
