Cantonese version of Bao Ren An Shu (excerpt)

Master Tai, Sima Qian, who is willing to help you, pays tribute to you again. Shao Qing's first step: In the past, it was very kind of you to write to me, teach me to be careful with others and recommend talents. Sincere and sincere, as if complaining that I didn't do what you said, but echoing the views of laymen. I didn't. Please allow me to talk about my stubborn and humble ideas. I hope you don't blame me for not replying to you for a long time.

My ancestors, who didn't get the extraordinary feats like Dan Shu and Iron Voucher, were engaged in drafting documents, compiling historical materials, recording astronomical phenomena and making legal calendars. (Their position) is close to the position between divination officials and Taizu. They were originally teased by the emperor, raised as musicians and actresses, and despised by customs. If I am punished by law and sentenced to death, it will be like losing a hair on nine cows. What's the difference with ants? And the world will not regard me as a person who can die with honor, only think that I am exhausted, sinful, unable to free myself, and finally die. Why? This is due to the position he usually holds. People are always going to die. Some people are heavier than Mount Tai, while others are lighter than a feather. This is because the dead knot is applied in different places. The first category is not humiliating our ancestors, the second category is not humiliating ourselves, the second category is not humiliating face, the second category is not humiliating words, the second category is being humiliated by prisoners, the second category is putting on prison clothes, the second category is being beaten with instruments of torture, the second category is shaving hair, strangling with iron ropes, the second category is losing skin and limbs, and the last category is corruption and humiliation to the extreme. The Book of Rites says, "Doctors should not punish." This means that scholars must maintain their moral integrity. When the tiger is in the deep mountains, all the wild animals are very afraid of it. When you are locked in a cage or fall into a trap, you wag your tail and beg for food, which is the result of gradually subduing it with strength. So for scholars, drawing a prison on the ground (even) makes people afraid to go in; Even a wooden warder dared not confront him, and he had to commit suicide to be punished (to avoid humiliation). Now his hands and feet are tied with instruments of torture, he takes off his clothes, is beaten with a stick, and is locked in four walls. At this time, I hit my head on the ground when I saw the jailer, and I was scared when I saw the jailer. Why? This is (also) the result of the gradual development of power restriction. At this stage, we still say that we are not ashamed, but we are just so-called "thick-skinned". Where can we be distinguished? Besides, Xibo is the leader of a vassal, but he is imprisoned in prison; Reese was the prime minister and received five sentences. Han Xin, king of Huaiyin, was king, but he put instruments of torture on Chen. Peng Yue and Zhang Ao were lonely when they sat on the throne, and later they were both arrested and imprisoned. Zhou bo, Jiang Hou, killed Lu's henchmen with greater power than the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was imprisoned in a special prison to "ask for a room"; Dou Ying, Marquis of Wei Qi, was a general, and later put on the clothes of sinners, wearing instruments of torture on his hands, feet and neck. Ji Bu, the general of Xiang Yu, later shaved his head, strangled his neck with a hoop and became a slave of Zhu Jiajun. The irrigator was insulted in the holding cell. These people are in the position of princes and princes, and their reputation is known to neighboring countries. Once you are guilty, you will be punished by law and you can't commit suicide. How can you not be insulted when you fall into the dust? It has always been like this. It can be seen that courage or cowardice, strength or weakness are all determined by the situation. What's strange about understanding this truth? It is impossible for a person to commit suicide long before being punished, so his ambition gradually declines. When he was punished with a stick, he thought he would die with honor. Is it too far from honor? This is probably why the ancients punished doctors cautiously.

As far as human nature is concerned, there is no one who is not greedy for life and hates death and misses his parents, wife and children. As for those who are excited by justice and axioms, this is not the case, because they have to. Unfortunately, I lost my parents in my early years, and I have no brothers and am alone. As for how I treat my wife and children, can Shao Qing see it? Moreover, the brave may not die of honor, but the cowardly who advocate morality can encourage themselves not to be humiliated anytime and anywhere. Although I am timid and want to live my own life, I know how to sacrifice my life for righteousness, so why not accept the insult of being tied by a rope! Besides, people like handmaids and concubines can commit suicide (without being humiliated). What do I have to do? The reason why I drag out an ignoble existence is that I would rather be imprisoned in prison like dirt, because my wish has not been fully realized, I am ashamed to die in obscurity, and my literary talent cannot be revealed to future generations.

In ancient times, there were countless people with wealth and status, but their names were all buried. Only outstanding people are praised by future generations. King Wen interpreted the Book of Changes when he was in prison. Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Period in poverty. Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao after he was exiled. Zuo Qiuming wrote Mandarin after he became blind. Sun Bin's kneecap was cut off and Sun Tzu's Art of War was compiled. Lv Buwei was demoted to Shu, and Lv Chunqiu was spread all over the world. Han Fei was imprisoned in the State of Qin and wrote Difficult Talks and Lonely Anger. As for the Book of Songs, there are 300 articles, most of which were written by sages to express their feelings. These writers felt depressed and uncomfortable in their hearts, and their ideas were not accepted by people at that time, so they described their experiences and let future generations know themselves. For example, Zuo Qiuming is blind and Sun Bin has a broken leg. After all, he cannot be used by the world. So he went home and wrote a book to express his resentment, hoping to leave words to express his thoughts.

I'm overreaching. Recently, I pinned my wish on useless words, collected the lost literature in the world, roughly researched the actions of historical figures, observed their process from beginning to end, and investigated the laws of their success, failure and rise and fall. From Xuanyuan Huangdi to now, I have written ten tables, twelve biographies, eight chapters, thirty aristocratic families and seventy biographies. I also want to use it to explore the law of heaven and personnel, understand the historical development process from ancient times to the present, and achieve the theory of one family. It's been drafted, but it's not finished yet, so it's a disaster. I'm sorry I didn't write it. I'd rather be castrated than look angry. I really want to finish this book, (temporarily) hide it in a famous mountain, (later) pass it on to like-minded people, and make it popular in metropolis, so that I can make up for the humiliation I suffered in prison before, even if I was killed 10 thousand times, I will regret where I went! However, these words can only be said to knowledgeable people, and it is hard to say to outsiders.

Moreover, it is not easy to live in a guilty situation. Being humble, there are many criticisms and accusations. I suffered this disaster because I spoke to the emperor (carelessly), and I was laughed at by my neighbors, so that my ancestors were humiliated. How can I have the face to sweep my parents' graves again? Even after another hundred generations, it will only be more humiliating! So my mind is full of pain, and I am always in a trance at home, as if I have lost something and I don't know where to go when I go out. Every time I think about this great shame, I don't sweat or get wet! As a junior minister in the palace, how can you leave the palace and live in seclusion in the cave? So I had to go with the flow and conform to the ethos of the times to express my inner grief and indignation. Now Shao Qing teaches me to recommend talented people. Isn't this against my private wishes? Although I (also) want to dress myself up and whitewash myself with beautiful words, it's not good for the world and I can't win people's trust. This can only lead to insult. In short, on the day of death, there will be a conclusion about right and wrong. This letter can't express my meaning in detail, just talk about some solid and simple ideas. Greetings to you again.