The Definition of a Great Minister: To Serve by Principle, or to Withdraw

A Teacher’s Fear, A Disciple’s Vow: “How Should I Dare to Die?”

The Pedagogical Principle: Encourage the Retiring, Restrain the Bold

“Consult Your Elders” vs. “Act at Once”: The Art of Contradictory Counsel

The Mask of Sincerity: When Solid Speech is Just a Grave Facade

The Good Man’s Path: Neither Following Tracks, Nor Entering the Inner Chamber

Two Kinds of Excellence: The Fullness of Virtue, the Acumen of Trade

The Four Dispositions: A Master’s Terse Diagnosis of His Disciples

The Call to Arms: “Beat the Drum and Assail Him”

The Supreme Principle: To Go Beyond is as Wrong as to Fall Short

The Two Deflections: Beyond the Mean, and Short of It

The Hall and the Inner Chamber: A Metaphor for Stages of Learning

The Lute at the Master’s Door: A Rebuke of Artistry

The Man of Few Words: When Speech Invariably Hits the Mark

A Fatal Prophecy: “He Will Not Die a Natural Death”