The Lower Standard: “Words Must Be Trustworthy, Actions Must Bear Fruit”

The Local Worthy: Praised for Filial Piety and Fraternal Duty

The Highest Order of Scholar-Officials: Self-Respect and Competence

The Unchanging Virtue: “Be Grave at Home, Reverent in Work, Sincere with Others”

The Uprightness of Concealment: “Father and Son Conceal for Each Other”

A Different Uprightness: “The Father Steals a Sheep, the Son Testifies Against Him”

The Cost of Petty Gains: “Eyeing Small Advantage Ruins Great Affairs”

The Paradox of Haste: “Desiring Speed Prevents Attainment”

Two Cardinal Rules: “Do Not Seek Speed, Do Not Eye Small Gains”

The Measure of Good Governance: “Delight the Near, Attract the Far”

The Delusion of Power: “My Only Joy as Ruler is That None Dare Oppose My Word”

The Weight of Office: “To Be a Prince is Difficult; To Be a Minister is Not Easy”

The Unemployed Sage: “If It Were State Affairs, I Would Have Heard”

The Impossibility of Leadership: “If You Cannot Rectify Yourself, How Rectify Others?”

The Foundation of Governance: “If You Rectify Yourself, What Difficulty in Governing?”