In the spring of 718 B.C., the King of Country Lu planned to travel to
Mountain T to watch the fishermen fishing. Tsang advised, "Anything that is not
related to the military defense and does not provide material for useful goods
should not be directly supervised by the king. The main duty of a king is to
guide people along the right track and teach them how to use resources. A king
believes that people should follow rules when dealing with a problem and should
show the usefulness of the material they select. If a king fails to follow rules
or fails to use the resources properly, he will cause disorder in state affairs.
If chaos occurs frequently, the country's politics will soon deteriorate.
Consequently, times for hunting are interspersed with times of farming
throughout the four seasons. When people hunt, they are gaining military skills.
There is a large military practice maneuver every three years. After the
maneuver, people go home to honor their ancestors and celebrate. This practice
provides a way to inventory military supplies, display army power, respect the
military hierarchy, and enforce military discipline. If a quarry cannot be used
for sacrifice or cannot provide the leather, tusks, horns, wool, or feathers
that can be made into useful goods, the king will not hunt it. This is the
tradition. As for the produce from mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes and the
material used for making goods, they should be overseen by minor officials. A
king has more important jobs to do."
The king said, "I shall go on a tour of inspection." Then he went to Mountain
T. The fishermen displayed their catch for the king's inspection. Tsang used
sickness as an excuse to avoid accompanying the king.
Spring-Fall records, "The king of Luu went to Mountain T to watch
fishing." It was not proper for a king to travel and play. Furthermore, his
destination was too distant.