Domain of Prime Minister
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Bing Ji was prime minister under Emperor Xuan of the Han dynasty. One day he and his aides were riding through the capital when they came upon a scene of street fight. Bodies of the injured and the dead were lying in the streets. But Bing Ji passed by without saying a word. His aides were perplexed.
Going a little further, Bing Ji saw a man driving an ox. The ox was panting with its tongue sticking out. Bing Ji stopped to chat with the man, asking him how far he had traveled. His aides thought he had lost his sense of proportion, querying about small things and ignoring big ones.
Bing Ji replied, "t' the duty of the magistrate of Chang'n and municipal officials to deal with street fights. The prime minister should not get involved. It would not be appropriate for me to stop in the street to make inquiries. My duty is to review their performance, deciding whether they'e done a good job, and then make recommendation to the emperor for promotion or demotion. Now is spring time. But it is hot. If an ox is gasping after walking only a few miles, it may indicate unseasonable weather. This is serious because harvest could be affected. The people' livelihood is at stake. That's why I stopped to talk to the man."
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Wise Proverbs
- Love thy neighbor, but pull not down thy hedge.
- 邻居无论多好，围篱不可推倒。
- Zeal without knowledge is the sister of folly.
- 无知的热情近乎愚蠢。
- A still tongue makes a wise head.
- 寡言者智。
Editor Says:
If you exceed your mandate and meddle in areas that are the responsibility of others, more often than not, you would do a thankless job.