Yao said

Yao declared:
"Ah! You, Shun! The Mandate of Heaven now rests upon you. Hold fast to the Mean with sincerity! Should the people suffer poverty and hardship, Heaven’s favor will be withdrawn from you."
Shun later repeated this admonition to Yu.

Tang of Shang prayed:
"I, Lü, dare to offer a black ox and address the August Lord of Heaven: I will not presume to pardon the guilty, nor hide the faults of your servants. Let Heaven’s will discern and choose. If I have erred, let the blame fall solely upon me."

When King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed the nobles, he enriched the virtuous. He declared:
"Though I have kin, none compare to men of benevolence. If the people err, the fault lies with me alone."

By standardizing weights and measures, establishing clear laws, restoring neglected institutions, and enforcing governance nationwide, order prevailed. Reviving fallen states, continuing severed lineages, and elevating neglected talents won the people’s hearts.

What is valued are: the people, food, mourning rites, and sacrifices.
Generosity earns support; sincerity wins trust; diligence brings achievement; fairness inspires respect.

Zizhang asked Confucius, "How should one govern?"
Confucius replied, "Honor five virtues and abolish four vices—then governance will succeed."
Zizhang asked, "What are the five virtues?"
Confucius said:
"A ruler benefits the people without waste;
Mobilizes labor without resentment;
Desires benevolence, not profit;
Is dignified without arrogance;
Commanding yet not cruel."
Zizhang pressed, "How does one benefit without waste?"
Confucius answered, "Guide the people to act in their own interest—is this not benefiting them without cost? Choose timely tasks for labor—who would resent it? Seek benevolence, and what more is there to covet? Treat all, high or low, with equal respect—is this not dignity without pride? Let your bearing inspire awe through propriety—is this not authority without cruelty?"

Zizhang asked, "What are the four vices?"
Confucius said:
"To execute without teaching is called cruelty;
To demand results without instruction is tyranny;
To impose sudden deadlines after neglect is treachery;
To promise rewards but withhold them is petty governance."

Confucius said:
"Without understanding Heaven’s Mandate, one cannot be a noble person;
Without knowing ritual, one cannot stand firm in society;
Without discerning others’ words, one cannot truly know them."