Zilu, Zeng Xi, Ran You, and Gongxi Hua were seated in attendance. The Master said, "Do not be constrained by the fact that I am a day older than you. You often say among yourselves, 'No one appreciates what I am worth.' But suppose someone did appreciate you — what would you do?" Zilu answered without hesitation: "Take a state of a thousand chariots, hemmed in between great powers, beset by invading armies and further afflicted by famine — if you gave me such a state to govern, within three years I could give the people courage and a sense of what is right." The Master smiled at this. "And you, Qiu — what would you do?" Ran You replied, "Give me a territory of sixty or seventy li — or perhaps fifty or sixty li — and within three years I could ensure the people had enough to live on. As for rites and music, I would leave that to a true gentleman." "And you, Chi — what would you do?" Gongxi Hua replied, "I dare not claim I am capable, but I am willing to learn. At ceremonies in the ancestral temple, or at the great assemblies of the lords, I would be glad to serve as a minor assistant, wearing my ritual robes and cap." "And you, Dian — what would you do?" The sounds of the se grew sparse, and then — plang — he set the instrument aside, rose to his feet, and replied, "My wish is different from those of the other three." The Master said, "What harm is there in that? Let each man speak his heart." Zeng Xi said, "In late spring, when the spring garments have been made, I would go with five or six young men and six or seven boys to bathe in the River Yi, enjoy the breeze on the Rain Altar, and then sing our way home." The Master heaved a long sigh and said, "I am with Dian!" The other three went out, and Zeng Xi remained behind. He asked, "What did you think of what those three said?" The Master replied, "Each simply spoke his own wish." "Then why did you smile at You?" The Master said, "A state should be governed with ritual propriety, yet his words showed not a trace of modesty — that is why I smiled." "But was what Qiu described not a matter of governing a state?" "Where has it ever been shown that a territory of sixty or seventy li, or fifty or sixty li, is not a state?" "And was what Chi described not a matter of governing a state?" "Ancestral rites and princely assemblies — what are these if not the affairs of the feudal lords? And if Chi is fit only to serve as a minor assistant, who then is fit to serve as a great one?"