Zichan and the Work of Government

English translation

When Zichan governed Zheng, he used his own carriage to ferry people across the Qin and Wei rivers. Mencius said, “He was generous, but did not understand government. In the eleventh month, build the footbridges; in the twelfth, build the carriage bridges, and the people will no longer suffer when crossing. A gentleman should govern impartially and in good order; when he travels, it is acceptable to have people make way. How could he personally ferry everyone across? A ruler who tries to please each person one by one will never have enough time.”