Mi Zijian Knew Precisely What to Accept or Reject
Confucius had a student named Mi Zijian (521 – 445 BC). In the book,
Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, volume "Observe the Sage," it was recorded that Mi Zijian was able to rule Danfu County with order while playing the lute within the government hall.
When Mi Zijian was acting as the magistrate in Danfu County (what is now Dan County in Shandong Province), he was never extremely busy, like his predecessor. Instead, he seldom went out of the hall, preferring to play his lute inside. Consequently, the county was administered with great order, and he was praised by the common people. People said, "This magistrate can play the lute and is not meddlesome. He is a good official."
When Mi Zijian was the magistrate in Danfu County, the Qi State was planning to attack the Lu State. During the attack, the army of the Qi State would have to go through Danfu County. At that time, it was the wheat harvesting season. Since the golden wheat was ready to be harvested soon, someone requested to Mr. Mi, "The wheat is already ripe. Please allow the common people to harvest it. This way the grain yield in our state will be increased, and also it will not become the grain of our enemy." This request was made three times, but Mi Zijian did not agree.
Soon after, officers of the Lu State arrested enemies in the wheat field as expected. Jisun, an aristocrat of Lu State, was extremely angry upon hearing this. He dispatched someone to blame Mi Zijian. Mi frowned and said, "If the wheat is not harvested this year, we can still sow it next year, but if we allow people who do not do plowing and weeding work to harvest the wheat, then the people would welcome the enemy invasion. The grain yield of Danfu County has little effect on the power of the Lu State. However, if people get used to obtaining benefits by chance, this harmful effect cannot be eradicated for possibly many generations." After hearing this, Jisun felt very ashamed and said, "I would rather hide in a crack in the ground than bring my shame to show Mi Zijian."
宓子贱知取舍
孔子有位弟子叫宓子贱（宓：音密），《吕氏春秋•察贤》中说他「弹鸣琴，身不下堂而单父治」。宓子贱担任单父县（今山东单县）的地方长官时，并未像他的前任那样成天忙得焦头烂额，而是常常身不出公堂，潇洒自如的抚琴弹曲，结果把县里的事治理得顺顺当当，受到老百姓的拥戴：「这县官会弹琴，不多事，是个好官。」
当宓子做单父宰的时候，正赶上齐国的军队要攻打鲁国，中途要经过宓子所管辖的地方即单父。此时正值麦收时节，眼看金黄的麦子就要到收割的时候，有人请示宓子说：「地里的麦子已经成熟了，请任由老百姓收割。这样既可以增加国家的粮食收入，又不至于让他们成为我们的敌人齐国的粮食。」接连请求三次，宓子都没有同意。
不久官差果然在麦田里逮捕到敌人。鲁国公子季孙知道这件事后，非常生气。派人来责备宓子。宓子皱着眉头说：「那些麦子今年没有收割，明年还可以种。可如果让不耕耘的人也可以收获麦子，人民就会喜欢有敌寇入侵。单父一年收成的多少，对鲁国的强弱并没有甚么大的影响；可如果让百姓养成侥幸获利的心理，这种影响几代都不能停止。」季孙听了很惭愧地说：「地如果可以钻进去，我岂能强忍这份羞惭去见宓子呢？」
