Long, long ago, in the distant East, there was a state called Jin. At the time, the king of Jin intended to purge a number of destabilizing elements within the country and secure Jin's long-term peace and stability. Yet Guo State, the neighbor of Jin's neighbor, kept taking in aristocrats fleeing from Jin.
Yu State lay between Jin State and Guo State, a small country even smaller than Guo State. The ruler of Guo State was greatly favored by the Son of Heaven of Zhou and often waged campaigns everywhere. This time, under the pretext of aiding those fugitive aristocrats, he sent troops to attack Jin's new king.
Unable to endure it any longer, the king of Jin planned to send troops to teach him a lesson, but his adviser stopped him. In the adviser's view, if Guo State wished to defeat Jin, there was only one possible outcome: it would have to abandon its common people. The foundation of war lay in nurturing the people's strength. A ruler had to educate the common folk so that they cherished their homeland; only then could they face national affairs together. Guo State paid no heed to nurturing its people's strength or bestowing benefits upon them, and repeatedly launched wars. It was bound to fall into difficulty. Thus, the adviser urged the king of Jin to wait a little longer. Later, something strange happened in Guo State. A god descended from the heavens and took up residence in Shen Plain. Guo State, already trapped in a predicament, immediately sent people to offer sacrifices, hoping the god would save it from its plight.
But the god said, "You beg the gods for your lives only when destruction is imminent? What is a god? Guo State is so lacking in virtue—how does it deserve