How Much Poetry and Learning Lies Within? (Part Two) (This chapter is free)
Chen Caozhi said, "Everyone praises Lord Mengchang for his ability to attract worthy men, saying that men flocked to him for this reason, and that he ultimately relied on their strength to escape Qin, that land of tigers and leopards. I believe this is utterly mistaken. Lord Mengchang was merely the chief of those who crowed like roosters and stole like dogs. How could he deserve to be called a patron of worthy men? If this were not so, with the might of Qi at his command, had he gained even one truly worthy man, he should have been able to face south as a sovereign and bring Qin to heel. What need would he still have had for the services of rooster-crowers and dog-thieves? It was precisely because rooster-crowers and dog-thieves gathered at his gate that worthy men did not come-is it not a grave error for Military Adviser Hao to compare the Duke of Huan Commandery to Lord Mengchang?"
This argument astonished everyone present. Hao Long's face turned the color of sheep's liver, and he stood tongue-tied, his mouth agape, with nothing to say in reply.