▁med d le ▁in ▁your ▁court ." ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁Z ich an ▁govern ed ▁Zh eng ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁gates ▁did ▁not ▁close , ▁the ▁state ▁had ▁no ▁ro bb ers ▁or ▁crim inals , ▁and ▁( its ) ▁roads ▁had ▁no ▁hun gry ▁people ▁( on ▁them ). ▁Kong ▁Z i ▁said : ▁" E ven ▁with ▁Zh eng ▁Duke ▁J ian ’ s ▁love ▁of ▁pleasure , ▁still , ▁even ▁if ▁( he ) ▁had ▁held ▁court ▁while ▁h ug ging ▁a ▁bell , ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁acceptable ." ▁( tr . ▁Fischer ▁ 2 0 1 2 : 1 8 1 8 – 1 8 2 3 ) ▁▁ ▁Moh ism ▁emphas ized ▁universal ▁love ▁and ▁mer it ocracy , ▁in ▁which ▁r ul ers ▁employ ▁worthy ▁minister s ▁regardless ▁of ▁their ▁social ▁class . ▁The ▁Sh izi ▁like wise ▁str essed ▁mer it ocracy , ▁for ▁instance , ▁In ▁ancient ▁times , ▁en light ened ▁k ings ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁worth ies ▁did ▁not ▁avoid ▁those ▁far ▁or ▁near , ▁nor ▁discuss ▁( the ir ) ▁status ▁or ▁lack ▁there of , ▁( but ▁rather ▁they ) ▁den igr ated ▁( the ir ▁own ) ▁positions ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁yield ▁to ▁the ▁worthy , ▁and ▁dimin ished ▁( the ir ▁own ) ▁persons ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁( worth y ) ▁official ▁first . ▁Thus , ▁Y ao ▁followed ▁Sh un ▁into ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁fields , ▁faced ▁north ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁him