In the late Eastern Han dynasty, there was a man named Xun Jubo. He had travelled from afar to visit a friend who was gravely ill, only to find the Xiongnu army attacking the city. The residents all fled. His friend said to him, ‘I may well die at any moment, you must leave at once!” Xun Jubo replied, ‘I have come from afar to visit you, yet you ask me to leave. To abandon righteousness just to live – does that sound like something I would do?”?
When Xiongnu army entered the city, they asked Xun Jubo, ‘The entire city lies deserted, who are you to dare remain here?’ Xun Jubo replied, ‘My friend is gravely ill, and I cannot bear to abandon him. I would rather sacrifice my own life to save his.’ The Xiongnu soliders discussed amongst themselves, saying, ‘We, who know nothing of righteousness, have invaded a nation with such moral principles!’ And so they withdrew their forces.
Origin: Shi Shuo Xin Yu
#34 荀巨伯
东汉末年，有一个人叫荀巨伯，他从远方来探望重病的朋友，正好赶上匈奴攻打城池，城里的居民都逃走了。荀巨伯那位重病的朋友对他说：“我如今可能要死了，你赶紧离开！” 荀巨伯说：“我从远方来探望你，你却让我离开，为了苟且偷生而毁掉道义，这难道是我荀巨伯做的事吗？”
匈奴兵进城后，问荀巨伯：“整个城都空了，你们是什么人，竟敢留在城中？” 荀巨伯说：“我的朋友身患重病，我不忍心舍弃他，我宁愿用我的性命来换取朋友的性命。” 匈奴兵相互议论说：“我们这些不懂道义的人，却侵入了这么有道义的国家！”于是便率军撤回。
出自《世说新语》