Zhao Xiang Zi sent his army to attack the State of Di, capturing the towns of Zuoren and Zhongren. When the messenger returned to report the victory, Zhao Xiang Zi was in the midst of his meal. Upon hearing the news, however, a look of concern crossed his face. Those around him asked, ‘This is a great victory, yet you appear troubled. Why is that?’
Zhao Xiang Zi replied, ‘I have heard that when one’s virtue is not pure, yet fortune and prosperity descend upon one, it can only be called a stroke of luck. A stroke of luck is not true blessing; without virtue to match it, one can ill afford peace and happiness, and peace and happiness obtained by mere luck cannot last. This is why I feel apprehensive.’
Upon hearing of this, Confucius remarked, ‘The House of Zhao is likely to prosper! Those who maintain a sense of vigilance will flourish, whilst those who are complacent are prone to ruin. Achieving victory is not difficult; the difficulty lies in maintaining it. A wise ruler knows how to preserve victory through such vigilance, and thus his blessings will extend to future generations.’
Origin: “Guo Yu: Jin Yu”, “Lie Zi: Shuo Fu”
#49 赵襄子的忧患
赵襄子派军队攻打狄国，攻下了左人和中人两地。使者回来报捷时，赵襄子正在吃饭，听到消息却面露忧色。身边的人问：“这是很大的胜利，可您却显得忧虑，是为什么呢？”
赵襄子回答说：“我听说：德行不纯粹的时候福禄一起降临，只能叫做侥幸。侥幸并不是真正的福祉；没有对等的德行就承受不起安乐，安乐若靠侥幸得来终不能长久，我因此而感到恐惧。”
孔子听说了这件事，说：“赵氏家族大概要兴旺起来吧！有忧患意识的人因此得以昌盛，沾沾自喜的人反而容易灭亡。取得胜利并不难，难的是如何守住胜利。贤明的君主懂得用这种警惕的心态来守住胜利，所以他的福泽能够延续到后代。”
出自《国语 晋语》《列子 说符》