Xun Jubo 荀巨伯

Here is a story found in ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu) about Xun Jubo, who lived during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220).

Xun Jubo travelled far to visit a friend who was badly ill. In that period the Hun invaders were making an attack on the county in which his friend lived. The friend said to Xun, ‘I am dying, please go.’

Xun said, ‘I came a long distance to see you, but you want me to leave. Being disloyal to a friend only to save myself is an unrighteous act that is beneath me.’

The invaders arrived at last and asked Xun, ‘Our troops are coming, all the people in the county have fled, But what kind of man are you, who dare to remain here alone?’

‘My friend is terribly sick,’ Xun said, ‘I can’t bear to leave him alone. I prefer to be killed in his place.’

The invaders said to themselves, ‘We are unrighteous. How can we make an attempt on a righteous county?’

Then they withdraw the troops and the whole county was saved.

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荀巨伯,汉朝（前202年－220年）人。以下是‘世说新语’记载有关他的故事。

荀巨伯远看友人疾，值胡贼攻郡，友人语巨伯曰：“吾今死矣，子可去！”

巨伯曰：“远来相视，子令吾去，败义以求生，岂荀巨伯所行邪！”

贼既至，谓巨伯曰：“大军至，一郡尽空，汝何男子，而敢独止？”

巨伯曰：“友人有疾，不忍委之，宁以吾身代友人命。”

贼相谓曰：“吾辈无义之人，而入有义之国。”

遂班军而还，郡并获全。