The First Hole
One time, Lord Meng took out a big stack of notes. The notes were loans Lord Meng had made to other people, like a bank. Each note told how much money a person owed Lord Meng. He then asked if any of his house guests would go collect the money people owed him in Fort Xue. Collecting money is hard work, because often people don’t want to pay, even if they have money. Or, cannot pay, because they have no money. Often, you have to be very tough to collect money owed to a Lord. Lord Meng had a lot of friends and guests, but nobody was willing to go. However, as soon as Feng heard, he agreed to take on this difficult task.
Before leaving, Feng asked Lord Meng:
“Would my Lord like me to buy him anything in Fort Xue?”
Lord Meng said: “Bring back what we don’t have in this house.”
Upon arriving at Fort Xue, Feng gathered everyone who owed Lord Meng money. Feng checked the agreements one by one.
He collected money from the people who had money and were able to pay.
Feng then said to the people who had no money:
“Lord Meng asked me to come here today, but not to force you to pay your debt. Lord Meng wants you to know: if you really have no money to pay him back, you can forget about the notes. Be sure to remember Lord Meng’s kindness and wisdom, remember his support to you.” Feng then burnt up all the notes from those poor people. The poor people of Fort Xue were surprised, amazed, and completely grateful for Lord Meng’s generosity.”
After Feng’s return, Lord Meng asked what he had brought back. Feng said:
“My Lord asked me to bring back whatever is lacking here. I see that here, my Lord has plenty of wealth, money, and good food. So, I spent money on good will and wisdom for you by burning all the notes from the poor people of Fort Xue.”
Lord Meng did not like what he heard, but he simply said:
“Thank you. Rest up.”
One year after this, the King of Qi listened to bad advice and fired Lord Meng as his strategist. Lord Meng was no longer powerful and important to the King. Lord Meng was sad and had to move his family back to Fort Xue, the fort he owned.
When Lord Meng and his family neared Fort Xue, they were surprised. Even from far away, they could see lots of people coming out to welcome them. These people thanked him. They cheered for him, and they called him wise, and kind. They loved him! Lord Meng had many fans, and supporters, who were delighted to see him.
Upon seeing this, Lord Meng realized what Feng had done for him a year ago when he burnt the notes of the poor people of Fort Xue.
He thanked Feng and said to him: “Thank you for buying me good will and wisdom!”
Then Feng said to Meng: “A Clever Rabbit has three holes”. “Each hole is a way the rabbit finds safety. You have only one hole. It’s not enough. I’m happy to help you get more.
Part 3 of 3 How To Secure All Three Hole Coming Next Week!