The chapter of
刘向's
说苑 on how ministers should correct their rulers. It lists five kinds of remonstrance, from the frank
正谏 to the oblique
讽谏, and says that
孔子 preferred the oblique kind. Its best-known story shows why: a young retainer of the king of
吴, forbidden on pain of death to argue against a war on
楚, told him instead of a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it, and the king called off the attack.
