李肇·《唐国史补·守卫尽职》英译

吕元膺为鄂岳都团练使，夜登城，女墙已锁，守陴者曰：“军法，夜不可开。”乃告言中丞自登。守者又曰：“夜中不辨是非虽中丞亦不可。”元膺乃归，明日擢守陴者为大职。<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Keeping the Best Guard

Lü Yuanying was a military commander in chief of two prefectures, E and Yue. Once at night he climbed up onto the city wall to patrol, but the parapet (a low wall at the edge of battlement) had already been locked for the night. A soldier who was standing guard said:” According to the military rules, the parapet is not to be opened at night!”

Then a man in the suite of the commander told the soldier:” Our commander in chief has come to the city wall to patrol in person!”

On hearing this, the soldier replied:” Excuse me, but at night it is hard to tell between true and false, so even in the case of our commander in chief himself, opening the parapet is still not permitted.”

Commander Lü had no alternative but to return to his official residence. The following day Lü promoted the soldier guarding the parapet to an important post.