# Chinese Fables and Folk Stories/A Great Repentance and a Great Forgiveness

A GREAT REPENTANCE AND A GREAT FORGIVENESS
悔恕並行
Liang-Sheng-Yü was one of the great generals of China. He had served his kingdom wisely for many years, when there was a war of four nations. Liang-Sheng-Yü conquered the other nations, and put them under the authority of his king.
​He was also called Seung-Foo, or the great Helper of the King. He was given this honorable title because he had served two generations of kings—father and son.
One day Liang-Sheng-Yü reproved the general, Liang-Po, in the presence of the king. Liang-Po was angry because of this and said to himself, "Although Liang-Sheng-Yü is a great general, he should not say these things to me in the king's presence. He has found fault before the king. I will now find fault with him and accuse him before the king. The king forgave me, only because he knew I had done many good things for the kingdom."
He went to his home, but he could not sleep, for his heart burned with anger. In the morning his face was yet cast down with sorrow, for he could not forget his great disgrace before the king. His wife questioned him, "What troubled you last night?" But he only answered, "Do not ask."
A servant brought his morning meal, but it was to him as if it had no taste. And the wine-servant gave him wine, but it tasted as water. Another servant brought him water to bathe, and he said, "It is too cold." But the water was such as it always had been.
Three days passed by and the heart of Liang-Po changed not. Then he went to the house of a friend. ​On the way, while still at some distance, he saw Liang-Sheng-Yü coming and he tried to meet him and talk with him. But Liang-Sheng-Yü walked by on the other side and would not see.
Liang-Po said to himself, "This is a strange and terrible thing. I was never his enemy; why is he so long angry? Why will he not face me? With him I served the king many years, I can not see why he should turn away from me. He is wrong, wrong."
He went home and wrote a letter to Liang-Sheng-Yü saying, "I saw you on the Wun-Chung Street to-day and I desired to meet you and tell you many things. I believe you wished not to see me, for you walked on the other side, with your face turned from me. So my heart has another sorrow. I would see you to-morrow, soon after the morning meal, and I invite you to come to my house and eat the noon meal with me."
But when the servant had brought Liang-Sheng-Yü the letter and he had read it, he threw it into the fire and said not a word. The servant saw and went home and told Liang-Po.
Fifty days after this, word came that the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom was about to make war against the Juo Kingdom.
The king, therefore, sent word to the general, ​Liang-Po, and to the great helper, Liang-Sheng-Yü, saying, "I want you to come at once to me, your king."
When he received the word, Liang-Po said, "I think there will be a great war with the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom." So he waited before going to the king, and gave orders that four thousand soldiers should make ready for battle.
They made ready, and for two days Liang-Po delayed his going. But Liang-Sheng-Yü was already with the king. And in his heart he had fear, for he thought, "Liang-Po will not come. I have made him feel shame before the king. I have done wrong. But if he comes not, our nation is surely lost. We can not go into battle without him."
The king asked him, "Why has not the general, Liang-Po, come into my presence? We can not have war without the general. Without him we can not even send an answer to the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom."
Liang-Sheng-Yü answered and said, "Before I sleep this night, I will see the general." Then he went to his home and told his servants, "I have not time for food. I must see General Liang-Po." And he bade them cut a bundle of thorn sticks, which he took and carried to Liang-Po's house.
It was the time of Nyi-Kang (Everything Quiet) when Liang-Sheng-Yü came to General Liang-Po's ​house. He knocked on the door three or four times before the servants opened it and asked, "Who is here?" He answered, "I am Liang-Sheng-Yü. Tell your master I must see him to-night, or I die."
Liang-Po dressed himself and came to the door. There he saw an old man with head so bowed as to conceal his face. He wore old clothes, and he carried a sword on his back and a bundle of thorn sticks in his hands. And he knelt on the floor.
General Liang-Po said, "Who is this?" Then Liang-Sheng-Yü, the great and proud helper of two generations of kings, said, "I wish to see General Liang-Po."
His face was still close to the floor and his voice trembled as he spoke. "General Liang-Po," he said, "I was against you before the king and I have learned that the fault was mine. I found you right, and I am guilty, not you. I have done you great wrong. General Liang-Po, my sword is on my back and a bundle of thorn sticks is in my hand. Take the sticks and beat me. Take the sword and cut off my head. We can not make war to-morrow, if we are not at peace to-night."
Then Liang-Po, the great general, helped Liang-Sheng-Yü upon his feet and said, "No, we have always been friends. We will be friends forever, and together we will serve our king. I wish you to forgive me. I ​wish the king, too, to forgive me, for I have also made mistakes. We will all forgive and be forgiven—then we will surely be friends."
The two great men bowed down together and worshiped the Creator, and they both swore that from that time they would have the same mind.