His conduct was but a scholar's honouring virtue and talents, not the honouring them proper to a king or a duke. The sovereign also enjoyed there Shun's hospitality. Alternately he was host and guest. Here was the sovereign maintaining friendship with a private man. Respect shown by inferiors to superiors is called giving to the noble the observance due to rank.
Respect shown by superiors to inferiors is called giving honour to talents and virtue.
The rightness in each case is the same. Wan Chang said, 'Here now is one who stops and robs people outside the gates of the city. Mencius replied, 'It would not be proper. It cannot be questioned, and to the present day is clearly acknowledged. Chang said, 'The princes of the present day take from their people just as a robber despoils his victim.