Getting Off the Cart for Self-accusation　Yu succeeded Shun in becoming the new leader of the union of tribes thanks to his efforts in taming the floods. One day, when he was on an inspection tour in a cart, he saw guards escorting several criminals. Upon hearing that they had been arrested for stealing rice, Yu did not get angry, but instead burst into tears. He said, “When Yao and Shun were on the throne, all the people abided by law and behaved themselves. But now they hurt others for their own sake after I acceded to the throne. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.” He had a tortoiseshell carved with a sentence that read, “The guilt of the people lies in me, ” and set the criminals free.

下车泣罪　大禹因治水成功，接替舜成为新的部落联盟首领。一天，他外出巡视，看到有人押着几名罪犯走过。得知他们是因偷盗稻谷被抓，大禹并不生气，反而流下眼泪，说：“尧和舜做首领的时候，百姓都安分守己；我做了首领，百姓却做出损人利己的事情，真正有罪的是我。”他命人在一块龟板上刻“百姓有罪，在予一人”八字，然后将罪犯释放。