Duke Jing of the state of Qi discussed the general plans to govern the country with Yan Zi. Yan Zi believed they should get rid of the mice in the temple first.

The king could not understand him.

Then Yan Zi explained, "Then temple is made of wood, and walls are made by plastering the wood. So if there are mice inside, there is trouble. Of you want smoke out the mice, you are afraid of burning the wood, of you use water, you are afraid of damaging the wall. Caught in a dilemma, you can hardly get rid of the mice. The monarch's intimate ministers and servants are just like the mice in the temple, in the imperial court they would befuddle the king and outside the court they would bully and oppress the common people. If they are not gotten rid of, the country wil be unsettled. But it is very difficult to remove them, because they usually can get protection and pardon from the monarch."

齐景公和晏子探讨治国才略。晏子认为首先必须除去土地庙中的老鼠。

齐景公对晏子的说法不理解。

晏子就解释说：“土地庙是由木头捆扎而成，木头柱子抹上泥巴就是墙壁，只要里面有老鼠，麻烦就来了。用烟火熏，怕烧着了木头；用水灌，又怕冲坏了墙壁，左右为难，不可能把老鼠消灭。国君宠幸的近臣、侍从也类似土地庙的老鼠，他们对内蒙蔽国君，对外欺压百姓，不除掉他们，国家就有可能被搅乱；而除掉他们又很难，因为他们往往能得到国君给予的保护和赦免。”