高僧傳 9.20

9.20

偽大司馬燕公石斌，虎以為幽州牧鎮薊，群凶湊聚，因以肆暴。澄誡虎曰：「天神昨夜言，疾收馬還，至秋齊當癰爛。」虎不解此語，即勅諸處收馬送還。其秋有人譖斌於虎，虎召斌，鞭之三百。殺其所生齊氏。虎彎弓捻矢，自視斌行罰輕，虎乃手殺五百。澄諫曰：「心不可縱，死不可生，禮不親殺，以傷恩也。何有天子手行罰乎？」虎乃止。

The pseudo-Grand Commander, Shi Bin, Duke of Yan, had been appointed by Hu as Governor of Youzhou to garrison Ji; a multitude of villains gathered there, and he used them to run rampant with cruelty. Deng warned Hu, saying: "A deva said last night to quickly recall the horses; by autumn, Qi will become a rotting ulcer." Hu did not understand these words, but immediately ordered all quarters to collect the horses and send them back. That autumn, someone slandered Bin to Hu. Hu summoned Bin and gave him three hundred lashes, and killed his birth mother, Lady Qi. Hu bent his bow, notched an arrow, and seeing for himself that the punishment inflicted on Bin was light, Hu personally killed five hundred men. Deng remonstrated: "One's heart must not be given free rein, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Propriety dictates not killing personally, lest it wound kindness. How can the Son of Heaven carry out punishment with his own hands?" Hu then stopped.