《资治通鉴·梁纪·梁纪一》
但是，李膺却不以为然，他告戎邓元起： 使君您前面有强大的敌人，而后面没有增援力量，山民们刚刚投附，还要对我们加以观望，看我们对他们到底如何，如果对待他们过于刻薄，民众一定不堪忍受，而众心一旦离散，我们虽然后悔也来不及了。
李膺谏曰： 使君前有严敌，后无继援，山民始附，于我观德。若纠以刻薄，民必不堪；众心一离，虽悔无及。
However, Li Ying did not think so. He told Deng Yuanqi, "Your Excellency, you have a strong enemy in front of you and no reinforcements behind you. The mountain people have just attached themselves to us and are still watching us to see how we treat them. If we treat them too harshly, the people will not be able to bear it, and once the people's hearts are scattered, it will be too late for us to regret it.