I remember reading this in a Chinese history book when I was a kid, but it's been a long time that I forgot what the context was about.
IIRC it's a general advising an emperor.
Damn, I'm so, so sure I know what you mean. There was a German book called Letters Back to Ancient China by Herbert Rosendorfer where the main character quotes a book that says something like "when armours and weapons are covered by rust, men die of old age, the temples' pavement is worn by the steps of worshippers, and the Emperor follows the advice of wise men, (etc) then, the country is well governed".
I can't find the quote in the book to see what was he referring to, but based on the acknowledgements it can be from one of these:
I'll keep trying to find it.