If a ruler is not unfathomable, subordinates will find opportunities to exploit him. When their deeds are improper, the ruler judges them by constant laws.
To be impartial as heaven and earth is called relieving confusion and harmonizing order. Like heaven and earth, make no distinction between distant and close. He who models himself after heaven and earth is a sage.
To govern the inner court, establish systems rather than personal intimacy. To govern outer regions, assign one official to each post. Prevent them from arbitrary conduct, so power cannot shift or merge. Powerful ministers fear crowds of followers gathering at their gates.
The highest state of governance is that subordinates cannot seize private power. Thoroughly match titles with actual deeds, and people will abide by their duties. Seeking other methods besides this is extreme folly. Crafty commoners multiply, and treacherous officials surround the ruler.
Hence it is said: do not enrich ministers so they lend favors to others; do not exalt ministers so they threaten the ruler; do not trust one person exclusively, or you will lose your capital and state.
When the calf grows larger than the thigh, one cannot walk swiftly. When a ruler loses his unfathomable authority, tiger‑like powerful ministers follow close behind. Unnoticed by the ruler, tigers pretend to be docile dogs. If the ruler does not stop them early, such “dogs” multiply endlessly.
When tigers form cliques, they will kill their sovereign. What state can a ruler have if he cannot control his ministers?
When the ruler enforces law, great tigers will fear; when he imposes punishment, great tigers will calm down naturally. If law and punishment are reliably carried out, tiger‑like villains will turn back into ordinary people and return to their true ministerial roles.
Note
This passage warns against the rise of powerful ministers. It advocates mysterious royal authority, strict legal control, one‑man‑one‑post governance, and timely suppression of ministerial cliques to prevent regicide and state collapse.
The leading Legalist thinker of the late Warring States Period. This passage is from Upholding Authority (Yang Quan), which provides sovereign strategies against powerful ministerial cliques.
Unfathomable Sovereign Authority
Legalist core idea: the ruler must keep his intentions mysterious and unpredictable to avoid being manipulated by subordinates.
Tiger‑Dog Metaphor
A classic Han Fei political metaphor: powerful ministers start as seemingly harmless “dogs” and grow into dangerous “tigers” who may usurp power or kill the ruler.
Calf‑Thigh Metaphor
Anatomical analogy: when subordinate power exceeds royal power (calf bigger than thigh), the ruler loses control of the state.
Title‑Performance Matching (Xing‑Ming)
Strict inspection of ministers’ words and deeds to prevent private power expansion.
Law and Punishment as Deterrence
Only consistent enforcement of law and punishment can suppress treacherous ministers and maintain monarchical supremacy.
主上不神，下將有因。其事不當，下考其常。若天若地，是謂累解。若地若天，孰疏孰親？能象天地，是謂聖人。欲治其內，置而勿親；欲治其外，官置一人；不使自恣，安得移并。大臣之門，唯恐多人。凡治之極，下不能得。周合刑名，民乃守職。去此更求，是謂大惑。猾民愈眾，姦邪滿側。故曰：毋富人而貸焉，毋貴人而逼焉，毋專信一人而失其都國焉。腓大於股，難以趣走。主失其神，虎隨其後。主上不知，虎將為狗。主不蚤止，狗益無已。虎成其群，以弒其母。為主而無臣，奚國之有！主施其法，大虎將怯；主施其刑，大虎自寧。法刑狗信，虎化為人，復反其真。
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