Ministers employ eight stratagems to carry out treacherous plots.
The first is sharing the bed. What does this mean? Favored queens, concubines, beloved young princes, and beautiful attendants are those who bewitch the ruler. Taking advantage of his leisure and drunken satisfaction, they ask for favors which he always grants. Ministers bribe them with gold and jewels inside the palace to mislead the ruler – this is sharing the bed.
The second is being near the ruler. Court jesters, dwarfs, and personal attendants echo the ruler before he speaks, anticipate his wishes, read his facial expressions to please him. They move in unison and speak with one voice to shift the ruler’s mind. Ministers bribe them with treasures, conduct illegal deeds outside, and let them influence the ruler secretly – this is being near the ruler.
The third is kinsmen and nobles. Royal princes and relatives are beloved by the ruler; senior ministers are his political advisors. They offer full‑hearted advice which the ruler often accepts. Ministers win over princes with music and women, persuade ministers with words, and promise higher ranks and salaries in exchange for loyalty, inciting them to betray the ruler – this is kinsmen and nobles.
The fourth is nurturing disaster. Rulers love luxurious palaces, terraces, ponds, and fine concubines, dogs and horses for pleasure – these are the ruler’s potential disasters. Ministers exhaust people’s labor to build grand palaces, levy heavy taxes to collect beauties and pets, indulge the ruler’s desires to cloud his judgment, and seek private gains in the process – this is nurturing disaster.
The fifth is winning commoners’ support. Ministers distribute public wealth to please people and grant petty favors to win popularity. Praised by both court and public, they block the ruler and fulfill personal goals – this is winning commoners’ support.
The sixth is popular persuasion. Rulers are usually isolated from public opinions and easily swayed by eloquent speeches. Ministers hire persuasive speakers from other states and within their own country, who deliver polished rhetoric for private interests, show benefits and threats, and spread false words to ruin the ruler – this is popular persuasion.
The seventh is private intimidation. A ruler gains power from ministers and common people. Ministers gather sword‑bearing fighters and desperate warriors to display personal might, promising rewards to supporters and death to opponents. They intimidate officials and civilians to pursue private goals – this is private intimidation.
The eighth is foreign influence. Weak states serve powerful ones; weak armies fear strong ones. Small states obey great powers’ demands. Ministers impose heavy taxes, empty state treasuries, and sacrifice national interests to serve powerful foreign states, using foreign pressure to coerce their ruler. In extreme cases, they station troops at borders to exploit people internally; otherwise, they send frequent foreign envoys to frighten the ruler – this is foreign influence.
These eight stratagems enable ministers to commit treachery and cause rulers to be deceived, coerced, and lose their sovereignty. Rulers must carefully observe against them.
Note
This passage reveals the comprehensive threats to autocratic rule: ministers can manipulate rulers through inner‑court connections, kinship, public sentiment, private violence, and foreign pressure. Rulers must guard against all eight treacherous strategies to maintain supreme power.
The core Legalist thinker of the late Warring‑States Period. This passage is excerpted from The Eight Treacheries (Ba Jian), a classic political text listing eight typical ministerial schemes to usurp royal power.
Eight Treacheries
A systematic Legalist summary of power‑usurpation tactics targeting rulers, covering inner court, kinship, public opinion, military force, and foreign relations.
Harem Politics (Sharing the Bed)
In ancient Chinese autocracy, royal concubines and princes often interfered in state affairs. Han Fei classifies them as the first threat to monarchical power.
Private Military Force (Private Intimidation)
Warring‑States ministers commonly kept personal bodyguards and assassins to pressure rulers, which Legalism strictly forbids.
Foreign Manipulation (Foreign Influence)
Powerful ministers often colluded with foreign states to blackmail domestic rulers, a major political risk in the multi‑state Warring‑States system.
Public Opinion Manipulation (Popular Persuasion & Winning Commoners’ Support)
Ministers use rhetoric and petty favors to shape public praise, isolating the ruler from public trust.
凡人臣之所道成姦者有八術：一曰在同床。何謂同床？曰：貴夫人，愛孺子，便僻好色，此人主之所惑也。託於燕處之虞，乘醉飽之時，而求其所欲，此必聽之術也。為人臣者內事之以金玉，使惑其主，此之謂同床。二曰在旁。何謂在旁？曰：優笑侏儒，左右近習，此人主未命而唯唯，未使而諾諾，先意承旨，觀貌察色以先主心者也。此皆俱進俱退，皆應皆對，一辭同軌以移主心者也。為人臣者內事之以金玉玩好，外為之行不法，使之化其主，此之謂在旁。三曰父兄。何謂父兄？曰：側室公子，人主之所親愛也，大臣廷吏，人主之所與度計也，此皆盡力畢議，人主之所必聽也。為人臣者事公子側室以音聲子女，收大臣廷吏以辭言，處約言事事成則進爵益祿，以勸其心使犯其主，此之謂父兄。四曰養殃。何謂養殃？曰：人主樂美宮室臺池、好飾子女狗馬以娛其心，此人主之殃也。為人臣者盡民力以美宮室臺池，重賦歛以飾子女狗馬，以娛其主而亂其心、從其所欲，而樹私利其間，此謂養殃。五曰民萌。何謂民萌？曰：為人臣者散公財以說民人，行小惠以取百姓，使朝廷市井皆勸譽己，以塞其主而成其所欲，此之謂民萌。六曰流行。何謂流行？曰：人主者，固壅其言談，希於聽論議，易移以辯說。為人臣者求諸侯之辯士、養國中之能說者，使之以語其私，為巧文之言，流行之辭，示之以利勢，懼之以患害，施屬虛辭以壞其主，此之謂流行。七曰威強。何謂威強？曰：君人者，以群臣百姓為威強者也。群臣百姓之所善則君善之，非群臣百姓之所善則君不善之。為人臣者，聚帶劍之客、養必死之士以彰其威，明為己者必利，不為己者必死，以恐其群臣百姓而行其私，此之謂威強。八曰四方。何謂四方？曰：君人者，國小則事大國，兵弱則畏強兵，大國之所索，小國必聽，強兵之所加，弱兵必服。為人臣者，重賦歛，盡府庫，虛其國以事大國，而用其威求誘其君；甚者舉兵以聚邊境而制歛於內，薄者數內大使以震其君，使之恐懼，此之謂四方。凡此八者，人臣之所以道成姦，世主所以壅劫，失其所有也，不可不察焉。
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