King Xuan of Han said to Jiu Liu: “I intend to appoint both Gong Zhong and Gong Shu to important posts. Is this feasible?”
Jiu Liu replied: “It is not advisable. Jin employed six senior ministers simultaneously and eventually fell apart. Duke Jian of Qi relied on both Tian Cheng and Kan Zhi, yet was eventually killed. Wei gave equal power to Xishou and Zhang Yi, and consequently lost all lands west of the Xi River.
If Your Majesty puts both men in high office now, the stronger will form cliques at court, while the weaker will seek support from foreign states. Some ministers will build factions domestically to defy the ruler; others will make alliances abroad and surrender territory. Then your kingdom will be in great peril.”
Note
Letting two powerful top ministers share power will breed cliques and external collusion. Drawing lessons from history, a wise ruler must avoid such arrangements to safeguard state stability and royal authority.
Late Warring States Legalist philosopher. This text is excerpted from Han Feizi, Chapter: The Forest of Persuasions (Part I). He cites this dialogue to elaborate on the art of governing officials.
King Xuan of Han
Ruler of the State of Han during the Warring States period.
Jiu Liu
A prudent minister of Han, well-versed in historical lessons and court politics.
Gong Zhong, Gong Shu
Two influential senior officials of Han.
Six Ministers of Jin
Powerful noble clans of Jin whose rivalry led to the partition of the state.
Duke Jian of Qi, Tian Cheng, Kan Zhi
Their concurrent employment triggered a coup and the ruler’s death.
Xishou (Xi Shou), Zhang Yi
Famous strategists of Wei; their conflicting policies caused territorial losses.
Xi Shou was the Warring States strategist Gongsun Yan. Xi Shou was originally an official title in the State of Wei, akin to a general. Because Gongsun Yan held this post and became so renowned, later generations called him by his title. Gongsun Yan was an early proponent of the vertical alliance strategy.
Zhang Yi, also a native of Wei, studied under Guiguzi and later became chancellor of Qin. With his persuasive skills, he helped Qin win over other states and break apart the six-state alliance.
The two were political arch-rivals of their time – one advocated uniting the six states against Qin (vertical alliance), the other advocated dividing the alliance and aligning with Qin (horizontal alliance). Historical accounts record their relationship as highly contentious.
Concurrent Appointment of Top Ministers
Appointing two powerful officials to equivalent high positions was a risky practice in ancient politics, which easily sparked factional strife.
Factional Struggles
Powerful ministers would gather followers to compete for power, disturbing state governance and threatening royal authority.
Collusion with Foreign Forces
Weak domestic factions often allied with external states to strengthen themselves, resulting in territorial losses.
Legalist Official Governance
Legalists advocated centralized power, warning rulers to avoid balancing two equal powerful ministers so as to eliminate internal strife.
韓宣王謂樛留曰：「吾欲兩用公仲、公叔其可乎？」對曰：「不可。晉用六卿而國分，簡公兩用田成、闞止而簡公殺，魏兩用犀首、張儀而西河之外亡。今王兩用之，其多力者樹其黨，寡力者借外權。群臣有內樹黨以驕主，有外為交以削地，則王之國危矣。」
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