Marquis Zhao of Han clutched a fingernail in his hand and feigned losing one, urgently ordering his attendants to find it. The attendants, in response, cut off their own fingernails to offer as the “lost” one. The Marquis used this to test whether his attendants were honest.
Marquis Zhao of Han dispatched a rider to inspect a county. Upon returning, the Marquis asked, “What did you see?” The rider replied, “I saw nothing.” The Marquis said, “Even so, what did you see?” The rider replied, “Outside the South Gate, there was a yellow calf eating crops on the left side of the road.” The Marquis told the rider, “Do not dare to reveal what I asked you.” He then issued an order: “During the crop-growing season, it is strictly forbidden for cattle and horses to enter private fields. This is an established law, yet officials have neglected it, allowing many animals to trample the crops. Immediately report the exact number of such incidents; if the reports are incomplete, the offenders will be severely punished.” Consequently, the officials of three townships submitted their reports. The Marquis said, “This is not complete.” He then sent someone to investigate again, and indeed found the yellow calf outside the South Gate. The officials, believing the Marquis to be perfectly clear-sighted, all trembled in fear and dared not commit any wrongdoing.
The Lord of Zhou ordered his officials to find a curved walking stick, but they could not find it after several days. The Lord secretly sent someone else to look for it, and it was found in less than a day. He then told the officials, “I know you officials are not doing your jobs. A curved stick is easy to find, yet you could not get it. My servant found it in less than a day. How can this be called loyalty?” The officials trembled in fear, believing their lord to be divine.
When Bu Pi served as a county magistrate, his censor was corrupt and had a favored concubine. Bu Pi dispatched a junior attendant to feign affection for her, in order to uncover the censor’s hidden misconduct.
When Ximen Bao served as the magistrate of Ye, he feigned losing his carriage axle pin and ordered his officials to find it. They could not find it. He then sent someone else to search, and it was found in a local’s house.
Note
This excerpt comes from “Explanation Six” in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I, illustrating “Canon Six: Asking While Knowing the Answer“. Han Fei holds rulers should confront ministers with confirmed facts. Exposing one lie creates widespread fear of the ruler’s omniscience, restraining all hidden treacherous acts.
Marquis Zhao’s Fingernail:
Marquis Zhao of Han (韩昭侯) hid a clipped fingernail in his hand and feigned losing it. Some attendants cut off their own fingernails to offer as the “lost” one. This is the ultimate ancient lie-detector test: creating a fake demand to see who will fabricate a response to please the boss.
Investigating the South Gate:
Marquis Zhao knew a yellow calf was eating crops outside the South Gate but asked his inspectors what they saw. When they reported vaguely, he ordered a strict census of crop damage and pointed out the South Gate detail when their reports were incomplete. The officials were terrified by his apparent omniscience. This illustrates using a micro-fact to enforce macro-compliance.
The Lord of Zhou’s Curved Stick:
The Lord of Zhou asked his officials to find a curved walking stick. They failed after days of searching. He then had a private servant find it in less than a day. The stark contrast proved the officials’ incompetence or laziness, establishing a lasting psychological deterrent.
Bu Pi’s Spy Mission:
Bu Pi (卜皮), a county magistrate, suspected a censor of corruption. Instead of confronting him directly, he sent a junior attendant to befriend the censor’s favorite concubine to gather intelligence. This shows the use of indirect networks to bypass official information blockades.
Ximen Bao’s Lost Carriage Pin:
Ximen Bao, the famous magistrate of Ye, faked losing a carriage axle pin. When his subordinates failed to find it, he had others search and found it in a local’s home. This allowed him to instantly distinguish between diligent and negligent officials.
Asking While Knowing the Answer / Testing with Known Facts:
This method is essentially a proactive lie-detector test. The ruler uses a known fact as a trap; if the subordinate lies or covers up, they fall into the trap.
Thoroughly understanding one matter transforms all hidden treacheries:
This is the concept of exemplary deterrence. By exposing one specific lie with absolute certainty, the ruler creates a systemic illusion of omniscience. Subordinates assume that if the ruler knows this one small thing, he probably knows everything else, causing them to self-censor.
Cognitive Dissonance in Governance:
This technique forces subordinates into cognitive dissonance. When their fabricated reports clash with the ruler’s undeniable facts, their psychological defenses break down, exposing their true nature.
说六
韩昭侯握爪，而佯亡一爪，求之甚急。左右因割其爪而效之。昭侯以此察左右之诚不。
韩昭侯使骑于县，使者报，昭侯问曰：”何见也？”对曰：”无所见也。”昭侯曰：”虽然，何见？”曰：”南门之外，有黄犊食苗道左者。”昭侯谓使者：”毋敢泄吾所问于女。”乃下令曰：”当苗时，禁牛马入人田中，固有令，而吏不以为事，牛马甚多入人田中。亟举其数上之；不得，将重其罪。”于是三乡举而上之。昭侯曰：”未尽也。”复往审之，乃得南门之外黄犊。吏以昭侯为明察，皆悚惧其所而不敢为非。
周主下令索曲杖，吏求之数日不能得。周主私使人求之，不移日而得之。乃谓吏曰：”吾知吏不事事也。曲杖甚易也，而吏不能得，我令人求之，不移日而得之，岂可谓忠哉！”吏乃皆悚惧其所，以君为神明。
卜皮为县令，其御史污秽而有爱妾，卜皮乃使少庶子佯爱之，以知御史阴情。
西门豹为鄴令，佯亡其车辖，令吏求之不能得，使人求之而得之家人屋间。
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