Canon 1: Delegation of Power
Power and authority must never be delegated to others. If the ruler loses even one part, the minister will exploit it as a hundred. Therefore, when a minister borrows power, his influence grows; when his influence grows, both internal and external forces serve him; when both internal and external forces serve him, the ruler is isolated and blinded. This principle is illustrated by Lao Dan’s saying about the fish that is lost. Thus, when a ruler converses at length with someone, his attendants will sell the brush hidden in their sleeves for profit. The danger of this is seen in Xu Tong’s remonstrance to Duke Li of Jin, and in Zhou Hou’s single word causing the people of Yan to bathe in excrement.
Note
This excerpt is from “Canon One: Delegated Authority” in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries Part II, the first of the Six Subtleties and a core political axiom. In concise wording, it reveals the “first law of power physics”: once power is delegated, it can hardly be reclaimed.
Lao Dan (Laotzu / Laozi) and the Fish Metaphor:
Han Fei invokes Laozi’s famous saying from Chapter 36 of the Daodejing: “A fish must not leave the deep pool”. The fish represents the ruler’s power; the deep pool represents the ruler’s exclusive control over it. Once the fish leaves the pool, it can never be recaptured – just as once power slips from the ruler’s hands, it can never be recovered. This is the foundational metaphor of Legalist political philosophy: power is irreversible.
Jingguo Jun (靖郭君 / Lord Jingguo, Tian Ying, 田婴):
A prime minister of Qi during the Warring States period. The anecdote tells that when he had a long private conversation with an old friend, onlookers assumed this friend had become his confidant, and began bribing him for access. The friend grew wealthy without Jingguo Jun saying a single substantive word. This illustrates how even the slightest display of favor – a prolonged conversation, a small gift – can be exploited by subordinates to create a shadow economy of influence.
Xu Tong and Duke Li of Jin:
During the reign of Duke Li of Jin (晋厉公), the Six Ministers had become excessively powerful. Xu Tong (胥僮) and Zhang Yu Jiao (长鱼矫) advised the duke to eliminate them. The duke killed three ministers but refused to kill the rest, saying “I cannot bear to do it.” Zhang Yu Jiao replied with the chilling maxim: “If you cannot bear to act against them, they will bear to act against you (公不忍之，彼将忍公). Three months later, the remaining ministers staged a coup and killed Duke Li. This is one of the most famous cautionary tales in Chinese political history about the fatal cost of half-measures in power consolidation.
Zhou Hou and the King of Chu:
Zhou Hou (州侯) served as chancellor of Chu and wielded such power that he made decisions independently of the king. When the king grew suspicious and asked his attendants, they all replied in unison: “There is nothing wrong.” Their perfectly coordinated denial – as if from a single mouth (如出一口) – revealed that Zhou Hou had already captured the entire information channel around the king.
The Yan Man Bathing in Excrement:
A man from the state of Yan came home early and found a stranger leaving his house. His wife denied any visitor, and all household members echoed the same denial in unison. His wife then told him he must be “mentally confused” and had him bathed in dog excrement as a “cure.” This absurd story is a metaphor for how a ruler surrounded by conspirators can be made to doubt his own senses – the entire information environment has been captured, and the ruler is forced to accept a fabricated reality.
Delegation of Power / Power Lending:
In Legalist thought, power is not a delegable resource – it is the ruler’s existential foundation. Unlike modern management theory which advocates delegation, Legalism holds that any transfer of authority creates an irreversible power imbalance. The ruler who delegates even a fraction of his power creates a minister who can amplify it exponentially.
Isolation / Blinding:
In political context, it refers to the ruler being cut off from accurate information – his ears and eyes are “blocked” by ministers who control the flow of intelligence. This is the terminal stage of power loss: the ruler still holds the title, but can no longer perceive reality, let alone govern.
The sharp instruments of the state must not be shown to others:
A famous line from Laozi’s Daodejing (Chapter 36), which Han Fei adopts as a core Legalist principle. “Sharp instruments” refers to the twin handles of reward and punishment. If the ruler reveals his intentions regarding rewards or punishments in advance, ministers will exploit this information to sell favors and build personal authority. Secrecy is not merely prudent – it is structurally necessary for the survival of sovereign power.
经一权借
权势不可以借人，上失其一，臣以为百。故臣得借则力多，力多则内外为用，内外为用则人主壅。其说在老聃之言失鱼也。是以人主久语而左右鬻怀刷，其患在胥僮之谏厉公，与州侯之一言而燕人浴矢也。
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