Explanations II
Shenzi said, “If the ruler makes his perspicacity obvious, people prepare against him; if he does not make it obvious, they bewilder him. If he displays his knowledge, people disguise themselves; if he does not display it, they conceal their intentions. If he appears to have no desires, people spy on him; if he appears to have desires, they bait him. Hence it is said: there is no way to know them fully; only non-action can regulate them.”
Another version says: Shenzi said, “Be cautious in speech, and people will come to know you; be cautious in action, and people will follow your traces. If you reveal knowledge, people will hide from you; if you reveal ignorance, people will guess your mind. If you are wise, people will guard against you; if you are unwise, people will act upon you. Hence it is said: only non-action can regulate them.”
Tian Zifang asked Tang Yiju, “What should a fowler be cautious about?” Tang Yiju replied, “The birds watch you with hundreds of eyes, while you guard against them with only two. You must carefully protect your granary and conceal yourself.” Tian Zifang said, “Good. You apply this to fowling; I shall apply it to governing the state.” An elder of Zheng heard this and said, “Tian Zifang knows that he wishes to guard the granary, but he has not yet found the means of guarding it. Emptiness, stillness, and non-display – this is the true granary.”
Another version says that King Xuan of Qi asked Tang Yizi about fowling. Tang Yizi said, “The essential point lies in carefully guarding the granary.” The king asked what this meant. Tang Yizi replied, “The birds watch the man with dozens of eyes, while the man watches the birds with only two; how can he fail to guard the granary carefully?” The king asked, “Then, in ruling the world, how can one make oneself such a granary? Now the ruler watches the whole state with two eyes, while the whole state watches the ruler with ten thousand eyes. How can he protect himself?” Tang Yizi answered, “An elder of Zheng said, ‘Be empty, still, non-assertive, and unmanifest.’ Perhaps this can serve as the granary.”
Guo Yang was highly valued by the ruler of Zheng. Hearing that the ruler disliked him, he attended a drinking session and said in advance, “If I have unfortunately committed a fault, I hope Your Lordship will inform me. I beg to change my ways, so that I may escape the death penalty.”
A guest persuaded King Xuan of Han. The king was pleased and sighed. His attendants, wishing to curry favor with the guest, hastened to tell him of the king’s approval.
When Lord Jingguo served as chancellor of Qi, the queen died, and it was not yet known whom to appoint in her place. He therefore presented jade earrings to discover the king’s preference.
Another version says that when Lord Xue served as chancellor of Qi, the consort of King Wei of Qi died. There were ten favored ladies in the palace, all dear to the king. Lord Xue wished to know whom the king intended to elevate, so that he might recommend her. He therefore had ten pairs of jade earrings made, one of them especially fine, and presented them to the king. The king distributed them among the ten ladies. The next day, Lord Xue observed who wore the finest pair and then urged the king to appoint her as consort.
Gan Mao served as chancellor to King Hui of Qin. The king favored Gongsun Yan and once said to him in private, “I intend to make you chancellor.” One of Gan Mao’s subordinates overheard this through a hole in the wall and reported it. Gan Mao entered and said to the king, “Your Majesty has obtained a worthy chancellor; I venture to congratulate you.” The king replied, “I have entrusted the state to you; where would I find another worthy chancellor?” Gan Mao said, “You are about to appoint the Horned Head.” The king asked, “How did you hear this?” Gan Mao replied, “The Horned Head told me.” The king, angered by the Horned Head’s indiscretion, expelled him.
Another version says that the Horned Head was a renowned general and a minister of the king of Liang. The king of Qin wished to employ him. After a year, the Horned Head incurred guilt before the king of Liang, fled to Qin, and was well received. Chu Li Ji, a Qin general, feared being replaced. He bored a hole near the place where the king usually held private talks. The king indeed discussed with the Horned Head an attack on Han, and the Horned Head accepted the command. Chu Li Ji overheard this. Soon all the palace gentlemen knew that troops would march against Han in autumn under the Horned Head’s command, and the news spread throughout the state. When the king questioned Chu Li Ji, he suggested that the Horned Head had leaked it. The king sent for the Horned Head, but he had already fled to the other states.
Tang Xi Gong said to Zhao Hou, “Suppose there is a jade cup worth a thousand gold, but it has no bottom. Can it hold water?” Zhao Hou said, “No.” Tang Xi Gong asked, “Suppose there is an earthen vessel that does not leak. Can it hold wine?” Zhao Hou said, “Yes.” Tang Xi Gong said, “The earthen vessel is cheap, yet because it does not leak it can hold wine. The jade cup is precious, yet without a bottom it cannot hold water; who would pour wine into it? If a ruler leaks the confidential words exchanged between ruler and minister, he is like a bottomless jade cup. Even if he possesses sagely wisdom, his methods cannot be fully employed, because his secrecy leaks away.” Zhao Hou agreed. Thereafter, whenever he wished to discuss great affairs of the realm, he slept alone, fearing that he might reveal his plans in his sleep.
Another version says that Tang Xi Gong asked Zhao Hou which he would use to drink from if both a white jade cup and an earthen cup lacked bottoms. Zhao Hou chose the earthen cup. Tang Xi Gong said that a ruler who leaks confidential discourse is like a bottomless jade cup. After each audience with Tang Xi Gong, Zhao Hou would lie down alone, lest he betray his designs to his wives and concubines in his sleep.
Shenzi said, “He who sees independently is called clear-sighted; he who hears independently is called keen-eared. He who can decide independently is fit to be lord of the world.”
Note
This Legalist excerpt from Han Feizi‑Chapter 34.5 draws on Shen Buhai’s ideas. Through various anecdotes and metaphors, it stresses rulers must keep secrets, hide personal desires and make independent decisions to evade ministerial manipulation.
A major Legalist thinker of the Warring States period. His work emphasizes law, administrative technique, and the ruler’s positional power.
A Legalist thinker associated with “administrative technique.” Han Fei draws on his ideas about how rulers should manage ministers without revealing their own intentions.
Wuwei / non-action:
A Daoist-derived idea meaning the ruler should not act impulsively or display personal desires. Here it becomes a technique of concealment rather than pure moral spontaneity.
A disciple of Confucian tradition and teacher of Marquis Wen of Wei. His appearance shows how Legalist texts borrow dialogues from other schools.
Tang Yiju / Tang Yizi:
A figure associated with fowling lore. The “fowler” analogy compares governing to hunting: the ruler is watched by many eyes and must remain hidden.
Elder of Zheng:
A semi-legendary Daoist elder. His remark links emptiness and stillness with political self-concealment.
King Xuan of Qi / King Wei of Qi / Lord Jingguo / Lord Xue:
Qi rulers and ministers used here to illustrate how ministers test royal preference. “Jade earrings” function as a subtle political probe.
Gan Mao, Gongsun Yan, Chu Li Ji, King Hui of Qin:
Qin political figures. The “hole in the wall” episode shows how confidential plans can leak through court intrigue.
Tang Xi Gong and Zhao Hou / Han Zhao Hou:
Zhao Hou, or King Zhao of Han, appears as a ruler who learns to guard secrecy, even sleeping alone to avoid disclosing plans.
Bottomless jade cup:
A famous Legalist metaphor. A ruler who cannot keep secrets is like a precious vessel that cannot hold liquid; beauty and status cannot compensate for structural failure.
说二
申子曰：“上明见，人备之；其不明见，人惑之。其知见，人饰之；不知见，人匿之。其无欲见，人司之；其有欲见，人饵之。故曰：吾无从知之，惟无为可以规之。”
一曰：申子曰：“慎而言也，人且知女；慎而行也，人且随女。而有知见也，人且匿女；而无知见也，人且意女。女有知也，人且臧女；女无知也，人且行女。故曰：惟无为可以规之。”
田子方问唐易鞠曰：“弋者何慎？”对曰“鸟以数百目视子，子以二目御之，子谨周子禀。”田子方曰：“善。子加之弋，我加之国。”郑长者闻之曰：“田子方知欲为禀，而未得所以为禀。夫虚无无见者，禀见。”
一曰：齐宣王问弋于唐易子曰：“弋者奚贵？”唐易子曰：“在于谨禀。”王曰：“何谓谨禀？”对曰：“鸟以数十目视人，人以二目视鸟，奈何不谨禀也？故曰’在于谨禀’也。”王曰：“然则为天下何以为此禀？今人主以二目视一国，一国以万目视人主，将何以自为禀乎？”对曰：“郑长者有言曰：’夫虚静无为而无见也。’其可以为此禀乎！“
国羊重于郑君，闻君之恶己也，侍饮，因先谓君曰：“臣适不幸而有过，愿君幸而告之。臣请变更，则臣免死罪矣。”
客有说韩宣王，宣王说而太息。左右引王之说之，以先告客以为德。
靖郭君之相齐也，王后死，未知所置，乃献玉珥以知之。
一曰：薛公相齐，齐威王夫人死，中有十孺子，皆贵于王，薛公欲知王所欲立，而请置一人以为夫人。王听之，则是说行于王而重于置夫人也；王不听，是说不行而轻于置夫人也。欲先知王之所欲置以劝王置之，于是为十玉耳而美其一而献之。王以赋十孺子，明日坐，视美珥之所在而劝王以为夫人。
甘茂相秦惠王，惠王爱公孙衍，与之间有所言，曰：“寡人将相子。”甘茂之吏道穴闻之，以告甘茂。甘茂入见王，曰：“王得贤相，臣敢再拜贺。”“寡人托国于子，安更得贤相？”对曰：“将相犀首。”王曰：“子安闻之？”对曰：“犀首告臣。”王怒犀道之泄，乃逐之。
一曰：犀首，天下之善将也，梁王之臣也。秦王欲得之与治天下，犀首曰：“衍人臣也，不敢离主之国。”居期年，犀首抵罪于梁王，逃而入秦，秦王甚善之。樗里疾，秦之将也，恐犀首之代之将也，凿穴于王之所常隐语者。俄而王果与犀首计，曰：吾欲攻韩，奚如？”犀首曰：“秋可矣。”王曰：“吾欲以国累子，子必勿泄也。”犀首反走再拜曰：“受命。”于是樗是疾已道穴听之矣。郎中皆曰：“兵秋起攻韩，犀首为将。”于是日也，郎中尽知之；于是月也，境内尽知之。王召樗里疾曰：“是何匈匈也，何道出？”樗里疾曰：“似犀首也。”王曰：“吾无与犀首言也，其犀首何哉？”樗里疾曰：“犀首也羁旅新抵罪，其孤，是言自嫁于众。”王曰：“然。”使人召犀首，已逃诸候矣。
堂谷公谓昭候曰：“今有千金之玉卮而无当，可以盛水乎？”昭候曰：“不可。”“有瓦器而不漏，可以盛酒乎？”昭候曰：“可。”对曰：“夫瓦器，至贱也，不漏可以盛酒。虽有千金之玉卮，至贵而无当，漏不可盛水，则人孰注浆哉？今为人之主而漏其君臣之语，是犹无当之玉卮也，虽有圣智，莫尽其术，为其漏也。”昭候曰：“然。”昭侯闻堂谷公之言，自此之后，欲发天下之大事，未尝不独寝，恐梦言而使人知其谋也。
一曰：堂谷公见昭候曰：“今有白玉之卮而无当，有瓦卮而无当。君渴，将何以饮？”君曰：“以瓦卮。”堂鸡公曰：“白玉之卮美，而君不以饮者，以其无当耶？”君曰：“然。”堂谷公曰：“为人主而漏泄其君臣之语，譬犹玉卮之无当。”堂谷公每见而出，昭候必独卧，惟恐梦言泄于妻妾。
申子曰：“独视者谓明，独听者为聪。能独断者，故可以为天下主。”
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