Duke Mu of Lu asked Zisi, “I have heard that the son of the Pang clan is unfilial. What are his deeds like?” Zisi replied, “A gentleman honors the worthy to elevate virtue and promotes the good to guide the people. As for wrongful conduct, that is what petty men take note of. I do not know it.” Zisi withdrew. Then Zifu Libo entered for an audience. The duke asked him about the son of the Pang clan, and Zifu Libo answered, “He has three faults.” All of them were things the duke had never heard before. From that time on, the duke honored Zisi and looked down on Zifu Libo.
Someone says: Was it not fitting that the ducal house of Lu was controlled by the Ji clan for three generations? An enlightened ruler seeks out good conduct and rewards it, and seeks out treachery and punishes it; the aim is the same in both cases. Those who report good deeds share the ruler’s delight in goodness; those who report treachery share the ruler’s hatred of wickedness. Such people deserve reward and praise. Those who fail to report treachery are out of harmony with the ruler above and collude with the wicked below; such people deserve blame and punishment. Yet Zisi did not report the son’s faults, and Duke Mu honored him; Libo reported the treachery, and Duke Mu despised him. Human nature delights in honor and dislikes disgrace. Thus the Ji clan’s disorder grew without reaching the ruler’s ears, and this is why the ruler of Lu was coerced. Moreover, this custom belongs to rulers who lose their states. The people of Zou and Lu took pride in it, yet Duke Mu alone honored it. Was this not perverse?
Note
This Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 38.1 criticizes Duke Mu of Lu’s preference for Zisi. It argues rulers should reward ministers who report wrongdoing; concealing misdeeds blinds the sovereign and enables powerful clans to seize control.
Han Feizi and the “Nan” chapters:
The Han Feizi is a foundational Legalist text from the late Warring States period. The Nan chapters often challenge admired stories by showing that moral reputation alone may harm state administration.
Duke Mu of Lu:
A ruler of the state of Lu during the Warring States period. Lu was the home state of Confucius and remained strongly influenced by Confucian culture.
Zisi (Zi Si):
Kong Ji, grandson of Confucius and an important early Confucian thinker. He represents the Confucian ideal of promoting virtue and avoiding gossip about others’ faults.
Zifu Libo:
A minister of Lu. His name shows the Lu practice of using clan names such as “Zifu.” He reports the Pang son’s misconduct, but is despised for doing so.
The Pang clan’s son:
A minor local figure mentioned only to test how ministers respond when asked about another person’s faults.
Filial piety:
In early Chinese thought, filial piety meant respect, care, and obedience toward one’s parents. It was treated as a basic moral virtue and often used to judge a person’s character.
The Ji clan’s domination of Lu:
The Ji, Meng, and Shu clans were powerful ministerial families in Lu. The Ji clan, especially, long controlled Lu’s politics, reducing the duke to a figurehead.
Zou and Lu:
Zou was a small locality near Qufu, closely associated with Confucian culture. Han Fei uses “Zou and Lu” to suggest a local moral habit of praising virtue while hiding vice.
Legalist “shu”:
“Shu” means the ruler’s method of controlling officials, verifying reports, and preventing deception. Han Fei argues that a ruler must reward those who bring hidden wrongdoing to light, because concealment weakens the ruler’s power.
Han Fei’s critique of “hiding evil”:
Confucian ministers often praised “covering faults” as gentlemanly. Han Fei reverses this: for a ruler, concealing misconduct creates blind spots and allows powerful ministers to grow unchecked.
一
鲁穆公问于子思曰：“吾闻庞氏之子不孝，其行奚如？”子思对曰：“君子尊贤以崇德，举善以观民。若夫过行，是细人之所识也，臣不知也。”子思出。子服厉伯入见，问庞氏子，子服厉伯对曰：“其过三。”皆君之所未尝闻。自是这后，君贵子思而贱子服厉伯也。
或曰：鲁之公室，三世劫于季氏，不亦宜乎？明君求善而赏之，求奸而诛之，其得之一也。故以善闻之者，以说善同于上者也；以奸闻之者，以恶奸同于上者也：此宜赏誉之所及也。不以奸闻，是异于上而下比周于奸者也，此宜毁罚之所及也。今子思不以过闻而穆公贵之，厉伯以奸闻而穆公贱之。人情皆喜贵而恶贱，故季氏之乱成而不上闻，此鲁君之所以劫也。且此亡王之俗，取、鲁之民所以自美，而穆公独贵之，不亦倒乎？
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