He Shi, a man of Chu, found an unpolished jade stone in the Chu Mountains. He presented it to King Li of Chu. King Li ordered a jade craftsman to examine it, who said: “This is merely a stone.” The king thought He Shi was lying and cut off his left foot.
When King Li died, King Wu ascended the throne. He Shi again presented the jade stone to King Wu. The king sent another jade craftsman to inspect it, who also said: “It is a stone.” King Wu also thought He Shi was deceptive and cut off his right foot.
After King Wu died, King Wen took the throne. He Shi held the jade stone and wept beneath the Chu Mountains for three days and three nights. When his tears dried, blood flowed instead.
Hearing this, King Wen sent men to ask the reason: “Many have had their feet cut off under heaven. Why do you weep so bitterly?”
He Shi replied: “I do not grieve for my lost feet. I grieve that precious jade is labeled a stone, and an honest loyal man is called a liar. This is why I weep.”
King Wen then ordered a craftsman to polish the stone, revealing a priceless gem. It was named He Shi Bi (the He Shi Jade Disc).
Note
This famous fable delivers a Legalist political metaphor: true statecraft and loyal reformers are often misjudged and persecuted before their value is recognized; short‑sighted rulers fail to distinguish genuine treasure from ordinary things.
Late Warring‑States Period Legalist philosopher. This story opens the essay He Shi, using the jade allegory to represent wronged Legalist reformers like himself.
He Shi (Bian He)
The loyal commoner who discovered the legendary jade treasure, a symbol of unrecognized talent and unappreciated truth.
Kings Li, Wu, Wen of Chu
Three successive Chu rulers; the first two failed to recognize true value, while the third finally discovered the gem.
One of the most famous treasures in ancient Chinese legend, later a symbol of supreme imperial power and rare unrecognized talent.
Allegory of Hidden Truth
Han Fei uses unpolished jade to symbolize Legalist statecraft: genuine wisdom and law‑based governance are hidden and misunderstood by ordinary rulers and officials.
Martyrdom of Loyalty
He Shi’s suffering represents the fate of upright reformers: punished for telling the truth before their value is proven.
Jade as Noble Symbol
In Chinese culture, jade stands for virtue, purity, and integrity; mistaking jade for stone means misjudging true worth.
楚人和氏得玉璞楚山中，奉而獻之厲王，厲王使玉人相之，玉人曰：「石也。」王以和為誑，而刖其左足。及厲王薨，武王即位，和又奉其璞而獻之武王，武王使玉人相之，又曰「石也」，王又以和為誑，而刖其右足。武王薨，文王即位，和乃抱其璞而哭於楚山之下，三日三夜，泣盡而繼之以血。王聞之，使人問其故，曰：「天下之刖者多矣，子奚哭之悲也？」和曰：「吾非悲刖也，悲夫寶玉而題之以石，貞士而名之以誑，此吾所以悲也。」王乃使玉人理其璞而得寶焉，遂命曰：「和氏之璧。」
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