To occupy an unrighteous position, suffer slander from multitudes, be drowned in popular gossip, yet seek safety before a stern ruler – is this not extremely difficult? This is why wise statesmen remain obscure until death.
Lord Chun Shen, younger brother of King Zhuang of Chu, had a favored concubine named Yu. His legal wife bore a son named Jia. Wishing to make him discard his wife, Yu wounded herself, wept before him, and said: “I am blessed to be your concubine. Yet I cannot serve both your wife and you. Being unworthy, I cannot satisfy two masters. Rather than die at your wife’s hand, let me die before you. If later another gains your favor, please be discerning and avoid ridicule.” Deceived by Yu’s trickery, Lord Chun Shen abandoned his legal wife.
Yu then wished to kill Jia so her own son could inherit power. She tore her own inner garment, wept before him, and said: “I have long been favored by you, and Jia knows it. Now he forced himself on me. I resisted, and he tore my clothes. No greater filial impiety exists.” Enraged, Lord Chun Shen executed Jia.
Thus the wife was discarded and the son killed through Yu’s deception.
From this we see: even a father’s love for his son can be ruined by slander. Rulers and ministers share no blood bond like father and son, and ministerial slander far exceeds a single concubine’s lies. Is it strange then that virtuous sages are put to death? This is why Lord Shang (Shang Yang) was torn by chariots in Qin and Wu Qi dismembered in Chu.
All ministers naturally avoid punishment for crimes and seek rank without merit. Sage rulers grant rewards only to the meritorious and punish all the guilty. Therefore, men of statecraft are always harmed by treacherous palace ministers, and only enlightened rulers will listen to them.
Note
This section delivers a psychological‑political warning: personal affection can be twisted by false accusations. Without an enlightened ruler, impartial law‑upholding statesmen will always be destroyed by treacherous cliques.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage comes from Traitors, Usurpers, and Assassins (Jian Jie Shi Chen), using a domestic intrigue story to explain political slander and ministerial persecution.
Lord Chun Shen (Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie)
One of the Four Lords of the Warring States, powerful prime minister of Chu, known for being manipulated by his concubine and later assassinated.
King Zhuang of Chu
King Zhuang of Chu was the famous hegemon‑king of Chu State.
Lord Shang & Wu Qi
Domestic Intrigue as Political Allegory
Han Fei uses family betrayal (concubine slandering wife and son) to mirror court politics: private slander manipulates even close bonds, let alone ruler‑minister relationships.
Fatal Vulnerability of Loyal Reformers
Statecraft‑upholding officials enforce impartial reward‑punishment, threatening corrupt ministers, hence facing inevitable slander and execution.
Four Lords of the Warring States
Four powerful noble ministers: Lord Chun Shen (Lord Chunshen), Lord Meng Chang (Lord Mengchang), Lord Ping Yuan (Lord Pingyuan), Lord Xin Ling (Lord Xinling), who dominated state politics, often vulnerable to internal manipulation.
處非道之位，被眾口之譖，溺於當世之言，而欲當嚴天子而求安，幾不亦難哉！此夫智士所以至死而不顯於世者也。楚莊王之弟春申君有愛妾曰余，春申君之正妻子曰甲，余欲君之棄其妻也，因自傷其身以視君而泣，曰：「得為君之妾，甚幸。雖然，適夫人非所以事君也，適君非所以事夫人也。身故不肖，力不足以適二主，其勢不俱適，與其死夫人所者，不若賜死君前。妾以賜死，若復幸於左右，願君必察之，無為人笑。」君因信妾余之詐，為棄正妻。余又欲殺甲而以其子為後，因自裂其親身衣之，以示君而泣，曰：「余之得幸君之日久矣，甲非弗知也，今乃欲強戲余，余與爭之，至裂余之衣，而此子之不孝，莫大於此矣。」君怒，而殺甲也。故妻以妾余之詐棄，而子以之死。從是觀之，父之愛子也，猶可以毀而害也。君臣之相與也，非有父子之親也，而群臣之毀言非特一妾之口也，何怪夫賢聖之戮死哉！此商君之所以車裂於秦，而吳起之所以枝解於楚者也。凡人臣者，有罪固不欲誅，無功者皆欲尊顯。而聖人之治國也，賞不加於無功，而誅必行於有罪者也。然則有術數者之為人也，固左右姦臣之所害，非明主弗能聽也。
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