There is a kind of worm called hui, with one body but two mouths. The two mouths fight over food and bite each other. They wound one another and perish together. Ministers who wrangle for power and ruin their kingdom are just like this hui worm.
Note
Internal strife among those sharing the same foundation brings collective ruin; power struggles among courtiers may destroy the whole nation.
Late Warring States Legalist philosopher, uses the worm fable to criticize vicious factional fights among court officials.
Insect allegory
Pre-Qin thinkers frequently used weird insect tales as metaphors for domestic political conflict. The single body stands for one kingdom, dual mouths symbolize contending minister factions.
Legalist political thought
Han Fei opposed partisan strife inside officialdom, believing internal struggles drain national resources and lead to state collapse.
Pre-Qin court reality
Many ancient vassal states declined because noble ministers fought for power and neglected state governance.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were many examples of ministers contending for power that led to state decline or even destruction. For instance,
- Bo Pi of the State of Wu, having accepted bribes from the State of Yue, slandered Wu Zixu and caused his death, which contributed to Wu’s eventual downfall.
- Guo Kai, a powerful minister of the State of Zhao, accepted heavy bribes from the Qin general Wang Jian and falsely accused the renowned anti-Qin general Li Mu of plotting rebellion, leading to Zhao’s destruction.
- Hou Sheng, the chancellor of the State of Qi, accepted bribes from Qin over a long period and advised King Jian of Qi “not to prepare for offensive or defensive warfare and not to assist the five other states,” leaving Qi isolated and helpless, ultimately causing Qi to surrender without a fight.
- The internal struggles among the Six Ministers (Six Qing) of the State of Jin eventually resulted in the Partition of Jin by the three families (Zhao, Han, and Wei).
虫有虺者，一身两口，争食相龁遂相杀也，人臣之争事而亡其国者，皆虺类也。
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