King Xuan of Qi asked Wenzi, “How should a state be governed?” Wenzi replied, “The Way of rewards and punishments is a sharp weapon. A ruler must firmly grasp it and never reveal it to others. As for ministers, they are like wild deer; they will naturally run toward wherever the lush grass is placed.”
King Goujian of Yue asked his minister Wen Zhong, “I wish to attack Wu. Is it feasible?” Wen Zhong replied, “It is. Our rewards are generous and credible; our punishments are strict and inevitable. If Your Majesty wishes to test this, why not set fire to the palace?” The King did so, but no one came to extinguish the flames. He then issued an order: “Whoever dies saving the fire shall receive the reward of dying in battle; whoever saves the fire and lives shall receive the reward of defeating the enemy; whoever refuses to save the fire shall bear the guilt of surrendering or fleeing.” Upon hearing this, people coated their bodies in mud, draped themselves in wet clothes, and rushed into the flames – three thousand on the left, three thousand on the right. From this, the King knew that the momentum for certain victory was established.
When Wu Qi served as the governor of Xihe for Marquis Wu of Wei, the State of Qin had a small watchtower bordering his territory. Wu Qi wanted to attack it; if left alone, it severely harmed the farmers, but it was not worth mobilizing an army to remove it. Thus, he leaned a carriage axle outside the North Gate and ordered, “Whoever can move this to the outside of the South Gate shall be rewarded with prime land and housing.” No one moved it. When someone finally did, Wu Qi immediately rewarded him as promised. Shortly after, he placed a sack of red beans outside the East Gate with the same reward. People eagerly competed to move them. Wu Qi then ordered, “Tomorrow we will attack the tower. Whoever climbs it first shall be appointed a Grand Master and rewarded with prime land and housing.” The soldiers eagerly charged, and the tower was captured in a single morning.
Li Kui, serving as the governor of Shangdi for Marquis Wen of Wei, wanted the people to excel at archery. He decreed, “For lawsuits with doubtful evidence, the parties shall shoot at a target; the one who hits it wins, the one who misses loses.” After the decree, people practiced archery day and night without rest. When they later fought the Qin army, they decisively defeated them due to their superior archery skills.
A man in the alley of Chongmen in the State of Song mourned his parents so severely that he became emaciated. The ruler, believing this showed great filial love, promoted him to an official position. The following year, over a dozen people intentionally starved themselves to death during mourning. Filial mourning is driven by love, yet it can still be incentivized by rewards; how much more so can the ruler incentivize the common people?
King Goujian of Yue, contemplating an attack on Wu and desiring his people to treat death lightly, once saw an angry, puffed-up frog and bowed respectfully to it. His attendant asked, “Why show such respect to this?” The King replied, “Because it possesses such spirit.” The next year, over a dozen people offered their severed heads to the King. From this, we observe that commendation alone is enough to drive men to death.
Marquis Zhao of Han had someone hide his worn-out trousers. His attendant said, “Your Majesty is unkind; why not give these old trousers to your attendants instead of hiding them?” The Marquis replied, “You do not understand. I have heard that a wise ruler cherishes every frown and every smile; a frown must have a reason, and a smile must have a reason. How much more so for trousers! Trousers are far more valuable than a frown or a smile. I must wait for someone who has earned merit, which is why I have stored them and not yet given them away.”
Eels resemble snakes, and silkworms resemble hairy caterpillars. People are terrified of snakes and get goosebumps from caterpillars. Yet, women pick up silkworms and fishermen grasp eels. Where profit lies, people forget what they despise; all become warriors like Meng Ben and Zhuan Zhu.
Note
This excerpt is from “Explanation Three” in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I, illustrating “Canon Three: Rewards and Praise“. Rewards and praise are the ruler’s sharpest weapons. Generous and trustworthy incentives let rulers manipulate human nature, urging subjects to overcome innate fears and turn the weak into fearless warriors.
Wenzi’s “Wild Deer”:
Wenzi (文子) used the metaphor of wild deer running toward grass to illustrate that human behavior is fundamentally driven by self-interest and the pursuit of profit. This forms the psychological basis for Legalist incentive systems.
King Goujian Burns the Palace:
King Goujian of Yue used a controlled disaster (burning his own palace) to test the credibility of his reward/punishment system. By equating fire-rescue with military valor, he proved that absolute institutional trust can override human survival instincts.
Wu Qi and the Carriage Axle:
Wu Qi (吴起) used a seemingly absurd task (moving a heavy axle for a massive reward) to establish absolute credibility. Once the people believed the rewards were real, they eagerly risked their lives in battle. This is the ancient equivalent of building organizational trust through guaranteed, low-risk wins.
Li Kui’s Archery Lawsuits:
Li Kui (李悝) tied legal victory to archery skill. Without spending state resources, he motivated the entire populace to master a military skill, demonstrating the power of aligning personal incentives with state needs.
Song Chongmen Grief:
A dark example of “Goodhart’s Law” (when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure). The ruler rewarded extreme mourning, leading to performative, fatal self-starvation. It shows that incentives can manipulate and override natural human emotions.
Goujian Bows to the Angry Frog:
Goujian bowed to a frog to honor its “spirit/courage.” This symbolic act of commendation was so powerful that warriors volunteered to die to receive similar honor. It highlights the immense power of symbolic and psychological rewards.
Marquis Zhao’s Worn Trousers:
Marquis Zhao (韩昭侯) refused to give away old pants to sycophants, insisting that every reward must be strictly tied to merit. This emphasizes the scarcity and precision of rewards to maintain their value.
Women Picking Silkworms:
Han Fei’s ultimate psychological observation: profit overrides phobias. Just as women ignore their fear of caterpillars for silk, soldiers will ignore the fear of death for rewards, transforming ordinary people into legendary warriors (Meng Ben and Zhuan Zhu).
Generous and Credible Rewards:
The core prerequisite for effective incentives. Rewards must be substantial and, most importantly, absolutely reliable. Without credibility, no one will take the risk.
Where profit lies, people forget what they despise:
A profound behavioral psychology concept. Human aversion to pain, danger, or disgust can be completely neutralized by the promise of sufficient profit or reward.
Two Handles (二柄):
Though not explicitly named in this paragraph, the concept of reward and punishment as the ruler’s “sharp weapons” is central. The ruler must control them secretly and objectively.
说三
齐王问于文子曰：”治国何如？”对曰：”夫赏罚之为道，利器也。君固握之，不可以示人。若如臣者，犹兽鹿也，唯荐草而就。”
越王问于大夫文种曰：”吾欲伐吴，可乎？”对曰：”可矣。吾赏厚而信，罚严而必。君欲知之，何不试焚宫室？”于是遂焚宫室，人莫救之。乃下令曰：”人之救火者死，比死敌之赏；救火而不死者，比胜敌之赏；不救火者，比降北之罪。”人之涂其体，被濡衣而走火者，左三千人，右三千人。此知必胜之势也。
吴起为魏武侯西河之守。秦有小亭临境，吴起欲攻之。不去，则甚害田者；去之，则不足以征甲兵。于是乃倚一车辕于北门之外而令之曰：”有能徙此南门之外者，赐之上田、上宅。”人莫之徙也。及有徙之者，遂赐之如令。俄又置一石赤菽东门之外而令之曰：”有能徙此于西门之外者，赐之如初。”人争徙之。乃下令曰：”明日且攻亭，有能先登者，仕之国大夫，赐之上田宅。”人争趋之，于是攻亭一朝而拔之。李悝为魏文侯上地之守，而欲人之善射也，乃下令曰：”人之有狐疑之讼者，令之射的，中之者胜，不中者负。”令下而人皆疾习射，日夜不休。及与秦人战，大败之，以人之善战射也。
宋崇门之巷人，服丧而毁，甚瘠，上以为慈爱于亲，举以为官师。明年，人之所以毁死者岁十余人。子之服亲丧者，为爱之也，而尚可以赏劝也，况君上之于民乎？
越王虑伐吴，欲人之轻死也，出见怒蛙，乃为之式。从者曰：”奚敬于此？”王曰：”为其有气故也。”明年之请以头献王者岁十余人。由此观之，誉之足以杀人矣。
一曰：越王勾践见怒蛙而式之。御者曰：”何为式？”王曰：”蛙有气如此，可无为式乎？”士人闻之曰：”蛙有气，王犹为式，况士人有勇者乎！”是岁人有自刭死，以其头献者。故越王将复吴而试其教，燔台而鼓之，使民赴火者，赏在火者；临江而鼓之，使人赴水者，赏在水也；临战而使人绝头刳腹而无顾心者，赏在兵也。又况据法而进贤，其助甚此矣。
韩昭侯使人藏弊裤，侍者曰：”君亦不仁矣，弊裤不以赐左右而藏之。”昭侯曰：”非子之所知也。吾闻明主之爱一嚬一笑，嚬有为嚬，而笑有为笑。今夫裤，岂特嚬笑哉！裤之与嚬笑相去远矣。吾必待有功者，故收藏之未有予也。”鳣似蛇，蚕似蠋。人见蛇则惊骇，见蠋则毛起。然而妇人拾蚕，渔者握鳣，利之所在，则忘其所恶，皆为贲诸。
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