Explanation 4
Chen Xu was a minister of the King of Wei. He was on good terms with the King of Chu, and he caused Chu to attack Wei. When Chu attacked Wei, Chen Xu then requested permission from the King of Wei to go and negotiate a settlement, thereby using the power of Chu to gain influence over Wei.
During the time of Marquis Zhao of Han, the price of millet seed had once become extremely high. Marquis Zhao sent someone to inspect the granaries, and sure enough, the officials had been stealing millet seed and selling it in large quantities.
When Zhao Xixu was in the service of Chu, someone burned down a granary, but the culprit was unknown. Zhao Xixu ordered his officers to arrest those who sold thatch grass and interrogate them – and indeed, the arsonist was discovered.
During the time of Marquis Xi of Han, the chef presented a meal, and there was a piece of raw liver in the broth. Marquis Zhao summoned the chef’s assistant and rebuked him, saying: “Why did you put raw liver in my broth?” The assistant kowtowed and confessed his capital crime, saying: “I secretly wished to replace the head chef.”
Another version: When Marquis Xi was bathing, there were pebbles in the bathwater. Marquis Xi said: “When the bathing attendant is dismissed, is there someone to replace him?” His attendants replied: “There is.” Marquis Xi said: “Summon him.” He then rebuked him: “Why did you put pebbles in the bathwater?” The man replied: “When the bathing attendant is dismissed, I will take his place – that is why I put pebbles in the bathwater.”
During the time of Duke Wen of Jin, a cook presented roasted meat with a hair wrapped around it. Duke Wen summoned the cook and rebuked him: “Do you wish to choke me to death? Why is there a hair wrapped around the roast?” The cook kowtowed twice and made a request, saying: “Your servant has three capital crimes: I sharpened the knife on a whetstone until it was as sharp as Ganjiang, yet when I cut the meat the meat was severed but the hair was not – this is my first crime. I took an awl to pierce the pieces of meat but did not notice the hair – this is my second crime. I held the blazing charcoal over the fire, the meat was entirely red, the roast was cooked through yet the hair was not singed – this is my third crime. Could it be that among those below the hall there is someone who bears a grudge against your servant?” The duke said: “Good.” He then summoned those below the hall and rebuked them – and it was indeed so. He then executed the culprit.
Another version: Duke Ping of Jin was hosting a banquet for guests. A young concubine-born son presented roasted meat with a hair wrapped around it. Duke Ping ordered the roaster to be killed immediately, without allowing any reversal of the command. The roaster cried out to heaven: “Alas! Your servant has three capital crimes, and dies without knowing why!” Duke Ping said: “What do you mean?” He replied: “My knife is so sharp that it cuts through bone as if blown by the wind, yet the hair was not severed – this is my first death. I roasted it over mulberry charcoal, the meat turned red and white, yet the hair was not singed – this is my second death. The meat was fully cooked, and I looked at it again and again with careful eyes, yet I did not see the hair wrapped around the roast – this is my third death. I suspect that among those below the hall there is someone who has obscured and hated me. Is it not too soon to kill me!”
The Marquis of Rang served as chancellor of Qin, while Qi was powerful. The Marquis of Rang wished to establish Qin as emperor, but Qi would not consent. He therefore requested that Qi be established as the Eastern Emperor – but this too could not be accomplished.
Note
This is Explanation Four from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It collects cases where ministers fabricate anomalies for frame‑ups and private gains. Unlike direct framing in Explanation Three, these subtler cases create implausible oddities within official duties, prompting the ruler’s investigation to expose culprits or frame the innocent.
Chen Xu (陈需):
A minister of Wei who appears in both “Explanation 3” and “Explanation 4.” In “Explanation 3,” he was the one who secretly assassinated Zhang Shou to frame his rival Xi Shou. Here, he plays a different role – using his personal connections with the King of Chu to manipulate international relations for his own political gain. His recurring presence across multiple anecdotes makes him one of Han Fei’s favorite examples of ministerial treachery.
Marquis Zhao of Han (韩昭侯 / 僖侯):
Ruler of the state of Han (reigned c. 362–333 BCE). He appears in two anecdotes in this passage – the millet seed case and the raw liver case. Han Fei uses him as an example of a ruler who successfully detects ministerial corruption through indirect investigation rather than direct accusation.
Zhao Xixu (昭奚恤):
A minister of Chu known for his investigative acumen. His method of catching the arsonist by interrogating thatch grass sellers demonstrates Han Fei’s principle of tracing crimes through their material prerequisites.
Duke Wen of Jin (晋文公):
Duke Wen of Jin, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period (reigned 636–628 BCE). His handling of the “hair on the roast” case is one of the most celebrated examples of judicial reasoning in ancient Chinese political literature. The cook’s “three capital crimes” defense has become a classic rhetorical technique for proving innocence through logical impossibility.
Duke Ping of Jin (晋平公):
Another ruler of Jin (reigned 557–532 BCE). His version of the “hair on the roast” story adds dramatic urgency – the immediate death sentence and the roaster’s desperate appeal to heaven – making it a more theatrical variant of the same judicial principle.
Marquis of Rang (穰侯):
Marquis of Rang, also known as Wei Ran (魏冉), he was the powerful chancellor of Qin and uncle of King Zhaoxiang of Qin (reigned 306–251 BCE). He was one of the “Four Lords” of Qin and wielded enormous influence over Qin’s foreign policy. His attempt to establish dual emperors (Qin as Western Emperor, Qi as Eastern Emperor) reflects the complex diplomatic maneuvering of the late Warring States period.
Gan Jiang (干将):
One of the most famous legendary swords in Chinese history, named after its maker. In the cook’s defense, comparing his knife to Ganjiang emphasizes its extraordinary sharpness – making it logically impossible that the knife could cut meat but not the hair.
The “Three Crimes” Defense:
The cook’s rhetorical technique of listing three “impossible” failures that logically prove the anomaly was deliberately planted. This has become a classic pattern in Chinese legal and political rhetoric – using the physical impossibility of the alleged crime to redirect suspicion toward the true culprit.
Examining Names to Demand Reality:
Han Fei’s core principle of “matching titles to actual performance.” In several of these anecdotes, the ruler does not directly investigate the anomaly but instead asks “who benefits?” or “who has motive?” – tracing the crime through its logical prerequisites rather than its physical evidence.
说四
陈需，魏王之臣也，善于荆王，而令荆攻魏。荆攻魏。陈需因请为魏王行解之，因以荆势相魏。
韩昭侯之时，黍种尝贵甚。昭侯令人覆廪，吏果窃黍种而粜之甚多。
昭奚恤之用荆也，有烧仓者而不知其人。昭奚恤令吏执贩茅者而问之，果烧也。
昭僖侯之时，宰人上食，而羹中有生肝焉。昭侯召宰人之次而谯之曰：”若何为置生肝寡人羹中？”宰人顿首服死罪，曰：”窃欲去尚宰人也。”
一曰：僖侯浴，汤中有砾。僖侯曰：”尚浴免，则有当代者乎？”左右对曰：”有。”僖侯曰：”召而来。”谯之曰：”何为置砾汤中？”对曰：”尚浴免，则臣得代之，是以置砾汤中。”
文公之时，宰臣上炙而发绕之。文公召宰人而谯之曰：”女欲寡人之哽耶，奚以发绕炙？”宰人顿首再拜，请曰：”臣有死罪三：援砺砥刀，利犹干将也，切肉肉断而发不断，臣之罪一也；援锥贯脔而不见发，臣之罪二也；奉炽炉炭，肉尽赤红，炙熟而发不焦，臣之罪三也。堂下得微有疾臣者乎？”公曰：”善。”乃召其堂下而谯之，果然，乃诛之。
一曰：晋平公觞客，少庶子进炙而发绕之。平公趣杀砲人，毋有反令。砲人呼天曰：”嗟乎！臣有三罪，死而不自知乎！”平公曰：”何谓也？”对曰：”臣刀之利，风靡骨断，而发不断，是臣之一死也；桑炭炙之，肉红白而发不焦，是臣之二死也；炙熟，又重睫而视之，发绕炙而目不见，是臣之三死也。意者堂下其有翳憎臣者乎？杀臣不亦蚤乎！”
穰侯相秦，而齐强。穰侯欲立秦为帝而齐不听，因请立齐为东帝，而不能成也。
Leave a Reply