Explanations IV
Ju was a retired scholar of Qi; Chan was a retired scholar of Wei. The rulers of Qi and Wei were not enlightened enough to examine their realms personally. They listened to the words of their attendants, so these two men spent gold and jade to seek office.
Ximen Bao served as magistrate of Ye. He was pure, self-restrained, and clean in desire; he did not seek the slightest private gain. Yet he treated the ruler’s attendants with great neglect. The attendants therefore colluded and slandered him. After one year, when he presented his annual report, the ruler took back his seal. Bao requested, “In the past I did not know how to govern Ye. Now I have learned. I beg to receive the seal again so that I may govern Ye. If I fail, I will submit to the punishment of the axe and block.” Marquis Wen of Wei could not bear to refuse and returned it to him. Bao then heavily taxed the people and urgently courted the attendants. After another year, when he presented his report, Marquis Wen went out to meet him and bowed. Bao replied, “Last year I governed Ye for you, and you took my seal. Now I govern Ye for your attendants, and you bow to me. I can no longer govern.” He returned the seal and left. The marquis would not accept it, saying, “Formerly I did not understand you. Now I do. I wish you to strive to govern for me.” In the end he did not take it back.
In Qi there was the son of a dog thief and the son of a man whose feet had been cut off. While playing together, they boasted to each other. The thief’s son said, “Only my father’s fur coat has a tail.” The footless man’s son said, “Only my father does not need trousers in winter.”
Zi Chuo said, “No one can draw a square with the left hand and a circle with the right at the same time. If you try to drive ants away with meat, the ants will increase; if you try to drive flies away with fish, the flies will come all the more.”
Duke Huan said to Guan Zhong, “There are few offices, yet many seek them. I am troubled by this.” Guan Zhong replied, “Do not listen to the requests of your attendants. Grant stipends according to ability, and grant offices according to merit. Then no one will dare to demand office. What is there to worry about?”
Han Xuanzi said, “My horses receive much bean and millet fodder, yet they are very thin. Why? This troubles me.” Zhou Shi replied, “If the grooms fed them all the fodder, it would be impossible for them not to grow fat. If the name is ‘much,’ but the reality is ‘little,’ it would be impossible for them not to remain thin. If the lord does not examine the true situation but merely sits and worries, the horses will still not grow fat.”
When Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong about appointing officers, Guan Zhong said, “In distinguishing litigation speeches, remaining clean regarding goods, and understanding human dispositions, I, Yi Wu, am not equal to Xian Shang. Please appoint him as Grand Judge. In ascending and descending with respectful deference, and receiving guests with clear ritual, I am not equal to Xi Peng. Please appoint him as Grand Herald. In clearing wasteland, establishing settlements, opening land, and producing grain, I am not equal to Ning Qi. Please appoint him as Grand Field Officer. When the three armies are drawn up, and soldiers regard death as returning home, I am not equal to Gongzi Chengfu. Please appoint him as Grand Marshal. In offending the ruler’s countenance and remonstrating to the utmost, I am not equal to Dongguo Ya. Please appoint him as Remonstrating Minister. To govern Qi, these five men are sufficient. If you wish to become a hegemon or king, I, Guan Zhong, am here.”
Note
This Legalist excerpt from Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 33.10 offers assorted anecdotes. It advocates merit‑based appointments and factual inspection, cautioning rulers against deceptive slander and influence from palace attendants.
Han Feizi / Han Fei (c. 280–233 BCE):
A major Legalist philosopher. He argues that rulers must rely on clear rules, performance checks, and institutional control rather than personal trust or flattering reports.
Ju and Chan:
Two reclusive scholars who must bribe their way into office because the rulers of Qi and Wei cannot judge talent directly.
Ximen Bao:
Ximen Bao was a famous magistrate of Ye in the Warring States period, known for breaking local superstitions and improving administration. Here he is used to show how honest officials can be slandered when they neglect court favorites.
Marquis Wen of Wei:
A ruler of Wei who initially punishes Ximen Bao because attendants slander him, then learns the truth after Bao exposes the system.
Seal:
The official seal symbolized administrative authority. Losing it meant removal from office.
Dog thief and footless man:
A satirical image. Their sons boast about things that would normally be shameful, showing how distorted values arise when corruption or punishment is treated as advantage.
Zi Chuo:
A speaker used to illustrate that wrong methods produce opposite results, such as using meat to drive away ants.
Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong:
A classic ruler-minister pair. Guan Zhong advises that offices should be granted by merit, not by private request.
Han Xuanzi:
A Jin minister. His complaint about thin horses shows that nominal provision is useless without real execution.
Zhou Shi:
An adviser who explains that the ruler must check actual conditions, not merely worry.
Xian Shang, Xi Peng, Ning Qi, Gongzi Chengfu, Dongguo Ya:
Five specialists named by Guan Zhong. Each represents a different administrative function: justice, diplomacy, agriculture, military command, and remonstrance.
Grand Judge / 大理:
Chief judicial officer.
Grand Herald / 大行:
Officer in charge of ritual reception and diplomatic reception.
Grand Field Officer / 大田:
Officer in charge of agriculture and land development.
Grand Marshal / 大司马:
Supreme military commander.
Remonstrating Minister / 谏臣:
An official whose duty is to criticize the ruler’s mistakes directly.
说四
钜者，齐之居士；孱者，魏之居士。齐、魏之君不明，不能亲照境内，而听左右之言，故二子费金璧而求入仕也。
西门豹为鄴令，清克洁欲，秋毫之端无私利也，而甚简左右。左右因相与比周而恶之。居期年，上计，君收其玺。豹自请曰：“臣昔者不知所以治鄴，今臣得矣，原请玺复以治鄴。不当，请伏斧锧之罪。”文候不忍而复与之。豹因重敛百姓，急事左右。期年，上计，文候迎而拜之。豹对曰：“往年臣为君治鄴，而君夺臣玺；今臣为左右治鄴，而君拜臣。臣不能治矣。”遂纳玺而去。文候不受，曰：“寡人曩不知子，今知矣。愿子勉为寡人治之。”遂不受。
齐有狗盗之子，与刖危子戏而相夸。盗子曰：“吾父之裘独有尾。”危子曰：“吾父独冬不失裤。”
子绰曰：“人莫能左画方而右画圆也。以肉去蚁蚁愈多，以鱼驱蝇蝇愈至。”
桓公谓管仲曰：“官少而索者众，寡人忧之。”管仲曰：“君无听左右之请，因能而受禄，禄功而与官，则莫敢索官。君何患焉？”
韩宣子曰：“吾马菽粟多矣，甚臞，何也？寡人患之。”周市对曰：“使驺尽粟以食，虽无肥，不可得也。名为多与之，其实少，虽无臞，亦不可得也。主不审其情实，坐而患之，马犹不肥也。”
桓公问置吏于管仲，管仲曰：“辩察于辞，清洁于货，习人情，夷吾不如弦商，请立以为大理。登降肃，以明礼待宾，臣不如隰朋，请立以为大行。垦草创邑，辟地生粟，臣不如宁戚，请以为大田。三军既成阵，使士视死如归，臣不如公子成父，请以为大司马。犯颜极谏，臣不如东郭牙，请立以为谏臣。治齐，此五子足矣；将欲霸王，夷吾在此。”
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