Li Dui governed the state of Zhongshan. The magistrate of Kuxing presented his annual account, and the revenue was high. Li Dui said, “Words that are cleverly phrased, pleasing to the hearer, yet cannot be measured by righteousness are called ‘tiao speech.’ Revenue that increases without benefit from mountains, forests, marshes, or valleys is called ‘tiao goods.’ A gentleman does not listen to tiao speech and does not accept tiao goods. You are hereby dismissed.”
Someone says: Master Li’s formulation is flawed. He says, “Words that are cleverly phrased, pleasing to the hearer, yet cannot be measured by righteousness are called ‘tiao speech.’” Cleverness belongs to the speaker; pleasure belongs to the hearer. Words are not the same as the hearer’s response. As for “cannot be measured by righteousness,” this does not refer to the hearer but to what is heard. The hearer is either a petty man or a gentleman. A petty man lacks righteousness and certainly cannot measure anything by it. A gentleman who measures by righteousness would certainly not be easily pleased. Therefore the statement “Words are cleverly phrased, the hearer is pleased, yet they cannot be measured by righteousness” is itself not a truthful description.
To treat increased revenue as “tiao goods” cannot be sustained. If the magistrate’s deceit was not prohibited early and was allowed to reach the annual account, this was already the ruler’s fault. If one lacks the method to ascertain the facts and merely suspects increased revenue, that is also mistaken. Increased revenue may simply mean a good harvest. Even if revenue doubled, on what grounds should one condemn it?
If affairs are managed in harmony with yin and yang, and planting follows the proper seasons, so that there is no mistiming of sowing or disaster from cold and heat, revenue will increase. If minor achievements do not obstruct major duties, and private desires do not harm public affairs, if men devote themselves to farming and women to weaving, revenue will increase. If one understands the principles of animal husbandry, examines the suitability of the land, ensures that the six domestic animals thrive and the five grains multiply, revenue will increase. If one is clear in calculation, examines the advantages of terrain, boats, carts, and machinery, uses little effort yet achieves great results, revenue will increase. If markets, merchants, and passage through gates and bridges are facilitated, so that what one has can obtain what one lacks, merchants are attracted, foreign goods remain, expenditures are frugal, food and clothing are moderated, palaces and tools are sufficient for use, and trivial luxuries are avoided, revenue will increase. Such increases are all produced by human effort. As for Heaven’s part, when rain and wind come in season and cold and warmth are moderate, the land does not expand, yet a bountiful year is achieved, and revenue increases. Both human effort and Heaven’s bounty can raise revenue; it need not come from the profits of mountains, forests, marshes, or valleys. To call revenue “tiao goods” merely because it increases without such natural profits is the harm caused by lacking proper statecraft.
Note
This Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 37.6 criticizes Li Dui’s moral‑based dismissal of a magistrate for high revenue. It argues rising income can stem from good harvests or sound governance, not fraud; administrators need factual verification instead of vague suspicion.
Han Feizi and the “Nan” chapters:
The Han Feizi is a foundational Legalist text from the late Warring States period. The Nan chapters often reinterpret familiar judgments, showing that political decisions must rest on method, evidence, and law rather than on suspicion or moral labels.
Li Dui:
A statesman of the state of Zhao during the late Warring States period. He is known for his role in Zhao politics and for strict administrative control. Here he acts as governor of Zhongshan.
Zhongshan:
A state located within the area dominated by Zhao. It was eventually conquered by Zhao and became an important region for Zhao’s expansion.
Kuxing:
A county or locality within Zhongshan. Its magistrate is the official whose annual account triggers the dispute.
Annual accounting, or “shangji”:
Local officials periodically reported population, taxes, grain stores, and other administrative results to their superiors. This system allowed central authorities to evaluate performance, but it also created opportunities for exaggeration or fraud.
“Tiao speech” and “tiao goods”:
“Tiao” suggests something hollow, insubstantial, or deceptively attractive. Li Dui uses the term to dismiss pleasing words and unexpectedly high revenue as suspicious. Han Fei argues that this label is too vague to serve as a basis for punishment.
Yin and yang:
In early Chinese thought, yin and yang referred to complementary forces such as shade and sunlight, cold and warmth, or passive and active conditions. In agriculture, they could describe the need to balance seasonal and environmental factors.
Six domestic animals and five grains:
These are conventional categories for livestock and staple crops. The exact animals and grains included could vary, but the phrase represents general agricultural prosperity.
Legalist “shu”:
“Shu,” often translated as “method,” “technique,” or “statecraft,” refers to the ruler’s tools for assessing officials, verifying reports, and preventing deception. Han Fei criticizes Li Dui not for wanting honest administration, but for punishing increased revenue without a reliable method of verification.
Han Fei’s administrative logic:
Han Fei does not deny that officials might cheat. He insists that if fraud is possible, the ruler must detect and prevent it early. Dismissing an official merely because revenue rises without obvious natural resources shows poor administrative technique.
六
李兑治中山，苦陉令上计而入多。李兑曰：“语言辨，听之说，不度于义，谓之窕言。无山林泽谷之利而入多者，谓之窕货。君子不听窕言，不受窕货。之姑免矣。”
或曰：李子设辞曰：“夫言语辩，听之说，不度于义者，谓之窕言。”辩，在言者；说，在听者：言非听者也。所谓不度于义，非谓听者，必谓所听也。听者，非小人，则君子也。小人无义，必不能度之义也；君子度之义，必不肯说也。夫曰：“言语辩，听之说，不度于义”者，必不诚之言也。入多之为窕货也，未可远行也。李子之奸弗蚤禁，使至于计，则遂过也。无术以知而入多，入多者，穰也，虽倍入，将奈何？举事慎阴阳之和，种树节四时之适，无早晚之失、寒温之灾，则入多。不以小功妨大务，不以私欲害人事，丈夫尽于耕农，妇人力于织纴，则入多。务于畜养之理，察于土地之宜，六畜遂，五谷殖，则入多。明于权计，审于地形、舟车、机械之利，用力少，致功大，则入多。利商市关梁之行，能以所有致所无，客商归之，外货留之，俭于财用，节于衣食，宫室器械周于资用，不事玩好，则入多。入多，皆人为也。若天事，风雨时，寒温适，土地不加大，而有丰年之功，则入多。人事、天功二物者皆入多，非山林泽谷之利也。夫无山林泽谷之利入多，因谓之窕货者，无术之害也。
Leave a Reply