King Zhao of Qin asked those around him, “At present, are Han and Wei stronger or weaker than before?” Those around him replied, “They are weaker than before.” He asked, “How do Ru Er and Wei Qi compare with the former Mengchang and Mang Mao?” They replied, “They do not match them.” The king said, “When Mengchang and Mang Mao led the powerful states of Han and Wei, they still could do nothing to me.” Those around him replied, “That is certainly so.”
Zhongqi pushed aside his zither and said, “Your Majesty’s assessment of the world is mistaken. In the time of the six Jin houses, the Zhi clan was the strongest. They destroyed the Fan and Zhonghang houses and led the troops of Han and Wei to attack Zhao. They flooded the city with the Jin River, and only three planks of the wall remained above the water. When Zhi Bo went out, Wei Xuanzi drove his carriage, and Han Kangzi rode at his side. Zhi Bo said, ‘At first I did not know that water could destroy a state; now I understand it. The Fen River could flood Anyi, and the Jiang River could flood Pingyang.’ Wei Xuanzi nudged Han Kangzi with his elbow, and Han Kangzi pressed Xuanzi’s foot with his own. With elbow and foot exchanged on the carriage, the Zhi clan was partitioned beneath Jinyang. Now, although Your Majesty is strong, you are not as strong as the Zhi clan; although Han and Wei are weak, they are not as helpless as they were beneath Jinyang. This is precisely a time when men exchange elbows and feet in secret. I hope Your Majesty will not take it lightly.”
Someone says: King Zhao’s question was mistaken, and the replies of those around him and of Zhongqi were also faulty. Whenever an enlightened ruler governs a state, he relies on his positional power. If his power cannot be harmed, then even the strongest man in the world can do nothing to him, let alone Mengchang, Mang Mao, Han, and Wei. If his power can be harmed, then even unworthy men such as Ru Er and Wei Qi, together with Han and Wei, can harm him. Thus harm or security depends solely on relying on oneself. Why ask? The error lies in not relying on oneself, and then asking what others can do. That his state was not invaded was merely good fortune. Shenzi said, “To abandon method and seek trustworthiness is to invite suspicion.” This describes King Zhao.
Zhi Bo lacked restraint. He led Han Kangzi and Wei Xuanzi in plotting to flood and destroy another state, and this is why he lost his state, died, and had his skull made into a drinking vessel. Now King Zhao asks who is stronger than before. Does he fear the danger of being flooded? Even if he has attendants, they are not the rulers of Han and Wei. How could there be any matter of elbows and feet? Yet Zhongqi says, “Do not take it lightly.” This is empty talk. Moreover, Zhongqi’s office concerns the zither and lute. If the strings are not tuned or the music is not properly played, that is Zhongqi’s responsibility, and this is how he should serve King Zhao. Zhongqi fulfilled his duty and did not disappoint the king, yet he spoke on matters he did not understand. Is this not reckless? Those around him replied, “They are weaker than before” and “They do not match them,” which was acceptable, but their saying “That is certainly so” was flattery. Shenzi said, “In governance one does not overstep one’s office; even if one knows something, one does not speak of it.” Zhongqi did not understand, yet he still spoke. Hence it is said: King Zhao’s question was mistaken, and the replies of those around him and of Zhongqi were all faulty.
Note
This Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 38.6 criticizes King Zhao and musician Zhongqi. It holds royal security hinges on one’s own positional‑power rather than assessing foes, and officials must not speak on matters outside their official duties.
King Zhao of Qin:
A powerful ruler of Qin during the late Warring States period. His reign helped lay the foundation for Qin’s eventual unification of China.
Han and Wei:
Two of the seven major Warring States. They were originally part of the larger state of Jin before Jin was partitioned.
Mengchang Jun, Lord Mengchang, a famous noble of Qi known for keeping many retainers. Mang Mao was a general of Wei.
Zhongqi:
A musician in King Zhao’s court. Han Fei criticizes him for speaking about state affairs outside his official duties.
The six Jin houses:
In the late Spring and Autumn period, the state of Jin was dominated by six powerful ministerial families. Eventually three of them – Han, Wei, and Zhao – partitioned Jin.
The Zhi clan and Zhi Bo:
The Zhi clan was once the most powerful Jin family. Zhi Bo tried to destroy the Zhao house by flooding the city of Jinyang, but Han and Wei turned against him, leading to his death.
Wei Xuanzi and Han Kangzi:
Leaders of the Wei and Han families. Their secret elbow-and-foot signals on the carriage show how threatened they felt and how alliances can shift suddenly.
“Elbow and foot”:
A vivid image of secret communication. Han Fei uses it to warn that apparent allies may secretly conspire.
Zhi Bo’s skull as a drinking vessel:
A well-known story in early Chinese political writing. It illustrates the extreme humiliation that can follow reckless ambition.
Likely Shen Buhai, an early Legalist thinker associated with administrative method. Han Fei often cites him to argue that officials should stay within their duties.
Legalist reliance on “shi”:
“Shi” means positional power or strategic advantage. For Han Fei, a ruler’s security comes from institutions, laws, and authority, not from asking attendants whether rivals are strong or weak.
六
秦昭王问于左右曰：“今时韩、魏孰与始强？”右左对曰：“弱于始也。”。“今之如耳、魏齐孰与曩之孟常、芒卯？”对曰：“不及也。”王曰：“孟常、芒卯率强韩、魏，犹无奈寡人何也。”左右对曰：“甚然。”中期推琴而对曰：“王之料天下过矣。夫六晋之时，知氏最强，灭范、中行而从韩、魏之兵以伐赵，灌以晋水，城之未沈者三板。知伯出，魏宣子御，韩康子为骖乘。知伯曰：‘始吾不知水可以灭人之国，吾乃今知之。汾水可以灌安邑，绛水可以灌平阳。’魏宣子肘韩康子，康子践宣子之足，肘足乎车上，而知氏分于晋阳之下。今足下虽强，未若知氏；韩、魏虽弱，未至如其晋阳之下也。此天下方用肘足之时，愿王勿易之也。”
或曰：昭王之问也有失，左右中期之对也有过。凡明主之治国也，任其势。势不可害，则虽强天下无奈何也，而况孟常、芒卯、韩、魏能奈我何？其势可害也，则不肖如耳、魏齐及韩、魏犹能害之。然则害与不侵，在自恃而已矣，奚问乎？自恃其不可侵，强与弱奚其择焉？失在不自恃，而问其奈何也，其不侵也幸矣。申子曰：“失之数而求之信，则疑矣。”其昭王之谓也。知伯无度，从韩康、魏宣而图以水灌灭其国，此知伯之所以国亡而身死，头为饮杯之故也。今昭王乃问孰与始强，其畏有水人之患乎？虽有左右，非韩、魏之二子也，安有肘足之事？而中期曰“勿易”，此虚言也。且中期之所官，琴瑟也。弦不调，弄不明，中期之任也，此中期所以事昭王者也。中期善承其任，未慊昭王也，而为所不知，岂不妄哉？左右对之曰：“弱于始”与“不及”则可矣，其曰“甚然”则谀也。申子曰：“治不逾官，虽知不言。”今中期不知而尚言之。故曰：昭王之问有失，左右中期之对皆有过也。
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