An enlightened ruler establishes official posts, ranks and salaries to promote talented men and reward meritorious subjects.
Therefore, the virtuous and capable receive generous salaries and high‑ranking offices; those with great achievements obtain noble titles and heavy rewards. Appoint worthy men according to their abilities, and grant salaries matching their merits.
Thus capable officials do not falsely claim talent to serve the ruler, and meritorious subjects devote themselves wholeheartedly. Hence state affairs are well‑managed and achievements accomplished.
Today this is not the case. Rulers do not assess talent or merits. They rely on the influence of feudal lords and yield to pleas from personal attendants. Royal kinsmen and senior ministers beg for ranks and salaries from the ruler, then sell official positions below to gain wealth and build private cliques.
Therefore, the wealthy buy offices for high status; those connected with royal attendants gain power through favor‑seeking. Meritorious ministers are ignored, and official promotions become disorderly and absurd.
Consequently, officials neglect their duties, collude with external forces, abandon public service and pursue wealth and personal connections. Talented men grow discouraged and unmotivated, while meritorious subjects slacken in their work. This is the custom leading to state ruin.
Note
This passage stresses that fair, merit‑based appointment and reward are essential for stable rule. Selling official posts and favor‑based promotion breed corruption, demoralize loyal officials, and bring about national decline.
The core Legalist thinker of the late Warring‑States Period. This passage is excerpted from The Eight Treacheries (Ba Jian), criticizing corrupt appointment systems caused by ministerial factionalism.
Merit‑based Official Appointment
A fundamental Legalist principle: official positions, titles and salaries must be awarded according to ability and achievement, not wealth, favoritism or nepotism.
Official‑selling Corruption
In the Warring‑States Period, ministers often sold government posts for private profit, forming a corrupt patron‑client network, which Han Fei strongly condemns.
Nepotism and Cliques
Royal relatives, attendants and powerful ministers manipulate promotions to build personal factions, undermining fair governance.
Root of National Collapse
Unfair reward‑punishment and corrupt bureaucracy demoralize loyal and capable officials, creating a fatal political culture for the state.
明主之為官職爵祿也，所以進賢材勸有功也。故曰：賢材者，處厚祿任大官；功大者，有尊爵受重賞。官賢者量其能，賦祿者稱其功。是以賢者不誣能以事其主，有功者樂進其業，故事成功立。今則不然，不課賢不肖，論有功勞，用諸侯之重，聽左右之謁，父兄大臣上請爵祿於上，而下賣之以收財利及以樹私黨。故財利多者買官以為貴，有左右之交者請謁以成重。功勞之臣不論，官職之遷失謬。是以吏偷官而外交，棄事而財親。是以賢者懈怠而不勸，有功者隳而簡其業，此亡國之風也。
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