Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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This entry explains idiom “Qie gou zhe zhu, qie guo zhe hou” from Zhuangzi ‑ Quqie. It bitterly satirizes legal‑moral hypocrisy: petty thieves get executed, while powerful usurpers gain noble titles.
The Master said, “Be strict with yourself and lenient in blaming others, and you will stay far from resentment.”
The governance philosophy discussed here is fundamentally about guiding and transforming people’s hearts. Governance and moral cultivation are two aspects of one whole—they cannot be forcibly separated, opposed, or subjected to double standards.