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All treacherous ministers seek to comply with the ruler’s will to gain the power of close favor. Therefore, whatever the ruler approves, ministers praise; whatever the ruler detests, ministers condemn. Generally among human nature, those with identical choices affirm one another, while those with differing choices oppose one another. What ministers praise is what…
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Those who form cliques to deceive the ruler and twist words for private gain are invariably trusted by powerful magnates.Those who can claim military merit are elevated through official ranks and titles; those who cannot win false reputations are strengthened by external state influence.Thus those who delude the ruler and serve private factions gain…