This Legalist excerpt from Han Feizi‑Chapter 35.2 holds that order stems from law rather than favoritism. It urges impartial rewards‑punishments based on merit and crime, citing three figures to oppose private benevolence and blind personal loyalty.
This is Explanation Five from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It assembles cases on how royal favour distorts succession and brings usurpation and regicide. Unlike prior sections focusing on ministers’ frauds, it highlights a root structural issue: uncertain inheritance fuels all palace intrigues.