Daoist recluse Xiang Chang mastered Dao De Jing and I Ching, rejecting Wang Mang’s official summons. After marrying off his children, he cut off family chores and roamed the Five Sacred Peaks with his friend Qin Qing, vanishing without a trace.
Daoist hermit Anqiu Wangzhi mastered Laozi’s works and rejected Emperor Cheng’s audience request. He humbly worked as a folk healer, wrote a commentary on Dao De Jing and founded the Anqiu School. Many disciples studied under him while he stayed out of officialdom all his life.
Gengsang Chu, Laozi’s Taoist disciple, brought bumper harvests to Weilui Mountain via wuwei. Villagers wished to worship him as a local deity, yet he refused, believing true sages live in seclusion and let natural Heaven’s Way govern all.
Han Fei tells King Wen gave a jade tablet to Shang’s corrupt Fei Zhong, not the virtuous Jiao Ge, to weaken Shang. True wisdom is subtle statecraft.
Han Fei tells Zixia’s story: inner struggle between virtue and wealth. True strength lies in conquering oneself.
Han Feizi tells King Zhuang planned to attack Yue. Du Zi warned: see your own flaws first. Self-awareness is true wisdom.
Han Feizi tells King Zhuang of Chu’s story: three years of silence, then decisive rule. Great achievements need patience and preparation.
Han Fei uses two tales: fixating on rivals scatters focus. True wisdom lies in inner harmony and adapting to circumstances.
Han Feizi argues inner clarity beats external distractions. Calm the mind to grasp the world and natural laws.