This Legalist excerpt from Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 32.7 uses multiple tales to stress practical measurable results. It warns against superficial ornament over substance and advises rulers to embrace frank, beneficial yet unpleasant advice.
– by Han Fei Bian Que went to see Duke Huan of Cai. After standing for a while, Bian Que said, “Your Majesty has an illness in the superficial layers of the skin; if left untreated, I fear it will grow worse.”