This Legalist excerpt from Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 32.10 gives multiple anecdotes. It illustrates that excessive honors for reclusive scholars erode farming and military strength, contributing to Zhongshan state’s downfall.
Chapter 60 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks a decisive turning point in the novel’s geopolitical arc. With Cao Cao dominant in the north and Sun Quan entrenched in the east, the vast, fertile province of Yizhou (modern Sichuan) becomes the final prize for aspiring hegemonies.
After capturing Yecheng, Cao Cao promptly executed the highly meritorious Xu You to win the hearts of the people in Jizhou (Ji Province) and secure the support of the local gentry. Simultaneously, he began seeking out influential local talents to join his ranks, aiming to consolidate his rule over Ji Province.
The late Eastern Han dynasty was a time of chaos, corruption, and moral crisis. As peasant uprisings like the Yellow Turban Rebellion shook the foundations of imperial rule, ambitious men emerged to shape the future.
3.13 Wangsun Jia asked about the meaning of the saying, Better pay court to the stove.Than pay court to the Shrine. The Master said, “It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation left.”