SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Rule by Stratagem

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.13

    •

    This excerpt is from Explanation Five in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I. Rulers should create informational fog and psychological suspense. By acting mysteriously or diverting attention, they keep ministers guessing, who then dare not slack or deceive out of awe and fear.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.9

    •

    This excerpt comes from Explanation One in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I. It states rulers must never rely on a single information source. Multi‑party cross‑checks should break ministers’ information monopoly. Otherwise, the ruler will be deceived by confidants and reduced to a manipulated puppet.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.8

    •

    This excerpt is from Canon Seven: Reversed Speech in Han Feizi. Han Fei advises rulers to feign appearances and speak ironically to probe suspects. By laying bait deliberately, the ruler lures suspicious figures into traps, forcing their treacherous true intentions to surface.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.7

    •

    Classic VI: Asking While Knowing the Answer (Testing with Known Facts) If a ruler asks questions while already possessing the knowledge of the truth, those who are dishonest will be exposed; if a ruler thoroughly understands one specific matter, all hidden treacheries will be transformed. The proof of this lies in Marquis Zhao clutching…

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.6

    •

    This excerpt is from Canon Five: Deceptive Commands in Han Feizi. Han Fei contends rulers should employ covert stratagems to create information asymmetry and psychological suspense. Keeping ministers guessing about his true intentions compels them to expose themselves and suspect one another, deterring reckless conduct.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 30.1

    •

    This excerpt is from Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I, featuring Han Fei’s famous Seven Tactics for controlling ministers. Offering a systematic toolkit in concise language, he argues rulers must resolve information asymmetry and interest conflicts via multi‑source verification, strict rewards‑penalties and covert psychological probes to secure absolute sway over subordinates.