This Legalist segment from Han Feizi ‑ Chapter32.6 uses multiple historical tales. It argues rulers must accumulate political credibility; trustworthy rewards punishments secure obedience, while broken trust brings grave perils.
This page explains the Chinese idiom Yùn jīn chéng fēng from Zhuangzi ‑ Xu Wugui. Telling Carpenter‑Shi’s axe‑feat, it stresses supreme skill needs a trusting counterpart, also evoking grief over losing one’s worthy confidant.
Spies gain the utmost trust and highest rewards with absolute secrecy. Only wise, humane and astute commanders can effectively deploy spies. Anyone leaking spy plans faces execution together with the spy.
Zixia stresses trust as the foundation of governance and advice. A gentleman wins people’s trust before assigning labor and gains a ruler’s trust before offering remonstrance; without trust, his efforts will be misread as oppression or slander.
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 患难与共Pinyin: huàn nàn yǔ gòngLiteral Meaning: Share hardships and misfortunes together.Figurative Meaning: Stand side by side through all troubles, disasters and difficult times, bearing hardships jointly with another person or group. Cultural Background This idiom embodies the virtue of loyal companionship in Chinese culture. Its source sentence creates a sharp…
Han Feizi cites Hui Zi’s archery analogy: skilled Hou Yi earns strangers’ trust for steady shots, yet a kid with a cocked bow scares his own mother. Reliable outcomes build trust, while uncertainty drives people away.