內儲說上七術

The ruler employs seven techniques and watches for six subtle signs. The seven techniques are: first, comparing multiple sources of information; second, ensuring punishment to make authority clear; third, making rewards reliable to exhaust ability; fourth, listening to each singly and holding subordinates accountable; fifth, issuing deceptive orders and making trick assignments; sixth, concealing what one knows when asking questions; seventh, inverting one's words and reversing one's actions. These seven are what the ruler employs.

Principle One: Cross-Referencing. If what one sees and hears is not cross-referenced, the truth will not be heard. If what one hears passes through a single gate, ministers will obstruct the ruler. The illustrations are in the dwarf's dream of the kitchen stove, and Duke Ai's saying 'No crowd and yet confused.' Hence the Qi man's audience with the River Lord, and Huizi's remark about 'losing half.' The danger is shown by Shu Niu starving Shusun, and Jiang Yi's comments on Chu customs. Lord Si wished to govern what he did not know, and so created rivals. Thus an enlightened ruler extrapolates from the case of accumulated iron to detect the danger in a single marketplace.

Principle Two: Ensuring Punishment. Where there is too much love, the law cannot be established; where there is too little authority, subordinates encroach upon superiors. Hence if punishments are not certain, prohibitions and commands will not be followed. The illustrations are in Dong's journey through Shiyi, and Zi Chan's instruction to You Ji. Hence Confucius's discussion of the unseasonable frost, and the Yin dynasty's law punishing those who threw ashes in the street; the commander's departure and Yue Chi, and Gongsun Yang's heavy punishment for light offenses. Hence the gold of Li River is not guarded, and the fire in the accumulated marshes is not rescued. Cheng Huan weakened Qi through excessive benevolence; Bu Pi ruined the King of Wei through kindness and generosity. Guan Zhong understood this, hence he punished using a corpse. Lord Si understood this, hence he purchased the convict-laborer.

Principle Three: Reliable Rewards. Where rewards and praise are meager and deceitful, subordinates will not exert themselves. Where rewards and praise are generous and reliable, subordinates will face death lightly. The illustration is in Wenzi's remark about 'being like a beast pursuing deer.' Hence the King of Yue burned his palace, Wu Qi leaned against a carriage-shaft, Li Kui settled lawsuits by archery, and the Song men at Chongmen died for honor. Goujian understood this, hence he saluted the angry frog; Marquis Zhao understood this, hence he stored away his worn trousers. Generous rewards make people as fierce as Meng Ben and Zhuan Zhu -- as shown by women picking up caterpillars and fishermen grasping sturgeon.

Principle Four: Listening Singly. When one listens to each person singly, the foolish and the wise are not confused with each other. When one holds subordinates accountable, ministers do not meddle in each other's affairs. The illustrations are in 'Searching for Zheng' and 'Playing the Yu.' The danger is shown by Shen Buhai using Zhao Shao and Han Ta as tests. Hence Prince Si's proposal to cede lands east of the Yellow River, and the Marquis of Ying's plan to relinquish Shangdang.

Principle Five: Deceptive Assignments. Summoning someone repeatedly, keeping them waiting, and not assigning duties causes the treacherous to scatter in confusion. Sending someone to inquire about one thing while selling private favors on the side. Hence Pang Jing recalled the public grandee, and Dai Rang inspected the covered carriage by decree; the Zhou ruler lost a jade hairpin, and the Shang minister-steward inquired about cattle dung.

Principle Six: Concealing Knowledge. When one conceals what one knows and asks questions, those who lack knowledge are exposed. When one displays deep knowledge of a single matter, all hidden things change. The illustration is in Marquis Zhao's grasp of a single fingernail. Hence the thorough audit of the South Gate revealed three districts' offenses. The Zhou ruler searched for a crooked staff and all his ministers trembled. Bu Pi used a junior officer; Ximen Bao pretended to lose a linchpin.

Principle Seven: Inverting Words. By inverting one's words and reversing one's actions to test what one suspects, treacherous intentions are exposed. Hence Yangshan deceived the servant Liao; Nao Chi posed as a Qin envoy; the Qi man who wished to rebel; Zizhi and the white horse; Zi Chan separated the litigants; Lord Si passed through the customs station.

In the time of Duke Ling of Wei, Mizi Xia was favored and held exclusive power over the state of Wei. A dwarf came to see the duke and said: 'My dream has come true!' The duke asked: 'What dream?' The dwarf replied: 'I dreamed of a kitchen stove, and now I see Your Grace.' The duke was angry: 'I have heard that those who are to see a ruler dream of the sun. Why did you dream of a stove when coming to see me?' The dwarf replied: 'The sun illuminates All-Under-Heaven, and no single thing can block it. A ruler illuminates an entire state, and no single person can obstruct him. Therefore those who are to see a ruler dream of the sun. But a kitchen stove -- once one person warms himself at it, those behind can no longer see the fire. Could it be that someone is warming himself at Your Grace's fire? Then though I dreamed of a stove, is that not fitting?'

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: 'The common proverb says: "With a crowd, none should be confused." Now I deliberate on affairs with all my ministers, yet the state grows ever more disordered. What is the reason?' Confucius replied: 'When an enlightened ruler questions his ministers, one person knows and another does not -- and precisely because of this, the enlightened ruler sits above while his ministers offer frank counsel below. But now, every one of your ministers speaks with one voice and follows one track in line with the Ji Sun clan. The entire state of Lu has been transformed into a single voice. Even if you were to ask everyone within your borders, you still could not avoid disorder.'

Pang Gong was to accompany the crown prince as a hostage to Handan. He said to the King of Wei: 'If one person says there is a tiger in the marketplace, does Your Majesty believe it?' The king said: 'I would not.' 'If two people say there is a tiger in the marketplace, does Your Majesty believe it?' 'I would not.' 'If three people say there is a tiger in the marketplace, does Your Majesty believe it?' The king said: 'I would believe it.' Pang Gong said: 'That there is no tiger in the marketplace is perfectly clear. Yet three people saying so creates a tiger. Now Handan is farther from Wei than the marketplace, and those who slander your minister will be more than three. I beg Your Majesty to discern this.' When Pang Gong returned from Handan, he was never granted an audience again.

Dong E Yu was the guardian of Zhao's Upper Territory. Traveling through the mountains of Shiyi, he saw a deep ravine, sheer as a wall and a hundred ren deep. He asked the local people nearby: 'Has anyone ever fallen into this?' They said: 'No.' 'Have infants, the blind, the deaf, or the deranged ever fallen in?' They said: 'No.' 'Have cattle, horses, dogs, or pigs ever fallen in?' They said: 'No.' Dong E Yu heaved a great sigh and said: 'Now I know how to govern! If I govern without pardons, so that punishment is as certain as death from falling into this ravine, then no one will dare transgress. How could the state not be well governed?'

Zi Chan served as chancellor of Zheng. When he fell ill and was near death, he said to You Ji: 'After I die, you will surely govern Zheng. You must approach the people with severity. Fire appears fierce, and so people fear being burned. Water appears gentle, and many drown in it. You must make your appearance severe; do not let people drown in your gentleness.' After Zi Chan died, You Ji refused to adopt a severe manner. The young men of Zheng banded together as bandits, taking refuge in the marshes of Huan, and were about to become a calamity for Zheng. You Ji led chariots and cavalry to fight them, and only after a day and a night barely managed to overcome them. You Ji sighed and said: 'Had I followed the Master's instruction earlier, I would surely not have come to regret it like this.'

The King of Yue asked Grand Officer Wen Zhong: 'I wish to attack Wu. Is it feasible?' Wen Zhong replied: 'It is. Our rewards are generous and reliable; our punishments are severe and certain. If Your Majesty wishes to verify this, why not try setting fire to the palace?' Thereupon the palace was set ablaze, and no one came to rescue it. Then the king issued a decree: 'Those who die fighting the fire shall receive rewards equal to dying in battle against the enemy. Those who fight the fire and survive shall receive rewards equal to defeating the enemy. Those who do not fight the fire shall receive punishment equal to surrender and flight.' People smeared their bodies with mud, donned soaked clothing, and rushed into the fire -- three thousand on the left, three thousand on the right. From this they knew the certainty of victory.

Wu Qi served as the Wei military governor of the Western River region. A small Qin outpost stood along the border. Wu Qi wished to attack it -- if it remained, it greatly harmed the farmland; but to remove it was not enough to justify mobilizing armored troops. So he leaned a carriage-shaft against the outside of the north gate and issued a command: 'Whoever can move this to outside the south gate shall be rewarded with prime farmland and a fine dwelling.' No one moved it. When someone finally did, he was rewarded exactly as promised. Shortly after, Wu Qi placed a stone weight of red beans outside the east gate and commanded: 'Whoever can move this outside the west gate shall be rewarded as before.' People competed to move it. Then he issued the order: 'Tomorrow we attack the outpost. Whoever is first to scale the walls shall be appointed national grandee and awarded prime farmland and a dwelling.' People rushed to volunteer. They attacked the outpost and took it within a single morning.

King Xuan of Qi had people play the yu flute, always in an ensemble of three hundred. A gentleman-recluse from the southern districts requested to play the yu for the king. King Xuan was pleased and provided him rations alongside the several hundred musicians. When King Xuan died and King Min succeeded him, the new king preferred to listen to them one by one. The gentleman-recluse fled.

Marquis Zhao of Han grasped his fingers into a fist, then pretended to have lost one fingernail, searching for it with great urgency. His attendants then cut their own nails and presented them. Marquis Zhao used this to ascertain the sincerity of his attendants.

Zizhi was chancellor of Yan. While seated, he pretended to exclaim: 'What was that running out the gate -- was it a white horse?' All his attendants said they saw nothing. But one person ran out to chase it and reported back: 'There was one.' Zizhi thereby knew that his attendants were not truthful.

Lord Si of Wei had someone pose as a traveling merchant and pass through the customs station. The customs officers harassed him. The agent then bribed the customs officials with gold, and they let him through. Lord Si then told the customs officials: 'At such-and-such a time, a traveler passed through your station and gave you gold, and you let him go.' The customs officials were greatly frightened and believed Lord Si had supernatural discernment.