飭令

When ordinances are rectified, the law does not shift. When the law is equitable, officials harbor no treachery. Once the law has been established, do not allow fine words to supplant it. When merit is the basis of appointment, the people speak little. When moral goodness is the basis of appointment, the people speak much.

In applying the law, cases should be adjudicated locally. A state that adjudicates within five li achieves kingship. A state that adjudicates within nine li achieves strength. A state where cases carry over to the next day is diminished.

Use punishments to govern. Use rewards to make men fight. Use generous salaries. Use techniques to employ men. If the laws governing the capital's markets are enforced, there will be no treacherous merchants. Where goods are plentiful, the people congregate; when agriculture slackens and wickedness prevails, the state is certain to be diminished.

When the people have surplus food, allow them to exchange grain for rank. If this must be done through their own effort, they will be roused and will not be idle. A tube three inches long without a bottom cannot be filled. To bestow office, rank, profits, and salary without reference to merit is to have no bottom.

When the state bestows office and rank according to merit, this is called employing one's intelligence to plan and one's martial courage to fight -- such a state is without rival. When the state bestows office and rank according to merit, governance becomes streamlined and speech is blocked. This is called using order to eliminate the need for further ordering, using words to eliminate the need for further words -- bestowing rank for merit. Therefore the state has much strength, and none under Heaven can encroach upon it.

When troops go forth they will certainly take what they attack; what is taken can certainly be held. When troops are held in reserve without attacking, the effect is equally appropriate. In court affairs, even small matters are not neglected. When one obtains office and rank by demonstrating merit, even if deviant words are spoken at court, they cannot interfere with governance. This is called governing by institutional measures.

Attacking through force: invest one and gain ten. Attacking through words: invest ten and lose a hundred. A state that prizes force is said to attack what is difficult. A state that prizes words is said to attack what is easy. When abilities can overcome harms, when burdens are borne lightly, when the Way preserves surplus strength in men's hearts, and none bear the burden of the palace against the ruler -- when internally there are no hidden resentments, when the discerning are not made to interfere with one another and therefore do not dispute, when officers do not hold concurrent offices and therefore their skills develop, when men do not share the same merit and therefore do not contend -- this is called ease of governance.

Heavy punishments and sparing rewards: when the ruler loves the people, the people will die for rewards. Many rewards and light punishments: when the ruler does not love the people, the people will not die for rewards.

When profit issues from a single source, the state is without rival. When profit issues from two sources, the army is only half effective. When profit issues from ten sources, the people will not defend the state.

Heavy punishments clarify the people's understanding. Great institutional control directs people effectively -- this benefits the ruler. In applying punishments, make the penalties for light offenses heavy: then light offenses will not occur, and heavy offenses will not arise. This is called using punishment to eliminate punishment.

When crimes are severe but punishments are light, and light punishments lead to the proliferation of offenses -- this is called using punishment to produce more punishment. Such a state will certainly be diminished.