(Section 9)
There are eight strategies which ministers customarily employ to work their villainy. The first is called “Making use of his bedfellows.”
What do I mean by this? The ruler is easily beguiled by lovely women and charming boys, by all those who can fawn and play at love. They wait for the time when he is enjoying his ease, take advantage of the moment when he is sated with food and wine, and ask for anything they desire, for they know that by this trick their requests are sure to be heeded. The ministers therefore ply them in the palace with gold and jewels and employ them to delude the ruler.
This is what I mean by making use of his bedfellows.
The second is called “Making use of his attendants.” What do I mean by this? Jesters and entertainers, attendants and favorites of the ruler—men such as these cry “Yes, yes!” before he has given an order, “At once, at once!” before he has commanded them; they guess his desire before he knows it himself, watch his face and observe his expression to divine what is in his mind. In unison they step forward, in unison they retire, all of them answering and responding in a single rote, in identical phrases, so that they may move the mind of the ruler. The ministers therefore ply them in the palace with gold, jewels, baubles, and precious things, and on the outside do forbidden favors for them, employing them to bend the ruler to their desires. This is what I mean by making use of his attendants.
The third is called “Making use of his elders and kin.” What does this mean? The ruler feels close affection for his kin of the cadet families and for the princes of the blood, and consults with the elder statesmen and courtiers when he lays his plans. Hence when such men combine to urge some proposal, the ruler is certain to listen.
The ministers therefore ingratiate themselves with the princes and
members of the cadet families by presenting them with musicians and waiting women, and win over the elder statesmen and courtiers with fine words; they then propose various undertakings which, they assure them, when brought to successful conclusion, will bring rewards and advancement for all. In this way they delight the hearts of these men and persuade them to act against their ruler. This is what I mean by making use of his elders and kin.
The fourth is called “Encouraging baleful pursuits.” What does this mean? Rulers love to beautify their palaces, terraces, and pools, to surround themselves with attractive attendants and fine dogs and horses for their amusement, though such pursuits are baleful to the ruler’s welfare. The ministers therefore exhaust the energies of the people in constructing beautiful palaces, terraces, and pools, and demand heavy taxes from them to provide attractive attendants and fine dogs and horses, in order to delight the ruler and bring disorder to his mind, indulge his desires and exact some private gain in the process. This is what I mean by encouraging baleful pursuits.
The fifth is called “Making use of the people.” What do I mean by this? Ministers often distribute funds in order to gratify the people, and hand out small favors in order to win the hearts of the commoners, until eventually everyone in both court and countryside is praising them alone. Thus they come to overshadow their ruler and are able to do as they please. This is what I mean by making use of the people.
The sixth is called “Making use of fluent speakers.” What does this mean? The ruler, because of the nature of his upbringing, has usually been cut off from ordinary conversation, and has seldom had an opportunity to listen to debates, and he is accordingly apt to be particularly susceptible to persuasive speaking. The ministers therefore search about for rhetoricians from other states or patronize the most able speakers in their own state, and employ them to plead their special cause. With clever and elegant phrases, fluent and compelling words, such men draw the ruler on with prospects of gain, terrify him with predictions of hazard, and completely overwhelm him with their empty preachments. This is what I mean by making use of fluent speakers.
The seventh is called “Making use of authority and might.” What do I mean by this? Rulers sometimes believe that the officials and common people are capable of wielding authority and might, and hence whatever the officials and common people approve of, they approve of too; and whatever the officials and common people condemn, they condemn also. Ministers therefore gather bands of armed men around them and support knights who are willing to die in their cause, in order to make a show of their might. They make it plain that whoever works in their interest will profit, while whoever does not will die, and in this way they manage to intimidate the lesser officials and common people and further their own interests.
This is what I mean by making use of authority and might.
The eighth is called “Making use of the surrounding states.” What do I mean by this? It is customary with a ruler that, if his state is small, he will do the bidding of larger states, and if his army is weak, he will stand in fear of stronger armies. When the larger states come with demands, the small state must consent; when strong armies appear, the weak army must submit. The ministers therefore double the taxes, empty the coffers, and exhaust the state in the service of the great powers, and then make use of their influence with foreign powers in their efforts to mislead the ruler. The worst of them may even call out their private troops and gather them menacingly on the
border1 in order to enforce their will within the state, while even the less evil ones will from time to time call in envoys from abroad in order to disquiet the ruler and fill him with terror. This is what I mean by making use of the surrounding states.
All these eight strategies are the means by which ministers work their villainy, obstruct and terrorize the rulers of the day, and deprive them of what they should possess. One must not fail to examine them closely!
In dealing with those who share his bed, the enlightened ruler may enjoy their beauty but should not listen to their special pleas or let them come with personal requests. In dealing with his attendants, he should hold them personally responsible for their words and not allow them to speak out of turn. In dealing with his kin and elder statesmen, though he heeds their words, he should be careful to hand out the appropriate punishments or promotions afterwards, and
should not let them advance to offices arbitrarily. As regards the buildings and possessions that delight and amuse the ruler, he should make certain that they are constructed and produced only on his order; the officials should never be permitted to present them as they please in an effort to ingratiate themselves with him. 2 As regards the dispensing of favors and charity, all orders to disburse emergency funds or to open up the granaries for the relief of the people must come from the ruler; he should never allow his ministers to dole out charity on their own. As regards speeches and debates, he should be careful to discover the true ability of those whom the flatterers praise, and find out the true faults of those whom the slanderers denounce, and not allow the officials to plead on each other’s behalf. In dealing with heroes and fighting men, the ruler should never hand out unduly large rewards to men who have won distinction in the army, and never pardon the offense of men who have taken up arms in a private quarrel. He must not allow the officials to use their funds to build up their own soldiery. As to the requests and demands of the feudal lords of other states, if they are lawful, he should grant them; if not, he should reject them.
When people speak of a lost ruler, they do not mean that he no longer holds possession of the state; he still holds possession of it, but it is no longer in any sense his own. A ruler who allows his ministers to use their foreign connections to seize control of internal affairs is lost. If he heeds the demands of the great powers in an effort to save himself, then he will face downfall even sooner than if he does not heed them. Therefore he refuses to heed them. His ministers, knowing that he will not heed them, no longer try to make bargains with the other feudal lords; and the other feudal lords, knowing that he will not heed them, no longer cooperate with the efforts of the ministers to dupe their own ruler. 3
The enlightened ruler assigns posts and hands out titles and stipends as a means of promoting men of worth and talent and encouraging men of achievement. Hence it is said that men of worth and talent should receive generous stipends and be assigned to high offices, and men of great achievement should have honorable titles and obtain rich rewards. Appoint the worthy to office by weighing their ability; hand out stipends by judging the amount of merit won. If
this is done, then worthy men will not pretend to greater ability than they have in order to seek service with their ruler; men of merit will delight in carrying out their tasks; and all undertakings will reach a successful conclusion.
But rulers nowadays do not do this. They do not look to see who is worthy and unworthy or discuss who has achieved merit or worked hard; instead they employ those who have influence with the other feudal lords, or heed the private pleading of their attendants. The ruler’s kinsmen and elder statesmen beg titles and stipends from the ruler and then sell them to their subordinates in order to gain wealth and profit and create a party of supporters for themselves. Hence men who have sufficient money and influence may buy posts for themselves and become honored, and those who have friends among the ruler’s attendants may make use of their special pleading to win important positions. Ministers who have shown real merit and effort count for nothing, and the assignment of posts and duties proceeds on a wholly erroneous basis. Hence we find officials stealing posts to which they have no right and intriguing with foreign powers, neglecting their duties and cultivating men of wealth. 4 As a result, men of real worth become disgusted and cease to exert themselves, and men of merit grow lax and careless in their jobs.
This is the mark of a doomed state!
1As though waiting to be joined by troops from abroad.
2The text appears to be corrupt. I omit the shantui.
3The text and interpretation of this last sentence are very doubtful. I have followed the emendation and interpretation of Wang Wei.
4Reversing the order of cai qin.