Chapter 15 3. Hold Your Crown

In fact, Han Fei also has a "King Training Class". Among the students, there is also King Hui of Liang. Of course, when Han Fei was born, King Liang Hui had already passed away, so it was impossible for Han Fei to teach him.The person in class is called Bupi. Bupi is also a Legalist. King Hui of Liang said: "Mr. has traveled far and wide and seen a lot. As far as you know, what is the reputation of the widow?" Bupi replied: I heard that the king is a benevolent person. King Hui of Liang was very happy to hear this, and asked complacently, "How far is the widow's kindness?"

Bupi replied: "It's almost time for the country to perish." King Hui was taken aback: Isn't Cihui doing good deeds?How could the country die? Bupi said: "Compassion is not to bear, and kindness is good."What is the result?It must be that those who should be killed are not killed, and those who should not be rewarded are rewarded indiscriminately.How can there be no reason to live in such a way that "if there is a fault, you will not be guilty, and if you have no merit, you will be rewarded"? I don't know if this matter is true or not, but it was compiled into teaching materials by Han Fei and used to train the kings of various countries.It's just that Han Fei's course content is the opposite of that of Mencius.Mencius talked about kingship, and Han Fei talked about domineering, and they were domineering.

Why run amok? Because the social atmosphere is so, so is the spirit of the times. Han Fei said that one year Qi State attacked Lu, and Lu State sent Zi Gong, a student of Confucius, to conduct diplomatic mediation.Zigong talked on and on for a long time, but the people of Qi dismissed him with one word.The people of Qi replied that the words of the husband are indeed beautiful, but we are here to grab the territory, so what's the use of beautiful words? As a result, Qi drew the national border to ten miles in front of the gate of Lu's capital. Isn't this rampant? So Han Fei said, don't talk about benevolence and morality, talk about loving the world, talk about being gentle, courteous and thrifty, whoever says it will be unlucky, because the times have changed.This change can also be summed up in one sentence——

In ancient times, people competed for morality, in the middle ages they competed for resourcefulness, and today they compete for strength. That is to say, whether interpersonal or international relations are good, they are all relations of interests.It's just that the acquisition of benefits was first "surrender", later it was "catch", and now it is "grab".that is it. Yeah, all the faces are ripped off, why bother whitewashing the peace? The same is true for the relationship between monarch and minister. We know that in Confucianism, monarchs and ministers are regarded as father and son, and states are regarded as brothers.To this, Han Fei's reaction was a sneer: as close as father and son?Even if the real father and son, brothers, so what?Wasn't King Chu Cheng forced to death by his own son?Duke Huan of Qi, didn't he kill his own brother?The monarch is benevolent and the minister is loyal, the father is kind and the son is filial, and the brother loves the brother and friend, does it work?

does not work. What works? Benefit.The greatest interest of a ruler is to be king and hegemony; the greatest interest of a subject is wealth and glory.As long as the relationship is coordinated to maximize the benefits of both parties, it is OK.Love it or not, it doesn't matter, right? So Han Fei came to a conclusion—— If the ruler is not benevolent and the ministers are not loyal, then he can overlord the king! what!The desks in the Mencius training class were about to be overturned. However, there is a problem here. what is the problem? What if the subject is not satisfied with his position and wants to be the king?

It's entirely possible.Because the greatest benefit in the world is to be the king.Old ministers murdered the king, sons murdered their fathers, younger brothers usurped their elder brothers, the history is endless.From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period, crowns fell one after another, and volcanoes erupted one after another. The princes of all walks of life really didn't know how to keep their thrones. Is there anything Han Fei can do about this? Have. any solution? Two sides and three swords. The so-called "two sides" are rewards and punishments, rewards and punishments, also called virtue and punishment, which Han Fei called "two handles".It certainly works.Because of human nature, it is nothing but to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages; the two handles of punishment and morality are nothing more than threats and temptations.There are sweetness and bitterness in this, and there are also bad faces in singing red face, so it is "two sides".

Complementing the "two sides" are the "three swords", that is, power, technique, and method.Power is power, art is power, and law is regulations.Among them, prestige is the premise and foundation.Han Fei made it very clear that once Feilong and Soaring Snake fell to the ground, they were no different from earthworms or ants.It can be seen from this that power and prestige are reliable, and others are unreliable. Once you have authority, you have to know how to use it.how to use?Use power to build prestige, use power to deal with subordinates, and use laws to subdue the people.Standing in power, controlling ministers with skill, and governing the people by law are all the commanding swords in the hands of the ruler.

It seems that Han Fei's healing techniques are bright and dark, both hard and soft.Punishment is public hard control, while political tactics are covert soft control.If the monarch has no skills, he will be controlled by others; if the people can't, they will commit chaos.This is called "If the ruler is incapable, the superior will be disadvantaged, and if the minister is incapable, the inferior will be in chaos." However, although both techniques and methods require hard hands, they are used differently.Power tricks are used to deal with officials, which is called "hiding the officials"; laws and regulations are used to deal with the people, which is called "the way of the people".Therefore, power tactics must be hidden in the bottom of the heart, and laws and regulations must be made public.In fact, Han Fei's law was a program entered into the minds of his subjects.With this program, they will automatically become worker bees and worker ants.

Han Fei's bee and ant society was built in this way.In this society, it is obvious that there is only monarchy and no civil rights.In Han Fei's mind, the word civil rights did not exist at all.He serves only one person, and that is the monarch.He has only one thing to say to the monarch: Hold on to your crown! The monarchy is supreme and the monarch is the only one. This is Legalism. Would Mozi agree with such a proposition? I'm afraid not.

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