Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 201: Discussion of the “Law” 1
Looking at the wide, clean streets, the seemingly happy and relaxed citizens around, the children running around in the streets, and the beautiful four- to five-story buildings surrounding them…
Han Yuanchang and Gongsun Wushang each had different feelings.
Soon after, Han Yuanchang met with Li Xian, but Li Xian did not give him any special attention. Yes, Han Yuanchang was the Prime Minister of Liu Kingdom, but Li Xian, aside from receiving him according to protocol, handed him off to Xu Ren.
Li Xian understood something very well: when it came to schemes and power struggles, he was certainly no match for Han Yuanchang. Han Yuanchang was a Prime Minister, so Li Xian decisively passed him off to Xu Ren, letting Xu Ren, Li Yuanming, and others take the lead.
As for Li Xian, he treated Han Yuanchang very formally, without any pretense, but with Gongsun Wushang, it was completely different. He was very enthusiastic, so much so that Gongsun Wushang felt a bit embarrassed and even somewhat fearful—such enthusiasm made him wonder, what exactly was Li Xian up to?
Once seated, Li Xian got straight to the point. “Gongsun Wushang, Anyang needs a law enforcement officer. Would you be willing to take the position?”
No beating around the bush, no probing, just straight to the point!
Such directness took Gongsun Wushang by surprise, but he still had some composure. He didn’t respond immediately but stood up, adjusted his clothing, tidied his hair, and then sat back down, maintaining proper posture. “Young Master Li, if you are serious, then I must also respond seriously. I will do my best, but I also need to understand the current situation in Anyang.”
Li Xian looked into Gongsun Wushang’s eyes, and a subtle aura of pressure radiated from him. Li Xian was no longer the naive and inexperienced person he once was; he had become a powerful figure, controlling a region with a population of over thirteen million. His calm gaze made sweat beads form along Gongsun Wushang’s temples.
After a long pause, Li Xian finally nodded. “I admire your confidence. Do you know? The reason I sent Chang Lin to Liu Kingdom wasn’t for trade. The true purpose was to find a legal talent from Liu Kingdom to come up with laws for Anyang!”
Gongsun Wushang was stunned for a moment, then his heart became serious. Three armored ships crossing thousands of miles by sea, all under the guise of trade, just to find a single talent!
This conveyed at least two things. First, Li Xian valued talent. Second, this so-called lawmaking was no simple matter!
After a brief pause, Li Xian continued, “Since you have the confidence to sit here, I won’t ask about your past or your talents. I only ask, if you were in charge of the laws of Anyang, would you dedicate yourself to planning for Anyang’s future?”
Having just been rejected by Liu Kingdom and seeing his ambitions go unfulfilled, Gongsun Wushang almost wanted to jump up immediately and swear to the heavens: I can do it. But this thought quickly passed, and he suppressed it. “Young Master Li, I must first understand the situation in Anyang and also need to know what kind of Anyang you envision.”
Li Xian thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Before that, I want to ask, what kind of laws does Liu Kingdom have? What is the core of such a law?”
When it came to this, Gongsun Wushang seemed to change into another person. There was even a sense of sacred mission on his face. “Before talking about Legalists, we must first discuss the strategists and scholars of the past.
Strategists often serve only the ruler, while scholars focus solely on state governance.
But whether they are strategists or scholars, both are based on rule by man. Moreover, the abilities and character of strategists and scholars vary greatly, and they are scattered.
Thus, the ancestors of Legalism wondered if there could be a method that could unify the strategist and the scholar, while also ensuring absolute fairness.
After a long period of development, Legalism was born.
The philosophy of Legalism is to govern by law, replacing rule by man. Everything must be done according to the law; the entire society must be under the control of the law. And the law itself must be public. In this way, everything is governed by law, and the world is in harmonious order.”
Li Xian’s eyes lit up. “This idea is very good. But it seems that it only replaces the abilities of the scholars, and not the abilities of the strategists.”
Gongsun Wushang’s tone was slow but clear and firm. “The philosophy of Legalism is divided into two parts: the visible and the hidden. The visible part is governing the country by law, which is the least important. The hidden part, which could be called ‘two-faced and three knives,’ is the most crucial.”
Two-faced and three knives!
Li Xian’s eyes narrowed. He could tell right away that it wasn’t a good term.
Gongsun Wushang didn’t pause at all. “The so-called two-faced and three knives refers to two methods. The two faces are reward and punishment. The greatest power of the ruler actually boils down to just two things: rewards and punishments. As long as rewards and punishments are clearly defined, the ruler can control his subordinates.
But rewards and punishments alone are not enough, because human hearts are unpredictable. So, there are ‘three knives.’
The three knives are as follows:
First, the ruler’s power must be supreme and inviolable. Anyone who dares to offend must be killed. This is the strong side, to demonstrate righteousness. This is ‘power.’
Second, the ruler must possess the art of kingship: to make his ministers fight among themselves, to make the people fight among themselves, to make the world fight among themselves. The emperor sits on high, watching the chaos unfold, and reaps the benefits as a fisherman. Then, the most active ones among them are selected and killed, thus consolidating the ruler’s authority. This is the soft side, to appear indifferent and calm. This is ‘art.’ Mental strategy, political tactics.
Third is the law. Power symbolizes the emperor’s authority, mental strategy is the way to control the ministers, and the law is the way to govern the people.
Through the law, the entire population becomes a weapon in the emperor’s hands, fighting for the emperor’s benefit.
Outsiders may think that Legalism is about ruling the country by law, but they don’t realize that the law is only the outermost layer. The law exists to serve the core of ‘two-faced and three knives.’ So, the law of Legalism is the law of the king, and it serves the ruler.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that the king is always the king, the ministers are always the ministers, and the people are always the people. And everything serves the king. Anyone who dares to defy the law is defying the emperor, and must be killed without mercy!”
Li Xian listened, stunned, even sweating profusely. “You… you’re treating the people like pigs and dogs!”
Gongsun Wushang stood tall and resolute. “Under heaven, there is no land that is not the king’s, no shore that is not the king’s subject. This world needs only one master. Therefore, there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers for the people. This is how it must be.
Only by doing this can the nation be unified, inside and out. The heart of the emperor must be the heart of the world, and the emperor’s will must be the standard for the world.
The people are ignorant and insignificant. Therefore, the governance of the country cannot consider the will of the people. If the people are dissatisfied and dare to speak against the king’s law, kill them! If they refuse to obey the king’s law, kill them! If they harm the king’s interests, kill them!
As long as the disobedient, the lowly, and the ignorant are all killed, the rest will be obedient. These are the people the emperor needs.
Once this is achieved, the emperor will be able to command the world. One day, he will command both heaven and earth.”