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The Biography of Han Fei Tzŭ By
Ssŭ-ma Ch`ien1
Han Fei was one of the princes of
the Han State. He was fond of studies in penology, epistemology, law, and
statecraft, tracing his principles to the Yellow
Emperor and Lao Tzŭ. Fei, being a habitual stutterer, was unable to
deliver fluent speeches, but proficient in writing books. While he was studying
with Li Ssŭ under Hsün Ch`ing, Ssŭ considered himself not as
successful as Fei. Fei, when seeing Han dwindling and weakening, frequently
submitted memorials to the Throne and presented counsels to the King of Han.
The King of Han, however, was incapable of taking them into use. Thereupon Han
Fei was incensed with the ruler who in governing the state never attempted to
improve laws and institutions; never attempted to make use of his august
position and thereby rule his subjects; never attempted to enrich the state and
strengthen the army; and, in choosing personages, instead of employing
worthies, elevated frivolous and dissolute vermin and placed them in posts
above men of real merit. He alleged that the literati by means of letters
disturbed laws and the cavaliers by means of weapons transgressed prohibitions;
and that in time of ease the ruler treated famous personages with great favour,
but in case of emergency he called armed warriors to the colours. Now
that those who had been fed were not taken
into active service and those who had been taken into active service were not
fed, Han Fei lamented for honest and upright gentlemen over their
inadmissibility to wicked and crooked ministers, observed the changing factors
of success and failure of the preceding ages, and, accordingly, composed such
works as Solitary Indignation, Five Vermin, Inner and Outer
Congeries of Sayings, Collected Persuasions, Difficulties in the Way of
Persuasion, which altogether covered upwards of one hundred thousand
words. Though Han Fei knew very well the difficulties of persuasion, wherefore
his work on the difficulties in the way of persuasion was very
comprehensive, yet he met an untimely death
in Ch`in after all and was unable to rescue himself from the final calamity. .
. .
2
Someone had introduced his Works in Ch`in. Reading
the Works, Solitary Indignation and Five Vermin, the King of Ch`in exclaimed: "Lo! Only if I,
the King, can meet the author and become friendly with him, I would not regret
my death thereafter." "These are Works of Han Fei," remarked Li Ssŭ.
Therefore, Ch`in launched an attack upon Han. At
first, the King of Han did not take Fei into service. When the emergency came,
he sent Fei as a good-will envoy to Ch`in. The King of Ch`in liked him. Yet
before he had confidence in him and took him into service, Li Ssŭ and Yao
Ku did an ill office to him. Before the Throne, they slandered him, saying:
"Han Fei is one of the princes of the Han State. As Your Majesty is now
thinking of conquering the feudal lords, Fei will in the long run work for Han
and not for Ch`in. Such is the natural
inclination of human nature. Now, if Your Majesty does not take him into
service, and, after keeping him long, sends him home, it is to leave a source
of future trouble. The best is to censure him for an offence against the law."
Considering this admonition reasonable, the King of Ch`in instructed officials
to pass sentence on Han Fei. In the meantime, Li Ssŭ sent men to bring
poisonous drugs to Han Fei and order him to commit suicide. Han Fei wanted to
plead his own case before the Throne and vindicate his innocence but could not
have an audience with the King. Later, the King of Ch`in repented and
instructed men to pardon him, but Fei had already died (233
b.c.). . . .
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