Strict rule of law is the only way of instituting proper governance—reliance on vague notions of wisdom and virtue for no apparent reason causes chaos.

當魏之方明立辟、從憲令行之時，有功者必賞，有罪者必誅，強匡天下，威行四鄰；及法慢，妄予，而國日削矣。當趙之方明國律、從大軍之時，人眾兵強，辟地齊、燕；及國律慢，用者弱，而國日削矣。當燕之方明奉法、審官斷之時，東縣齊國，南盡中山之地；及奉法已亡，官斷不用，左右交爭，論從其下，則兵弱而地削，國制於鄰敵矣。故曰：明法者強，慢法者弱。強弱如是其明矣，而世主弗為，國亡宜矣。語曰：「家有常業，雖饑不餓。國有常法，雖危不亡。」夫舍常法而從私意，則臣下飾於智能，臣下飾於智能則法禁不立矣。是妄意之道行，治國之道廢也。治國之道，去害法者，則不惑於智能、不矯於名譽矣。昔者舜使吏決鴻水，先令有功而舜殺之；禹朝諸侯之君會稽之上，防風之君後至而禹斬之。以此觀之，先令者殺，後令者斬，則古者先貴如令矣。故鏡執清而無事，美惡從而比焉；衡執正而無事，輕重從而載焉。夫搖鏡則不得為明，搖衡則不得為正，法之謂也。故先王以道為常，以法為本，本治者名尊，本亂者名絕。凡智能明通，有以則行，無以則止。故智能單道，不可傳於人。而道法萬全，智能多失。夫懸衡而知平，設規而知圓，萬全之道也。明主使民飾於道之故，故佚而則功。釋規而任巧，釋法而任智，惑亂之道也。亂主使民飾於智，不知道之故，故勞而無功。

When the Wei dynasty clearly established and obeyed the constitution, those who made meritorious contributions would be rewarded, and those who were guilty would be punished. When Zhao Zhifang was clear about the national law and the army, the people were strong, and the land was Qi and Yan, and when the national law was weak, the people were weak, and the country was cut down. When Yan Zhifang clearly obeyed the law and judged the judges, the eastern county Qi country, the south ended in the middle mountains; and the law was dead, the officials did not use it, and the left and right were fighting, and the troops were weak and the ground was cut down, and the country was controlled by the neighboring enemy. Therefore, it is said: Those who abide by the law are strong, and those who do not are weak. The strength and weakness are clear, and the lord of the world is the one, and the country should die. The saying goes: "The family has a permanent business, even if it is hungry. The country has permanent laws, even if it is in danger, it will not perish.” If the husband is always in the law and follows his own will, then the subordinate is decorated with wisdom, and the subordinate is decorated with wisdom, the law is not followed. It is the way of vain will, and the way of governing the country is also abolished. The way to govern the country is that those who harm the law are not rewarded with intelligence and reputation. In the past, Shun made the officials decide on the Hongshui, and the shilling was meritorious and Shun killed him; the prince of the princes of the Yu Dynasty would be above, and the king of the wind would come and Yu beheaded him. From this point of view, the shilling is killed, and the latter is killed, and the ancients are as valuable as the order. Therefore, if a mirror is clear and clean, good and evil can be compared; If the one shakes the mirror, you cannot see clearly, and if one shakes the balance, they cannot be righteous, and the law is the same. Therefore, the first king took the Tao as the norm, the law as the foundation, the name of the ruler, and the name of the chaotic. If there is wisdom and clarity, it will work, and if it does not, it will stop. Therefore, wisdom is a path that cannot be passed on to others. However, the Tao method is perfect, but the wisdom is often lost. Hang the balance and know the balance, set the rules and know the circle, this is the perfect way. The Lord of the Ming Dynasty ordered the people to follow the Dao, so the merits were achieved by losing sight of them. Interpret rules and rely on skill, interpret laws and rely on wisdom, and confuse chaos. The leader of chaos makes the people show off their wisdom, but they don't know why, so they work in vain.