The 48 Laws Of Power

dismissedthe

guards

and

everybody

else

except

the

generals,

whonow

fearedhewouldmurdertheminonefell
swoop.
Instead,

headdressed

them:“Thewhole

day

is

spent

in

fear,

andIam

unhappy

bothatthetable

andin
my

bed.Forwhichoneof

you

doesnotdreamof

ascending

the

throne?Idonotdoubt

yourallegiance,

butif

by

somechance

your

subor-

dinates,

seeking

wealthand

position,

weretoforcethe

emperor’syellow

robe

uponyou

in

turn,

howcould

you

refuseit?”Drunkand

tearing

for

their

lives,

the

generalsproclaimed

theirinnocenceandtheir

loyalty.

But

Sung

hadotherideas:“Thebest

way

to

pass

one’s

days

isin

peaceful

en~

joyment

ofrichesandhonor.If

you

are

willing

to

giveupyour

commands,

Iam

ready

to

provideyou

withlineestatesandbeautiful

dwellings

where

youmay

take

yourpleasure

with

singers

and

girls

as

yourcompanions.”

Theastonished

generals

realizedthatinsteadofalifeof

anxiety

and

struggleSung

was

offering

themrichesand

security.

Thenext

day,

allof

the

generals

tenderedtheir

resignations,

and

they

retiredasnoblestothe

estatesthat

Sung

bestowedonthem.

Inone

stroke,

Sung

turneda

pack

of

“friendly”

wolves,

whowould

likely

have

betrayed

him,

intoa

group

ofdocile

lambs,

faxfromall

power.

Overthenextfew

yearsSung

continued

his

campaign

tosecurehis

rule.InA.D.

971,

King

Lin

of

the

Southern

Han

finally

surrenderedtohim

after

years

ofrebellion.ToLiu’s

astonishment,Sunggave

himarankinthe

imperial

courtandinvitedhimtothe

palace

tosealtheirnewfoundfriend-

ship

with

wine.As

King

Liutookthe

glass

that

Sung

offered

him,

hehesi-

tated,

fearing

itcontained

poison.

“Your

subject’s

crimes

certainly

merit

death,”

hecried

out,

“butI

beg

Your

Majesty

to

spareyoursubject’s

life.In-

deedIdarenotdrinkthiswine.”

Emperor

Sunglaughed,

tookthe

glass

from

Lin,

and

swallowed

ithimself.Therewasno

poison.

Fromthenon

Liubecamehismosttrustedand

loyal

friend.

Atthe

time,

Chinahad

splintered

into

many

smaller

kingdoms.

When

Ch’ien

Shu,

the

king

ofoneof

these,

was

defeated,

Sung’s

ministersad-

visedthe

emperor

tolockthisrebel

up.

They

presented

documents

prov-

ing

thathewasstill

conspiring

tokill

Sung.

WhenCh’ienShucametovisit

the

emperor,

however,

insteadof

locking

him

up,Sung

honoredhim.He

also

gave

hima

package,

whichhetoldtheformer

king

to

open

whenhe

was

halfway

home.Ch’ienShu

opened

thebundleonhisreturn

journey

andsawthatitcontainedallthe

papersdocumenting

his

conspiracy.

Here-

alizedthat

Sung

knewofhismurderous

plans,yet

had

spared

himnonethe-

less.This

generosity

wonhim

over,

andhe

toobecame

oneof

Sung’s

most

loyal

vassals.

Interpretation

A

Chinese

proverbcompares

friendstothe

jaws

andteethofa

dangerous

animal:If

you

arenot

careful,

you

willfindthem

chewingyouup.Emperor

Sung

knewthe

jaws

hewas

passing

betweenwhenheassumedthethrone:

His“friends”inthe

army

wouldchewhim

up

like

meat,

andifhesome-

how

survived,

his“friends”inthe

government

wouldhavehimfor

supper.

'1‘/iereare

rmmy

who

think

zlzerefizre

thzua

wise

princeought,

whenhehasthe

chance,

10

form-m

astzarely

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cnmizy,

sothat

byrlcpprmirirzg

ithe

willu1:gn1mtl1is'

_ur4m(nm-.s‘.

f’rin«'ex,

and

espwizzlly

new

ones,

have

found

more

fair/1

andmore

uxejiilmzss

in

those

men.

whom:11the

bcgimiingof

their

powertheyregarded

with

ruspicimi.

thanin

those

theytztfirsl

confided

in.

Pandolfo

}’c'lru<::'i,

primtenf

Stems.

gm-‘Billed

his

Statemore

by

Iiwse

it-liomhe

sltspecrezi

[Iran

by

oilzers.

Nxcrtnt)NlACHl.-\\‘l;‘LLL

ls:l6‘J-) 527

A

brahmzm.

a

great

expert

inVedawhohas

becomea

great

archer

aswell,

offers

his

.s‘t?rL'It'(,'.\'Ir)Iris

grmrl

frimd,

whoisnowthe

king.

Thehruhrn/In

triesamwhenhesees

I/14’

king,"kemgnize

me,

yu1u'V/"/'z'cm1.r"’T/u’

king

atzswers/rimwith

comempt

andthan

t'.\‘[)1l1iI1S."‘YL'.V,

wewcna

fricm1.\'Iznfrme,

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WP

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...I

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No

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wisr.normvzmltorim

LAW 2 II