Scold the Locust Tree While Pointing at the Mulberry Tree

Point at the Mulberry and Revile the Locust The strong should control the weak by means of warnings and chastisement, inducing the weak to comply. When the commander is firm and upright, those above and below will respond; actions may appear risky, yet the outcome will be smooth. In the governance of troops, when the ranks do not yet obey, direct orders fail, and inducements by profit only breed suspicion, one may deliberately punish a certain object for its fault in order to covertly warn the rest who are disobedient—achieving control through deterrence rather than direct exhortation. Allusion:In the Spring and Autumn period, You Meng, an entertainer of Chu, was favored by King Zhuang of Chu. After the death of the worthy minister Sunshu Ao, his son fell into such poverty that he had to go up the mountain to gather firewood. You Meng did not remonstrate directly with the king. Instead, he put on the clothes Sunshu Ao had worn in life, imitated his bearing, and appeared before King Zhuang at a banquet. The king mistook him for Sunshu Ao returned to life and, with......