Fu Xuan, courtesy name Xiu Yi, was a native of Niyang in the northern region of the Western Jin Dynasty. He once served as censor Zhongcheng, Sili Xiaowei and other supervisory officials in the Western Jin Dynasty. He dared to report impeachments and was frightened by nobles. He wrote 120 volumes of Fu Zi, which have been lost. Today, there are 4 volumes of edited editions. Fu Xuan basically inherited the ideas of virtue and punishment since Dong Zhongshu and Bai Hutong of the Han Dynasty. He believed that the heaven and the earth were in the process of growing up, spring first and then autumn; He emphasized that governing the country depends on respecting religion, and believed that the people would not be able to make a living if they were solely responsible for punishment. If one is enlightened in Confucianism and Taoism, politics will be promoted. But Fu Xuan paid more attention to the role of law and declared that there are two handles to govern the country: one is reward, and the other is punishment. Those who reward are the great virtues of government; those who punish are the great power of government. The rewards he talks about first of all refer to rewards for those who practice virtue, that is, those who conform to Confucian moral standards. He emphasized that rewards and punishments are indispensable. If only threats and punishments are given without virtue, the people will not be happy in life. If virtue and punishment are given alone without threats and punishments, the people will not be afraid of death. If the people are not happy with life, they cannot be obtained and taught; if the people are not afraid of death, they cannot be obtained and controlled. He even said: Etiquette and law take different paths but reach the same goal; rewards and punishments are used interchangeably and help each other. Fu Xuan advocated conscientious compliance with the law and opposed judging cases based on personal likes and dislikes. He said: It is very dangerous to interpret the law freely, to be sycophantic, to be suspicious and to be less decisive, for example, to cling to corruption in order to control a galloping horse. He emphasized that rewards and punishments should be regardless of status and rank. If there is good, even if it is neglected and humble, it must be rewarded; There are long snakes on the left and right. This is a denial of the Confucian eight-discuss system that has been stipulated in the law since Cao Wei. Fu Xuan appreciated that Henan Yin Fu of the Cao Wei Dynasty did not use torture in his trial. At the same time, he actively supported the initiative to restore corporal punishment. He believed that corporal punishment could punish prisoners for life and was conducive to stabilizing social order. He said that although corporal punishment cuts off the feet, it can still lead to fertility. Do not hinder the growth of the labor force. This also meets the needs of the Western Jin Dynasty, which had a vast territory and sparsely populated areas. He said: There is a weak man today who should be trapped in a big disaster. If you ask his loving father, he will beg for physical punishment instead. It is easy for him to live or die.
How can a wise king not use this to increase the number of his people?