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Establish One’s Credibility by Rewarding People for Moving a Log
通过让人搬动大木头（兑现赏金）来树立威信。据《史记》记载，商鞅（前390？—前338）变法之前，为了取信于民，命人在都城集市南门立一根三丈长的大木头，宣布无论是谁，只要把木头搬到集市北门，就会得到丰厚的赏金。有人壮着胆子做了，商鞅立刻赏了重金。人们由此确信商鞅说到做到，因而新法颁布后得以畅行无阻。其中最重要的是“立信”——取信于民：若要国家政令畅通无阻，首先必须取信，令出必行，这样才能得到百姓的支持和拥戴。
According to Records of the Historian, in order to gain the people’s trust before initiating his political reforms, Shang Yang (390?-338 BC) announced that, regardless of whoever it might be, if anyone was able to move a huge log 3 zhang long (approx. 7 meters) from the southern gateway to the northern gateway of the market in the capital city, he would be amply rewarded. A person was bold enough to attempt this task and succeeded; hence he was immediately rewarded with a generous sum of money. After that, the people were convinced that Shang Yang was one who kept his word, and hence, he was able to issue his new decrees unimpeded. The important thing here is “the establishment of credibility” – winning the people’s trust. In order to pass a country’s decrees unimpeded, one must first gain trust, which is imperative for issuing a decree. Only in this way can the support and allegiance of the common people be gained.
引例 Citation：
◎令既具，未布，恐民之不信，已乃立三丈之木于国都市南门，募民有能徙置北门者予十金。民怪之，莫敢徙。复曰“能徙者予五十金”。有一人徙之，辄予五十金，以明不欺。卒下令。（《史记·商君列传》）
（法令已经完备，但没有公布，（商鞅）恐怕百姓不相信，于是在国都集市南门立了一根三丈长的大木头，向百姓招募，如果有人将木头从集市南门搬到北门，就赏给他十镒（相当于二百两）黄铜（金钱）。百姓对此感到奇怪，没有人敢去搬木头。（商鞅）又宣布：“谁能搬过去，就赏给他五十镒（相当于一千两）黄铜（金钱）。”有一个人将大木头搬到了集市北门，商鞅立即赏给他五十镒黄铜，以表明没有欺骗他。于是商鞅最终颁布了变法的命令。）
After the decrees for reform being drawn but before being issued, Shang Yang, fearing that the people wouldn’t take the decrees seriously, he had a 3-zhanglong(approx. 7 meters) log erected in front of the southern gateway of the market place in the capital city. He declared that whoever could move the log from the southern gateway to the northern gateway would be given a reward of 10 yi (equivalent of 200 taels of copper). People found it very strange and nobody came forward to move the log. Shang then said, “Whoever can move the log will be awarded 50 yi (equivalent of 1,000 taels of copper).” One man came up and moved the log to the market’s northern gateway. Shang kept his words and immediately gave him the promised amount of reward. Thus Shang was able to issue the decrees of reform thereafter. (Records of the Historian)
