In the past, Lu Zhou Gong sent Kang Shu to take charge of Yin, and warned him, saying: "Better to wrongly execute an innocent person than to let a guilty one go free." There is no case where an innocent person is punished, and there is no case where a meritorious person receives no reward. Be cautious! Seal it! Exercise great caution in punishment and reward."

This compact counsel carries the full weight of Taoist governance philosophy. The principle — err toward mercy, never toward severity — reflects wu wei (non-action): the ruler who refrains from excessive punishment allows the natural order to restore itself. Wrongful punishment destroys trust; wrongful mercy can be corrected.

For Laozi, the sage ruler governs lightly — his punishments are rare, his rewards genuine. The significance of Laozi in Taoism lies precisely in this: the ruler who trusts the people and exercises restraint creates a society where justice flows naturally, rooted in the origin and development of Taoism as a tradition of benevolent governance.

Primary sources include the Shoushanige Congshu edition, the Mohaijinju edition, and the Zhengtong Daozang (Taoist Canon) edition.