The Chaos of 14th-Century China and Liu Bowen’s Inspiration

In 1359, as Liu Bowen returned to his hometown of Qingtian, the Jiangnan region was engulfed in turmoil. The Yuan Dynasty, established by the Mongol conquerors, was crumbling under corruption, oppression, and widespread discontent. Witnessing the moral decay of the ruling class and the suffering of ordinary people, Liu Bowen—a scholar, strategist, and later advisor to the Ming Dynasty’s founder—decided to write a book. This work, Yu Li Zi (“The Collection of Civilized Light”), became a cornerstone of Chinese political寓言 (allegorical) literature.

Originally, Liu Bowen had no grand ambitions for the book. He simply sought to document the absurdities and cruelties he observed, using寓言 to veil his critiques. Much like Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio centuries later, Yu Li Zi disguised sharp social commentary within stories about animals, rulers, and everyday folly. Yet Liu Bowen’s framing was masterful: he positioned it as a “guide to enlightened governance,” suggesting that rulers who followed its principles could lead their nations to prosperity.

Allegories of Power: The Tiger, the Deer, and the Doom of the Yuan

One of Yu Li Zi’s most striking寓言 compares the Yuan Dynasty to a predatory tiger chasing a deer (the people). Cornered at a cliff’s edge, the desperate deer leaps to its possible death—and the blindly aggressive tiger follows, ensuring mutual destruction. Liu Bowen’s message was clear: when rulers exploit their people beyond endurance, revolution becomes inevitable. The deer’s leap symbolizes the hopelessness of the oppressed; the tiger’s folly mirrors the ruling class’s shortsighted greed.

Liu Bowen’s critique extended to the Yuan’s systemic failures:
– Ethnic Discrimination: The Mongols’ oppressive hierarchy marginalized Han Chinese.
– Corruption: Power flowed from patronage, not merit, fostering rampant graft.
– Neglect of Agriculture: The Yuan prioritized military expansion over feeding its people, a fatal flaw in an agrarian society.

Through寓言 like the tiger and deer, Liu Bowen warned that regimes ignoring these injustices would face collapse.

The Parable of the Monkey Keeper: A Lesson in Governance

Another寓言 tells of a manipulative “Monkey Lord” who exploits his monkeys (the people) for their labor. When a young monkey questions why they obey—since the forest’s fruits belong to no one—the monkeys revolt, abandoning their oppressor to starve. Liu Bowen’s commentary underscores a radical idea: authority is legitimate only if it serves the people’s welfare. Once the oppressed awaken to their power, tyranny crumbles.

This story echoes Confucian and Daoist principles:
– Mencius’ Mandate of Heaven: Rulers lose legitimacy if they harm the people.
– Laozi’s Warning: Oppression breeds rebellion when suffering exceeds fear.

Yet Liu Bowen went further, rejecting passive acceptance of tyranny. His寓言 urged the people to recognize their agency—a daring stance in feudal China.

Liu Bowen’s Political Philosophy: The Doctor-State Analogy

Central to Yu Li Zi is Liu Bowen’s metaphor of the ruler as a physician. A good leader must:
1. Diagnose (understand social ills).
2. Prescribe (craft just laws and policies).
3. Heal (implement reforms with moral integrity).

He scorned rulers who, like quack doctors, ignored “symptoms” (e.g., poverty, corruption) or prescribed brute force (“力”) over virtuous governance (“德”). His ideal state balanced:
– Agriculture and Military: Neither could thrive at the other’s expense.
– Law and Morality: Rules without ethical foundations were doomed.
– Elites and Commoners: Exploiting one group destabilized the whole.

The Legacy of Yu Li Zi: Humanist Thought Ahead of Its Time

Liu Bowen’s work broke barriers:
1. Rejection of Ethnic Chauvinism: Unlike contemporaries advocating Han nationalism against Mongol rule, he criticized misgovernment—not ethnicity. His focus on universal justice was progressive.
2. Democratic Undercurrents: By framing rulers as servants (not masters) of the people, he subtly challenged absolutism.
3. Enduring Relevance: His寓言 on corruption, inequality, and failed leadership resonate in modern politics.

### Why Yu Li Zi Matters Today

In an era of rising authoritarianism and social fractures, Liu Bowen’s lessons are strikingly contemporary:
– Power Without Accountability (the tiger) leads to self-destruction.
– Exploitative Systems (the Monkey Lord) collapse when the oppressed unite.
– Good Governance requires empathy, adaptability, and moral courage.

Liu Bowen’s genius lay in wrapping subversive truths in寓言—allowing his ideas to survive censorship and speak across centuries. Yu Li Zi remains not just a relic of Yuan-Ming transition, but a timeless manifesto for just rule.