If a country has no people harboring resentment against those in power, it is a country that can be called a strong country. This is a Legalist definition of a strong state. The Legalists were pragmatic, emphasizing farming and military fighting, a rich state with a strong army. However, they did not at all measure the strength of states by their hard power alone but also by their soft power. The essence of soft power is the people feeling no hatred of those in power. The prerequisite of no such hatred is justice, fairness and equality in the country and the result is national unity. This term is the Legalist expression of the notion that “people are the foundation of the state.”

A country with no resentful people is called a strong country. When people are going to war, ranks are conferred according to military performance, and thus victory is certain. When not fighting a war, people should engage in farming, rewards are given according to grain production, and thus the country prospers. The one who dispatches troops and defeats the enemy and withdraws the troops and makes the country prosperous will rule as a true king. (The Book of Lord Shang)