Govern the nation with correctness.
Resort to arms with surprise manoeuvres.
Obtain the land under Heaven without tiring out the people.
How do I know this?
Because:
The more rules there are in the country,
the poorer the people will become.
The more power the people hold,
the more confused the country will become.
The more skills and intelligence the people possess,
the more valuable goods will be created and the more strict the laws will become,
yet the more thieves and robbers will breed.
That is why the sage says:
'I do nothing, and the people are nurtured by themselves.'
'I do not tire people and drain the treasury, and the people become rich by themselves.'
'I prefer quietness, and the people behave correctly by themselves.'
'I have no desire, and the people return to the simple life by themselves.'
'I have no emotions, and the people become pure by themselves.'