This passage comes from "The Analects, Book XII, Yan Yuan": "Zi Gong (a disciple of Confucius) asked about governance. Confucius said, 'Adequate food, adequate military, and the people's trust in their ruler.' Zi Gong said, 'If forced to give up one of these three, which should go first?' Confucius said, 'Give up the military.' Zi Gong said, 'If forced to give up one of the remaining two, which should go first?' Confucius said, 'Give up food. Death has always been the fate of all people, but without trust, a state cannot stand.'"
Zigong (a skilled diplomat and wealthy disciple of Confucius) asked Confucius about the principles of governance. Confucius said that governing a state to strengthen it involves three aspects: first, "sufficient food," which includes economic, political, and social stability—ensuring the people have enough to eat, clothes to wear, and basic living security. Second, "sufficient military," meaning strong defense preparations. If both "sufficient food and sufficient military" can be achieved, the people must also trust the government and its rulers. Zigong then asked, if forced by circumstances to reduce one of these three matters, which should be set aside first? Confucius said, set aside the military first. Zigong further asked, if forced to choose between maintaining sufficient food and establishing trust, which should be set aside? Confucius said, rather set aside both military and food, even going without food, but the government must uphold the principle of Xin (Trustworthiness) toward the people. Zhu Xi (a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Song Dynasty) commented: "If the people have no food, they will surely die, yet death is something everyone must inevitably face. Without trust, even if they live, they cannot establish themselves, which is worse than death. Therefore, it is better to die than to lose the trust of the people, so that the people would also rather die than lose trust in me."
During the Warring States Period, Shang Yang (a reformer and statesman) carried out reforms under the support of Duke Xiao of Qin. After a period of investigation and preparation, the reform decrees were ready but not yet announced. Since the era was marked by frequent wars and public anxiety, the ruler worried that the people would not trust him. To establish credibility and promote reform, he ordered a three-zhang-tall (about 10 meters) wooden pole placed at the southern city gate and publicly promised a reward of ten liang of gold (approx. 500 grams) to anyone who could move it to the northern gate. The people found this strange and did not believe such an easy task could earn such a high reward; they discussed it but no one stepped forward. Shang Yang then said, "Whoever moves the pole will be rewarded with fifty liang of gold." A man, acting on a whim, carried the pole to the northern gate. Shang Yang kept his promise and rewarded him with fifty liang of gold, demonstrating that he did not deceive the people. This act established Shang Yang's credibility among the people of Qin, and the subsequent reforms quickly spread throughout the state. A year after the reform decrees were issued, thousands of Qin people went to the capital to complain that the new laws were inconvenient. At this time, the crown prince also violated the law. Shang Yang said, "The new laws cannot be smoothly implemented because the upper class leads in violating them. The crown prince is the heir to the ruler and cannot be punished." Instead, he punished the prince's tutor, Gongzi Qian, and tattooed the face of another tutor, Gongsun Jia, as a warning. The next day, when the people of Qin heard this, they gradually began to obey the laws. After ten years of the new laws, Qin saw a peaceful scene where no one picked up lost items on the road and there were no thieves in the mountains. The people bravely fought for the state and dared not engage in private feuds; both rural and urban areas were well governed. The people fully trusted the government's decrees and could follow orders and prohibitions. After the reforms, Qin leaped to become a powerful state among the Warring States, and Shang Yang's act of establishing trust by moving the pole played an indispensable role.