(Translated by A.F.P. Hulsewe)

Translator’s Note: This group, consisting of two articles from two difierent statutes of the State of Wei（魏）is not entered as a separate group in the Chinese publications．be-cause these rules are found rather unexpectedly as an appendix to the collection of moralizing prose-pieces, which the editors have called“How to be a good official”，Wei li chih tao（為吏之道），this being the first phrase of the collection．These two laws are followed again by another appendix，viz．some proverbial sayings (see my“Ch’in documents”，P．185)．The rules are written in the fifth or lowest register of strips 16－28 (for the organization of the writing on these strips see‘Ch'in documents”，P．183)．The complete strips have a length of 27.5 cm．or 1 ft．2 in．Ch'in-Han measure．From stains on most of the strips it is clear that they were held together by three sets of strings：close to the top and the bottom，and in the middle．Faint horizontal knife scratches over each of the five rubrics show，that the strips had been prepared before they received the writing. The whole set of fifty-one strips was found lying across the thighs of the corpse．   

[F1] The 25th year，the intercalary doubled 12th month whose first day was ping-wu，on the day hsin-hai. Announcement to the Chancellor：People sometimes leave the settlements (to go and) dwell in the countryside, intruding among others’orphans and widows and demandings peoples’wives and daughters．This is against the ancient traditions of the state.  From now on，…,inn-keepers，debt slaves and step-fathers must not be made to form households and must not be given fields and houses．After three generations，if they desire to serve, make them serve，but still note in their register：“Formerly debt-slave X of X Village, the old man's great-grandson．"                                                                Wei Statute on Households

[F2] The 25th year，the intercalary doubled 12th month whose first day was ping-wu，on the day hsin-hai．Announcement to the Generals：…，innkeepers，debt-slaves and stepfathers sometimes induce people not to work and not to take care of their houses． (I)，the Solitary Man，do not wish this．In case they were to be killed，I cannot bear this (for the sake of) their clansmen．Now despatch them to join the army．The generals must not show pity．When beef is prepared to feed the troops，grant them one third (of a peck) of boiled grain，but do not give them meat．When attacking walled towns，use them when there is an insufficiency；let the generals use them to fill the moats．                             Wei Statute on Emergency Troops