culture
To show that the new laws meant what they said, he set up a wooden pole at the south gate of the capital and promised gold to whoever carried it to the north gate. When a man did, he was paid at once.
history
When Duke Xiao died, Shang Yang fled, but an innkeeper turned him away: under Shang Yang's own law, guests without papers could not be lodged. That is the origin of 作法自毙, "caught by the law one made". He was captured and torn apart by chariots.
