A compilation on subaltern functionaries (吏胥), usually called “clerks” in the literature, discussing first of all the moral and psychological chasm between clerks and ranking officials, which according to the preface appeared during the Wei and Jin dynasties: for Chen, it is possible to make the clerks behave as responsible and self-respecting assistants, as did their predecessors in the Han period. The aim of the work is to illustrate this point based on historical examples. There are three sections: (1) “General considerations” (總論, j. 1), 62 items; (2) “Records to emulate” (法錄, j. 2-3), 167 items; (3) “Records for warning” (戒錄, j. 4), 79 items. The quotations (with indication of source) are followed by Chen’s comments. Considerations on the question of retribution (因果) loom large in the work. For nineteenth-century abridgments, see Zaiguan fajie lu zhaichao, Gongmen guobao lu, and Gongmen xiuli lu (qq.v.).