In response to my previous Confucius post where I highlighted that an ideal Confucian state will have no laws at all, one reader commented:

So, um, officials are supposed to guess the will of the Ruler instead of following law and procedure?

So I thought this issue could do with clarification.
Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governing.
Confucius responded, "To 'govern' means to be 'correct'. If you set an example by being correct yourself, who will dare to be incorrect?" Analects XII.17
Interpretation: in response to the comment, we can now see that the officials are not supposed to have to guess, because they are guided by simply watching the conduct of those above them. Far from being a system that leaves autocrats in charge to do whatever they will, Confucianism is a system that puts a great deal of responsibility on rulers to act in the most upright possible manner. When the rulers behave correctly, then those below them will follow their example. When rulers misbehave, then so will the people. Lastly, it's worth stating that of course there has never been, nor will there ever be, an ideal Confucian state with no laws at all, just as there will never be an ideal communist, Christian, capitalist society, etc. The aim is to get as close to the ideal as possible, with as few laws as possible.