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Emperor Taizong Governed with Five Points in Mind
(Clearwisdom.net) One day Emperor Taizong, the second emperor of the Tang
Dynasty, who ruled from 626 to 649 A.D., was present in Cuiwei Palace. He asked
the officials who were waiting, "Since ancient times, although emperors
could conquer the central plains of China, they could not control minor
nationalities like the Rong or the Di. My abilities are inferior compared to the
emperors of ancient times, but my achievements are greater than theirs. I have
not disclosed the reason. You are welcome to talk about it frankly." The officials all said, "Your majesty's virtue is as great as heaven and
earth, and it is hard to cover it in one sentence." The Emperor responded, "That is not true. I accomplished these
achievements by keeping in mind five points. First, since ancient times,
emperors usually were jealous of those whose abilities exceeded theirs, but I
regard other people's merits as my own. Second, no one's behavior is perfect, so
I merely think highly of their merits and ignore their deficiencies. Third, when
other emperors saw sages, they held them to their bosom and they abandoned the
incompetent by pushing them into the abyss, but I respect sages and have pity on
the incompetent when I see them. This way, both parties take their proper
places. Fourth, most emperors do not like people who are upright and speak
frankly. They either do harm to them secretly or punish them publicly. No
dynasty is an exception. But since I took power, upright officials can be found
everywhere and nobody has been punished. Fifth, since ancient times, emperors
have thought highly of the central plains of China and despised the Rong and Di
nationalities, but I have treated them impartially. Therefore, they depend upon
me as they would depend upon their parents. It is due to these five points that
I have accomplished such huge achievements today." From Zizhi Tongjian (literally "Comprehensive Mirror for/to Aid
in Government," a pioneering reference work in Chinese history), volume
198, Tang Dynasty, chapter 14. Posting date: 5/26/2007 |