Meng Fansen is a Chinese writer and philosopher.
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Tang Taizong Li Shimin is one of the outstanding politicians and military strategists in ancient China, ** Li Shimin as a representative of ancient Chinese romantic figures written into his famous "Qinyuan Spring Snow", his military talent has also been highly praised, said "since ancient times there is no one who can fight the army without the right of Li Shimin." The merits of the change of Xuanwumen have been controversial by later generations, and the voices of criticism are still heard endlessly. During the reign of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (627-649 AD), the feudal economy was restored relatively quickly, the population grew significantly, and the social life was relatively stable.
Marxism holds that the cause of the emergence of any social and historical phenomenon in a class society must be found in the economic background and the background of class struggle in a certain era. At the beginning of Li Shimin's rise to power, the great social turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty had just passed, the economy was withering, the land was barren, the population was declining sharply, and the Eastern Turks were violating the border for many years, and all kinds of internal and external troubles were intertwined, posing a serious threat to the survival of the Li dynasty. It was precisely this specific historical environment that forced Li Shimin and his ministers to pay attention to recuperation and recuperation, vigorously promote the uniform land system, implement the policy of lightly taxing and meager endowments, establish a government military system, and select and promote ruling talents, thus contributing to the emergence of the rule of Zhenguan. However, while affirming the decisive role of economic factors and the powerful lever of class struggle in class society, Marxism does not deny the great influence of outstanding figures on the development of history. Obviously, the formation of the rule of Zhenguan was directly related to the fact that Li Shimin, the supreme ruler at that time, often took "the death of the Sui Dynasty as a warning" and was more able to "appoint the virtuous", especially being good at taking the initiative to seek advice from the masses and humbly accepting advice, and brainstorming.
Based on a relatively sober understanding of the economic and political situation at that time, Li Shimin had a very thorough understanding of the importance of seeking advice and accepting advice. He said, "With copper as a mirror, you can be dressed properly; With the ancient as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall; With people as a mirror, you can see the gains and losses", which is well-known to everyone. And Li Shimin is very good at using his brain to think about problems, and every time he encounters something or something, he has to exhaustively study the truth in it, and find the limitations of personal intelligence from it, so as to remind and spur himself to humbly seek advice. For example, once he got a dozen bows and thought they were all good. But when I showed it to the craftsmen who specialized in making bows, they said that they were not good bows, because the wooden hearts of those bows were not right, the texture was oblique, and the arrows could not go straight when they were issued. As soon as Li Shimin heard what the craftsman said, he immediately thought: I have liked to fiddle with bows and arrows since I was a child, and I have used bows and arrows to fight the world, and I should be said to have a very clear understanding of the mystery of bows and arrows, but I can't recognize what a good bow is; I have only been in the world for a short time, and I don't know the truth of governing the world as well as I know the mystery of the bow, so how can I not make mistakes? From then on, he paid more attention to listening to the opinions of his subordinates and did not dare to be self-righteous. For another example, once he said to the prince and young master Xiao Li: The world is so big, there are so many people, there are thousands of big and small things, and it is not okay to be independent of one person in a day; If "ten things are broken every day, and five things are not hit", day after month, and even years, there are many perverses, so why not die? In this way, he often asks questions of his own reasoning, and thus deepens his understanding of the importance of seeking counsel.
It was precisely because Tang Taizong knew the importance of seeking advice and accepting advice that he took great pains to do everything possible to "open the road of straightforwardness" and accept advice. His methods of seeking advice were flexible and varied, and some of them still seem to be without merit, and the important ones are summarized below for critical reference.
First, it is said to set up institutions. In ancient China, the pre-Qin did not have a special advisory body and a full-time counselor, and the setting of this kind of institution and ** began in the Wei and Jin dynasties. Tang Taizong inherited the Jin system and set up a well-organized counseling body, in addition to the subordinate provinces to give the matter of the special charge to refute the advice, but also in the two provinces of Zhongshu and the two provinces of the left and right scattered cavalry standing attendants, left and right counsellors eight people, left and right to fill the que, left and right to pick up the remainder of the two provinces, the establishment of an unprecedentedly large full-time counsel team, to supervise the emperor and ministers to handle military affairs properly or not, at any time to put forward supplementary opinions. Tang Taizong also stipulated, "When the prime minister enters the state affairs of Pingzhang, he must make the officials accompany him" so that problems can be discovered in time and mistakes can be corrected.
Second, it is said to set rules. Tang Taizong believed that the government was based on one person, which was actually "the government of the country". Therefore, it is specially stipulated: If there is any unstable convenience under the edict, it must be executed, and it must not be implemented immediately by the order, so as to fulfill the will of the ministers." Regarding this kind of rule that does not allow his subordinates to "obey the will, only to pass by", but must put forward their own opinions on unstable edicts and documents, Tang Taizong is in Zhenguan.
It was repeated in two, three, and four years until it was issued as an edict. This effectively ensures that there are fewer mistakes in policy. This was a measure taken by Tang Taizong to compel his subordinates to admonish.
The third is to be inspired. As soon as Tang Taizong had the opportunity, he took the trouble to publicize to the ministers that Emperor Yang of Sui "protects his own shortcomings", and his ministers "cherished face", refused or did not dare to admonish, and finally "chaos together" The truth that the monarch and the ministers could not be preserved, inspired his subordinates to "destroy private affairs and follow the public, stick to the straight road, enlighten each other, and do not be the same up and down"; Only in this way can the family and the country be prosperous together. He also encompassed the ministers and said: "I have worked diligently all day long, not only to pity the people, but also to make the ministers and others keep the ...... rich and nobleAlways have joy. He linked the gains and disgraces of the ministers with the success or failure of himself and the Li dynasty, and carried out regular enlightenment and inducement, thus forming a strong sense of group among the members of the ruling class, mobilizing everyone's enthusiasm for advice, and effectively creating a situation in which "the ministers are loyal to their words, and the monarchs are anxious to listen to their words", and the monarchs and ministers are "ruled together".
Fourth, it is called "false color". Tang Taizong knew that he was born in the ranks of martial artists, "majestic and serious", but he was afraid to see the first to see the village, "lose his measures", and could not speak freely. Therefore, he "every time he sees someone doing something, he must fake his color", that is, every time he finds someone coming to do something, he must use a pleasant expression and a smile to welcome people, in order to hear more pertinent criticism. This end alone also shows that Tang Taizong has indeed moved a lot of scheming in order to seek advice, almost to the point of "hollowing out his mind". At the same time, this also shows that he really has great sincerity in listening to the opinions and criticisms of his subordinates.
Five, it is said to be a pose. In Tang Taizong's own words, once his subordinates had a direct admonition, he would immediately "wait and see and treat them as a mentor and friend", or use other methods to clearly make a welcoming gesture and expression. For example, in the eleventh year of Zhenguan, the minister Wei Zhengshang persuaded Tang Taizong to "ten thoughts", and Taizong replied soon after receiving the table: "Save the frequency to resist the table, be honest and loyal, and be poor." Forget to read, every night...I have heard of it in the public. When a few cases are put aside, the matter is equal to the strings, Wei ......Although these statements are somewhat exaggerated, they are undoubtedly a great encouragement to those who admonish. He also said many times in front of the ministers: "(Wei) levies every offense, and I am not allowed to do wrong, so I am so important." This not only shows that he welcomes the "offense of the face", but also affirms that only the "offense of the face" will be valued and appreciated by him, which has a great inducing effect.
Sixth, see action. As long as the admonitor is reasonable and persistent, he will immediately be pleased.
Adopt and implement it immediately. The ancients said that Tang Taizong "follows the advice like a stream", mainly referring to this point of his. Whoever gives him a few opinions, and even if he applauds them again and again, but does not implement them at all, then he cannot be expected to be given new opinions. Receiving advice from action is the best advocacy and encouragement for those who advise. In terms of receiving advice from action, that is, the so-called "admonition", Tang Taizong did a very good job. For example, in the second year of Zhenguan, Wang Si, the waiter of the Yellow Gate, suggested that he should be re-Confucian, and he not only "understood his words deeply", but also "since then, there are hundreds of officials who are excellent in learning and know the political system, and they have advanced more of their ranks and moved cumulatively." The implementation of this measure of attaching importance to intellectuals played a great role in promoting the intellectualization of the ranks of officials in the early Tang Dynasty and in changing the social atmosphere in which "Confucianism is at a loss and the style of Confucianism is bad." The case of Tang Taizong's "following advice" is recorded in many historical books, and there are not one by one.
Seven is guaranteed. Tang Taizong knew very well that "people and ministers want to admonish, and they are afraid of the scourge of death, which is no different from their husbands going to the woks and risking white blades", so he specially assured the ministers: "I will open my arms today and accept advice." Qing and the others were not afraid of labor, so they did not say anything", and I "did not speak outright, and blamed each other for anger". He also said: "I tried to read, and when I saw Guan Longxiao killed, Han Zhu made mistakes, and I didn't waste books and sighed ......."Isn't it beautiful that the public thinks about the demise of the Sui clan, and I think about the dragon and the wrong punishment for the public, and the monarch and the minister are preserved! Such an oath shows his eagerness to think about it. Of course, the so-called "never speak out and blame each other for anger" is easy to say, but it is very difficult to do. In fact, Tang Taizong was not always able to tolerate the "outspokenness" of "resentment". For example, once after he retired from the court and returned to the palace, he was furious and said, "One day kill this redneck (referring to Wei Zheng)." But on the whole, Tang Taizong did talk about reasoning most of the time, and there were very few cases of face. Generally speaking, he is very good at protecting those who have the courage to offend. Once, someone reported to him that Wei Zheng was going to "rebel", and he was able to not suspect and interrogate Wei Zheng at all, but "beheaded the accuser" and immediately killed the person who complained. This is very valuable.
Eight is said to be rewarded. Tang Taizong not only often admonished or admonished meritorious officials.
Verbal commendations were given, and a variety of material rewards were also given. According to incomplete statistics, the things he gave his subordinates included books, swords, gold tools, coins, silk silks, horses, and so on. The most interesting thing is that in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, the prince's right concubine, Gao Jifu, was sparse in Chen's gains and losses, and he actually gave a dose of the precious medicinal stalactite at that time with ingenuity, and sent a profound discussion: "Qing Jin's words of medicinal stones, so he reciprocates with medicinal stones." "It means that you have given me good medicine for governing the country, and I will give you a good medicine in return. It is said that people who eat stalactites can ventilate and produce stomach, Gao Jifu has stomach problems, he gave Gao Jifu a dose of stalactites, does it mean that I wish Gao Jifu a long life and contribute more to the country?
Nine said Guangyan Road. The scope of Tang Taizong's advice is also very wide, that is, the so-called "wide admonition". First of all, judging from the occasion, his advice is not limited to the "court discussion" of the monarch and ministers, but also includes individual conversations and chat-style ramblings with the ministers after retiring from the court. On these occasions, because the way of conversation is more casual and free, and the atmosphere is more harmonious and cordial, it often receives better results and gets more gains. Many of the strategies were finalized on these occasions. The well-known discussion about "the difficulty of creating and defending" is the dialogue between him and his courtiers after he retired from the court. Or in the harem, or between banquets, talking with his subordinates, talking about each other, and talking about it, it is quite similar to our "symposium" today.
Secondly, from the perspective of the object, Tang Taizong's advice is not limited to Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others, Wang Si, Li Jing, Yu Shinan, Li Xun, Ma Zhou, Wen Yanbo, Dai Guan, Xiao Li, Wei Ting, Chu Suiliang, Liu Xun, Cen Wenwen, Du Zhenglun, Yao Silian, etc., are all the objects of Tang Taizong's advice. Even the empress and concubines, including Empress Wende and Empress Changsun, have made suggestions and criticisms to Tang Taizong many times. Tang Taizong listened to Wei Zheng's persuasion that "if you listen to both, you will be clear, and if you believe partially, you will be dark", and he opened up his way to speak widely and asked for advice from many sides, which was of great significance for him to avoid mistakes in decision-making and reduce the one-sidedness of his governance strategy.
Ten is said to guide the atmosphere. Tang Taizong was not only willing to ask for advice, but he also guided the ministers.
We do the same. For example, in the fifth year of Zhenguan, he once said to Fang Xuanling and others: "The public also needs to be admonished, how can people disagree with their own opinions, and they will not accept their shortcomings?" If you can't be admonished, can you admonish others? He believed that only ministers who were able to accept advice with an open mind and criticize each other could dare and be good at admonishing themselves. This view is undoubtedly correct.
Tang Taizong was able to insist on admonishment, and his wife, the eldest grandson, and Empress Gongyan! In this regard, you can see a more specific record in the "Zizhi Tongjian".
Hotspot Engine Project [Portrait of Empress Changsun in Imperial Costume] Because Tang Taizong, as the supreme ruler at that time, was able to humbly ask for advice and accept advice by example, and vigorously advocated it among the ministers, so in the early and middle Zhenguan period, the court formed an environment that made people dare to speak and everyone was willing to speak, which was known as the "Dynasty of Unabashedness". This is indeed rare in ancient Chinese history. It can be seen from the relationship between Tang Taizong and his ministers who gave advice and accepted advice and "are like fish like water" that in order to create a situation in which the lower levels dare to carry out criticism, first of all, the higher authorities must have a sincere attitude of humbly listening to criticism, must formulate a series of rules and regulations that are conducive to criticism, and must choose and adopt some effective ways and methods, and in particular, must truly implement the principle of "those who speak are not guilty, and those who hear are fully disciplined."
Of course, to say that Tang Taizong is brave and good at asking for advice does not mean that he has done a perfect job in this regard. In the later period of Zhenguan, Tang Taizong also gradually grew up with pride and complacency, "gradually evil and outspoken", even if he reluctantly listened to the advice, he often "ended up unfair, forgive and embarrassed", showing a trend of transformation to the opposite side. At the same time, we must also realize that the purpose of Tang Taizong's seeking advice was to safeguard the selfish interests of one person, one group, and one class, and was not out of concern for public opinion, concern for the people's livelihood, and concern for the weal and woe of the broad masses of working people. However, this does not prevent us from learning from some of these useful things. In this sense, it is necessary and beneficial to conscientiously summarize and learn from Tang Taizong's method of seeking advice and receiving advice.
References:
Sima Guang: "Zizhi Tongjian".
Wu Jing: "Zhenguan Political Leaders".
Fan Wenlan: A Compendium of the General History of China
[Source: Portraits of 24 heroes of Lingyan Pavilion in the Tang Dynasty, Wei Zheng ranked fourth].
The eldest grandson Wuji, Li Xiaogong, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, Wei Chi Jingde, Li Jing, Xiao Yu, Duan Zhixuan, Liu Hongji, Qu Tutong, Yin Kaishan, Chai Shao, Changsun Shunde, Zhang Liang, Hou Junji, Zhang Gongjin, Cheng Zhijie, Yu Shinan, Liu Zhenghui, Tang Jian, Li Tao, Qin Qiong.
*Resources from the Internet].