Chapter 27 Greedy twenty-sixth

At the beginning of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong said to his courtiers: "Pearls are precious to people. Wouldn't it be a pity to play sparrows? Besides, human life is more important than pearls. When you see money and silk, you don't fear the punishment net. You accept it directly, but you don't hesitate. The pearl is something external to the body, and it is not allowed to play the sparrow, not to mention that the most important thing is to gain wealth and property? If the officials can be loyal and upright, and benefit the country and people, then the official rank will be established. None of them can seek glory in this way, so they will receive property in vain It is ridiculous that the stolen goods and bribes are exposed, and his body is also dead. The same is true for the emperor. Unrestrained, unrestrained labor, small trust group, alienated from loyalty, if there is such a thing, it will not perish? The hands of a dead man are also ridiculous."

In the second year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong said to his courtiers: "I have said that greedy people don't understand love of money. Even if you are an internal and external official above the fifth rank, you have a good salary rank, and you can earn as much as you want in a year. If you take bribes from others, it is only tens of thousands. Once it is exposed and the rank is taken away, is this the solution to love and property? It is also a small gain but a big loss. In the past, Gong Yixiu was addicted to fish, but he was not subject to mermaids, and his fish would last forever.

And if you are greedy for the master, you will lose your country; if you are greedy for your ministers, you will lose your body. "Poetry" says: "There are tunnels in the strong wind, greedy people and scum." 'It's not absurd.In the past, King Hui of Qin wanted to attack Shu, but he didn't know the path, so he carved five stone oxen and put gold behind them. The people of Shu saw it and thought that oxen could make gold.The king of Shu sent five warriors to drag the cattle into Shu, and the Tao was accomplished.The Qin division then attacked it, and the kingdom of Shu fell.Han Dasi Farmland Yannian took 30 million bribes, and he felt himself dead.Such a flow, how can it be remembered!Now I take the king of Shu as the Yuan Gui, and Qing and others must also take Yannian as the wrong way.

In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong said to Gongqing: "I work hard all day long, not only worrying about the people, but also wanting to make you and others keep rich. The sky is not too high, and the land is not too thick. I am always conscientious and fearful of the world. If you can Be careful to follow the law, just like I am afraid of the heaven and the earth, not only the people are peaceful, but also the people themselves are always happy. The ancients said: "The sage's wealth damages his aspirations, and the foolish man's wealth makes his mistakes." This statement can be a deep commandment. Don't stop breaking the public law and harming the people. Even if the matter is not heard, isn't the center always afraid? There are many fears, and some people die because of it. How can a man be greedy for money and property, harm his life, and make his children and grandchildren feel ashamed? Your Majesty and others should think deeply about this statement."

In the sixth year of Zhenguan, Chen Wanfu, the general of the right guard, went to Beijing from Jiucheng Palace and illegally took the bran stones from the post house.Emperor Taizong bestowed bran on it, making him ashamed of himself. In the tenth year of Zhenguan, Quan Wanji, the official secretary and censor, said: "There are big silver pits in the mountains of Xuan and Rao, and the mining is extremely profitable. Every year, you can get millions of coins." Taizong said: "I am precious. To be the Son of Heaven, there is nothing short of everything. The only thing you need to do is accept good words and do good deeds that benefit the common people. And the country has millions of coins left over, so how can you get a talented person to do it? I don’t see you pushing the virtuous and doing good deeds. It is not possible to suppress the power by lawlessness, but to tax the silver pit for profit. In the past, Yao and Shun arrived at the mountains and forests, and cast pearls in the deep valleys. The two emperors love profit and despise righteousness, and they are the lords of mediocrity and darkness in modern times. So you want to compare me to Huan and Lingye?" It was the imperial edict of the day to return Wanji to the first place.

In the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong said to his courtiers: "The ancients said that when birds live in the forest, they are afraid that they will not be tall, and they will nest in the end of the wood; However, those who are obtained by others are all greedy for bait. 'Nowadays, ministers accept appointments, occupy high positions, and earn a lot of money. They must be loyal and upright. If they are public and clean, there will be no disasters, and they will stay rich and honored for a long time.The ancients said: "There is no way to misfortune and good fortune, but people call them." ' However, those who fall into it are all greedy for profit, how is it different from husbands, fishes and birds?Qing and others should think of this as a warning. "