Chapter 34 Wei Zheng: Loyal ministers say nothing against their ears

In Chinese history, there must not be many emperors who are qualified to be honored as the eternal emperor. Even if a few can be found, most of them are controversial.If one had to find the one with the most consensus and the least controversy, it would probably be Tang Taizong Li Shimin. However, even if Li Shimin deserves this honor, it does not mean that he is perfect. No matter how talented and intelligent Li Shimin is, he will inevitably have some human weaknesses. In other words, the reason why Li Shimin became one of the few outstanding politicians in Chinese history is not because he has no weaknesses, but because he has a way to deal with his own weaknesses.

This method is also very simple to say, it is just two words-accept advice. Receiving advice is easier said than done.Because everyone cares about saving face, no one likes to be criticized.Even an ordinary person would not like to be gossiped and pointed at all day long, let alone a supreme emperor, and they usually would not listen to any discordant sounds. However, Li Shimin was willing to listen. Not only is he willing to listen, but he is also thirsty for it, and he is willing to do so. This is not to say that Li Shimin is a masochist by nature, but because he is well aware of the following principles: "Listen to both, you will be clear, and partial faith will be dark"; The light master thinks about the short and benefits the good, and the dark master protects the short and is forever foolish"...

In view of the historical lessons of the death of Sui Dynasty II, Li Shimin has always had a very strong sense of urgency.He believes that if all the emperors are like Sui Yangdi who "praise themselves, protect their shortcomings and refuse advice", then the result will be "the jaws of people and ministers", and in the end they will inevitably "accumulate evil and disasters, and perish."Therefore, as early as the first year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin repeatedly emphasized to the ministers: "The past is not far away. Every time the public sees something that is not good for others, they must speak out." (Volume 2)

Under Li Shimin's strong advocacy and encouragement, it became common practice for Zhenguan officials to speak out, and everyone dared to speak out.Among them, the person who had the greatest influence on Li Shimin, contributed the most to Zhenguan's good governance, and enjoyed the reputation of "the first admonishment minister" in history was undoubtedly Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng once made a strange remark. He said he didn't want to be a loyal minister. If you don't want to be a loyal minister, do you still want to be a traitor? No, Wei Zheng said, he wanted to be a "good minister".

In the first year of Zhenguan, when Wei Zheng publicly said these words in the court, Li Shimin was greatly surprised: "Is there any difference between a loyal minister and a good minister?" Wei Zheng said: "The so-called "good ministers" should be like Ji, Qi, and Gaotao, who have gained a good name, the emperor received a prominent title, passed down from generation to generation, and their blessings are boundless; the so-called "loyal ministers" can only be like Long Pang and Bigan. In that way, the body is punished by the barbarians, the king falls into a great evil, and the family and country are lost together. It has no name. In this sense, there is a big difference between the two!"

Li Shimin suddenly realized, "understood his words", and immediately gave Wei Zheng five hundred bolts of silk. Wei Zheng's remarks sound very subversive at first glance, but in fact they just illustrate the truth that a courtier must be loyal to the monarch, but this kind of loyalty should not be stupid loyalty, but skillful loyalty.That is to say, admonishment is not to be blindly reckless and face-to-face disputes, but to pay attention to strength, angle, and limit, on the premise that the king is willing to accept it, and to combine hardness with softness, just right, and practical.

There is a saying in the book: "Don't be too strict when attacking people, but think about it; teach people not to be too high, and make them follow." Wei Zheng's admonitions sometimes reflect this kind of middle way. wisdom. For example, in the second year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin once said to the ministers in a quite complacent tone: "People say that the emperor is supreme, so he has nothing to fear, but I am not like this. I always fear the presence of the emperor. , I am afraid of the admiration of the officials, and I am conscientious, and I am afraid that the above will not conform to the will of heaven, and the subordinates will not conform to the expectations of the people."

What Li Shimin said was true, but it was a bit exaggerated to say that he was good like him, and subconsciously he hoped to win the praise of the officials. At this time, Wei Zheng spoke.He said: "This sincerity is the essence of governance. May your Majesty be as careful as the beginning, and then it will be good." (Volume 192) Wei Zheng's words sounded like praise, but in fact they were criticizing. Because it emphasizes the four words "be cautious at the end as before".This is tantamount to saying - it's good for His Majesty to be like this, but it's best to keep it going; if you can't persevere, it's too early to be happy now.

Li Shimin is a smart person, so of course he can't fail to hear the overtones. This kind of admonition can be said to be a combination of derogation and praise. It not only scratches the emperor's itching, but also touches the emperor's pain. It is really subtle and ingenious. A similar conversation happened again in the fifth year of Zhenguan.At that time, the country was stable, the world was prosperous, the Eastern Turks were completely pacified, and the entire Tang Empire was thriving. Li Shimin said to his courtiers: "China is happy today, and all barbarians are obedient. Since ancient times, I have wished for it since ancient times! However, I am cautious every day, and only fear It won't end, so I want to count Wenqing's generation to remonstrate and fight."

This time, Li Shimin's words are more comprehensive. On the one hand, he is proud of his historical achievements that have been "desired since ancient times", but on the other hand, he also expressed caution and fear. So Wei Zheng said: "The internal and external security, I don't think it is happy, but I am happy that your Majesty is in peace." Wei Zheng did not sing praises for the gratifying situation of the great rule of the world, but expressed his appreciation for the emperor's cautious attitude in times of peace.This kind of speech is obviously much better than pure words of echo.

It is precisely because Wei Zheng's advice is often both euphemistic and can hit the point, so Li Shimin commented: "People say that Wei Zheng's actions are slow, but I think it is charming." ("Old Tang Book · Wei Zheng Biography") "Charming" Two words, can be called wonderful. Of course, Wei Zheng's advice is not all so charming. If you beat around the bush every time you make an admonition, you will become mediocre, if not flattering, in the end.If this is the case, then it is absolutely impossible for Wei Zheng to be relied on by Li Shimin, and it is even more impossible for Wei Zheng to be famous in later generations as a political minister. Therefore, when it was time to argue with reason, Wei Zheng was absolutely unambiguous. It is said in history that when Wei Zheng "offended his face and bitterly remonstrated", "perhaps when the superior was very angry, Zheng's expression would not change, and the superior would also be very prestige" (Volume 193).It means: Whenever Li Shimin was irritated by Wei Zheng's remonstrance, Wei Zheng was always fearless, and in the end Li Shimin had to put away his imperial prestige and suppress his anger. There are two short stories that can quite explain Li Shimin's fear of Wei Zheng. Once Wei Zheng left Beijing to visit the ancestor's tomb. When he came back, he heard that the emperor planned to go to Zhongnan Mountain for fun. Even the guard of honor and entourage were ready to go, but later it was canceled for no reason. Wei Zheng asked the emperor if there was such a thing.Li Shimin smiled awkwardly and said: "I did have this idea at the beginning, but I was afraid that you would get angry, so I had to give up." Another time, someone presented a beautiful harrier eagle, and Li Shimin liked it very much, so he let it stand on his arm, playing with it, when he suddenly saw Wei Zheng walking in, and hurriedly stuffed the harrier eagle into his arms.In fact, Wei Zheng had already noticed it, but he didn't say anything, deliberately procrastinating for a long time when he played the matter.When he left, Yaoying had already suffocated to death in Li Shimin's arms. Wei Zheng usually pays attention to methods and methods in his usual remonstrance, but if he encounters a crucial event, Wei Zheng will also fight with Taizong face to face. The most intense verbal confrontation between the monarch and his ministers took place in the spring of the sixth year of Zhenguan. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was peaceful all over the world, and the country was prosperous and the people were safe. Therefore, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty urged Taizong to go to Mount Tai to enshrine Zen. "Public ministers and bureaucrats believe that the world is peaceful, and the four barbarians are obedient. If you ask for the title of Zen, the head and tail belong to each other." ("Cefu Yuangui" Volume 35) The so-called Fengchan is a grand ceremony for the emperor to offer sacrifices to the heaven and the earth.Since Mount Tai is the head of the Five Sacred Mountains, the ceremonies of enshrining Zen are all held on Mount Tai. An altar is set up on Mount Tai to worship the sky, which is called "Feng", and on Mount Liangfu Mountain at the southern foot of Mount Tai, the foundation is called "Zen".In ancient China, enshrining Zen on Mount Tai was not only a symbol of peace and prosperity, but also a symbol of the peak of the emperor's achievements.But not all emperors are eligible for this honor.Before the Tang Dynasty, only a few emperors who thought they had made great achievements, such as Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, dared to hold the ceremony of enshrining Zen. For this, Li Shimin's heart is of course full of desire. But when the officials persuaded him, Li Shimin declined modestly at first.He said: "All the virtuous ministers regard enshrining Zen as a grand event for the emperor, but I don't think so. If the world is stable and every family has enough food and clothing, even if they don't enshrine Zen, what loss will there be? In the past, Emperor Qinshihuang enshrined Zen, but Emperor Wen of Han did not enshrine Zen. Do future generations think that Is Emperor Wen not as good as Emperor Shi Huang? Besides, even if it is to worship heaven and earth, why must climb to the top of Mount Tai and seal a few feet of soil to express sincere respect for heaven and earth?" All the ministers knew that this was just the emperor's polite words, so they tried their best to persuade them. Later, Li Shimin readily agreed.Although it seemed a bit reluctant on the surface, everyone knew that the emperor was actually very happy in his heart. Just when the emperor and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were happily discussing the specific itinerary and related matters, Wei Zheng suddenly stood up with a serious expression and firmly expressed his opposition. Li Shimin's face darkened, and he asked: "You don't agree with me enshrining Zen, do you think my achievements are not high enough?" Wei Zheng said, "It's high enough." Li Shimin asked again: "Is that not virtue enough?" Wei Zheng said, "It's thick enough." "Is it because the country is still unstable?" "It's settled." "Is it because Siyi has not yet surrendered?" "All have surrendered." "Is it because the crops haven't been harvested?" "Harvest." "Is it because the auspiciousness has not yet appeared?" "Presented." "In that case..." Li Shimin said with a sneer, "then why can't you enshrine Zen?" Wei Zheng replied calmly: "Although your majesty already has these six achievements, but after the great chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, my household registration has withered and the warehouses are empty. Once your majesty drives eastward, you will ride thousands of horses. The prefectures and counties must be unable to bear all kinds of burdens. What's more, His Majesty will hold the Zen Conferring Ceremony, and the princes of the four barbarians will come to join in the grand event, but now from the east of Yishui and Luoshui, as far as the East China Sea and Mount Tai, there are few villages and no people. The roads are poor, the advance and retreat are difficult, and as far as the eye can see, there are thousands of miles of wilderness. Isn't this attracting Rongdi to my hinterland and then showing them weakness? Besides, even if the princes of the four barbarians are rewarded generously, they may not be able to satisfy them The desire to come from afar; even if the people are exempted from taxes and duties for a few years, it may not be able to make up for their losses. In order to win the false name of Zen, but suffer some real damage, what good is it for your majesty?" Li Shimin had no choice but to express his appreciation after hearing this, and immediately stopped Feng Chan's motion. "Taizong called it good, so he stopped it." (Volume 2) However, he was actually reluctant emotionally. Coincidentally, a few days later, severe floods suddenly broke out in several states on both sides of the Yellow River. The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty no longer dared to mention half a word, and the matter of enshrining Zen was over.But deep down in his heart, Li Shimin actually never gave up the idea of ​​Feng Chan. "At the end of Taizong's life, Zen was not enshrined, but the emperor's will did not end." (Volume 2 of "Wei Zheng Gong's Remonstrance Record") Although Wei Zheng's remonstrance was accepted by Li Shimin this time, it still hurt the emperor's self-esteem to some extent, so in those days, Li Shimin always found Wei Zheng not pleasing to the eye, and he no longer found him charming. One day, Wei Zheng might have angered Taizong again because of something, so after the court was dismissed, Li Shimin returned to the palace angrily, and said through gritted teeth, "If you find a chance, you must kill this country bumpkin!" Empress Changsun was astonished, and quickly asked the emperor which country bumpkin he was talking about. Li Shimin's face was livid: "It's Wei Zheng! He often humiliates me in public in the court." After hearing this, Empress Changsun returned to the bedroom without a sound, and came before the emperor in a moment later, dressed in a phoenix crown and xiapei.Li Shimin was very surprised and asked her why she was dressed so grandly.Empress Changsun said: "The concubine heard that the king is wise, and the minister must be upright; now Wei Zheng dares to speak up because of His Majesty's wisdom, how can the concubine not congratulate!" Li Shimin didn't intend to kill Wei Zheng at first, he was just venting his anger when he said that.Now that the queen gave him such a big hat, he certainly had no reason to be angry, so he threw all the unhappiness of the past few days into the sky. Empress Changsun is really a virtuous and intelligent woman.Because this move not only preserved Wei Zheng, but also maintained the dignity of the emperor, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. There is a legend in ancient times, which says that the dragon's throat "has reverse scales and a ruler, and if anyone touches it, he will kill him" ("Han Feizi·Shuo Nan").In fact, it means that the vast majority of emperors cannot tolerate their courtiers' admonitions.Therefore, there are not many courtiers who were punished and killed by the emperors in the past dynasties for violating Yan Zhijian and disobeying Longlin. However, in the Zhenguan Dynasty, everyone dared to make direct remonstrances. The main reason for this was that Tang Taizong Li Shimin did have the knowledge and tolerance to follow remonstrance.The reason why Wei Zheng was the most prominent in remonstrance is also because he knew that Taizong's sincerity and determination to seek remonstrance were far greater than that of the emperors of all dynasties. In this sense, Wei Zheng's remonstrance is not entirely out of his integrity and courage, but based on a shrewd and accurate judgment. Regarding this point, Wei Zheng himself once said frankly in front of Li Shimin and other ministers: "Your Majesty guides ministers to speak, so ministers dare to speak. If Your Majesty does not accept ministers' words, how dare ministers violate dragon scales and taboos!" (Volume 2) This is indeed a big truth. It is conceivable that, judging from Wei Zheng's way of being an official and life philosophy of "only being a good minister, not a loyal minister", if Li Shimin is a jealous and mean king, then Wei Zheng can only be a mediocre man who is wise and protects himself in the end. minister. Therefore, as long as Li Shimin has the desire to become a wise king, Wei Zheng has the motivation to become a righteous minister.They need each other and achieve each other.In Li Shimin's own words, their relationship is like fish and water - "the ruler and his ministers meet, and if there is fish and water, the sea can be safe"; it is also like a gold mine and a good worker - "how can the public see the gold in the mine? Is it precious enough? Liangye forges and forges it into a weapon, and it is treasured by others. I compare myself to gold, and I regard you as a good craftsman." (Volume 2) If we ask: How did Li Shimin's eternal emperor come into being?Then from his own metaphor, perhaps the answer can be found—— Even if Li Shimin is a talented and intelligent emperor, at first he was just like gold hidden in ore, showing no value.Only after "Lianggong" patiently and meticulously chiseled and hammered, day after day, and hard work, can the impurities and blemishes on his body be knocked out one by one, so that the gold in the ore can shine brightly.In other words, if there is no supervision, restraint and criticism from the ministers, no matter how talented and capable Li Shimin is, he may not achieve anything in the end. The king of subjugation. As the saying goes: "If you want to be a character of fine gold and jade, you must forge it from the fire; if you want to make a breakthrough, you must walk on thin ice!" Li Shimin's road to a wise king is not like this came over. Wei Zheng gave countless advices to Li Shimin throughout his life. Among them, a sentence from "Xunzi" was widely praised and became the most frequently quoted political adage in later generations.This sentence is - "The king is the boat; the man is the water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!" In Li Shimin's twenty-three years of imperial career, this may be a sentence that lingers in his ears all the time, and he dare not forget it suddenly. In the first month of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (AD 643), Wei Zheng died of illness.Li Shimin "came and wept in person, abolished the dynasty for five days, and presented it to Sikong and the governor of Xiangzhou, posthumously named Wenzhen", and wrote the epitaph himself, which was written on the stele. In the following days, Li Shimin has been immersed in long mourning. Wei Zheng's death not only made Li Shimin lose a courtier, but also made him lose the most important mentor and friend in his life. In a kind of desolation and loneliness that is difficult to dismiss, Li Shimin couldn't help but sighed to his courtiers. From then on, these words, together with the names of their two monarchs and ministers, were forever engraved on the history, which made countless posterity sigh and think deeply. —— "Using copper as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes; using ancient times as a mirror, you can know success and failure; using people as a mirror, you can understand gains and losses. I always protect these three mirrors to prevent my own mistakes. Now that Wei Zheng has passed away, one mirror has disappeared! "("Old Book of Tang Wei Zheng Biography")