The Rulerâ€™s Guide: Chinaâ€™s Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success

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Contents

Introduction

ICONVERSATIONSBETWEENTANGTAIZONGANDHISMINISTERS

1 OnBeingEmperor

2 OnHumanResources

3 OnMoralCharacterandTalent

4 OnManagement

5 OnRemonstrance

6 OnVirtues

7 OntheArtofWar

8 OnCrimeandPunishment

9 OnFrugality

10 OntheRiseandFallofanEmpire

11 OnParentingandEducatingtheNextGeneration

12 OnBeingWellRemembered

IITHEAMAZINGLIFEOFTANGTAIZONG

Author’sNote

DynastiesinChineseHistory

Acknowledgments

AboutChinghuaTang

Tomybelovedparents,QINGANTANGandEILEENH.GE,whohavededicatedtheirlivestoteachingandwhohave

fosteredinmeahabitofreading.

Introduction

TheTangdynasty,oneofthelongestdynastiesinChinesehistory(618–907),ishailedbyhistorians asChina’s golden age. It didn’t come about by chance. Itowedmuchtotheconsciouseffortsofitsco-founder,EmperorTaizong.

Tang TaizongI is one of history’s greatest rulers, ranking with Augustus,Genghis Khan, and Napoléon—and even, in some cases, exceeding theiraccomplishments.UnderTaizong’sleadership,Chinabecametheworld’slargestandstrongestcountry.Theemperor’sreignwasmarkedbyanumberofsavvy,innovative, and bold accomplishments, setting a high standard for all leaderswhowouldcomeafter.AmongthefeatsthatmakeTaizongextraordinary:

·Heassembledateamofadvisersevenbeforeheassumedthethroneattheageoftwenty-eight.

· He was a gifted administrator, presiding over all major policy andexecutivedecision-makingathiscourt.

· He was a master military strategist, leading his armies to defeat theTurks—descendantsofAttilatheHun—andreopeningtheSilkRoad.

·Heslewathousandenemyfightersbyhisownhand.· He was remarkably versatile: an archer, hunter, horseman, poet,composer,andcalligrapher.

·HeallowedbothChristianityandIslamintoChinaforthefirsttimeandwas,indirectly,thecauseofBuddhism’sbeingplantedinTibet.

·Hewasapparentlyexpertatpickingawife:hisempresswasoneofthewisestandmostvirtuouswomeninhistory.

·He set out to build a strong, prosperous, and long-lasting empire andsucceededspectacularly.

Tang Taizong and his circle of gifted ministers held many discussionsregardinghowbesttorunthegovernmentandachievelongevityforthedynasty.Most of their conversationswere recorded and later compiled in an anthologyentitledTheZhenguanExecutiveGuide.Thisbookhassincebecomeaclassicon

leadership, management, and statecraft. It has been translated into Korean,Japanese,Mongolian,Khitan,Jurchen,andTangut.ItwaseagerlyreadbyrulersofChinaandotherAsiancountries—potentates suchas theMongolconquerorKublaiKhan,theJapaneseshogunTokugawa,andtheQingemperorQianlong.Today, Taizong’s thinking is ardently studied by business executives andgovernment leaders throughoutAsia.And it is farpast time that theemperor’sthoughtsbesharedwiththoseinotherpartsoftheworld.

Wittingly or unwittingly, today’s leaders—regardless of what organizationtheyhead—oftenassumetheroleof“ruler.”Politically,theemperorisathingofthepast.However,anelectedleaderinmanycasesenjoysmuchthesamepoweras an emperorwithin his or her domain.And, of course, business leaders andcorporatemanagersarerulersintheirworld.Therearerulersinvirtuallyeveryfield.Forexample:

ThepresidentofatradeunionistherulerofhisIIorganization.Theheadofaphilanthropyistherulerofhisinstitution.Theheadmasteristherulerofhisschool.Theteacheristherulerofhisclass.Thecoachistherulerofhissportsteam.Theconductoristherulerofhisorchestra.Thelieutenantistherulerofhisplatoon.Thepriestistherulerofhislocalchurch.Parentsaretherulersoftheirfamily.

The list goes on and on.Youmay be a ruler in one situation and ruled inanother.Youmayberulerandruledsimultaneously.Youmayberuledandyetaspiretobetheruler.

Whether running a country or a commercial enterprise, whether leading ateamorservingasa rolemodel, rulerswieldenormouspowerover thepeopleand the resources they command. They’re capable of exerting great influenceoverthesociety,environment,andcommunityinwhichtheyoperate.Andtheyfacemany problems that are similar to those an ancient emperor would havefaced.

Manybooks havebeenwritten on leadership andmanagement.This one isdistinctiveinthatitisnotaone-waystreamofadvicebut,rather,ananthologyof conversations between Tang Taizong and his ministers. And because the

longevity of the Tang dynasty has always been considered proof of Taizong’swisdom,theprinciplesdisclosedherehavestoodthetestoftime.

A guide to enlightened conduct for anyone in a position of authority, TheRuler’sGuideoffersinsightintomanypresent-daymanagementissues:

·Howtoattainself-knowledge·Howtoevaluatepeople·Howtohandletherelationshipbetweenmoralcharacterandtalent·Howtoexerciseleadership·Howtoenhanceorganizationaleffectiveness·Howtoapplytheartofwar·Howtoachievelong-termsuccess

ThisbookbringsTaizong’swisdomtoaWesternaudienceforthefirsttime—wisdomthathasbeenstudiedandprovenformorethanathousandyears.Inthepagesthatfollow,recordsoftheemperor’sconversationswithhisministersareselectedandorganizedundertwelvetopics.Theyrepresentthechoicestpartofthisanthology.FollowingthatisaprofilethatsketchesTaizong’sextraordinarylife andcharacter. In the secretsof theTangdynasty’s success, you’ll find thesecretsofallgreat,long-lastingenterprises.

Sincemyfamilynameis,coincidentally,thesameasthedynastythatTaizonghelpedfound,Itakeextrapleasureinbringinghiswisdomtoyou.

I TangTaizong(598–649):“Tang”isthenameofthedynastyand“Taizong”hisimperialtitleasemperor.HispersonalnameisLiShimin.

II The author recognizes the role of women in all spheres ofmodern life and asks the reader tomakeallowancefortheuseofmasculinepronounsinthebook.

I

CONVERSATIONSBETWEENTANGTAIZONGANDHISMINISTERS

1

OnBeingEmperor

Agreatpersonattractsgreatpeopleandknowshowtoholdthemtogether.

—GOETHEI

Taizongbecameemperorwhenhewastwenty-eightyearsold.Hislifebegananewphase.Heappliedhimselfdiligentlytolearningthejob.

Promptedpartlybyhisneedforhelpingoverningthecountryandpartlybyhisdesire tobeaneffective ruler,he surroundedhimselfwithagroupofwiseand dedicated advisers from different backgrounds. He hadmany scintillatingconversations with them. Hewas a good listener, a humble student, an eagerlearner,andakeenobserver.He’dprovenhisprowessinwar.Nowhesetouttodemonstratehisabilitytorunacountry.

TANGTAIZONGANDHISADVISERS’WORDS

THERULER’SHEART

Earlyinhisreign,Taizongtoldhisministers:“Therulerhasonlyoneheart,butitisthegoalofmanypeople.Somewanttowinitbybravery,somewanttowinit by eloquence, some by flattery, some by cunning, some by satisfying itsdesires.Theruler isbeingassaultedfromallsides.Everybodytries tosellhimsomething in order to attain power andwealth. If he drops his guard for onemoment,hecanmakeaseriousmistakeandget into trouble.That iswhy it isdifficulttobearuler.”

BOWANDWOOD

Shortlyafterheascendedthethrone,TaizongsaidtoMinisterXiaoYu,“IhavebeenfondofarcherysinceIwasaboy.IthoughtIkneweverythingaboutbows.AfewdaysagoIreceivedadozenbows.WhenIshowedthemtoabowmaker,hetoldmetheywerenotgoodbows.Iaskedwhy.Hesaid,‘Becausetheheartofthewoodisnotstraight,sotheveinsareslanted.Althoughthebowsarestrong,theycannotshootstraight.’

“ThenIrealizedeventhoughI’vebeenusingbowsforsomanyyearsIreallydon’tknowtheirsecret.Imustknowevenlessaboutgoverningacountry.”

This realizationpromptedhim tonotonlyholddailymeetingswithcabinetministers but reach out frequently to junior officials as well in order to learnmoreaboutwhatwasgoingoninthecountry.

STANDINGUPRIGHT

Taizongsaid,“Therulermustconducthimselfproperly.Ifhestandsstraight,hisshadowcan’tbecrooked. If thoseabovesetagoodexample, thosebelowwillfollow. Inmy opinion,what destroys the ruler is not something external. It issomethinginternal.Uncheckeddesireswilldoharmtohisbodyandmind;self-indulgencewill interferewith hiswork. Then if he says somethingwrong, hewilllosethesupportofthepeoplecompletely.”

“Exactly,”respondedMinisterWeiZheng.“Thereforesagekingsofthepaststarted with self-cultivation to try to nurture their virtues and overcome theirweaknesses. This process enabled them to gain insight into many things andhelpedthemtodoagoodjob.”

SELF-AWARENESS

Taizongsaid,“Anenlightenedrulerknowshisowninadequacies,sohebecomeswiser.Afatuousruler tries tocoveruphisownfaults,soheremains inapoorlight.”

HEADANDBODY

InamemorandumtoTaizong,MinisterWeiZhengwrote,“Theruleristheheadandhisministersarethearmsandlegs.Whentheyworkwithonemindandoneheart, they become one body. The body cannot be whole if any part of it ismissing.Theheadoccupiesthehighestplace,butitneedsthearmsandlegsto

formacompletebody.Therulermaybewise,butheneedshisministerstohelphimgovernthecountry.”

BEFOREYOUSPEAK

DuZhenglunwasthecourthistorian,whosejobitwastowritedowneverythingtheemperorsaidanddid.

Taizongsaid tohim,“BeforeIsayanythingatmydailyaudience, I’ll thinkabouthowpeoplemayreacttomywords.”

DuZhenglun replied, “YourMajesty’swordswill not only have an impacthereandnow;theywillbereflecteduponbyfuturegenerationstoo.”

Taizongcontinued,“Ifanordinarymansayssomethingwrong,itcouldbringshameonhim.If therulerhasaslipof the tongue, theconsequencescouldbedisastrous.Iwillalwayskeepthatinmind.”

APPROPRIATEMODESTY

Taizong consulted the renowned Confucian scholar Kong Yingda. “Analectssays:‘Thosewhohavetalentshouldlearnfromthosewhodonot.Thosewhoareknowledgeableshouldlearnfromthosewhoarenot. Ifyouare talented,actasthoughyouarenot.Ifyouareknowledgeable,actasthoughyouarenot.’Whatdoesthatmean?”II

“Itmeansyoushouldbemodest,”KongYingdaanswered,“sothatyoucanaccomplishgreatthings.Nomatterhowtalentedyouare,youcanenhanceyourtalentfurther.Nomatterhowknowledgeableyouare,youcanstillexpandyourknowledge. The ruler should not show off his smartness. On the contrary, heshouldhideit.Heshouldlistentoothers’goodadviceandnottrytocoveruphisownmistakes. Otherwise, he will block communicationwith his subordinatesandalienatehimselffromthem.Andthatwillbringhimnogood.”

“Yes indeed,” agreed Taizong. “TheBook of Changes says, ‘Blessed is hewhoisalwayshumble.’ ”

HUMILITY

KingShunandKingYuarelegendarysagerulersofChina,wholivedaboutfourthousandyearsago.Taizonglookeduptothemashisrolemodels.

Hesaid,“TheysaytheSonofHeavenisallpowerandglory,withnothingtobe afraidof. I disagree.Preciselybecause I am theSon ofHeaven, Imust be

humbleandfearful.AsKingShunadmonishedhissuccessor,KingYu,‘Aslongasyoudon’tregardyourselfasglorious,nobodycancompetewithyou;aslongasyoudon’tconsideryourselfasgreat,nobodycandefeatyou.’Heavenfavorshumilityandfrownsuponpride.WhateverIsayordo,IammindfulofHeavenandmindfulofmysubjects.Heavenseeseverything;howcanInotbefearful?My subjects look at me all the time; how can I not be careful? What I amconcernedaboutisthatmydeedandmywordmaynotfindfavorintheirsight.”

MinisterWeiZhengresponded,“Asthesayinggoes, ‘Therearemanygoodbeginnings,butfewgoodendings.’ItismyhopethatYourMajestywillalwaysbehumble,fearful,andprudent.Thenthegoodfortuneofourdynastywilllast.”

BASICREQUIREMENTSFORAGOODRULER

Taizongtoldthecrownprincethatagoodrulermustmeetcertainbasiccriteria.“The ruler is the person the people look up to.He should inspire awe and

esteem.Heshouldputtheinterestofthepeopleinthefirstplace.Heshouldbetolerantandmagnanimoussoastobindthemtogether.Heshouldbefairandjustindecision-making.Heshouldcombineauthoritywithbenevolence.Heshouldbehumbleanddiligent.Heshouldtreathisparentswithfilialdevotionandhisministerswithrespect.Heshouldpracticevirtueandrighteousness.”

WHATTANGTAIZONGANDHISADVISERSTEACHUSTODAY

Taizongknewfullwell that tobecomeagreat ruler,hehad toovercomehisweaknessesandcontrolhisdesires.Todoso,hehad toobtainself-knowledge.Thishegained throughself-examinationand throughobservingotherpeople,who,inhiswords,servedasamirrorinwhichhesawhimself.

Heunderstoodhisdesiresmightfoghisvision,confusehismind,andcloudhisjudgment,causinghimtomakemistakes and suffer from the consequences.But if he could overcome hisweaknesses and freehimselfofhisdesires,theireffectsonhimwoulddisappear.

AsAristotlesaid,knowingyourselfisthebeginningofallwisdom.Aleaderwithself-knowledgeisanenlightenedpersonbecauseself-knowledgeleadstoself-change;self-changeleadstoexternalchanges;andthesechangeswillenableyoutobeasuccessfulleader.

Here isapersonalanecdoteabout thepowerofself-awareness. Iusedtobe impatient, thoughIdidn’trecognizethatqualityinmyself.OnedayIhappenedtositnexttoapalmreaderatadinnerpartywhosaidhecouldjudgeaperson’scharactertraitsbylookingattheirhand.Iwasskeptical,ofcourse,butshowedhimmyhandanyway.ThefirstthinghesaidwasthatIwasanimpatientman.Iwasstruckbyhisdiagnosis.Thenextmomentsomethinginexplicableoccurred:Iexperiencedanepiphany—IknewthenandtherethatIwouldnolongerbeimpatient.Thedemonhadsuddenlyleftmeandthespellwasbroken.Tomysurprise,Iwassoonbeingcommendedformypatience.

I JohannWolfgangvonGoethe (1749–1832)wasaGermanpoet,writer, scientist, and statesman, and isregardedasthegreatestGermanliteraryfigureofthemodernera.

II Analects is oneof the four authoritativebooksonConfucianism.Theother three areGreat Learning,Doctrineof theMean,andMencius.Thesefourplus thefiveclassics—BookofChanges,BookofSongs,BookofDocuments,BookofRites,andSpringandAutumnAnnals—makeuptheConfuciancanon.

2

OnHumanResources

Anenlightened ruler employs thewise, giving full play totheir wisdom, so that he himself will never be short ofwisdom; he employs the talented, giving full play to theirtalents,sothathehimselfwillneverbeshortoftalents.

—HANFEIZII

Taizongwasamanofdestiny,oneofgreatabilityanddynamicpersonality,buthe was also uncommonly introspective. He had the good sense to know hislimitations.Thatledhimtoformulateawisepolicyonhumanresources.

His successwas a tribute to the collectivewisdom of the emperor and hisadvisers rather than to his individual genius. It was the result of superiorteamworkratherthantheperformanceofalonevirtuoso.


ASKILLEDCARPENTER

Taizong summarized his experience in human resources management for thecrownprinceasfollows.

“Anenlightenedruleremploysmenasaskilledcarpenterselectswood.Ifthewoodisstraight,heusesitasashaftforacart; if it iscrooked,heusesitasawheel.Ifitislong,heusesitasaroofbeam;ifitisshort,heusesitasarafter.Straightorcrooked,longorshort,eachpieceisuseful.

“Anenlightenedruleremploysmeninthesameway.Heusesthewiseman’sbrain, the stupid man’s brawn, the brave man’s courage, and the coward’scaution. Wise or stupid, brave or cowardly, each person can be employedaccordingtohisabilities.Justasaskilledcarpenterhasnorejectedmaterials,soan enlightened ruler has nowasted human resources. He does not overlook a

man’sgoodqualitiesbecauseofsomeshortcomings;nordoesheforgetaman’smeritsbecauseofminorblemishes.

“Don’t use men of great abilities for small jobs; don’t use men of smallabilitiesforimportanttasks.Ifyouplacetherightpeopleintherightpositions,you can run the government smoothly; if you place the wrong people in thewrongpositions,youwillhaveendlesstroubles.

“Awiserulerknowshowtojudgepeopleandhowtomakegooduseoftheirabilities.”

SCOUTINGTALENTS

Taizongtoldthecrownprince,“Aboatcrossingtheoceandependsonitssailors.Abird flying through the skiesdependson itswings.Anemperor runninghiscountrydependsonthesupportofhisaides.Youshouldratherhaveonetalentinyouremploythanhaveathousandouncesofgoldinyourcoffer.

“Buttalentedpeoplemayliveinobscurity.Theymaybewaitingfortherightopportunity;theymaycomefromhumbleoriginsorhavelowstatus;theymaybepoororholdingmenialjobs.Youmustmakeeveryefforttoseekthemout,forsuchpeoplewillmakeyourlifeeasier.”

ACQUAINTANCES

PrimeMinisterFangXuanlingsaidtoTaizong,“Youroldcolleagues,includingyouruncle,arecomplainingbecausetheyhaven’treceivedappointments inthenewgovernment.”

Taizongreplied,“Asemperor,Imustbeimpartial.Imustselectthosewhoarequalifiedfortheirjobs.Qualificationistheonlycriterion.Howcanwehaveonesetofcriteriaforthoseweknowandanotherforthosewedon’t?Idon’tforgetamanevenifImethimonlyonce,tosaynothingofthosewhohaveworkedwithmeformanyyears.Butiftheydonotmeasureuptothestandard,theyarenotuptothejob.Ican’tappointthemjustbecausetheyaremyacquaintances.Youonlytoldmeabouttheircomplaints,buthaveyouexaminedtheirabilities?”

SELF-RECOMMENDATION

Taizongsaidtohisministers,“Youdon’tknowmanytalentedpeople,andIdon’tknow themeither. Ifwe justwait andwait,wewon’tget recruits.Whataboutlettingpeoplerecommendthemselves?”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” objected Minister Wei Zheng.“Knowingothersisnoteasy;knowingoneself isalsodifficult.Butanignorantpersonmayregardhimselfascapable.Hemayexaggeratehisabilitiesandmaybe quite good at promoting himself. Therefore, if you let people recommendthemselves,youcouldenduprecruitingself-seekerswhohavenorealtalent.”

TRUEFAIR-MINDEDNESS

Taizongencouragedofficials to recommend talentedpeople,but someof themwereafraidofbeingaccusedoffavoritism.

Taizongsaidtohisministers,“Ioftenhearpeoplesay,‘ThismanisarelativeofMinisterSo-and-So.ThatmanisafriendofGeneralSo-and-So.’Iwantyouto know that as long as you are honest in recommending talents, you havenothing to fear. The ancientswould not refrain from recommending aworthyman because he was a relative or a friend. Nor would they hesitate torecommendanopponent.Thatwastruefair-mindedness.”

When Taizong appointed his brother-in-law Zhangsun Wuji to a seniorposition, he was criticized for nepotism. Taizong responded: “To show myconcernformyin-law,Icouldhavegivenhimlotsofmoney.ButIofferedhimthejobbecauseIwantedtousehistalent.”

ELEGANTWRITINGANDREALTALENT

Candidates for the civil service had to pass a preliminary and a finalexamination. Therewere twowell-known scholars in the capital. Taizong hadheard of their names butwas surprised to find theywere not on the roster ofsuccessfulcandidates.HeaskedWangShidan,thechiefexaminer,aboutit.

“True, these two men can write elegant essays,” Wang replied, “but theirlanguageistoofloweryandtheirstyletoofrivolous.Suchpeopledon’thaverealtalent.Iftheyareallowedtopassthefinal,I’mafraidothersmayemulatethem.Idon’tthinkthatiswhatYourMajestyexpectstosee?”

Taizongagreed.

SIXTYPESOFGOODOFFICIALS

MinisterWeiZhengcategorizedgoodofficialsintosixtypes:“Those who are prescient enough to tell signs of coming events and take

preemptiveactionsbeforeanytroubleoccurssoastoprotecttheruler.

“Those who give the ruler sound advice, carry out his good policies, andcorrecthismistakespromptly.

“Those who work hard, inspire the ruler with examples of sage kings inhistory,andrecommendworthymentohim.

“Thosewho are perceptive, capable of remedying the ruler’smistakes andturningabadthingintogoodaccount.

“Thosewhoabidebythelaw,donottakebribesorseekhighpay,andleadasimpleandfrugallife.

“Thosewhodonotflatteranddaretospeakoutagainsttheruler’smistakes.”

SIXTYPESOFBADOFFICIALS

Healsodividedwickedofficialsintosixtypes:“Thosewhodonotworkhardbutthinkonlyofpowerandwealthandhave

noprinciples.“Thosewhoalwayssayyestotheruler,trytopleasehimbyanymeans,and

goalongwithhimevenwhenheiswrong.“Those who are double-faced, jealous of the worthy, and use tricks to

manipulatetherulerandcausehimtobeunfairtohisofficials.“Thosewhoaresmartenoughtoconcealtheirownwrongdoing,areeloquent

enoughtowinfavorfromothers,andpurposefullycreateconfusionincourt.“Thosewhoabusetheirpositionforselfishendsandtrytofeathertheirown

nestsinthenameoftheruler.“Thosewhouse artful talk tobeguile the ruler, confuse right andwrong to

misleadhim,andcausehimtobearabadname.”


AkeytoTaizong’ssuccesslayinhisshrewdjudgmentofthestrengthsandweaknessesofhissubordinatesandhisabilitytomakethebestuseofthem.

Theartofleadershipistheartofleveraging—ofgivingfullplaytothestrengthsofothersandenablingthemtorealizetheirpotential.

WecanlearnthefollowingfromTaizongaboutleadership:First,leadersdon’thavetobeskilledineveryfieldbuttheymusthaveaninnateabilitytoassesspeople.Second,leadersdon’tseekperfectioninothersbutareabletoidentifytheirtalentsandgifts.Third,leadersmusthavetheinnersecuritynottobejealousofotherpeople’stalentsbut,rather,tobring

themintofullplay.Fourth,leadersmustpossessself-knowledgesothattheycanformateamwiththerightcombinationof

strengthstomakeuptheleader’sdeficiencies.Lastbutnotleast,leadersmusthavesufficientintegritytoinspireloyaltyandrespect.TaizongwasgreatlyadmiredbytheJapaneseshogunIeyasuTokugawaforhisleadershipprowess.The

latterwasthefounderoftheTokugawadynastyintheseventeenthcentury.TokugawamadeadeepstudyofTheZhenguanExecutiveGuideunderthetutelageofaSinologist.HeusedTaizong’sideastogovernandbadehissuccessorstodothesame.HisdynastyruledJapanfor264years.

I HanFeizi(c.280–233BC)wasoneofthemostinfluentialphilosophersoftheWarringStatesperiod.

3

OnMoralCharacterandTalent

A man must have first, a lofty goal; second, a desire forknowledge; and third, a persevering spirit. He will notaccepta lowstandard ifhehasa loftygoal;hewillnotbecontentwithalittleknowledgeifheunderstandsthereisnolimittoknowledge;andheisboundtosucceedwhateverhispursuit if he perseveres. Not a single one of these threequalitiescanhedowithout.

—ZENGGUOFANI

SeniorMinisterandChiefRemonstrantWeiZhengservedatthesideofTaizongforseventeenofhistwenty-threeyearsasChina’semperor.Weiwasatalentedofficial,aConfucianscholar,andamanofmoralexcellence.Itwasn’tsurprisingthatTaizongsoughthisopinionontheissueofweighingaman’sabilityagainsthisintegrity.


SETTINGEXAMPLES

“Imustbecareful inappointingofficials,”Taizongsaid tohisministers. “ThepeoplearewatchingwhomIappoint. If Iappointanhonestman,hewillsetagoodexampleforall.IfIappointawickedman,hewillattractotherswhoarelikewise wicked men. I must also be cautious in giving rewards andpunishments.IfIrewardameritoriousofficial,thosewithnomeritswillquitontheirown.IfIpunishawickedone,otherslikehimwillalsogetthewarning.”

“It isdifficult toappraiseaman,”WeiZheng responded.“Wehave to lookinto his moral conduct before hiring him. We have to check up on hisperformancebeforepromotingordemotinghim. Ifwehireamanofmediocre

ability, he may not do a good job, but the harm he can do is limited. If weappointanevilyetcapableman,hecancausealotofdamage.”

EXAMINATIONRESULTS

“Weselectcivilservantsbasedonlyontheexaminationresults,”TaizongsaidtoVice PrimeMinister Du Ruhui, whowas in charge of government personnel.“Butweknownexttonothingabouttheirmoralcharacter.Ifavillainisselected,itmaybeyearsbeforehebetrayshimself.Butby that timeeven ifwepunishhim,it’llbetoolate.Hewillhavedonedamagealready.Whatcanwedo?”

“In theHandynasty,candidateshad tobe recommendedby localofficials,”Du Ruhui replied. “Their knowledge and moral character had already beenscrutinizedbefore theywere appointed.That’swhy theHan courtwas able torecruitaconsiderablenumberofmenwhowerebothableandvirtuous.Nowweholdexaminationstoselectcivilservants.Thousandsofcandidatescometothecapital each year. Somemay pretend to be honest. Somemay use fine talk toconcealtheirinadequacy.It’simpossibletoknow.Thesystemleavesmuchtobedesired.”

WHATTOOBSERVEINAMAN

WeiZhengtoldTaizong,“Beforeamanachievesrecognition,observewhomheisassociatedwith;whenheoccupieshighoffice,seewhomhepromotes;whenhebecomesrich,watchwhatheaccumulates;whenheispoor,seewhathedoesnotaccept;whenheisindifficulty,noticewhatherefusestodo.Makeuseofhisstrengthsandavoidhisweaknesses.”

WARTIMEVS.PEACETIME

WeiZhengsaid,“Inwartime,weneeded talentsdesperatelyandhad to recruitwhoeverwasavailablewithoutpayingtoomuchattentiontohismoralaspect.Inpeacetime,weshouldonlyhirethosewhoarebothtalentedandvirtuous.”

AGENTLEMAN’SWEAKNESSES

Comparing the weaknesses of a gentleman to the strengths of a villain, WeiZhengcommented,“Avillain isnotwithoutminorvirtues,andagentleman isnotwithoutminorweaknesses.Theminorweaknessesof a gentlemanare like

flaws inapieceof jade.Agoodmerchantwon’tdiscard it,because theminordefectsdon’taffectitsbeautyasawhole.Theminorvirtuesofavillainareliketheedgeofabluntknife.Itcutsbutdoesn’tcutwell.Agoodcraftsmanwon’tbeinterestedbecauseit’sbasicallydefective.”

SETTINGHIGHSTANDARDS

WeiZhengexplained:“Thereasonwehavefewministerswhoarebothtalentedandvirtuousisprobablythatwehaven’tsethighenoughstandardsforthemandhaven’tgiventhemachancetogothroughsomerigoroustests.Ifwegivethemtounderstand thatwehavegreat expectationsof themand that patriotismanddisinterestedness areministerial requirements,we’ll give thema goal to strivefor.”


Moral characterwas a key criterion for selecting officials in Taizong’s court. But Taizong considered itjustifiabletorecruitcapablepeopleincertaincircumstanceseventhoughtheirmoralconductfellshortofthestandard.

Thequestionis,howmuchconsiderationshouldbegiventoaperson’smoralconductandhowmuchtohisability?Whatshouldtheguidelinesbe?

ToappreciateTaizong’sinsightonthesubject,let’sconsiderthreescenarios.First, thesituation isurgentand the task is important,but fewpeoplearequalified for the job. In this

case,wecanrightlyargueforhiringsomebodywhoiscapableofdoingthejobyethasquestionableethics.Butitshouldbearareevent.

Second,thepressureismoderatelyhigh.Afairnumberofpeoplearequalifiedforthejob.Inthiscase,wemaybejustifiedinhiringsomebodywhoiscapablebutwhosebehaviorismoderatelyunethical.

Third, there isnourgency.Manypeoplecandothe job.In this instance,wemayneverbe justified inhiringsomebodywhoseconductisunethical.

Ineachcase,themeritsofthegoalandthepressureofthesituationmustbeweighedagainstthedemeritsofloweringtheethicalstandardinhiring.Aswebecomeconsciousoftheimplicationsofsuchtrade-offs,wecanmakebetterdecisionsastowhatstandardweshouldsetunderthecircumstancesratherthanhaveanunrealisticstandardornostandardatall.

I ZengGuofan(1811–72)wasaneminentscholar,official,andmilitarygeneralwhowasmostresponsibleforsuppressingtheTaipingRebellioninthelateQingdynasty.

4

OnManagement

Before you are a leader, success is all about growingyourself.When you become a leader, success is all aboutgrowingothers.

—JACKWELCHI

Taizonghelddailymeetingswithhisministerstodiscussvariousissues.Onceapolicydecisionwasreached,theSecretariatwoulddraftanimperialorder.Thedraftwouldbesent to theChancellery for furtherdeliberation. If therewasnoobjection,itwouldbeforwardedtotheDepartmentofStateAffairstoexecute.The latter controlled the six ministries of finance, defense, justice, civilpersonnel,publicworks,andexternalaffairs.

IftheChancellerydisagreedwiththeimperialorder,itcouldeitheramendorvetoit.NoimperialordercouldbecarriedoutwithouttheapprovalofboththeSecretariatandtheChancellery;theDepartmentofStateAffairsalsohadasay.Thisprocessreducedpossiblemistakesaswellasprovidedchecksandbalanceswithinthegovernment.


QUALITYVS.QUANTITY

TaizongtoldPrimeMinisterFangXuanling,“Thekeytogoodgovernanceliesinhavinganefficientgovernment.Thequalityofcivilservantsismoreimportantthan thequantity. Ifwecan’t findqualifiedpeople, let therebevacancies.Wecanmanagewithfewerbutmoretalentedpeople.Afterall,whatgoodisitifwehirealotofmediocremen?Infactthemoremediocrementhereare,themorelikelythingswillgetmessedup.”

SAVINGFACE

Taizongaskedofficialsinthethreedepartmentstothinkindependently,sticktoprinciples,daretodisagree,andnotmuddlethroughforthesakeofsavingface.

He said: “The Secretariat and the Chancellerywere set up to check up oneachothersoas toavoidmistakes.It’squitenaturalfor themtohavedifferentopinions. Some opinions are correct, others are not. But those who holddissentingviewssharethesameobjective—toservethepublicinterest.

“Now,someofficials try toglossover their faults.Theydon’t likecriticismandhatethosewhospeakout.Someofficialstrytoavoidconflictsbyallmeans.Even if they know it is awrong decision, they choose to obey their superiorsbecausetheyareafraid if theyspeakout theywillcause theirsuperiors to loseface. This kind of behavior must stop. They must understand it is a minorconcerntocausesomebodytoloseface,butit isaseriousmattertojeopardizepublicinterest.

“In theSuidynasty,manyofficials tookanequivocalattitudeonmattersofprinciple.Theywouldsayyes to their superior’s facebutcomplainbehindhisback.They thought theywere clever and thingswouldnevergo against them.But theyweredeadwrong.Disaster struck in theend.Theseofficials sufferedbadlyandwerecondemnedbypublicopinion.”

LOOKINGAFTERAPATIENT

Taizong said to his ministers, “Running a country is not very different fromlookingafterapatient.Whenthepatientbeginstorecover,heneedsspecialcare.Anynegligencecanendangerhislife.We’vejustbroughtpeaceandstabilitytotheland,butifweslackenoureffort,wecanstillfail.Livinginthepalace,it’simpossibleformetoknoweverything.Irelyonyouasmyearsandeyes,asmyhandsandfeet.Webelongtoonebodyandweshouldhelpeachother.Sospeakout if you find something wrong. If we don’t trust each other and don’t talkhonestly,itwillbethemisfortuneofourcountry.”

“I amhappy to seeour country is at peace,” repliedWeiZheng, “but I amevenhappiertohearwhatYourMajestyhasjustsaid.”

SENSEOFPROPORTION

In the beginning, PrimeMinster Fang Xuanling and Vice PrimeMinister DuRuhuitookeverythinguponthemselves.Taizongwasdispleased.

“Yourroleasprimeministers,”hetoldthem,“istosharemyburden,helpmerunthegovernment,andbemyearsandeyes.ButIhaveheardthatyouspendalot of time reviewing hundreds of legal cases. If so, you’ll have no time toexamineofficial documents, to saynothingof seekingoutworthymenonmybehalf.”

Hetherebyorderedthatsmallcasesbehandledbyjuniorofficials;onlymajorcasesmightbereferredtotheprimeministers.

THEIMPORTANCEOFDELEGATING

TaizongaskedXiaoYu,formerprimeministeroftheSuidynasty,aboutthestyleofEmperorWen,founderoftheSui.“Whatkindofarulerwashe?”

“Emperor Wen was a self-disciplined and hardworking ruler,” Xiao Yureplied,“whotookhisjobveryseriously.Hewouldholdaudiencesessionsfromsunrise till sunset. Sometimes he and hisministerswere so engrossed in theirdiscussions that they forgot to eat. Hemight not have beenwise, but he wassurelyconscientious,tryingveryhardtobeagoodruler.”

“Youknowonlypartofhim,”saidTaizong.“Hethoughthewassmart,buthewasnotreallywise.Hedecidedoneveryissuehimself,bigandsmall,becausehedidn’ttrusthisministers.Soeventhoughheexhaustedhimself,hecouldnotgeteverythingright.Knowinghewasasuspiciousman,hisministersdarednotgivehimanyhonestadvice.Theyjustagreedwithwhateverhedecided.”

Taizongwentontoexplainhisownstyle.“Mystyleisdifferent.Oursisabigcountry.Wehavemanyissuestodealwitheveryday.Theyshouldbethoroughlylookedintobyofficialsinrelevantdepartmentsandthentheprimeministerwillmakearecommendationtome.Everybodyhashislimitations.Arulermusthaveministers to assist him. If he has to handle so many issues by himself, he isboundtomakemistakes.Howcanheberighteverytime?Justthinkwhatwouldhappeniffiveoutoftendecisionshemakeseverydayarewrong.Daybyday,monthbymonth,hismistakeswouldaccumulate,andsoonerorlatertheywouldleadtodisasters.Itismuchbettertodelegateresponsibilitiestotheworthy.”

DIRECTIMPACTONTHEPEOPLE

MinisterMaZhouwroteTaizongamemorandum,whichread,“Howprovincialandcountyofficialsdo their jobshasadirect impacton the lifeof thepeople.

Wemaynotobtainthebestcandidatesforeachcounty,butifweselectqualifiedmenasprovincialgovernorsandprefects,weshallbedoingtherightthing.

“In ancient times, candidates forministerial positions had towork as localofficials first. Nowadays toomuch emphasis is placed on central governmentappointments,buttoolittleattentionisgiventostaffinglocalposts.Thequalityofofficialsinremoteregionsisevenworse.Thatmaybethereasonwhylifeisstillhardforthepeople.”

Whereupon Taizong announced, “From now on, I shall personally selectprovincialgovernorsandprefects.Andeachministerfromthefifthrankupwillberesponsibleforrecommendingacandidateforcountymagistrate.”

Hetoldhisministers,“Ioftenlieawakeatnightthinkingabouttheaffairsofstate. What worries me most is whether provincial governors and countymagistrates are up to their jobs. Living in the palace, I see and hear only alimited amount. I counton theseofficials.Howwell theyperform their dutiesconcernsthefateofourcountry.”

APERVERSETENDENCY

MinisterWeiZhengwroteamemorandumtoTaizongaboutaperversetendencyhenoticedintheemperor.

“YourMajesty isagiftedman,but I’venoticedapeculiar tendency inyou.Whenyouhearsomebody’sgoodpoints,youtend todiscount them.Butwhenyouhearsomebody’sweaknesses,youwouldreadilybelievetheyaretrue.Why?

“Thosewho like to findothers’ faults toattack tend tobemeanmen; thosewholiketofindothers’goodpointstopraisetendtobegoodmen.Ifyoutakecredit away frompeople for their shortcomingsmore than you give credit fortheirstrengths,youwillemboldenmeanmenanddiscouragegoodmen.Thisisnotthewaytohaveaproperrelationshipwithyourministers.Onthecontrary,itwillcreateabarrierbetweenyouandthem.Anditisboundtoimpairthesmoothrunningofthegovernment.”

LOOKINGFORGOODPOINTSINTHOSEYOUDON’TLIKE

Inanothermemorandum,WeiZhengwrote,“YourMajestyiswillingtoforgivesomebigmistakesof yourministers but is rather intolerant of small errors.Asmallerrorcancauseyoutoloseyourtemper.Butyoucan’trunthegovernmentaccordingtoyourpersonalpreferences.Towardthoseyoulike,beawareoftheir

shortcomings.Towardthoseyoudislike,lookfortheirstrengths.Ifyoucan’tseegood points in those you dislike, good peoplewill be scared. If you can’t seeweaknessesinthoseyoulike,villainswillbeemboldened.”

THENORMOFGOVERNANCE

Commenting on the way Taizong treated senior and junior officials, MinisterWei Zheng said, “The norm of governance is that senior officials deal withimportant matters and junior officials deal with less important ones. Inappointing officials, Your Majesty rightly pays a lot more attention to seniorpoststhanjuniorposts.Butwhensomethinghappens,youtendtobelievejuniorofficialsmore thanseniorofficials.Whydoyoususpect seniorofficialswhomyouhavecarefullychosenyourself?

“Moreover, senior officials should not be punished formakingmistakes inhandlingsmallmatters,andjuniorofficialsshouldnotberesponsibleformakingbigdecisions.

“Ifavoidingmistakesbecomestheobjectiveofcivilservants,theywilltrytocoverup theirmistakes.Thatwill lead todeceit.Then itwillbe impossible tohaveagoodgovernment.”

Taizongagreedwithhisminister.

MUTUALTRUST

Wei Zheng wrote Taizong another memorandum, which read, “Your Majestyappointedworthymentoimportantposts.Yougavethemalotofresponsibilitiesbut you did not place enough trust in them.This lack of trust causes them tohavemisgivings,andmisgivingswillpreventthemfromdoingagoodjob.Theywould just perform their routine tasks perfunctorily, with little sense of duty.And it is impossible toexpect themtowork towardestablishinga long-lastingdynasty.

“Iftherulerdoesnottrusthisminister,hecan’tmakeuseofhim.Ifaministerdoesnottrusthisruler,hecan’tservehimeither.Mutualtrustisthebasisoftheirworkingtogether,andtrustiscreatedwhenneithertherulernortheministerisguidedbyself-interest.

“Itisnogoodifarulerdoesn’tknowhowtojudgeaman.Itisnogoodeitherifheknowshowtojudgeamanbutdoesn’tknowhowtousehim.Itisstillnogoodifheuseshimbutdoesn’ttrusthim.”

FATUOUSKINGANDCONSCIENTIOUSMINISTERS

Taizongasked,“Whichcase isworse: theking is fatuousbuthisministersareconscientious,orthekingisconscientiousbuthisministersareirresponsible?”

“If the king has good judgment,” replied Wei Zheng, “he can tell whichministerisgoodandwhichoneiswicked.Punishthewickedone,andhesendsawarning to a hundred others. They won’t dare to be careless. If the king isfatuousandheadstrong,hewon’tlistentohisministers.Soonerorlaterhe’llbeintrouble.”

“KingWenof theNorthernQidynastywasa tyrant,buthisprimeministerseemedtohavemanagedwellenough.Doyouknowwhy?”askedTaizong.

“His prime minister did manage to keep the country from falling apart,”answeredWeiZheng.“Butitwasaverydifficultandprecarioussituation.Itisnottobecomparedwithawiserulerrunningacountrywithhonestministers.”

DERELICTIONOFDUTY

Jia Chong, governor of Daizhou, was accused of dereliction of duty by animperial censor because one of his subordinates had committed a seriousoffense.

Taizong rejected the accusation and said, “A father may not be heldresponsible for theactionofhisson,norshouldamanbeheldresponsible fortheactionofhisbrother.Ifwedemoteagovernorbecausesomebodyunderhimcommittedacrime, itwouldencourageofficials tocoverupcrimes.Then realcriminals may go unpunished. There are criminals everywhere. It isunreasonabletoholdthegovernorresponsible.Whatyoushoulddoistoseethathedoesagoodjobinvestigatingthecrimeandprosecutingtheculprit.”

LOCUSTS

Taizongknewhowtousedramaticgesturestowinpublicrecognition,justlikeamodernpoliticianinfrontofatelevisioncamera.

DuringtheKoreanexpedition,oneofhisgeneralswasshotbyanarrow.Onthe battlefield Taizong sucked pus from hiswound in front ofmany soldiers,whoweredeeplytouchedbyhisaction.

Oneyear,swarmsoflocustsdescendeduponChang’an.Taizongwenttotheimperialparktoseeforhimselfthedamagetheyhadcaused.

“Grain is the people’s livelihood. But you eat it!” he cursed, picking up ahandfuloftheinsects.“Betteryoueatmyheartandlungs!”

Asheputhishandtohismouth,hisattendantstriedtostophimforfearhemightgetsick.ButTaizonginsistedontakingabite.

“I’lleatthemforthesakeofmypeopleevenifIbecomeill.”Andheswallowedthem.Legendsaysthelocustsdisappearedthenextday.

MANAGINGSTAKEHOLDERS

Taizonggavethecrownprincethefollowingadviceontheroleofstakeholdersandtheirmanagement.

“Ourcountryistoolargetoberunbyoneman.Asemperor,Ineedotherstohelpme.ThatwaswhyIawardedmykinsmenfiefs,sothattheyhaveastakeinsupportingmetomaintainthestabilityoftheempire.Butyoushouldnotallowstakeholderstobecometoopowerful.Orelseyoumaylosecontrol.Ifthebranchis too large, the tree may break; if the tail is too big, it may wag the dog.Therefore it is better to have a large number of stakeholders but keep theirindividualpowersmall.Thiswaytherewillbechecksandbalancesamongthestakeholdersandyouwillbeabletomaintaincontrol.Allwillbeloyaltoyou.”


Efficiencyisdoingthingsright.Youcanenhanceefficiencybyhavingfewerbuttalentedpeopleasopposedtohavingmanymediocrepeople.Themoremediocretheyare,thelesswillbeaccomplished.

Effectiveness isdoing the right things.Youcanenhanceeffectivenessbyencouragingpeople tovoicetheiropinionssothatcorrectandinformeddecisionscanbemade.

Youshoulddelegateresponsibilities toworthysubordinates.Itwillnotonlyreduceyourworkloadbutenableyoutoavoidcostlymistakes.

Youshoulddiscourageblindobedienceandface-savingbehaviorattheexpenseofhonesty.Youshouldbemoreeagertofindothers’goodpointstopraisethantofindfaultstocriticize.Youshouldmakepeoplefeelthey’retrusted;they’lldoabetterjobforyou.You should pay attention to thoseworking at the grassroots level because they’re perceived as your

deputies.Whotheyarereflectswhoyouare,andhowtheydotheirworkhasadirectimpactonthefateofyourenterpriseororganization.

Taizong’s emphasison thequalityof civil servants remindsmeofwhatLeeKuanYew, the foundingfatherofSingapore,didtoshapethatnation’scivilservicesystem.

Leebelievedthatcivilservantsshouldbeappointedandadvancedonthebasisoftheirabilities,effort,and achievements, regardless of race or family background. He also believed that to recruit and retaintalentsandtomaintainaclean,honestgovernment,civilservantsshouldbewellpaid.

Hesaid,“Thetaskoftheleadersmustbetoprovideorcreateforthemastrongframeworkwithinwhichtheycanlearn,workhard,beproductiveandberewardedaccordingly.Andthisisnoteasytoachieve.”

Leelinkedthepayoftopcivilservantstothatoftopprofessionalsintheprivatesectorwhileatthesametime strengthening anticorruption laws to give the governmentwider power to investigate and prosecutesuspectedofficialsandtheirfamilies.

PerhapsbecauseoftheirChineseorigin,manySingaporeansliketocomparethesuccessoftheircountrytothatofTangChina.Theyconsidertheirmeritocraticandhighlyefficientgovernmentakeyfactorintheircountry’ssuccess.

I JackWelch(bornin1935)istheformerCEOofGEandoneofthemostsuccessfulbusinessleadersofourtime.

5

OnRemonstrance

Criticismmaynotbeagreeable,butitisnecessary.Itfulfillsthe same function as pain in the human body. It callsattentiontoanunhealthystateofthings.

—WINSTONCHURCHILLI

The duty of the imperial censor in Taizong’s government was to superviseofficials; his weapon was impeachment. He had the authority to investigatecomplaints and impeach any official for violating the law, for miscarriage ofjustice, for failing to implementgovernmentpolicies, foroverspending,andsoon.Buttheimperialcensorcouldberetaliatedagainstifheoffendedapowerfulofficial.

Thedutyof theremonstrantwas tosupervise themonarch;hisweaponwaspublic remonstrance. His designated role was to criticize the monarch forimproperbehaviorandwrongpolicies.Thepositionwasoftenfilledbymentorsofthemonarchormenofhighstature.Althoughthejobwashighlyprestigious,itcarried inherent risk.The remonstrantcouldbecomesuchan irritant that theruler might turn against him. He could be demoted, dismissed, corporallypunished,orevenputtodeathbyanintoleranttyrant.


SELF-REFLECTION

Taizongsaid,“Ioftensitquietlyandreflectonmyself.IamconcernedthatwhatI have donemay not be in keepingwith thewill ofHeaven and cause publicdiscontent.IhopetogetadviceandremonstrancefromhonestmensothatIamnotoutoftouchwiththeoutsideworld,andsothatIcanaddressanycomplaintinatimelymanner.”

Hetoldthecrownprinceabouttheimportanceoflisteningtoremonstrance.“The ruler runs the country from the depth of his office. But he cannot seeeverythingheshouldseeandheareveryvoiceheshouldhear.Asaresult,ifhemakes a mistake, he may not know; if he does something wrong, he cannotcorrectitintime.Thatiswhyheneedstohearcomplaints,heeddifferentviews,andlistentootherpeople’sadvice.Iftheadviceisgood,evenifitcomesfromaslave,heshouldacceptit.Iftheadviceisbad,evenifitcomesfromanobleman,heshouldrejectit.Don’tfussaboutthedetailsorthestyleofthosewhogiveyougoodadvice.”

AFATUOUSRULER

Taizongaskedhischiefremonstrant,“Whatisanenlightenedrulerandwhatisafatuousruler?”

Wei Zheng replied, “An enlightened ruler listens to different opinionswhereas a fatuous ruler listens to only one side. For example, the secondemperor of the Qin dynasty listened only to his eunuch minister Zhao Gao.Isolated from other officials, he had no idea that his regime was about tocollapse.EmperorYangoftheSuidynastylistenedonlytoasycophantministerand didn’t know that rebellions were sweeping over the country. If the rulermakesapointoflisteningtodifferentpeople,powerfulministerswon’tbeabletohide the truth fromhim. Information flowwon’tbeblocked.And thevoicefrombelowwillreachhisears.”

HisadvicewonTaizong’sheartyconsent.

NOWINNER

Taizongsaidtohisministers,“Ifamanwantstoseehimself,heneedsamirror.Ifarulerwantstoknowhisownfaults,heneedsloyalministers.Ifhethinksheissmartandhisministersdon’tpointouthismistakes,soonerorlaterhe’llrunintotrouble.

“When the ruler loses, hisministerswill also lose.Remember how theSuidynasty was lost? Emperor Yang was a despot. His ministers all kept theirmouths shut.Nobody tried to stophiswrongdoings. In theend,hewaskilled,and hisministerswere not spared either. That is a lesson for all of us. If youwant to shareapeacefulandstable rulewithme,youmust talk tome franklyand let me know if I’ve done something wrong. I may not accept your

remonstrancesrightaway,butI’llthinkaboutthem.ThenI’llchoosewhichgoodadvicetofollow.”

IMPERIALHUNT

Taizongsaidtohisministers,“SomebodywrotemeamemorandumsayingIgoonhuntingexpeditionstoofrequently.Atpresenttheempireisatpeace,butweshould not forgetmilitary exercises,which hunting provides. That’swhy I gohuntingintheimperialparkwithmyentourage.Wedon’tcauseanytroubletothepublic.Sowhat’stheproblem?”

“SinceYourMajesty solicits criticisms from officials,” repliedWei Zheng,“youhavetoletthemsaywhattheywant.Ifwhattheysuggesthasmerit,itwillbenefitthecountry;ifnot,noharmisdone.”

“Youhaveapointthere,”agreedTaizong.

BEINGGENTLE

TaizongaskedWeiZheng,“Ihave found thatwhenofficialswrite tome, theypresenttheirideasverywell.Butwhentheytalktome,theyoftenhemandhaw.Theycan’tevenspeakcoherently.Whyisthat?”

“Iknowtheyspenddayspreparingwhattosay,”explainedWeiZheng.“ButinYourMajesty’spresence,theybecomenervous.Asaresult,theyonlymanageto sayone-thirdofwhat theywanted to.Pleasebegentle andempatheticwiththem,oryou’llintimidatethem.”

“Isee,”saidTaizong.“Iftheyarealreadynervouswhentalkingaboutroutinebusiness, I can imagine how brave a person must be to come forward andremonstrate with me. If I show any displeasure, I will scare him away andnobodywill speak tome frankly. I promise you that in the future Iwon’t getangryevenifIdon’tlikewhatIhear.”

PROVOCATIVELANGUAGE

Amagistrate inHenan namedHuangfuDezanwrote Taizong amemorandumcriticizingtheconstructionworkinLuoyangbecauseitimposedaheavyburdenonthepeople.Hedescribedtherealestatetaxasexploitationofthepeopleandblamed the craze for fancyhairstyles among localwomenon the ladies in theimperialpalace,whosetthefashion.

Taizongwas incensed.“This is ridiculous!Willhebesatisfied ifwecollect

notaxesandifthecourtladiesallshavetheirheads?”Hewantedtoputthemanontrialforslandering.WeiZhengobjected.“Readonememorandum,andyoucanfeeltheauthoris

weeping. Read another, and you can feel the author is sighing. Since ancienttimes,memorandahaveoftenusedprovocativewordstogaintheattentionofthereader.Provocativelanguageissomewhatsimilartoslander,butasagerulercanfind something good even in amadman’s remarks. It’s up toYourMajesty todecidewhat’strueandwhat’snotinamemorandum.”

“Wellsaid,”repliedTaizong.“Onlyyoucanmakesuchapoint.”Insteadofpunishingthemagistrate,heawardedhimtwentyrollsofsilk.

SYCOPHANTS

Taizongmadethefollowingcommentregardingsycophants.“Flatterersandsycophantsarepests.Topursuepowerandprofit,theytryto

findfavorwiththerulerthroughtheirpleasingtalkandingratiatingmanner.“When the ruler is surrounded by such people, his ears and eyes will be

blocked.Hecannotseehisownfaults,andloyalofficialswillnotdaretospeakout.Itisdangerous.

“Wholesomeadviceoftengratesontheear,butitcanbenefityou.Flatteryisoftenpleasingtothemind,butitcandoyouharm.Theenlightenedrulerfollowswholesomeadvice.Eventhoughitmaytastebitter,itcancurehissickness.Theignorantrulerlikesflattery.Eventhoughitmaytastesweet,itcandestroyhim.”

NOTRICKERYOFSUBORDINATES

AtownsmanaskedTaizongtoweedoutsycophantsinthecourt.“ThoseIappointedtooffice,”saidTaizong,“areallhonestandcompetentin

myjudgment.Doyouknowanyonewhoisnot?”“No, Idon’t,”answered theman.“But Ihavean ideahow touncover such

people.IfYourMajestypretendstobeangry,thenwe’llknow.Thosewhocomeforward to remonstrate areuprightmen, and thosewhogoalongwithyouaresycophants.”

Taizong rejected the idea. “Whether a river is clean or not depends on itssource,”heexplained.“Iamlikethesourceofariverandmysubordinatesareliketheflow.IfIusedeceitfulmeanstotestthem,howcanIexpectthemtobehonest? Itwouldbe as unreasonable as expecting a river to be cleanwhen its

source is muddy. I despise a ruler who uses tricks to test his subordinates.Thoughyourintentionisgood,yourmethodwoulddamagemycredibility.”

RESPECTINGTHEPRIVATELIFEOFSUBORDINATES

ImperialcensorsQuanWanjiandLiRenfalikedtoferretoutwhatofficialsdidin their private lives and report it to Taizong. They would lash out at seniorofficialsinpublic.Taizongappearedtoencouragesuchpractices.Hegrantedthetwomenprivateaudiencesandevenpraisedthemfor“nottryingtocurryfavorwithpowerfulministers.”Manyofficialsbecameillatease.

WeiZhengwasdisgusted.“QuanWanjiandLiRenfaaredespicablemen,”hesaidtoTaizong.“Theydon’tknowwhatisimportantandwhatisnot.Theythinkthatexposingothers’privatelivesissomethinghonorable,thatinformingagainstyour ministers is being loyal to Your Majesty. But among those attacked bythem,noonehascommittedacrime.YourMajesty,ofcourse,knowswhatkindof men Quan and Li are. That’s why you didn’t entrust them with importantduties.Butyoustillchosetousethembecause,Iguess,youthoughttheirverbalassaultsmightkeepeveryonescrupulouslyhonest.Asaresult,thesescoundrelsbecamepowerfulwhileloyalministersarealienatedfromyou.I’mnotsureyouhavepromotedmanyworthymen.However, tobefriendlytosuchvillainscanonlyharmyourimage.”

Taizong was at a loss for what to say. Then he awarded Wei Zheng fivehundredrollsofsilk.Lateron,hedemotedQuanWanjiandLiRenfa.

THEDILEMMAOFALOYALOFFICIAL

“Ihaven’treceivedmuchadvicefrommyministerslately.Doyouknowwhy?”TaizongaskedWeiZheng.

“Thoseyoudon’ttrustdon’tspeakoutbecausetheyfearyoumaythinktheyslanderyou.Thoseyoutrustdon’tspeakoutbecausetheylackasenseofduty.Eachhashisownmotivations.Afeeble-mindedman,evenifheishonest,doesnot dare to speak out.Aman not close to you does not speak out because hedoesn’tthinkyouwouldtrusthim.Amanwhoisonlyconcernedaboutkeepinghis position does not speak out because he doesn’t want to offend you. As aresult,everybodykeepshismouthshutandjustdriftsalong.”

“Exactly,”Taizong agreed. “I often ponder this problem. I understand theirfear. The power of the ruler often poses a dilemma for a loyal minister who

wants to speak out yet is afraid of being punished.Well, I’m open-minded. Iwelcomeallhonestremonstrances.TelltheministersIwon’tpunishanyoneforspeakingout.”

AGOODOFFICIALVS.ALOYALOFFICIAL

Onanotheroccasion,WeiZhengsaidtoTaizong:“IhopeYourMajestywillletmebeagoodministerratherthanaloyalminister.”

“Whatisthedifferencebetweenthetwo?”askedTaizong.“There isabigdifference.Agoodministermakesagoodnameforhimself

for helping his kingmakewise decisions so that the good fortune of his kingmay last long. A loyal minister follows his king blindly even if the king iswrong. The king could be killed, the country could be lost, and the ministercoulddie,buthewouldmakeagoodnameforhimselfforbeingloyal.”

“Well,Ihopeyou’llbeagoodminister,”saidTaizong.WeiZhengthenrecountedaconversationbetweenDukeJing,therulerofQi

duringtheSpringandAutumnperiod,andYanYing,hisprimeminister.“ThedukeaskedYanYing:‘Whatisagoodminister?’“ ‘Agoodministerwillneitherdieforhisking,’repliedYanYing,‘norwillhe

followhimintoexile.’“ ‘Whynot?’askedtheduke,notunderstanding.‘Ifhiskingtreatshimwell,

appointinghimtohighofficeandgivinghimhighpay,isn’thesupposedtobeloyal?’

“ ‘True,’ saidYanYing, ‘he shouldbe loyal. If thekinghad listened to hisgoodadvice,disasterwouldnothavecome.Thekingwouldneverhavetofleeordie.Butifthekingignoredhisadviceandthengotintotrouble,whyshouldhedieforhim?’ ”

AHOPELESSSITUATION

Taizong said: “If theking refuses to heed remonstrance, hisministerswill notdare tooffendhimbyspeakingout.Theyhave tokeep theirmouthsshut.Youcan’tblamethem,canyou?”

“Well, a loyal minister should not keep silent,” responded Vice PrimeMinister Du Ruhui, “even if his king doesn’t want to listen to him. If theministersarewillingtorisktheirlivestoremonstratewiththeking,thereisstillhopeforthecountry.”

“I agree,” said Taizong. “If the king goes wrong and his ministers don’tremonstrate,itwillbeahopelesssituation.”

REALELOQUENCE

In the beginningof his reign,Taizong listened to remonstrances patiently.Butgraduallyhisconfidencegrewintothearroganceofsuccess,andhisself-controlslipped, especially after the death ofWeiZheng in 643.Hewould arguewiththosewhocriticizedhimanddebatethosewhodisagreedwithhim.MinisterLiuJiwroteTaizongamemorandumabouthisbehavior.

“Even if Your Majesty is humble enough to ask advice from yoursubordinates,youmaynotreceiveit.Butnowwhentheydovoicetheiropinion,youoftengetintoanargumentwiththem,eagertoprevail.Whowoulddaretospeak out? Eloquence is not such a virtue as you think. Lao Tzu said realeloquencemeanstalkinglittle,andChuangTzuIIsaidtruthdoesnotneedalotofargument.Neitherofthemfavorsexcessivetalking.Youmaywinanargument,butyou’lllosethegoodwillofyourministers.Weachievedpeaceandprosperitynotbecausewewereeloquenttalkersbutbecauseweweredown-to-earthdoers.Toomuchtalkingisalsotiring.IhopeYourMajestywilldevoteyourenergytoworkandbeashumbleasyouusedtobe.”

Taizong admitted hismistake. “Yes, I talked toomuch. Iwas proud ofmydebatingskill.Itmademelookdownuponothers.Thankyouforpointingthatout.”

MIRRORTOTHEEMPEROR

Taizongwasgrief-strickenwhenWeiZhengdiedintheseventeenthyearofhisreign.Heclosed thecourt for anunprecedented five-daymourningperiodandmadethefollowingfamousremark.

“Usebrassasamirror,andonecanstraightenone’sclothes;usehistoryasamirror,andonecandiscern thecausesof the riseand fallofa state;useotherpeopleasamirror,andonecanunderstandone’sownstrengthsandweaknesses.Now,asWeiZhengisdead,I’velostapreciousmirror.”

WeiZheng’sreputationisashightodayasitwasinhisownday.Amongthetraditionalscholar-officials,heiscelebratedasanexemplaryConfucianminister;infolklore,hehasbecomeadoorgodwhoprotectspeopleagainstevils.


TheofficeofimperialcensorandthepracticeofissuingremonstrancesweredistinctivetraditionsinancientChinaaimedatredressingtheillsinitsinstitutions.

Inademocracy,freedomofexpressionisvalued.Thelegalsystemprotectspeople’srighttoexpresstheirfrankopinion.However,therearemany“fiefs”inademocracy—corporations,hospitals,schools,colleges,government agencies, and charitable organizations—in which “rulers” wield enormous power over the“ruled.”

Forexample,amanagerwieldspervasiveinfluenceoverthelivesofhissubordinatesandtheirfamilies.Heisthevirtual“lord”inhis“fief,”withthepowertohire,fire,promote,ordemotehisemployees,whoselivelihoodsdependonhim.Anddependencymakesthemvulnerable.

Evenifemployeesknowtheiremployer’sbehaviorisillegalorunethicalorboth,cantheyreallyspeaktheirmind?Cantheysaywhattheythinkandnotworryabouttheresponseoftheirsuperiorsorpeers?Cantheybetrulyhonestregardlessofself-interest?Howlikelyaretheytoblowthewhistle?

Moreover,howmanyoftoday’smanagerswouldurgetheirsubordinatestocriticizethemasTaizongdid,tosaynothingofrewardingthosewhospeakout?

Reflecting on the government and corporate abuse of power we confront today, I wonder if theremonstrantmightnothaveadeservingplaceinoursociety.

I WinstonChurchill(1874–1965)wasaBritishstatesman,orator,author,andprimeministerduringWorldWarII,andisregardedasoneofthegreatestBritonsever.

II ChuangTzu(c.369–286BC)wasagreatTaoistphilosopherandabrilliantprosewriter.

6

OnVirtues

Ifthereissincerityinthought,therewillberighteousnessintheheart;ifthereisrighteousnessintheheart,therewillbeintegrityincharacter;ifthereisintegrityincharacter,therewillbeharmonyathome;ifthereisharmonyathome,therewill be order in the nation; if there is order in the nation,therewillbepeaceintheworld.

—GREATLEARNINGI

Taizong took over the country by force, but he fully agreed with the ancientChinese belief that a ruler’s ultimate legitimacy and authority derive from hisvirtue and wisdom. When the Mandate of Heaven was granted to a ruler, itmeanthewassufficientlywiseandvirtuous to receive it.Hencehewascalledthe Son of Heaven. But he could lose that right if he failed to fulfill hisobligationtoruleproperly.


POWERVS.VIRTUES

Taizongwasdiscussing the longevityof theZhoudynastyand thebrief lifeoftheQindynastywithhisministers.

Hesaid,“KingWuoftheZhoudynastyoverthrewthelastruleroftheShangdynasty because the Shang ruler was a tyrant. The first emperor of the QindynastyconqueredsixstatesandtoppledthefadingZhoudynasty.Thereislittledifference in the way the Zhou and Qin were founded, but there is a bigdifferenceintheirrespectivelifespans.”

MinisterXiaoYu responded,“The last rulerof theShangwasadespot.Hedeservedpunishment.That’swhyKingWucommandedpopularsupportforhis

uprising.TheZhoudynastywasonthedecline,butthesixstateswereinnocent.That’s why the first emperor of the Qin was not popular in his war ofannexation.”

“Youonlyunderstandpartofthestory,”saidTaizong.“Aftertakingovertheempire,theZhouruledbyvirtueanddidmanygoodthingsforthewell-beingofthepeople.So it lasted sevenhundredyears.But theQin reliedondeceit andbrutalforcetorule.Itsrulerswerecruel,dissolute,andextravagant.Soitsreignwascutshortafterjusttwogenerations.Thelessonisthis:youmayseizepowerbyviolence,butyoumustrunthecountryinaproperwayafterward.”

XiaoYuadmittedthathisunderstandingwaslacking.“I took over the country by force,” Taizong added, “but I must run the

countrybyConfucianvirtues.”

WEAPONRY

“Icheckedourarmoryrecently,”PrimeMinisterFangXuanlingtoldTaizong.“IfoundwehavemoreweaponsthantheSuidynastyusedtohave.”

“Ofcourse it is important tohavesufficientweaponry,” respondedTaizong.“But I hope youwill do a good job to enable the common people tomake adecentliving.Thatwillbethebestweapontokeepusinpower.Didn’tEmperorYang have many weapons? But he did not practice benevolence andrighteousness.Intheend,thepeopleturnedtheirbacksonhim.”

FISHANDWATER

Taizongtoldhisministers:“Iftherulerisrighteousbuthisministersarenot,itisimpossible to have a good government. If theministers are righteous but therulerisnot,itisalsoimpossibletohaveagoodgovernment.Whenarighteousrulerandhonestministersworkcloselywithoneanother,itislikefishandwater.Itwillbegoodfortuneforthecountry.”

HEARTASTHESCALES

Taizongsaid:“Arulershouldputtheinterestofthestateaboveselfishmotivesand personal considerations. Zhuge LiangII once said, ‘My heart is like thescales.Imustbeabsolutelyfairtoeverybody.’ZhugeLiangfeltthatwaywhenhewasrunningasmallstate;howmuchmoremustIfeelthatwayrunningabigcountry?”

AFAVORTOYOURSELF

Taizong spoke with his ministers about the importance of being honest inperformingtheirduties.

“Iamworkinghardnotonlyforthecommonpeoplebutalsoforyou.Ihopeyouwillenjoyfameandfortuneforalongtimetocome.IhopeyouwillbeasfearfulofthelawofthelandasIamofHeaven.Thenyouwillbedoingafavornotonly for the commonpeoplebut foryourself aswell.Anold sayinggoes:‘Moneycausesasmartmantolosehiswillpowerandastupidmantoget intotrouble.’Corruptionisagainstthelaw.Theculpritmaynotbeuncovered,buthesurelylivesinfear.Thepressureonhimwillaffecthishealthandevenshortenhislife.Andhischildrenwillbeashamedofhim,too.

“Birdsandfisharecaughtbecausetheyaregreedyenoughtobetemptedbythebait.Thosewhogetintotroublebecauseoftheirgreedarenodifferentfrombirdsandfish,aren’tthey?”

CONCUBINE

Empress Zhangsun recommended a very pretty girl to Taizong to be hisconcubine.Muchpleased,Taizongwasabout to informthegirl’s familyofhisintentionwhenWeiZhengbargedinandinterrupted,forWeihadfoundoutthatthegirlwasalreadybetrothedtoayoungman.

“YourMajestyhasnotbotheredtocheckuponher,”headmonishedTaizong.“Justimaginehowpeoplewillgossip!”

Taizongwas startled.He immediatelyordered thegirl tobe returned to theyoungman.Butthemandeniedthattheywerebetrothed.

Taizongwas puzzled. “An officialmaywant to curry favorwithme, but Idon’tunderstandwhythismandeniedhisownengagement.”

“The man lied because he was afraid,”Wei Zheng explained. “Rememberwhat your father did when he set his eyes on a beautiful woman? After helearnedshealreadyhadahusbandworkinginthepalace,hewasdispleasedandtransferred themanoutof thepalace tobeacountymagistrate.Thepoormanwasfrightenedoutofhiswits.Bythesametoken,thegirl’sbetrothedfearsthatyoumayfindsomeexcusetopunishhiminthefuture.”

SoTaizongwrote themana letter, saying itwashis faultnot tohavemadeinquiriesbeforeheacceptedthegirl.

NINEVIRTUESANDTENVICES

WeiZhengwrotealengthymemorandumtoTaizong,listingninevirtuesforhimtocultivateandtenvicesforhimtoavoid.

“Tomake a tree grow luxuriantly, wemust strengthen its root. Tomake ariver flow a long distance, wemust deepen its source. To bring stability to acountry,wemustlaydownafoundationofvirtueandbenevolence.Iftherootisnotstrong,atreecannotbeleafy;ifthesourceisnotdeep,arivercannotflowfar;andifvirtueandbenevolencearenotfirmlyestablished,acountrywon’tbestable. I am not very smart but I understand this. An enlightened ruler mustunderstandthispointbetterthanIdo.Heavenblessesarulerwhodoesnotforgetdanger in peacetime,who does not indulge in extravagance, who controls hisdesires,andwhopracticesninevirtuesandshunstenvices.”

Theninevirtuesareasfollows:

1Graciousness2Gentleness3Respectfulness4Prudence5Loyalty6Fairness7Honesty8Courage9Adherencetoprinciples

Thetenvicesarethefollowing:

1Greed.Ifyoulikesomething,knowwhatisenough.2Goingtoofar.Ifyoudesiresomething,knowwheretostop.3Arrogance.Rememberahighpositioncarrieshighrisk.4Overextendingyourself.Knowthelimitofyourresources.5Indulgence.Exerciseself-control.6Slackness.Bediligentandconsistent.7Discouragingyoursubordinatesfromspeakingout.Listentothemwithanopenmind.

8Toleratingslanderers.Oustwickedmenfromyourcourt.9Awardingpeoplewhenyouarehappy.Theawardcanbeinappropriate.10Punishingpeoplewhenyouareangry.Thepunishmentcanbetooharsh.


Taizong was greatly influenced by Confucius, who held that political leadership should be centered onvirtue.Moralcharacterisavitalguidetoaperson’sfitnesstorule.IftheSonofHeavenistoruleonbehalfofHeaven,thenheshouldmodelthehighestmoralstandards.Heshouldbethepersonificationofvirtueshissubjectslookupto.

Confuciusdidn’tthinkmoralstandardsinprivatelifeshouldbeanydifferentfromthoseinpubliclife.Rulerscan’thaveonesetofstandardsforprivatelifeandanotherforpubliclife.Iftheypracticevirtuesinprivate,they’llmostlikelyexercisetheminpublic.Andtheresponsibleexecutionofpublicdutiesrequiresintegrity,whichisboundtomanifestintheirprivatelife.

Aruler’smoralvalueswillsurelybereflectedinhispoliciesandthebestrulerisonewhoholdshimselfupasamoralexampletohisfollowers.

Taizong’semphasisonmoralconductstands instarkcontrast to fifteenth-andsixteenth-centuryItalianpolitical philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli’s prescription for keeping “the prince” in power: duplicity,deviousness,manipulation, andbrutality.Which approach is right?TheTangdynasty lasted nearly threehundredyears.HowlongwerethosewhofollowedthecounselofMachiavelliabletokeepthemselvesinpower?Theanswerisself-evident.

I GreatLearningisoneoffourauthoritativebooksonConfucianism(seefootnoteonp.13).

II ZhugeLiangwasafamousprimeministerofthestateofShuduringtheThreeKingdomsperiod.

7

OntheArtofWar

The best commander carries out his assignment withmeticulous planning and flawless teamwork; he is self-possessed—neitherisheeasilyexcitedbyhissuperiors,noris he easily upset by his enemy; and he acts consistentlyfromthebeginningtotheend.

—XUNZII

DefenseMinister Li Jing was Tang Taizong’s best general. Amilitary geniuswith an illustrious career, Li Jing was later deified as a celestial warrior inRomanceoftheGods,awell-knownMingmythologicalfiction.Aheroofmanyvictoriesandabrilliantstrategisthimself,Taizongenjoyeddiscussingtheartofwarwiththegeneral.


MINGLETACTICS

Taizong said toDefenseMinister Li Jing, “I’ve readmany books onmilitarystrategy,andnotonehassurpassedSunTzu’sTheArtofWar.Theessenceofhisteaching is that youwillwin if you know your strengths andweaknesses andthoseofyourenemy.Manyofourgeneralstalkaboutattackingtheweakspotsof theenemyandavoiding itsstrongpoints.Butwhenitcomes torealbattles,few can tell what strengths and weaknesses the enemy has because they arebeingmanipulated by the enemy. Please teach our generals how to assess theenemycorrectly.”

Li Jing replied: “I’ll first teach themhow tomingle the tacticsof a regularattack with that of a surprise attack. Then I’ll tell them how strengths andweaknesses canbothbe feinted.Because if theydon’t understandhow tomix

surpriseattackswithregularones,theywon’tbeabletoseethroughthefacadeoftheenemy.”

MANIPULATETHEENEMY

Taizong said: “A good general may engage the enemy forces in a skirmish,whichhedoesn’tneedtowin.Thepurposeistosoundouttheenemysothatthegeneral can decidewhat tactics to adopt in the battlefield.We can’t domuchabouttheenemy’sstrengthsorweaknesses,butwecanchangeourtactics.”

LiJingreplied:“Anormalbattlerepelstheenemy.Itisasurpriseattackthatwins victory for you. If the enemy is strong, use a strong force to attack itdirectly. If the enemy has a vulnerable spot, use a surprise attack to break it.However,ifageneraldoesn’tknowhowtocombineregulartacticswithsurprisemaneuvers,hewon’tbeabletodefeattheenemyevenifheknowsitsstrengthsandweaknesses.That’swhyIwantfirsttoteachthegeneralshowtovarytheirtactics.”

Taizongsaid:“Makesuretheyunderstand:Iftheenemyexpectsustolaunchan open attack,we’llmake a surprise foray. If it expects us tomount a flankassault,we’llengage it inafrontalbattle.Take the initiative inourownhandsandkeeptheopponentguessing.”

LiJingreplied:“Yesindeed,YourMajesty.Manipulatetheenemy,butdon’tbemanipulated.I’llelaboratethisprincipleinmylecture.”

INDUCETHEENEMYTOMAKEMISTAKES

TaizongsaidtoLiJing,“I’vereadmanybooksontheartofwar,anditallboilsdowntoonepoint:dowhateveryoucantocausetheenemytomakemistakes.”

LiJingreplied:“Exactly.Iftheenemydoesnotmakeamistake,howcanwewin?Whenbothsidesareequalinstrength,itwillbelikeplayingchess.Ifonesidemakesawrongmove,heisboundtolosethegame.Lookattheoutcomeofmanyancientandmodernwars,andyoucanseethatasinglemisstepoftenleadstoanirretrievabledefeat,tosaynothingofmakingmanymistakes.”

SEIZETHEOPPORTUNITY

TaizongaskedLiJing,“Attackinganddefendingaretwodifferentthings,butdothey follow the sameprinciple?SunTzu said: ‘If you are good at the former,yourenemywon’tknowhowtodefend;ifyouaregoodatthelatter,yourenemy

won’t know how to attack.’What about the enemy attacking us and we alsoattackingit?Whataboutourtakingupadefensivepositionandtheenemydoingthe same? What shall we do then? Sun Tzu never said anything about thispossibility.”

Li Jing replied: “There are many examples in history in which both sidesoptedtoattackorbothoptedtodefend.Itisgenerallyacceptedthatyoushouldattackifyouhavesufficientpoweranddefendifyoudon’t.Sufficientpowerisinterpretedasstrengthandinsufficientpowerasweakness.ThatisanincorrectinterpretationofwhatSunTzureallymeant.

“SunTzu said: ‘When you cannotwin, take up a defensive position;whenyoucanwin,attack.’Whathemeantwas that thedecision toattackordefenddependsmoreonwhetheryouhavetheopportunitytowinthanonwhetheryouhave superior forces. Many readers misunderstand this point, so they attackwhentheyshoulddefend,anddefendwhentheyshouldattack.”

DECEIVETHEENEMY

Taizongcontinued,“Warfareisessentiallybasedondeception,thatis,hideyourreal intention and keep the enemy guessing. If youwant the enemy to attack,pretendyouareinferior,andthenbeattheenemywhenitattacks.Ifyouwanttoput the enemyon the defensive, pretendyouhave superior forces even if youdon’t.Doyourbesttoconfusetheenemysothatitdoesnotknowhowtoattackandhowtodefend.”

Li Jing agreed. “Exactly, Your Majesty. Attack can serve as an effectivedefense,andadefensivepositioncanalsobeusedtoattack.Thetwostrategiesshouldnotbeconsideredinisolation,becausebothserveoneandthesameend—victory.Ifapersoncannotgraspthispoint,whatgoodisiteventhoughhecanreciteSunTzu’sbook?”

KNOWYOURSELF

Taizongsaid,“Acountrymaybebig,butifitloveswar,itisboundtoperish.Acountrymay live inpeace,but if it fails toprepare forwar, itwillput itselfatrisk.Weneedtohavebothoffensiveanddefensivestrategies,don’twe?”

LiJingagreed.“Yesindeed,YourMajesty.Anoffensivestrategydoesn’tjustmean attacking the enemy’s military position; it also means waging apsychological war to undermine its morale. A defensive strategy doesn’t just

meanfortifyingourwallsandfortresses;italsomeanskeepingupthespiritsofour troops and heightening our vigilance. A king should understand this. Ageneralshouldalsounderstandthis.Towageaneffectivepsychologicalwar,youneed to know your enemy well, and to keep up your own spirit, you mustunderstandyourselfwell.”

KNOWYOURENEMY

Taizongsaid:“Beforeabattle,Ialwaystrytoanticipatetheactionoftheenemyand formulate my strategy accordingly. To do that, I have to understand theenemy’swayofthinking.Ialsotrytojudgeitsmoraleandcompareitwithours.Andtodothat,Ihavetoknowmyowntroopswell.Theessenceoftheartofwaristoknowbothyourselfandyourenemy.Evenifyoudon’tknowtheenemy,aslongasyouknowyourselfwell,youalreadyhaveanadvantage.”

LiJingreplied:“Placingyourselffirstinanimpregnableposition,asSunTzusaid,meansknowingyourselfwell.Waitingfortheopportunemomenttodefeattheenemymeansknowingyourenemywell.Yourdefenseislargelyafunctionof your own effort, whereas to defeat the enemy, you have to wait for theopportunityprovidedby itsownmistakes.This isup to theenemy.Thispointcannotbeoveremphasized.”

HOWTOAVOIDFIGHTING

Taizongasked:“Howcanyouavoidfightingwhentwoarmiesarealreadyfacingeachother?”

LiJinganswered,“Ifbothsidesarerestrainedandwelldisciplined,fightingwon’teasilybreakout.Bothsidesmaywithdrawinanorderlymanner.SunTzutold us not to attack a well-prepared enemy. When both sides are equal instrength,whoevermakesamistake is liable tobe takenadvantageof,and thatmayleadtodefeat.Therearetimeswhenwemustfightandtimeswhenwemustnot.It’suptousnot tofight,but it’supto theenemytogiveus thechancetofightandwin.”

Taizongasked:“Whatdoyoumeanthatit’suptousnottofight?”Lireplied:“Ifwedon’twanttofight,we’llpositionourselvesinsuchaway

that theenemydoesn’tknowhow toengageus in abattle.Even if the enemycommanderiscapable,hewon’tbeabletocarryouthisplan.That’swhyitisuptousnottocreateanyopportunityfortheenemytofightus.

“SunTzusaid:‘Givetheenemysomeminoradvantageandlureitout,thenambushit.Provoketheenemyandthenattack.Encourageittobecomplacentbypretendingyouareinferiorandthendefeatit.Putupafalsefronttoinducetheenemytoactthewayyouwant.’Iftheenemycommanderisnotcapable,hemaywellbeplayedintoyourhandsandgiveyouanopportunitytodefeathisforces.That’swhyitisuptotheenemytoletusfightandwin.”

Taizongcommented:“Isee.Thisadviceisveryinstructive.Soitalldependsonwhetheryouadopttherightstrategy.”

BEEFFECTIVEINCOMBAT

TaizongaskedLiJing,“WhatdidSunTzusayaboutmaintainingandenhancingthefightingcapacityofourtroops?”

Lireplied:“ ‘Staynear thebattlefieldandwait for theenemytocomefromafar;giveyourtroopssufficientrestandwaitfortheenemy,whoisfatigued;andfeedyourtroopswell,andwaitfortheenemy,whoishungry.’ThesearegeneralprincipleslaiddownbySunTzuuponwhichwecanexpand.Useenticementtoluretheenemy;keepcalminthefaceofanimpetuousenemy;besteadyinthefaceofarecklessenemy;enforcestrictdisciplinewhentheenemybecomeslax;maintain good order when the enemy is in chaos; and entrench your positionwhen the enemyattacks.These areways tomaintain and enhanceour combateffectiveness.”

Taizongcommented:“ManypeoplecanreciteSunTzu.Butfewunderstandhim well enough to extend his basic principles creatively. Please teach ourgeneralshowtokeepupeffectivenessincombat.”

STRIVETOBEHOSTRATHERTHANGUEST

Taizongaskedhisminister, “Why is it better tobe a ‘host’ than a ‘guest’ in awar?Whyisaspeedywarbetterthanaprotractedone?”

Li Jing replied: “War is the last resort when all other means have beenexhausted.Ifweinvadeanothercountryandfightlikea‘guest’inadistantland,it’s impossible to sustain the war for long. Logistical support and thetransportationofprovisionswillbecostly,andtheburdenonthepeoplewillbegrave.It’sdefinitelyadisadvantagenotfightingonourownterrainandonourownterms.SunTzusaid:‘Agoodcommanderdoesnotputhimselfinapositionwherehehastoconscripttwiceandtransportsuppliesathirdtime.’Thismeans

weshouldnotfightaprotractedwar.ButI’vestudiedhisguestvs.hosttheoryandcomeupwithanideatoovercomesuchadisadvantage.”

“Whatisit?”“It is to turn the ‘guest’ into a ‘host.’ In other words, we’ll use the local

resources of the enemy to provide for our troops and deprive the enemy ofsuppliesinitsownland.Thenwe’llturnourdisadvantageintoadvantage.Whatmattersisnotwhetherwearea‘guest’ora‘host,’orwhetherwearefightingaspeedyoraprotractedwar.Itishowweapproachthesituation.Andtakingtheinitiativeintoourownhandsisthemostimportantthing.”

FORMANEMOTIONALBOND

Taizong said to his defenseminister: “Iwas told to use harsh law and severepunishmenttomakesoldiersfearmemorethantheyfeartheenemywhentheyfight.ButI’mnotsosure.EmperorGuangwuoftheHandynastywasupagainstanoverwhelmingenemyforce.Hedidn’tuseharshdisciplineonhisarmy,butintheend,hisarmywonout.Howdoyouexplainthis?”

LiJingreplied:“Theoutcomeofawardependsonmanyfactors.Itcan’tbeattributed to one thing. EmperorGuangwu had popular support.His opponentdidn’t understand the art ofwar, relying toomuchon the sheernumberof histroops,andtherebycourteddefeat.

“Sun Tzu said: ‘Youmay alienate your soldiers if you punish them beforetheyhaveachancetogettoknowyouanddeveloployaltytoyou.Butifyoufailtoenforcedisciplineonthosewhohaveviolatedrulesandregulations,youwillnothavegood soldiers.’ Inotherwords, agoodgeneralmust first establishanemotionalbondwithhissoldiers,andthenpunishthemifnecessary.Ifyouonlyuse punishment without first showing that you care for them, you won’tsucceed.”

Taizong said: “But theBook ofDocumentsII says: ‘If the law precedes theemotionalbond,itwillleadtosuccess.Iftheemotionalbondprecedesthelaw,itwillresultinfailure.’Howdoyouinterpretthatcontradiction?”

LiJingreplied:“Alwaysformanemotionalbondfirstandnottheotherwayaround.Ifyouletthelawtakethefirstplace,itwillbedifficulttowintheheartsofyoursoldiers.SunTzu’swordsaretheabsolutetruth.”

CONTROLYOURSELF

TaizongaskedLiJing:“Wehavethreeoutstandinggenerals—LiJi,LiDaozong,andXueWanche.LiDaozongismyrelative.Whichoneoftheothertwocanbepromotedtoamoreresponsibleposition?”

Li Jing replied: “YourMajesty once toldme that Li Ji hadn’t won a greatvictoryorsufferedagreatdefeatinhiscareer,whileXueWanchewascapableofeitherwinningbigorlosingbig.Inmyopinion,thatanarmyneitherseeksmajorvictory nor suffers big defeat means that it is highly disciplined. An armycapable of winning great victories or suffering big defeats seems to rely toomuch on chance. That’s why Sun Tzu said: ‘A good general must first puthimselfinanimpregnableposition,thenwaitfortherightmomenttodefeattheenemy.’Andhemustexercisedisciplineandself-restraint.”


Obviously,theprinciplesoftheartofwarthatTaizongandGeneralLiJingtalkedaboutcanbeappliedtomodern-daywarandbusinesscompetition,aswellas,for thatmatter,anytypeofconflictorcompetitiveactivity,beitasportscontest,legalbattle,orpoliticalcampaign.

Of themany points the twomen so cogentlymade, I find their discussion of the difference betweenGeneralsLiJiandXueWanchemostinstructive.Itshowsthatriskmanagementisnotauniquelymodernconcept.

Our attitude toward risk has changed little since ancient times: we’re more sensitive to negativeoutcomesthanpositiveones;we’renotsomuchrisk-averseasweareloss-averse;themorethatisatstake,themorerisk-aversewetendtobe.

Suppose Li Ji andXueWanche are investmentmanagers.Whomwould you choose tomanage yourassets?Would itbeLiJi,whosepast recordshowsastablebutnotstellarperformance,orXueWanche,whosestylemaybringyoueitherhighreturnsorheavylosses?

YoumayletLiJimanagealargeportionofyourassetsandXueWancheasmallportionbecauseyoufeel you’ll have a cushion to absorb some losseswhile at the same time stand a chance towinbig.Butsupposeyouhavetochooseonemantomanageallyourassets.Whomwouldyouchoose?

Wecan readily apply the art ofwar to investment, inwhich the cardinal principle is: first, don’t losemoney;andthen,trytomakegainswithgoodtiming.Towinvictory—thatis,toearnalong-termsuperiorreturn—wemustexercisedisciplineandself-restraint.

I Xunzi(c.313–238BC)wasapreeminentConfucianphilosopheroftheWarringStatesperiod.

II TheBookofDocumentsisoneofthefiveclassicsthatformpartoftheConfuciancanon(seefootnoteonp.13).

8

OnCrimeandPunishment

Ifyougovernthepeoplebylawandforcethemtobehavebypunishment,theywilltrytokeepoutofjailbutwillhavenosenseofshame.

Ifyouleadthepeoplebyvirtueandguidethemwiththerulesofproperconduct,theywillknowshameandbecomegoodcitizens.

—CONFUCIUS

Assoonasheascendedthethrone,Taizongsetaboutreformingthelaws,whichhe considered too strict. He shared Wei Zheng’s view that strict laws werenecessaryduringtimesoftrouble,butlawsshouldbecompassionateandlenientduringtimesofpeace.

ToTaizong, lawwasnotanendbutameans toanend, i.e., tofostermoralvalues,forgoodmoralsarepreventive—theyturnamanawayfromevilbeforehe has the chance to commit it—whereas law is punitive. It only comes intoactiontopunishamanforevilalreadycommitted.


THEROOTCAUSEOFCRIME

When Taizong discussed with his ministers ways to reduce crime, an officialsuggestedthatlawenforcementbestrengthenedandpunishmentmadeharsher.

Taizongdisagreed.“IbelievemostpeoplearedriventocrimebyheavytaxesandcorvéeIdutiesorbytheextortionofcorruptofficials.Whentheycan’tkeepbody and soul together, peoplewill lose their sense of shame.We should cutgovernment expenditures, reduce taxes and corvée duties, and appoint honest

officials. If people can earn adecent livelihoodandhave some savings, crimewillnaturallydecrease.Whydoweneedharshlaws?”

HARSHJUDGES

Each month the supreme court sent the emperor a report on the number ofprisoners in thecountryand theiroffenses.Taizongnoticeda tendencyamongthejudgestoinflictseverepunishmentoncriminals.

“Some cases may have mitigating circumstances,” Taizong said to hisministers. “The judges could have been more lenient. A deadman cannot berevived.Coffinmakerswishaplaguetooccureveryyear,notbecausetheyhatepeople, but because theywant to sell more coffins. Judges like to give harshsentencesbecausetheywanttogetgoodperformanceappraisalsforthemselves.Howcanwecorrectsuchatendency?”

“Appointuprightmentobejudges,”MinisterWangGuisuggested,“andbasetheir pay increases andpromotions onbeing fair, not onbeing eager to inflictstiffpunishment.”

Taizongadoptedhisproposalandinstructedthatcasesofcapitalpunishmentmustbereviewedbythreeofficialstoavoidamiscarriageofjustice.

NOAMNESTY

Although Taizong believed in lenient laws, he didn’t favor amnesty. He said:“Amnestymeansgoodlucktocriminalsbutmisfortunetovictimsandinnocentpeople.Iftherearetwoamnestiesayear,alllaw-abidingpeoplewillbescared.Allow weeds to survive and you’ll harm crops. Give criminals a pardon andyou’ll injure innocent people. That’s why I rarely grant amnesty, for fearcriminalsmaythinktheycangetawaywithbreakingthelaw.”

TheonlytimeTaizonggrantedamnestywaswhenhetookpityon390death-rowconvictsandsentthemhomeonconditionthattheycomebackinthefallofthenextyeartobeexecuted.Alloftheconvictsreturnedtotheirprisonsontime.Taizongwassopleasedthatforoncehepardonedallofthem.

SHAMING

GeneralZhangsunShundewasfoundtohaveacceptedbribesintheformofrollsof fine silk. Considering that he’d rendered meritorious services in the past,

Taizongdecidedtopunishhimdifferently.Heawardedthegeneralafewrollsoffinesilkbeforetheentirecourt.

“The man ought to be punished,” protested Hu Yan, vice president of thesupremecourt.“WhydidYourMajestyrewardhim?”

“Ifthemanhasasenseofshame,”repliedTaizong,“hewillunderstandmymessage.Tomakehimacceptsilkthiswayisapublichumiliation.Theeffectonhimismoreseverethannormalpunishment.Ifhehasnosenseofshame,thenheisjustananimal.What’sthepointofkillingananimal?”

AVOIDINGSUSPICION

Taizong’swifehadlostherparentswhenshewassmall.Sheandherbrotherhadbeenbroughtupbytheirstepbrother,whowasanalcoholic.Hemistreatedthemandeventuallydrovethemoutoftheirhome.

But she forgavehim.She even askedTaizong to givehima job.Theman,however,wasaningrate.Notonlydidherefusetomendhisways,buthejoinedagroupplottingagainstTaizong.Sohewasarrestedandsentencedtodeath.

Onthedayofhisexecution,theempressintervenedandsaidtoherhusband,“Hiscrimeiscertainlypunishablebydeath.Butifheisexecuted,manypeoplewhoknowhemistreatedmeinthepastmayinterpretitasmypersonalrevenge.Thatwillhurtyourreputation.”

ThereuponTaizongsparedtheman’slife.

NOTENSNARINGSUBORDINATES

Asbriberyinthegovernmentincreased,Taizongbecameconcerned.Hewantedto punish a few corrupt officials severely to send a warning to everyone. Hesecretly instructed his aides to bribe some officials so as to catch them. Acustomsofficerwasarrestedafteracceptingarolloffinesilk.Taizongwantedhimtobeputtodeath.

MinisterPeiJuobjected.“Takingbribesisacrimepunishablebydeath.Thereisnoquestionaboutit.ButthedifferenceinthiscaseisthatitwasYourMajestywhoinstructedyouraidetoensnarehimwithabribe.Trappingpeoplethiswayishardlyappropriateforaruler.It’sobviouslyagainsttheteachingofConfucius,who toldus ‘to leadothersbyvirtuesandguide themwith the rulesofproperconduct.’ ”

Taizongacceptedtheminister’sargumentandsparedtheman’slife.

MERITSVS.DEMERITS

In 639, the Chinese army, led by Generals Hou Junji and Xue Wanjun,conquered the kingdomofGaochang (Karakhoja).Thewhole country cheeredtheirvictory.

However,itbecameknownthatGeneralHouhadtakenillegalpossessionoftreasures in Gaochang and that his soldiers, following suit, had extensivelylootedthecapitalcityofGaochang.GeneralHouwasimpeached,arrested,andthrownintoprison.

CenWenben,vicepresidentofthelegislature,wroteTaizongamemorandumexpressinghisconcern.“WecelebratedthevictoryofGeneralHoujusttendaysago. If you court-martial him now, people will think Your Majesty onlyremembersaman’sfaults,nothismerits.

“Whenyousendageneralonamilitaryexpedition,thesinglemostimportantrequirementforhimistowinvictory.Ifhedoesso,heshouldberewardedevenifhecommitsacorruptact.Ifheisdefeated,heshouldbepunishedevenifheishonest.

“Most generals love money. Few are perfectly honest. Make use of theirbraveryandtheirbrainsaswellastheirgreedandstupidity.Thesmartoneswanttomake aname for themselves.Thebravewant todemonstrate their courage.Thegreedyandstupidgoaftertreasuresattheriskoftheirownlives.

“IhopeyouwillforgiveGeneralHouonaccountofhisaccomplishmentsandcontinuetousehiminthefuture.Youmayhavetobendthelawalittlebit,butyou’llmanifestyourmagnanimity.Pardoningthegeneralwillmakehimrealizehisfaultallthemoredeeply.”

Taizongacceptedhisminister’sadviceandorderedthegeneraltobereleased.

PERSONALFEELINGS

Taizongsaidtothecrownprince,“Don’tpunishapersonifhegoesagainstyourwill, yet what he does is good for the country. Don’t reward a person if hepleases you personally, yet what he does is not in the best interest of thecountry.”

DECENCY

GeneralXueWanjunwasaccusedofrapingawomanofGaochang.Hedeniedthe charge. Taizong wanted to bring the woman to the court to confront the

general.WeiZhengopposedhim.“Thegeneral andhisbrotherarehighly respected

militarycommandersofourcountry.Itisutterlyinappropriatetoallowawomanof a conquered country to confront a seniorChinesegeneral inpublic over sodistasteful amatter as fornication. If the accusation is true, your gainwill besmall.Butifitturnsouttobefalse,yourlosswillbegreat.”

Hequotedsomehistoricalexamplesofhowtheclemencyandmagnanimityof therulerwererewardedbythe loyaltyanddevotionofhissubordinatesandpersuadedTaizongtosetthegeneralfree.

The following is one instructive story from the Spring andAutumn periodthatwasusedbyWeiinhisargument.

ARibbon-RippingBanquet

KingZhuangofChuwasgivingabanquetforhisministersandgenerals.Musicwas playing and toasts were exchanged amid a convivial atmosphere. Thebanquetwentfromafternoonintoeveningandcandleswerelit.Thekingaskedhisconcubine,thebeautifulPrincessXu,towalkaroundthehallandpourwineforeachguestatthetable.

Inthemidstoflaughterandtinklingofcups,awindsuddenlyblewoutallthecandles,andthebanquethallwasenvelopedindarkness.PrincessXuhappenedtostandnearamanwho,enticedbyherbeauty,pulledatherclothesuntilhisfingers nearly touched her breast. The princess staved off the intrusiondexterouslyandrippedthechinribbonofftheman’shat.

Sheranuptothekingandwhispered,“Somebodywastryingtopulloffmyclothes.But I’ve snatched the chin ribbonoff his hat.Pleasehave the candlesrelit.Icanidentifyhimeasily.”

Instead of summoning the attendants to light up the candles, the kingproposedthateveryonetakeoffhishat,loosenhisclothes,andhaveagoodtime.Toowilling tooblige, theguests complied right away.When thecandleswererelit,PrincessXuwasunabletoidentifytheman.Shewasupset.

Whenthepartywasover,thekingexplainedtoher,“Thatmanmust’vebeena little drunk. You needn’t make a fuss to spoil the party. These men haveworkedformeingoodfaith.Iwantedthemtohaveagoodtime.”

Threeyearswentby.WarbrokeoutbetweenChuanditsneighbor,Wu.KingZhuangwassurroundedbytheenemyinabattleandfoughtdesperatelytobreak

out.Atthismoment,oneGeneralTangrushedtohisrescue.Thegeneralfoughtsobravelythatthekingwasabletosnatchvictoryoutofdefeat.

KingZhuangwasfilledwithgratitude.“Ihaven’tbeenparticularlyfavorabletoyou,whydidyoufightsohardtosaveme?”

Hewantedtorewardthegeneral,butthegeneraldeclinedhisoffer.“YourMajesty, I am themanwhoharassedPrincessXu at a banquet three

yearsago.Youcouldhavepunishedme,butyouoverlookedmyfault.FromthatdayonI’vebeenlookingforachancetoexpressmygratitude.”

Theking’shandlingofthesituationwashailedasaquintessentialexampleofbeingmagnanimous toone’ssubordinates.Suchmagnanimityearnedhimtheirlastingloyalty.


Taizong didn’t rigidly adhere to the letter of the law.He turned his power to punish and pardon into amanagementtool.

Heconveyedboth leniencyandcondemnationbypubliclygivinganofficial theverygoods thathe’dacceptedasabribe.

He let common sense override law by forgiving an offending general who’d rendered meritoriousservices.

Hepardoned anold colleague and apologized for doing so to demonstrate bothhis humanity andhisrespectforthelaw.

Hecurtailedcorruptionbylettingofficialswatchtheexecutionoftheircorruptcolleagues.By judiciously exercising his authority,Taizong tried to create an environment thatwas conducive to

goodconductandfavorabletocultivatinggoodmorals.Ifasocietyhonorssolelytheletterofthelaw,itrisksbeingtoorigid;itrisksdiscountinghumanityand

commonsense.Itisthespiritandnottheformoflawthatkeepsjusticealive.Today,everyorganizationhasitsownrulesandregulations.Itisuptotheleaderoftheorganizationto

makethemintoaneffectivemanagementtoolandtherebypromotedesirableorganizationalbehavior.Itshouldbenotedthat,whileWeiZheng’sadviceconcerningwomenmaysmackofmalesuperiority,in

fact,womenenjoyedhigherstatusinTangChinathaneverbefore.Theywerefreetolove,freetomarry,free to divorce and remarry. They had the right to inherit property, which was unprecedented in atraditionallypatriarchalsociety.Theycouldplaysportsliketheirmalecounterparts.Whiletheycouldnotattend school like men, they received education at home. It was such an open-minded attitude towardwomen that ledaconcubineofTaizong’s tobecomehisdaughter-in-law,andeventually, theonly femaleemperorinChinesehistory,whowasknownasEmpressWu.

I Corvéewasunpaid,compulsorylaboronpublicprojectsthatwasrequiredbythestate.

9

OnFrugality

The best government is the one that does not make itspresence felt.Thesecondbest is theone that ispraisedbythe people. The next is the one feared by the people. Theworstistheonedespisedanddistrustedbythepeople.

—LAOTZU

The bureaucracy had become bloated under Taizong’s father,who’d rewardedmanysupportersandrelativesbycreatingunnecessarypositions.Taizongmadeanefforttotrimthecivilservice,reducingthenumberofofficialsinthecentralgovernment from more than two thousand to six hundred and forty. Hedownsizedprovincial bureaucracyby combiningprefectures and countieson alarge scale. Taizong also reduced taxes, corvée duties, andmilitary service bycutting the spending of the imperial family, curtailing constructionworks, andrefrainingfrommilitaryadventure.

Thesestepsstemmedfromhisbeliefthatifthepeoplehadastablelifewithadequateincome,hisregimewouldbestable,andviceversa.


KEEPSUFFICIENTRESERVES

Taizong told the crown prince about the importance of saving. He said, “If acountry does not have nine years’ grain reserves, there won’t be a sufficientamount toguardagainstnaturaldisasters. Ifa familydoesnothaveoneyear’ssupplyofclothing,therewon’tbeasufficientamounttoprotectagainstweatherchanges.

“Thatiswhyweshouldavoidwastefulspendingandshunextravagance,andwhywemustpromoteagricultureandencouragethepeopletoworkhard.

“Sage kings of the past lived frugally despite their exalted status and thewealth at their disposal, not because they disliked the comforts of luxury butbecausetheywantedtopromotethriftbyexample.”

LETWEALTHSTAYWITHTHEPEOPLE

Taizong said to Minister Wang Gui, “We should save up enough grain forpossibleleanyearsbutnomore.Therightwaytorunacountryistoletwealthstay with the people, not with the state. Emperor Yang of the Sui had muchwealthinhistreasuryandmuchgraininhiswarehouse.Buthestilllostpower.Justastheancientssaid,‘Ifthepeopledon’thaveenoughtoliveon,howcantheruler survive for long?’ Too much wealth accumulated by the state will onlytempttherulertospenditonhimself.Andthis,inturn,willleadtohisruin.”

FOODISTHEFIRSTPRIORITY

“Foodisthefirstconcernofthepeople,”Taizongsaid.“Agricultureisthefirstpriority of our economy. Timing is vital to farming. The ruler must not doanythingtocausethepeopletomissthesowingandharvestingseasons,suchaswagingwarsorbuildingpalaces.”

MinisterWangGuiconcurred:“That’sthelessonwelearnedfromthefallofthe Sui dynasty. YourMajesty witnessed the event firsthand and knowswhatchangesweshouldmake.Butitiseasytohaveagoodstartandhardtosticktoit.”

“It fallsonme to carry it through,” repliedTaizong. “Iwill restrainmyselffromdoingthingsthatwilldisturbthepeople’slife.”

WARISTHELASTRESORT

Taizong said, “Weapons are ominous instruments. A country may have vastterritory,butiftheruleriswarlike,hewillsapitsresources.Acountrymaybeatpeace,butiftherulerisnotpreparedagainstwar,hecanputitindanger.

“Youcannotabandonwarasameansofdefense,butyoushouldnotresorttoittoooften.”

PRUDENCEPREVAILS

Kangju, a remote kingdom located in present-dayUzbekistan inCentralAsia,askedtobecomeavassaloftheTangempire.Taizongturneddownitsrequest.

Hesaidtohisministers,“IfKangjubecomesourvassal,itwillobligateustocometoitsaidifitisinvaded.I’llhavetodispatchanexpeditionaryarmy.Itwillbeabigburdenonourpeople.Butwhatgainswillwegetforourpains?Onlyvainglory.No,thisisnotwhatIwant.”

LIVEFRUGALLY

Taizong said, “The ruler should practice frugality so that the people are notoverburdened.Heshouldkeepgovernmentactivities toaminimumso that thepeoplearenotdisturbed.

“Iftherulerisafterpleasureandluxury,hewillwasteresources.Heisboundto alienate himself from the people and incur resentment. His regime maycollapsebeforehecanreallyenjoybeingaruler.”


Taizongpreferredsimplergovernmenttobiggovernment.Astudentofhistoryandhumannature,heknewthat therearepeoplewho love towieldpoweroverothersand thatbureaucracyhasa tendency toamasspower.Butbiggovernmentisexpensive,wasteful,andinefficient.Biggovernmentmeanshightaxes.Hightaxesmeanlessmoneyforpeopletospend;theyslowtheeconomyandincurpopulardiscontent.

Taizong sounded like Benjamin Franklin when he talked about the virtues of saving, frugality, andprudence.HewouldhavebeenhorrifiedhadTangChina run into debt andkept onborrowing, asmanycountriesdothesedays.

Ifyou live inacountrywithmountinggovernmentdebtandareconcernedabout the future,youmaywanttoconsiderpromotingthevirtuesTaizongstressed.

10

OntheRiseandFallofanEmpire

Danger occurs when you believe you are safe; declinebeginswhen you think your prosperitywill last long; anddisorder sets in when you think you are in control.Therefore, a gentleman often reminds himself not to becomplacentsoastokeephisgoodfortune.

—BOOKOFCHANGESI

Taizonghadapenchantforhistory.Heregardedhistoryasamirrorinwhichhecould see the fate of his own dynasty. He liked studying the careers of hiscounterparts in history, and his concern over his historical image had a greatimpactonhispoliciesandhisbehavior.


KEEPINGVICTORY

“Which ismoredifficult: foundingadynastyorpreserving it?”Taizongaskedhisministers.

“When an old dynasty is breaking down,” replied Prime Minister FangXuanling,“manyoutstandingmenrisetocontendforthethrone.Thestrongmanbeatstheweakone.Thedefeatedsurrenderstothevictor.Andthevictorhastoeliminate his opponents one by one. In that sense, founding a new dynasty isverydifficult.”

“No,Idon’tthinkso,”disagreedMinisterWeiZheng.“Overthrowinganolddynasty is not that difficult because it’s already decaying and losing popularsupport. The victor has the Mandate of Heaven. But after founding a newdynasty,thevictortendstobecomecomplacent.Heislikelytoindulgehimself,likelytoincreasetaxesandcorvéedutiesonthepeople,andindoingso,likelyto

make their lifemiserable again.There hewill sow the seeds of decline.Fromthisperspective,preservingvictoryismoredifficult.”

“Fang Xuanling went through a lot of hardships with me,” said Taizong,“whenwewerefightingforpower.Heknewhowluckyweweretogainthefinalvictory.WeiZheng joinedmeafterward.Heconcentratedonconsolidating thenewregime,worryingaboutwhatwouldhavehappenedifwehadrepeatedthemistakesofthoseweoverthrew.Heexperiencedmanydifficultiesintheprocess.Now that the task of founding the dynasty is behind us, let us keep up themomentumandworktogethertomakeourvictoryalastingone.”

CAUTIONINTIMESOFPEACEANDPROSPERITY

“Itseemedthefortuneofpastrulersmovedincycles,”Taizongremarkedtohisministers.“Aperiodofprosperitywasinvariablyfollowedbyaperiodofdeclinejustasdayisfollowedbynight.Whentherulerwassurroundedbysycophants,hisearsandeyeswereblocked.Hecouldnotseehisownfaults,andhisofficialsdarednotspeakout.Soonerorlater,hewouldfall.”

“Sinceancienttimes,”respondedWeiZheng,“rulerslostpowerbecausetheyhad overlooked danger when living in peace, and forgotten the possibility ofchaoswheneverythingseemedingoodorder.YourMajestyisrulingacountrythatenjoyspeaceandprosperity,butyoumust stillbecautious,ascautiousasthoughyouweretreadingonthinice,sotospeak.Thenthegoodfortuneofourcountrywilllastlong.”

SELF-RESTRAINT

“Some dynasties lasted ten generations,” Taizong said to Wei Zheng. “Somelastedonlyoneortwogenerations.Therearealsocasesinwhichthesamemanmanaged to seize power and then lose it. I am worried that I may becomecomplacentandloseself-restraintbeforeIknowit.Doyouhaveanysuggestionstopreventthat?”

“Everyrulerwantstopasshisscepterontohischildren,grandchildren,andsoon,”repliedWeiZheng.“Historyshowsthatat thebeginningofhisreignarulerwill recruit virtuousmen, live frugally, andencourage remonstrance.Butafter a while he will depart from those principles. Virtue will give way toemotion.Proprietywillbecompromisedbydesires.

“It’s not hard to understandwhat is right, but it’s hard to practice what isright,andevenhardertocarryitthroughtotheend.Everybodyhasdesires.Thedifferenceisthatthewisemancontrolshimselfanddoesn’tallowhimselftogobeyond certain limits, whereas the fatuous man is swayed by emotion anddoesn’t know how to control himself. If YourMajesty exercises self-restraintthroughtotheend,I’msureyourdynastywilllastformanygenerations.”

MUTUALRESPONSIBILITY

“IwonderifthedownfallofSuiwasEmperorYang’sfaultalone,”Taizongsaidto ZhangsunWuji, his brother-in-law. “His ministers were very irresponsible.They were highly paid and highly placed, but all they did was flatter andmislead.That’swhytheregimewasshort-lived.”

“Sui collapsed because the emperor wouldn’t allow any honest talk in thecourt,” replied Zhangsun. “His ministers were concerned only about keepingtheirownpositions.So theydidnot remonstratewithhim,and theyconcealedthebadnews fromhimevenwhenuprisingswere ragingall over the country.Sui’sfallisnotjustamatterofHeaven’swill.Itwastheinevitableconsequenceoftherulerandhisministersfailingeachother.”

WeiZhengcommentedonthesametopicinamemorandum:“Historyshowsthatanewruleralwaysworkshardandaimshigh.Butafterhehasmadesomeachievements, he becomes complacent and does not keep up his enterprisingspirit.The same is trueof hisministers. In thebeginning, they are devoted tohelping the ruler.But after theyhaveobtained fameand fortune, theybecomemoreconcernedaboutkeeping theirpositions thanaboutbeingworthyof theirpositions.Theirloyaltyslips.”

AWARENESSOFDANGER

Taizongasked:“Isitdifficultfortherulertokeephispower?”“Verydifficult,”repliedWeiZheng.“But allwe need to do is to recruitworthymen and listen to their advice.

Howcanthatbedifficult?”“Historytellsus,”explainedWeiZheng,“whenarulerisfacedwithdanger,

he is likely to appoint worthy men and follow their advice. But when life ishappy and peaceful, he tends to slacken off and discourage honest talk in hiscourt.Daybyday,monthbymonth,hisregimewillgodownhilluntilfinallyits

survival is at stake. To prevent that from happening, a wise ruler must bemindfulofpossibledangerevenintimesofpeace.Butitisverydifficulttothinkofbadtimeswhenyouarelivingingoodtimes,isn’tit?”

PRECAUTIONSAGAINSTSLIPPING

“Wouldyouliketocommentonmyperformance?”TaizongaskedWeiZheng.“YourMajestyhasbeenonthethroneformorethantenyears.Ourcountryis

richandpowerful,ourterritoryhasincreased,andmanyforeigncountriescometopayustheirrespects.YourMajestyismoreprestigiousthanever.Butyouarelaggingbehindyourearlieryearsintermsofvirtues.”

“Howcanthatbe?”askedTaizong.“Youusedtocherishvirtues.Nowyou’vebecomearrogantandself-satisfied.

Forallyourillustriousaccomplishments,yourmoralcultivationhasslipped.”“WhathaveIdonewrong?”“Atthebeginningofyourreign,youwereafraidthatyoursubordinateswould

notspeakout,soyouwentoutofyourwaytoencouragethem.Threeyearslater,you could still be counted on to accept remonstrancewith good grace.But inrecent years, you are not happy to hear any criticism. Even if you listen toremonstrance,youlookreluctant.Inyourheartyoudon’tacceptit.”

WeiZhengwenton tocite a fewexamples toprovehispoint, andTaizongadmittedtheyweretrue.

“Your subordinatesarenowafraidofyou,”WeiZhengcautioned, “becauseyouhavebecomesuspiciousoftheirmotives.Yoususpectthatthosewhosharethesameviewarecliquey.Youtreatfrankadviceasslander.Sohonestmencan’tspeak their mind while sycophants are having a good time. As a result, I’mafraidyourenterprisewillendinfailure.”

“Nobody except youwould tellme about it,” repliedTaizong. “I thought Ihadn’t changed much. Now I know I have some serious problems. I willdefinitelypayattentiontothem.”

NOTALIENATINGFOLLOWERS

Wei Zheng cautioned Taizong again in a memorandum, “When a ruler isestablishinganewregime,heissinceretohisfollowers.Butoncehehaswon,hebecomesarrogant.Whenhetreatspeopleingoodfaith,theyrallyaroundhim.When he becomes supercilious, even his own brother will be alienated. If he

abuses his power and intimidates his subordinates, they will come up withvariouswaysofcounteringhim.Outwardlytheymayshowrespect,butinwardlytheywillfeelresentfulandwillbetrayhimintheend.”

PAYINGATTENTIONTOWARNINGSIGNS

WhenTaizonghadbeenonthethroneforthirteenyears,WeiZhengnotedsomedisturbing tendencies inhimandwrote amemorandum to expresshis concernthatifTaizongdidn’tchange,hisreignmightnothaveagoodending.

“YourMajestyused to livea simpleand frugal life,”hepointedout. “Nowyouloveluxury.

“YourMajestyusedtocherishthepeople.Nowyouhaveimposedmoretaxesandcorvéedutiesonthem,sayingitwillbeeasiertogovernthemifthepeoplearekeptbusy.

“YourMajestyusedtolikethecompanyofvirtuousmenandkeepvillainsata distance. Now you keep the former at a respectful distance and surroundyourselfwithsycophants.

“YourMajestyusedtoseekout talentedmenandwasconcernedwhentheywere not given the opportunity to use their talents. Now you have becomesuspiciousandcapricious.Amererumorcanmakeyoudismisssomebodywhohasservedyouforlongyears.Consequently,officialsaremoreconcernedaboutsavingtheirskinthandevotingthemselvestowork.

“YourMajestyusedtorespectyourministersandmakeeveryonefeelfreetospeak hismind.Youmaintained good communicationwith all yourministers.Nowyouhavebecomealoofandinaccessible.Whenaministerreportstoyou,youdon’thavethepatiencetohearhimout.Andwhenyoudolisten,youoftenfind fault with him. Your relationship with your subordinates is no longerharmonious.

“YourMajestyusedtoworkhardandseldomtookarest.Nowyoudowhatyouplease.Yourmind isnotonyour jobbutonhowyoucan enjoyyourself.You are conceited, regarding yourself as a great ruler and lookingdownuponothergreatrulersinhistory.”

WeiZhengwarned,“YourMajestyhaslaidasolidfoundationforthedynastyforsure.Buthowlongitwilllastdependslargelyonwhatyoudofromnowon.”

Uponreadingthememorandum,Taizongsaidtohischiefremonstrant,“Yourpointsarewell taken. Iamdeeplyappreciative.You’vemademeawareofmymistakes.I’lldomybesttorectifythem.I’vepastedyourmemorandumonthe

screeninmyofficesothatIcanreaditoften.I’vealsomadeacopyofittobekept in the imperial library.A thousand years fromnow,when people read it,hopefullytheywillrealizethatoursistherightrelationshipbetweenarulerandaminister.”

HeawardedWeiZhengahundredouncesofgoldandtwofinehorses.

AVOIDINGCOMPLACENCY

Heeding Wei’s honest assessment, Taizong said, “Countless rulers in historyfailedbecausetheybecamecomplacent.I’vebroughtpeaceandprosperitytotherealm;I’veconqueredtheTurksandpunishedtheKoreans.AsChina’sprestigespreads, foreigncountries sendenvoys topayus tribute.But I’mafraid Imaybecomeconceited.So Icontinue toworkhard,constantly remindingmyself tobehumbleandtoexerciseself-discipline.Ifaministergivesmegoodadvice,Itreathimlikeafriendandateacher.IhopeI’lldobetterthanmypredecessors.”


Taizong’sstruggletonotletself-satisfactionunderminehisreignispoignantlyrelevanttoourtime.After the demise of the SovietUnion and the end of theColdWar, theWest indulged in a sense of

complacencydespiteinstabilityinmanypartsoftheworld.TheUSseemedtotakeitssolitarysuperpowerstatusforgranted.

Revelingintheirvictory,manyleadersintheWestforgotthelessonsofhistory.Theyfailedtograspthedynamicsofadifferentworld,didn’ttakenewchallengesseriously,andlackedacoherentstrategytocopewiththenewsituation.Theirvigilancerelaxed,andtheireffortslackenedbecausetheythoughttheywereincontrol.

The irony is that theWest has found itselfmorevulnerable,more exposed to dangers now than evenduringtheColdWarera.Andbecauseofalapseinleadership,theWestisnowpayingamuchhigherpricetocounterthesedangersthanitmightotherwisehavehadto.

Taizongshowsuswhatawiseleadermustdowhenvictoryiswon.Awiseleaderdoesn’trestonhislaurelsorindulgehimself.Awiseleaderunderstandsthatachievingvictoryisdifficultbutkeepingitisevenharder.Awiseleaderknowsthattheseedsofdeclineareoftenplantedinthepeakoftriumph.Awiseleaderisalerttopotentialdangersevenintimesofpeace.Awiseleaderbuildsonhisprevioussuccesstoachievenewsuccess.Awiseleaderkeepsthecompanyofvirtuousmenandshunssycophants.Awiseleadercontinuestoencourageremonstrance.Awiseleadermakesapointofstudyinghistorytolearnitslessons.

I TheBookofChangesisoneofthefiveclassicsthatformpartoftheConfuciancanon(seefootnoteonp.13).

11

OnParentingandEducatingtheNextGeneration

Allmenare equal beforeGod:wisdom, talents, andvirtuearetheonlydifferencebetweenthem.

—NAPOLÉONI

Taizongknewhis childrenhadgained their status the easyway andhe fearedthattheymightlacktheabilityandcredibilitytokeepit.Inparticular,heworriedthatthecrownprincemightlacktheskillandstrengthtostandonhisownfeet.Forhim,hedidtwothingsthatprovedcrucial:helinedupexperiencedministersto assist the future ruler, and he wrote an instruction manual for his benefit.JudgingbythelongevityandreputationoftheTangdynasty,Taizong’seffortsineducatingtheyoungergenerationwererichlyrewarded.


CHOOSINGTUTORS

Taizong told his advisers, “Highly intelligentmenwill not be affected by badinfluences. But those of average intelligence are not so strong. Their moralcharacterdependsonwhatkindofeducation they receive.Choosing tutors forthe princes is never easy. The tutors will have a tremendous impact on theirpupils. I would like each of you to recommend a couple of upright andtrustworthymen to bemy sons’ tutors. I’mgrowing old. Ifmy children don’thaveagoodeducation,thefutureofthedynastywillbeinjeopardy.”

PRACTICINGVIRTUE

Taizong told his sons, “Heavenmay endow amanwith intellect, but hemuststudy if he wants to accomplish something. When I was young, I was busy

fightingenemies.Mostofmytimewasspentonthebattlefield.NowIhavetimetoread,andI’velearnedalotfrombooks.Ifeelkeenlyaboutwhattheancientssaid in regard to learning. ‘Being ignorant is like facingawall—youcan’t seeanything.’AsIrecallwhatIdidinthepast,IrealizethatmanythingsIdidwerewrong.

“Itisyourvirtue,notyourrankorwealth,thatwillestablishyouintheworld.Youarealreadywellprovided for.Wouldn’t itbeperfect ifyoucultivateyourvirtues? A gentleman may not always be a gentleman and a villain may notalways be a villain. They can change. If you practice virtue, you’ll be agentleman;ifyoupracticevice,you’llbecomeavillain.Ifyoudon’tstudyhard,don’t exercise self-discipline, don’t control your desires and emotions, you’llcourtdisaster.”

TAKINGWARNINGFROMHISTORY

TaizongsaidtoWeiZheng,“Fewprincesinhistoryhadahappyending.Thisisbecause theygrewup in thepalace,wallowed in luxuryandpleasure, andgotintobadcompany.”Heaskedhisministertowritesomethingforhischildrentostudy.

Wei Zheng compiled a book entitled The Vices and Virtues of Princes inHistory.Intheintroduction,hewrote:

“Throughouthistory, thoseprinceswhobecamegoodrulershad,alongwiththeir fathers, experiencedhardships in the process of founding a newdynasty.Thosewhoendedtheirlifeindisasterwereborninthelapofluxury,broughtupin peacetime, inherited a fortune, and were surrounded by pretty women andsycophanticministers.

“History shows that the prosperity of a man comes from virtue and hisdestruction is the result of vice. Fortune or misfortune has no predeterminedtarget. It all depends onwhat aman does. I list the vices and virtues of pastprinces in thebook.Follow their good examples and avoid theirmistakes, forthatisthekeytothelongevityofthedynasty.”

Taizongcommendedthebookhighly,tellinghischildrentotreatitasamoralcompasstoguidetheirlives.

LIMITINGTERMS

Taizong said, “Officialsworking in the princes’ quarters should not stay theretoolong,ortheymaydevelopoverlyclosetieswiththeprincesandhaveundueexpectations.Limittheirtermtofouryears.”

THEDOWNSIDEOFFAVORITISM

Taizong’s favorite sonwasTai,his secondson.Heshoweredgiftsonhimandgrantedhimprivileges.MinisterMaZhoufeltuneasyaboutthisfavoritismandwroteamemorandum.

“IknowYourMajesty favorsTaiover theotherprinces,but I’mconcernedthatTaimaybecomearrogant.I’mconcernedabouthisfuture.DuringtheThreeKingdomsperiod,CaoCao,therulerofWei,waspartialtohisyoungerson.Butwhenhiseldersonascendedthethrone,hisyoungersonwassentintoexileanddeprived of his freedom. Why? Because Cao Cao’s favoritism had made hiselder son jealous.Now,allyour childrenarewellprovided for.Nobodyneedsanyspecialfavor.Pleasesetsomeguidelinesontheirtreatment.”

TaizongthoughtitwasgoodadviceandawardedMaZhougenerously.

TOUGHLOVE

MinisterChuSuiliangalsovoicedhisdisapprovaloftheemperor’sfavoritism.“According to court etiquette,” he advised Taizong, “the crown prince

deserveshigherhonorthanotherprincesbecauseheisthefuturemonarch.EvenifYourMajesty likesTaiverymuch,yourgifts shouldnotexceed the levelofwhat is appropriate. Otherwise, you will estrange the crown prince, causeconfusionamongyourministers,andgivesycophantsachancetoworkonyou.Youmaybetoobusytomakeacorrectdecisiononeveryissue,butit’smydutyto speakouton thisone. IfYourMajesty really lovesTai, tell him toconducthimself properly, to practice loyalty, humility, and frugality and to cherishfraternallove.Inspirehimwiththeteachingsofthesages;thenhe’llgrowuptobeaworthyman.”

Taizongacceptedhisminister’ssuggestions.

LATERGENERATIONS

“Whydiddisastersalwaysstrikeinthelatergenerationsofadynasty?”Taizongaskedhisministersoneday.

“Because the descendants of the founder,” replied Prime Minister Fang

Xuanling,“werebornwithsilverspoonsintheirmouths.Theydidn’thaveanyknowledgeoftherealworldoranyideaaboutrunningacountry.It’snowondertheyshouldhaveendedupindisaster.”

“Youputtheblameontherulers,”saidTaizong.“ButIthinktheirministershad to share the blame. They only cared about their self-interest. Theirforefathers had rendered meritorious services. They occupied high officesbecause of their forefathers. However, they themselves were not particularlytalentedorvirtuous.Withanignorantrulerandabunchofuselessministersincharge,howcouldacountrynotget into trouble?Nowyourchildrenwillalsoobtaingoodappointmentsbecauseofyourposition.Ihopeyou’lldrawalessonfrom history and urge them to be conscientious officials. That will be goodfortuneforourcountry.”

BOATANDWATER

After appointing Crown Prince Zhi to be his heir, Taizong formed a team ofseniorministerswhosejobitwastogroomthefuturemonarchandassisthimingoverning.Healsotooktimetoeducatetheprincehimself.

Hesaidtohisadvisers,“Theysayyoushouldeducateachildwhenitisstillin its mother’s womb. Well, I didn’t have time for that. Now I teach himwheneverIcan.”

Hegavethemanexample.“WhenZhiwashavingdinner,Iaskedhim,‘Doyouknowanythingaboutrice?’

“ ‘No,Idon’t,’heanswered.“Then I said, ‘Farming is hard work and timing is essential to farmers.

Whateveryoudo,youmustneverinterferewiththeirsowingandharvesting.’“SeeingZhiridingahorse,Iasked,‘Doyouknowanythingabouthorses?’“ ‘No,Idon’t.’“ThenIsaid,‘Horsesarewillingtowork,butyoumustletthemhavesome

rest.Ifyoudon’toverdrivethem,you’llalwayshavehorsestoride.’“Watching Zhi getting into a boat, I asked, ‘Do you know anything about

boats?’“Hesaidno.ThenI toldhim,‘Thekingis like theboat,andthepeopleare

likethewater.Thewatercanlifttheboatandalsooverturnit.Shouldn’tyoubeverycareful?’

“Seeing Zhi standing under a tree, I asked, ‘Do you know anything abouttrees?’

“AgainhesaidnoandIsaid,‘Thistreeisnotstraight,butthecarpentercandrawa lineandcut it intostraightpieces.Thenthe treewillbeuseful.Arulermaynotbeverycapable,butifhelistenstohisministers’goodadvice,hecanstillbeagoodruler.’ ”

THEREALWORLD

Taizongsaidtothetutorsofthecrownprince,“Talktohimabouttherealworldandlethimunderstandwhatthelifeofthecommonpeopleislike.WhenIwaseighteen, Iworkedamong themassesof thecommonpeopleandwas familiarwith their life.Withallmyknowledgeof therealworldandmyexperienceofvarious hardships, I stillmademistakes after I became emperor. Sometimes Ididn’t even realizemymistakes until somebody pointed themout. The crownprincehasbeenlivinginthepalaceallhislife;hehasnoideaabouttheoutsideworld.Tellhimnottoindulgehimself.TellhimwhyIencourageremonstrance.Beforthrightwithhimifhedoessomethingwrong.”

ROLEMODEL

Taizongtoldthecrownprincetoregardsagerulersinhistoryashisrolemodels.“Youshouldfollowtheexamplesofsagekingsofthepast,notme.Iamnot

goodenough. Ifyou imitatesuperiormen,youmaygetaverageresults; ifyouimitate averagemen, youwill end upworse than theywere.Aimhigh.Don’tfollowmyexample.

“Ihavemademanymistakesinmylife,buildingluxuriouspalaces,acquiringexotic animals, hunting in distant lands, and giving the people trouble onmytours.

“But I have also done some good things, like improving the people’s life,makingthecountryrichandpowerful,andsoon.Mymeritsprobablyoutweighmydemerits.Sothepeopleputupwithme.

“Thefoundationofourdynasty issound,but Iamashamedtosay that it isstillfarfromperfect.Nowyouwillinheritmyfortunewithouthavingputinanyeffort.Ifyouareagoodrulerandservethepeoplewholeheartedly,youmaybeabletokeepwhatyouhave.Butifyoubecomearrogant,indolent,self-indulgent,and extravagant, youwill certainly get into trouble. Remember, it is easier tolose power than to gain it. It is easier to fail than to succeed. Therefore, youshouldcherishwhatyouhaveandbeverycareful,shouldyounot?”


Beingresponsibleisasignofmaturity.WhenTaizongtaughtthecrownprincetobecomeresponsible,hewashelpinghimtowardmaturity.ThemetaphorofwaterandboatthatheusedtoteachhissonbringstomindthestoryoftheswordofDamocles.

DionysiuswasthekingofSyracuse,therichestcityinSicilyinthefourthcenturyBC.Hewaswealthy,livedinasplendidpalace,andhadmanyservants.

WhenhisfriendDamoclescomplimentedhimonhisrichesandpleasure,Dionysiussaid,“IfyouthinkI’msolucky,wouldyouliketotryoutmylife?”

Damoclesreadilyagreed.SoDionysiusorderedeverything tobepreparedforDamocles toexperiencewhat lifeaskingwas like.Damoclessaton the throne,waswaiteduponby theservants,and feastedonsumptuousfoodandwineamidbeautifulflowersandscentedcandles.

Heenjoyedallthisimmensely.Thenhehappenedtoraisehiseyes,andsawaswordsuspendedfromtheceilingbyahairabovethethrone.Thesmilefadedfromhislipsandhisfaceturnedashen.

“Whatisthematter?”askedtheking.“Thatsword!Thatsword!”criedDamocles.“Yes,”saidtheking,“Iseethesword,anditmayfallatanymoment.Ihaveitovermyheadallthetime,

andIalwaysfearsomethingmayhappentosnapthethread.”“Isee,”saidDamocles.“Iwasmistaken.Yourlifeisnotsohappyasitseems.”Hebeggedtobeexcusedandneverwantedtochangeplaceswiththekingagain.Today,theexpression“theswordofDamocles”isoftenusedtomeanimpendingdanger.Butthemoral

of the original story has been lost: if you aspire to something high, be it high power, highwealth, highhonor,youmustbepreparedto livewith theresponsibilitiesandrisks thatcomewith it. It’seasy to losewhatyou’vegainedifyoudon’tkeepmakingeffortstoholdit.

I Napoléon(1769–1821)wasthefirstemperorofFranceandoneofhistory’smostcelebratedmilitaryandpoliticalleaders.

12

OnBeingWellRemembered

Arealmandoeswhatisrightregardlessofhisself-interest;doeswhat is sensible regardless of success or failure; anddoes what is good for future generations, not just for hisowngeneration.

—HUANGZONGXII

Taizong was very conscious of the reputation he would leave behind. At hisrequest,theTangdynastybecamethefirsttocompilerecordsofeachemperor.Their every word and deed were noted down by scribes. Taizong generouslyrewarded his court historians. This must have had a favorable effect, for theaccountofhisreignisamongthemostgloriousinChinesehistory.


AGOODENDING

Taizongsaidtohisministers,“IoftenthinkabouthowIcanhaveagoodendingaswellasagoodbeginningso thatourdynastywill lastmanygenerations,sothathundredsofyearsfromnowwhenpeoplereadabouttheTangdynasty,theywilladmireitspowerandglory.”

FULLDISCLOSURE

MinisterChuSuiliang,whowasalsoacourthistorianand remonstrant,keptadiaryofTaizong’sdailyactivities.

“Whathaveyouwrittendownrecently?”Taizongaskedhimoneday.“Asahistorian,”repliedChuSuiliang,“I’mobligedtorecordwhateverYour

Majestysaysanddoes,goodorbad.”

“Haveyouwrittendowndiscreditablethingsaboutme?”“Ofcourse.Myduty is to record facts—and factsonly. Ibelieve it ismore

important to fulfillmyduty as a historian thanmyduty toYourMajesty as asubordinate.”

“Aruler’sfaultsareliketheeclipsesofthesunandthemoon;everybodycanseethem,”addedMinisterLiuJi,anothercourthistorian.“EvenifMinisterChuSuiliangdidn’twritethemdown,thepeoplewouldremember.”

“Well, I’ll do three things,” Taizong said. “First, I’ll study the success andfailureofpastdynastiesanddrawlessonsfromthem;second,I’llseekvirtuousmentohelpmerunthecountry;andthird,I’llexpelwickedmenfrommycourt.Ihopehistorywillbekindtome.”

PREVIEW

As a rule, a livingmonarchwas not supposed to read the account of his ownrule.ButTaizongcouldn’t suppresshiscuriosityaboutwhat thehistorianshadwritten.

ZhuZishe, a court remonstrant, tried to dissuade him from reading currentaccounts.Hewrotetheemperoramemorandum,saying,“YourMajestyisawiseruler; it is fine for you to break the rule. But you would create a dangerousprecedent.Afutureemperormaynotbeaswiseasyouare.Ifheisallowedtoreadwhat iswrittenabouthim,hemaybecomeangry.Hemaypunishorevenkill the historians. If historians dare not write the truth, how can history betrusted?YourMajesty,pleasedon’tsetsuchaprecedent.”

Taizong wasn’t convinced. On another occasion, he asked Prime MinisterFangXuanling,whosupervisedthewritingofthecurrenthistoryofTang,“Whyisthereigningmonarchnotallowedtoreadwhatiswrittenabouthim?”

“Because history must record the good and bad deeds of a ruler,” FangXuanlingexplained.“Historiansdon’twantthemonarchtoseewhattheyhavewrittenforfearhemaynotlikeit.”

“Idisagree,”saidTaizong.“Iwouldliketoseewhat’sbeenwrittenaboutme.If it is favorable,ofcoursenodiscussion isnecessary.But ifsomethingbad iswrittendown,surelyitcanserveasawarningforme.”

HeorderedFangXuanlingtosubmitacopyofthemostrecenthistory,whichcovered the period from the rise of the emperor’s father, Li Yuan, up to thefifteenth year of Taizong’s reign. Taizong found the narration of his fratricideevasive.

“Ididkillmybrothers,”he toldFangXuanling.“Itwasfor thegoodof thecountry.Doawaywiththeverbiageandwriteastraightforwardaccountofwhathappened.Donotholdbackthefacts.”

Upon learning of this episode, MinisterWei Zheng praised Taizong. “Thesovereignisthemostpowerfulmaninthecountry.Hehasnothingtofearexceptthe historical record of his reign. The historical record has the function ofchastising thebad ruler and encouraging thegood ruler. If it is not truthful, itcannotservelatergenerations.YourMajestydidanhonorable,fair-mindedthingtotellthehistorianstosettherecordstraight.”

THEEMPEROR’SOWNWRITINGS

Deputydirector of the ImperialEditorialServiceDengShilong askedTaizongforpermissiontocompiletheemperor’swritingsintoacollectionasprecedingrulershaddone.

Taizong declined. “As emperor,what I said and did are all recorded in theimperialhistory.EvenifIcomposeelegantpoemsandrhapsodies,IwillonlybeheldtoridiculebyfuturegenerationsifIfailtodoagoodjob.Idon’tneedanyanthology.Themost important thing for a ruler iswhat he does andwhat hischaracterislike,notwhatliteraryworkshewrites.”

SELF-ANALYSIS

“Thereareafewrulersinhistory,”saidTaizongtohisministersoneday,“whorestored peace and unified China, but none managed to conquer foreignbarbarians. I’m not as capable as they were, yet my accomplishments havesurpassedtheirs.Whatdoyouthinkarethereasons?”

Hisministersonlysanghispraises;nooneofferedasatisfactoryexplanation.Taizongthenansweredthequestionhimself.

“I think there are five reasons. First, those rulers were jealous of peoplewhose abilities exceeded their own, but I am not jealous. I am as pleased todiscoverotherpeople’stalentsasiftheyweremyown.

“Second, Iunderstand thatnobody isperfect. Ioverlookothers’weaknessesandappreciatetheirstrengths.

“Third,thoserulersdidn’tknowhowtomakeuseofhumanresources.Theyembraced talents but threw away lesser mortals. I respect the former butsympathizewiththelatter.Imakeuseofbothofthem.

“Fourth,thoserulersdidn’tlikefrankness.Someevenkilledthosewhodaredtoremonstrate.ButIseekouthonestmentoserveinmycourtandIhaveneverpunishedanyoneforbeingoutspoken.

“Finally, thoserulers lookeddownuponforeigners,but Idon’t. I treat themthesamewayItreatChinese.Sothebarbariansregardmeasafatherfigure.”


Platosaid:“Thefirstandthebestvictoryistoconquertheself.”Taizong’slifeoffersaninstructivelessoninself-managementwithoutwhichhisaccomplishmentswould

havebeenimpossible.Itisnotuncommonforaleader’spersonalitytodeteriorate.Atthebeginningofhiscareer,theleaderhas

ahealthyego;he isconfident,assertive,andstrong.He takes initiativeandstandsup forworthycauses,commandingtherespectofthosewhoturntohimfordirectionandinspiration.

Then he is tempted and starts to slip. He becomes arrogant, expansive, and belligerent. He lovesadventures,wantstodominateeachsituation,andlikestoimposehiswillonothers,usingthreatsandfearofreprisalstointimidatethemintoobedience,evenrelishingadversarialrelationships.

Movingdowntheslopeofvirtue,heseekstoprevailwhateverthecost.Hebecomesmegalomaniacal,dictatorial, ruthless, and immoral. Increasingly reckless, he overextends himself and the resources at hisdisposal.

Havingmademanyenemies,hebecomesparanoidabouthissurvival.Helivesinconstantinsecurity,andhisbehaviorturnsdestructive.Intheendheiseithertoppledbyhisenemiesorstoppedbydeath.

A few notable rulers in history traveled this familiar path of disintegration with frighteningconsequences,amongthemJuliusCaesar,Napoléon,andSaddamHussein.

Taizongwasquite theopposite.Early inhiscareer,he threwhimself into thestruggleoffoundingthenew dynasty. He was courageous and resourceful, often putting himself at risk for the sake of victory.Consequentlyhewasrecognizedasanoutstandingleader.

Afterheascendedthethrone,heforgavehisformerenemy,recruitedableandvirtuousmen,andupheldhonestyinhisgovernment.Hewasmagnanimous,empathetic,andforbearing.Eventhoughhehadlapsesattimes,hewasabletoreversehimselfassoonasherealizedhismistakes.

Internally, his triumph could be attributed to his self-knowledge and emotional intelligence, andexternally, to theroleplayedbyhiswifeand loyaladvisers,whowouldremonstratewheneverheveeredawayfromthepathofvirtueandrighteousness.TheignominiousfallofEmperorYangservedasaconstantreminderofwhathellawaitedifheslipped,andhisownaspirationtomakehisdynastyalong-lastingoneprovidedanotherpositiveimpetus.

Asaresult,Taizongmaintainedahealthystateofmindthroughouthislifeandavoidedthepitfallsofhisparticularpersonality.Insteadofmovingdownward,hemovedupward,bringingoutthebestinhimselfandbecoming,intheprocess,averyenlightenedruler.

Fittingly,hiswasoneofthemostspectacularlysuccessfulreignsinChinesehistory.

I HuangZongxi(1610–95)wasagreatConfucianphilosopherandanEnlightenmentthinker.

II

THEAMAZINGLIFEOFTANGTAIZONG

TANGTAIZONG’SpersonalnamewasLiShimin,“shi,”meaning“theworld,”and“min,” “the people.” When Li Shimin was a boy of four, a fortune-tellerpredicted that one day he would save the world and deliver the people frommisery.Later,hebecameknownasTangTaizong,“Tang”beingthenameofthedynastyhehelpedfoundand“Taizong”hisimperialtitleasemperor.

Born into the aristocratic Li family in Shaanxi Province in northwesternChina,wherehisfatherwasgovernorandamilitarycommanderservingtheSuidynasty, Li Shimin was of mixed Chinese and Turkic blood, for his paternalgrandmother was a Turk. He was related to the royal family of Sui, and hisfamily had a tradition of military service: both his grandfather and great-grandfatherhadalsobeenhigh-rankinggenerals.

Bold, strong, and uninhibited, Li Shimin was not interested in scholarlypursuitsbutwaskeenonmartialarts,archery,riding,andhunting.Inatroubledtime such skills were far more useful to an ambitious young man than booklearning.Growingup in thewaningyearsof theSuidynasty,hewitnessed thecrumblingofthatshort-liveddynastyfirsthand.Itsdeclinewastohaveamajorimpactonhimlater,whenhebecameemperorhimself.

ENDOFTHESUIDYNASTY

TheSuidynasty(581–618)wasoneoftheshortestdynastiesinChinesehistory,butalsooneofthemostsignificant.Itsfounder,EmperorWen,reunifiedChinaafternearlythreehundredandsixtyyearsofchaosandaliendomination.

A conscientious monarch, Emperor Wen worked hard, lived frugally, andbuiltastableandprosperouscountry.Buthissonandsuccessor,EmperorYang,wasoneofhistory’smostnotoriousrulers—ambitious,cruel,egomaniacal,andcalloustothesufferingofthepeople.

The first thing Emperor Yang did after succeeding his father was to buildanother capital in Luoyang, because a fortune-teller told him that the existingcapital,Chang’an(thepresent-dayXi’an),wasanunluckylocationforhim.Twomillion laborerswere conscripted to constructmagnificent palaces and a hugepleasure park for him. The entire project was finished within a year underintense pressure. By then four out of every ten laborers had died fromexhaustion.

Hardlyhadthenewcapitalbeencompletedwhentheemperorembarkedonan even more ambitious project—the digging of a canal system, the GrandCanal, to link the north and south ofChina.More than threemillion laborerswere conscripted. Because there were not enough men, a large number ofwomenwereused.Duringthesix-yearconstruction,nearlyhalfofthelaborerslosttheirlives.

EmperorYang loved traveling.Hewas on themove every year during hisfourteen-yearreign,andhistripsimposedanintolerableburdenonthepeople.Ifhe traveled by water, tens of thousands of men had to be hired to pull hisextravagant fleet along rivers and canals. If he traveled on land, tree-linedboulevards and imperial dwelling places had to be built and large numbers ofhorsesandcarriageshadtobeprepared.Whereverhisentouragewent,relentlessrequisitionsweremadeonthelocalpopulaceintheformofraredelicaciesandluxurygoodsforimperialconsumption.

Whilethemassesweregroaningunderhisoppression,theemperordelightedin the companyof hundreds of beautifulwomen in his harem.Ashe tookhispleasurewith them,mirrorswere hung on thewalls of his bedchamber so hecouldfeasthiseyeson thecarnalscenes.Heparticularly liked to tieavirgin’shandsandfeetona“virgincart”whiledefloweringher.

Before the people could recover from the domestic burdens, the emperorlaunchedawaragainst theKoreankingdomofKoguryobecausehe suspectedKoguryoofformingasecretalliancewiththeTurksagainstChina.Specialwartaxeswerelevied,newsoldierswererecruited,andcorvéelaborwasemployedtoconstructwarvehiclesandnavyvessels.Sinceshipbuildershadtostandinthewaterdayandnight,thelowerbodiesofmanydecomposed;manyalsodiedofoverworkordisease.EmperorYangledthreeexpeditions;allendedindisaster,withthelossofhundredsofthousandsoflives.

WhileYangwaswagingcampaignsinKorea,arebellionbrokeoutathome.It soon turned into a tidal wave of uprisings sweeping over the entire realm.Yang rushedback toChinabutwasunable toquell thepopular revolts. In theendevenhisowngeneralsmutiniedandtheemperorwasstrangledtodeathinhispalace.

ROADTOPOWER

Manyambitiousmenrosetocontendforthetitleofemperor.Taizong’sfather,LiYuan,wasoneofthem.Itwasn’tuntilthreeyearslater,aftermanyhard-fought

battles,thatthehouseofTang—namedafterLiYuan’shereditaryfief—emergedvictorious.

During this period, Shimin, his second son, proved himself to be a valiantfighter, a superb commander, and a gifted strategist who carried out hisassignmentswithdistinction,earninghistroops’fierceloyaltyandhisenemies’respect.Shimin’smilitaryfeatsplayedacrucialroleinsolidifyingthepowerofTang.Consequently,LiYuanappointedhimcommanderinchiefofthearmy.Afearless warrior, Shimin openly admitted that he’d personally slain nearly athousandmeninvariousbattles.

Li Yuan had twenty-two sons and nineteen daughters. In accordance withimperial tradition,henamedhiseldestsoncrownprince.ButShimin’ssoaringreputationmadehisbrother,whoseownmilitarymeritswerefarfromillustrious,feelillatease.ThecourtministersweredividedintothosewhowereloyaltothecrownprinceandthosewhoconsideredShiminthemoredeservingtosucceedtothethrone.

Shimindidn’topenlyproclaimhisaspirationbutbeganpreparinghimselfforthe throne early on by recruiting an impressive array of political and literarytalents as his think tank. After finishing a day’s work, he would study theConfucian classics, history, and literature under the tutelage of well-knownscholarsanddiscusswiththemcurrentaffairsandpolicymatters.

The sibling rivalry culminated in a fratricide in 626,when Shimin and hismenmurderedthecrownprinceandanotherbrotherinanambushandforcedLiYuantorelinquishpower.ShiminbecamethesecondTangemperorandtooktheimperial title ofTaizong.His reignwas officially inaugurated in 627whenhewastwenty-eight,ortwenty-nineaccordingtoChinesereckoning,whichdefinesachildasoneyearoldatbirth.

TAIZONGANDHISADVISERS

A charismatic ruler, Taizong went about his work with boundless energy andenthusiasm,andhedemandedequalexertionfromhisofficials.Heconsultedhisgiftedadvisersatdailymeetings,drawingontheirknowledgeandexperiencetorunthegovernment.Hisseniorministerssleptinshiftssothathecouldsummonthematanytime,dayornight,todiscusstheaffairsoftheempire.

Amanofsharpintellect,Taizongpossessedshrewdjudgmentandknewhowto use people’s strengths and avoid their weaknesses. Hewouldn’t hesitate tohireaformerenemyifthemanhadtalentandintegrity.Hepardonedmostofthe

followers of the crown prince on account of their loyalty to theirmaster. Forexample,GeneralYuchihadbeena rebelcommanderandDefenseMinisterLiJinghadbeenahigh-rankingSuigeneral.SeniorMinisterWangGuihadbeenanadvisertothecrownprince.SeniorMinisterandChiefRemonstrantWeiZheng,anothersenioradvisertohisbrother,hadbeenahatedfigureinTaizong’scamp.

“Whydidyousetmybrotheragainstme?”demandedTaizongasWeiZhengwasbroughtbeforehim.

“Ifthecrownprincehadlistenedtomyadvice,hewouldneverhavecometosuchanend,”WeiZhengrepliedcalmly.

Taizonghadlongheardoftheman’stalent,andhiscandorimpressedhim.HeaskedWeiZhengtobeoneofhisadvisers.

“WeiZhengshouldbeexecuted,”someonesuggested.“No.WeiZhengwasloyaltohismaster,”Taizongreplied.“Icantrusthim.It

isthosewhobetrayedtheirmasterindifficultywhodeservetodie.”Inanattempttoremovethestigmaofslayinghisbrothers,Taizongconferred

nobletitlesonthemposthumouslyandhadthemreburiedatagrandceremonyattended by their former subordinates. This conciliatory gesture made thesepeoplefeelateaseworkingforthenewruler.

Assembled around Taizong was a range of confidants, advisers, andsupporters, each with unique strengths. They complemented one another,formingastrongmanagementteam.Forexample,PrimeMinisterFangXuanlingwasdetail-orientedandgoodatplanning;hiscolleagueVicePrimeMinisterDuRuhui was quick, decisive, and resourceful. The two men made a perfectpartnership.

MostofTaizong’sadviserswerehiselders.WeiZhengandDuRuhuiwerehis seniors by nineteen years, FangXuanling by twenty-one years,Li Jing bytwenty-sevenyears,andWangGuibytwenty-eightyears.

Taizong once asked SeniorMinisterWang Gui to give an appraisal of hiscolleagues.“I’mnotasassiduousasFangXuanling,” repliedWangGui,“whoputsworkaboveeverythingelse.I’mnotasimpassionedasWeiZhengwhenIremonstrate;notasall-aroundasLiJing,whohasthecaliberofaprimeministerandageneral;neitheramIasgoodasWenYanbo,whoknowshowtoconveyYourMajesty’sideasclearly,orasgoodasDaiZhou,whohandlesmattersbigand small equallywell.But I havemyown strength. I have a strong sense ofjustice.Ipromotethevirtuousandcrackdownonthewickedwithoutreserve.”

Taizongandhisotherministersthoughtitwasafairassessment.

LISTENINGTOREMONSTRANCE

What set Taizong apart from most emperors was his willingness to listen todifferentopinionsandheedremonstrances.Remonstrancewasthetime-honoredpractice inancientChinaofofficials criticizing the ruler’spolicyandpersonalbehavior and advisinghimonways to improvehis government.Taizongwentoutofhiswaytoencouragehisministerstocriticizehimforhismistakes.Theycouldeitherspeaktohimface-to-faceorwritetohim.

Stalwartanddashing,Taizongcutanintimidatingfigureatcourt.Hehadanimperialbearing.Whenprovoked,his facewouldchangecolor and strike fearintothosearoundhim.AfterWeiZhengcautionedhimaboutit,Taizongsaidtohisministers: “If Iwant to seemyself, I need amirror. If Iwant toknowmyfaults,Ineedloyalministers.Pleasespeakoutfreelyaboutmyfaults.IpromiseIwon’tbecomeangry.”

Truetohiswords,hewasexceedinglygentlewithhissubordinates.Hemightnotlikewhathehadheardbutneverthelesskeptapleasantcountenance.Hewaswillingtoadmithismistakes inpublicandpraise thosewhopointedthemout.Time and again, he offeredmonetary rewards to thosewho remonstratedwithhim.

Asaresult,notonlyseniorministersbutpettyofficials,andevencourtladies,came forward to offer suggestions and remonstrances. When theirmemorandumsbecametoonumerous,Taizonghadthempostedonthewallsofhislivingquarterssothathecouldreadthemafterwork.

CHIEFREMONSTRANTWEIZHENG

The most outspoken adviser was the Confucian moralist Senior Minister andChiefRemonstrantWeiZheng,who’d earnedTaizong’s trust and respectwithhiscandor,loyalty,fearlessness,andprofoundknowledge.

In the first three years ofTaizong’s reign,WeiZhengmademore than twohundred suggestions, asking Taizong to conduct himself and his policies inaccordancewithConfucianprinciplesofvirtueandbenevolence.

WeiZhengskillfullyusedextravagantpraise,subtlehints,plainridicule,andbluntattack,lacedwithhistoricalanecdotesandclassicalallusions,astacticsforhisremonstration.Asaresulthisremarkscarriedirresistiblepower.Thesubjectsof his remonstranceswere extensive: the inconsistencies in Taizong’s taxationpolicy,hisill-conceivedproposalofawardinghereditaryfiefstohischildren,his

interestinthefairsexandcreaturecomforts,hislackofhumility,hisvanity,andsoon.

SomeofWeiZheng’s comments, though scathingly critical,werevoiced infrontofotherministers.Taizonghadtoaccepthiscriticismwithasmuchgraceashecouldmuster.SometimesWeiZheng’swordsweretoocausticandrousedTaizongtoanger.Mostministerswerefrightened,butWeiZhengwouldkeephiscomposure, totally unawed and uncompromising. In fact, it was the youngemperorwhowasalittleafraidoftheavuncularremonstrant.

Taizonglovedbirds.OnedayhewasplayingwithalovelysparrowwhenWeiZheng came to see him. Afraid thatWei Zheng might scold him for playingduringworking hours, Taizong hid the bird inside the sleeve of his robe.WeiZhengpretendednottonoticeandstayedontodiscussvariousbusinessmattersforsolongthatbythetimeheleft,thebirdhadalreadybeensmotheredtodeath.

Aseniorministerwasnot impressed.“WeiZheng talks toomuch,”he said,“harpingonthesametuneuntilYourMajestylistenstohim.Hetreatsyoulikeachild.”

“I’vegotbattlefieldexperience,”saidTaizong,“butknowlittleaboutrunningthe government. I value Wei Zheng’s advice. He is helping me make fewermistakes and is not afraid of offendingme. I hope all of youwill follow hisexample.”

ButWeiZhengapparentlypushedtheemperortothelimitoneday.Taizongwaslividwithangerwhenhecamehomeintheevening.

“I’mgoingtokillthatboor,”hegrumbled.“Whoareyoutalkingabout?”askedEmpressZhangsun.“WeiZheng!Iraisedhimfromthedust.Buthedarestoinsultmebeforethe

entirecourt.I’llneverbemyownmasteraslongasheisaround.”Theempresswithdrew toherbedroom.Moments later, shecameout inher

regalcostumeandkowtowedtoherhusband,whostaredatherinpuzzlement.“Iheardthatanenlightenedrulerisservedbyfaithfulanduprightministers,”

shesaid.“You’vejusttoldmeWeiZhengissuchaman.Thatmeansyouareanenlightenedruler.Iwanttocongratulateyou.”

Shewent on to explain, “Even as yourwife, I have towatch out for yourmoodwhenI talk.Idon’twant toprovokeyouranger.ButWeiZhenghas thecouragetotellyouthetruthevenwhenheknowsthetruthmaydispleaseyou.”

Instantly,sheturnedTaizong’sangerintojoy.SoheletWeiZhengcontinueto“scrapescalesoffthedragon”withimpunity,thisbeingaChinesemetaphorfor

directlycriticizingtheruler.HewasmovedbyWeiZheng’sloyaltyandgenuineconcernforthewell-beingandlongevityofthedynasty.

He urged his senior ministers to accept remonstrances as he did. A titledposition—the remonstrant—was created. Thirty-six remonstrants would sit invariouscourtmeetingsandvoicetheiropinions.

PROSPERITYATHOME

Along with his ministers, Taizong devoted major efforts to economicreconstruction. He thought the country was like a patient who neededrecuperationaftermorethantenyearsofcivilwarandpoliticalinstability.

TangChinawas an agrarian economy.But therewas a labor shortage.Warand war-related migration had caused the population to drop to about twelvemillion—lessthanathirdofwhatithadbeenintheSuidynasty.OneofthefirstdecreesTaizongissuedwasthatmenhadtogetmarriedbytwentyandwomenby fifteen,whilewidows andwidowerswere encouraged to remarry.Wealthypeoplewere urged to providemoney for their poor relatives and neighbors toenable them to afford marriage. An important criterion for evaluating localofficialswasthenumberofmarriagesthattookplaceintheirlocalities.

Taizongreleased thousandsofpalacemaids,notonly to reduceexpenditurebut toallowthemtomarry.Healsorequested that theTurksandotherforeignstatesallowthetwomillionChinesewho’dfledtotheirlandsduringthewarringyearstocomehome.

Taizong renewed an ancient rite inwhich he, theSonofHeaven, officiallystarted the plowing season by tilling a field himself. His message was this:farmingwas now the nation’s priority. To promote farming, taxes and corvéeduties were kept low. A male over eighteen years of age would be given ahundredmu(approximatelyfourteenacres)ofland,ofwhichtwentymuwouldbecome his permanent property and eightymu had to be returned to the stateuponhisdeath.Inreturn,heonlyhadtopayataxoflessthan3percentonhisincomeintheformofgrainandclothplusperformtwentydays’corvéedutyayear.Intheeventofnaturaldisasters,taxeswerereducedorexempted.

Irrigationworks were carried out throughout the country. In some regions,therewasnotenougharableland.SoTaizongencouragedmigrationbyofferingtaxexemptionasanincentivetothosewhowouldleavehometoopenupvirginsoilinfarawayplaces.

Ina fewyears, theeconomyrecovered; thewar-ravagedcountrywason itswaytoprosperity.

RECRUITINGTALENTS

Taizong was eager to recruit “the worthy” to work in his government. Thecriteriafor“worthiness”wereerudition,moralintegrity,andfilialpiety.Hiszealfor educationwas promptedby a desire to have a pool of talented individualsfrom which he could choose, particularly those who were dedicated to theConfucianvaluesofloyaltytotheruleranddutytothepeople.

ThousandsofstudentsandscholarsswarmedintoChang’aneachyear tositforimperialexaminations.Allcandidates,includingmanyforeignstudents,wereon an equal footing, regardless of race, family background, or hereditaryprivileges.

Taizong instructedPrimeMinisterFangXuanling toappoint tooffice thosewhopossessedbothtalentsandvirtues,notonlythosewithspecializedskills.

For a long time, appointments in the central government had been deemedmore prestigious than those in the provinces. Provincial posts had becomedumping grounds for those officials who’d performed poorly in the centralgovernment.

Taizongfeltsurethatprovincialofficialswouldbeperceivedbylocalpeopleas the emperor’s deputies. So he sent out commissioners to scrutinize theirconductandjobperformance.

Hewrote thenamesof theseprovincialofficialson thescreens inhis roomandkeptarecordoftheirperformances.Theirpromotionsanddemotionsweredetermined by the merits and demerits he recorded. The bases for promotionweretalent,honesty,prudence,diligence,andfair-mindedness.

PROMOTIONOFEDUCATION

Taizong was convinced that selection for the civil service was vital to goodgovernment and even the survival of the dynasty. Selection throughmeans ofexaminationembodiedtheConfucianidealofequalopportunityineducationforall.Taizongorderedmoreexaminationstobeheldeachyearandmoreschoolstobebuilt,notonlyinthecapitalbutalsointheprovinces,counties,andvillages.Qualificationsforteacherswerestandardized.

ConfuciandoctrineservedasaguideinformulatingthepoliciesofTaizong’sgovernment,andtemples toConfuciuswereerectedallover thecountry.Sincethe Han dynasty, there had been many different versions and confusinginterpretationsofConfucianclassics.Taizongappointeda renownedscholar topresideoverthecompilationofanauthorizedversion,whichwastobeusedbyallschoolsandserveasthebasisforimperialexaminations.

From time to time, Taizongwent to the imperial university to listen to thelectures, often generously rewarding good lecturers. One day he visited theredressed in plain clothes. A large number of candidates lined up outside theentrance where a bulletin board listed the names of those who’d passed theexamination.

Itwasagratifyingscene.“Howniceitistohaveallthetalentsunderheavencomewithinmyreach!”Taizongexclaimed.

Thismerit-based selection systemhas becomepart of theChinese traditionandthecornerstoneofcivilservicerecruitmentpolicyinChina.

LEGALREFORM

Taizong firmly subscribed to the Confucian view that it is virtues, not harshlaws,thatmakeagoodsociety.Duringtheearlyyearsofhisreign,thecriminalcode was substantially revised and simplified from more than two thousandclauses to seven hundred, and harsh punishments were either abolished orreducedformanypenaloffenses.Officerswhotorturedprisonerstodeathwouldbechargedwithmanslaughter.

TheTangcourtsystemhadthreelevels:thecountycourt,theprovincialcourt,andthesupremecourt.Deathpenaltieshadtobeapprovedbythesupremecourtandtheemperorhimself.

TwiceTaizongorderedtheexecutionofsomeofficials,andtwiceheregrettedhis decision, only to find it was too late to rescind the order. To avoidmiscarriagesofjustice,heorderedthatevenifthedeathpenaltywasapproved,ithadtobereviewedthreetimesbydifferentdepartmentsbeforebeingcarriedout.Asaresult,thenumberofdeath-rowconvictsdeclinedsignificantly.

While Taizong encouraged honest criticism, he hated slanderers. An anti-false-accusationlawwasdevisedtodealwithsuchpeople.Theaccuserwouldbepunished according to the nature of his false accusation. For example, amanaccusedWeiZhengoftreason,acapitalcrime.Sincehischargewasabsolutelyunfounded,themanwasbeheaded.

Another general, who was an old associate of Taizong, accused DefenseMinister Li Jing of plotting a rebellion, a crime punishable by death. ButinvestigationprovedLi Jing innocent.According to the law, the accuser facedthedeathpenalty.Taizongcommutedthedeathpenaltytoexileonaccountoftheman’s earlier meritorious services but rejected his plea for more lenienttreatment.

Havingspenthisformativeyearsinthemilitary,Taizongvaluedloyalty.Hedecreedthataservantwhoinformedonhismasterwouldbeputtodeath.

TACKLINGCORRUPTION

Taizong abhorred corruption.Officials convicted of acceptingbribeswould bepunished.Thoseconvictedofseriouscorruptionwouldbeexecuted.Onthedayof execution, government officialswere requested towitness the execution sothattheymightthinktwicebeforetheyweretemptedtoacceptbribes.

The law prohibited prefectural and county officials from serving in theirnativeplacesforfearthattheirrelativesandfriendsmighttrytoseekfavorfromthem.Officialswereprohibitedfromtakingtheirparentsorchildrenoverfifteenwiththemtotheirpostssoastopreventtheirfamiliesfrombecomingchannelsof bribery and favoritism.And officials couldn’t serve in placeswhere they’dpreviously held positions for fear that they might be influenced by localinterests.Thetermofofficewaslimitedtofouryears.

DangRenhong,governorofGuangdong,anoldassociateofTaizong’s,wasfound guilty of taking bribes and levying taxes without authority. He wassentenced to death. But considering the man’s advanced age and meritoriousservices, Taizong decided just to dismiss him from office. Knowing suchleniencywouldbeatoddswiththelaw,theemperorstartedathree-dayfastasagesturetoaskHeaventoforgivehimhismercifulact.

PrimeMinisterFangXuanlingadmonishedhimtostopfasting.“Asemperor,youhave thepower togranthimclemency.Youarenotdoing itoutofselfishmotives.WhyshouldyouaskHeavenforforgiveness?”

Taizong replied, “The law is notmy lawbut the lawof the land.”He thenissuedameaculpaapologizingforpardoninghisoldcolleague.

The historianWu Jingwrote a glowing passage about life under Taizong’sreign:

Forfearoftheemperor,officialswerehonestandcautiousinexercisingtheirpower;noblesandlocaleliterestrainedthemselves,notdaringtoencroachupontherightsofthecommonpeople.

Merchantswerenotrobbedontheirtrips.Theprisonswereempty.Horsesandcattleroamedtheopencountry.Doorsdidnotneedtobelocked.Therewerebumperharvestsyearafteryear.Travelersfrom the capital to the east coast did not need to carry provisions on their way. They would begenerouslysuppliedandwelltreated,sometimesevenpresentedwithgiftswhentheydeparted.Therehadbeennothinglikethissinceancienttimes.

CONQUESTOFTHETURKS

Externally, Taizong’s most important victory was the conquest of the Turks.Descended from the ancient Huns, the Turks were a nomadic tribe living inMongoliaatthetime.They’dbeenaconstantthreattoChina’snorthernborders.AfterbeingdefeatedbyEmperorWenoftheSuidynasty,theyweredividedintoEastern and Western Turks. During the years of China’s civil war precedingTaizong’sreign,theygrewpowerfulagain.

Before launchinghisbid forpower,Taizong’s fatherhad tonegotiatepeacewiththeEasternTurksbypledgingtobeaTurkicvassal.AfterthefoundingoftheTangdynasty,theTurkskeptdemandingmoreandmoretributefromthenewregime.TheTang court had to put upwith their insolent envoyswhileTurkictroops repeatedly raided Chinese border areas, killing, looting, and makingChinesecaptivestheirslaves.

Shortly after Taizong succeeded to the throne, the Eastern Turks invadedChinaandcamewithintwelvemilesoftheTangcapital,Chang’an.Taizonghelda face-to-face meeting with the khan, sovereign of the Turks. After Taizongagreedtogivethemalargeamountofgold,silver,andsilk,theTurkssignedapeacetreatyandwithdrew.

Vowing to wipe out the humiliation, Taizong embarked on a large-scalemilitarybuildup.In630,theChinesearmylaunchedsurpriseattacksagainsttheTurksonthreefrontssimultaneously.Theexpeditionwasaresoundingsuccess.TheTurkic forceswere crushed. The khanwas taken prisoner and brought toChang’an.HewaspubliclydenouncedbyTaizongbutallowedtolive.

Taizong permittedmany surrenderedTurks to resettle inChina in the hopethatif thenomadstookupagricultureandwere influencedbyChineseculture,they’d cease to be a threat. Unlike other Chinese emperors, who tended todiscriminateagainst foreigners,Taizong let theTurkswork inhisgovernment.MorethanahundredTurkicnoblemenjoinedtheTangarmyasofficersandtookanactivepartinTaizong’sexpeditionsinCentralAsiaandKorea,duringwhichseveralrankingTurkicgeneralsrenderedoutstandingservices.

Thekhanwasappointedasaseniorgeneral,butitwasonlyanominalpost.Avirtual captive, he was depressed, he wept often, and his health deteriorated.OncethekhanwasorderedbyTaizong’sfathertodanceatabanquettoentertainthebanqueters.Hefeltsohumiliatedthathediedshortlyafterward.

In639,anassassinationattemptwasmadeonTaizongbyahalfbrotherofthekhan, who was a junior officer in the Tang army. He and a handful ofaccomplices were overpowered by the palace guards and publicly beheaded.After the incident, all Turks, except for a few trusted senior officers, wererequiredtoleaveChinatosettleinMongolia.

SILKROAD

At the time, thevast regionnowcalled theChineseprovincesofXinjiangandQinghaiwas divided into a number of tribal kingdoms, some allyingwith theWesternTurks.Their territoriescoveredwhatwasknownas theSilkRoad,animportant route along which merchants from the Roman Empire, Persia, andCentralAsiatraveledtoChina.Butthisroutewasoftenblockedbythosetribes.Merchantswere detained; theirwareswere confiscated;Chinese borderswerefrequentlyinvadedbymarauders.HavingdealtwiththeproblemoftheEasternTurks,TaizongdecidedtoremovethethreatontheSilkRoadonceandforall.

Between 635 and 648, Chinese troops successively conquered Tuyuhun,Gaochang (Karakhoja), Yanchi (Karashahr), Xueyantuo (Syr Tardush), andQiuzi (Kucha), making them China’s vassals. The Western Turks werecompelledtooffertheirsubmission.Asaresult,ChinatookcontrolofthevastareastretchingfromDunhuang inmodernGansu to thewesternbordersof theTarimBasininXinjiang.

Trade between China and Central Asia flourished. Silk, tea, medicine,ceramics, handicrafts, paper, and farm tools were exported, while jade, fur,horses,camels,lions,andcottonwereimported.

At the request of various khanates in Central Asia, Taizong assumed theimposingtitleof“HeavenlyKhan”—thesuzerainofallTurks.Inthiscapacity,heplayed the roleofanarbiter for tribalkhanates inCentralAsia.When theyhad a dispute about horse-breeding territories, for instance, they came toTaizong,whosearbitrationwasthoughttobefairbyallparties.EveryNewYear,chiefsandnoblemenfromvarioustribescametoChinatopaytheirrespects.AmeetingwithTaizongwasdeemedagreathonor.

TheonlyblemishonTaizong’sshiningmilitaryrecordwasthefailureofhiswaragainst theKoreankingdomofKoguryo,whichhadbeenmeant topunishthe country for invading a Chinese vassal state. But this didn’t affect China’sstatureasagreatworldpower.

WEDLOCKDIPLOMACYANDTIBETANTIES

WedlockdiplomacyhadalonghistoryinChina.Typically,aChineseprincess,ahighlydesirablestatussymbol,wouldbemarried to thekingofsomenomadickingdomthatborderedonChina. Itwasawayofbringingpeace to theborderwhenChinawasrelativelyweak.

Taizong practiced wedlock diplomacy at a time when China was strong,becausehefeltthatifamaritaltiecouldturnfoesintofriends,itwasworththesacrificeofaChineseprincess.Comparedwiththecostofawedding,thecostofwar was too high. To conquer an enemy through marriage was undoubtedlybetter than toconquer it throughwar, for thechildrenbornofsuchamarriagewouldlikelyremainfriendlytoChina.

Thus, a number of Tang princesses were married off to foreign kings andnoblemen. The most notable union was the marriage between PrincessWencheng,Taizong’sadopteddaughter,andSongtsenGampo,theTibetanking.

In641,a largeChineseconvoyaccompanied theprincess toTibet,bringingwith them Chinese foodstuffs, textiles, medicine, plants, grain, and vegetableseeds,aswellasChineseartisans,craftsmen,workers,farmers,andbuilders.

Tibetanstraditionallylivedinfelttents,butnowtheymovedintohousesafterlearningbuilding techniquesfromtheChinese.They’dformerlywornfurs,butnow they put on silk garments and learned to weave. They’d never used acalendar,butnowtheyadopted the lunarcalendar,aboon to their farmersandherdsmen. The Chinese also instructed Tibetans in pottery, brewing, grainmilling,papermaking,andthemanufactureoffarmtools.Theprincessbroughtwithherabandofmusiciansandmorethanfiftymusicalinstruments.TheyweremuchcherishedbyTibetans.

Since Tibetans lacked a standard written language, Princess WenchengpersuadedherhusbandtosendstudentstoIndiatostudySanskritandtheancientKhotan (Yudian) language with a view to developing a Tibetan alphabet andgrammarfromanIndianprototype.

Theprincesswas adevoutBuddhist.Underher influence, theTibetankingembraced Buddhism. Today, a gilded and bejeweled statue of Buddha, a gift

broughtbytheprincessasherdowry,isstillenshrinedinthesplendidJokhangTempleinLhasa,thecapitalofTibet.

Contactwith theTibetans led to the introduction ofTibetan horse-breedingskillandTibetanhandicraftintoChina.WhenpolowasintroducedfromTibet,itbecameapopularsportintheTangcourt.

RELIGIOUSTOLERANCE

TradethrivedalongtheSilkRoadtoCentralAsia,Persia,andEuropeandalongthe sea route to Southeast Asia. Arabs, Jews, and Persians came to settle inChina,bringingwiththemIslam,Christianity,Judaism,andZoroastrianism.

Taizongwastolerantofreligion.In635,hegreetedaNestorianbishopfromPersia, the first Christian missionary to come to China, and granted himpermissiontousethefacilitiesoftheimperiallibrarytotranslatetheHolyBible.He also issued a decree that provided for the building of the first church inChina,wherethebishoppreached.TheChristianfaithandJesuswereintroducedto the Chinese for the first time. The modern Chinese hymnal has a hymn,“GloriainExcelsis,”thatdatesbacktotheTangdynasty.

Taizongsaidthatnoreligionheldamonopolyontruthsincetheyallclaimedtobesavingpeople.Emotionally,however,hewasclosertoTaoism.Heclaimedthat the founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu, whose family name was Li, was hisancestor. He considered Taoism to be indigenous to China while Buddhism,whichwasverypopularinChina,wasalien.

“The problem with Buddhism,” Taizong commented, “is that while thebeliever isnotsureofhis futurehappiness,he is trappedbywhatheallegedlydidinhispreviouslife.”

His disapproving attitude didn’t prevent him from being interested in theadventures of a great Buddhist pilgrim named Xuanzang who, surmountingtremendous dangers and difficulties, traversed ten thousand miles to India tostudyBuddhistdoctrine.

Xuanzang spent nineteen years abroad and returned to China in 645 to ahero’swelcome,bringingbackmorethansixhundredBuddhistbooks.Hewrotea book about his journey to what are today India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, and numerous other places. His legendaryadventuresareimmortalizedinthefamousMingnovelJourneytotheWest.

Taizongmethimandwasimpressedbytheman’seruditionandpersonality.Subsequently,hewroteaflatteringforewordtotheChineseversionofBuddhist

sutras translated by Xuanzang. And his views on Buddhism became morefavorable.

Meanwhile, Islam gained wide acceptance in China’s northwestern borderregions,survivingenergeticallytothisday.

HOBBIES

Strongandenergetic,Taizongenjoyedoutdooractivities.Hewasfondofarcheryandwasoneofthebestmarksmenofhistime.Thebowheusedwastwicethenormalsizeandstrongenoughtoshootthroughanirondoor.Hismarksmanshipsavedhislifemanytimesonthebattlefield.

He had a passion for horses, and his horsemanship was as good as hismarksmanship.Hecommissionedanartisttocarvehissixfavoritewarstallionsinbas-reliefonstoneandhadthemplacedinhistomb.Theirvividimageshavebeenpreservedtothisday.

Huntingwashis favorite sport, but thekindofhuntingTaizongengaged inwasanexpensiveproposition.Itresembledmilitaryexercisesinwhichsoldierssurrounded a wide area of country and drove the game to the center, wherehunterswerewaiting.

During the hunting excursion, Taizong and his companions, all excellentarchersandswordsmenincolorfulhuntingoutfitsandaccompaniedbydogsandfalcons,wouldgoout early in themorningonhorsesdraped in tiger skin andreturnlateatnight.Taizongwouldfightwithwildanimalsatcloserangejustforthethrilloffighting.

OnedayTaizongwasattackedbyapackofwildboars.Heshotdeadfour,butonenearlyknockedoverhishorse.Anaidejumpedoffhishorsetocometohisrescuebutlosthisownweaponandhadtofightbarehanded.ItwasTaizongwhofinallykilledtheboarwithhissword.

“Whywereyousoscared?”hesaid,laughingattheman.“DidyouseehowIfight?”

Theaidewasnotamused,though.“YourMajestyistherulerofthecountry.Whydidyouriskyourlifetofightabeast?Toshowoffyourbravery?”

Themanapparentlydidn’tappreciateTaizong’spenchantforhunting.Infact,Taizongwrotequiteafewpoemsabouthisloveforhunting,forhorses,andforarchery.Othertopicstouchedoninhismorethanonehundredpoemswerethecity scenes of Chang’an, natural beauty, court occasions, and philosophicalreflections.

Taizong was also musically inclined. The music and dance performed atancestral worship ceremonies, state banquets, and New Year celebrationssymbolized thecultural andartistic achievementsof thedynasty.According toChinese tradition, each dynasty would compose its own music after it wasfounded. Taizong was closely involved in creating the Tang music, whichincorporatedavarietyofChineseandforeignmusicalelements.

He choreographed an elaborate court dance, eulogizing Tang’s militarysuccesses. It was performed regularly at palace dinner parties. A ministerproposed that scenes of rebel leaders being captured be added to the dance.Taizong rejected the idea, saying that sincequite a fewofhis former enemieswereservinginhiscourt,doingsowouldhurttheirfeelings.Itwouldhavetheoppositeeffectofwhatdanceandmusicweresupposedtoengender.

Taizong was also adept at calligraphy, which was considered a fine art inChina. A good hand was a mark of social distinction and scholarship.Calligraphybygrandmasterswasearnestlycopiedandstudied.Piecesof theirhandwritingweretreasuredworksofartandTaizongwasanardentcollector.

EMPRESSZHANGSUN

Taizong had awife,EmpressZhangsun, and seven concubines,who bore himfourteen sons and twenty-one daughters.He loved hiswife dearly. Theyweremarriedwhenhewasfifteenandshewastwelve.Theempresswasthedaughterof a distinguished Sui general and was well educated, but when her husbandaskedheropiniononaffairsofstate,she’dsayitwasinappropriateforhertogetinvolvedinpolitics.

HerbrotherZhangsunWujiwasTaizong’sboyhoodfriendandhadplayedamajorroleinTaizong’srisetopower.WhenWujiwasappointedprimeminister,theempresspersuadedhimtoresignbecauseshewasconcernedaboutnepotism.

She told Taizong, “Because of my marriage, many of my relatives areoccupyinghighpositionsthattheydon’tdeserve.Theirpositionsareprecarious.Ihopeyouwillnotappointanymoreofthemfortheirownsakes.”

Theempresswaskindtoallthoseinthepalace’semploy.Ifshebelievedherhusbandhadpunishedaeunuchoramaidwithoutagoodreason,she’dpretendtobeasangryashewasandoffertolookintotheperson’soffenses.She’dwaituntil her husbandhad calmeddownbefore intercedingon the person’s behalf,makingsuretherewasnoinjusticedoneinherhousehold.

Shecompiledacollectionofstoriesaboutwell-knownvirtuouswomenandwell-knownvillainouswomeninhistoryforallthecourtladiestoread.

When she fell seriously ill, her son suggested that she let Taizong order ageneralamnestyinthehopethatagestureofclemencymightmovethegodstosaveher,buttheempressrefused.

“Lifeanddeatharedeterminedbyfate,whichhumanbeingscannotchange,”shesaid.“Ifdoinggoodbringsfortune,I’veneverdoneanythingwronginmylife.Ifnot,what’stheuseofprayingtogods?Anamnestyisamatterofgraveconsequence.Itshouldnotbetrifledwith.Don’tdoitformysake.”

Tomakeastandagainst theprevalentpracticeofexpensivefuneralsamongboth theupperclassand thecommonpeople, theempress toldTaizongonherdeathbed, “I’ve done very little for the country. Please don’t wastemoney tobuildamausoleumforme.Justburymeinthemountain.Noneedtocallbackthechildrentothecapital.Itwouldonlymakemeupsettoseethemcrying.”

Whenshediedattheageofthirty-five,Taizong’sgriefknewnobounds.Tocomplywithherwish,notreasurewasburiedinhertomb;theonlyobjectsthereweresomehumanfiguresandhorsesmadeofwoodandceramics.

“I hope she won’t be disturbed,” remarked Taizong. “There’s no treasureinside.Graverobbersoughttosparehertomb.Allmyfamilyshouldbeburiedthisway.”

ANENLIGHTENEDRULER

Taizong’sregnalyearswerecalledZhenguan,meaning“truevision”—thevisionof a great empireunder awise ruler.Taizongwantedhistory to remember thegrandeurandsplendorofhisdynasty.Toalargeextent,hewassuccessful.Whenhediedin649,Taizonghadlaiddownthefoundationofadynasty thatwas tolastnearlythreehundredyears.

Tang China was confident, vibrant, and open to new ideas and newimmigrants.ThewealthofTangChinaattractedvisitorsfromfarandnear.Thepoetry, painting, and architecture of Tang China were the admiration of theworld.

Thecapital,Chang’an,was theworld’smostopenandcosmopolitancity inthe seventh century. It was the center of art, literature, fashion, and advancedlearninginAsia.Thecity’smostimposingfeaturewastheimperialpalacewithitshalls, towers,gardens,pavilions,andcompounds.Thestreetswerebustling;themarketplaceswerecrowded.EnvoysfromPersia,Japan,andIndiaflockedto

pay their respects. Merchants from the West, Buddhist monks from India,Nestorian priests fromSyria, andTaoistmagicians rubbed shoulderswith oneanother.

Tang China recruited talents from all over the world. Many generals andofficialswere of non-Chinese origin. Tang culture heavily influenced those ofKorea, Japan, and Vietnam. Never since the mighty Han dynasty had Chinaattainedsuchpowerandprestige.

During the Tang period,Chinese started traveling and emigrating overseas.Theyidentifiedthemselvesasthe“peopleofTang,”andiftheysettleddowninaplace, theycalledtheirenclavethe“townofTang.”TothisdayChinese in theWest still refer toChinatown,whether it is theChinatown inNewYorkor theChinatown in London, as the “town of Tang,” andChinese in SoutheastAsiarefertothemselvesasthe“peopleofTang.”

*

Oneyearbeforehisdeath,Taizongsummeduphislifeinthefollowingwords.

Readinghistory,Idiscoveredallthefoundingemperorsofnewdynastiescametopoweronlyaftertheageofforty,exceptEmperorGuangwuoftheHandynasty,whowasthirty-threewhenheascendedthethrone.Iwasanarmycommanderateighteen.Idefeatedalltherebelforcesattwenty-fourandbecameemperorattwenty-nine.IwasquiteyoungwhenIjoinedthearmy.Ididn’thavemuchtimetostudy.Therefore,afterbecomingemperor,ImadeanefforttoreadwheneverIwasfree.

I’velearnedtheprinciplesofgoodgovernanceandputthemintopractice.Ourcountrywasgoingdownhill,butitisnowingoodshape.ForeignbarbariansusedtoinvadeChina,buttheyarenowourvassals.I’mverylucky,forI’vedonebetterthanmanyrulersinhistory.Iwanttomakesurethatmyrulehasagoodbeginningandagoodending.

Hisself-appraisalisnotexactlymodestbutbyandlargefair.Taizongwantedhistory to remember him as a forceful and decisive yet wise and benevolentmonarch.Throughouthiscareer,heretainedthequalitiesthatsingledhimoutasan enlightened ruler—he was reflective, self-conscious, open-minded, andreceptivetocriticism.

HiswillingnesstolistentoremonstrancestemmedfromhisvividmemoryofEmperorYang’smisruleandsubsequentdownfall,fromhiswishtobeabrilliantruleraswell asa superiormilitary leader, and fromhisdesire to leaveagoodnameinhistory’sannals,adesirenotunrelatedtohisfratricidalact.

Today,heisreveredasamongthegreatestemperorsofChina.Asawiseandrationalmonarch,heisarolemodelforallrulers.AndhisdynastyisrecognizedasoneofthemostgloriouserasinChinesehistory.

Author’sNote

This book is the result of years of research aswell as the study of numerousChinese classics. My primary source was The Zhenguan Executive Guide(ZhenguanZhengyao),compiledbyWuJing(670–749).

Othersignificantsourcematerialsareasfollows:

·TangTaizongandGeneralLiJingon theArtofWar,compiledbyDuYou(735–812)

·GuidefortheEmperor(Difan)byTangTaizong·A ComprehensiveMirror for Rulers (Zizhi Tongjian) by Sima Guang(1019–86)etal.

·HistoryoftheSuibyWeiZheng(580–643)etal.·OldHistoryoftheTangbyLiuXu(870–945)etal.·NewHistoryoftheTangbyOuyangXiu(1007–72)etal.

TheseworkswerewritteninclassicalChinese.Forthereaderoftoday,theyneed tobe translated intomodernChinesevernacularwithannotations.So, forexample, the originalZhenguan ExecutiveGuide has 90,000words,while themodernChineseversionstretchesto450,000.

MygrandfatherTangHeng,aclassical scholar, taughtme classicalChinesewhen I was a teenager and gaveme a solid grounding in classical prose andpoetry aswell as calligraphy. I also learned to compose classical verse,whichdeepenedmyunderstandingof classicalChinese.This knowledge stoodme ingoodsteadwhenIcarriedoutresearchonTangTaizong.TheRuler’sGuidehasdistilled, condensed, and reorganized the original texts in the hope that thewisdomofTangTaizongmightbemoreaccessibletomodernWesternreaders.

The Romanization of Chinese names presents some difficulty. This bookadopts the pinyin system, the official phonetic alphabet in China, but someproper names, such as Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Sun Tzu, are spelled in theirtraditionalways according to theWade-Giles system becauseWestern readersarealreadyfamiliarwiththem.

DynastiesinChineseHistory

Xia ca.2070–1600BCShang ca.1600–1046BCZhou ca.1046–256BC

SpringandAutumn770–476BCWarringStates475–221BC

Qin 221–206BCHan 206BC–AD220ThreeKingdoms 220–280

Wei220–265 Shu221–263 Wu222–280

Jin 265–420NorthernandSouthern 420–589Sui 581–618Tang 618–907FiveDynasties 907–960Song 960–1279Yuan 1279–1368Ming 1368–1644Qing 1644–1911

Acknowledgments

I am lucky to have a fabulous editor, Rick Horgan, whose inspiring—andinspired—guidance has helped me fashion The Ruler’s Guide into its currentform.Igreatlyappreciatehiscross-culturalinsightandglobalvisionaswellashispassion fordetails. I’mmuchobliged to JayaMiceli,KyleKabel, andJeffWardforgracingmybookwithahandsomecover,elegantinteriordesign,andan excellentmap, and to Dan Cuddy for carefully supervising the productionprocess. Iwould like to thank theentire staff atScribner for their support andhardwork.

I’m heartily grateful to my agent, Nicholas Ellison, for his faith andenthusiasm. I’m deeply indebted to Professor Constance Yang and AudreySasaki,who readmyearlier drafts andgaveme invaluable suggestions. I owespecial thanks to Susan Converse Winslow, who read the entire manuscriptcarefully.Herwiseandoften-soughtcounselhasbrightenedthesepages.

My grandfathers and grandmothers taught me to cherish Chinese classics.Their loving memory inspired me to write this book. Both my parents areteachers. Inmychildhood, theyfostered inmeahabitof readingand,decadeslater,as Iembarkedon thisproject,gaveme theirsteadfastsupport. Idedicatethisbooktothem.

©CHINGHUATANG

ChinghuaTangwasborninShanghai,wherehestudiedatEastChinaNormal University. He subsequently graduated from the London School ofEconomics and was the first HarvardMBA from the People’s Republic ofChina.Hehasworkedatseveralassetmanagementfirms,includingBarclays,andtodayrunshisownmanagementconsultingfirm,ConcordeUniversalInc.HelivesinNewYorkCity.

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