The Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success

by Chinghua Tang

  He wanted to put the man on trial for slandering.

  Wei Zheng objected. “Read one memorandum, and you can feel the author is weeping. Read another, and you can feel the author is sighing. Since ancient times, memoranda have often used provocative words to gain the attention of the reader. Provocative language is somewhat similar to slander, but a sage ruler can find something good even in a madman’s remarks. It’s up to Your Majesty to decide what’s true and what’s not in a memorandum.”

  “Well said,” replied Taizong. “Only you can make such a point.”

  Instead of punishing the magistrate, he awarded him twenty rolls of silk.

  SYCOPHANTS

  Taizong made the following comment regarding sycophants.

  “Flatterers and sycophants are pests. To pursue power and profit, they try to find favor with the ruler through their pleasing talk and ingratiating manner.

  “When the ruler is surrounded by such people, his ears and eyes will be blocked. He cannot see his own faults, and loyal officials will not dare to speak out. It is dangerous.

  “Wholesome advice often grates on the ear, but it can benefit you. Flattery is often pleasing to the mind, but it can do you harm. The enlightened ruler follows wholesome advice. Even though it may taste bitter, it can cure his sickness. The ignorant ruler likes flattery. Even though it may taste sweet, it can destroy him.”

  NO TRICKERY OF SUBORDINATES

  A townsman asked Taizong to weed out sycophants in the court.

  “Those I appointed to office,” said Taizong, “are all honest and competent in my judgment. Do you know anyone who is not?”

  “No, I don’t,” answered the man. “But I have an idea how to uncover such people. If Your Majesty pretends to be angry, then we’ll know. Those who come forward to remonstrate are upright men, and those who go along with you are sycophants.”

  Taizong rejected the idea. “Whether a river is clean or not depends on its source,” he explained. “I am like the source of a river and my subordinates are like the flow. If I use deceitful means to test them, how can I expect them to be honest? It would be as unreasonable as expecting a river to be clean when its source is muddy. I despise a ruler who uses tricks to test his subordinates. Though your intention is good, your method would damage my credibility.”

  RESPECTING THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SUBORDINATES

  Imperial censors Quan Wanji and Li Renfa liked to ferret out what officials did in their private lives and report it to Taizong. They would lash out at senior officials in public. Taizong appeared to encourage such practices. He granted the two men private audiences and even praised them for “not trying to curry favor with powerful ministers.” Many officials became ill at ease.

  Wei Zheng was disgusted. “Quan Wanji and Li Renfa are despicable men,” he said to Taizong. “They don’t know what is important and what is not. They think that exposing others’ private lives is something honorable, that informing against your ministers is being loyal to Your Majesty. But among those attacked by them, no one has committed a crime. Your Majesty, of course, knows what kind of men Quan and Li are. That’s why you didn’t entrust them with important duties. But you still chose to use them because, I guess, you thought their verbal assaults might keep everyone scrupulously honest. As a result, these scoundrels became powerful while loyal ministers are alienated from you. I’m not sure you have promoted many worthy men. However, to be friendly to such villains can only harm your image.”

  Taizong was at a loss for what to say. Then he awarded Wei Zheng five hundred rolls of silk. Later on, he demoted Quan Wanji and Li Renfa.

  THE DILEMMA OF A LOYAL OFFICIAL

  “I haven’t received much advice from my ministers lately. Do you know why?” Taizong asked Wei Zheng.

  “Those you don’t trust don’t speak out because they fear you may think they slander you. Those you trust don’t speak out because they lack a sense of duty. Each has his own motivations. A feeble-minded man, even if he is honest, does not dare to speak out. A man not close to you does not speak out because he doesn’t think you would trust him. A man who is only concerned about keeping his position does not speak out because he doesn’t want to offend you. As a result, everybody keeps his mouth shut and just drifts along.”

  “Exactly,” Taizong agreed. “I often ponder this problem. I understand their fear. 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. I welcome all honest remonstrances. Tell the ministers I won’t punish anyone for speaking out.”

  A GOOD OFFICIAL VS. A LOYAL OFFICIAL

  On another occasion, Wei Zheng said to Taizong: “I hope Your Majesty will let me be a good minister rather than a loyal minister.”

  “What is the difference between the two?” asked Taizong.

  “There is a big difference. A good minister makes a good name for himself for helping his king make wise decisions so that the good fortune of his king may last long. A loyal minister follows his king blindly even if the king is wrong. The king could be killed, the country could be lost, and the minister could die, but he would make a good name for himself for being loyal.”

  “Well, I hope you’ll be a good minister,” said Taizong.

  Wei Zheng then recounted a conversation between Duke Jing, the ruler of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period, and Yan Ying, his prime minister.

  “The duke asked Yan Ying: ‘What is a good minister?’

  “ ‘A good minister will neither die for his king,’ replied Yan Ying, ‘nor will he follow him into exile.’

  “ ‘Why not?’ asked the duke, not understanding. ‘If his king treats him well, appointing him to high office and giving him high pay, isn’t he supposed to be loyal?’

  “ ‘True,’ said Yan Ying, ‘he should be loyal. If the king had listened to his good advice, disaster would not have come. The king would never have to flee or die. But if the king ignored his advice and then got into trouble, why should he die for him?’ ”

  A HOPELESS SITUATION

  Taizong said: “If the king refuses to heed remonstrance, his ministers will not dare to offend him by speaking out. They have to keep their mouths shut. You can’t blame them, can you?”

  “Well, a loyal minister should not keep silent,” responded Vice Prime Minister Du Ruhui, “even if his king doesn’t want to listen to him. If the ministers are willing to risk their lives to remonstrate with the king, there is still hope for the country.”

  “I agree,” said Taizong. “If the king goes wrong and his ministers don’t remonstrate, it will be a hopeless situation.”

  REAL ELOQUENCE

  In the beginning of his reign, Taizong listened to remonstrances patiently. But gradually his confidence grew into the arrogance of success, and his self-control slipped, especially after the death of Wei Zheng in 643. He would argue with those who criticized him and debate those who disagreed with him. Minister Liu Ji wrote Taizong a memorandum about his behavior.

  “Even if Your Majesty is humble enough to ask advice from your subordinates, you may not receive it. But now when they do voice their opinion, you often get into an argument with them, eager to prevail. Who would dare to speak out? Eloquence is not such a virtue as you think. Lao Tzu said real eloquence means talking little, and Chuang TzuII said truth does not need a lot of argument. Neither of them favors excessive talking. You may win an argument, but you’ll lose the goodwill of your ministers. We achieved peace and prosperity not because we were eloquent talkers but because we were down-to-earth doers. Too much talking is also tiring. I hope Your Majesty will devote your energy to work and be as humble as you used to be.”

  Taizong admitted his mistake. “Yes, I talked too much. I was proud of my debating skill. It made me look down upon others. Thank you for pointing that out.”

  MIRROR TO THE EMPEROR

  Taizong was grief-stricken when Wei Zheng died in the seventeenth year of his reign. He closed the court
for an unprecedented five-day mourning period and made the following famous remark.

  “Use brass as a mirror, and one can straighten one’s clothes; use history as a mirror, and one can discern the causes of the rise and fall of a state; use other people as a mirror, and one can understand one’s own strengths and weaknesses. Now, as Wei Zheng is dead, I’ve lost a precious mirror.”

  Wei Zheng’s reputation is as high today as it was in his own day. Among the traditional scholar-officials, he is celebrated as an exemplary Confucian minister; in folklore, he has become a door god who protects people against evils.

  WHAT TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS TEACH US TODAY

  * * *

  The office of imperial censor and the practice of issuing remonstrances were distinctive traditions in ancient China aimed at redressing the ills in its institutions.

  In a democracy, freedom of expression is valued. The legal system protects people’s right to express their frank opinion. However, there are many “fiefs” in a democracy—corporations, hospitals, schools, colleges, government agencies, and charitable organizations—in which “rulers” wield enormous power over the “ruled.”

  For example, a manager wields pervasive influence over the lives of his subordinates and their families. He is the virtual “lord” in his “fief,” with the power to hire, fire, promote, or demote his employees, whose livelihoods depend on him. And dependency makes them vulnerable.

  Even if employees know their employer’s behavior is illegal or unethical or both, can they really speak their mind? Can they say what they think and not worry about the response of their superiors or peers? Can they be truly honest regardless of self-interest? How likely are they to blow the whistle?

  Moreover, how many of today’s managers would urge their subordinates to criticize them as Taizong did, to say nothing of rewarding those who speak out?

  Reflecting on the government and corporate abuse of power we confront today, I wonder if the remonstrant might not have a deserving place in our society.

  * * *

  I Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was a British statesman, orator, author, and prime minister during World War II, and is regarded as one of the greatest Britons ever.

  II Chuang Tzu (c. 369–286 BC) was a great Taoist philosopher and a brilliant prose writer.

  6

  On Virtues

  If there is sincerity in thought, there will be righteousness in the heart; if there is righteousness in the heart, there will be integrity in character; if there is integrity in character, there will be harmony at home; if there is harmony at home, there will be order in the nation; if there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

  —GREAT LEARNINGI

  Taizong took over the country by force, but he fully agreed with the ancient Chinese belief that a ruler’s ultimate legitimacy and authority derive from his virtue and wisdom. When the Mandate of Heaven was granted to a ruler, it meant he was sufficiently wise and virtuous to receive it. Hence he was called the Son of Heaven. But he could lose that right if he failed to fulfill his obligation to rule properly.

  TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS’ WORDS

  * * *

  POWER VS. VIRTUES

  Taizong was discussing the longevity of the Zhou dynasty and the brief life of the Qin dynasty with his ministers.

  He said, “King Wu of the Zhou dynasty overthrew the last ruler of the Shang dynasty because the Shang ruler was a tyrant. The first emperor of the Qin dynasty conquered six states and toppled the fading Zhou dynasty. There is little difference in the way the Zhou and Qin were founded, but there is a big difference in their respective life spans.”

  Minister Xiao Yu responded, “The last ruler of the Shang was a despot. He deserved punishment. That’s why King Wu commanded popular support for his uprising. The Zhou dynasty was on the decline, but the six states were innocent. That’s why the first emperor of the Qin was not popular in his war of annexation.”

  “You only understand part of the story,” said Taizong. “After taking over the empire, the Zhou ruled by virtue and did many good things for the well-being of the people. So it lasted seven hundred years. But the Qin relied on deceit and brutal force to rule. Its rulers were cruel, dissolute, and extravagant. So its reign was cut short after just two generations. The lesson is this: you may seize power by violence, but you must run the country in a proper way afterward.”

  Xiao Yu admitted that his understanding was lacking.

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

  WEAPONRY

  “I checked our armory recently,” Prime Minister Fang Xuanling told Taizong. “I found we have more weapons than the Sui dynasty used to have.”

  “Of course it is important to have sufficient weaponry,” responded Taizong. “But I hope you will do a good job to enable the common people to make a decent living. That will be the best weapon to keep us in power. Didn’t Emperor Yang have many weapons? But he did not practice benevolence and righteousness. In the end, the people turned their backs on him.”

  FISH AND WATER

  Taizong told his ministers: “If the ruler is righteous but his ministers are not, it is impossible to have a good government. If the ministers are righteous but the ruler is not, it is also impossible to have a good government. When a righteous ruler and honest ministers work closely with one another, it is like fish and water. It will be good fortune for the country.”

  HEART AS THE SCALES

  Taizong said: “A ruler should put the interest of the state above selfish motives and personal considerations. Zhuge LiangII once said, ‘My heart is like the scales. I must be absolutely fair to everybody.’ Zhuge Liang felt that way when he was running a small state; how much more must I feel that way running a big country?”

  A FAVOR TO YOURSELF

  Taizong spoke with his ministers about the importance of being honest in performing their duties.

  “I am working hard not only for the common people but also for you. I hope you will enjoy fame and fortune for a long time to come. I hope you will be as fearful of the law of the land as I am of Heaven. Then you will be doing a favor not only for the common people but for yourself as well. An old saying goes: ‘Money causes a smart man to lose his willpower and a stupid man to get into trouble.’ Corruption is against the law. The culprit may not be uncovered, but he surely lives in fear. The pressure on him will affect his health and even shorten his life. And his children will be ashamed of him, too.

  “Birds and fish are caught because they are greedy enough to be tempted by the bait. Those who get into trouble because of their greed are no different from birds and fish, aren’t they?”

  CONCUBINE

  Empress Zhangsun recommended a very pretty girl to Taizong to be his concubine. Much pleased, Taizong was about to inform the girl’s family of his intention when Wei Zheng barged in and interrupted, for Wei had found out that the girl was already betrothed to a young man.

  “Your Majesty has not bothered to check up on her,” he admonished Taizong. “Just imagine how people will gossip!”

  Taizong was startled. He immediately ordered the girl to be returned to the young man. But the man denied that they were betrothed.

  Taizong was puzzled. “An official may want to curry favor with me, but I don’t understand why this man denied his own engagement.”

  “The man lied because he was afraid,” Wei Zheng explained. “Remember what your father did when he set his eyes on a beautiful woman? After he learned she already had a husband working in the palace, he was displeased and transferred the man out of the palace to be a county magistrate. The poor man was frightened out of his wits. By the same token, the girl’s betrothed fears that you may find some excuse to punish him in the future.”

  So Taizong wrote the man a letter, saying it was his fault not to have made inquiries before he accepted the girl.

  NINE VIRTUES AND TEN VICES
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br />   Wei Zheng wrote a lengthy memorandum to Taizong, listing nine virtues for him to cultivate and ten vices for him to avoid.

  “To make a tree grow luxuriantly, we must strengthen its root. To make a river flow a long distance, we must deepen its source. To bring stability to a country, we must lay down a foundation of virtue and benevolence. If the root is not strong, a tree cannot be leafy; if the source is not deep, a river cannot flow far; and if virtue and benevolence are not firmly established, a country won’t be stable. I am not very smart but I understand this. An enlightened ruler must understand this point better than I do. Heaven blesses a ruler who does not forget danger in peacetime, who does not indulge in extravagance, who controls his desires, and who practices nine virtues and shuns ten vices.”

  The nine virtues are as follows:

  1 Graciousness

  2 Gentleness

  3 Respectfulness

  4 Prudence

  5 Loyalty

  6 Fairness

  7 Honesty

  8 Courage

  9 Adherence to principles

  The ten vices are the following:

  1 Greed. If you like something, know what is enough.

  2 Going too far. If you desire something, know where to stop.

  3 Arrogance. Remember a high position carries high risk.