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

by Chinghua Tang

  As soon as he ascended the throne, Taizong set about reforming the laws, which he considered too strict. He shared Wei Zheng’s view that strict laws were necessary during times of trouble, but laws should be compassionate and lenient during times of peace.

  To Taizong, law was not an end but a means to an end, i.e., to foster moral values, for good morals are preventive—they turn a man away from evil before he has the chance to commit it—whereas law is punitive. It only comes into action to punish a man for evil already committed.

  TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS’ WORDS

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  THE ROOT CAUSE OF CRIME

  When Taizong discussed with his ministers ways to reduce crime, an official suggested that law enforcement be strengthened and punishment made harsher.

  Taizong disagreed. “I believe most people are driven to crime by heavy taxes and corvéeI duties or by the extortion of corrupt officials. When they can’t keep body and soul together, people will lose their sense of shame. We should cut government expenditures, reduce taxes and corvée duties, and appoint honest officials. If people can earn a decent livelihood and have some savings, crime will naturally decrease. Why do we need harsh laws?”

  HARSH JUDGES

  Each month the supreme court sent the emperor a report on the number of prisoners in the country and their offenses. Taizong noticed a tendency among the judges to inflict severe punishment on criminals.

  “Some cases may have mitigating circumstances,” Taizong said to his ministers. “The judges could have been more lenient. A dead man cannot be revived. Coffin makers wish a plague to occur every year, not because they hate people, but because they want to sell more coffins. Judges like to give harsh sentences because they want to get good performance appraisals for themselves. How can we correct such a tendency?”

  “Appoint upright men to be judges,” Minister Wang Gui suggested, “and base their pay increases and promotions on being fair, not on being eager to inflict stiff punishment.”

  Taizong adopted his proposal and instructed that cases of capital punishment must be reviewed by three officials to avoid a miscarriage of justice.

  NO AMNESTY

  Although Taizong believed in lenient laws, he didn’t favor amnesty. He said: “Amnesty means good luck to criminals but misfortune to victims and innocent people. If there are two amnesties a year, all law-abiding people will be scared. Allow weeds to survive and you’ll harm crops. Give criminals a pardon and you’ll injure innocent people. That’s why I rarely grant amnesty, for fear criminals may think they can get away with breaking the law.”

  The only time Taizong granted amnesty was when he took pity on 390 death-row convicts and sent them home on condition that they come back in the fall of the next year to be executed. All of the convicts returned to their prisons on time. Taizong was so pleased that for once he pardoned all of them.

  SHAMING

  General Zhangsun Shunde was found to have accepted bribes in the form of rolls of fine silk. Considering that he’d rendered meritorious services in the past, Taizong decided to punish him differently. He awarded the general a few rolls of fine silk before the entire court.

  “The man ought to be punished,” protested Hu Yan, vice president of the supreme court. “Why did Your Majesty reward him?”

  “If the man has a sense of shame,” replied Taizong, “he will understand my message. To make him accept silk this way is a public humiliation. The effect on him is more severe than normal punishment. If he has no sense of shame, then he is just an animal. What’s the point of killing an animal?”

  AVOIDING SUSPICION

  Taizong’s wife had lost her parents when she was small. She and her brother had been brought up by their stepbrother, who was an alcoholic. He mistreated them and eventually drove them out of their home.

  But she forgave him. She even asked Taizong to give him a job. The man, however, was an ingrate. Not only did he refuse to mend his ways, but he joined a group plotting against Taizong. So he was arrested and sentenced to death.

  On the day of his execution, the empress intervened and said to her husband, “His crime is certainly punishable by death. But if he is executed, many people who know he mistreated me in the past may interpret it as my personal revenge. That will hurt your reputation.”

  Thereupon Taizong spared the man’s life.

  NOT ENSNARING SUBORDINATES

  As bribery in the government increased, Taizong became concerned. He wanted to punish a few corrupt officials severely to send a warning to everyone. He secretly instructed his aides to bribe some officials so as to catch them. A customs officer was arrested after accepting a roll of fine silk. Taizong wanted him to be put to death.

  Minister Pei Ju objected. “Taking bribes is a crime punishable by death. There is no question about it. But the difference in this case is that it was Your Majesty who instructed your aide to ensnare him with a bribe. Trapping people this way is hardly appropriate for a ruler. It’s obviously against the teaching of Confucius, who told us ‘to lead others by virtues and guide them with the rules of proper conduct.’ ”

  Taizong accepted the minister’s argument and spared the man’s life.

  MERITS VS. DEMERITS

  In 639, the Chinese army, led by Generals Hou Junji and Xue Wanjun, conquered the kingdom of Gaochang (Karakhoja). The whole country cheered their victory.

  However, it became known that General Hou had taken illegal possession of treasures in Gaochang and that his soldiers, following suit, had extensively looted the capital city of Gaochang. General Hou was impeached, arrested, and thrown into prison.

  Cen Wenben, vice president of the legislature, wrote Taizong a memorandum expressing his concern. “We celebrated the victory of General Hou just ten days ago. If you court-martial him now, people will think Your Majesty only remembers a man’s faults, not his merits.

  “When you send a general on a military expedition, the single most important requirement for him is to win victory. If he does so, he should be rewarded even if he commits a corrupt act. If he is defeated, he should be punished even if he is honest.

  “Most generals love money. Few are perfectly honest. Make use of their bravery and their brains as well as their greed and stupidity. The smart ones want to make a name for themselves. The brave want to demonstrate their courage. The greedy and stupid go after treasures at the risk of their own lives.

  “I hope you will forgive General Hou on account of his accomplishments and continue to use him in the future. You may have to bend the law a little bit, but you’ll manifest your magnanimity. Pardoning the general will make him realize his fault all the more deeply.”

  Taizong accepted his minister’s advice and ordered the general to be released.

  PERSONAL FEELINGS

  Taizong said to the crown prince, “Don’t punish a person if he goes against your will, yet what he does is good for the country. Don’t reward a person if he pleases you personally, yet what he does is not in the best interest of the country.”

  DECENCY

  General Xue Wanjun was accused of raping a woman of Gaochang. He denied the charge. Taizong wanted to bring the woman to the court to confront the general.

  Wei Zheng opposed him. “The general and his brother are highly respected military commanders of our country. It is utterly inappropriate to allow a woman of a conquered country to confront a senior Chinese general in public over so distasteful a matter as fornication. If the accusation is true, your gain will be small. But if it turns out to be false, your loss will be great.”

  He quoted some historical examples of how the clemency and magnanimity of the ruler were rewarded by the loyalty and devotion of his subordinates and persuaded Taizong to set the general free.

  The following is one instructive story from the Spring and Autumn period that was used by Wei in his argument.

  A Ribbon-Ripping Banquet

  King Zhuang of Chu was giving a banquet for his ministers and generals. Music was
playing and toasts were exchanged amid a convivial atmosphere. The banquet went from afternoon into evening and candles were lit. The king asked his concubine, the beautiful Princess Xu, to walk around the hall and pour wine for each guest at the table.

  In the midst of laughter and tinkling of cups, a wind suddenly blew out all the candles, and the banquet hall was enveloped in darkness. Princess Xu happened to stand near a man who, enticed by her beauty, pulled at her clothes until his fingers nearly touched her breast. The princess staved off the intrusion dexterously and ripped the chin ribbon off the man’s hat.

  She ran up to the king and whispered, “Somebody was trying to pull off my clothes. But I’ve snatched the chin ribbon off his hat. Please have the candles relit. I can identify him easily.”

  Instead of summoning the attendants to light up the candles, the king proposed that everyone take off his hat, loosen his clothes, and have a good time. Too willing to oblige, the guests complied right away. When the candles were relit, Princess Xu was unable to identify the man. She was upset.

  When the party was over, the king explained to her, “That man must’ve been a little drunk. You needn’t make a fuss to spoil the party. These men have worked for me in good faith. I wanted them to have a good time.”

  Three years went by. War broke out between Chu and its neighbor, Wu. King Zhuang was surrounded by the enemy in a battle and fought desperately to break out. At this moment, one General Tang rushed to his rescue. The general fought so bravely that the king was able to snatch victory out of defeat.

  King Zhuang was filled with gratitude. “I haven’t been particularly favorable to you, why did you fight so hard to save me?”

  He wanted to reward the general, but the general declined his offer.

  “Your Majesty, I am the man who harassed Princess Xu at a banquet three years ago. You could have punished me, but you overlooked my fault. From that day on I’ve been looking for a chance to express my gratitude.”

  The king’s handling of the situation was hailed as a quintessential example of being magnanimous to one’s subordinates. Such magnanimity earned him their lasting loyalty.

  WHAT TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS TEACH US TODAY

  * * *

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

  He conveyed both leniency and condemnation by publicly giving an official the very goods that he’d accepted as a bribe.

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

  He pardoned an old colleague and apologized for doing so to demonstrate both his humanity and his respect for the law.

  He curtailed corruption by letting officials watch the execution of their corrupt colleagues.

  By judiciously exercising his authority, Taizong tried to create an environment that was conducive to good conduct and favorable to cultivating good morals.

  If a society honors solely the letter of the law, it risks being too rigid; it risks discounting humanity and common sense. It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive.

  Today, every organization has its own rules and regulations. It is up to the leader of the organization to make them into an effective management tool and thereby promote desirable organizational behavior.

  It should be noted that, while Wei Zheng’s advice concerning women may smack of male superiority, in fact, women enjoyed higher status in Tang China than ever before. They were free to love, free to marry, free to divorce and remarry. They had the right to inherit property, which was unprecedented in a traditionally patriarchal society. They could play sports like their male counterparts. While they could not attend school like men, they received education at home. It was such an open-minded attitude toward women that led a concubine of Taizong’s to become his daughter-in-law, and eventually, the only female emperor in Chinese history, who was known as Empress Wu.

  * * *

  I Corvée was unpaid, compulsory labor on public projects that was required by the state.

  9

  On Frugality

  The best government is the one that does not make its presence felt. The second best is the one that is praised by the people. The next is the one feared by the people. The worst is the one despised and distrusted by the people.

  —LAO TZU

  The bureaucracy had become bloated under Taizong’s father, who’d rewarded many supporters and relatives by creating unnecessary positions. Taizong made an effort to trim the civil service, reducing the number of officials in the central government from more than two thousand to six hundred and forty. He downsized provincial bureaucracy by combining prefectures and counties on a large scale. Taizong also reduced taxes, corvée duties, and military service by cutting the spending of the imperial family, curtailing construction works, and refraining from military adventure.

  These steps stemmed from his belief that if the people had a stable life with adequate income, his regime would be stable, and vice versa.

  TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS’ WORDS

  * * *

  KEEP SUFFICIENT RESERVES

  Taizong told the crown prince about the importance of saving. He said, “If a country does not have nine years’ grain reserves, there won’t be a sufficient amount to guard against natural disasters. If a family does not have one year’s supply of clothing, there won’t be a sufficient amount to protect against weather changes.

  “That is why we should avoid wasteful spending and shun extravagance, and why we must promote agriculture and encourage the people to work hard.

  “Sage kings of the past lived frugally despite their exalted status and the wealth at their disposal, not because they disliked the comforts of luxury but because they wanted to promote thrift by example.”

  LET WEALTH STAY WITH THE PEOPLE

  Taizong said to Minister Wang Gui, “We should save up enough grain for possible lean years but no more. The right way to run a country is to let wealth stay with the people, not with the state. Emperor Yang of the Sui had much wealth in his treasury and much grain in his warehouse. But he still lost power. Just as the ancients said, ‘If the people don’t have enough to live on, how can the ruler survive for long?’ Too much wealth accumulated by the state will only tempt the ruler to spend it on himself. And this, in turn, will lead to his ruin.”

  FOOD IS THE FIRST PRIORITY

  “Food is the first concern of the people,” Taizong said. “Agriculture is the first priority of our economy. Timing is vital to farming. The ruler must not do anything to cause the people to miss the sowing and harvesting seasons, such as waging wars or building palaces.”

  Minister Wang Gui concurred: “That’s the lesson we learned from the fall of the Sui dynasty. Your Majesty witnessed the event firsthand and knows what changes we should make. But it is easy to have a good start and hard to stick to it.”

  “It falls on me to carry it through,” replied Taizong. “I will restrain myself from doing things that will disturb the people’s life.”

  WAR IS THE LAST RESORT

  Taizong said, “Weapons are ominous instruments. A country may have vast territory, but if the ruler is warlike, he will sap its resources. A country may be at peace, but if the ruler is not prepared against war, he can put it in danger.

  “You cannot abandon war as a means of defense, but you should not resort to it too often.”

  PRUDENCE PREVAILS

  Kangju, a remote kingdom located in present-day Uzbekistan in Central Asia, asked to become a vassal of the Tang empire. Taizong turned down its request.

  He said to his ministers, “If Kangju becomes our vassal, it will obligate us to come to its aid if it is invaded. I’ll have to dispatch an expeditionary army. It will be a big burden on our people. But what gains will we get for our pains? Only vainglory. No, this is not what I want.”

  LIVE FRUGALLY

  Taizong said, “The ruler should practice
frugality so that the people are not overburdened. He should keep government activities to a minimum so that the people are not disturbed.

  “If the ruler is after pleasure and luxury, he will waste resources. He is bound to alienate himself from the people and incur resentment. His regime may collapse before he can really enjoy being a ruler.”

  WHAT TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS TEACH US TODAY

  * * *

  Taizong preferred simpler government to big government. A student of history and human nature, he knew that there are people who love to wield power over others and that bureaucracy has a tendency to amass power. But big government is expensive, wasteful, and inefficient. Big government means high taxes. High taxes mean less money for people to spend; they slow the economy and incur popular discontent.

  Taizong sounded like Benjamin Franklin when he talked about the virtues of saving, frugality, and prudence. He would have been horrified had Tang China run into debt and kept on borrowing, as many countries do these days.

  If you live in a country with mounting government debt and are concerned about the future, you may want to consider promoting the virtues Taizong stressed.

  10

  On the Rise and Fall of an Empire