Who is the "mirror" of Emperor Taizong? Ask god for help

Wei Zhi Wei Zhi was born in Guantao (now Guantao, Hebei Province) in Xuancheng. He said that Julu was born in Quyang (now Jinxian, Hebei). Politicians in the early Tang Dynasty. He lost his father when he was young, and his family was poor, but he was ambitious, fond of reading, and once became a monk. At the end of Sui Dynasty, he participated in Shimei's Wagang Army Uprising. Later, Shi Biao returned to the Tang Dynasty and was captured by Dou Jiande, who served as Mr. Scheeren on a daily basis. After Dou Jiande's death, he was loyal to Prince Li and was appointed as Prince Xima. After the change of Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin acceded to the throne, pleased with his frankness, and advised the doctor. He was bold and made suggestions directly. Chen made more than 200 suggestions before and after, which was highly valued by Taizong and moved Prime Minister Zuo. He once said to Emperor Taizong: "The monarch" listens to everything clearly and is dark. He also often advised Emperor Taizong to take the demise of the Sui Dynasty as a warning, thinking that the monarch was like a ship and the people were like water. "Water can carry a boat and also overturn it." We should "be prepared for danger in times of peace, refrain from extravagance and frugality", "Ren Xian will remonstrate" and "pay less tax than rent". Directory [Hidden] 1 Biography 2 Related Anecdotes 3 Quotations 4 Related Entries 5 References Wei Zhi-Biography Wei Zhi (580-643) was born in Quyang, Julu, Wei Zhi (now Jinzhou, Hebei), and his father Wei Changxian was an official of the Sui Dynasty and was called a sage. He has a wife Pei, four sons, uncle Yu, uncle Yu and so on. I lost my parents when I was a child, and my family was poor, but I love reading and don't care about family affairs. I used to be a monk and a Taoist. At the end of the great cause of Sui Dynasty, Wei Zhi was appointed as Minister of Yuanbao in Wuyang County (now northeast of Daming, Hebei Province) of Sui Dynasty. After Yuan Baoju surrendered to Shi Mi, he was appointed by Shi Mi as a marshal's office document to join the army, specializing in document archives. In the first year of Wude, Tang Gaozu (6 18), after Shimi failed, Wei Zhi entered Shanhaiguan and followed him to the Tang Dynasty, but it was useless for a long time. The following year, Wei Zhi invited him to appease Hebei. After the imperial edict was granted, he took a post station to Liyang (now Xunxian County, Henan Province) to persuade Xu Shiqi, the commander of Liyang, to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Soon, Dou Jiande occupied Liyang, and Wei Zhi was also captured. After Dou Jiande's defeat, Wei Zhi returned to Chang 'an and was quoted by Prince Li as a member of the East Palace. Wei Zhi saw the contradiction between the prince and Li Shimin, the king of Qin, deepening day by day, and repeatedly advised Cheng Jian to take the initiative and start work as soon as possible. After the change of Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin, who had long valued his courage, not only didn't blame him, but appointed him as an admonition officer, often introducing the imperial palace to inquire about political gains and losses. Kevin·Z likes to be the master of every intimate friend, helping him wholeheartedly, knowing everything and talking about everything. Coupled with his honest and frank personality, he often argued and never compromised. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong once asked Wei Zhi, "What is a wise monarch and what is a dark monarch?" Wei Zhi replied: "You are smart because you listen; You are successful because you believe. In the past, Qin Ershi lived in the palace, but he didn't see the minister. He just trusted eunuch Zhao Gao and was kept in the dark until after the chaos. Emperor Yang Di believed in Historical Records, and many counties and counties in the world fell. I don't know. " Taizong deeply agreed with this statement. In the first year of Zhenguan (837), Wei Zhi was promoted to Zuo Cheng as prime minister. At this time, someone told him to promote his relatives to be officials privately. Emperor Taizong immediately sent an ancient imperial doctor, Wen Yanbo, to investigate the matter. As a result, there was no evidence, which was a false accusation. However, Emperor Taizong sent someone to tell Wei Zhi: "Stay away from suspicion in the future and don't create such incidents again." Wei Zhi immediately said to his face, "I heard that the monarch and the minister helped each other and integrated justice into one. If you don't talk about justice and only talk about avoiding suspicion, then the rise and fall of the country may not be known. " And asked Tang Taizong to make himself a good minister rather than a loyal minister. Emperor Taizong asked what was the difference between a loyal minister and a good minister. Wei Zhi replied: "Make yourself justified, make the monarch a wise king, and your descendants have no boundaries, so you are a good minister;" Killing yourself, turning the monarch into a tyrant, losing his home and country, is a loyal minister in name only. In this respect, the two are far from each other. " Taizong nodded in agreement. In the second year of Zhenguan (628), Wei Zhi was appointed as the secretariat, in charge of state affairs. Soon, the eldest grandson heard that an official surnamed Zheng had a daughter, only sixteen or seventeen years old, with both talent and appearance, which was unique in Beijing. He told Emperor Taizong to take him into the palace as a concubine. Emperor Taizong appointed this woman as his concubine. Wei Zhi heard that this woman had been betrothed to the Lujia, and immediately went to the palace to remonstrate: "Your Majesty is a parent and cares about the people, so you should worry about their worries and enjoy them. Living in a palace pavilion, we should think that all people have the safety of their houses; Eating delicacies, we should think that the people are free from hunger and cold; When concubines are in the courtyard, you should think that they are happy with their families. Now Zheng Min's daughter has been betrothed to Lujia. Your majesty took her into the palace without asking in detail. If the rumor gets out, is it for the parents of the people? " Emperor Taizong was shocked after hearing this, and immediately expressed deep guilt and decided to take it back. However, Fang and others believe that the promise of the Zheng family is false and insist on the validity of the imperial edict. Lujia also sent someone to hand in the form, indicating that although there were wealth exchanges before, they were not engaged. At this time, emperor Taizong with a grain of salt, and called Wei Zhi to ask. He said bluntly, "Lu refused to admit it because he was afraid that your majesty would use it to harm him in the future." The reason is clear. Not surprising. " Emperor Taizong suddenly realized and resolutely withdrew the imperial edict. Wei Zhi: Because Wei Zhi was able to protest face to face, even if Emperor Taizong was furious, he dared to argue face to face and never gave in. Therefore, Emperor Taizong sometimes felt awe of him. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong wanted to go hunting in Qinling for fun, and all his luggage was ready, but he couldn't make it. Later, when Kevin·Z asked about this matter, Taizong replied with a smile: "I did have this idea at the beginning, but I was afraid that you would say it again, so I soon gave up this idea." On another occasion, Emperor Taizong got a good kite and carried it on his shoulder. He is very proud. But when he saw Wei Zhi coming towards him from a distance, he quickly hid the bird in his arms. Wei Zhi deliberately played for a long time, causing the kite to suffocate in his arms. In the sixth year of Zhenguan, the ministers invited Taizong to meditate on Mount Tai. In order to show off achievements and national prosperity, only Wei Zhi objected. Emperor Taizong was surprised, so he asked Wei Zhi, "You don't advocate meditation. Do you think that my contribution is not high, my virtue is disrespectful, China is uneasy, my clothes are worn out, my years are not rich, and my good luck has finally come? " Wei Zhi replied: "Your Majesty has the above-mentioned Liu De, but since the chaos in the world at the end of Sui Dynasty, the registered permanent residence has not been restored until now, and the warehouse is still empty. Driving here and there and riding thousands of miles is expensive, which is unbearable for the people along the way. Besides, your meditation is bound to be a gathering of all nations, and Yuanjun will also be a squire. Nowadays, the Central Plains is vast and sparsely populated, and there are many shrubs. When ambassadors of all countries and commanders in Yuan Yi see that China is so weak, won't they feel contempt? If the reward is not good, it will not satisfy the desires of these distant people; Exempting and taxing taxes is far from rewarding people's expenses. Why does your majesty want to do such a thing that only seeks fame and fortune and is really hurt? " Soon, when floods broke out in several States in the Central Plains, the matter of Guan Chan stopped. Zhenguan seven years (633), supplemented by Kevin·Z on behalf of the baron. At the end of the same year, Huangfu Deshen of Zhongmu County wrote to Taizong: "Building Luoyang Palace will harm the people; Collecting land rent is too much; Women like to comb their hair in a high bun, which is changed by the palace. " Emperor Taizong was furious after receiving the book. He said to the prime ministers, "Germany wants the country not to serve one person, not to collect land rent, and the rich have no money, which is what he wants." I want to cure Huang Deshen for libel. Wei Zhi remonstrated, saying, "Since ancient times, the writing style has not been extreme, and it has not touched people's hearts. The so-called madman's words, saints choose good and follow. Please think about this truth. " Finally, he stressed: "Your Majesty doesn't like to hear the truth recently, but he is not as open-minded and natural as before." Emperor Taizong felt that Wei Zhi had a point, so he turned anger into joy. Instead of punishing Huang, he promoted him to supervise the empire. In the same year, he was named Zheng Guogong. In the tenth year of Zhenguan (636), Wei Zhi was ordered to preside over the compilation of Sui Shu, Zhou Shu, Liang Shu, Shaanxi Shu and Shu Qi (known as the History of the Five Dynasties), which lasted seven years and the manuscript was completed. Among them, the prefaces of Sui Shu, Liang Shu, Chen Shu and Shu Qi were all written by Zheng Wei, and they were praised as "good history". In June of the same year, Wei Zhi, who suffered from eye diseases, asked to remove his assistant. Although Emperor Taizong appointed him full-time, he still put him in charge of provincial affairs, and his salary, rewards and other benefits were exactly the same as those of officials. In the twelfth year of Zhenguan (638), Wei Zhi saw that Emperor Taizong was getting lazy, lazy in politics and pursuing extravagance, so he wrote the famous "Ten Gradually Difficult Situation" and listed ten changes in his attitude at the beginning of his reign. He also taught Emperor Taizong the "Ten Thoughts", that is, "If you see what you can do, you will be satisfied, if you are happy, you will think, if you are high, you will think modestly, if you are happy, you will think restrained, if you are happy, you will think arrogant, if you are punished." In the sixteenth year of Zhenguan (642), Wei Zhi was ill in bed, and the envoys sent by Emperor Taizong looked across the road. Wei Zhi was thrifty all his life and had no family to stay overnight. Emperor Taizong immediately ordered that all materials for building a small hall for himself should be used to build a big house for Kevin·Z. In 643, Wei Zhi died at home. Emperor Taizong personally mourned, tears streaming down his face, and said, "My husband can dress himself up with bronze as a mirror; Taking history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall; Take people as a mirror, you can know the gains and losses. I have kept these three mirrors in case I miss them. Now that Wei Zhi is dead, he died in a mirror. " , and wrote an inscription. Wei Zhi's funeral is very simple according to the wishes after death. But before long, Emperor Taizong thought that he might have an affair with Hou, went to the grave in person, knocked down his tombstone, and canceled the marriage between Princess Hengshan and his eldest son Wei Shuyu. Some official documents and Wei's poetry collections, including a volume of his poems in The Whole Tang Poetry. Six months after Wei Zhi's death, his bones were not cold. Because he has recommended the slain assistant minister Du Zhongshu and the official minister Hou Shang successively, and praised their talent as prime ministers, he suspected that they had personal cronies. In addition, there are rumors that Wei Zhi recorded an exhortation to the emperor before his death and showed it to Chu Suiliang, an official who recorded history at that time, which made him even more angry. He not only canceled the engagement between Princess Hengshan and Wei Zhi's eldest son Wei Shuyu, but also ordered the demolition of Wei Zhi's tombstone. In other words, Li Shimin broke his "mirror". Why did Emperor Taizong hate Wei Zhi so much after his death? According to Mr. Chen Yinque's textual research and analysis, in Tang Taizong's mind, because Wei Zhi was neither a Shandong aristocrat nor a Shandong warrior, his duty was only to contact Shandong heroes, monitor Shandong aristocrats and Guanlong Group, and use it to manipulate various political groups intermittently. If Wei Zhi's behavior goes beyond the power given by Emperor Taizong, it will be a taboo for Emperor Taizong. Du was recommended as prime minister, and Du came from a prosperous family in Shandong. Therefore, Tang Taizong entrusted him with the function of monitoring Shandong nobles, which in turn was suspected of uniting the two major forces in Shandong society. Hou did not give a detailed account of his family background in Biography of Two Tang Dynasties, only that he was a military commander. According to Mr. Chen's textual research, he later belonged to Liuzhen Huhan Guanlong Group with Emperor Taizong. According to the history books, there is no problem with his talent. Wei Zhi recommended Du Hou, which was equivalent to gathering the three major social forces at that time, and he himself was its hub. This is the most intolerable thing for Emperor Taizong. Fortunately, these things were exposed after Wei Zhi's death, otherwise the consequences would be the same. In the early 18th year of Zhenguan, when discussing whether to resist US aggression and aid Korea, Li Shimin once again mentioned Wei Zhi, who had been dead for more than a year. Li Shimin proudly said that it was a mistake for Wei Zhi to persuade him not to crusade against North Korea before his death, and he regretted it soon afterwards. The reason why I didn't mention this matter again was mainly because I was afraid of blocking the good plan. After Li Shimin's failed eastward expedition to North Korea, his remarks openly criticizing Wei Zhi were heard again, which made him lose face. He had to say to his ministers, "If Wei Zhi were here, I wouldn't be where I am today." While admitting his mistake, he ordered Wei Zhi's tomb to be rebuilt and Wei Zhi's son to inherit the title of lord protector. Wei Zhi related anecdote The story of Wei Zhi, the first remonstrator, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin "Taizong made Wei Zhi, the remonstrator, and Wei Zheng made Taizong." Once the emperor was a courtier, the remonstrating officer could only "remonstrate" with the monarch. Although China has a history of 4,000 years, it is rare and unusual for a great remonstrator to appear except for a Wei Zhi in the era of Emperor Taizong. Wei was originally a subordinate of Prince Li, but Emperor Taizong let bygones be bygones and appointed him as an remonstrator, allowing him to directly ask about political gains and losses. On one occasion, in view of the shortage of soldiers, Emperor Taizong wanted to recruit middle-aged men under the age of joining the army at the request of Prime Minister Feng Deyi. Kevin·Z refused to sign the imperial edict when it reached Xiamen. Emperor Taizong was furious and scolded, "My mind is made up. What is it to you? " Wei Zhi replied: "Exhausted fishing, no fish next year; Burn the forest and hunt, and there will be no animals next year. When middle-aged men join the army, rents and taxes will drop, not to mention being a soldier is not expensive but expensive, so you don't have to make up the number. " Emperor Taizong pondered for a long time, ordered to stop conscription, and gave Wei Zhi a golden urn. After eight years of remonstration, the eldest grandson found a woman with outstanding talents for Emperor Taizong Zheng, who will soon be incorporated into the palace. Suddenly he reported, "This girl has an appointment with Lu. The emperor won't rob women or spoil their charity. May the emperor sympathize with the sufferings of the people. " Other ministers said that Lu and Zheng did not have an engagement, and Lu denied it. Simply put: "Lu didn't admit it because he didn't get killed. He had to do it." Emperor Taizong didn't want to delay any longer, so he simply canceled taking Zheng as his concubine to avoid making mistakes. In eight years, Huang Fude wrote: "Building the East Palace in Luoyang will waste people and money. Overcharged land rent. Women like to comb their hair in a high bun, which is changed by the palace. " Emperor Taizong said angrily, "Deccan wants Datang not to work for one person, not to collect war rent, and the imperial secretary not to receive salary, so it is enough." Wei Zhi protested, "You can't touch your master's heart unless you are extreme in writing. If you are crazy, you should choose the good one and follow it. Your majesty is angry because he no longer likes to hear the truth. He has lost his old mind. " Emperor Taizong turned anger into joy and felt calm. He also promoted Huang Fude to supervise suggestions. Emperor Taizong's evaluation of Wei Zhi After Wei Zhi's death, Emperor Taizong missed him very much and said with emotion: "My husband can dress with copper as a mirror; Taking history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall; Take people as a mirror, you can know the gains and losses. I have kept these three mirrors in case I pass by. Now Wei Zhi is dead. He died in a mirror. "The original intention is that people use copper as a mirror, which can be used to arrange clothes and hats. Taking history as a mirror, we can observe the ups and downs of dynasties, compare people to a mirror, and know the gains and losses of our actions. You can only see your superficial shortcomings in the mirror. Looking at history can only make you understand the success or failure of each dynasty, but your confidant can tell you your own shortcomings bluntly. Only by listening to other people's opinions can you know whether your actions are accurate or not, and you can also reduce the chance of making mistakes by reminding your friends. Wei Zhi Wei Zhi, a famous man, is proud, eager, happy and full of ambition. -Wei Zhi is prepared for danger in times of peace, abstaining from extravagance and frugality. -Wei Zhi's hearing is bright, but his preference is dark. -Wei Zhi, the responsibility of sharing weal and woe, caring about yourself and not others. -Wei Zhi reads high risks, but he is modest and self-grazing; If you are full of fear, you will think of rivers and oceans.