鐔津文集 7.43

7.43

太宗始視文靜於繫獄。何憂天下之急也（隋大業間。劉文靜坐與李密連姻繫獄。太宗入視。乃謂曰。今看卿非兒女情與卿圖大事也）諫班師於霍邑。號哭以感。何忠孝之義合也（高祖初起義師西圖中國。隋將宋老生據霍邑以據義師。會久雨糧盡。高祖議還太原。太宗欲須入咸陽高祖不納。號泣聲聞帳中）誅建成元吉。何循大義也（武德九年。建成元吉謀害太宗。事泄。太宗將尉遲敬德等九人。入玄武門。誅於臨朝殿前）與可汗刑白馬而盟之。何信行於戎狄也（太宗登極初。可汗寇涇州。總兵百萬至渭水便橋。太宗獨上以輕曜軍容。可汗見懼而請和。故刑白馬盟於便橋上而去）拒德彝之諂。何沮天下之佞人也（正觀初。奏秦王破陣樂曲。封德彛對曰。陛下以聖武戡亂。玄極奏樂象德定。文容以為比。上曰。朕雖以武功定天下。終以文德綏海內文。武之道名隨其時。公謂文容不如蹈厲。斯言過矣）突厥胥亂。以其無罪於我不乘便而討之。何賞罰之有禮也（正觀初突厥諸部叛討之而兵叛。群臣請乘便討之上曰。豈有新與之和乘其亂而滅之邪。從部落盡叛。六畜皆死。朕終不討。待其有罪而後擒取）議不屢赦。何賞罰之正也（太宗謂群臣曰。赦有罪乃不軌輩。古語一歲再赦。好人喑啞故朕不頻赦。庶得四海安泰也）與杜淹論樂。何知政也（太宗初奏新樂。謂侍臣曰。禮樂之作。聖人緣物設教。以為撙節。治之隆替皆由於此。史大夫杜淹曰。前代存亡實由於樂。故陳之亡為王樹後庭。齊之亡為伴侶行路。聞之莫不悲泣。上曰。不然夫音樂之感人心。歡者聞之則悅。憂者聽之則悲。將亡之國其民心苦。苦心所感聞樂則悲。何有樂聲使人悅者。悲乎。今玉樹伴侶其音具在。今公奏之公則不悲耳）與孔頴達論藉田。何知經也（正觀初。藉田方田給侍。中孔頴達曰。按禮。天子於南郊。諸侯於東郊。晉武於東南。今於城東不合古禮。上曰。禮緣人情。亦何有定。虞書云。平秩東作。朕今見少陽之地。田於東郊。蓋其儀也。亦何不合於古禮者哉）罷營閣之議。何惜民力也（群臣以宮中卑濕請營一閣以居。上曰朕德慚漢文。豈可過勞民力。竟不許）幾致刑厝。何天下之有教也。居不閉戶行不齎糧何天下之廉讓也（正觀四年冬。斷刑四十九人。幾致刑厝嶺外之戶不閉行旅不賫糧也）赴刑者應期而畢至。何天下之無欺負也（正觀七年冬。親錄囚死者三百九十人。令明年秋來就刑。至是畢集。而詔以原之）納魏徵之言。何與人為善也（太宗納魏徵諫爭。見於本傳甚眾）自古稱禹湯文武所以為禹湯文武者。正以其由仁義之道而王天下也。如後世以仁義而為王者。猶禹湯文武也。吾讀唐書。得太宗之事如所述者不可勝舉。原其所歸皆趨仁義。要其與禹湯異者亡也。當時論者謂太宗大度類漢高神武同魏武。夫漢高寡文德而魏武不及霸道。惡可與太宗擬論乎。惜哉欲用周禮治。而房魏輩不能贊成之。如使王通未喪唐得用之（太宗文中子曰。如有用我者。吾則抱周禮以從之）則卜年卜世。何翅乎三百一十六也。孟子曰。五百年必有王者興。其間必有名世者。太宗之作。真王者也。而不但文中子可歎也哉。

When Taizong first visited [Liu] Wenjing in prison, how urgent was his concern for the realm! (During the Daye era of the Sui, Liu Wenjing was imprisoned for having marriage ties with Li Mi. Taizong went in to visit him and told him: "Seeing you today is no child's sentiment; I am planning great affairs with you.") When he remonstrated against retreating at Huoyi and moved [Gaozu] with his bitter wailing, how completely did the duties of loyalty and filial piety unite in him! (When Gaozu first raised righteous troops to plan westward toward the Central Plains, the Sui general Song Laosheng held Huoyi to resist the righteous troops. It happened that continuous rains exhausted their provisions. Gaozu deliberated returning to Taiyuan. Taizong wished to proceed directly into Xianyang, but Gaozu would not listen. The sound of his bitter wailing was heard within the tent.) In executing Jiancheng and Yuanji, how steadfastly he followed the great duty! (In the ninth year of Wude, Jiancheng and Yuanji plotted to harm Taizong. The matter leaked. Taizong led nine men including Yuchi Jingde into Xuanwu Gate and executed them in front of the Linchao Palace.) In slaughtering a white horse to swear an oath with the Khan, how trust was maintained with the Rong and Di tribes! (At the beginning of Taizong's accession to the throne, the Khan invaded Jingzhou, leading a million troops to the Bian Bridge over the Wei River. Taizong rode forth alone to lightly display his military presence. Seeing this, the Khan grew fearful and sued for peace. Thus they slaughtered a white horse, swore an oath upon the Bian Bridge, and departed.) In rejecting the flattery of Feng Deyi, how he disheartened the sycophants of the world! (At the beginning of Zhenguan, when the musical piece "The Prince of Qin Breaks the Array" was performed, Feng Deyi replied: "Your Majesty quelled chaos with sagely martial prowess. The music played on the profound instrument symbolizes established virtue, and civil comportment cannot be compared to it." The Emperor said: "Although I settled the world with martial achievements, in the end I pacified the lands within the seas with civil virtue. The designations of the civil and martial paths follow their times. For you to say that civil comportment does not equal vigorous stamping and brandishing—these words are mistaken.") When the Turks fell into mutual chaos, because they had committed no offense against us he did not take advantage of the opportunity to chastise them—how properly observed were rewards and punishments! (At the beginning of Zhenguan, various Turkic tribes revolted, and when chastised, their soldiers rebelled. The court officials requested to take advantage of the opportunity to chastise them. The Emperor said: "How could there be such a thing as having newly made peace with them, only to exploit their disorder and destroy them? Even if their subordinate tribes all rebel and all their livestock die, I will not chastise them in the end. I will wait until they have committed an offense and only then capture them.") In deliberating against frequent amnesties, how correct was his administering of rewards and punishments! (Taizong told his ministers: "Pardoning the guilty only encourages the lawless. The ancient saying goes, 'If amnesties are granted twice in one year, good men become mute.' Therefore, I do not grant frequent amnesties, hoping thereby to secure peace and tranquility throughout the four seas.") In discussing music with Du Yan, how well he understood governance! (When Taizong first had new music performed, he said to his attendant ministers: "Regarding the creation of ritual and music, sages instituted teachings based on things to serve as moderation and restraint. The rise and fall of governance all stem from this." Du Yan, Grandee of the Censorate, said: "The survival or destruction of previous eras truly stemmed from music. Thus the fall of Chen was caused by 'Jade Trees of the Back Courtyard', and the fall of Qi was caused by 'Companion on the Road'. Hearing them, none failed to weep in sorrow." The Emperor said: "That is not so. As for music moving the human heart: those who are joyful are pleased upon hearing it, and those who are sorrowful are saddened upon listening to it. The people of a doomed state have bitterness in their hearts; moved by bitter hearts, they are saddened upon hearing music. How could any musical sound that makes people rejoice cause sorrow? Now the notes of 'Jade Trees' and 'Companion' are all present. If you were to play them now, sir, you simply would not feel sorrow.") In discussing the plowing of the sacred field with Kong Yingda, how well he understood the classics! (At the beginning of Zhenguan, when the sacred field was being demarcated, the Attendant Grand Master of the Palace Kong Yingda said: "According to ritual, the Son of Heaven plows in the southern suburbs, the feudal lords in the eastern suburbs, and Emperor Wu of Jin plowed in the southeast. Plowing now east of the city does not conform to ancient ritual." The Emperor said: "Ritual accords with human feelings; how could there be a fixed rule? The 'Book of Yu' says: 'Equally regulating the works of the east.' Now I observe the realm of Shaoyang and plow in the eastern suburbs; this is precisely the proper ceremony. How does it fail to conform to ancient ritual?") In halting the deliberation on building a belvedere, how he spared the people's labor! (The court officials, considering the palace to be low and damp, requested to construct a belvedere for his residence. The Emperor said: "My virtue falls short of Emperor Wen of Han; how could I excessively labor the people's strength?" In the end, he did not permit it.) Nearly reaching the point of setting punishments aside—how well taught was the realm! Houses without closed doors and travelers without carrying provisions—how modest and yielding was the realm! (In the winter of the fourth year of Zhenguan, capital punishment was decided for forty-nine persons; it nearly reached the point of setting punishments aside, doors beyond the Nanling Mountains were not closed, and travelers did not carry provisions.) Those condemned to execution all arrived punctually at the appointed time—how free was the realm of deceit! (In the winter of the seventh year of Zhenguan, he personally reviewed three hundred and ninety condemned prisoners, ordering them to return the following autumn to face punishment. When the time arrived, they all gathered, and he issued an edict pardoning them.) In accepting the advice of Wei Zheng, how he was oriented toward the good of others! (Taizong's acceptance of Wei Zheng's remonstrances are seen extensively in his biography.) From antiquity, that Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu are praised as Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu is precisely because they ruled as kings over the world by means of the path of benevolence and righteousness. If later generations rule as kings by means of benevolence and righteousness, they are no different from Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu. In reading the History of Tang, I find events of Taizong such as these beyond reckoning. Tracing their source, all converged upon benevolence and righteousness. In essence, he was no different from Yu and Tang. Commentators of that time said that Taizong's broad magnanimity resembled Emperor Gao of Han and his divine martiality matched Emperor Wu of Wei. Yet Emperor Gao was deficient in civil virtue, and Emperor Wu of Wei did not even measure up to the hegemonic path. How could they be compared with Taizong? Alas! He wished to govern using the Rites of Zhou, yet the likes of Fang [Xuanling] and Wei [Zheng] could not assist him to achieve it. Had Wang Tong not died and the Tang been able to employ him (Taizong said: "Wenzhongzi said: 'If anyone were to employ me, I would carry the Rites of Zhou and follow him.'"), then when divining the years and generations, how would it have been merely three hundred and sixteen? Mencius said: "Every five hundred years, a true king must arise; during that time there must be men renowned in their age." The rise of Taizong was truly that of a true king! It is not only for Wenzhongzi that one may sigh with regret!