The story of Wei Zhi's remonstrance

1, Wei Zhi remonstrates, whatever he thinks is right, he should remonstrate face to face, stick to the end and never talk behind his back.

On one occasion, Emperor Taizong said to Sun Chang Wuji, "Every time Wei Zhi gives me advice, as long as I don't accept his advice, he always refuses. Don't know why? " Before Sun Chang Wuji could answer, Wei Zhi went on to say, "Your Majesty did something wrong, so I protested. If your majesty doesn't listen to my advice and I obey it at once, then I have to act according to your wishes. Isn't it against my original intention to make suggestions? "

Emperor Taizong said, "You promised to take care of my dignity at that time, and then you would remonstrate with me alone after retiring from the DPRK. Can't you? " Wei Zhi explained, "Once upon a time, Shun warned his ministers not to obey me in person, but told another story behind my back. This is not a manifestation of his deputies' loyalty to the monarch, but an act of betrayal. I beg your pardon. " Emperor Taizong greatly appreciated Wei Zhi's opinion.

2. In terms of national policies, especially after the chaos, Wei Zhi advocates that it is better to be quick than slow, and it is better to be urgent than slow. When Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, everything was in ruins.

One day, he asked Wei Zhi, "Does it take a wise monarch a hundred years to govern the country well?" Wei Zhi disagreed with the idea of Emperor Taizong. He said: "A wise man governing a country is like a voice echoing immediately. You can see the effect within one year, and it will be too late to produce results within two years. How can we wait a hundred years to govern? "

The servant of Shangshu shot Feng Deyi and laughed at Wei Zhi's point of view. Wei Zhi said: "The country after the chaos is like a hungry person who wants to eat, and it comes faster. The way to be emperor is emperor, and the way to be king is king. It depends on whether people, not people, can be educated. " Emperor Taizong listened to Wei Zhi's suggestion and actively took effective measures. Only after three or two years, the situation of Zhenguan rule appeared in the Tang Dynasty.

3. Wei Zhi also attached great importance to the moral cultivation of Emperor Taizong. He bluntly said to Emperor Taizong: "People who live in the world are upright and have no orders to do things; His body is not right, although he does not obey. " He also quoted Xunzi to warn Emperor Taizong: "The monarch is like a boat and the people are like water. Water can carry a boat or overturn it. "

This sentence was a great shock to Emperor Taizong, and he always kept it in mind. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong asked Wei Zhi how to be a wise king instead of a dark king, and Wei Zhi told the story of Historical Records of the Sui Dynasty. Yu Shiqi devoted himself to Emperor Yang Di's liking, saying what he liked, but not what he hated. Only good news, no bad news, led to the demise of the Sui Dynasty. From this, Wei Zhi drew a famous conclusion, that is, "it is bright to listen to others, but it is dark to listen to others".

4. Wei Zhi advocates to win people's trust, not to make people feel at a loss. In the Tang Dynasty, it was originally planned that men aged 18 could participate in conscription. On one occasion, in order to recruit more soldiers to consolidate the border, Emperor Taizong asked all men over the age of 16 to apply, but Wei Zhi strongly disagreed. He said: "When the river dries up and the forest is burned for hunting, this is the practice of killing the chicken to get the egg. There are not many soldiers, but they are good. Why should we find people who are not old enough to make up for them? Moreover, this is also a loss of national trust. "

Emperor Taizong asked himself whether he had violated his promise to the people. Wei Zhi cited three examples. Although Emperor Taizong felt that his words were sharp and harsh, he was still very happy. He believed that Wei Zhi was loyal to the imperial court and sincerely assisted himself in governing the country. So he ordered to stop the recruitment of China men. At the same time, Kevin·Z got a golden urn as an encouragement.

5. As far as personal enjoyment is concerned, Wei Zhi often protests. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong went to Luoyang from Chang 'an, and was very angry because of the poor local supplies.

Wei Zhi said to Emperor Taizong: "Emperor Yang Di died of the infinite pursuit of pleasure. Now I lose my temper because of the poor supply of goods, and I will inevitably follow in its footsteps in the future. Every place worships your majesty desperately in order to satisfy him. Supply is limited, and people's luxury desire is infinite. If this continues, the tragedy of the Sui Dynasty should be repeated. " Emperor Taizong was shocked by this and paid great attention to thrift in the future.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Wei Zhi