Consolidate its roots; those who wish to flow far must dredge up its springs; those who long for the security of the country must accumulate its virtues and righteousness. The source is not deep, but the stream is far away; the roots are not solid, but the tree is long; the virtue is not strong, but the principles of the country are thought of. Although the minister is a fool ③, he knows that he cannot do it, but it is worse than the wise man ④! The ruler should be the most important weapon of the gods ⑤, The one who lives in the great territory ⑥ will admire the heights of the sky, and will always maintain a limitless rest ⑦. Don't think about living in peace and be prepared for danger, refrain from extravagance and be frugal 8, have poor virtue 9, and have passion that cannot overcome your desires. This is also the case for cutting down the roots in order to make the wood grow taller, and blocking the source in order to have a long flow of water.
Every head of state ⑩, who inherits the destiny of the sky, will always talk about it with worry and success, but his virtue will decline after his success. Those who have a good beginning are really rich, but those who can overcome the end will overshadow the few? How can it be easy to get it but difficult to keep it? In the past, there was more than enough, but now it is not enough. Why? When you are worried about Yin, you will treat the next one with all your heart; once you get it, you will have more. If you have ambition, you will indulge yourself and be proud of things? If you are sincere, you will become one, and if you are arrogant, your flesh and blood will be the road. Although Dong Zhi punished him severely and shocked him with power and anger, he still refused to be spared without any benevolence, and he was respectful but not convinced. Complaints are not great, but people should be feared. If the boat capsizes, it is advisable to be cautious. If you run into a chariot and the rope is rotten, you can be careless!
A gentleman, If you can sincerely see what you want, then think about knowing enough to restrain yourself; when you are about to do something, think about knowledge to calm others; when thinking about high dangers, think about being humble and rushing to shepherd yourself; when you are afraid of overflowing, think about rivers and seas, and think about hundreds of rivers; when you are enjoying yourself, you think about wandering around. The three drives are considered as measures. If you are worried and lazy, you will think about starting carefully and respecting the end. If you are worried about obstruction, you will think about being humble and accepting the next thing. If you want to slander evil, you will think about rectifying your body to depose the evil. If you are kind, you will think about unreasonable joy and reward and punish. As far as I can see, I don’t want to be punished indiscriminately because of anger. To sum up these ten thoughts, we should promote the nine virtues, let them be as simple as possible, choose the good and follow it, then the wise will do their best, the brave will do their best, the benevolent will spread its benefits, and the believers will be loyal to them. Civil and military affairs are at full strength, and the emperor and his ministers have nothing to do. They can enjoy the pleasure of traveling in Henan, support pine trees and trees for a long time, and play the harp and hang the bows. It goes without saying. Why bother to think hard and perform duties on behalf of others? Serving smart eyes and ears is a waste of doing nothing?!
[Notes] ① Wood: Trees. Long: To grow. ② Dredging (jùn): dredging, dredging. ③ Xiayu: The most stupid person, self-effacing words. ④ Mingzhe: A wise person, here refers to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. ⑤ Artifact: The throne. ⑥ Large in the domain: refers to being in a high position. In the domain: between heaven and earth. "Laozi": "The Tao is great, the sky is great, the earth is great, and the king is also great. There are four majors in the domain, and the king occupies one of them." Laozi juxtaposes the monarch with Tao, heaven, and earth to express the lofty status. ⑦ Hugh: Beautiful, blessed. ⑧ Precept: get rid of. To be frugal: To be thrifty. ⑨ Place: At. ⑩ Fan: everything, everything. ? Accept the fate of heaven: Accept the great destiny of God. Jingming: Mingming, great destiny. ? Yinyou: Deep worry. Taoism: Taoism is remarkable. ? Two sentences of "Those who start well": There are many good ones at the beginning, but few who can stick to the good ones to the end. ? Aowu: Arrogant and arrogant, looking down on others. Things: This refers to people. ? Hu Yue: In ancient times, the ethnic groups in the north and west were generally called Hu, and the ethnic groups in the south in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were called Yue. The two are far apart and have an estranged relationship. Integration: refers to being as close as a whole. ? Traveling: Strange passers-by. ? Dong: Supervision and responsibility. ? Shock: shock. It means suppression and intimidation. ? Pretentiously seeking to avoid punishment without remembering the benevolence of the emperor. ? Mao Gong: Appearance is respectful. ? Two sentences: "Resentment does not matter in size": Resentment does not matter in size, what is terrible is the betrayal of people's hearts. People, that is, "people". In the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's taboo was avoided and "people" was changed to "people". ? Carrying the boat and overturning the boat: "Xunzi King System": "The king is the boat, and the common people are the water. The water carries the boat, and the water overturns the boat." This is a metaphor that the people can both support the Ming Lord and overthrow the tyrant. ? Running car and rotten rope: Driving a Mercedes-Benz car with a rotten rope is a metaphor for danger. Rot: Rot of Rot. "Book·Song of the Five Sons": "To the people who are approaching the sign, they are as stunned as if they were riding six horses on a rotten rope."? Seeing something that can arouse one's interest and desire: Seeing something that can arouse one's hobbies and desires refers to treasures, beauties and the like. Self-discipline: Self-restraint. ? Youzuo: refers to the construction of palaces and the like. ? Think of danger: Think of danger when you are in high places. Qian Chong: Modesty. Self-cultivation: self-cultivation. ? Think of the river and the sea and the hundreds of rivers: Think of it as being able to accommodate the opinions of others just as the river and the sea can accommodate the hundreds of rivers. ? Panyou: Having fun and forgetting to return, here refers to hunting outside. The limit is three hunting times a year. It means to be moderate. One theory is that it drives away birds from three sides and gives way to one side to show the virtue of good health. ? Blocking (yōng): refers to blinding the eyes and ear plugs. ? Hong: carry forward. Nine Virtues: Generally refers to all good qualities. There are different opinions on the specific content of the Nine Virtues. "Yi Zhou Shu·Chang Xun" says: "loyalty, trustworthiness, respect, firmness, softness, harmony, solidity, chastity and obedience."? Jian Neng: Select talented people. ? Yuyou: Anle cruise. ? Songqiao: Chisongzi, Wang Ziqiao, the legendary longevity immortal. ? Mingqin: In ancient times, simple administration and light punishments were praised as the rule of playing the qin. Chui Gong: Hanging one's clothes and arching one's hands is a metaphor for governing by doing nothing. According to legend, Shun played the five-stringed harp and composed the poem "South Wind" to educate the people, so that they could hang their clothes and hand over their hands, and rule by doing nothing. ? To perform duties on behalf of subordinates: To handle matters on behalf of subordinates. ? Loss: damage.
[Author] Wei Zheng (580-643), whose ancestral home was Xiaquyang, Julu (now west of Jin County, Hebei Province), was originally said to be from Guantao (now in Hebei Province). Politician in the early Tang Dynasty. When he was young, he was lonely and poor, so he became a Taoist priest. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he joined the Wagang Army uprising army.
After entering the Tang Dynasty, he washed horses for the prince. When Taizong ascended the throne, he was promoted to an admonishing official and gave advice on more than two hundred matters. He successively held the posts of Secretary, Supervisor, Attendant and Secondary, and was granted the title of Duke of Zheng. His works include the preface to Sui Shu and the general introduction to Liang Shu, Chen Shu and Qi Shu. He is the editor-in-chief of Qunshu Zhiyao. There is "Collection of Wei Zhenggong", and most of his remarks can be found in "Zhenguan Zhengyao".
[Appreciation] This article was written in the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637). At this time, the Tang Dynasty was at its peak, and the famous "Reign of Zhenguan" in history reached its peak. "China is now at peace, and all barbarians have surrendered themselves." The civil, political, and martial arts have reached an unprecedented level. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty also gradually became arrogant and hedonistic. At this time, Wei Zheng proposed to "be prepared for danger in times of peace, abstain from extravagance and practice frugality", which indeed showed an extraordinary politician's vision. The whole article is based on these eight characters, and the most important point falls on the word "thinking". First, we think about the stability and eternity of the country and the imperial industry through the trees and flowing water. Secondly, we think about the importance of people's hearts through the lessons learned from history. "Che Ruisuo" issued a warning on the back. Then, the content of the "Ten Thoughts" will be introduced naturally, and finally the positive effects that the "Ten Thoughts" will bring will be affirmed. The article has a clear context, no matter how ups and downs, and every word is coherent, every sentence is emotional, and it has strong logic and persuasiveness. Throughout history, there are many officials who criticize them, but those like Wei Zheng who dare to offend his appearance and advise without any scruples can be regarded as a model. However, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty followed the good deeds and was delighted to hear them. He was a rare wise king in history.