The "Edict of Sin"
A brief discussion of the "Edict of Sin" written by ancient emperors
[Abstract] "The Edict of Sin" was used by ancient emperors to reflect on their sins Documents. When discussing its origin, we should start with Yu and Tang. Since then, King Cheng of Zhou, Duke Mu of Qin, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Dezong of Tang, Emperor Huizong of Song, and Emperor Shizu of Qing have all issued edicts against oneself. Most of the edicts on sin were issued when class conflicts were extremely acute and the country was in crisis. The purpose was to eliminate people's resentment and win over people's hearts. They were very deceptive. However, it also contains the emperor's reflection and repentance on his own mistakes and failures to a certain extent. Therefore, we can still get some inspiration from it: "Yu and Tang sinned against themselves, and their prosperity also flourished; Jie and Zhou sinned against others, and their demise was also sudden."
[Keywords] Zhao, sin yourself, Zhao, sin yourself
It is extremely common for any conscientious person to have blamed himself. However, it is really not easy for ancient emperors who are "entrusted with the divine power of kings" to reflect on and repent of their own mistakes. It would be even more shocking if they wrote a proclamation - "Edict on Sin" and promulgated it to the world. The emperor sinned against himself, regardless of his motives, purposes, and background. As far as self-criticism is concerned, it still deserves full recognition.
From a documentary perspective, the emperor's "Edict on Sin" is a rare type of writing. When it comes to its origin, the ancients almost all agree: it started from "Yu and Tang sinned against themselves". ①Historical records: After Dayu ascended the throne, he once saw a person who had committed a crime and burst into tears. He asked around about the reason. Yu said: During the time of Yao and Shun, the people all took the heart of Yao and Shun as their heart, and they made me their king. , the people all take their own hearts as their own, so they feel pain." ② Yu, who lived at the end of primitive society, saw that the people's hearts were distracted and felt deeply guilty. He thought that he had not been a good leader, so he blamed himself. After the Shang Dynasty destroyed the Xia Dynasty, Tang announced To appease the people of the world, it is known as "Tang Gao" in history. Tang deeply reviewed his faults and said: "I owe my sins, and I dare not forgive myself. But in the heart of God, I am guilty of all crimes. I am guilty of all crimes." One person is guilty and there is no way to punish him." ③ After that, during the Shang Dynasty, there was a severe drought for many years and the grains were not harvested. The minister in charge of religious sacrifices said that human sacrifices should be used to pray to God for rain. So Tang "cut off his hair and claws." , as a sacrifice, he prayed in the mulberry forest, "blaming himself for six things" and said: "The guilt of one person is not equal to that of ten thousand people, and the guilt of ten thousand people is only one person's. There is no way for one person's disrespect to cause God, ghosts and gods to hurt the lives of the people." So the people were very happy and the rain came heavily. ④
Yu and Tang sinned, and both achieved good results, and through later generations It became a model for feudal emperors to follow, and the "Edict of Sin" became a means for them to win over people's hearts and save people from crises.
The "Edict of Sin" was mostly used when class conflicts were abnormal. Sharp, issued when the country is in crisis. For example, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very fond of military achievements. After he came to the throne, he was also fond of immortals and magicians, built palaces, and wasted money, which led to the depletion of the people, the rise of bandits, and the chaos in the world. During the Zhenghe period, he rejected the petition of minister Sang Hongyang and others to colonize Luntai (now Luntai County, Xinjiang), and decided to "abandon the land of Luntai and issue a mournful edict". He "deeply regretted the past." , could not bear to "disturbing the world" anymore, and determined to "forbid cruelty, stop good taxation, and strengthen local agriculture" "Therefore, I will not return to the army." And the Prime Minister Che Qianqiu was granted the title of Marquis of Enriching the People, resting in the Ming Dynasty, thinking about wealth and nourishing the people." ⑤ This is the famous "Luntai Sinji Edict" in history. In his later years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty faced the critical situation of the building being about to collapse, and he suddenly woke up and He reformed his past mistakes and comprehensively adjusted the country's domestic and foreign policies, which not only brought the regime out of danger, but also laid the foundation for the "Zhao and Xuan Zhongxing"
There was also an emperor in the Tang Dynasty who committed crimes in times of crisis. Ji Zhao was Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty. Soon after he came to the throne, several Jiedu envoys known as the "Four Kings" and the "Two Emperors" rebelled. In 783 AD, Chang'an fell and Dezong fled in panic, and was chased by the rebels. He was killed in Fengtian City. In the spring of the following year, he learned from his pain, changed his reign name to "Xingyuan", and issued the "Edict of Amnesty for Sinners", which "divided the court officials into promulgating the decree" and said: " God punishes the people above but I don’t realize it, and people complain about the people below but I don’t know.” “The people above are burdened by the ancestors, and the people below are burdened by the common people. I am heartbroken, and the sin is real.” ⑥The text of this edict is sincere and moving, and it is very inspiring. After the announcement, "people everywhere were overjoyed" and "all the soldiers were in tears". The people's morale and military morale were greatly boosted, and the situation soon changed.
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, Song Huizong also had an attack. In November 1125 AD, at the critical moment when the Jin soldiers were advancing on Tokyo, the panicked Huizong followed the advice of his ministers: "It is better to first issue the edict to sin against oneself, and to reform all kinds of bad policies, so as to make people happy, and God's will will return." . ⑦The edict also listed his sins: "His words are blocked, flattery is heard all the time, sycophancy is in power, and corrupt officials succeed.
Taxation drains away the people's wealth, and garrison service drains the strength of the army. Doing too much is useless, and extravagance becomes a common practice. "Reflecting on one's own mistakes, how much regret there is!" "⑧ Subsequently, the throne was passed to Prince Heng (Qin Zong), and he became the Supreme Emperor himself. As a result, the Northern Song Dynasty, which was on the verge of destruction, had another glimmer of hope. But the good times did not last long. A year later, the Hui and Qin sects were defeated by the Jin soldiers. He was taken prisoner and became a prisoner.
Among the ancient emperors, the one who committed the most crimes was Emperor Shunzhi, the founder of the Qing Dynasty. After this young emperor came to power, there were many natural disasters, "floods and droughts occurred frequently, and earthquakes occurred frequently." "smell", "winter thunder, spring snow, meteorites, rain and earth". He blamed all these natural phenomena on his own "immorality" and blamed it on heaven. Therefore, he constantly reflected on himself and repeatedly issued edicts to blame himself. On his deathbed, He left another edict to accuse himself, and vividly listed fourteen charges for himself. All of them are matters of principle and can be divided into seven major aspects: First, in politics, "since he took office, he has followed the principles of discipline and law in employment and administration." We cannot look up to Taizu and Taizong Molie and live in the present as they follow the ungrateful rules. The second is to say to the Empress Dowager: "The truth is not finished, the sincerity has failed." "The filial piety is not fulfilled, but the Holy Mother mourns. The third is to the kings Baylor. "After the Jin Dynasty, the favor is fresh, but the way of friendship is not shown. "The fourth is that "I have a good nature and cannot be vain", and the personnel "failed to match the talents and equipment, so that I always lamented the lack of people", "I can't promote the good when I see them, and I can't retreat when I see the unworthy." The fifth is to establish the Thirteen Yamen , appointing eunuchs, "no different from the Ming Dynasty". Sixthly, "the state supplies are huge, and the military pay is insufficient, but all the money and food are spent on the palace, and there is no savings." Seventhly, "I am quiet and quiet by nature." "I want to be at ease", "I always rely on my own intelligence and cannot listen to advice", "Knowing that I have made a mistake, blaming it every day will make me regret it, but it is just a false statement without correction." ⑨The 14 major crimes listed by Emperor Shunzhi for himself , it should be said that it is comprehensive and profound enough. In the "self-appraisal" of the coffin conclusion, he is the first person in history to be able to carry out such thorough self-criticism.
Among the ancient emperors, he dared to commit crimes. There are also some personal poems, such as "Song of Zhou·Xiao'ao" ??in "The Book of Songs" is a poem about Zhou Cheng's sin against himself; "Oath of Qin" in "Shangshu" is the reflection of Duke Mu of Qin after his defeat in the attack on Zheng. I won't go into details.
The emperor's "Edict of Sin" is a kind of ruling technique that uses sin to please the people, thereby easing conflicts and uniting people's hearts. It reflects the characteristics of my country's ancient political and cultural traditions. People-oriented is the core of ancient Chinese management thought. "The people are the foundation of the country, and the foundation is the foundation of the country." Etc., are all mottoes for governing the country in ancient times. Since ancient times, rulers have regarded the people as the foundation of the country and the people's hearts as a mirror and a measure of ruling activities. Therefore, when class conflicts are acute and the country is in danger, the emperor issues "Crime". "Ji Zhao", in order to eliminate people's grievances, arouse the sympathy of the people, "make the people happy, and God's will will return." Of course, "Zi Ji Zhao" is very deceptive, but the author believes that it cannot be completely regarded as politics. Deception does indeed include the emperor's introspection of his own mistakes or failures, including deep painful repentance, showing a desire for "virtuous government" and success. The ancients said: When a bird is about to die, its song is mournful; Even when a person is about to die, his words are also good. Looking at the emperor's "Edict of Sin", we can still get some inspiration from it today:
First of all, we must insist on putting the people first and taking the people's heart as our own heart. , care about the people and safeguard the interests of the people. The ancient people said: "If you care about me, you will become a monarch; if you abuse me, you will be angry." This is what every official today should remember.
Secondly, we must cultivate ourselves carefully and constantly improve ourselves. The Master said: "I will examine myself three times a day." Reflect on yourself at all times, be a good person, and be a good official.
Third, be brave enough to face up to mistakes and correct them. "Zuo Zhuan" says: "Yu and Tang sinned against themselves, and their prosperity also flourished (bo, grand); Jie and Zhou sinned, and their demise was also sudden (hu, meaning rapid)." What is revealed here is not only It is the personal behavior of ancient emperors, and it is the historical law of the rise and fall of a regime. The Communist Party of China has long recognized this law and has found three magic weapons to adapt to this historical law. As long as we can seek truth from facts, keep close contact with the masses, and have the courage to criticize and self-criticize, then everyone can do something Yu, Tang. On the contrary, if Lao Tzu is the best in the world, he is domineering, he pretends to be wrong, and he deceives his superiors and deceives his subordinates. In the end, he can only become Jie or Zhou and end up ruined.
Notes:
① "Zuo Zhuan·The Eleventh Year of Duke Zhuang".
② "Cefu Yuangui·Emperor Department" Volume 175.
③Volume 7 of "Shang Shu·Shang Shu·Tang Gao". Jane means to examine.
④ "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals: Obedience to the People".
⑤ Volume 96 of "Hanshu·Biography of the Western Regions".
⑥ "Old Tang Book·The Chronicles of Dezong".
⑦⑧ "History of the Song Dynasty·The Annals of Huizong".
⑨ "Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty".
⑩ There is also a view that Emperor Shunzhi's "Edict of Sin" was written by the empress dowager at the instruction of his ministers when he was dying.
⑾ "Xiao Miao" was written by King Zhou Cheng to confess that he had believed in rumors and wrongly blamed Duke Zhou. 毖 means caution. When doing things in the world, you should be careful about small things; if you are not careful about small things, it will lead to big disasters.
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[About the Author] Ni Daoshan, male, is a professor and master’s tutor in the Secretarial and Archives Department of the School of Public Affairs and Management of Sichuan University.