The minister said, "People say that the son of heaven is supreme, and they are not afraid of anything, not even. I am afraid of the appearance of the emperor, and I am afraid of the respect of ministers. I am conscientious, I am afraid that this is not God's will and will not be expected by others. " Wei Zhi said: "This sincerity is the key to governing the country. I hope your majesty will be careful to the end, and that will be fine. "
The courtiers said, "I have read the collected works of the emperor and know that it is Yao and Shun, not a unruly person, but how wronged I am!" " Wei Zhi said to him, "Although a man is a saint, he should still be vain to others. Therefore, the wise make suggestions, while the brave try their best. Emperor Yang relied on his versatility, used it for himself, and was arrogant. Therefore, as a rebellious journey, he did not know it and even fell. " Shang said: "I have never forgotten my previous life. I am a teacher."
Ask the courtiers: "Which is more difficult, starting a business or staying in business?" Fang Lingxuan said: "At the beginning of ignorance, it is difficult to start a business with a group of heroes!" Wei Zhi said: "Since ancient times, emperors have always suffered hardships first, and comfort is behind, which is difficult to sustain!" The master said, "Ling Xuan and I have braved the world's wrath, died a hundred times and lived all our lives, so we know that it is not easy to start a business." If you want to live in peace with me, you will always be afraid that wealth will lead to arrogance, and ignorance will lead to misfortune, so you will know that it is difficult to hold on. However, the difficulty of starting a business is gone; When it is difficult to keep, be careful with others. "
Translation:
Emperor Taizong asked Wei Zhi, "As a monarch, what can you do to distinguish right from wrong and what can you do to be confused?" Wei Zhi replied, "Only by listening to various opinions can we distinguish right from wrong. If you listen to one side of the story, you will make a wrong judgment. "
The emperor said to his courtiers, "People say that the son of heaven is supreme and fearless, but I am not like this. Yes, I'm afraid that God will watch me. By the way, I'm worried that ministers will follow my example and always do things very carefully. I am also worried that it is not in line with God's will and is not welcomed by the people. " Wei Zhi said: "This is the key to governing the country. I hope you can be consistent. That would be great. "
The emperor (Emperor Taizong) said to the ministers on the left and right: "I read the book Yang Di Ji and found that the wording of the article is very profound. I also know that I affirm Yao Shun and deny Jie Li and Zhou. Why do you do the opposite?" Minister Wei Zhi replied, "Although the people's monarchs are all wise men in Tessa, they should also accept others' suggestions with an open mind and let the wise men contribute their talents. The brave man did his best. However, Emperor Yang Di relied on his position, arrogance and willfulness, so although he talked about the virtues of Yao and Shun, he did an unruly behavior. He didn't know himself and finally lost his reputation. " The emperor said with deep feelings, "The lessons of our predecessors are not far away, so we should learn from them."
He asked Fang and others: "which is more difficult, starting a business or sticking to it?" Fang replied:' When the world was in chaos, there were many heroes everywhere, attacking the city slightly, and the war was fierce. The difficulty of starting a business is obvious. Wei Zhi does not agree with this view. He said: "the monarch conquered the world by destroying the enemy in chaos and winning the support of the people, so it is not too difficult to start a business;" After winning the world, it is easy to be complacent, enjoyable and corrupt, and the decline of the country begins. Therefore, since ancient times, emperors have been miserable and lost their comfort. " Taizong said:' Ling Xuan and I decide the world, and we will die all our lives, so we know the difficulty of starting a business. Kevin·Z and I decide the world, knowing that pride comes from wealth and disaster comes from negligence, so we know the difficulty of keeping our jobs. However, the difficult period of starting a business has passed, and the current difficulty of staying in business is exactly what you must treat with caution! "