After the "Xuanwumen Change", Li Shimin proclaimed himself emperor and changed his chastity. During the Zhenguan period, Li Shimin learned from the lessons of the collapse of the Sui Dynasty, paid attention to promoting democracy within the ruling class, and governed the country according to the ideological principle of "people-oriented". Social politics, economy, and foreign relations all show a thriving scene, which is called "the rule of chastity" by later generations.
Seeing that Yang Di refused to remonstrate, went his own way, and finally ended in national subjugation, Emperor Taizong appreciated Wei Zhi's saying, "Listen to all, and be clear, but be partial, and be dark". He encouraged his lieutenants to speak out, pay attention to opening his heart and be open to trainable things. In order to learn from others, he also improved some systems and institutionalized the democratic efforts of "ruling with the monarch and ministers" in feudal times.
In the early years of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong, who had just become emperor, said to his ministers: "A person must have a mirror if he wants to see his face clearly; If a monarch wants to know his mistakes, he must turn to loyal subjects. If the monarch thinks he is virtuous, his officials are incorrect, and he will be in danger and failure. And once the monarch loses his country, it is impossible for his servants to save themselves. Clever as Yang Di was, he refused to protest and his lieutenants remained silent. And the result? He died in his own country, and his minister Yu Shiqi and others were soon killed. All this happened not long ago, as you all saw. If you find anything wrong with me in the future, you must be frank. " He also said: "An honest monarch can't bring peace to the country by appointing treacherous officials; Loyal servants loyal to the evil monarch cannot bring peace to the country. Only when an upright king meets a loyal minister can the world be stable, just like fish get water. Although I am not smart, I am lucky to have your correction and remedy. I hope you can speak honestly and frankly to make the world peaceful. " He once asked Minister Wei Zhi, "How can an emperor be wise and fatuous?" Wei Zhi replied: "Listening is bright, eccentric and dark." It means that if you listen to opinions from all sides, you will be wise; If you believe one side, it's bleak. cite some examples in history to illustrate. After listening to this, Emperor Taizong appreciated it very much and paid attention to listening with his own practical actions to prevent it from being biased.
Like Emperor Taizong, Emperor Taizong was formidable in appearance and serious in expression. When his deputies saw him, most of them trembled and behaved inappropriately. Some are ready to give advice, but when they meet him, they are in a panic and forget to give advice; Or, although he opened his mouth, he was incoherent and incoherent. Emperor Taizong knew that his expression was too dignified, and every time he went to court, he tried to make a pleasant appearance so that everyone dared to speak. Once, he wrote to put a lawyer named Yuan to death. At that time, Sun Shangshu of Dali Temple, who was in charge of criminal law, objected that this was improper sentencing and lawyer Yuan's crime did not die. When Emperor Taizong saw that Sun had a point, he accepted the criticism and gave Princess Sun a million-dollar orchid cemetery. Some people say the reward is too thick. Emperor Taizong said: "Since I became king, I have never dared to criticize state affairs. This reward for grandchildren is to encourage everyone to care about state affairs and give more opinions. " When more people wrote letters and suggestions, and the contents and terms increased, Emperor Taizong put them on the temple wall, and watched and thought about them when they came in and out, so as to know the situation in detail as much as possible and improve state affairs. Sometimes he can't sleep until midnight.
Between you and me, I dare to give general advice, and you can accept it. There are fewer people who dare to say some important questions, especially those who dare to say them, because it is difficult for the monarch to accept them, otherwise it will lead to death. In view of this situation of the previous generation, Emperor Taizong advocated that his officials dared to "evaluate the scale". He said: "It is not easy to be a wise monarch, nor is it easy to be a loyal servant. I heard that dragons can be tamed and subdued. But there is a lamella under its jaw, and touching it will kill people. So is the monarch. I hope you don't avoid violating the standards, and I will never forget that your intentions are fair. " Not long after he said this, Huang Fude, the county magistrate of Shaanxi County, wrote a letter with fierce words, "touching the lamella." Emperor Taizong was greatly annoyed after reading it, thinking that it was Huangfu Deshen's intention to slander the court. At this time, Wei Zhi advised, "Jia Yi once wrote a letter to Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, in which he said,' Some people can cry for you, while others can sigh for you'. Since ancient times, writing a book is usually tense and urgent. If not, it will not touch people's hearts. " Hearing this, Emperor Taizong realized that he had given Huangfu Deshen 20 silks.
Among the ministers who dared to remonstrate in Zhenguan period, Wei Zhi was the most prominent. According to statistics, Wei Zhi alone raised more than 200 protests during this period. Because Wei Zhi not only dared to remonstrate, but also remonstrated, as long as he was sure that it was the right opinion, he persisted in the end without fear or flinching, which often made it impossible for Emperor Taizong to step down. But Emperor Taizong still liked Wei Zhi's advice. As long as it was correct, he mostly accepted it, whether he was happy or not. Sometimes I have to give in for fear of Wei Zhi's integrity and perseverance. Sometimes I do things I shouldn't. When I met Wei Zheng, I stopped immediately before I spoke, or I quickly admitted that I shouldn't have done so. On one occasion, Wei Zhi came back from the outside and saw that the emperor's chariot was ready, as if to go out. Somehow, he can't stop. When Wei Zhi met Taizong, he asked, "It is said that your majesty is going to Nanshan, and the chariots are ready. Why not go suddenly? " Taizong smiled and told the truth: "I was afraid that you would be angry, so I stopped." On another occasion, Wei Zhi made a rude remark in court, which made Emperor Taizong lose face in front of ministers. After returning to the harem, he repeatedly said: "This countryman is so hateful, I must kill him!" " When the eldest grandson asked why, she immediately put on her dress and congratulated Emperor Taizong, saying, "The ancients showed that you were a righteous minister. Now that Wei Zhi is so upright, it shows that your majesty is wise! " Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizong turned anger into joy and treated Wei Zhi as always. After Wei Zhi's death, Emperor Taizong was very sad. He once said with emotion: "with copper as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes;" Taking history as a mirror, we can know the truth of the rise and fall of a country; Only by looking at people as a mirror can we see our mistakes clearly. Now that Wei Zhi is dead, I have lost a mirror. "
In order to better achieve the purpose of learning from others and give full play to the role of officials at all levels, Emperor Taizong also made some improvements in the system. He ordered Beijing officials with more than five grades to take turns to be on duty in Zhongshu Province, so as to be summoned at any time to discuss government affairs. In the process of dealing with general political affairs, officials of Zhongshu and Menxia provinces are required to give full play to the role of mutual supervision; All military affairs responsible for drafting proclamations should express their opinions. After the imperial edict is written, it must be reviewed by the assistant minister of Zhongshu and the official order of Zhongshu, and then sent to the provincial government for approval. If there is anything inappropriate, we should argue it out and not be careless. He also made it clear that when the Prime Minister entered the cabinet to discuss military affairs, he must let remonstrators and historians participate, which not only allowed them to make criticism and suggestions face to face, but also helped them to master first-hand materials and record them as lessons for future generations.
Because the monarch and ministers got along well and talked widely, the decision-making in Zhenguan period was relatively democratic and scientific, which was in line with the actual situation of the society at that time and played an important role in the formation of "Zhenguan rule".
Emperor Taizong knew that "the most important thing in politics is to get people", took the selection of outstanding talents as his primary duty and attached great importance to all kinds of useful talents. He stressed that we should stick to the correct direction, have both ability and political integrity, not avoid personal enmity, pay attention to moral character and strengthen education. Pay special attention to appointing local officials close to the people. The further improvement and implementation of the imperial examination system has also opened up an important way for extensive selection of talents. Zhenguan's court and place can be described as "both civil and military, talented people."
As early as in the war to help his father Jinyang establish the Tang Dynasty and unify the whole country, Emperor Taizong attached great importance to netting talents. When he became emperor, he deeply realized that "it is important to govern, but it is difficult to achieve the way of governing the country if people use it instead of their talents." Only by selecting a large number of people with real talents and learning can we achieve great governance in the world. He not only regarded the selection of talents as his primary duty, but also repeatedly warned the prime ministers to put the selection of talents in the first place. During the Zhenguan period, he issued five imperial edicts for seeking sages, and his mood was very urgent.
In the second year of Zhenguan (628), he said to Prime Minister Fang and Du Ruhui, "As courtiers, you should share my worries and help me with my work. Listen far and see wide, and ask the wise. Recently, I heard that you tried hundreds of lawsuits in one day. If I can't read all the official documents, where can I help me find a wise man? " So it was decreed that all trivial matters should be handled by Zuo You Cheng (the subordinate of the servant), so that the Prime Minister could make time to visit the virtuous and seek talents. Feng Deyi, then prime minister, did not recommend people for a long time. Taizong asked him, and he said that he had not found a talented person to recommend him. Emperor Taizong angrily criticized him and said: "The wise kings of the previous generation used talents just like utensils, using their strengths and not borrowing talents from other dynasties. They are all contemporary talents. Can you wait until you dream that Fu Shuo (a famous minister of Shang Dynasty) meets Lu Shang (a famous minister of Zhou Dynasty) and then come to govern the country? There were no talents in any dynasty, but they missed it without paying attention. If you don't know anyone yourself, how can you falsely claim that there are no talents in my life? "
In the third year of Zhenguan (629), Emperor Taizong ordered hundreds of officials to write a letter to discuss the gains and losses of the political affairs. Emperor Taizong was both happy and surprised. More than 20 things performed by Zhang He, a corps commander, were in line with the reality of state affairs, because Zhang He, a military commander who had nothing to do with scripture, would not have such a brilliant opinion. I didn't know it was written by Chang and his family diners Ma Zhoudai until I asked. So, immediately summoned Ma Zhou. After talking about it, I found that he was really a talent and appointed him as a provincial official. At the same time, Emperor Taizong rewarded Changhe with 300 fine silks as a reward for discovering talents. Ma Zhou was agile in seeing things, organic in distinguishing, sensible and accommodating, and was deeply loved and reused by Emperor Taizong, becoming a famous hub minister in Zhenguan period.
In his thirst for talent, Emperor Taizong attached great importance to the orientation of employing people, insisted on having both ability and political integrity, and did not seek personal gain or avoid personal grievances. He repeatedly stressed: "People must be based on morality and knowledge, and talents should be carefully selected and not misused. Use a good person, and other good people will come; With one bad guy, other bad guys will come! " Anyone who is virtuous and talented, regardless of seniority, position or personal relationship, is acceptable. After the "Xuanwumen Rebellion", there were hundreds of people in the East Palace who wanted to murder Emperor Taizong, but he didn't care about them and still valued them. For example, in the "Change of Xuanwu Gate", Xue Wanche, the minister of the Eastern Palace, led troops to attack the King Mi of Qin and fled to Zhong Nanshan after the failure. Emperor Taizong invited him back and made him his general. Wei Zhi, Wang Jue, Wei Ting and others were all important advisers in the Prince Group, and they were all reused by Emperor Taizong and became famous officials of Zhenguan. When someone asked to reuse all the old headquarters of the palace when Emperor Taizong was the king of Qin, Emperor Taizong said, "I take the world as my home, and I can't keep my old headquarters private. I can only be meritocratic, not based on new and old relatives. "
In view of the fact that officials don't pay attention to moral cultivation and are extravagant and eccentric, he accepted Wei Zhi's suggestion and stressed that officials should be educated with great righteousness: strengthen the education of "loyalty" and make them become loyal ministers like Pang Long and Bigan; Strengthen the education of "filial piety" and make them become dutiful sons like Zeng Shen and Zi Qian; Strengthen the education of "words" so that they can keep their promises like Wei Sheng and Zhan Qin; Strengthen the education of "sincerity" and make them honest people like Boyi and Shu Qi. Moreover, it has repeatedly called for fairness as the criterion for judging right and wrong, and benevolence and righteousness as the criterion for distinguishing good from evil. By investigating the right and wrong of officials, we can determine their positions, and according to the positions they hold, we can understand the advantages and disadvantages of officials' work, avoid exaggeration and emphasize performance.
In landscape painting, Emperor Taizong paid special attention to the selection of local officials who were close to the people, such as secretariat and county magistrate. He said: "I often think about things among the people every night, and sometimes I can't sleep late at night." What worries me most is whether the Governor and the Secretariat have the ability to appease the people. So I write their names on the screen, and I often look at them while sitting and lying down. If anyone does something good, I will write it down in his name. If he does something bad, I will also write it down as a basis for promotion and punishment. I live in the deep palace. I can't see far, and I can't hear far. Only the Governor and the Secretariat are entrusted. These people determine the security of the country, and they especially need capable talents. "He stipulated that local officials should report their work to Beijing at the end of each year, and the official department should be responsible for the evaluation. According to their political achievements, they should decide the rank and promotion. In the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), Li Jing and others 13 people were sent as ambassadors to patrol all parts of the country in order to promote meritorious officials and punish dereliction of duty.
In order to expand the channels for selecting talents, during the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong improved the imperial examination system, increased subjects, expanded the scope and number of candidates, and allowed more people to show their talents through the imperial examination and enter state institutions. Once, when Emperor Taizong came to the gate, he couldn't help laughing and saying happily, "All the talents in the world have fallen into my hands!" " "
Because Emperor Taizong attached importance to the selection and use of talents, during the Zhenguan period, a large number of outstanding talents were produced in Luo Zhi, forming a situation of "talented people, both civil and military". In February of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), Emperor Taizong ordered painters to paint 24 heroes on Lingyan Pavilion, who were outstanding representatives. They are Wuji, Fang, Du Ruhui,,, Gao Shilian, Li Jing, Xiao Li, Duan Zhihong, Qu Tutong, Yin Kaishan, Chai Shao and Chang Shi. In addition, there are famous scribes such as Yao Silian, Lu Deming, Kong and Yan Shigu. Outstanding painters Ou Yangxun, Chu Suiliang, Yan, etc. Ashina, an outstanding minority general, loves music and has a stubborn personality. These advisers and scholars all contributed their wisdom to the formation of Zhenguan rule, and all vividly reflected the remarkable characteristics of "benevolence and virtue" in Zhenguan rule.
On the basis of the Military Morality Law, Emperor Taizong formulated the Zhenguan Law and other laws, models and forms, and the legislation was unprecedented and complete. He pays attention to taking the lead in obeying the law and maintaining the unity and stability of the law; Emphasize that rewards and punishments are clear and unselfish; Sentencing should be cautious, and it should be reviewed and repeated many times. Being punished many times while in office, criminals can serve their sentences consciously, which has become another feature of "Zhenguan rule".
In the first year of Zhenguan (627), shortly after Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he ordered Wuji and Fang to wait. The revision of the new law was based on the Military Morality Law enacted in the Gaozu period, which was completed in the 11th year of Zhenguan (637). Compared with the Law of Military Morality, the Law of Zhenguan fully embodies the guiding ideology of Tang Taizong's broad, simple, unified and stable legislation, especially in terms of punishment. In addition, article 1546 has been formulated, mainly about the laws and regulations of various national systems: the nine-year system of Wushu has been revised, and 3,000 articles have been simplified to 700 articles, which are called grids, and the responsibilities of civil and military officials have been specified in detail as the basis for assessment; Finally, the working regulations of the ministries, temples, prisons and guards in Shangshu Province are worked out, which are called forms. The contents of laws, decrees, forms and forms are all-encompassing, involving all aspects of the social life of the ruling and opposition parties at that time, which made the legislative work of feudal countries reach an unprecedented level of completeness.
As the supreme ruler of the country, Emperor Taizong paid great attention to maintaining the unity and stability of the law. He once said: "National laws are not the laws of the emperor, but the laws that all people in the world must abide by. Therefore, everything must obey the law. " He has repeatedly stressed that once a law is enacted, it must be strictly enforced and cannot be easily changed. Otherwise, people will be at a loss, giving criminals an opportunity, which is difficult for judicial personnel to remember and master, and it is easy to cause problems and contradictions. He paid great attention to setting an example and taking the lead in maintaining the unity of the law. In the early years of Zhenguan, he found that there were many swindlers among the candidate officials, so he used decrees to make the swindlers surrender, and those who did not surrender were sentenced to death. Soon after, he found that there were swindlers from the first one, and he wanted to kill them. At this time, Dali Shao Qing Dai Zhou came out and said that according to the criminal law, he could only be sentenced to exile. Taizong was furious at that time and said, "You are law-abiding. Do you want me to break my promise to the world? " Dai Zhou went on to say, "Hey, it was released in a moment of anger; Law is a country's belief in the world. Your majesty is very angry with the liar and wants to be executed. Knowing that he can't do this, he will be dealt with according to criminal law. This is the virtue of enduring small hatred and keeping big faith! " After listening to it, Taizong felt reasonable and said, "What am I worried about if you can enforce the law like this!" In order to maintain the stability of the law, he not only emphasized that orders should be cautious, but also could not be easily changed. He also opposed the previous generation's easy pardon of crimes in an attempt to be merciful. He said: "The grace of forgiveness is only given to those who don't obey the law. As the old saying goes,' A villain is a blessing, but a gentleman is a curse' and' Pardon twice a year, but a good man keeps silent'. Planting weeds will hurt seedlings, and giving kindness to those who break the law will hurt good people. Zhuge Liang ruled Shu for ten years, and Shu ruled; Liang Wudi granted amnesty several times a year, but eventually it capsized. He who gives a little kindness hurts Dade. So, since it began to rain, I won't issue a pardon order anymore. According to historical records, Emperor Taizong's wife and grandson were seriously ill. The crown prince said to the queen, "Now that all the medicines have been used up, I want to ask my father to issue an amnesty. And let people become monks and worship Buddha, so that you can be blessed by the gods. " The eldest grandson knows the nature of Emperor Taizong, and does not allow the prince to make demands on Emperor Taizong, thinking that it is useless.
While taking the lead in maintaining the unity and stability of the law, Emperor Taizong emphasized that rewards and punishments should be fair and strict, and should not be selfish. His uncle Li Daozong, King Jiangxia, was a founding father and made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. Once he committed a crime, he was exempted from official duties, cut off from the city and jailed according to law. Li Ke, the son of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, trampled on farmers' crops because of hunting. Liu Fan wrote a letter to impeach him. Li ke disagreed and thought that his father would not deal with him. Unexpectedly, Emperor Taizong not only dismissed Li Ke, but also cut off his 300 fiefs. Gao Zengsheng, the governor of Zhou Min, was an old subordinate of Emperor Taizong. After committing the crime, someone interceded for Gao in front of Taizong. Taizong said, "Jinyang has made many contributions since he started his army. If the hyperproliferation is not dealt with now, the national laws and regulations will not be implemented in the future. I will never forget anyone who has contributed to the court, but anyone who breaks the law must be dealt with according to law. " Severely criticize the mediator. In the early years of Zhenguan, Li Shentong, the king of Huai 'an, as a clan, refused to accept the reward from Fang and Du Ruhui in front of himself. Emperor Taizong said to his uncle, "When you start a war, you should react first, but it is also to avoid your disaster;" When Dou Jiande attacked Shandong, you were almost wiped out; When Liu Heita revolted again, you ran away. Fang and others strategize, sit in the world, and reward their merits, which should be above the monarch. Although my uncle is a close relative of the country, I can't repay him with personal kindness! " So everyone was completely convinced.
Regarding conviction and sentencing, Emperor Taizong repeatedly stressed the need to act cautiously. In the first year of Zhenguan (627), he said to the courtiers: "People can't be resurrected after death, and law enforcement must be broad and simple. The ancients said that people who sell coffins hope that there will be a plague every year, not because they hate people, but for the benefit. Now the person in charge of the prison must be very strict in handling cases, and he wants to cope with the assessment and get a promotion. This situation must change. " He also said that in ancient times, when trying lawsuits, officials such as Sanhuai and Jiuji were asked. Now, San Gong and Jiu Qing are such officials. From now on, those sentenced to death must be tried by officials at or above Grade 4 in Zhongshu Province and Xiamen Province, as well as Shangshu and Jiuqing. Only in this way can it be possible to avoid unjust, false and wrong cases and excessive sentencing. Once the wrong case was discovered, Emperor Taizong asked for correction and paid attention to learning from it. In the early years of Zhenguan, it was stipulated that the death penalty should be reported to the central government three times before it could be executed. In the fifth year of Zhenguan (63 1), Emperor Taizong killed Cheng Dali Zhang Yungu by mistake, and later killed the governor Lv Zushang by mistake, and it was too late to regret it. While rehabilitating the deceased, he ordered the death penalty to be executed five times in Beijing and three times in the local area. Later, the imperial edict said that in various law enforcement offices in Beijing, people who committed capital crimes were recently invited to be executed. Although it was replayed five times, it was replayed in one day, and there was no time to think seriously. What's the use of replaying it five times? Even if there is regret, it is too late. From now on, the competent authorities in Beijing who require the execution of the death penalty will repeat it five times in three days, and the localities will still repeat it three times. In terms of specific conviction and sentencing, Emperor Taizong paid more attention to Confucian ethics to measure the severity, and implemented the basic principle of "morality is the foundation of politics and religion, and punishment is used for politics and religion". In the fifth year of Zhenguan (63 1), he personally issued an imperial edict, warning law enforcement officers: "Recently, only cases were tried according to regulations. Although it is excusable, it dare not be alleviated. They act in full accordance with the regulations, and some are afraid of being wronged. From now on, the province under the door will be sentenced to death according to regulations. If it is excusable, it should be recorded and played. " The so-called extenuating circumstances are mostly caused by the contradiction between etiquette and law. Requiring performance is based on ceremony, not on law.
Because Emperor Taizong set an example, he administered according to law, rewarded and punished strictly, and was not selfish. The legal situation in Zhenguan period was obviously better than that in the previous generation, with social stability, relatively clear bureaucracy, fewer people breaking the law and even fewer people being sentenced to death. In the third year of Zhenguan (629), only 29 people were sentenced to death, which almost reached the highest standard of "penalty measures" in feudal society (that is, they could be exempted from punishment). In the sixth year of Zhenguan (632), there were 390 people on death row in China. At the end of this year, when Emperor Taizong visited the prison, he was merciful to them, ordered them all to be released and reunited with their relatives, and agreed to return to Beijing for retrial next autumn. The following autumn, all 390 people reported back on time, and no one escaped. Emperor Taizong was very happy that all their capital crimes were forgiven. In this regard, later generations also criticized him for violating the law and discipline, fishing for fame and reputation, which was harmful and useless, and even suspected that he had done the work in advance and created an illusion. But it also reflects one of the legal conditions in "the rule of Zhenguan".
In the face of the situation that the population dropped sharply and the economy was open due to the war and famine at the end of Sui Dynasty, Emperor Taizong continued to implement the economic systems such as the land equalization system and the tenancy adjustment system, which were conducive to the economic recovery and development at that time. Pay attention to paying taxes lightly, don't miss the farming season, build water conservancy projects, increase household registration and develop production. At the same time, we should vigorously refrain from extravagance and worship simplicity, streamline institutions, reduce the burden on the people, and save financial expenditure. During the Zhenguan period, the social economy recovered and developed rapidly, showing a peaceful scene.
The war and famine at the end of Sui Dynasty caused a sharp drop in population and economic depression. Although it was restored to some extent during the reign of Emperor Taizong in Tang Gaozu, the situation was still grim. In the early years of Zhenguan, frost disasters and droughts continued, rice was expensive, famine was everywhere, and refugees were everywhere. Faced with this situation, Emperor Taizong vigorously promoted the land equalization system and the tenancy adjustment system promulgated during the Wude period, and averaged the land as much as possible within a limited scope, so that the exiled population could return to their hometown, engage in agricultural production, develop the economy and increase the national fiscal revenue.
Emperor Taizong knew that the peasant uprising at the end of Sui Dynasty was mainly caused by "exorbitant taxes, corrupt officials, hunger and cold". He repeatedly quoted "this person, the boat is also; Shu Ren, water also; There is an old saying: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it", he warned himself and said to his courtiers: "A monarch must first protect the people. If he harms the people and feeds himself, it's like cutting the flesh on his thigh to fill his stomach. Although his stomach is full, people will still die. " Therefore, he actively promoted the policy of light tax and lenient to the people, and promoted the rapid recovery and development of agricultural production. At the beginning of the reign of landscape painting, it was announced that it would exempt one year's rent and two years' rent from places suffering from severe wars and famines throughout the country. Try to reduce the recruitment of corvees and try to change some corvees that have to be recruited during the slack season. At one time, he wanted to recruit middle-aged men (/kloc-people under 0/8 years old) as soldiers, and wanted to build Luoyang Palace, but they were all stopped because of the admonition of his lieutenants. In February of the fifth year of Zhenguan (63 1), Crown Prince Li Chenggan arrived at the age of 13, and a coronation ceremony was to be held to recruit local officers and soldiers to be honor guards. Emperor Taizong thought that it was a busy farming season and the ceremony would affect farming, so he ordered it to be held in autumn during the slack season. Under the vigorous advocacy of Emperor Taizong, in the early years of Zhenguan, the original rivers in Guanzhong and Henan were restored one after another, and many new drainage and water diversion projects were built. In view of the sharp decline in the population of the whole country at that time, Emperor Taizong issued a decree stipulating that: if a folk man is over 20 years old and a woman is over 15, and he is not married, state and county officials will be responsible for helping him get married; If the family is poor and can't get married, the rich families and relatives in the village will help them get married, and the increase or decrease of marriage and household registration will be listed as an important part of assessing the achievements of local officials.
In order to effectively reduce the burden on the people, during the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong also paid attention to starting from himself and vigorously refraining from extravagance and advocating simplicity. After he ascended the throne, he still lived in the old palace of the Sui Dynasty. Although most of them are old, they were not renovated in the early years of Zhenguan. He suffers from qi disease and lives in a damp old palace, which is easy to recur. Some ministers suggested that he build a new palace on this land, but he didn't agree. In order to reduce the expenses in the palace, he once released 3000 maids at one time. At the same time, it is forbidden to have a thick burial, and officials and nobles with more than five products must abide by it. In order to set an example for his men, when he arranged his tomb, he personally formulated the specifications, "Take the mountain as the mausoleum and accommodate the coffin." He ordered that local officials be forbidden to pay tribute to rare treasures to avoid disturbing the people. One year, Duan Lun, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, brought a skillful craftsman named Yang Siqi into the palace to make a puppet show (puppet) to please Taizong. Instead of accepting it, Emperor Taizong severely reprimanded Duan Lun and removed him from his office. Due to the vigorous advocacy and practice of Emperor Taizong, frugality gradually formed in the early period of Zhenguan, and a large number of ministers who were famous for their frugality appeared. For example, Dai Zhou, the minister of the household, lived in a dilapidated house all his life, and even had no place to sacrifice after his death. Wei Zhi, a famous minister, has been an official all his life, and his family doesn't even have a nave. When he was seriously ill, Emperor Taizong personally visited him. Seeing this situation, he ordered someone to build a house for him.
In the early years of Zhenguan, in order to straighten out the relationship between government agencies, strengthen local control and improve administrative efficiency, Emperor Taizong merged many counties and provinces and streamlined the central government from more than 7,000 to more than 600. Objectively speaking, this is also conducive to saving national financial expenditure, reducing waste and reducing the burden on the people, which is praised by future generations.
Whenever natural disasters such as floods, droughts, frosts and locust plagues occurred, Emperor Taizong immediately realized all kinds of dangers that would happen and quickly implemented various "famine policies" to solve people's problems. Such as ordering disaster areas to quickly open warehouses for disaster relief; Allow people to "eat" in other places; Funded by the government, people who betrayed themselves because of the disaster were redeemed and returned to their families. Sometimes, mainly due to famine and heavy taxes, thieves appear in some places. When someone advocated heavy punishment, Emperor Taizong said: "The reason why ordinary people embarked on this road is mainly because taxes are too heavy, officials are insatiable, hungry and cold, and have to steal. We should take this as a lesson, neglect thin taxes, go to extravagance and save money, choose honest officials, and let the people have food and clothing. Then who will steal and steal, and where is the need for heavy punishment? " One year, when the plague of locusts was serious, Emperor Taizong entered the palace and found locusts. He picked a few and prayed, "The people live in the valley, but you ate it. I'd rather let you eat my lungs and intestines. " He raised his hand to swallow locusts, and the people next to him advised, "This is a pest. Eating it may cause poisoning and illness. " Emperor Taizong said: "I want to bear the famine for the people, and I want to avoid any disease!" " Then he swallowed the locust into his stomach. It is said that there was no locust plague that year.
Due to this series of positive measures implemented by Emperor Taizong, the social economy recovered rapidly during the Zhenguan period. Since the third year of Zhenguan (629), the national agricultural harvest has been bumper, and the grain price has dropped, from 1 silk to 1 dou grain, to 1 silk to1dou grain. Social order tends to be stable. In the past, groups of homeless victims disappeared, and people began to live and work in peace and contentment. The national registered permanent residence increased from 6.5438+0.8 million in the Wude period of Emperor Gaozu to 3.8 million in the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649), an increase of more than 654.38+0 times. Although the national development is uneven, it is generally on the rise. In the middle period of Zhenguan Historical Biography, cattle and horses were everywhere, well-fed and well-fed, and the house was not closed at night, which was a scene of peace and prosperity, which was rare in history.
Emperor Taizong paid attention to summing up past experiences and lessons and properly handling ethnic relations. Military attacks on Turks and Gaochang. It has maintained the peace of the frontier, opened the channel for ethnic exchanges and created conditions for ethnic integration. In terms of friendly coexistence in the form of "intimacy", it has also achieved remarkable results. During this period, the contacts between the Tang Dynasty and other countries in the world expanded and had a far-reaching impact.
The relationship between the Han nationality and the ethnic minorities in the border areas has always been a problem that the rulers of past dynasties attach great importance to. In the early years of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong paid attention to summing up past experiences and lessons. With the gradual strengthening of national strength, he launched a war to unify the frontier, safeguard national peace, and properly handle the relations with all ethnic groups in the frontier, laying the foundation for establishing and consolidating a powerful multi-ethnic Datang empire.
East Turkistan is the most threatening minority regime in the Tang Dynasty. In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, East Turkistan supported and encouraged separatist forces in the north, obstructed reunification and harassed people in the mainland. When Emperor Taizong first ascended the throne, East Turkic Khan led 200,000 cavalry to attack Chang 'an, all the way to the north of Weishui Bridge near Chang 'an. With his resourceful, decisive and fearless spirit, Emperor Taizong shocked the Turkic Li Jiekhan. They killed the white horse on the Weishui Bridge, formed an alliance with the Heaven, and the Turks temporarily retreated. Since then, Emperor Taizong stepped up preparations for the war, made full use of the contradictions within the Turks, formed an alliance with Xue Yantuo, and made another leader of the Turks, Tugu Hunhan, join the Tang Dynasty. In November of the third year of Zhenguan (629), Emperor Taizong appointed Li Jing, the minister of the Ministry of War, as the commander-in-chief, and led Li Shijie, Chai Shao, Xue Wanche and other generals, with an army of 654.38+ 10,000, and divided into four ways to crusade against East Turkistan. Excavate was good at fighting, and Tang Jun won a great victory. Valerie Khan was captured alive on her way to Tuguhun after the defeat, and East Turkistan was destroyed. The Tang dynasty unified the northern border, recovered the vast area from Yinshan to desert, and lifted the long-term intrusion and threat of East Turkistan to the Central Plains. At the same time, it also made East Turkistan a slave.