Rise up the popularity of the people
Go to the far color, cheap and virtuous, so persuade Xian also.
Not listening to rumors, alienating women, and looking down on money and attaching importance to morality is to encourage people to learn from the sages, so that they can slowly establish the style of persuasion in society.
Self-cultivation is upright. If a person in power is not strict in self-cultivation and does not have enough virtue, he will like to listen to rumors and be loyal to his subjects, he will be good-sounding, and he will be desolate in government affairs, he will like money and treasures, and if he ignores long-term morality, he will stay away from those moral gentlemen, and wise people with backbones will see this and will stay away from those in power. Once a country has formed a bad political atmosphere, it will affect the social atmosphere and the entire people's customs, and the spread of the social atmosphere is very fast, "once the atmosphere is bad, everyone below the middle class abandons themselves", which will shake the foundation of the country, and those in power must not be careless.
"Go for the far side." In the Collected Sayings of the Book of Rites, it is said: "'Slander' is enough to confuse people's intelligence, and 'color' is enough to conceal people's clarity." 'To slander the distant colors', then those who hear are wise, and those who see are wise." Like to listen to the words of the ear, flattering words, love to listen to some private words, small talk, easy to be confused by the neighbors, by the villain into rumors, by the "pillow wind" blown, this is since ancient times the rulers are prone to make mistakes, especially when the rulers have made some achievements, satisfied, or when the peace and prosperity, the surface of the rise, especially so, can not be excluded. Therefore, in order to straighten themselves out, the ancient monarchs had to ask six teachers, including Taishi, Taifu, Taibao, Shaoshi, Shaofu, and Shaobao, to teach themselves, and there were independent historians to record the words and deeds of those in power, to warn themselves, and to set up special counselors to supervise themselves, so as to correct their own words and deeds and politics.
The "Zhenguan Politician" records the story of a monarch and a courtier, which is very classic. Once, Emperor Taizong of Tang asked his minister Xu Jingzong, "According to my observation, you are the most capable among the courtiers, but there are always people who talk about your right and wrong. Xu Jingzong said: "The spring rain is like anointing, the farmer likes its luster, and the pedestrians hate its mud; the autumn moon is like a mirror, the beautiful people like it to play, the thieves hate its brilliance, and the greatness of heaven and earth is particularly regrettable and the situation is subject." There is no fat sheep wine to reconcile the right and wrong of the people, and the right and the wrong cannot be heard, and it is impossible to hear. The king listens to the subjects being killed, the father listens to the son being cursed, the husband and wife listen to the separation, the friends listen to the absolute, the relatives listen to the alienation, and the neighbors listen to the difference. Seven feet of life, beware of three inches of tongue, there is a dragon spring on the tongue, and there is no blood in killing. Who doesn't say anything in front of people? Who's behind nobody's back? "Emperor Taizong: Qing's words are very good, and he should know it." Tang Taizong Li Shimin was able to "go to the far away, cheap goods and noble virtues", appoint talents, and follow the flow of advice, so during the Zhenguan period, twenty-four sages such as Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruqian, and Changsun Wuji gathered in the dynasty, creating the rule of Zhenguan that has always been enjoyed by future generations.
During the Shang Dynasty, the King of Shang Was "a man of great ability to discern diseases, to be very sensitive to his senses, and to excel in his ability to do so", and when he first ascended to the throne, he was still able to use sages, and he attached equal importance to literature and martial arts, and his national strength was once very strong. Later, after Dai Ji entered the inner palace, Emperor Xin of the Sui Dynasty was absurd and unscrupulous, "using wine as a pool and hanging meat as a forest", indulging in wine all day; building Lutai, building a palace, and using the people's strength lightly; listening to rumors, killing Bi Gan, imprisoning Jizi, and abusing torture; wanton conquest and tyranny, losing the hearts of the people, and many sages of the Shang Dynasty abandoned the merchants one after another, and finally led to the annihilation of the country. Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of tang, after taking the throne, advocated culture and religion, practiced benevolent government, appointed meritocrats, accepted advice like a stream, was diligent and frugal and loved the people, straightened out the rule of officials, and worked hard to govern, and once created a heyday in the history of the Tang Dynasty, known in history as the "Kaiyuan Prosperous Era". "Recalling the heyday of the kaiyuan in the past, Xiaoyi still hides thousands of families" is a true portrayal of the social prosperity at that time. Later, he listened to the rumors of the villains, killed his three own sons in one day, used the traitor Li Linpu, degraded the loyalists, good treasure goods, and closely sounded, especially after spoiling the beautiful yang Yuhuan, and he spent all day with Yang Yuhuan and other noble concubines, drunk and gold fans, extremely extravagant, and even connived with Yang Guozhong to control the government, sell officials and lords, spoil An Lushan, cause chaos in the court, let the people of the world not talk about their lives, and eventually led to the famous "AnShi Rebellion" in Chinese history, an Lushan, Shi Siming and other rebels slaughtered the Tang Dynasty for nearly a decade. It shook the foundation of the Tang Dynasty and indirectly caused the demise of the Tang Dynasty. The lesson is very painful, and the lessons of history are still in sight.
"Cheap goods and noble virtue" means not to pay too much attention to short-term goods and interests, but to look at long-term moral benefits. As a person in power, do not pay too much attention to short-term commercial goods, start from the national righteousness in everything, and put moral justice in the front. If a country attaches too much importance to cargo interests and is prone to form mercantilism, it will hurt the interests of other industries, it will hurt the people's fairness, justice and moral conscience, and if the people all chase after goods, they will lose the righteousness of human life and the virtue of the creation of heaven and earth. A country's national style is pure, the political style is clean, the people's style is simple, the social atmosphere is noble, the people have correct values, a grand world outlook, and a harmonious outlook on life, and the wise people are willing to come out and dedicate themselves and serve the country and the people without complaint or regret, and other countries and people will also come to learn and emulate, which will truly convince people's hearts. This is the great gain of the country, and the gain is also the virtue.
"The king of Chu has a thin waist, and the palace people starve to death", the king of the Chu kingdom likes women with thin waists, and the women in the palace eat everyone in order to please the king of Chu, and for a long time, many people starve to death, which is caused by the custom. The so-called "those who are good on the top will be very good at the bottom," if the person in the upper position can cultivate himself, to slander the distant color, the cheap goods and noble virtue, the people around him will naturally learn to emulate, and the sages will be willing to serve him. If the person in power has inflated his selfish desires and is not upright, he will inevitably like to listen to rumors and form gangs, such people are lustful and good-looking, and once they are rich, they will be loud and colorful, oblivious, usurping power and power, and bringing misfortune to society. The wise man is a man of heavenly reason, the wise man is a man of both moral integrity and ability, the wise man is a good man in the world, the wise man understands the mystery of today's prosperity and decline, has profound knowledge and the wisdom of receiving things and knowing things, the wise man does not help to do evil, "does not stand under the wall of danger", is willing to "help others become virtuous, does not help people become evil", and understands the truth of "good birds choose trees to live in, and wise subjects choose the Lord and do things". Mencius said, "Those who have attained the Tao have more help, but those who have lost the Tao have little help." "If a person in power can truly cultivate himself and revere morality," to slander the distant colors, cheap goods and noble virtues, "to raise the wise people to the top, the people will follow suit and study, persuade each other to persuade each other to be virtuous, and persuade each other to learn and persuade the good; this is the way of indoctrination of oneself and upright people, and it is the way to govern the country and the people, and thus the style of persuasion of the people in society will arise."