Dong Zhongshu's story "Three Sees of Emperor Wu of Han"

After Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty became emperor, he ordered a group of virtuous literature (referring to knowledgeable intellectuals) from all over the country to come to the capital City of Chang'an, and he personally examined these people and selected outstanding talents from them to serve the country. Dong Zhongshu, who was working as a doctoral officer, also took this exam.

On this day, it was Dong Zhongshu's turn. He respectfully knelt in front of Emperor Wu of Han and waited confidently for the emperor's question. Emperor Wudi of Han saw that he was much older than himself, so he asked him to sit down and answer the question, and then asked:

"I heard that Mr. Li has been studying the relationship between heaven and man for a long time, can you talk about it?"

Dong Zhongshu replied in a very calm tone:

"There is a mysterious relationship between heaven and man, and kings and people are afraid."

Emperor Wu of Han did not wait for Dong Zhongshu to finish speaking, and then he asked urgently:

"It is said that the regimes of the Xia, Shang, and Three Dynasties were all given by Heaven, what evidence is there?"

Dong Zhongshu continued to answer:

"The minister has heard that if a man is of high moral character and is supported by the common people, then he can move the heavens, and the heavens will have auspicious signs and express their willingness to hand over the power to him. It is written in the Book of Books: On the eve of the Zhou Dynasty replacing the Shang Dynasty, the white fish jumped into the boat where King Wu was sitting, and the fire covered the palace of the Duke of Zhou, gradually turning into a bird. This is the proof of destiny! Therefore, after Zhou Gong saw such an auspicious rui, he said happily: 'This is the good reward that deserves it, and this is the good reward that it deserves!' ’”

Emperor Wudi of Han listened, liked it so much that he couldn't keep his mouth shut, and said:

"What will heaven do if the king's deeds do not conform to the will of God?"

Dong Zhongshu replied:

"After the heavens have chosen who has become the king of the earth, they have always monitored the activities of the king. If the king obeys the will of heaven and loves the people, the heavens will send down auspicious and rewarding people; if the king is tyrannical and faint, appoints bad people, and causes chaos in the country, the heavens will send disasters, and there will be floods, droughts, insect plagues... At this time, the king should quickly reflect on himself, review his own behavior, correct his mistakes, and return to the right path. His reign will continue. If at this time, the king is still obsessed and obstinate, the heavens will fall like rain, and then a new king will be chosen to replace the old king. Therefore, the king must be careful and conscientious, and there must be no slack or negligence! ”

The more Emperor Wudi of Han listened, the more fascinated he became, and he couldn't help but sit down in front of Dong Zhongshu, take his hand and say:

"Sir said it really well, it's very useful to the country!"

Dong Zhongshu said that this set, his theory of "heaven and man induction" played a great role in the rulers of later generations. Emperor Wudi of Han was fascinated.

Emperor Wu of Han admired Dong Zhongshu very much, and the more the monarchs and courtiers talked, the more speculative they became. After some days, Emperor Wu of Han summoned Dong Zhongshu for the third time.

This time, Dong Zhongshu said what he had been holding back for many years, and he said:

"I thought that only Confucius's Confucianism was right, but not for other schools, such as Taoism, Mojia, and Dharma. You should only respect Confucianism in order to govern the country well. ”

"Good!" Emperor Wudi of Han said, "This is exactly what I wanted." ”

Since then, Confucianism has become orthodox, and successive rulers have regarded the books of Confucius and Confucianism as scriptures and textbooks.