Emperor Taizong Li Shimin said: "To cater to the feelings of one person is a deep harm to the people; this is the governance that leads to the fall of a nation." The emperor, with his autocratic rule, governed the world based on one person's will, while the court officials flattered him, treating all edicts, regardless of their correctness, as "golden words," with no one daring to oppose or refute, and no one offering differing opinions. This inevitably plunges the common people into deep suffering, which is the governance that leads to the fall of a nation.
Why would the autocratic, centralized emperor Li Shimin say such a thing? Since it is an autocratic centralization, why must he listen to others' opinions and cannot simply "cater to one person's feelings"? In fact, there is a distinction between "autocracy" and "dictatorship."
- Autocracy is the control of power, which cannot fall into the hands of others;
- Dictatorship is power that is unrestrained, acting solely on one's own will.
Autocracy is a systemic issue, while dictatorship is a mechanism issue. An autocratic monarch does not necessarily have to be a dictator, but a dictatorial monarch must be in an autocratic system. When both autocratic and dictatorial, it becomes a tyrant ruling the world with one person.
Autocratic emperors are also aware that "dictatorship" is not so reliable. A wise emperor will respect and value "dissenting voices" to avoid making grave mistakes due to "one-person rule," which could jeopardize the throne. Only an emperor who can accept criticism can consolidate autocratic power for a longer time.
Thus, even Han Fei, who strongly advocated for monarchical autocracy and dictatorship, believed that the monarch must "see with the country in mind" and "hear with the country in mind." The wise Li Shimin established the "Seal and Refute System" to remind and restrain the emperor's dictatorship, which then developed into a unique administrative mechanism of the autocratic dynasty.
Seal and Refute System#
What is "Seal and Refute"? It means "to seal back edicts and refute incorrect actions." Ministers review the emperor's "sacred edicts," and if they find any discrepancies, they can propose amendments or even reject them and request a re-draft. Under this governance mechanism, the emperor's edicts must be drafted by the Chancellery, and after being reviewed and signed by the Secretariat, they can take effect.
Of course, Li Shimin was originally an autocratic monarch who did not wish to be bound by law, and he may not have been as democratic as he claimed. What is commendable is that this second emperor of the Tang autocratic dynasty actively proposed the "Seal and Refute" system and maintained a cautious approach to governance and an awareness of accepting criticism for a considerable period, thus avoiding major mistakes in the governance of autocratic power.
Li Shimin once told the Minister of the Interior Wang Gui that the establishment of the Chancellery and the Secretariat was to mutually "inspect" each other. The Chancellery drafts edicts, and if there are "errors," the Secretariat should "refute and correct." The different opinions of individuals are discussed repeatedly to "seek the most appropriate."
However, in the execution of the system, the mutual "inspection" between the Chancellery and the Secretariat became merely formal. Li Shimin then offered stern criticism: if there are inappropriate parts in the edicts, they should be discussed. Now, however, we only see compliance and obedience, and hear no differing opinions. If this is how "documents are written," anyone can do it; what use do you have?
Li Shimin took the two emperors of the Sui Dynasty as a cautionary tale, saying: "If one wishes to see their own reflection, they must rely on a clear mirror; if a ruler wishes to know their faults, they must await loyal ministers." Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty "disregarded advice and considered himself wise," while Yu Shiji "flattered and obeyed," resulting in Yang Guang being assassinated and Yu Shiji perishing, while the ministers who "served Yang Guang to secure wealth and honor" ended up with nothing.
Thus, Yang Guang's "catering to one person's feelings, leading to deep suffering for the people" is "the governance that leads to the fall of a nation." Similarly, Emperor Wen Yang Jian's "decisions were all made by himself, not entrusting ministers" and "not discerning but being pleased with what he saw" is also not commendable. The emperor deals with numerous affairs daily; even if "exhausted and troubled," he cannot manage everything well. Moreover, "if one is not discerning, there will be misunderstandings; if one is pleased with what they see, they will be overly suspicious of things."
If the emperor does not trust his ministers, and everything is done according to his will, even if the emperor's views are wrong, no one dares to advise or argue, this is the reason for the fall of the second Sui emperor. "My intention is otherwise; given the vastness of the world, the multitude of people, and the myriad of affairs, it must be flexible and adaptable, all entrusted to the various departments for discussion, and the chancellor's planning must be stable and convenient for matters to be executed."
The world is so vast, and the population so numerous, with countless affairs of state; how can one person manage everything personally? In Li Shimin's view, it is essential to delegate power, gather wisdom, and rely on the chancellor for decision-making to get things done well. "How can one manage all affairs with the thoughts of one person?"
Making correct decisions is certainly good, but those wrong decisions can only make the common people bear the cost, accumulating over time, ultimately leading to significant mistakes. "How can one not appoint virtuous and capable individuals, maintain a high perspective, and enforce strict laws? Who would dare to act unlawfully?" The emperor, while retaining the final decision-making power, entrusts governance to the chancellor to manage with the officials, insisting on governing according to the law, ruling by law, and having a clear mirror hanging high; who would dare to act recklessly?
"If there are any inappropriate parts in the edicts, they must be executed with a report; they cannot simply be implemented according to the will," Li Shimin required that upon receiving the edicts, if any legal or practical issues are found, timely amendments must be proposed, and they cannot be simply issued for execution.
The common shortcoming of Yang Jian and Yang Guang was their disregard for advice and counsel, and Li Shimin aimed to learn from this lesson. Thus, there appeared Wei Zheng, who dared to speak frankly and directly advise, and the officials led by Wei Zheng indeed dared to present differing opinions to Li Shimin. At times, the monarch and ministers would almost argue face-to-face, and Li Shimin ultimately accepted some differing opinions.
The Minister of Personnel Changsun Wuji once "did not understand the punishment for entering the Eastern Pavilion with a sword," which was a crime, while the Right Minister Feng Deyi "was to be punished with death for not noticing the guards," and "Wuji mistakenly brought someone, punished with twenty pounds of copper." Li Shimin agreed with this judgment. However, the Deputy Minister of Justice Dai Zhou countered: "The guard's negligence and Wuji bringing someone are both mistakes." Why was one punished with death and the other with a fine?
Li Shimin could only say: "The law is not just my law; it is the law of the world. How can I favor Wuji because he is a relative of the country?" Under Dai Zhou's insistence, the guard was spared death. It is indeed rare to hear from an autocratic emperor, "The law is not just my law; it is the law of the world."
In fact, the tradition of advising and supervising the emperor has existed since ancient times. The system of officials responsible for supervision and counsel has a long history, from Emperor Shun, King Tang of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, through the Spring and Autumn period, Qin and Han, to the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, where there were indeed officials who dared to speak against the emperor, playing a significant role in preventing national policies from going astray and ensuring a balance in governance.
Regarding the Tang "Seal and Refute System," as long as the "advice and counsel" system is implemented, political clarity, social stability, economic development, improvement of people's livelihoods, and public support will ensure that imperial power and the dynasty remain as solid as a rock. The reigns of Emperor Taizong during the Zhenguan period, Emperor Xuanzong during the Kaiyuan period, and Emperor Xianzong during the early Yuanhe period were all like this, with the dynasty's endeavors thriving and advancing rapidly.
However, later on, Wu Zetian executed the dissenting official Liu Yi at home, and the "Seal and Refute" ultimately did not restrain the ambitions of autocratic power. The "advice and counsel" system was destroyed, and the emperor ruled with autocracy, leading to political blindness, social turmoil, and the decline of people's livelihoods, causing the dynasty's endeavors to shift from prosperity to decline, with imperial power and the throne hanging by a thread. The periods of Emperor Xuanzong during the Tianbao era, Emperor Dezong, and the later years of Emperor Xianzong during the Yuanhe period all serve as evidence.
If there are not a few "advisors" or "dissenting officials" around the emperor to whisper "unpleasant" truths to keep him alert, while the court is filled with flattery of "Your Majesty is wise" and "Long live the Emperor," leading to his blindness, then this emperor is not far from downfall. Even worse, if the emperor, accustomed to hearing good words, kills all the "advisors" and "dissenting officials," it aligns perfectly with the intentions of those who flatter him daily, and before long, they will lead him to ruin, and the fall of the nation will be a natural consequence.