Sima Qian said in the “biographies of the scholars” that “Emperor Xiaowen had a good reputation for punishment”. In the book of rites, it is also called “Xiaowen good Taoism”. Obviously, Sima Qian believed that Taoism and Legalism were the main governing thoughts of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty. In fact, Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty not only liked the words of punishment and Taoism, but also Confucianism played a very important role in his general strategy of governing the country. He not only attached importance to Confucianism, but also consciously implemented it into the strategy of governing the country, thus creating a remarkable cultural governance of Emperor Wen.
In the era of Gaozu before Emperor Wen and the era after Lu, Confucianism did not gain power. It was not only not trusted and valued by the rulers, but also excluded and belittled by Huang Lao and other thoughts. At the time of Emperor Wen, the situation of Confucianism had changed significantly. Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty paid special attention to and took care of Confucianism. Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty was well aware that the Confucian classics “Six Classics” contained many ruling experiences, so he attached great importance to the search, collation, research and promotion of Confucian classics. Emperor Wen once ordered Zhu Sheng to make a “Royal system” according to the “Six Classics” to discuss the matter of touring and Fengchan. Emperor Wen attached great importance to the collation and research of the Confucian classic Shangshu. “In Emperor Xiaowen’s time, there was no one in the world who wanted to be able to cure the Shangshu”. When he learned that Jinan Fusheng, who was in his nineties, was famous for teaching the Confucian classic Shangshu in Qilu, but he couldn’t come to Beijing to teach because of his old age and inconvenient movement, he sent Chao Cuo, who was too familiar with the story, to his home to study the Shangshu. In order to further encourage the development of Confucian culture, Emperor Wen set up a doctor’s office of books and poems. Fu Sheng’s disciples ouyangsheng and Zhang Sheng were both appointed doctors of “book”, while doctors of “poetry” included Yan Han Ying and Lu Shen Peigong. Although the post of doctor was only a minor official post in the early Han Dynasty, it was this kind of post, because it could directly discuss politics with the monarch and act as an adviser to the emperor, so it was more conducive for the Confucians to give full play to their strengths and influence the supreme ruler with their own thoughts. These measures played an important role in encouraging the development of Confucian culture and gradually revived Confucianism in the early Han Dynasty. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty attached great importance to Confucianism, which provided favorable conditions for the development of Confucianism and opened up the political space of Confucianism, laying a solid foundation for the “exclusive respect for Confucianism” in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
During the period of Emperor Wen, Confucian scholars also began to be put in important position. According to the records of the historian and the biography of the scholars in the book of Han, the Confucians were “widely recruited (registered) during the reign of Emperor Wen”. Some Confucian scholars with excellent scholarship held important official positions in the Emperor Wen Dynasty. For example, “Xu Sheng took Rong as the official doctor of the Han Dynasty” (historical records, biographies of Confucian scholars), Zhang Cang, the Marquis of Beiping, Jia Yi, the great master of Liang Dynasty, Zhang Chang, Jing Zhaoyin, and master Liu, a doctor of Taizhong, were all appreciated and valued by Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty because of the revision of the biography of Zuo in the spring and Autumn Period “. Among them, Jia Yi was deeply appreciated by Emperor Wen, and was able to “move beyond the age of one year to a doctor in Taizhong”. This is obviously different from the Gaozu era, which took military merit as the basis for being an official. The Confucians began to have a lot of freedom on the political stage, and their participation in politics was increasing. They were able to put forward many suggestions and measures conducive to social rule. Emperor Wen’s attitude towards this is that he can not only reuse Confucianism, but also actively adopt the reasonable ideas and strategies put forward by Confucianism. As the representative of Confucianism during the reign of Emperor Wen, Jia Yi put forward many politically reasonable suggestions for Emperor Wen. For example, how to solve the problems of princes and Xiongnu. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty showed great interest in Jia Yi’s suggestions based on Confucianism, and actively adopted and applied them to governing politics. According to Jia Yi’s biography in the book of Han Dynasty, at that time, someone informed Zhou Bo of his conspiracy to “arrest Chang’an prison, die, and restore the city”. In response to this incident, Jia Yi, starting from the Confucian thought of rule by rites, proposed to Emperor Wen that he should treat his subjects with courtesy and “support his subjects with integrity”. Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty “deeply accepted his words”. After Emperor Wen, ministers committed crimes again and were no longer punished. According to the biography of Jia Yi in the book of Han Dynasty: “(during the reign of Emperor Wen), all the laws and decrees were changed, and all the princes were on the country, which was said by friendship.” “Jia Yi praises” said: “follow up the filial piety article, silently practice to change the custom, and the friendship will be implemented slightly.” It can be seen that Jia Yi’s thought had a deep influence on Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty attached importance to Confucianism and Confucianism.
Emperor Wen’s thought of governing the country embodies the benevolent politics advocated by Confucianism everywhere. Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty ruled the country with culture and consciously implemented Confucianism into the general plan of governing the country. The governing idea of “benevolent government” was put forward by Mencius on the basis of the thoughts of Confucian sages, “the way of Yao and Shun, without benevolent government, can not rule the world peacefully”, “the three generations of the world also gain benevolence, and their loss of the world is also inhumane. The reason why the country is abandoned and prospered is the same.” (“Mencius · Li Lou Shang”) “benevolent government” is the ideal thought of governing the country that the Ming monarch and virtuous Lord should have vigorously advocated by Confucianism. Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty carried out the policy of benevolence advocated by Confucianism. Emperor Wen cared for vulnerable groups and cared for his subjects. At the beginning of his accession to the throne, he issued an imperial edict “to give widows, widows, orphans and orphans all over the world. At the age of 80, he has been given cloth, silk, rice and meat.” At the same time, there is a disaster year, that is, “Fa Cang Yu to revive the people” (Han Dynasty · Emperor Wen Ji). Emperor Wen also leniently commuted punishment and abolished corporal punishment. In the first year of Emperor Wen, the law of sitting together was abolished, and in May of the second year, the crime of slander was abolished. In the 13th year, corporal punishment was abolished. Emperor Wen also implemented the agricultural and people-oriented thoughts advocated in Confucianism into the policy of governing the country. During the reign of Emperor Wen, he adopted the policy of emphasizing agriculture and persuading agriculture, and issued an imperial edict many times to persuade agriculture to cultivate, saying that “agriculture, the foundation of the world, opens its land, and I personally lead the cultivation, so as to make the ancestral temple prosperous.” (Han Dynasty · Emperor Wen Ji) and take measures to lighten corvee and encourage agricultural development. In the 13th year of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, an imperial edict was issued to exempt land rent. In dealing with the war, Emperor Wen also tried to avoid war by conforming to the people’s wishes, calming the people and protecting the people. In short, Confucianism has been well reflected in the cultural rule of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. The unprecedented stability and prosperity of Emperor Wen Dynasty can not be denied the credit of Confucianism. The increasing usefulness of Confucianism in politics has improved itself and accelerated the development of Confucianism.
In selecting and using talents, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also followed the Confucian thought of valuing talents and selecting talents, promoted the politics of sages, and created a new method of seeking talents – the system of examination. According to the “Han Dynasty · Emperor Wen Ji”, Emperor Wen issued an imperial edict in November of the second year: “and those who can speak out and remonstrate frankly, so as to avoid me.” In the 12th year of Emperor Wen’s imperial edict, he said, “filial piety is the great obedience of the world; Li Tian is the foundation of life… Honest officials are the expression of the people. I really appreciate this trip of two or three doctors. In today’s County of ten thousand families, it’s not true that there is no response to the order. Is it true that human feelings? It’s the way for officials to promote virtue that is not prepared.” In September of the 15th year of the second half of the year, “the princes, princes and prefects were ordered to give advice to those who can speak frankly, and those who can make suggestions personally, and fu na said.” The general steps of Emperor Wen’s examination and selection of scholars are as follows: the emperor issued an imperial edict, specifying the subjects of recommendation, the prime minister, marquis, Gongqing and local counties recommended talents according to the requirements of the subjects, and the emperor personally questioned the candidates, and awarded officials differently according to the countermeasures. The imperial examination system, which began in the reign of Emperor Wen, became an important way of talent selection. After Emperor Wu, it became a system of talent selection in the Han Dynasty and was fixed. The emergence of the examination system has provided a favorable way to select better Confucianism, which is more unobstructed on the road to the political stage.
Emperor Wen himself was more like a modest gentleman of Confucianism. Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty was industrious and thrifty throughout his life, and implemented the rule of virtue and benevolence. His words and deeds embody the virtues of “Virtue” and “benevolence” in Confucianism. In case of natural disasters, we often review ourselves first, issue an edict against ourselves, reflect on ourselves, find out problems in time and adjust policies. For example, two solar eclipses occurred in November and December in the second year of Emperor Wen’s succession, which was considered an ominous sign at that time. Emperor Wen made a timely self-examination and said, “I am the only one in the world to rule the chaos, and I am still in power. I can’t manage and cultivate the masses. I am not virtuous with the light of tiring three lights. So, he thought carefully about my mistakes, and knew what he saw and thought, and told me.” (Han Dynasty · Emperor Wen Ji) in the words and deeds of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and the imperial edict, there are often self reflection sentences such as “I am very ashamed”, “I am not clear” and so on. It can be said that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty practiced the Confucian tenet of rectifying Qi and governing peace, made his virtue of one person be given to the society, made outstanding political achievements, and made the society of the Han Dynasty achieve unprecedented prosperity and stability in Chinese history. He was well deserved to be called “benevolent monarch” by Sima Qian.
Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty promoted the rule of culture and achieved outstanding political achievements. On the one hand, he benefited from Confucianism, which was an important ideological basis for the formation of his rule of culture in the prosperous era; On the other hand, the prosperity of the rule of culture objectively promoted the development of Confucianism. It not only provided favorable conditions for the development of Confucianism, but also opened up the political space of Confucianism. Confucianism developed from the period of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty to the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. From obscurity to dominance, it also benefited from the attention and support of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. The cultural rule of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty is closely related to the development of Confucianism in the early Han Dynasty.
References:
[1] Sima Qian Historical records [m] Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1982 [2] Ban Gu Han Shu [m] Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1999 [3] Yang Bojun Mencius translation note [m] Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2005 [4] yellow beads On the history and culture of Qin and Han Dynasties [m] Xi’an: Sanqin press, 2002