76 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
and position. You liked to read the Outline and Digest of the General Mirror
(Tongjian gangmu)^150 and the Extended Meaning of the Great Learning^151
and admired heroes such as Marquis of Liu [Zhang Liang],^152 Marquis Jiang
[Zhou Bo],^153 Marquis Wu [Zhuge Liang],^154 and Duke Liang [Di Renjie].^155
Impressed by the loyalty shown by these great men, you discussed the res-
toration of the royal Wang clan when you had your armies march back.
“Minsu agreed with you at first, but when he returned home, he joined Yi
Inim and Yi Im, to whom he was related by kinship, and placed Ch’ang on
the throne against your will. Consequently, a great opportunity for restoring
the royal Wang clan was lost.
“However, you continued to serve in the government with great patience
and admonished Minsu on the basis of what is right. You also established
discipline and principled behavior among the officials by carefully selecting
inspectors and censors. As a result, the Office of the Inspector-General and
the Office of the Censor-General indicted Minsu for his avarice and abuse
of power and finally drove him out.
“You anxiously awaited the morning whenever ideas came to you during
the night and always thirsted to find men of talent and wisdom. You hated
evil as if it were your enemy. If you found anything good for the people, you
tried to bring it about no matter how small it might be. If you found any-
thing bad for the people, you tried to eliminate it however trivial it might be.
You tried to create an environment in which everyone could express one’s
opinion freely so that the troubles of the people could be conveyed to the
officials above. You recommended men of talent to the government so that
there could be equal opportunities for everyone.
“The evil practice of buying or selling public office or releasing convicts
after taking bribes disappeared in a day. Moreover, no wise man in the- Zhu Xi’s book that condensed the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government (Zizhi
tongjian), the Chinese history written by Sima Guang, to interpret history from the viewpoint
of Confucianism. - A book by Zhen Daxiu (1178–1235), which explains about the practical adaptation of
the Great Learning to real life, self-cultivation, and the regulation of one’s family. - A famous strategist and statesman who contributed to the founding of the Han dynasty.
- One of the loyal ministers trusted by Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty.
- A chancellor of the state of Shu, also referred to by his courtesy name, Kongming, who
was reputed as the greatest military strategist of all time. He was so famous that his name
became synonymous with strategy and intelligence. - An official of the Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian’s Zhou dynasty. Trusted by Empress
Wu, he succeeded in moderating her ruthless rule from becoming tyrannous and achieved
greater efficiency and honesty for her government.