Book VIII 531
“1. If one wants to keep the heart of the nation beating, one must foster
mutual respect and good customs. At the end of the previous dynasty, gov-
ernance and enlightenment deteriorated and the moral system of the country
collapsed. So the behavior of scholars and the customs of the common
people degenerated so badly that the dynasty eventually came to an end.
From this day forward, the members of the literati shall exercise self-
discipline to control their conduct and show diligence in carrying out their
duties, and the members of the common people shall also be faithful to their
duties and bring about fine customs by avoiding fortuitous means to get
what they want or reckless behavior in selfishly seeking comfort.
“1. Since the people are the foundation of the state, they shall be looked
after by the districts they belong to. Lately, the people have been frequently
burdened by excessive labor service due to the relocation of the capital.
However, since the construction of the Royal Ancestral Shrine was intended
to fulfill filial duty and reverence, the royal palace to carry out state affairs
and display the dignity of the state, and the city walls to defend against the
enemy both inside and outside, these projects were all unavoidable. How
could I feel comfortable and happy in exhausting the strength of people? All
the construction work except those three projects shall be stopped in order
for them not to be too exhausted. If one dies during his labor service, his
family shall be provided with relief and exonerated of their labor services
by the authorities responsible for him.
“1.Upon ascending the throne, whenever I issued royal decrees, I ordered
an investigation into the current status of the cultivation of land and crops
and reasonably reduced taxes based on the result of the investigation, and
this has now become an ordinance. This year there were natural disasters
caused by heavy rains and frost. In addition, many people were unable to
cultivate their land due to their military duties. So the taxes of those who
suffered great damage shall be reduced after the investigation. The defaulted
grain taxes of local districts that occurred in the previous dynasty shall all
be forgiven, and the transfer of loans made by either the government or
individuals to the family of a debtor shall be strictly forbidden if the debtor
has already died.
“4. The purpose of rotating troops who guard the royal palace is to respect
the foundation [the king] and distribute labor and leisure evenly. However,
I feel extremely sorry that the elderly and the infirm have to come up and
have a hard time discharging their duties, and that those who live alone
cannot get help in making ends meet. From this day forward, the service