Some critics saw that Emperor Renzong had too many officials in his later years and that they were conservative and inefficient. They wanted to correct this with a strict inspection system and use their wisdom and ability to rectify the situation. However, before they could see any results or benefits, a frivolous atmosphere had already been established.
When Wang Anshi saw this, he was extremely angry and asked the censor Xie Jingwen to report Su Shi's mistakes. Xie Jingwen falsely accused Su Shi of selling salt when he returned to Sichuan to bury his father.
The survival or failure of a nation depends on the depth of its morality, not on its strength or weakness; the length of an era depends on the thickness of its customs, not on its wealth or poverty. If a ruler understands this, he will know what is important and what is not.
Therefore, I urge Your Majesty to uphold morality and foster good customs, and not to rush for achievements and covet wealth and power. Cherish good customs, as you would protect your vital energy. Sages are not ignorant of the power of profound principles to unite the masses, of the power of courage and bravery to bring things together, of the ingenuity of loyalty to the point of being pedantic, and of the incipient maturity to the point of being slow-witted.
Yet those who ultimately refused to trade one for the other knew their gains were small, while their losses were great. King Injo was extremely lenient with his laws, employing people according to their rank, and dedicated to covering up mistakes, never lightly changing old rules. When examining his successes, he said they were not enough. In his military campaigns, nine out of ten were defeated; in his treasury, it was barely enough, nothing more. His virtue was so great that the people were influenced by his virtue, and the customs were righteous. Therefore, on the day of his death, the world was filled with benevolence. Observing that many officials in his later years were inflexible and lacked momentum, commentators sought to rectify this with strict scrutiny, unify them with intelligence, recruit new and courageous individuals, and achieve rapid results. Before they could reap the benefits, the negative influence had already set in.
Open more doors for rapid advancement, allowing unexpected gains, so that ministers and officials can achieve success with every step, allowing those who are normally employed to achieve something beyond their means to expect a more virtuous society. How can this be achieved? In recent years, the number of simple and honest people has decreased, while the number of those who are clever and capable has increased. Only if Your Majesty sympathizes with them and saves them, adopting simplicity as the law and purity as the heart, can the people's morality be enriched. This is what I wish Your Majesty would do to improve customs.
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