The emperor who rules the world is extremely sacred. They are accustomed to be silent and dignified on their thrones, and the same commands can be preached in all directions. Is this the function of the edict?

Ancient emperors, like Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor and Tang Yao and Yu Shun, the instructions they gave were called "life". The original meaning of life is the foundation for the formation of the personality of all things. In the third dynasty of the Xia Shang dynasty, life had the role of both an oath and an oath, just like "Willing Oath" and "Tang Huo". In fact, the oath is used to discipline the army, and the edict is to issue a decree. The reason why "life" is used to refer to the oath is that it means that it is a command from heaven. Therefore, the life is also used to confer officials, promote knights, and give surnames. Another example is the "Concubine" in "Zhou Yi", which has "the later order to send orders to the Quartet" (the emperor issued an order to convey the Quartet). Therefore, the "edict" is to encourage the broad masses of the people, just like the "concubine" hexagram under the Qianshang Xunxia, which is the strong wind that blows the world. In the Warring States period when the Seven Kingdoms competed for power, "fate, edicts, and oaths" were collectively called orders. And "ling" means "to make", that is, to instruct or assign someone to do something.

After Qin Shi Huang unified the world, he renamed the past "life" as "system". At the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, the imperial court standardized the etiquette and regulations, and divided the "life" into four specifications: one is the policy book, the second is the book, the third is the edict, and the fourth is the precept. "Edict" is a police ring order issued at the state and ministerial level; "Edict" is to inform the court officials; "System" is an order to govern or pardon; "Strategy" is to seal the powerful princes. In terms of the details of the form of the edict text, the "policy" is generally recorded on the slips, while the "system" is written on silk linen cloth for decision-making and ruling; The "edict" is to read out the notice, while the "edict" is an administrative document, such as an order to stop, correct or continue, etc., which needs to be strictly implemented and absolutely enforced. "The Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Out of the Car" said: "Don't you want to go home, afraid of this simple book" (not that you don't want to go home, the record is daunting. ）； There is a saying in "Zhou Yi • Festival Hexagram • Elephant Words": "The gentleman uses the system to measure the number of degrees" (the gentleman identifies all things by adjudicating mathematics); In "Zhou Li, Qiu Guan, Si Meng", it is said: "The north edicts to the gods" (facing the north to edict the gods of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers); In "Shangshu • Yushu • Yiji", there is: "The destiny of the heavens is only a few times." (Obey the edict of God, seize the day and be prepared for danger in times of peace.) These "simplicity, system, edict, and edict" are all examples of the use of scriptures and texts. As for the so-called "distant edict and near order" in political power (to inform the distant place to use the edict and the nearest order to face the metaphor), it follows the system of the Qin Dynasty. However, as it is said in "The Book of Rites: Tie Yi": "The king's words are like silk, and his output is like silk." The general meaning is: if the emperor speaks face-to-face, if it is green silk, when it is spread out of the court, it becomes hemp rope. Therefore, in a dynasty where the emperor is full of words, inside and outside the court, anyone who uploads and issues edicts must always be vigilant and cautious.

It is recorded in the "Book of Shun" that Emperor Shun said: "Destiny you make a promise, and you dream of a cashier at night." (You have been assigned a special charge for uploading and delivering verbal messages, and conveying my orders day and night.) And in "The Book of Songs, Daya, and Haomin", King Xuan of Zhou praised Zhongshanfu as "the cashier of the king's order, the mouthpiece of the king." (As a minister of state, he is as faithful as the mouthpiece of the emperor.) ）

In the Han and Han dynasties, whether it was a top-down edict or a bottom-up edict, there was an official who was specifically responsible for conveying it, which was the duty of Shangshu. Entering this period, the emperor's words and deeds not only became important, but also recorded in history at every turn, and really became a golden mouth and a horse, which was difficult to chase. Because of this, Liu An, the king of Huainan, was erudite and knowledgeable, and when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty corresponded with him, it is said that he specially asked Sima Xiangru to consider the draft for him in advance; And because of the gathering of many scribes under Kui Huan in the west of Longshan, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty needed to be extra cautious every time he approved or sent a document to Longyou. Some stories like this are not only good stories at the time, but also worth learning with caution and constant vigilance for those who come after them. If you check the edicts of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Jing, you will obviously feel superficial and naïve. However, during the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, because the emperor himself particularly respected Confucianism, he was quite profound and mysterious in his writings and words. For example, the documents of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to seal Liu Hong, the king of Qi, Liu Dan, the king of Yan, and Liu Xu, the king of Guangling, are similar to the precepts and canons in the "Book of Shang", especially the exhortations in them are knowledgeable, and the reasoning is appropriate and elegant, which can be called a model for later generations. In addition, for example, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty criticized his unwillingness to work in the court as a disturbing mood while criticizing him for not wanting to work in the court, and on the other hand, he satisfied his wish to return to his hometown to be a magistrate. As for other emperors, for example, in the correspondence between Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty and Chen Sui, the great guard of Taiyuan, although it was stamped with a jade seal, it actually mentioned that "the power I gave you can pay off the gambling debts I owed back then." Such ridicule may reflect the monarch's cherishing and love for old friends from another aspect. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, after Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiuyu set things right, although he appreciated traditional culture, he was too rash and capricious in his words and deeds, and even sometimes biased. For example, in "Emperor Deng Yu", Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty Liu Xiu said: "Situ Yao is also, and the thief is also dead." (Situ is not only Tang Yao, but also eliminated the villain Xia Wei.) ）； In addition, he said in "The Book of Seals to the Houba": "Huang Yue has nowhere to go. (As long as Huang Yue clicks, his head will move.) Edicts like this are not only unseemly, but they also disturb the law. When the Eastern Han Dynasty entered the era of Emperor Ming and Emperor Zhang, because they admired Confucianism, Yazheng's edicts occasionally emerged. However, during the period of Emperor An and Emperor He, due to political laxity, the officials of Shangshu Province who managed etiquette were too poor in their own level, and even asked outsiders to write for each edict every time they issued an edict. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, during the Jian'an season, not only was literature and art prosperous, but even the edict was radiant. For example, Pan Miao's "Book of Wei Gongjiu Xiwen" is full of elegance and elegance; Wei Qi's "Edict of the King of Wei for the Han Emperor", which highlights Fu Rui, is particularly dazzling and dazzling, which is enough to breathe. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, the imperial court promulgated edicts were all undertaken by the province of Zhongshu, Liu Fang of the Wei State (the character abandoned Zhuo County, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, raised filial piety and honesty to join Cao Cao, and successively served as the chief bookkeeper of the military) and Zhang Hua of the Western Jin Dynasty all served as the supervisor of the Zhongshu. Therefore, their edicts at that time were once famous. During this period, the edict of Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi, although famous for its grandeur and magnificence, he said in his edict to Xiahou Shang, the general of Zhengnan: "Be a powerful and a blessing, and kill the living." (If you want to be powerful, you have to kill the enemy and live yourself), this may be regarded as a wise man's misfortune. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, only Emperor Ming of the Jin Dynasty has attached importance to promoting culture. Therefore, Wen Qiao was promoted to the post of Zhongshu Province because of his fresh writing. Since then, the system of strict edicts and policies, which has always been adhered to by the ancient imperial court, has gradually faded away.

Needless to say, as long as the emperor advocates sacred dignity and his words and deeds must be the same, even if he sits on the top of the high hall, he can still see everything clearly, and can edict the world at any time. Under such circumstances, its princes and officials must obey the wind, but be more cautious and careful, and must say and act according to the law. At the same time, only the neighboring countries can be truly convinced and convinced, and there will be positive cooperation. Therefore, in ancient times, the selection of talents and abilities, especially when the officials were promoted, the imperial favor or the imperial court's edict role, like the glory of the sun and the moon, revealed their talents and virtues to the world; The commendation documents issued and the simple policies of the officials are like spring breeze and rain, nourishing the soil for cultivating talents and virtues; As for the edicts of caution and consolation, they are like the shining brilliance of the stars, letting people know who is dark and who is bright; In addition, there are troop orders and military battle books, which must have a thunderous momentum; And the memorial to disasters or the forgiveness of sins also requires the warmth of spring rain and dew; As for the severe punishment or the reward of faith, it really needs the cruelty of autumn frost. All this is the general classification and main points of the writing of the imperial style.

In addition to the above, it is particularly important to point out that there is another type of edict that is used as a warning or urgently needed in the imperial policy. For example, it is recorded in "The Biography of Mu Tianzi, Volume 1": "Bingyin, the son is an official instrument. It is the father of the suburbs who is ordered to be the father, and he is subject to the constitution. The gist of it is to say: On Bingyin Day, the Son of Heaven asked the accompanying officials to check the gifts and utensils, and asked the minister of the righteous government to formulate the imperial decree and regulations. What is said here probably belongs to a kind of precept for emergency use. Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei, once said that the edict must be directed at specific affairs and must not be violated, which is not only the key to understanding the edict, but also the key to understanding military and political management. When it came to Emperor Sima Yan of the Jin Dynasty, he actually regarded the edict as a general proclamation for warning officials. For example, it not only teaches the governor how to lead the troops, but also reminds the officials under the state pastoral inspector, and also warns the county guards to sympathize with the people's suffering, and even orders generals at all levels to strengthen border defense, etc., similar to some documents and edicts, which are like ancient precepts, which can be described as all-encompassing.

In fact, if we talk about "precepts" alone, the original meaning should be "prudence", and it is not completely equivalent to prohibition and severe punishment. Xia Yu has a sentence in "Shangshu Da Yu Mo": "The use of the precept is rest, and the use of Dong is powerful." (According to the context, the meaning is to use praise to those who know the rules to guard them from making mistakes; And for those who do not understand the rules, they must be conquered by prestige. In fact, in the mortal world, there are no conditions to talk about the repayment of the kindness of "king, father, and teacher", let alone a limit. "Chinese • Jin Yu I" records: "The people live in three, and things are the same." Born by the father, taught by the teacher, and eaten by the king. That's what it means. For example, Han Gaozu's "The Prince of the Hand" and Dongfang Shuo's "Commandment", as their deathbed testaments, their expressions are basically the same. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty Ma Yuan's "Book of Ring Brother Yan Dun", the ancestral precept of the family has gradually appeared among the eunuchs and celebrities. For example, Ban Zhao's "Female Ring" 7 articles are enough to be called the mother and female teacher of all family education.

So what is "teaching"? Teaching imitation means comparing and imitating, and it also refers to speaking out for everyone to learn or do as they are. In the Book of Shun, Emperor Shun's Situ Qi put forward a "five teachings" doctrine of "fatherly righteousness, maternal kindness, brotherhood, brotherhood, and filial piety". Therefore, later princes and ministers, who spread these five virtues, were also called "teachings." Zheng Hong of the Western Han Dynasty was too punctual in Nanyang, and the indoctrination decree he wrote (lost and the content is unknown) was praised by later generations because the truth was clear and clear. At the end of the Han Dynasty, when Kong Rong was the minister of Beihai, like his article "Telling Gaomi County Zhenggong Township Teaching", although the rhetoric is elegantly written, the actual governance effect is said to be very poor, which is an example of the inconsistency between the fatwa and reality. Another example is Zhuge Liang's "Answer to Jiang Wanjiao", "Teaching and Military Commander Shi Joining the Army), etc., the content is detailed and appropriate; Yu Yi's "Teaching with Bureaucrats", etc., has a clear and decisive attitude. They are all well-reasoned and well-written, and they should be part of the excellent fatwa. Teachings like theirs, which are very righteous in doctrine and rhetoric, should be the best in this style. After the above-mentioned style of "teaching", there is also a style of style that likes to talk about "life". For example, there is a sentence in "The Book of Songs, Daya, Daming": "There is a destiny from heaven, and this king of Wen is destined to be born." (Meaning: King Wen is called the emperor, which is the destiny of heaven.) It can be seen that it has been very important to clarify the "destiny" of each person since ancient times. However, in "Zhou Li, Diguan, Shishi", it is said: "Shi's palm is the edict of the king." It is to the effect that the officials who have mastered education should enshrine virtue to the king. It can be seen from this that at that time, the lower-level officials could also edict the king just like the heavens in ancient times. Therefore, once people begin to attach importance to edicts, they will no longer revere and respect the mandate of heaven. This is also a major variable in the ancient and modern world.

To sum up: the emperor and queen of heaven rule the world, relying on giving orders, and the people of the world are in awe of the edict, and must be strict and resolute in carrying it out. The king's taboo is numb, and the people's livelihood can follow him. There is an edict that shines on the earth, and it is an edict to nourish all things; Righteousness rises and rhetoric turns into rain, and the king is in the upper realm.