唐太宗 維基百科(公有領域 )

Three Stories of the Virtue of Emperor Taizong
 
The following three short stories display the virtuous rule of Emperor Taizong (598 – 649 AD) in the Tang Dynasty.
 
1) In the second year of the Zhen Guan era (628 AD), there was a plague of locusts near the capital city Chang’an. When Emperor Taizong saw the locusts while inspecting crops grown in the imperial gardens, he picked up a few and said, “People live on crops, but you consume them. It is harming the people. If the people have done anything wrong, I should be responsible for it. If you understand this, then stop harming the masses of people. You can feed on my heart.” With these words, he was going to swallow the locusts. When the court officials saw this, they immediately said, “Please don’t do this. You may get sick.” Emperor Taizong said, “I was hoping that the disaster could be shifted to me. Why would I be afraid of getting sick?” He then gulped down the locusts. From then on, during his reign, there was never another plague of locusts. (Zhen Guan Politics – Farming Chapter 30)
 
2) In August of the second year of the era of Zhen Guan (628 AD), Emperor Taizong came to the court to read through the cases of injustice that people had suffered. Because there were no large issues to deal with at the time, Emperor Taizong decided to reside in the Western Palace. The court officials presented a memorial to him that said, “According to the protocols, the emperor could live in a cool and dry pavilion by the waterside in the summer. Right now, the summer heat is still evident and the wet autumn season has just arrived.  The foundation of the palace is rather low; so it is very damp inside the palace. We respectfully ask Your Majesty to issue an imperial decree to build a pavilion by the waterside for Your Majesty to live in summer.”
 
Emperor Taizong wrote in reply, “I do have a health problem, and when it is wet and cold, I suffer pain in my joints. It is true that it is not suitable for me to live in the palace, which is low in location and damp inside. However, if I agree to your suggestion, it would cost a lot of money. In the past, when Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty was about to build a pavilion, he decided not to go ahead with the construction after learning that it would cost ten households’ wealth to build it. My virtues cannot match those of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty yet the cost will exceed his budget. It would be against the principle which states that an emperor should care for all his people like a parent.” He then issued a decree to forbid the request of the court officials to build a pavilion for him. (History of the Early Tang Dynasty –Biography of Taizong)
 
3) In the fifth year of the era of Zhen Guan (631 AD), the Ministry of Rites presented a memorial to the emperor, saying that the crown prince was due for the Adult Ceremony soon, and that the most auspicious time for the ceremony was in February of the lunar calendar. They would like the emperor to issue a decree to increase the number of soldiers as guards of honor for the various forms of insignia for the occasion. Emperor Taizong said in reply, “Farming is busy right now, and it [your suggestion] might harm farming work.” He then issued a decree to postpone the ceremony to October.
 
The crown prince’s teacher, Xiao Yu, wrote a letter to the emperor, suggesting that according to the principle of mutual generation and mutual inhibition in the Yin Yang theory, February was the best month for the Adult Ceremony. Emperor Taizong said, “I do not rigidly adhere to the Yin Yang theory in doing things. If one does everything according to the Yin Yang theory, then he would not care much about reasoning and righteousness. How can we only pursue our own good fortune and ask for blessings from heaven? If one acts according to the righteous way, he will naturally be blessed with good fortune. Besides, one’s fate depends on himself. How can one just rely on Yin and Yang? Farming season is very important and it must not be put at risk.” He then rejected Xiao Yu’s suggestion. (Zhen Guan Politics - Farming Chapter 30)
 
损己身　恤民情
 
以下三个小故事体现了唐太宗的仁政。
 
唐朝贞观二年，京师长安一带大旱蝗虫四起。唐太宗进入皇家禁苑观察庄稼，当看到了蝗虫后，用手抓起几个蝗虫说：人以谷物维持生命，你却吃了它，是侵害百姓。如果百姓有什么过错，责任在我一人，如果你有灵，你就不要坑害百姓，来蚀食我的心吧。说完就要把蝗虫吞入肚中。随从的大臣们赶忙进谏说：“恐成疾，不可。”太宗说，我正希望把灾害转移到我的身上，怕什么疾病呢。说著就把蝗虫吞入腹中。从此以后，在太宗时，蝗虫再也没有为灾（《贞观政要﹒务农第三十》）。
 
贞观二年八月，太宗亲自到朝堂，览阅人间冤屈。由于时无大事，太宗便寝食于西宫。这时公卿大臣表奏说，依照礼仪，皇帝在夏天可以居住于凉爽干燥的台榭。现在重暑还没有完全退去，秋雨绵绵的秋天刚刚到来。宫殿的地基很低，宫内潮湿不堪，请陛下颁旨造一个台榭居住。
 
皇帝回复说：朕有气病，受到潮湿和冷气，就会关节疼痛，哪里适合于居住在低而潮湿的宫中呢。但是如果顺遂了你们的心愿，将要花费很多。过去汉文帝将要起露台时，想到要耗费十家人的财产而不为。朕的德不及汉文帝，而花费的费用超过文帝，这种做法怎能称为为天下民众父母的道理呢。然后颁诏禁止了大臣们的请求（《旧唐书﹒太宗本纪》）。
 
贞观五年，负责礼仪的部门向太宗上疏说，皇太子即将要行成人礼，时间应该以农历的二月为吉利，希望皇帝颁发诏书，增加兵员来准备太子成人典礼时所用的各种仪仗。太宗回复曰：“今东作方兴，恐伤农事”。颁诏令改为十月。
 
太子少保萧瑀上书奏请说，按照阴阳家相生相克的道理，选择为二月为最好。太宗说：朕不会拘泥于阴阳而行事。如果人的一动一静都要依据阴阳，而不顾理义，就想求得福份和天的护佑，怎么可能呢？ 如果人的行为都遵守正道，自然会与祥祯而遇。而且人的吉凶在于人自己，哪能依靠于阴阳。农时甚为重要，不能失去。拒绝了萧瑀的奏请（《贞观政要﹒务农第三十》）。