"The Zhenguan Era of Good Governance" refers to the period of enlightened rule during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang.
Emperor Taizong inherited the national policy of venerating ancestors and upholding Daoism established by his father, Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, and further developed it, applying Daoist thought to govern the state and pacify the world. He appointed officials based on integrity and ability, knowing people well and using them effectively. He encouraged open discussion, respected life, practiced self-restraint, and humbly accepted advice. He implemented policies prioritizing agriculture, practicing strict frugality, allowing the people to rest and recuperate, reviving cultural education, and perfecting the imperial examination system. These measures led to a stable society. He vigorously suppressed external threats, respected the customs of border ethnic groups, consolidated frontier regions, and ultimately achieved the ideal state of peace and order throughout the realm. As his reign era was "Zhenguan" (627-649 AD), this period is historically known as "The Zhenguan Era of Good Governance."
The Zhenguan Era laid a crucial foundation for the later flourishing Kaiyuan Prosperity, pushing traditional Chinese agrarian society to its peak.
**Politics**
After ascending the throne, Emperor Taizong governed with diligence and determination. Politically, he bore no grudges, knew people well and used them effectively, readily accepted advice, reformed officialdom, and stabilized the turbulent situation left over from the end of the Sui dynasty.
**Separation of Powers in Administration**
The main feature of China's monarchical autocratic system was the high concentration of power and centralization. This political system greatly restricted the creativity, initiative, and flexibility of the populace and was highly prone to tyranny.
The central government organization of China's monarchical autocratic society implemented the "Three Departments and Six Ministries" system. However, the division of authority among the Three Departments during the Zhenguan era preliminarily reflected a modern political characteristic—the principle of separation of powers. The Secretariat (Zhongshu Sheng) issued orders, the Chancellery (Menxia Sheng) reviewed orders, and the Department of State Affairs (Shangshu Sheng) executed orders. The formation of a decree began with a meeting of chancellors in the Hall of State Affairs located within the Secretariat. After forming a resolution, it was submitted to the emperor for approval. The Secretariat would then issue an edict in the emperor's name. Before issuance, the edict had to be sent to the Chancellery for review. If the Chancellery deemed it inappropriate, it could refuse to "co-sign." An edict lacking co-signature could not legally be promulgated. Only after the Chancellery's co-signature did the edict become an official state law, to be executed by the Department of State Affairs (The renowned minister Wei Zheng served in the Chancellery at the time). This mode of political operation bears a striking resemblance to the "separation of powers" system in modern democratic nations. The theory of separation of powers that emerged in the West in the seventeenth century had already been applied by Emperor Taizong to China's political system over a thousand years earlier, further illustrating the high degree of civilization achieved during the Zhenguan era. Most remarkably, Emperor Taizong stipulated that even his own edicts must be co-signed by the Chancellery before they could take effect, effectively preventing him from making unwise decisions detrimental to his reputation when acting impulsively or in a bad mood. Among the 853 emperors in Chinese history, only Emperor Taizong possessed such exceptional wisdom and magnanimity.
**Ruler and Ministers Discussing Governance**
The popular uprisings at the end of the Sui dynasty taught Emperor Taizong the principle that "the people depend on the state, and the state depends on the people." The chaos at the end of the Sui, coupled with his own ascension to the throne at the young age of twenty-seven, served as a constant warning to him. He repeatedly admonished himself to control his desires and frequently discussed with his ministers the reasons for the rise and fall of past dynasties. He urged his officials not to fear displeasing him and to continue offering advice, striving to correct the mutual suspicion between rulers and ministers that had plagued previous dynasties. This was the fundamental factor enabling the ruler and ministers of the Zhenguan era to work together for good governance.
**Selecting the Worthy and Capable**
Emperor Taizong knew people well and used them effectively, appointing officials based on merit regardless of their background, thus enabling him to recruit many outstanding talents from all social strata.
In the early period, he recruited Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, known as "Fang's planning and Du's decisiveness." Later, he appointed virtuous and upright officials such as Changsun Wuji, Yang Shidao, and Chu Suiliang. Others, like Li Ji and Li Jing, were also renowned generals of the age. Furthermore, Emperor Taizong set aside past grievances, reemploying Wei Zheng and Wang Gui, former officials of his rival Li Jiancheng, and surrendered generals like Yuchi Gong and Qin Qiong, creating a court brimming with talent.
Emperor Taizong placed great importance on talent selection, strictly adhering to the principle of combining virtue and ability. He believed that only by appointing a large number of truly capable individuals could the realm achieve great peace. Thus, he was eager for talent, issuing edicts seeking worthy men five times, increasing the subjects of the imperial examinations, and expanding the scope and number of candidates to allow more talent to emerge. Due to Emperor Taizong's emphasis on talent, the Zhenguan era saw a flourishing of outstanding individuals, truly a "gathering of talents, both civil and military." It was precisely these pillars of the state, using their wisdom and intelligence, who made enormous contributions to the formation of the "Zhenguan Era of Good Governance."
Introduction to the Zhenguan Era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan Era
**Readily Accepting Advice**
Emperor Taizong valued talent, was open-minded in accepting advice, appointed people effectively, and readily accepted counsel, creating an atmosphere of political clarity that ensured the formulation and implementation of relatively enlightened and correct policies in politics, economy, ethnicity, foreign affairs, and culture.
Taking Emperor Yang of Sui's refusal of advice as a warning for the fall of his dynasty, Emperor Taizong made great efforts to solicit opinions after his accession. He expanded the powers of remonstrating officials and encouraged his ministers to speak frankly. Among the court officials, Wei Zheng was most famous for his bold and direct remonstrations, which Emperor Taizong often accepted with self-restraint and tolerance. Others like Wang Gui, Ma Zhou, Sun Fuqie, and Chu Suiliang were also renowned for their forthright advice. During Emperor Taizong's 23-year reign, no fewer than 35 officials offered remonstrances. Wei Zheng alone presented over 200 instances of advice totaling hundreds of thousands of words, all of which struck at the root of contemporary problems and greatly helped improve governance.
Emperor Taizong was able to listen to diverse opinions and pay attention to remonstrance. His ministers dared to speak frankly, creating a rare good political atmosphere within China's monarchical autocratic society.
Emperor Taizong's skill in appointing people and accepting advice was both one of the reasons for the emergence of the Zhenguan Era of Good Governance and an important manifestation of it.
**Reforming Officialdom**
Emperor Taizong placed great importance on the integrity of officials. He ordered Fang Xuanling to streamline redundant personnel and dispatched Li Jing and thirteen other Censorial Envoys to tour the country and inspect official conduct. He personally selected provincial governors (Dudu) and prefects (Cishi), recording their merits and faults on screens within the palace as the basis for promotion, demotion, rewards, and punishments. He also stipulated that capital officials of the fifth rank and above should take turns residing in the Secretariat, so they could be summoned at any time to inquire about the hardships of the people and the successes and failures of government policies. Officials thus motivated themselves to be clean and capable, directly improving government efficiency and creating a period of political clarity.
The Zhenguan era was a period in Chinese history with virtually no corruption, perhaps Emperor Taizong's most praiseworthy achievement. Under Emperor Taizong's rule, the emperor set a personal example, officials were dedicated to public service, and clerks stayed within their duties. The phenomena of abuse of power and corruption were reduced to the lowest levels in history. Most importantly, Emperor Taizong did not use cruel punishments to deter corruption. Instead, he primarily led by example and established a political system as scientific as possible to prevent corruption. Under a wise and self-disciplined ruler, the motivation for officials to engage in corruption was minimal, and corrupt officials found it difficult to hide. Preventing corruption depends mainly on a scientific and enlightened political system; relying solely on post-facto crackdowns can only be effective temporarily and cannot eradicate the social soil from which corruption grows.
**Perfecting Institutions**
During his reign, Emperor Taizong further refined the Sui system. In the central government, he continued the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, specially established the Hall of State Affairs to facilitate collective discussion of state affairs, and achieved a system of mutual checks among the three departments. At the local level, he maintained the Sui dynasty's two-tier system of commanderies and counties, dividing the empire into ten surveillance districts (Dao). Additionally, the Fubing system (militia system), the equal-field system, the tax system of rents, services, and levies, and the imperial examination system all saw further development. These measures improved administrative efficiency and expanded the ruling base.
He also ordered the merging of prefectures and counties to eliminate the弊病 of "few people but many officials," which helped alleviate the burden on the people.
**Light Punishments and Lawmaking**
Emperor Taizong placed great importance on the rule of law. He once said, "State law is not the law of one imperial family alone; it is law to be jointly observed by all under heaven. Therefore, everything must be based on law." After laws were established, Emperor Taizong led by example, abided by them first, and maintained the uniformity and stability of the law.
During the Zhenguan era, the principle that "even princes who commit crimes shall be punished like commoners" was truly realized. When enforcing the law, he was impartial, but when determining sentences, he thought repeatedly, being extremely cautious. He said, "Once a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life; punishment must be broad and simple." Due to Emperor Taizong's painstaking efforts, the legal situation during the Zhenguan era was excellent: fewer people committed crimes, and even fewer were sentenced to death. Historical records state that in the third year of Zhenguan, only 29 people nationwide were sentenced to death, almost reaching the highest standard of legal governance in a centralized society—"xingcuo," meaning punishment could be dispensed with.
"Officials were mostly self-consciously upright and cautious. They controlled the powerful families of princes, dukes, consorts, and princesses, and the large, powerful, and cunning clans, who all feared imperial authority and kept a low profile, daring not to bully or deceive commoners. Merchants and travelers camped in the wild without fear of bandits. Prisons were often empty. Horses and cattle grazed freely in the fields, and outer doors were left unlocked. Harvests were frequent and abundant, with a measure of rice costing only three or four coins. Travelers going from the capital to the Lingbiao region, or from Shandong to the Bohai Sea, needed no provisions, as they could obtain food along the way. When passing through Shandong villages, travelers were always warmly hosted, and sometimes given gifts upon departure. All these were unprecedented in ancient times."
While emphasizing the rule of law, Emperor Taizong had his ministers revise the laws according to the principles of leniency and simplicity, resulting in the creation of the "Zhenguan Code." By reducing punishments and revising laws, the Zhenguan Code was established. Social order during the Zhenguan era was stable. The fewest number of death sentences recorded in a single year was twenty-nine. In the sixth year of Zhenguan, the number of death row inmates increased to 290. At the end of that year, Emperor Taizong allowed them to return home to settle their affairs, ordering them to return the following autumn to face execution (ancient executions were carried out in autumn). The following September, all 290 prisoners returned, with not a single one escaping. At that time, China enjoyed enlightened politics, officials performed their duties, the people lived in peace and contentment, injustice was rare, and there was little resentment among the populace. Well-fed and well-clothed people would not risk their lives for survival; those with calm minds were also unlikely to resort to extremes, thus the probability of crime was extremely low.
**Military**
Emperor Taizong ascended the throne at only 27 years old. Under his rule, the Tang dynasty saw development in both civil administration and military might, creating a famous era of prosperity in Chinese history. During Emperor Taizong's reign, military achievements reached their peak, developing the Tang Empire into the strongest and most culturally advanced nation in East Asia at the time. Emperor Taizong vigorously promoted the Fubing system, launched repeated external military campaigns, and strategically managed the four directions. He successively pacified the Eastern Turks, Xueyantuo, Uyghurs, Gaochang, Yanqi, Kucha, Tuyuhun, campaigned against Goguryeo, formed marriage alliances with Tubo and Gaochang, thus spreading the prestige of the Tang far and wide. Coupled with Emperor Taizong's respect for foreign customs and the establishment of the protectorate system, throughout the Zhenguan era, the surrounding regions were submissive and content. Emperor Taizong was revered by neighboring ethnic groups as the "Heavenly Khan," and a "Road to the Heavenly Khan" was built for tribute to the Tang court. Emperor Taizong became the international leader of the Eastern world, and the nation entered a period of peace and prosperity.
In the 22nd year of Zhenguan, Wang Xuanzhe, serving as an envoy of the Tang dynasty, went to India. A minister of Central Tianzhu, Nafodi A Luonashun, usurped the throne and kidnapped the Tang envoys. Wang Xuanzhe escaped alone to Tubo, borrowed troops from Tubo and Nepal, and marched on India. After three days of continuous battle, the Indian army was decisively defeated. Tang forces beheaded over 3,000 enemy soldiers, and about 10,000 Indian soldiers drowned. A Luonashun abandoned the city and fled, but was pursued, captured, and taken prisoner by Deputy Envoy Jiang Shiren. In this campaign, 12,000 men and women were captured, along with more than 30,000 horses and cattle.
**Territory**
Due to Emperor Taizong's diligent governance, politically strengthening jurisdiction over regions like the Western Regions, diplomatically enhancing friendly exchanges with Asian countries, militarily actively pacifying the "Four Barbarians," and ethnically treating minority groups with "equal love," the Tang dynasty's territory during the Zhenguan era became unprecedentedly vast, surpassing even the period of Emperor Xuan of Han. It reached its zenith by the first year of Longshuo under Emperor Gaozong of Tang (661 AD), at which point the empire's territory extended eastward to the sea, westward beyond the Congling mountains, northward beyond the漠北 (Mobei, northern desert), and southward to the South China Sea.