Original text:
Someone asked Wei Zhi: "What is the master of man, what is bright and what is dark?" Right: "Listening is clear, but partial belief is dark."
Translation:
Emperor Taizong asked Wei Zhi, "How does a monarch distinguish right from wrong? How can he be confused? " Wei Zhi replied: "Only by listening to opinions extensively can we distinguish right from wrong, and I believe that a person will be confused."
Listening while listening is bright, while listening while listening is dark;
Emperor Taizong asked Prime Minister Wei Zhi: "As the king of a country, how can I distinguish right from wrong and not be deceived?" Wei Zhi replied: "As a monarch, only listening to one side of the story will confuse him and often make wrong judgments. Only by extensively listening to opinions and adopting correct opinions will we not be deceived and will we clearly know the following situation. "
Since then, Emperor Taizong has attached great importance to the following suggestions and encouraged ministers to speak freely. After the death of Wei Zhi, Emperor Taizong said bitterly: "With copper as a mirror, we can see whether the clothes and hats are neatly dressed, and with history as a mirror, we can understand the reasons for the rise and fall of dynasties; Only by taking people as a mirror can we know the gap and gains and losses between ourselves and others. Wei Zhi is gone today, I really lost a good mirror! "