Thirdly, Confucianism was promoted to the status of a national religion, establishing a system of thought centered on the state and accommodating political rule, thereby controlling mainstream public opinion. Furthermore, it established humanistic ideals and value standards for both the elite class (scholars-officials) and society.
Fifthly, a far-sighted diplomatic strategy was designed and implemented, making the Han Empire the political and economic hub of Asia through both civil administration and military prowess.
Fourthly, the feudal system of the Western Zhou patriarchal clan system was completely abolished, and a new set of administrative, succession, and talent-promotion systems was established.
At the same time, in my view, the leadership and governance art of this highly individualistic and capable emperor is the easiest to replicate. He is unlike his great-grandfather, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, who relied on his special talents in identifying, employing, and controlling people to gain the empire. While Emperor Wu's many achievements were certainly also due to the active assistance of talented individuals, his talent in this regard clearly did not match that of Liu Bang. Therefore, he placed greater emphasis on institutional construction, using systems to cultivate, employ, and control talent. Systems are obviously more reliable than personal talent and easier for others to emulate. Now I will briefly mention this small difference, and below I will elaborate as much as possible on my understanding of Emperor Wu's leadership and governance art.
The management activities during Emperor Wu's era generally proceeded as follows: important matters would be discussed collectively by a group of capable inner court officials whom he valued, decisions would be made, and then these would be handed over to the outer court led by the prime minister for execution, with continuous supervision and inspection throughout. Afterward, rewards and punishments would be administered according to the system. For routine administrative work, it was mostly handled by the prime minister.
From 140 BCE when Emperor Wu ascended the throne, to his death in 87 BCE, he reigned for 54 years. During his reign, he mainly accomplished five major feats:
Firstly, he repelled the Xiongnu's invasion of China, securing a vast living space for the Chinese nation from south to north and east to west.
Now let's talk about Emperor Wu's achievements. In my humble opinion, the scholar He Xin has conducted the most comprehensive and profound research on Emperor Wu. He stated in the preface of "Hero - A Critical Biography and Chronology of Emperor Wu of Han" that:
Secondly, ancient laws and regulations were reformed, creating a complete political system embodying the Legalist principle of "ruling by law without sparing relatives or nobles." This legal tradition became the fundamental paradigm for the imperial system of China for the next two thousand years.
His accomplishments in both civil administration and military exploits sufficiently validate the effectiveness of his governance theory. What are the characteristics of his governance theory?
Firstly, in terms of large-scale governance strategies, the biggest difference between Emperor Wu and Qin Shi Huang is that Qin Shi Huang personally handled almost everything, big or small. Historical records indicate that he reviewed one hundred twenty jin (an ancient unit of weight) of documents daily. However, Emperor Wu rarely personally reviewed documents; routine matters were handled by proxies like the chamberlain, and only important documents were personally scrutinized. His main work was essentially limited to what Liu Chuanzhi described as "forming a team, setting strategies, and leading the team." Major strategic decisions were all made by Emperor Wu, and the appointments of personnel in both the inner and outer courts were decided by him.
Epigraph: Governance, at its core, is a practice, and its sole test is achievement – Drucker. By analyzing the achievements of ancient emperors and the reasons behind them, the conclusions drawn can guide our practical work and life. Entrepreneurs are also emperors – emperors of their own companies; everyone is an emperor – the emperor of oneself.
The ancient emperor I admire most is Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. This enigmatic ruler achieved remarkable success and was historically known for his extraordinary talent and vision. We can evaluate Emperor Wu’s achievements through two conclusions: 1) The emperor who defined the Han dynasty was Emperor Gaozu, while those who influenced twenty-four dynasties were Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han (the source is forgotten); 2) In the entire Confucian cultural phase of China, Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang were the most capable emperors (from "World Cultural Series - Confucian Culture" by Ma Zhenduo et al.). In both of the highest evaluations of emperors, Emperor Wu of Han holds a place.
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