On Repenting of Faults論悔過第二十四
貞觀二年，太宗謂房玄齡曰：「為人大須學問。朕往為群兇未定，東西征討，躬親戎事，不暇讀書。比來四海安靜，身處殿堂，不能自執書卷，使人讀而聽之。君臣父子，政教之道，共在書內。古人云：『不學，墻面，蒞事惟煩。』不徒言也。卻思少小時行事，大覺非也。」
In the second year of Zhenguan Taizong said to Fang Xuanling:
"A man has great need to learn and to ask. In days past, when the crowd of violent men was not yet put down, I marched east and west and took the business of arms upon myself, and I had no leisure to read. Of late the four seas have been quiet and I dwell in the halls of the palace, and when I cannot hold a book myself I have a man read it and I listen to it. The way of lord and minister, of father and son, and of government and teaching is all there within books. The men of old said, 'One who does not learn is like a man facing a wall, and when he comes to affairs he is only in a muddle.' That is no idle word. When I think back on what I did when I was young and small, I see clearly how wrong it was."
貞觀中，太子承乾多不修法度，魏王泰尤以才能為太宗所重，特詔泰移居武德殿。魏徵上疏諫曰：「魏王既是陛下愛子，須使知定分，常保安全，每事抑其驕奢，不處嫌疑之地也。今移居此殿，使在東宮之西，海陵昔居，時人以為不可。雖時移事異，猶恐人之多言。又王之本心，亦不寧息。既能以寵為懼，伏願成人之美。」太宗曰：「我幾不思量，甚大錯誤。」遂遣泰歸於本第。
During the Zhenguan years Li Chengqian, the crown prince, often did not keep to rule and measure, while Li Tai, the prince of Wei, was held all the heavier by Taizong for his ability, and by a special edict Tai was moved to dwell in the Wude Hall. Wei Zheng sent up a memorial and remonstrated:
"The prince of Wei is a beloved son of Your Majesty, and so he must be made to know his settled portion and to be kept always in safety. In every matter his pride and extravagance should be held down, and he should not be placed where suspicion may fall. Now he has been moved to dwell in this hall, which sets him west of the Eastern Palace, where the prince of Hailing once dwelt, and the men of that day thought it should not be done. Though the times have shifted and matters are otherwise, still I fear the words of men will be many. And the prince's own heart will not be at rest either. Since he is able to take favor as a thing to fear, I bow and ask that you bring to fullness what is good in him."
Taizong said:
"I hardly thought it through. It is a very great mistake."
So he sent Tai back to his own residence.
貞觀十七年，太宗謂侍臣曰：「人情之至痛者，莫過乎喪親也。故孔子云：『三年之喪，天下之通喪，自天子達於庶人也。』又曰：『何必高宗？古之人皆然。』近代帝王遂行不逮漢文以日易月之制，甚乖於禮典。朕昨見徐幹《中論·復三年喪》篇，義理甚深，恨不早見此書。所行大疏略，但知自咎自責，追悔何及！」因悲泣久之。
In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan Taizong said to the ministers in attendance:
"Of all things in the feelings of men the most painful is to lose a parent. So Confucius said, 'The mourning of three years is the mourning that runs through all the world, from the Son of Heaven down to the common people.' And he said, 'Why must it be Gaozong alone? The men of old were all like this.'
"The emperors and kings of recent ages have not even come up to the rule of Emperor Wen of Han, who put a day in place of a month, and this goes far against the canons of ritual. Yesterday I saw the chapter on restoring the three-year mourning in the Zhonglun of Xu Gan, and its meaning and reasoning were very deep. I am sorry that I did not see this book earlier. What I did was very rough and scant, and I know only how to fault myself and reproach myself. What good is it to repent after the fact?"
And he grieved and wept a long while.
貞觀十八年，太宗謂侍臣曰：「夫人臣之對帝王，多承意順旨，甘言取容。朕今欲聞己過，卿等皆可直言。」散騎常侍劉洎對曰：「陛下每與公卿論事，及有上書者，以其不稱旨，或面加詰難，無不慚退，恐非誘進直言之道。」太宗曰：「朕亦悔有此問難，當即改之。」
In the eighteenth year of Zhenguan Taizong said to the ministers in attendance:
"When a minister faces his emperor, he mostly takes up his lord's intent and follows his will and wins acceptance with sweet words. I now wish to hear my own faults, and you may all speak straight."
Liu Ji, the cavalier attendant in ordinary, answered:
"Whenever Your Majesty discusses affairs with the high ministers, and when someone has sent up a document, if it does not meet your intent you sometimes press him with questions to his face, and there is none who does not withdraw in shame. I fear this may not be the way to draw straight speech forward."
Taizong said:
"I too repent of pressing men with such questions. I will change it at once."