For those who are interested in Li Shimin’s release of prisoners home, the History Encyclopedia editor brings a detailed article for your reference.
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was a famous benevolent ruler. During his reign, Emperor Taizong appointed wise and capable individuals, opened up a wide range of opinions, learned how to make good use of people, respected life, humbly accepted advice, and adopted a “people-oriented” policy.
According to historical records, in the sixth year of the Zhenguan reign, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, went to the place where death row prisoners were imprisoned near the Chinese New Year. He saw the cases of those prisoners and found that they were not some extremely evil people, so he couldn’t bear it in his heart. After careful consideration, it was decided to send those executed prisoners home for the Chinese New Year. The death row inmates were extremely happy to hear such news, but the ministers in the court began to worry. After all, these are all death row inmates. Will they come back for execution after they are released home? If they all ran away, wouldn’t it be a great chaos that day?
But under the persuasion of his ministers, Emperor Taizong of Tang did not change his own decision and resolutely let them go home for the Chinese New Year. Emperor Taizong of Tang sent back four hundred executed prisoners home for the Chinese New Year and made an agreement with them that they must return on time for execution in the autumn of the following year. Tang Taizong’s action must have been unbelievable, but the result was truly shocking!
In the spring of the following year, these death row inmates did not disappoint Emperor Taizong’s trust in them, and they all arrived as promised. Emperor Taizong of Tang was overjoyed and decided not to allow them to be executed, but to release them all. Of course, Tang Taizong’s benevolent act is also highly admirable. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi once wrote in the Seven Virtues Dance, ‘Three thousand resentful women were released from the palace, and four hundred executed prisoners returned to prison.’ This shows how many people praised Emperor Taizong’s actions!
They came back not without reason. Although they were all released home, they were still at the feet of the emperor. Where could they escape to? If they escaped, they might even be caught back, and the consequences would be severe or mild. This is just one of them; Secondly, although Emperor Taizong of Tang was kind and benevolent, if they escaped, they might be implicated by nine clans. If they didn’t escape, it would harm one person, and if they escaped, it would harm nine clans. Who would do such a thing; How could they betray the trust of Tang Taizong, who had such trust in them?
So Tang Taizong is not without reason.
