The Qunshu Zhiyao "(hereinafter referred to as" Zhiyao ") is a monumental work on political reform in the early Tang Dynasty, commissioned by famous remonstrators Wei Zheng, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, and others in the early years of the Zhenguan era under the command of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin (599-649 AD), to compile the writings of predecessors as remonstrances, providing a warning for Emperor Taizong's" retreat from martial arts and cultivation "," governance and peace ", and the creation of the" Zhenguan governance ". The "Essentials of Governance" is based on the Six Classics, Four Histories, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, starting from the Five Emperors and ending in the Jin Dynasty. Its purpose is to focus on political skills and to preserve admonitions. From over 14000 ancient books and more than 89000 volumes, it was carefully selected and edited into a book in the fifth year of the Zhenguan reign (631 AD), with a total of 65 parts and over 500000 words.
The characteristic of the "Essentials of Group Book Governance" can be summarized as "broad and essential". Wei Zheng and others extensively collected 65 types of classics, histories, and Confucian classics, and adhered to the principles of "governing politics" and "focusing on the essentials of governance". They deleted their complexity and selected their essence, condensing them into a rare edition of 50 volumes. Wei Zheng is a great tool for governing the country, possessing both noble morality and outstanding historical knowledge. This makes "Essentials of the Administration of Books" a classic work that can be used today to learn from the past, and passed down from generation to generation to enlighten future generations.
However, this epic masterpiece was not popularized due to the lack of invention of woodblock printing, and the war in the late Tang Dynasty caused the book to be lost. Fortunately, it was copied by the Japanese envoy to Tang and brought back to Japan. After generations of joint efforts, this book was finally brought back to light, which is truly a "fortunate misfortune".
