PREFACE

The Emperor’s Mirror, an Illustrated Discussion (Di Jian Tu Shuo) was written as a primer for the ancient Chinese emperors.

Since ancient times, picture books have played a pivotal role in educating people to discern good and evil and draw experience from the past. The woodblock-printed book Illustrated Instructions from Three Previous Dynasties(San Chao Xun Jian Tu) , completed in 1049, was the first of its kind – as documented in the book of Chen Zhensun, a bibliophile of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The Emperor’s Mirror, an Illustrated Discussion is a similar work.

In 1572, Zhu Yijun acceded to the throne at the age of 10, becoming the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). His reign title was Wanli (1573-1620). The duty of educating the young emperor fell to the shoulders of Zhang Juzheng, the prime minister and grand secretary. He thus compiled The Emperor’s Mirror, an Illustrated Discussion , hoping that the emperor could draw inspiration from the conduct of his predecessors in prior dynasties and foster correct ideas on the way of ruling and state governance.

The book is divided into two sections. Section One focuses on “Emperors’ Achievements”, recording the stories of 32 emperors from the ancient Yao and Shun periods to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). It tells of leaders working to rejuvenate and stabilize countries, and shows the moralities of cherishing the people, respecting men of virtue, taking counsel, and being studious and thrifty. There are a total of 81 stories in this section – 9 multiplied by 9 – since the ancient Chinese believed nine to be a number full of yang energy, representing goodness. Section Two focuses on “Emperors’ Reckless Acts”, telling the stories of 26 ancient fatuous and self-indulgent rulers going against the historical trend and bringing calamity to countries and people, showing their atrocity, lechery, extravagance and fatuousness. This section features 36 stories – 6 multiplied by 6 – with six believed to be a number with yin energy, representing evil. The stories are titled with four Chinese characters, illustrating the deeds of emperors such as “Setting Up a Drum and Wood Boards to Collect Suggestions” by Emperor Yao, “Burning Classics and Burying Alive Confucian Scholars” by the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), “Stopping Building the Terrace for Thriftiness” by Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), and “Reading Throughout the Day”by Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The book aimed to educate the emperor in accordance with the Confucian ideas of cultivating the moral self, managing the family, governing the state, and safeguarding peace under Heaven from the perspective of the emperor’s relationship with the officials and the people, as well as from the individual perspective of being an emperor. It carefully selected materials and formed a sharp contrast between the two sections, showing the meticulousness devoted to the education of emperors.

The first edition was completed in Beijing in 1573, the first year of Emperor Wanli’s reign. The original woodblock has since been lost to time. The pictures in this book are in perfect composition, with each stroke depicting the grand atmosphere and the delicate details of the expressions, gestures and clothing of the figures, set off by the landscape drawings of pavilions, gardens, trees and mountains. They possess a profound artistic conception and distinct Chinese characteristics and capture the key plots of each story, suggesting the inner thoughts of different figures through the meticulous depiction of the scenes and their actions and expressions. They enable readers to understand stories through illustrations at one glance, which demonstrates the excellent techniques of the painters. Though the stories span millennia, the architecture, carts, carriages, and clothing in the illustrations are of typical Ming style.

As a primer, the book played a crucial role in the early years of Emperor Wanli, who was diligent in state governance, and its educational significance extended beyond the Ming court till the Qing Dynasty, spreading both at home and abroad. It remains a valuable educational tool for individuals and families.

This edition is based on pictures drawn in the early Qing Dynasty (1616-1911), presumably by imperial painters. There were a total of 95 pictures in the original book, each occupying a single page, and their composition was similar to those in previous editions. This book selects 27 pictures from Section One and 12 pictures from Section Two. Beneath each picture is a descriptive text in plain language to help readers understand each illustration and decipher the meanings behind each story.

Ma Wenda
Research librarian with Capital Library of China