Once upon a time, there was a wise king and his loyal minister. The king was always faced with difficult decisions. One day, the kingdom was threatened by a neighboring country. The minister, using his intelligence and knowledge of diplomacy, advised the king to send envoys for negotiation instead of immediately going to war. The king followed this advice. Through the minister's shrewd negotiation plans, they managed to make an alliance with another powerful nation. This alliance not only deterred the neighboring country from attacking but also brought many trade opportunities to the kingdom.
Once upon a time, there was a king. His minister was very wise. One day, the king decided to go hunting in the forest. There they encountered a fierce lion. The king was frightened, but the minister quickly came up with a plan. He told the king to stand still and make loud noises. The lion, being startled, hesitated for a moment. Then the minister threw some stones towards the lion. The lion got distracted and ran away. The king was very grateful to the minister for his quick thinking.
We can learn the importance of good counsel. The minister in the story often provides wise advice to the king, showing that having someone with knowledge and experience to guide decision - making is crucial.
One possible moral could be the importance of wisdom over brute strength. The king may represent power, but the minister's wisdom in dealing with the lion shows that intelligence is key. Just like in real life, having the ability to think rationally and come up with solutions, like the minister did when facing the lion, is more valuable than just having physical strength or a high position.
The cursive king was referring to Premier Zhang. According to the Records of the Historian, Prime Minister Zhang was a famous prime minister of the Han Dynasty. He was good at cursive script and was called the "King of Cursive Script". In Chinese history, cursive script was a unique art form. It was known for its unique style and beautiful expression, and was hailed as a treasure of Chinese calligraphy. Premier Zhang's cursive script was also famous for this and was widely used in official documents and letters.
One moral lesson is the importance of wisdom. In these stories, the minister often uses his wisdom to guide the king. For example, when the king is about to make a hasty decision, the minister steps in with a more thought - out solution, teaching us to think before we act.
The position and authority of the cabinet chief and the prime minister in the Ming Dynasty were different. The prime minister was the general term for the highest administrative officer under the ancient Chinese monarch. He had actual power and was responsible for overseeing government affairs. The chief assistant of the cabinet was the first assistant minister in the cabinet. He usually did not have any actual power and only provided some suggestions to the emperor on government affairs. Although the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was not as famous as the prime minister, he had already become the prime minister in reality. The more powerful cabinet chiefs, such as Yang Tinghe, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and others, had the power to command the officials. Whether it was prestige or power, they were even more powerful than the prime ministers of the Han, Tang, and Song Dynasties. But no matter what, the Prime Minister was still not the Prime Minister. This was because the prime minister of the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties had the right to rule the country. The power of the cabinet chief was somewhat unjustified. Yan Song was able to monopolize the government because Emperor Jiajing was superstitious about Taoism and neglected government affairs. Zhang Juzheng was able to monopolize power because Emperor Wanli was young and lacked ruling experience. This kind of power could be taken back by the emperor at any moment, or suppressed by the eunuchs. It would be difficult to do anything. From the point of view of procedure, there was only one eunuch between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.
There is a story where the king is very vain but the minister is very practical. The king wants to build a grand palace but the minister tries to convince him that the resources should be used for improving the lives of the common people. He shows the king the hardships of the poor and in the end, the king listens to the minister and uses the funds for public welfare.
It could have various meanings depending on the context and plot. Maybe it explores themes of power, morality, or personal growth within the minister's character and experiences.