Emperor Wen (recorded by Sima Qian)

Emperor Wen of Han (r. 180-157 BCE)

“Laws serve to insure the justness of rule, for they restrain violence and guide men of good intention.”

  • From a speech/edict delivered by Emperor Wen, recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji, 10) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Leave a Reply