Wu Jing (670–749) was a Chinese historian and government official of the Tang dynasty. He served for many years in the imperial historiographical office, helping to compile official records of successive reigns. His best-known work, “Zhenguan Zhengyao,” organizes discussions on government between Emperor Taizong and ministers such as Wei Zheng. Rather than explaining how power is acquired, the book considers the more difficult task of preserving orderly government after power has been won. It emphasizes self-restraint in rulers, openness to criticism, careful selection of officials, and awareness of the dangers created by prosperity and success. Read by generations of rulers and political leaders in China, it also became an influential guide to government in Japan among members of the imperial court and the warrior class.
