Emperor Wu of Han enacted the 'Decree of Extended Kindness' to weaken the feudal lords.
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history
Famous in Chinese history through 推恩令 (Tuī'ēn Lìng), the 'Decree of Extended Kindness' of 127 BCE. By forcing princes to divide their fiefs among ALL sons (not just the eldest), Emperor Wu of Han fragmented rival domains into harmlessly small pieces, a textbook divide-and-rule policy dressed up as mercy.
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Classical / literary. The original sense from Mencius is 'extend benevolence outward,' as in 推恩及人 'extend kindness to others.'
