The emperor issued an edict pardoning prisoners across the land.
Tips
history
From the Qin dynasty on, 诏 specifically meant a pronouncement from the emperor. Common compounds: 诏书 (written edict), 下诏 (to issue a decree), 圣诏 (sacred edict).
Speech radical on the left, side-form of 言. It marks this as an act of words, here an official spoken or written pronouncement. Same family as 说 to speak, 话 speech, 讲 to tell.
Right side 召 supplies the sound zhào and adds real meaning: an edict is the ruler summoning and commanding his subjects through words. Same phonetic in 招 to beckon and 照 to shine.
