Why did Emperor Wu advocate inaction?
Taoist thought of "governing by doing nothing": At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, in the face of great social changes, Laozi completed a leap from the concept of ghosts and gods to "Tao". He advocated "governing by doing nothing" and advised rulers not to impose their will on society, but to conform to the current situation and people's hearts, so as to govern the world. After the Qin and Han Dynasties, whenever troubled times subsided and the people were in urgent need of rest, the idea of "governing by doing nothing" was taken seriously. For example, primary schools in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the early years of the Tang Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty all embodied the spirit of "governing by doing nothing" to a certain extent. This is the reason why Laozi's thought has been of great charm for more than two thousand years.