《后汉书·本纪·显宗孝明帝纪》
诏令说： 各位官员所讲的，都是我的过错，人们有冤屈得不到昭雪平反；官吏阴险刻薄得不到禁止；而轻易劳民伤财，缮修宫宇，出入没有节制，喜怒不能适中。
诏曰： 群僚所言，皆朕之过。人冤不能理，吏黠不能禁；而轻用人力，缮修宫宇，出入无节，喜怒过差。
The edict said: “My officials have all criticized my errors—that people's grievances have not been redressed, that evil officials have not been punished, that great harm has been done by the building of palaces and arsenals, and that my own conduct has not been moderate.”