Nevertheless, the effect of each emperor being compelled to read the Comprehensive Mirror was very limited. Muddle-headed monarchs were just as muddle-headed, the careless or stupid followed in the footsteps of the careless and stupid of old.
可惜歷代皇帝讀了《通鑑》之後所能得到的功效很有限，昏君依然是昏君，顢頇的帝王顢頇如故。