I don't know if you have read such a story.
The "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty" records that when Li Mian, the chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, was a lieutenant in Kaifeng, he once released a death row prisoner who was forced to fall into the grass by robbers, because he felt that this prisoner had an extraordinary temperament, not like an evil person who committed adultery. Years later, Li Mian, who had been dismissed from office, met the death row inmate, who had become a wealthy businessman, and invited him to dinner at home, saying that he would repay his life-saving grace.
Unexpectedly, the death row prisoner and his wife discussed for a long time, and they couldn't think of how to repay Li Mian, so they decided to kill him. If it were not for the servants in the death row's family who were not accustomed to it and informed Li Mian in advance, Li Mian would have turned into a ghost under the knife long ago.
When you read this story, you feel completely unreasonable. People have saved your life, they have the grace of regeneration for you, even if you don't repay the favor, you still want people's lives? This is simply revenge, to be spurned for a lifetime!
But in fact, such seemingly absurd things have been played out in reality throughout the ages.
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, when the world was in chaos, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu, ascended the throne as emperor, and established the Han Dynasty. Although Xiang Yu died, some of his subordinates were scattered among the people, such as the warlord Ji Bu, who fled. When Liu Bang fought the world, Ji Bu forced him to flee several times, and Liu Bang naturally hated him so much that he said that after the emperor, he immediately sent someone to offer a reward to arrest Ji Bu.
The result? Ji Bu hid in the Zhou family and the Zhu family, and the Zhu family found Xiahou Baby and said a few words to Xiahou Baby, and Xiahou Baby agreed to go to Liu Bang's Ji Bu to intercede. Liu Bang listened to Xiahou Bao's words, really pardoned Ji Bu, and asked him to be Langzhong. Liu Bang died, and Ji Bu was still a good leader in front of his Zhonglang general and Hedong Junshou, and once successfully persuaded Lü Hou, who had the impulse to fight the Xiongnu.
Lü Hou was a very powerful woman, and she could listen to Ji Bu's words, and it was conceivable that Ji Bu's influence in the imperial court would not be too small. So, what did the Zhu family say to Xiahou Baby? In fact, it is very simple, the Zhu family told Xiahou Baby:
Ji Bu served Xiang Yu and surrounded Liu Bang for Xiang Yu, that was a loyal duty, what was wrong?
Xiang Yu's subordinates are not only Ji Bu, the emperor wants to kill, can he kill them? After killing Jibu, the others panicked and joined forces to make a move, what to do?
If Jibu is spared, the people of the world will say that the emperor is broad-minded and does not care about old grudges.
Ji Bu was a capable man, forcing him to hurry, and if he fled to the Xiongnu, it would not be good for me to go to the Great Han Dynasty. It is better to stay, let him be the courtier of the great han, and contribute to the great han, is not a beautiful thing!
Liu Bang was not a fool, nor was he a stingy guy who was more stingy, but an emperor, and as soon as he heard this, he immediately made a decision in his heart. Therefore, Jibu died well in the Han Dynasty.
But Ding Gu, who was the opposite of JiBu's situation, died a tragic death.
According to the "Chronicle of Ji Bu Luan Bu Lie", Ding Gu was also a subordinate of Xiang Yu and was also The younger brother of Ji Bu. In the Battle of Pengcheng in 205 BC, Ding Gu forced Liu Bang to retreat to the point where there was no way to retreat, liu Bang was anxious, and shouted at Ding Gu: "We are both heroes of the world, Hao Jie, why should we be bitter and bitter, you are incompatible with each other? ”
Ding Gu heard this and felt that it made sense, so he left with the pursuing soldiers, and Liu Bang lived. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Ding Gu thought that he had a favor for Liu Bang and could go to him to ask for a future.
Who knows, as soon as Liu Bang saw Ding Gu, he asked someone to tie him up and take him to the army to show the public, telling everyone: "Look! This person, as Xiang Yu's subordinate general, was not loyal, and it was he who harmed Xiang Yu and lost the world! ”
After speaking, Liu Bang killed Ding Gu and hung his head: "Those who are courtiers in the future, it is best not to learn From Ding Gu, otherwise this will be the end!" ”
Ding Gu was afraid that even to his death, he did not understand what was wrong, he said that "good has good to repay evil and evil to repay", he did a good deed out of sympathy for Liu Bang, how did he end up with a desolate end?
Old Master Kong once said: "Repay grievances with directness, and repay virtue with virtue." "But the reality is not so simple, from Liu Bang's point of view, we simply can't say what he did wrong." Because he was an emperor or a boss, the last thing he could tolerate was that someone would deceive him and betray him.
To Jibu, he complained with virtue, because he could reap a good reputation and benefit the Han Dynasty; for Ding Gu, he repaid virtue with resentment, because he could warn his subjects and maintain the stability of the throne. Liu Bang is indeed not kind, but he chose the option of maximizing interests based on the needs of human nature, which is really too normal.
Even in real life, there are many people who do the same thing as Liu Bang. Small favors are easy to repay, big favors become big revenge, just like you lend money to others, if it is small money, the other party may have to pay back the pain; if it is big money, the other party is likely to be less easy to repay - I can't make up so much at once; are you so rich and poor?
We often say that reading history can be wise, because history is never outdated, which allows us to think about reality, and when facing the same problems, we can think one more step to avoid overestimating human nature and casually losing losses.