Everyone in the world knows the soldier saint Sun Wu and the sage Guiguzi, but they don't know that there is another sub-saint, whose wisdom and strategy are not inferior to the first two. This Yasheng is not only a genius in the art of war, but also a master of military training, and the special forces he trained were invincible at that time. He assisted the monarch in changing the law and trying to become strong, so that a vassal state in a remote corner of the country became a powerful power that was feared by the heroes. However, success is also Xiao He, and defeat is also Xiao He. His changes offended the old aristocracy and eventually led to his tragedy. But even in the last moments of his life, he showed amazing wisdom and used a plan to bury those who wanted his life. Who is this wise and brave Yasheng? How did he turn things around at the last moment of his life?
Wu Qi's early life
Everyone in the world knows that Wu Qi is one of the "Four Saints of the Soldier", but few people know that his early career is so legendary. Wu Qi, whose name is Wuxin, is the queen of the Weiguo Zuo clan, and was born during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. His ancestors used to be doctors of the country, but in Wu Qi's generation, his family was in the middle of the road and had become a commoner.
Wu Qi was brilliant since childhood, able to recite "poems" and "books" at the age of six, and proficient in "Spring and Autumn" at the age of ten. However, he's not just a nerd who can read. Once, a neighbor's cow broke into the Wu family's vegetable garden and ate all the vegetables in the vegetable field. Wu Qi was not in a hurry, picked up his bow and arrow, and shot an arrow into the left eye of the cow. The neighbor came to the door to theorize, and Wu Qi said without humility or arrogance: "My vegetable garden is on the left, if the cow is blind in the right eye, how can it eat my family's vegetables?" These words made the neighbor speechless, and he never dared to bully the Wu family again.
At the age of eighteen, Wu Qi left his hometown and traveled to study in all directions. He visited Confucius's disciples Zixia and Zizhang to study Confucian classics. Later, he studied under Sun Bin and devoted himself to the study of the art of war. During this time, Wu Qi not only mastered a wealth of theoretical knowledge, but also personally participated in several wars and accumulated valuable practical experience.
However, what really made Wu Qi famous was his experience in the Wei State. At that time, the Wei State was in the reign of Marquis Wen, and vigorously promoted the reform of the law. Wu Qi saw the opportunity and defected to the Wei State. When he first arrived in Wei, Wu Qi was not reused. Once, when he met an old man on the street, he saw him in rags and asked, "Who are you?" Wu Qi replied, "I am Wu Qi." The old man laughed and said, "I heard that Wu Qi is a very talented person, how could he be so down?" Wu Qi disagreed, and asked, "Why does my husband think he is talented?" The old man said: "It is a real talent to make the country strong and the people to live and work in peace and contentment." Wu Qi listened to it and suddenly realized.
Since then, Wu Qi has devoted himself to the study of statecraft. He found that although Wei was located in the Central Plains, its military strength was not strong enough. So, he made a bold suggestion to Wei Wenhou: to form an elite army, specially trained to deal with strong enemies in various countries.
Wei Wenhou was interested in Wu Qi's suggestion, so he asked him to give it a try. Wu Qi immediately set about forming this unit, hand-selecting soldiers and developing a rigorous training plan. Every day before dawn, the soldiers had to get up to train and not rest until late at night. Wu Qi also created many new training methods, such as having soldiers march with heavy loads on their backs to increase their physical strength; Practice archery on the edge of a cliff to exercise your guts.
After three years of arduous training, this unit finally took shape. Wei Wenhou named it "Wei Wushu", which means the strongest soldier of the Wei State. In order to test the strength of Wei Wushu, Wei Wenhou ordered a confrontation exercise with other troops. As a result, Wei Wushu won more with less and won a complete victory. Wei Wenhou was overjoyed and immediately appointed Wu Qi as a general to lead Wei Wushu.
With this elite force, Wei's military strength increased rapidly. Under the leadership of Wu Qi, Wei Wushu successively defeated the powerful states of Qi and Chu, and even captured the Hangu Pass, known as "Wanfu Mokai", compressing the Qin state's sphere of influence to a narrow strip west of Huashan.
However, as Wu Qi's position in Wei became more prominent, some ministers began to become jealous of him. Some people slandered Wei Wenhou, saying that Wu Qigong was a great shocker, and I am afraid that he would not be subordinate. Although Wei Wenhou did not fully believe it, he also began to be wary of Wu Qi.
Wu Qi noticed the change in Wei Wenhou's attitude, and he couldn't help but feel a little lost in his heart. He understood that his days in Wei might not be too long. At this time, the state of Chu sent an envoy to the state of Wei and invited Wu Qi to take up a post in the state of Chu. Wu Qi saw the opportunity and decided to leave Wei and start a new chapter in his life.
The years of the Chu State: From Wancheng Taishou to Ling Yin
After Wu Qi left the Wei State, he came to the Chu State. At that time, the state of Chu was in the midst of internal and external troubles, and it was in urgent need of a capable person to revitalize the country's fortunes. When the king of Chu mourned heard that Wu was famous, he immediately sent someone to invite him to the court.
When he first arrived in the state of Chu, Wu Qi was not in a hurry to express himself. He first went deep into the people to observe the people's feelings. During a private visit to Weifu, Wu Qi met an old farmer. The old peasant didn't know his identity and complained to him: "Our Chu country is rich in land and resources, but we are always bullied by other vassal states. If there is a capable person, you must govern the country well! After hearing this, Wu Qi thought about it and decided to start from the grassroots level and plan a long-term strategy for the Chu State.
The king of Chu Mourning saw that Wu had a good insight into the national situation when he first arrived, and he was very appreciative, so he appointed him as the Taishou of Wancheng. Wancheng is located in the north of the Chu State, located in the fortress, and its strategic position is very important. After Wu Qi took office, he first rectified military discipline. He stipulated that soldiers were not allowed to leave the garrison without permission, and violators were severely punished. At first, many soldiers complained about this. One day, a soldier's mother was seriously ill, and he asked to come home to visit, but Wu Qi sternly refused. Soon after, the soldier's mother died, and the soldier was grief-stricken, but still did not dare to leave his post.
Wu Qi's approach caused dissatisfaction among everyone. Someone complained to the king of Chu Mourning, saying that Wu Qi was cruel and ruthless. King Chu summoned Wu Qi and asked him why he was like this. Wu Qi replied: "As a general, you should put the interests of the country first. If everyone leaves their posts on the grounds of personal affairs, how can the army defend the country? When King Chu mourned this, he thought so.
Under Wu Qi's strict management, Wancheng's military discipline was greatly improved. In less than a year, Wancheng became the most powerful military fortress in the Chu State. The surrounding vassal states were frightened and no longer dared to easily violate the borders of Chu.
Seeing Wu Qi's ability, King Chu Mourning decided to entrust him with a heavy responsibility. In 386 BC, King Chu appointed Wu Qi as Ling Yin, equivalent to today's prime minister. After Wu Qi took office, he immediately embarked on a series of reforms.
First, Wu Qi reformed the military system of the state of Chu. He imitated Wei Wushu's practice and formed an elite army called "Chu Qiangshi". This unit has undergone rigorous training and is extremely combat-ready. In a border conflict with Qin, only 3,000 Chu strongmen repelled Qin's 10,000 army, making Chu militarily proud.
Second, Wu Qi reformed the political system of the state of Chu. He broke with the tradition of Shiqing Shilu and practiced meritocracy. Once, a young man named Qu Yuan came to apply for a job as a court official. At that time, the nobles of the Chu State all thought that Qu Yuan was from a humble background and should not hold important positions. However, Wu Qi took a fancy to Qu Yuan's talent, and overrode public opinion and appointed him as a leftist disciple. Later, Qu Yuan really became an important minister of the Chu State and made great contributions to the Chu State.
Thirdly, Wu Qi also reformed the economic system of the Chu State. He encouraged agricultural production and lightened the burden on peasants. At the same time, he also developed the mineral resources of the Chu State and developed the metallurgical industry. In just a few years, the economic strength of the state of Chu increased greatly.
Wu Qi's reforms were remarkable, and Chu soon became the most powerful of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States. Under his leadership, the state of Chu defeated strong enemies many times, and its territory continued to expand. The sphere of influence of the Chu State once expanded to the area of Dongting Lake and Cangwu County, and became one of the most powerful vassal states at that time.
However, Wu Qi's reforms also touched the interests of the old nobles of the Chu State. These nobles lost their hereditary privileges and held a grudge against Wu Qi. They repeatedly slandered the king of Chu Mourning, saying that Wu Qigong was high and had the intention of rebellion. However, the king of Chu Mourning was well aware of Wu Qi's talent, and never adopted these slanderous rumors.
Just as Wu Qi's reforms were in full swing, an unexpected news came: the Qin State had appointed a reformer named Shang Ying. The reforms implemented by Shang Ying in the Qin State were the same as those carried out by Wu Qi in the Chu State. This made Wu Qi realize that the strong position of the state of Chu might be challenged.
In order to cope with this situation, Wu Qi once again proposed a more radical reform plan to the king of Chu. He suggested further weakening the power of the aristocracy and strengthening the centralization of power. This proposal immediately aroused strong opposition from the nobles of the Chu State. For a while, there was a lot of rumors inside and outside the court, and a conspiracy against Wu Qi was quietly brewing.
The Death of Wu Qi: The Last Strategy of a Generation of Soldiers
In 381 BC, King Chu mourned his death. This news was like a thunderbolt, causing a huge shock in the government and opposition of the Chu State. For Wu Qi, this is undoubtedly a fatal blow. Without the strong backing of King Chu Mourning, his situation in the state of Chu suddenly became precarious.
At the funeral of King Chu Mourning, Wu Qi, as Ling Yin, should preside over the ceremony according to the etiquette system. However, just as he walked towards the coffin, a group of nobles armed with sharp blades suddenly rushed out and surrounded him. These people are all old aristocrats who have lost their privileges due to Wu Qi's reforms, and they have been waiting for this day for a long time.
In the face of the menacing assassins, Wu Qi did not panic. He quickly ran to the coffin of King Chu to take refuge. According to the tradition of the Chu State, killing people in front of the coffin of the monarch is a great disrespectful act. The Assassins did not dare to act rashly for a moment, and were caught in a dilemma.
At this moment, Wu Qi suddenly thought of a brilliant idea. He cried out, "When the king was alive, he said that if anyone wanted to kill me, let me hold the king's body." Now I will fulfill the king's last wish! After speaking, he hugged the corpse of King Chu Mourning.
This made it even more difficult for the Assassins. If Wu Qi was forcibly killed, it would be tantamount to desecrating the body of the former king, which was a felony in the state of Chu. But if they stop there, their years of planning will be in vain. Just as the Assassins hesitated, an elderly nobleman suddenly shouted, "Wu Qi is a scheming man, we can't give him another chance!" "
This reassuring the Assassins seemed to be reassured. They no longer cared about etiquette, and rushed up and hacked Wu Qi to death. However, what they didn't expect was that this was exactly what Wu Qi wanted.
It turned out that Wu Qi had long expected that he would have such a day. He knew that his reforms had offended too many people, and once he lost the protection of King Chu Mourning, he would definitely be retaliated. Therefore, he devised this scheme. By holding the body of King Chu Mourning, he not only delayed his own death, but more importantly, he made his assassin also commit the felony of blasphemy.
Sure enough, soon after Wu Qi was killed, the court of Chu ordered severe punishment of the nobles who participated in the assassination. Those who were once high and powerful have now ended up in a different place. Wu Qi used his own death to drag the enemy to hell together.
Wu Qi's death caused an uproar in the state of Chu. For a time, there was a lot of discussion between the government and the opposition. Some believe that Wu Qi died a well-deserved death because his reforms shook the foundations of the Chu state. There are also people who feel sorry for Wu Qi, thinking that he was a talented reformer, and his death was a great loss to the Chu State.
In any case, Wu Qi's death marked the end of the reform of the Chu state. After his death, the state of Chu quickly restored its original political system. The hereditary system that had been abolished was restored, and the state of Chu once again fell into the situation of aristocratic rule.
However, Wu Qi's influence did not disappear with his death. Although the reforms he implemented in the state of Chu ultimately failed, they provided valuable experience for later reformers. His military ideas, in particular, had a profound impact on later generations.
In the decades following Wu Qi's death, the power of the state of Chu gradually declined. The state of Chu, which once shocked the princes, eventually fell into the pocket of the Qin state. Some people can't help but sigh that if the Chu State had been able to adhere to Wu Qi's reforms, perhaps history would have had a different ending.
Wu Qi's life can be described as legendary. He grew step by step from a down-and-out patriotic nobleman to the most outstanding military strategist and reformer of the Warring States period. His talent was appreciated by the Marquis of Wei Wenhou and the King of Chu Mourning, and he made great contributions to the two countries. However, he eventually died of his own reforms. But even in the last moments of his life, he still showed amazing wisdom, using a plan to bury those who wanted his life.
The story of Wu Qi is not only a legend of one person, but also a microcosm of an era. It reflects the historical background of the Warring States period, and also reflects the difficult situation faced by the reformers of that era. Wu Qi's life is still a topic of conversation, and his wisdom and courage have forever remained in the long river of Chinese history.
The Art of War: The Birth and Influence of Wu Tzu
Although Wu Qi's life ended in tragedy, his wisdom did not fade with it. His military ideas were compiled into a book by later generations, forming the famous classic of the art of war, "Wu Zi". This work is not only the crystallization of Wu Qi's military thought, but also an important representative work of military theory in the Warring States period.
The process of writing "Wu Zi" was quite tortuous. Legend has it that Wu Qi dictated the art of war when he was alive, which was recorded by his disciples. However, due to Wu Qi's sudden death, these precious military ideas were almost lost. Fortunately, one of Wu Qi's faithful disciples risked his life to secretly take these records out of the state of Chu.
This disciple's name was Tian Ji, and he was originally from Qi and later studied the art of war with Wu Qi. After Wu Qi was killed, Tian Ji realized that it was no longer safe to stay in the state of Chu, so he decided to return to the state of Qi. He hid Wu Qi's records of the art of war in his clothes, traveled day and night, and finally arrived safely in the Qi Kingdom.
After returning to the Qi State, Tian Ji presented these precious art of war to Sun Bin, the general of the Qi State. Sun Bin was the most famous military strategist of the Qi State at that time, and he greatly appreciated Wu Qi's art of war. Under Sun Bin's auspices, these scattered records were compiled into a book, which eventually formed the "Wu Zi" we see today.
There are six chapters in the book of "Wu Zi", namely "Tuguo", "Expecting the Enemy", "Governing the Army", "On Generals", "Strains" and "Lishi". Each article embodies Wu Qi's military wisdom and actual combat experience.
In the article "Tu Guo", Wu Qi proposed that "although the country is big, it will die if it is warlike; Although the world is safe, forgetting the war will be dangerous". This sentence profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship between war and peace, and is praised by later generations as the wisdom of soldiers.
In the article "Predicting the Enemy", Wu Qi elaborated on how to observe and judge the enemy's situation. He put forward the idea of "knowing one's opponent and knowing oneself, and not being defeated in a hundred battles," which was later further developed by Sun Tzu and became an important part of China's military thought.
The two articles, "Governing the Army" and "On Generals", focus on how to train and manage the army, and the qualities that generals should have. Wu Qi believed that an excellent army needs strict discipline and scientific training. A qualified general should have both "wisdom, trust, benevolence, courage and strictness".
In the article "Adaptation", Wu Qi emphasized the importance of flexibility and adaptability in military operations. He put forward the viewpoint that "there is no impermanence in the army, and there is no impermanence in the water," and he held that in war, we should not stick to a fixed pattern, but should flexibly adjust our strategy according to the actual situation.
In the final article of "Morale", Wu Qi elaborated on how to motivate morale. He believes that only by making soldiers understand the meaning of war can they reach their highest potential.
After "Wu Zi" came out, it quickly spread among the vassal states. Generals of many countries rushed to learn this art of war. It is said that before the reform of the law, Shang Ying of the Qin State sent people to the Qi State to study "Wu Zi". Later, the military merit system implemented by Shang Ying in the Qin State had the shadow of Wu Qi's thought.
In the subsequent Warring States disputes, the ideas of "Wu Zi" were put into practice many times. Especially in the State of Qi, Sun Bin has repeatedly used the strategy of "Wu Zi" and achieved a series of major victories. The most famous is the Battle of Maling, where Sun Bin used the tactic of "showing weakness to lure the enemy" in "Wu Zi" to defeat the Wei army and establish the hegemony of Qi in one fell swoop.
Over time, the influence of Wuzi continued to grow. In the Han Dynasty, it was listed as one of the seven books of military scholars, along with "The Art of War" and "Sima Law", and became an officially recognized classic of military theory.
For more than 2,000 years since, Wu Tzu has been an important part of Chinese military theory. Military strategists of all generations have conducted in-depth research and elaboration on it. Even today, many of the ideas in Wu Tzu are still of great relevance.
The writing and circulation of "Wu Zi" enabled Wu Qi's military ideas to be passed on forever. Although Wu Qi's own political reforms ended in failure, his contributions to military theory were fully affirmed by later generations. It can be said that the birth of "Wu Zi" is the most valuable legacy left by Wu Qi to future generations.
Historical evaluation: The merits and demerits of a generation of military saints
Wu Qi's life is full of legends, and his merits and demerits have always been the focus of discussion among later historians and military experts. From the Warring States period to the present day, the evaluation of Wu Qi has undergone many changes, reflecting the values and historical views of different eras.
During the Warring States Period, Wu Qi's evaluation was mixed. Proponents of the reform generally regarded Wu Qi as an outstanding reformer and military strategist. They praised Wu Qi's reforms in Wei and Chu, arguing that they greatly strengthened the national power of the two countries. Especially in the military aspect, Wu Qi's contribution has been widely recognized. The "Wu Qibing" he trained became the most elite unit at that time, and won brilliant victories on the battlefield many times.
However, in the eyes of conservatives, Wu Qi is a dangerous "chaotic minister and thief". They accused Wu Qi's reforms of undermining the traditional order and shaking the foundations of aristocratic rule. In particular, Wu Qi's policy of "respecting the virtuous" in the state of Chu was seen as a serious threat to the privileges of the nobility. This antagonistic evaluation continued long after Wu Qi's death.
In the Qin and Han dynasties, with the establishment of the centralized system, Wu Qi's reform ideas began to be more affirmed. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, he vigorously promoted Legalist thought, and many of Wu Qi's practices coincided with Legalist ideas. Therefore, during this period, Wu Qi was regarded as one of the pioneers of Legalism.
Sima Qian of the Han Dynasty made a more objective evaluation of Wu Qi in the "Historical Records". He not only affirmed Wu Qi's talent, but also pointed out the flaws in Wu Qi's character. Sima Qian wrote: "Wu Qi is a man, honest and fair, and does not hesitate to benefit others. This sentence highly sums up Wu Qi's personality. But at the same time, Sima Qian also criticized Wu Qi for "being less gracious and carve", believing that this was an important reason for his eventual failure.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, with the improvement of the imperial examination system and the rise of literati politics, there were new changes in the evaluation of Wu Qi. Scholars of this period paid more attention to Wu Qi's military thoughts, and Wu Zi was listed as one of the seven books of the military family and became a required reading list for the imperial examination. Many literati commented on Wu Qi with a tended to focus on his military achievements and less on his political reforms.
Han Yu, a famous Tang Dynasty writer, once commented on Wu Qi: "The good generals of the ancients are better than Wu Qi." This sentence fully affirmed Wu Qi's outstanding military talent. Ouyang Xiu of the Song Dynasty juxtaposed Wu Qi and Sun Wu in the History of the New Five Dynasties, calling them "the good use of soldiers in ancient times".
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the further strengthening of absolutist centralization, Wu Qi's reform ideas were once again taken seriously. Wang Yangming, a thinker in the Ming Dynasty, once spoke highly of Wu Qi's political philosophy, believing that his idea of "respecting the virtuous" was of great significance for selecting talents and governing the country.
However, there are also some scholars who are critical of Wu Qi. They believe that although Wu Qi is talented, he is too radical and inflexible. Li Zhen, a thinker in the Ming Dynasty, once criticized Wu Qi for being "talented but virtuous", believing that this was the fundamental reason for his eventual failure.
In modern times, with the introduction of Western ideas and the need for social change, Wu Qi has gained new evaluation. Many reformers and revolutionaries regarded Wu Qi as a pioneer of reform in ancient China, praising him for his courage to break with tradition and promote change. Sun Yat-sen has repeatedly quoted Wu Qi's remarks to argue for the necessity of change.
In contemporary times, the evaluation of Wu Qi tends to be more comprehensive and objective. Historians have both acknowledged Wu Qi's contributions to military and political reform, as well as his limitations. They believed that although Wu Qi's reforms strengthened Wei and Chu in the short term, they were ultimately unsustainable because they touched the fundamental interests of the nobility. This lesson is important for understanding the dilemma of reform in ancient China.
At the same time, Wu Qi's military thinking was still highly valued. Many military experts believe that many of the ideas in Wu Tzu are still relevant today. For example, Wu Qi's emphasis on "knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent" and "taking advantage of the situation" are still applicable in modern warfare.
Generally speaking, history's evaluation of Wu Qi has gone through a process from one-sided to comprehensive, from subjective to objective. This change in evaluation not only reflects the deepening of people's understanding of Wu Qi, but also reflects the value orientation and historical concepts of different eras. In any case, as an outstanding military strategist and reformer in Chinese history, Wu Qi's merits and demerits will continue to be the subject of research and discussion for future generations.