In the long history of ancient China, many countries have fallen into turmoil because of palace battles, and the Jin Kingdom is no exception. As the son of the monarch, Duke Wen of Jin was supposed to inherit the throne smoothly, but he suffered a lot because of a beautiful stepmother and was finally forced into exile for 19 years. This political turmoil caused by a woman not only changed the fate of Jin Wengong, but also affected the historical course of the entire Spring and Autumn Period. What kind of heart-wrenching story made Jin Wengong fall into such a predicament? How did he finally return to his homeland with wisdom and courage? Let's explore this bizarre and twisted chapter of history.
1. The struggle for power in the Jin clan: In the life of the grandfather of Jin Wen, the two factions of the clan launched a long-term internal struggle
Jin Wengong's life was bumpy, and its roots can be traced back to his previous generation. In 770 BC, the Marquis of Wen of Jin died, and his son Chong'er succeeded to the throne as Duke Wu of Jin. Wu Gong was born in the Quwo Rebellion, and his father, Quwo Gongben, was the uncle of Wu Gong, who was expelled from the country because of the struggle with his compatriots for the heir, and later forced Chong'er to abdicate. After decades of strife, Qu Wo Gong and his son Chong'er recaptured the Jin Kingdom, thus establishing the Wugong Dynasty.
It can be seen that Jin Wugong grew up in turmoil since he was a child. In order to consolidate the royal power, after he succeeded to the throne, he first beheaded dozens of relatives and weakened dissidents. However, this did not eliminate the root cause of the power struggle between the clans. On the contrary, in order to win over the arm, Wu Gong divided the annex into the descendants of Quwo, buried the contradictions deeply, and left the root of the bane to his descendants.
After Jin Xiangong ascended the throne, the consumption in the sect was white-hot. After Duke Wu, the ruling group of the Jin State was divided into two major factions: one faction was ruled by the descendants of Duke Wu, and the other faction was controlled by the descendants of Quwo. The two factions maintained the courtesy of the monarch and the minister on the surface, but secretly quarreled and wrestled. Jin Xiangong was scheming, and repeatedly used excuses to kill the Wu Gong's lineage, and supported Li Jizi to become the crown prince, but he was finally usurped by Qu Wo.
Internal and external troubles, from this time on, the national strength of the Jin State gradually declined. The clan dispute was brewed by the generation of Duke Wu, and it was revealed to the world by the dedication of the prince. Duke Wen of Jin was neither a monarch nor a minister, but he was involved in it, was implicated, and finally became isolated and had to fly away. The displacement of Duke Wen of Jin was not only a victim of the palace conspiracy, but also a fine folk left by his ancestors, which doomed him to a rugged and stumbling life.
Second, Jin Xiangong succeeded to the throne: abolish the elder and establish the young, clear away dissidents, and pave the way for Li Ji
During the reign of Jin Xiangong, the national strength was strong and there was much expansion abroad. However, he overcorrected and made many criticizing decisions, which laid the foundation for the Jin Kingdom.
Jin Xian had five sons, the eldest son Shen Sheng was an illegitimate son, and his biological mother was the concubine of the first emperor Jin Wugong. It stands to reason that Shen Sheng had no chance to inherit the throne, but at the beginning of Jin Xiangong's accession to the throne, he was very fortunate and appointed Shen Sheng as the crown prince. and the second son, Chong'er, and the third son, Yiwu, are the eldest sons of the righteous wife. The heavy-eared mother fox Ji, Yiwu's mother also belongs to the fox family, and the two mothers are quite prestigious in the government and the opposition.
At first, Li Ji was not a Jin Xian justice room, but only a nomadic tribe from Lirong, and was later included in the harem. From a humble background, coupled with her young age, Li Ji had nothing at the beginning, so she had to peep at the concubine, and there was no way to advance or retreat. and gave birth to four and five sons, so that he gradually had no fear. Seeing that Shen Sheng was already the crown prince, he was unhappy, and tried his best to slander and slander, intending to get rid of the first two sons.
At that time, the Jin dynasty was in power, and there were many virtuous ministers as a balance, and the strength of the three sons of Shen, Chong, and Yi was equal. However, Li Ji acted cunningly, and did not hesitate to slander Chong'er and Yiwu was suspected of plotting rebellion. Li Ji had this plan, and Jin Xiangong suspected Chong'er and others, and Xiangong hated his mother Fox, so he abolished Chong'er and set up his fourth son as the new prince.
Although Chong'er and others are innocent, they have no way to defend themselves. Xiangong believed Li Ji's false words, blindly suspected that Chong, Yi and others were plotting against him, and took the opportunity to eliminate dissidents. Within a few years, the people of the Fox Clan ceased to exist, and Chong'er and others were either killed or banished. The government and the opposition were shocked, and the people were terrified.
Li Ji's conspiracy succeeded, and the four sons were allowed to attack the knight. But she was greedy, and she hated Yiwu, waiting for the opportunity to move, and framed Yiwu with a rebellious heart, which eventually caused Yiwu to suffer. At this point, Li Jizi monopolized the power, and all obstacles were swept away. In the twilight years of Jin Xiangong, he indulged in the favor of Li Ji, regarded the government as nothing, and was governed by Li Jizi.
3. The displacement of Jin Wengong: There is no choice but to flee the Jin Kingdom
Jin Xiangong was old and confused, Li Ji manipulated the government, and the eldest sons of Chong'er and Yiwu were framed and exiled one after another. Looking at it, only the son of Jin Wengong is still alive. Although Li Ji regarded Jin Wengong as a thorn in her side, Jin Xiangong never made a move, so she could only put Jin Wengong under house arrest at home.
Since childhood, Jin Wengong has experienced the hardships brought about by the struggle for power. He had seen the conspiracy of Li Ji, and witnessed the misfortune of his brother and the destruction of his relatives and friends, for fear that one day he would be affected by the fish in the pond. He secretly arranged and finally escaped from the Jin Kingdom on a spring night.
The road to escape is extremely dangerous. Li Ji's pursuers followed him like a shadow, and Jin Wengong had to hide in Tibet. He first hid in the mountains, then wandered in the woods, and was displaced for many years, and was in a state of embarrassment. Helpless, you can only rely on friends for help. Jin Wengong knew that he had neither a home nor a country to run to, nor power to rely on, and fleeing was obviously an expedient measure that had no way to go. If you want to make a comeback, you have to find another master for guidance.
So Duke Wen of Jin secretly lobbied the princes for political support. He traveled back and forth to Qi, Jin, Song, Zheng and other countries, and tried his best to persuade him. Everywhere he went, he had to bow down to the local nobles and flatter, relying on good words to gain refuge. Jin Wengong had no choice but to do it, and it was very tormenting, and sometimes he fell into a desperate situation, so he could only give up his short time and escape.
Walking the rivers and lakes, Jin Wengong has gone through vicissitudes and is quite mature. In times of crisis, he is not dishonest and honest, but he is also alert and humble. Everywhere he went, he tried his best to make connections and realize the great cause of restoring the country. After many years of exile, Jin Wengong gradually got acquainted with a group of like-minded people and accumulated strength for the future comeback.
One after another, arduous trek, Jin Wen Gong has experienced the vicissitudes of life, from a powerless and powerless son in distress, to a broad-minded and strategizing man. And Li Ji did not rest on her laurels and continued to do evil in the Jin Kingdom, causing even greater turmoil...
Fourth, Li Ji favored her relatives: luring wolves into the house and causing a national crisis
After the exile of Duke Wen of Jin, Li Ji specialized in state affairs. Although Li Ji is a lady, she is arrogant and reckless. She not only monopolized her authority, but also recruited a large number of Lirong people into the court as officials, in order to consolidate her position.
Li Ji's mother's family is a border nomad, fierce and warlike. She deliberately opened the door of convenience, and recruited the Liji relatives to serve one after another, and placed them in important places. All of a sudden, the eunuchs and bannermen were all over the government and the opposition.
Although the Chinese military generals of the dynasty were all obedient, they saw that Li Ji was pampered and arrogant, and it was inevitable that the yang would obey the yin. However, Li Ji is narrow-minded and stubborn, luring wolves into the house everywhere, and finally a catastrophe comes.
First of all, the Lirong magnates flocked to the city, forming parties for personal gain, and gradually estranged themselves from the local forces of the Jin State. They are eyeing selfish interests, acting in embarrassment, and disregarding human life. The scholars are resentful, the poor are displaced, and the grievances have been accumulated for a long time.
Secondly, the backbone generals of the Jin State repeatedly fell into passivity and were unable to command and cheer up. Back then, Li Rong served the Jin Kingdom, and countless soldiers were killed or injured on the battlefield. When Li Ji gained power, he stationed heavy troops in the capital, and lost his own army, how could it be used?
Moreover, although Li Ji commands the world, her foundation is not good, and the day is not safe. Blindly appointing Lirong banner people violates the legacy of the ancestors. The three-hundred-year-old family tradition of the Jin Kingdom collapsed because of a female stream. Years after year, arrogance and greed, repeated counterattacks, and chaos.
The ancestral home of the Lirong tribe is still in the borderlands, far from the Central Plains culture has been cultivated for a long time. They are decisive and courageous, but they have no opinion of the state. Since ancient times, the old breed of heroes cannot be the foundation of the country. Li Ji is suspicious, and will eventually encounter the revenge of Jin Wengong.
In the end, Li Ji violated the righteousness of the monarch and the ministers, slandered the heroes of the previous dynasty, and the crime was increased by one degree. She is self-respecting and jealous of virtuous people. The people of the Jin Kingdom were confused, so that the Duke of Jin Wen was able to strike a counterattack, and everyone was looking forward to it. Hungry and thirsty, like mushrooms after a rain, the heroes of the world are willing to follow Jin Wengong.
Fifth, Jin Wengong hated the restoration of the country: Zhuo was wise and brave, and finally won a complete victory
After many years of exile, Duke Wen of Jin gradually gained prestige and was supported by the princes. At that time, the Jin State was corrupt and the people's hearts were gradually lost. Jin Wengong took advantage of the situation and finally won a complete victory.
First of all, Duke Wen of Jin received military assistance from the State of Qi, which won favorable conditions for the restoration of Jin. At that time, the two countries of Jin and Qi had been at odds for a long time, and Qi was in a period of military strength. Duke Wen of Jin was well versed in taking advantage of contradictions, accepting bribes, and obtaining the help of Qi State. The Qi army returned triumphantly and shocked the audience.
Secondly, Jin Wengong won the hearts of the people, subdued the old people, and united the vast number of soldiers and civilians. He was gentle up and down, responding to every call, and the government and the opposition responded. The Jin civil strife has accumulated and it is difficult to return, and Li Ji has become extremely disgusting. The old minister's widow was strong and solid, and he was under the command of Duke Wen of Jin. The main force of the Jin army was surrendered, so that the Duke of Jin Wen had the strength to fight a battle.
Moreover, Jin Wen was vigilant during the public trial. He understands that the times make heroes, so he does not act rashly. When the time was ripe, he ordered Li Mu, Hou Ruzhong and other advisers to go on the expedition. The main army attacked in three directions, step by step. Although Li Ji was fiercer than back then, she was helpless.
Finally, Duke Wen of Jin was supported by important ministers of the state and restored his ruling authority. He pardoned his opponents and tolerated dissidents. Seeing the grace and power of Duke Wen of Jin, the widows of the Jin Kingdom were sincerely impressed and submitted one after another. After years of exile, Jin Wengong has long been calm and fearless.
After the restoration of the country, Jin Wengong understood the righteousness and concentrated his efforts on revitalizing the country. He reused his old ministers and prudently followed the virtuous strategies, so that the Jin Kingdom gradually stabilized. Those who win the hearts of the people win the world. Although he was trapped in private prison for a long time, Jin Wengong finally got his heart in mind, and the people's hearts were attached to him, and he was invincible.