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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
preface
During the Warring States Period, the heroes competed for each other, and famous generals emerged one after another. And Wu Qi, a famous general of the Warring States Period, was controversial because of a shocking thing.
He once knelt down and begged his wife, and in order to achieve an astonishing purpose, he even made a creepy request: "Madame, borrow your head." Why is Wu Qi so ruthless, and what kind of hardships and ambitions does he have behind him?
Is this jaw-dropping incident his desperate gamble, or is there something else to hide?
Heroes in troubled times: Wu Qi's early career
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the princes competed for hegemony, and the world was in chaos. In this context, around 440 BC, Wu Qi was born in Weiguo. As a young man from a civilian background, Wu Qi has shown extraordinary intelligence and a strong sense of fame since he was a child.
However, in the hierarchical Spring and Autumn Society, it is not easy for a commoner to get ahead. The young Wu Qi sought officials everywhere, but repeatedly ran into a wall. He scattered all his wealth, but he still couldn't do it. This frustration not only did not defeat him, but instead inspired his inner anger and unwillingness.
One day, some local people laughed at Wu Qi's failure, which completely ignited the anger in his heart. Wu Qi drew his sword and killed more than thirty people who were laughing at him, an act that forced him to flee his hometown.
Before leaving, he swore to his mother: "If I don't become an important minister of the country, I won't return to defend the country for a day!" This oath not only reflects his firm will, but also exposes his inner paranoia.
On the way to escape, Wu got up and went to the country of Lu. Here, he worshipped under Zeng Shen, a famous Confucian scholar at the time, and began to study the Confucian classics.
However, just as he was gradually achieving something, he received the news of his mother's death. According to Confucian filial piety, he should immediately return to his hometown to mourn. But Wu Qi chose to continue to study in Lu and did not go back to keep filial piety for his mother.
This decision made his teacher, Zeng Shen, furious. In the Confucian view, unfilial people are not worthy of learning the way of the sages. As a result, Wu Qi was expelled from the division.
This experience made Wu Qi realize that in this troubled era, perhaps the Confucian benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith could not help him realize his ideals. So, he turned to the military family and began to learn the way of military affairs.
Shocking: The choice of killing his wife and seeking a general
In 412 BC, the state of Qi sent troops to attack the state of Lu. The weak and small state of Lu was in danger of annihilation, and the whole country was in panic. At this time, someone recommended Wu Qi, who was proficient in the art of war, to Lu Yuangong.
However, Lu Yuangong hesitated. The reason is simple: Wu Qi's wife is from Qi. In those days, the nationality of a wife often affected a person's loyalty. Lu Yuangong was worried that if Wu Qi was asked to command the Lu army, would he not do his best because he took care of his wife?
When the news reached Wu Qi's ears, he immediately realized that this was his chance to soar into the sky. But his wife's identity became a stumbling block for him. Between fame and fortune and family affection, Wu Qi made a shocking choice.
When he returned home, he said to his wife, "Madame, borrow your head." Then, without hesitation, he killed his wife, cut off her head, and brought it to Lu Yuangong.
This move not only shows Wu Qi's unscrupulous character to achieve his goals, but also reflects the cruel reality of that era. In troubled times, personal affection often has to give way to political interests.
Wu Qi's behavior really dispelled Lu Yuangong's doubts. He was appointed commander of the Lu army and led the army to resist the attack of the Qi state. Under the command of Wu Qi, the Lu army miraculously repelled the powerful Qi army and kept the country.
However, the joy of victory did not last long. When the crisis was resolved, the Lu courtiers began to question Wu Qi's character. They think that a person who kills his wife and asks for a general, how can he represent the country of Lu, the state of etiquette? Under their pressure, the newly enthroned Lu Mugong gradually distanced himself from Wu Qi.
Rise of the Wei State: Wu Qi's military talents shine through
Frustrated, Wu Qi left the state of Lu and came to the emerging state of Wei. At this time, the Wei State was in a stage of rapid development. Wei Wenhou was ambitious and wanted to make Wei a great power.
When Wu Qi came to Wei, Wei Wenhou was quite interested in this controversial talent. He asked his minister, Li Kui, if he should appoint Wu Qi. Li Kui gave a famous evaluation: "Wu Qi's personal morality is at a loss, but when it comes to the use of soldiers, even Tian Sui Tho is nothing more than that." "
This sentence moved Wei Wenhou. He believes that talent is more important than morality when choosing military generals. So, despite the opposition of some ministers, he decided to reuse Wu Qi.
Wu Qi did not live up to Wei Wenhou's expectations. Soon after he took office, he was challenged by the Qin state. The Qin state was known for its bravery, and their army was known as the "Army of Tigers and Wolves".
However, Wu Qi led the Wei army to defeat the Qin army in one fell swoop, not only protecting the territory of the Wei state, but also occupying a large part of the Qin state.
Over the next few years, the Qin state made several attempts to regain lost territory, but each time they were repelled by the Wei army under the command of Wu Qi. This series of victories greatly enhanced the status and strength of Wei.
Iron General: The Birth and Rise of Wei Wushu
After a series of victories, Wu Qi was not satisfied. He knew very well that in order to be invincible in the troubled times when the princes were vying for hegemony, Wei needed a truly powerful army. So, he set out to build an elite army.
This unit was later known as the "Wei Wushu". Wu Qi set extremely strict selection criteria for Wei Wushu: soldiers must be able to wear three layers of armor, carry a twelve-stone bow and crossbow, carry fifty arrows on their backs, and carry three days' worth of dry rations. With such equipment, they must also be able to march a hundred miles in half a day.
These standards seemed almost impossible to accomplish at the time. But Wu Qi insisted on such high requirements, because he believed that only in this way could a real elite division be created.
In order to motivate soldiers, Wu Qi also formulated a series of preferential policies. Any soldier who was able to enter the Wei Wushu was exempted from conscription and taxation by his family. If you make a meritorious contribution in battle, you can also get a knighthood promotion. These policies greatly increased the motivation of the soldiers.
Wu Qi not only sets strict standards, but also leads by example. He often lived and ate with the soldiers and personally participated in training. Once, a soldier had an abscess on his foot, and Wu Qi actually sucked out the pus and blood with his mouth. Although this kind of behavior was somewhat suspected of being a show, it did win the respect and love of the soldiers.
Under Wu Qi's strict training and careful management, Wei Wushu soon became one of the most powerful armies of the Warring States period. According to records, Wei Wushu fought 76 times with the princes, and achieved a brilliant record of 64 complete victories and 12 small victories, and never lost.
The strength of Wei Wushu was not only reflected in war, but also in peacetime. Their existence made other vassal states dare not easily provoke Wei. As a result, Wei's national power and status rose rapidly, and it became one of the most powerful vassal states in the early Warring States period.
The Reform of the State of Chu: The Last Glory and Tragedy of Wu Qi
However, Wu Qi's talent eventually aroused the suspicion of the new monarch of Wei, Wei Wuhou. Wu Qi, who felt that he was not being reused, decided to leave Wei and go to Chu to find new opportunities.
At this time, the state of Chu was in the midst of internal and external troubles. When the king of Chu mourned that Wu had risen to the state of Chu, he immediately decided to reuse him. Wu Qi was appointed Ling Yin (equivalent to the prime minister) of the state of Chu and began the last large-scale reform of his life.
In the state of Chu, Wu Qi implemented a series of reform measures. He not only carried out military reforms to improve the combat effectiveness of the Chu army, but also carried out comprehensive reforms in politics and economy. These reform measures greatly enhanced the national strength of the Chu State and made the Chu State a great power again.
However, Wu Qi's reforms also touched the interests of the Chu nobility. These nobles hated Wu to the core, but they did not dare to act rashly under the protection of King Chu Mourning.
In 381 BC, King Chu mourned his death. Wu Qi knew that he was in danger, but he still insisted on going to the palace to mourn the king of Chu. Just as he had expected, the nobles, who had been preparing for a long time, attacked.
In the scuffle, Wu Qi was seriously injured. In order to protect the results of his reform, he made one last astonishing move: he pounced on the body of King Chu Mourning and let the arrow shot at him stick into the body of King Chu Mourning.
According to the law of the state of Chu, "those who attack the body of the king of Chu will be exterminated by the three tribes." Wu Qi's action led to the extermination of more than 70 nobles who participated in his murder. This can be said to be his last protection of the Chu State Reform.
However, Wu Qi's efforts were ultimately in vain. After the new king succeeded to the throne, not only did he not continue to implement Wu Qi's changes, but also ordered Wu Qi's body to be torn apart to set an example.
epilogue
Wu Qi's life was full of controversy and contradictions. He did not hesitate to kill his wife for the sake of fame, but he made great contributions to the country; He was known as disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust, but he was also an outstanding military strategist and a reformer.
His story tells us that in those troubled times, it was often difficult to reconcile the morality of the individual with the interests of the state. Wu Qi chose the latter, and paid a huge price for it.
However, it is undeniable that his talent and contributions have left valuable military and law reform experience for future generations, and have had a profound impact on the development of ancient Chinese society. #长文创作激励计划#
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