Gou Jian's destruction of Wu and hegemony, this familiar story, it seems that everyone can recite it backwards. The names of these heroes are even more well-known. But today, I want to uncover a little-known historical mystery for you - the brains of Gou Jian's destruction of Wu's hegemony are actually not Fan Li or Wengen, but someone else, a hermit master who is almost nowhere to be found in the long river of history. This person is not only rich in learning and wisdom, but also regarded as a beloved disciple by Lao Tzu, and contributed a good opportunity to Gou Jian's annihilation of Wu. Who is he? Why is it that no one cares in the end? What is the cause and effect of all this?
1. This reclusive master has a great background, and he was originally the last disciple of Lao Tzu
When Lao Tzu sent a letter to Guguan in the west and left the Zhou Dynasty, he was already over the age of old. As a great Confucian of the Zhou Dynasty, Lao Tzu is very knowledgeable and has already made extraordinary achievements. However, instead of going down in history, he left his family and business behind and was ready to embark on an unprecedented journey in life.
It is rumored that Lao Tzu said to the gatekeeper when he left the customs: "I will return to the avenue, my words can be heard, simple and winged." The gatekeeper was stunned, and Lao Tzu then explained: "I have a matter on my heart, and I am determined to practice it myself and see the excellent use of the Great Dao." Only then did the gatekeeper suddenly realize that what Lao Tzu said was determined to travel in the mountains and rivers in his lifetime, to be close to nature, and to witness the wonders of the avenue.
In this way, Lao Tzu said goodbye to the gatekeeper and his old friends, and embarked on a long road. He has traveled to Qin, Hanzhong, Yunmeng, and has also visited Bashu, Jiange, and Jiangnan. Whether it is the steep mountains or the gurgling water, as long as the scenery is beautiful, there are places for Lao Tzu to stop and watch. He has an extremely persistent yearning and pursuit of the beauty of nature, and he is eager to visit all the famous places in the world.
Until one day, when Lao Tzu traveled to the area of Yuezhou, Zhejiang Province, he happened to meet a young and vigorous scholar in a secluded place surrounded by mountains. Seeing Lao Tzu coming, the scholar involuntarily stood up, paid respect, and gave a salute. Lao Tzu looked the scholar up and down a few times, quite surprised by his amazing bones and extraordinary appearance.
Lao Tzu smiled and asked, "Your Excellency is a scholar?" If you don't know how to teach your surname?" The scholar replied: "Weisheng's surname is Xin, a single name is a 'ran' character, his ancestral home is now Baoji, Shaanxi, because of his poor family, he came here to study and study." After hearing this, Lao Tzu frowned slightly: "Children of poor families, it is not easy to study!" Xin Ran's face was ashamed, and he was about to explain, but Lao Tzu had already waved his hand: "The mountains and rivers here are beautiful, and the environment is a good place for you to study." However, with your shy and introverted nature, I am afraid it is difficult to understand the essence of the Great Dao. Why don't you teach you from today onwards!"
When Xin Ran heard this, he was surprised, where could he bother to explain his origin? He hurriedly kowtowed a few times, and said respectfully: "It was the old gentleman who pointed out, and it was really a blessing for three lives." Xiaosheng must be obedient to the teachings, learn with an open mind, and never forget!"
In this way, Lao Tzu, who was eighty years old at the time, accepted this unknown young scholar Xin Ran as an apprentice, and regarded him as the last successor. It can be said that this relationship between master and apprentice is destined to play an extremely important role on the stage of history, although Xin Ran is not well known to the world in the future.
Second, I met Fan Li by chance, and gave orders in danger to make suggestions for Gou Jian
When Xin Ran followed in the footsteps of Lao Tzu and traveled through famous mountains and rivers such as Qilian, Minshan, and Qinling, Gou Jian was in an unprecedented desperate situation. Previously, in order to avenge the revenge of the Chu State, Gou Jian led the army of the Yue State to attack Wu, but he was unexpectedly captured by Wu Wangfu and severely imprisoned. What's even more cruel is that the husband not only did not kill Gou Jian, but imprisoned him on the top of Huiji Mountain, hanging his courage every day to vent his personal anger.
In the face of such a desperate situation, Gou Jian was saddened, and his hope for survival gradually disappeared. Just when he was suffering physically and mentally, the appearance of a person brought him the dawn. This person is the hermit Xin Ran who was saved by Fan Li and worshipped him as a teacher.
It turned out that after Xin Ran left Lao Tzu, he began a cloud tour that lasted for more than ten years. One day, he passed by Huiji and accidentally learned that Gou Jian was trapped here. Although Xin Ran is a recluse, he has always had a pure heart for the rise and fall of the country. Moreover, when Lao Tzu was in his twilight years, he once taught him "The monarch, the boat also; The people, the water", which means that the country is like a flat boat, only with the help of the "water" that carries the floating load and sinks and never stops, can we ride the wind and waves and move forward steadily. And Gou Jian, as the monarch of the Yue Kingdom, is now in such a desperate situation, doesn't he need the help of "water"?
With this understanding, Xin Ran resolutely decided to come to the rescue. He quickly found his apprentice Fan Li, whom he hadn't seen for many years, and told his thoughts. Fan Li knew that Master was a master of the saints, so he immediately bowed to the ground and begged Xin Ran to give advice and help Gou Jian relieve the siege. Xin Ran pondered for a long time, nodded and said, "Okay!" I will give the old gentleman's Dadao concept to Gou Jian, but you must also be enlightened, and don't miss any points. "
In this way, Xin Ran sincerely explained the essence of governing the country in Lao Tzu's hadith for Fan Li. He first expounded the principle of "constant and time shift", explaining that joy, anger, sorrow, prosperity, and death are all natural laws that are endless, and as long as we can grasp the opportunity at any time, there will always be the possibility of turning defeat into victory. Then he explained the true meaning of "contentment", exhorting Gou Jian to be content with what he has in the present moment in times of difficulty, and never to be greedy and vain, which will only fall into a deeper quagmire.
In the end, Xin Ran summed up seven "strategies for rejuvenating the country" for Gou Jian, which is rich and concise, which can be described as a masterpiece of Lao Tzu's wisdom:
"A good beginning and a good end, down-to-earth; Second, it is said that when the opportunity is seen, it is necessary to seek good fortune and avoid evil; Third, we live within our means, be diligent and thrifty; Fourth, it is said that it is pleasant and elegant, and it returns to the basics; Fifth, it is said that Dunben is the ancestor, and filial piety is the first; Sixth, it is said that it is prudent to make small profits, and it is enough to know and stop; Seven cycles are unprovoked, and they eventually become avenues. "
Fan Li wrote down the gist of these seven strategies word for word, and had a deep understanding. He sighed from the bottom of his heart: "I know the wonder of the old gentleman's road today!" Master Xin's wisdom and insight are truly immortal treasures!"
3. Gou Jian recovered his homeland, and the hermit abandoned the world
After learning of Xin Ran's strategy, Gou Jianru regained his life and immediately acted according to the plan. He first strictly restrained the national strength of the Yue country, and made his subjects diligent and thrifty to keep their families and forge ahead. At the same time, he sent Fan Li as an envoy to negotiate peace with Wu and volunteered to be a slave for three years, so as to reduce the wariness of the husband.
Sure enough, Fucha did see some light from Gou Jian's actions. He no longer severely punished Gou Jian, and even placed him in the territory of the Yue Kingdom to monitor his every move. Gou Jian took advantage of the situation and began to implement Xin Ran's "Seven Strategies".
He implemented the concept of "being comfortable and elegant, returning to the basics", and greatly promoted culture and education in the country of Vietnam, educated the people of Li, and made the hearts of the people obedient. At the same time, he also "respected the ancestors and put filial piety first", encouraging the people to abide by their duties and maintain social order. In this way, under the leadership of Gou Jian, the Yue Kingdom grew stronger and stronger, and finally survived the most difficult ten years of suffering.
When the foundation of the Yue Kingdom was solid, Gou Jian began to observe the favorable time and place with "pleasant feelings" and look for a good opportunity to fight back. Finally, when the husband was obsessed with Xi Shi and was extravagant, Gou Jian judged that the time was ripe, so he took the literary genre as the general and led the Yue Shi to attack Wudu.
In this battle, as Xin Ran said, "the cycle is unprovoked, and it eventually becomes a road", Gou Jian finally defeated Qiang Wu in one fell swoop, regained the lost ground, and was ashamed. And the mastermind of this feat, but he has disappeared. As early as a few years ago, Xin Ran had escaped into the mountains, had no quarrel with the world, and his whereabouts became a mystery.
Fan Li had searched many times, but found nothing. In the end, he had no choice but to sigh and write his feelings in the grass hall: "The seven strategies of Ji Ran, the more you use the five, the more proud." Now that I have given to the country, I want to use the house. It seems that Xin Ran's great wisdom and courage passed away silently.
Later, after Gou Jian conquered Zhuxia, he remembered Xin Ran's merits and canonized him as a "guest of the Yue Kingdom", intending to glorify his virtues. It's a pity that Xin Ran had already lived in seclusion at that time, and there was no way to know about this entertainment honor.
Interestingly, after Xin Ran's death, many literati and writers began to take a keen interest in the life of this hidden master. Through word of mouth, they painstakingly reassembled the footprints of Xin Ran. It turned out that Xin Ran was not an ordinary man, he was born with amazing bones and a dignified appearance, and he was favored by an elder with fairy wind bones when he was a child and accepted as a protégé. And that elder is Lao Tzu himself!
This discovery undoubtedly caused an uproar, and people suddenly realized that Xin Ran turned out to be the last disciple of Lao Tzu, no wonder his concept of governing the country was so clever, it was simply the embodiment of Lao Tzu's wisdom. Of course, people also have different opinions about why Xin Ran lived in seclusion in the mountains and why he wanted to have no quarrel with the world, and it eventually became a mystery for the ages.
Fourth, the hermit died mysteriously, and Fan Li missed his predecessor
After Xin Ran's death, Fan Li has been haunted. As he said in the paragraph he wrote in the thatched cottage: "The seventh strategy of the plan, the more you use the five, the more proud." Now that I have given to the country, I want to use the house. It can be seen how clever Fan Li's strategy is, how much admiration and piety Fan Li has.
It's a pity that such a clever hidden master can't be found, which is really incomprehensible. Fan Li once searched around for Xin Ran's whereabouts, trying to follow his footsteps. It is said that after Xin Ran left Huiji, he traveled to the banks of the Qiantang River where Xi Shi and his husband lived, and also visited Lin'an and other places in today's Hangzhou. Later, he gradually traveled westward, and Lu Fengshan was just a stone's throw away.
Lufeng Mountain has always been a Buddhist jungle, surrounded by clouds and mist on all sides, and the scenery is very deep and beautiful. It is rumored that Xin Ran had lived in seclusion and practiced here back then, and formed a friendship of master and apprentice with the monks there. So Fan Li decided to go to Lu Fengshan to find out, and maybe he could find any clues from there.
However, by the time Fan Li stepped on Lufeng Mountain, Xin Ran's figure was no longer visible in the mountain. Instead, there are ancient temples and temples all over the place, and there is an endless stream of high monks and low disciples, and the scene is very peaceful and solemn. Fan Li visited several white-haired monks, but they couldn't tell where Xin Ran went, only that he later escaped into the deeper countryside and mountain forests, where there were few people and almost closed off from the world.
There is even a high-ranking monk who told Fan Li that in fact, since Xin Ran came to Lufeng Mountain, he has been an old man who has been hidden for many years. He seems to be still in style, but between his demeanor and demeanor, it gives people an indescribable sense of mystery. "Just like an immortal who has been reincarnated for eternity, he has accumulated too much suffering in this world, so he is determined to be born and go."
The monk's words undoubtedly made Fan Li feel more and more incomprehensible. What is the identity of this Xin Ran Daoist? Why is it so out of the ordinary? And why did you choose this isolated lifestyle? All these mysteries are destined to become mysteries for the ages.
However, for Fan Li, perhaps the reason for Xin Ran's seclusion in the world is not important. The important thing is that it was this hidden master with a mysterious background who pointed him out the path of sublimation and carrying forward the past and forging ahead into the future, and taught him the wisdom of Lao Tzu. What's more, it was precisely because of Xin Ran's advice that Gou Jian finally made Wu Yue proud, and he was ashamed.
Fifth, the later generations are endless, and the Taoism of Lao Tzu is spread without borders
Although Xin Ran's whereabouts eventually came to an end, his footprints and the teachings of Lao Tzu continued to end, and had a wide and far-reaching impact in later generations. This is not only reflected in the political and military level, but also spreads to various fields such as culture, philosophy and life philosophy.
In terms of politics and military, Xin Ran gave advice to Gou Jian, and finally helped him regain the lost territory and restore the majesty of the Yue Kingdom. This exemplary example was widely praised by later generations of literati and scholars. In particular, Fan Li's exposition of "Seven Strategies for Planning, the more you use the five, the more you are proud", has been recorded in the official history such as "Wu Yue Chunqiu", and has become a classic case of governing the country.
The influence of this "way of war" has lasted for hundreds of years through works such as The Art of War. Even today, military strategists still draw on and refer to these classical wisdoms when studying operational strategies.
In the field of philosophical thought, Lao Tzu's Taoist doctrine has had a profound impact. Even Buddhism, in its later development, drew a lot of nourishment from Taoist philosophy, forming a unique cultural phenomenon of "Buddhism and Taoism" coexisting and communicating.
A typical example is the "Laozi Cliff Carving" in Zhucheng, Shandong. It is located in Yinyu Mountain, where there are huge stone carvings of Lao Tzu and Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as the "Tao Te Ching" written by Lao Tzu himself, which can be called "the wall of heaven and earth". These relics not only have a great impact, but also prove that the doctrine of Laozi has been widely spread in the land of China and has been integrated and coexisted with Buddhist culture for a long time.
In addition, Taoist philosophy has also had a profound impact on China's philosophy of life and aesthetic sentiments. For example, Lao Tzu's famous sayings and aphorisms such as "those who know others are wise, and those who know themselves are clear", "enjoy with the people", "the movement of the opposite way", "quiet and tranquil", "Tianxingjian, a gentleman strives for self-improvement" and other famous sayings and aphorisms contain rich wisdom of life. These ideas have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people since ancient times, and they are still widely recited today.
Even in literary and artistic works, such as poems and songs, opera novels, etc., the shadow of Taoist wisdom can be seen. Li Zhen, a thinker in the Ming Dynasty, once said with emotion: "All works with timeless words, charming paintings, cherry blossoms and glamorous, chic and graceful, and strange and treacherous are all from Zhuang Lao." It can be seen that even in artistic creation, Taoist thought is also a continuation of the past and the future, and has a far-reaching influence.
What is even more commendable is that the Taoist life wisdom such as "leisurely", "free" and "leisurely" has become the ideal and spiritual pursuit of life pursued by later generations. They are not only reflected in the works of literati and artists, but also written into all aspects of society, and penetrate into people's lifestyles and behavioral habits.
All this can be traced back to Xin Ran and Lao Tzu. It is precisely because of them that they have passed on their ideas and wisdom from generation to generation that they have created the breadth and profundity of Chinese culture, so that it can continue to be enjoyed for generations.