During the Three Kingdoms period, the game of family power shaped the direction of history to a large extent. The Sima family, the Zhuge family, and other gate lord clans, their rise and fall are closely related to the political changes of the Three Kingdoms.
The rise of the Sima family is arguably the most successful political investment during the Three Kingdoms period. During the Cao Cao period, although the Sima family was suppressed to a certain extent, after Cao Pi ascended the throne, they began to cooperate with the Cao Wei regime and gradually accumulated huge influence. Cao Pi's implementation of the nine-product Zhongzheng system further consolidated the status of the scholar clan and provided soil for the rise of the Sima family. Eventually, the Sima family replaced the Cao clan and established the Jin dynasty, becoming the biggest winner of the Three Kingdoms.
Sun Quan of Eastern Wu also faced a challenge from his family's power. Sun Ce's death is said to be related to the wealthy family in Jiangdong, which sounded the alarm for Sun Quan. During his reign, he had to use the power of these families against foreign enemies, but he also had to be on guard against their excessive power and threaten his rule. Sun Quan's strategy was relatively flexible, and he used various means to both win over and suppress to ensure the stability of Eastern Wu.
The political investment of the Zhuge family is more complicated. Zhuge Liang's status in Shu Han is unparalleled, and his resourcefulness and talent have made great contributions to Liu Bei. However, after Zhuge Liang's death, his son Zhuge Zhan failed to inherit his father's position, and the Shu Han regime soon fell into chaos. Although Zhuge Jin also had some influence in Eastern Wu, his descendants suffered misery and his entire family was killed. Although Zhuge was in a high position in Cao Wei, he was destroyed because of his opposition to the Sima family. The Zhuge family's layout in the Three Kingdoms seemed to be extensive, but in the end, it failed to avoid the decline of the family.
The rise and fall of these families not only reflects the influence of family power on the political landscape during the Three Kingdoms period, but also reveals the risks of political investment. Liu Bei chose Zhuge Liang precisely because of his talent and the characteristics of not having a strong family background. On the big stage of the Three Kingdoms, the game of family forces and the wisdom and courage of heroes have jointly written a legend.
During the Three Kingdoms period, family power contests were everywhere, and they controlled the direction of politics behind the scenes and affected the course of history. Whether it is the successful ascension of the Sima family or the tragic end of the Zhuge family, it is a typical case of family political investment. These stories tell us that political investment is fraught with uncertainty and that even the most savvy investors can hardly predict the final outcome.
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