Written by Kang Youpeng
Stills of the master's father
3. Debate and analyze merits and demerits, and learn from the past and examine the present and think about the future
Throughout the life of the main father, from long-term poverty, to one step to the sky in his later years, ups and downs, and even the death of the family, it is quite intriguing and worth pondering. However, how to look at the merits and demerits of the master and father Yan and correctly evaluate his historical status, Sima Qian went down in history with the Spring and Autumn brushwork of "allegorical in history", that is, implicit praise and disapproval in the narrative.
As today's history reading enthusiasts, we should take "historical facts" as the basic basis, use the dialectical materialist view of history and the perspective of the big historical view, comprehensively, objectively and fairly analyze the historical materials, and draw on the viewpoints of "reading history should look at its great ethics, great opportunities, and great gains and losses in controlling chaos" (Zhu Xi), look at both subjective motives and objective consequences, and put objective consequences in the first place. Therefore, correctly evaluate the historical merits of the master father, objectively look at his personality and moral defects, do not generalize, show his eyes with one leaf, and deeply understand the "changes through the past and the present" of Taishi Gong, with the purpose of "narrating the past and thinking about the future"!
(1) How do you view Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's reuse of the master father?
To analyze this problem clearly, we should start with the Han Dynasty selection system. In ancient China, the selection of talents and talents, from the "Zen concession system" of the primitive society, the "Shiqing Shilu system" of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, to the awarding of knights according to military merits after the Qin Shang Dynasty changed the law, are all required by the times. The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, and the early Han Dynasty still selected talents with military merits. In order to meet the needs of social and economic development, during the period of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, the counties and counties recommended "filial piety and brother Litian", that is, people of virtuous and virtuous character, who were appointed as officials after step-by-step inspection, and could be exempted from forced labor. After Emperor Wen took power, he issued an edict to "raise virtuous and honest people who can speak outright", that is, recommended by officials and hired after inspection, but they have not yet been customized.
In the first year of Emperor Yuanguang of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), he adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion and ordered that the county should raise one person each of filial piety and honesty every year. However, the counties feared that it would impact the former power, so they did not take it seriously. When Emperor Wu saw that there was slackness, he issued a severe punishment decree: it was stipulated that if the county guard did not show filial piety, he should be punished as disrespectful; If they do not act honestly, they will be dismissed as incompetent. This method of discovering and inspecting by the county and recommending the central government to appoint officials is called inspection; The direct appointment of the emperor or magistrate was called the conquest. Compared with the "Shiqing Shilu system", filial piety and honesty have made great progress.
Under the general trend of promoting virtuous and upright people, a large number of young talents such as Jia Yi and Chao Cuo, who are famous in later generations, have stood out and entered the official career. And with the character and personality of the main father (more on this later), it is obvious that this road is not working. But Minoru, who is familiar with the art of vertical and horizontal, how can he give up and have to take another path!
Dating back to the first year of Yuanguang of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), Emperor Wu had been on the throne for six or seven years, and he was ambitious to prepare to conquer the Xiongnu, expand the territory, and do a vigorous career. And the master who disobeyed the holy will and gave direct advice, but he was reused by Emperor Wu. What is the mystery of this?
If analyzed from an objective aspect: First, the call of the times. According to historical records: "Up to now, the number of years old, during the more than 70 years of Hanxing, the country has nothing to do, and the people have enough for the family unless they encounter floods and droughts...... The money of the Beijing division is huge, and it is decaying and cannot be studied; Taicang's Su Chen Chen Xiang is full of dew and accumulates outside, so that it is corrupt and inedible" ("Historical Records - Pingzhun Book"). To the effect that after two generations of Wenjing recuperation, when Liu Che ascended the throne, the country was already very wealthy. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty wanted to make a difference, and urgently needed a group of talents with special talents.
Second, it wedges Emperor Wu's concept of employing people. Emperor Wu once issued an edict saying: "If you have extraordinary merits, you must treat extraordinary people, so the horse or gallop for thousands of miles, and the scholar may have a vulgar name." The horses that are driven by the husband, and the people who are sloppy are also in the palace. That is to say, if you want to create immortal achievements, you must rely on special talents. Those horses that gallop and kick people may be good horses that travel thousands of miles every day; Some of those who are ridiculed by the world may also be geniuses who have made great achievements. Difficult horses and indulgent people are just how the master controls them. Although the master father Yan did not respond to the edict, his sparse performance violated the sensitive topic of "conquest of Hungary", which shows that he is also an extraordinary person.
The third is to reuse the master father Yan to reflect the wisdom and bearing of Emperor Wu. Since Liu Che ascended the throne, he has been thinking about how to relieve the external troubles of the Xiongnu, and has also adopted a series of countermeasures, but they have all failed. However, the master father Yan used the lessons of Qin's death and circumstantial evidence to advise that the Xiongnu should not be attacked. Perhaps Emperor Wu took a fancy to his profound knowledge, especially his in-depth study of the Xiongnu, so he used his strengths. In terms of selecting and appointing talents, Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Chairman Mao, the great man, are quite Han Wu legacy!
If it is analyzed from the subjective aspect, that is, from the perspective of the master father himself: first, he is familiar with the doctrine of Yi Chuan and the hundred schools of thought, and is full of wealth and discernment. After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, the study of Huang Lao was pursued for a long time, and the basic national policy of keeping quiet and quiet has been promoted, which has promoted economic recovery and social prosperity. After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, as the national strength gradually became stronger, it shifted from "inaction" to "promising". As a well-educated person and a compound talent, the master father Yan was also born at the right time.
The second is to be in adversity for a long time and read all the situations in the world. In the process of studying in many places and suffering from cold reception, the master father Yan dealt with all kinds of people, and had an in-depth understanding and true understanding of the political situation and folk customs of the vassal states, and when he was summoned by Emperor Wu, he would fully display his unique insights and talents with his rich life experience, so as to win the favor and attention of the emperor.
The third is to be unconventional and desperate. After the master father ran into walls everywhere, as a well-versed debater, he would continue to learn lessons, observe and analyze the general trend of the world, and propose countermeasures, either to his liking or to go against the trend. In view of Emperor Wu's eagerness to make contributions, perhaps he deliberately violated the emperor's scales and used the lessons of Qin's death to oppose the conquest of the Xiongnu, so as to attract Emperor Wu's attention and achieve the last fight in the twilight of his life.
(2) How to evaluate the historical merits of the master father?
The advice offered by the Lord Father should be observed from the depth of history and the background of reality. After Emperor Wu came to power, the Han Empire was gradually becoming stronger, but it still faced three major problems. First, the princes and kings still have a certain amount of power, which is an unstable factor; second, the land annexation is serious, and the society is in turmoil; Third, the Xiongnu continued to invade, and the two Yue were also creating incidents. The potential social crisis and external troubles prompted Emperor Wu to make up his mind to further strengthen the centralization of power. As a close minister of the Son of Heaven, the lord father Yan was well aware of the emperor's worries, and his advice on the "Tui En Order", the establishment of Shuofang County, and the relocation of Haoqiang were all related to the safety of the Han Dynasty and the unification of the world.
[Let's talk about the "Tui En Order" first] The "Tui En Order" that the master father asked for was actually the sublimation of Jia Yi and Chao Cuo's thinking and wisdom. Jia Yi's "building the princes with less strength" and Chao Yi's "cutting the feudal policy", from the perspective of motivation and method, are both to weaken the power of the princes, and both are taken by the emperor on his own initiative. The former is a dismemberment of a vassal state, in a mild and gradual manner; The latter is to cut it off directly, like a storm. Although the purpose is the same, the consequences are very different, and they are not easy to be accepted by the princes and kings!
In the era of feudal monarchy, the problem of princes and kings sitting on the throne has always been a historical problem. After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, drawing lessons from the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the parallel system of counties and states was implemented to maintain the stability of the regime and the unity of the world. However, the plot of the princes and kings to divide has always been a major problem for the country. Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty adopted the national policy of cutting and eliminating the "king with a different surname" and dividing the clan surnamed Liu as the king, so as to defend the Jingshi, prevent civil strife and consolidate the achievements of unification. Before Liu Bang died, he also took great pains to swear with his ministers to kill the white horse!
During the reign of Emperor Han and Empress Dowager Lü, the "White Horse Covenant" had been extinguished. The tyrannical and domineering Lu Pheasant not only paid homage to the king of Zhu Lu, but also controlled the government for more than ten years. After her death, the meritorious group represented by Prime Minister Chen Ping and Taiwei Zhou Bo, united with the clan surnamed Liu and Liu Xiang, the king of Qi, and others, after a bloody court struggle, the Han dynasty was restored to the royal family surnamed Liu!
At the beginning of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, in order to maintain social and political stability, he adopted a soft policy. Jia Yi, a young politician, was keenly aware of the threat of the princes to the imperial power from the rebellion of the king of Jibei, and proposed the countermeasure of "building the princes with less strength". This farsightedness was appreciated by Emperor Wen. However, due to the limitations of the political ecology at that time, Jia Yi's good policy was not implemented, and he was slandered and released to the prince of Changsha. After failing to fulfill his political ambitions, and after being transferred to the post of Liang Huai's prince, King Huai fell from his horse and died, and Jia Yi ended his life at the age of 33 in self-blame and anger. In the later period of Emperor Wen's reign, although he took the opportunity to adopt Jia Yi's strategy, he divided the Qi State into six and the Huainan State into three. But he still tolerated and indulged the arrogant Wu King Liu Bi, but left hidden dangers for future generations.
After Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he was determined to dig out the "tumor" of the princes and princes, so he adopted the "strategy of cutting the domain" of the imperial historian and prepared to cut the domain in a drastic way, thus triggering the rebellion of the "Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu". In order to stop the expansion of the situation, Emperor Jing listened to the rumors, killed Chao Cuo, who had been the emperor's teacher, and almost lost the country. In the end, the famous general Zhou Yafu was appointed, and the rebellion was quickly quelled. Although Emperor Jing took advantage of this to cut some vassal states and recover some of the rights of the vassal kings, he still did not fundamentally solve this problem.
The historical ring entered the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the master father Yan, who was reused by the emperor, stepped onto the political stage of the Han Dynasty. He proposed the implementation of the "Tui En Order", although the purpose was still to weaken the power of the vassal states, but the means were to change from the imperial court to the reduction of the princes. In this way, the princes and kings were easy to accept, and the princes were even more happy, although the eldest son was unhappy, it was difficult to speak, and Emperor Wu gained the reputation of implementing "benevolent government". It can be said that without causing social shocks and using a single soldier, it successfully solved the problem that had plagued the country for a long time, and was called "the first conspiracy in the world" by later generations.
In 127 B.C. (the second year of Han Yuanshuo), Emperor Wu officially promulgated the "Tui En Order", and the emperor formulated the title in a unified manner, and the princes and kings distributed the fiefs to all their children in order to push the "private favor", and the land was divided into the princes, according to the Han system to break away from the kingdom and belong to the county, and the status was equivalent to the county. Therefore, the division of the kingdom into a vassal state was the shrinking of its land and the expansion of the territory directly under the imperial court.
After the promulgation of the "Tui En Order", the princes and kingdoms asked for the division of their children, "so the vassal kingdom began to be divided, and the children were divided into princes." The imperial court "did not depose the feudal state and analyzed itself." These 100 vassal states are getting smaller and smaller, "the big ones are no more than 10 cities, and the small countries are only a few tens of miles", while the "Han County 890" under the jurisdiction of the central government, that is, the counties directly under the central government account for 80%-90% of the country's land area, and "among the princes, the dogs and teeth are close to each other, and they are strangled by their geographical advantages". Roughly speaking, these counties were interspersed with the lands of the vassal states, intertwined with dogs, unable to be connected into patches, and most of them occupied or defended favorable terrain. After Emperor Wu, the princely kingdom did not have more than a few counties, and its status was only equivalent to a county.
The full implementation of the "Tui En Order" effectively solved the problem of the princely kingdoms sitting on the throne, further strengthened the centralized system, maintained national unity and social stability, laid a good foundation for the comprehensive transition from the county system to the county system, and also relieved Emperor Wu's worries about concentrating on solving border troubles and fighting against the Xiongnu. This was an important milestone in the history of the development of the political system of the Western Han Dynasty.
Because the "Tui En Order" adopted a relatively mild strategy, adding a touch of beauty to the cold feudal dynasty era, historians generally have a high evaluation of it. But there are shortcomings in the ointment: First, the implementation period is long, and the rulers are in a hurry to solve the problem, which is a little slow. Second, although it weakened the power of the princes and kings, it also brought certain hidden dangers. For example, the lack of checks and balances on the inflated power of foreign relatives eventually led to Wang Mang's usurpation of power and the demise of the Western Han Dynasty.
In the area of the Yellow River's great fold on the south side of Yinshan, there is the famous Hetao Plain in the north and the plateau with ravines in the south. Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it has always been a place where the northern nomads and the Central Plains farming people multiplied, and it was also a strategic place where the Central Plains Dynasty and the northern nomadic tribes repeatedly competed.
From the fertile land of Shuofang, the geographical location is superior, and Meng Tian had built a city here to fight against the Xiongnu, as well as to save manpower and material resources for transporting and garrisoning, and expanding China's territory, the master father Yan used irrefutable arguments to request the establishment of Shuofang County as a rear base and a fundamental strategy to fight against the Xiongnu. However, it was opposed by the ministers of the upper and lower levels, especially Gongsun Hong, the imperial historian, who refuted it in the court. And "the master's father said that it was convenient, and he actually used the master's father's plan to establish Shuofang County." It can be seen that under the arguments of the master's father, Wu Dili overrode public opinion, and set up a county tuntian in Shuofang to enrich the power of the northern border.
After the construction of Shuofang County, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to "immigrate to Shibian" from the interior on a large scale. According to historical records: "It is the migration of poor people to the west of Guan, and to the south of Chongshuofang in the new Qinzhong, more than 700,000 mouths" ("Historical Records - Pingzhun Book"). The number of Han immigrants from Guanzhong increased dramatically, and after the Xiongnu gradually moved south to the Han Dynasty, a large number of Xiongnu tribes also came to the Hetao area.
Sima Guang, a famous politician and historian of the Northern Song Dynasty, wrote after objectively recounting this period of history: "Shang actually used (the master's father) to set up Shuofang County, so that Su Jian (Su Wu's father) built more than 100,000 people to build Shuofang City, and restored the old Qin Dynasty Meng Tian did the blockage, because the river was solid. Then, he wrote in a critical tone: "The turn is far away, and it has been labored by Shandong Xian, spending tens of millions of dollars, and the treasury is empty; The Han Dynasty also abandoned the Doubi County of Shanggu to create Yang land for Hu" ("Zizhi Tongjian-Han Ji"). To the effect that Emperor Wu finally adopted the strategy of his master father Yan and sent Su Jian to recruit more than 100,000 people to build Shuofang City. However, the distance of water and land transportation is very long, and the people in the area east of the Kunshan Mountains have suffered from transportation, which costs billions of billions of yuan, and the Qianfu grain depot has been paid out. The Han Dynasty also gave up a piece of land under the jurisdiction of Doubi County, Shanggu County, which was staggered with the Xiongnu, to the Xiongnu.
From the perspective of history, the setting of Shuofang County is not only a strong rear base for the Han Dynasty to counterattack the Xiongnu, but also a solid military barrier for the capital Chang'an, and also a landmark event for the Central Plains Dynasty to set up an administrative setting in the northern border, and has become a historical epitome of the integration and construction and development of the Chinese nation.
【About "Migrating Haoqiang"】The Western Han Dynasty entered the period of Emperor Wu, and the statecraft strategy has shifted from "quiet and inactive" to "active and promising", and the migration of rich people is also an important embodiment of it. Although these tycoons were relocated at the feet of the Son of Heaven, they did not move to the metropolis, but to the newly developed or remote and impoverished Maoling and Yunling.
According to the Han Dynasty's policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, the merchants had a low social status, and this migration to this place, together with the powerful and traitorous people, was actually a heavy blow to them, and it had a positive effect on the consolidation of the Han regime and social stability.
In addition, Sima Qian also clearly used "meritorious" to describe the two events of the master's father's request to "respect the Empress Liwei" and expose the "Yan Wang's private affairs in the country". Although it is only mentioned in one stroke, in addition to the omission of the "mutual seeing method", it is also quite meaningful.
Regarding "Zun Liwei Empress", it is necessary to briefly describe the deposed Empress Chen. Empress Chen, whose young name is Gillian, is the daughter of Emperor Wu's aunt Liu Yan, and the emperor's childhood sweetheart. Liu Che once told his aunt that he wanted to marry his cousin when he grew up, and called him "Jinwu Zangjiao". Liu Rong, the first crown prince of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, was deposed because he was framed by Liu Xuan. Liu Che was made the crown prince by the king of Jiaodong, which was actually carefully planned by his aunt Liu Xuan. During the reign of Emperor Jing, Chen Ajiao married Liu Che as the crown princess. After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, she was made empress in the first year of Jianyuan (141 BC).
Empress Chen believed that her mother was kind to Emperor Wu, and she was arrogant and favored, which aroused Liu Che's disgust. When Wei Zifu was favored, Liu Concubine intimidated his brother Wei Qing by imprisoning him, and Emperor Wu favored the Wei family. Chen Ajiao felt that she was gradually losing her favor, so she wanted to give birth to a son to win the emperor's attention, but she failed to do so. In the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 years ago), in order to regain the favor of Emperor Wu, Empress Chen learned from the witch Chufu and set up a shrine in the palace to curse the emperor's favorite concubine. The incident was revealed, he was demoted to a concubine, expelled from Chang'an, and confined in the deserted Changmen Palace. Emperor Wu also beheaded Chu Fu in the city for the crime of "great rebellion and no way", and killed more than 300 people implicated.
"Zizhi Tongjian" cites a legend that Liu Concubine, the eldest princess of Empress Chen's mother, was very frightened and asked Emperor Wu for guilt, and Liu Che said that Liu Concubine and the Chen family would not be implicated (there is no record in the "Historical Records" and "Book of Han").
Two years after Empress Chen was deposed, Wei Zifu gave birth to the long-awaited eldest son Liu Ju for Emperor Wu and was made empress. Wei Zifu's biological mother, Wei Yuan, is the maid of Pingyang Hou Cao Shi's house, and the third daughter Wei Zifu is the Hou Mansion Kabuki. In the spring of the second year of Jianyuan (139 B.C.), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who suffered setbacks in the political arena, took advantage of the Shangsi Festival to worship in Bashang, and went to the Hou Mansion to visit the emperor's sister Princess Pingyang, and Wei Zifu was favored by the emperor and was fortunate to enter the palace. In the third year of Jianyuan (138 BC), she was named a lady, in the first year of Yuan Shuo (128 BC), she was canonized as an empress, and in the second year of Zhenghe (91 BC), she committed suicide in the witch curse. She has lived in the Han Palace for 49 years, and she has observed the festival of women and queens. He has one boy and three daughters, namely the prince Liu Ju and Princess Weichang, Princess Zhuyi, and Princess Shiyi.
From the point of view of time, after Empress Chen was deposed, the government and the opposition caused a huge negative impact. During this period, Wei Zifu gave birth to a son, Liu Ju, and was happy to have a noble son for Emperor Wu's approaching years. In the sixth year of Yuanguang (129 years ago), Wei Qing took command for the first time to fight against the Huns, won the "Dragon City Victory", and was sealed inside. In the first and second years of Yuanshuo (127 BC), Wei Qing won the battle again. Thousands of Xiongnu were captured alive, millions of livestock were captured, and the Han army not only returned with all armor, but also controlled the entire strategic place of the Hetao, and Wei Qing was once again named the Marquis of Changping. In this context, the main father Yan proposed to "respect Empress Wei", not only to repay Wei Qing's kindness, but also to support Emperor Wu's new policy, save face, etc., the multiple meanings are self-evident!
As for the main father's revelation of "King Yan's private affairs in the country", it is also inseparable from Emperor Wu's decision to implement the "Tui En Order". The master father charged into battle, knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger to clear the obstacles. Shi Qian recorded in detail in the Jing Yan family that King Yan had fornication with his father, concubines, younger wives, daughters and many others, and killed his courtiers to kill his sons, and his life was extremely luxurious and fornicated. After being denounced, Emperor Wu asked the minister to discuss, and the lord father Yan and all the ministers said: "Dingguo is beastly, disorderly, against the sky, and should be punished." The result was: "Yes." The country committed suicide, and the country was divided into counties. That is, the king of Yan committed suicide in fear of crime, and the country of Yan was removed and classified as Han County.
(3) How to identify the multifaceted personality of the master father?
Modern psychologists believe that personality refers to the internal tendencies and psychological characteristics of an individual's behavior in social adaptation to people, things, and oneself. It is manifested in the integration of personality temperament, demand motivation, interests and ideals, and values. The formation of personality is affected by many factors such as genetic physiology, family environment, education and social culture.
As the main father of a historical figure, future generations have no way to examine the influence of heredity, physiology, and family environment on the formation of his personality and morality. Based on historical data, we can only discuss their ideological tendencies, inner world, handling styles, and behavior patterns from the aspects of their education, life experiences, and times, as well as their personality traits. Adhere to the attitude of looking at both the motive and the consequences, listening to their words and watching their deeds, and the merit is the merit and the demerit. In this way, we should promote the good and discard the evil, and conscientiously draw lessons from experience and lessons.
First, it should be linked to the specific context of the times. Historian Mr. Li Changzhi believes that the Han culture inherited from the Chu and Qi cultures, is good at imagination, emphasizes "hidden" and "hidden", and is full of legendary romance. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the way of Huang Lao prevailed, and Emperor Gao also understood three flavors: fighting wits but not strength, retreating as advance, giving first and then taking ("Sima Qian's Personality and Style"). Entering the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, with the development and prosperity of society and economy, adopting Dong Zhongshu's policy of "respecting Confucianism alone", Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, was ambitious, aggressive, recruiting talents, and trying to make great achievements, which was the strongest voice of the times.
In such a high-spirited and enterprising era, as a well-educated person who is well versed in vertical and horizontal, it is also human nature for the master father to want to realize his ideals and ambitions and show his ambitions. However, the frustration of traveling around, the adversity and the lack of talent caused the wounds on his soul that are difficult to heal.
Think about it, for people who want to make a difference in their lives, especially those who want to do great things: if they have a strong heart, deep wisdom and a broad mind, poverty and embarrassment will be a physical and mental training for them. The ancient so-called "suffering its mind, straining its muscles and bones, starving its body and skin, and emptying its body" can only take on great responsibilities. There are many such examples in history. As Tai Shi Gong said: "King Wen detained and acted in "Zhou Yi", Zhong Ni'e wrote "Spring and Autumn", Zuoqiu was blind, and there was a ...... in "Chinese" If the psychology is dark, the personality is split and the pattern is small, it may be crazy to take revenge after surviving in a desperate situation. Especially the more talented and morally corrupt a person is, the more talented, used, or in a high position, his destructive power will be incalculable! In addition, as Mr. Lu Xun said: "If you don't break out in silence, you will perish in silence...... however, things will be reversed, and if you run rampant, or even give up on yourself, you will eventually destroy yourself.
The actions of the Lord Father are in line with the latter character. Although he achieved a temporary success with tenacious perseverance and wisdom in the specific environment of Emperor Wu's recruitment of talents, he could not escape the fate of death and annihilation. If you look at it objectively, during the eight years that it was reused, the master father was in a high position as a close minister of the Son of Heaven, because he was good at figuring out the holy will, and the proposed policy of governing the country was also in line with the needs of the times, and was mostly adopted by Emperor Wu, and his historical merits cannot be erased. However, if his dark inner world and revenge mentality are not revealed in time, the higher his status and power, the more lethal it will cause to the country, society, and relatives and friends.
However, when the master father did not deserve to die, he was admonished and sentenced by Gongsun Hong and other ministers, and there were still grievances and complex palace fighting factors. In order to appease the so-called "hearts of the people in the world", Emperor Wu actually balanced the antagonistic emotions between the princes, kings and ministers, and exterminated the three clans against the lord and father, which was also an unsolvable government in the feudal imperial era. Wouldn't these make the latecomers think deeply!
The second is to look at the motivation and pay more attention to the objective effect. As a well-known political figure, if the policies offered by the master father to Emperor Wu are analyzed from his multi-faceted personality, some focus on the general trend of the current situation, some are to his liking, some are personal vendettas, and some are due to multiple factors. Whatever his motives, the effect should be seen as positive progress, negative regression, or illegal orders and human ethics. For example, some commentators believe that the lord's father and the princes were all treated coldly, and once he was in power, he deliberately attacked mercilessly, relying on his own wisdom and conspiracy methods, and suggested that Emperor Wu issue a "Tui En Order" to fundamentally weaken the power of the princes and kings. I think that this theory is obviously a shallow view, and there is a lack of understanding and grasp of the general trend of the world.
For another example, some commentators believe that the master father Yan has been at the bottom of the society for a long time, and should have a real experience of the hardships of the people, and Emperor Wu summoned him for the first time, he advised not to conquer the Xiongnu and expand the territory, but later actively offered advice for attacking the Xiongnu. For example, during the court discussion, he preferred to oppose the Manchu civil and military forces, and also advocated the establishment of Shuofang County. I secretly thought that in the process of making this decision, he might have been suspected of defecting to the emperor's favor and being unusual, but in his capacity as an adviser to the "Inner Dynasty," he felt from the bottom of his heart that the advantages of establishing Shuofang County outweighed the disadvantages from the current situation of the war against Hungary and the problems he encountered. In any case, judging from the final effect of setting up the county tuntian, the sparse performance of the main father is far-sighted.
For another example, the master's father invited the "relocated heroes" to fight against the giants in Guanzhong, which had positive significance for the country and the people in the context of the time.
In particular, the much-criticized Qi Xiang. If it is said that the master's father impeached Liu Dingguo, the king of Yan, it was also a meritorious move to rectify the order and bad atmosphere of the feudal country and create a good atmosphere for the implementation of the "Tui En Order". Then, the examination of the promiscuous behavior of the king of Qi is mostly a personal vendetta. As a result, he also invited the disaster of killing.
Here it is necessary to explain the grievances between the master father Yan and King Qi Li. According to historical records: "Qi Li Wang Cichang also communicated with his sister Ji Weng. The master's father wanted to accept his daughter to the king of Qi, but the Empress Dowager Qi Ji did not allow it. Yan Yin said in the above: 'Qi Linjiang 100,000 households, the city rent is thousands of gold, the people are rich, huge in Chang'an, not the son of heaven, beloved son, can not be the king.'" Now the king of Qi is sparse from his relatives, and he hears that his sister is in turmoil, please cure it! So the emperor worshiped Yan as Qi Xiang, and did the right thing. Yan to Qi, the eunuchs of the queen's palace were urgently governed, and the king was resigned; Wang was afraid, and committed suicide by drinking medicine" ("Zizhi Tongjian-Hanji"). It can be said that Sima Guang has explained the cause and effect of the incident very clearly. The master father wanted to send his daughter to the palace of the king of Qi, but the queen mother of Qi, the Empress Dowager Ji, refused, and he took advantage of the fornication of the palace of Qi to ask Emperor Wu to say that the wealth of Qi is far greater than that of Chang'an, and only the holy brother and son can be the king here. Now the palace of the king of Qi is in chaos, and I heard that the king of Qi has an affair with his sister. In this context, Emperor Wu appointed his master father Yan as the prime minister of Qi and went to Qi to rectify it. As a result, the king of Qi committed suicide in fear of sin.
However, there is another hidden story behind this matter. The country of Qi is a rich land, and the mother of Emperor Wu once wanted to marry her granddaughter to the king of Qi, and the eunuch Xu Jia went to explore the wind. The master's father took the opportunity to send his beloved daughter to the palace. Unexpectedly, Xu Jia's two matters were categorically rejected by the Queen Mother of Qi, Empress Dowager Ji. Empress Dowager Ji originally chose her niece as the princess of Qi, but her son hated the princess very much. Empress Dowager Ji asked her daughter to adjust the relationship between her son and the queen, but unexpectedly, the perverted King Qi Li had an affair with her sister. Such a bloody privacy was learned by the eunuch Xu Jia. After he returned to Chang'an, he vaguely reported to the Queen Mother, who was angry and glad that her granddaughter did not enter the Qi Palace. But the master father couldn't swallow this breath, so he slandered Emperor Wu. The emperor appointed him as the prime minister of Qi and investigated the king of Qi...
Third, the harm of character defects cannot be ignored. Judging from the historical records, the fierce horse of the master father, no matter what its motives were, played an immeasurable role under the control of Emperor Wu, especially the implementation of the "Tui En Order", etc., its significance is significant and far-reaching. However, the social harm of his character defects cannot be ignored (as discussed above, omitted).
Here, only the focus is on the analysis of the main father himself. He studied hard for forty years and traveled among the princes, encountered walls everywhere, was not treated well, and could be said to be full of injuries and had no place to stand. After becoming an official in the court, although he was reused by Emperor Wu, he was promoted four levels in a year, but he was sharp, and the Manchu Dynasty was the enemy of the civil and military, and although the imperial historian Gongsun Hong was mostly politically disagreeable, but his maverick and unruly character was difficult to gain a foothold in the court, and then play a greater role. He once traveled to Qi and Yan, Zhao and other countries, and the princes and kings almost hated him to the core, to the extent of "talking about the tiger's color change". After he was appointed as Qi Xiang by Emperor Wu, he did not handle official business first, but summoned his former guests to his door, humiliated them with extreme behavior, and broke off friendship with everyone in order to avenge the "revenge with one arrow" when he was frustrated. Therefore, after being executed by Emperor Wu, no one collected the body, but Kong Che buried him. This also caused Emperor Wu to sigh.
Especially when he was unscrupulous and carried away in the court, and when someone reminded him not to "run rampant", he actually poured out the resentment that had accumulated in his heart for many years: "I have been (doomed) for a long time." And the husband is not born with five tripods, and dies with five tripods. I am far away in the twilight, so I am violent'" ("Historical Records-Biography of the Father of the Marquis of Pingjin"). As a famous politician, if his heart is so dirty, how frightening and unpredictable it will be, and the damage to society will be immeasurable!
(4) Comparison of the three thinkers of Wenjing and Emperor Wu
If we compare the main father Yan with Jia Yi and Chao Cuo, in addition to their outstanding talents, their merits (Jia Yi and Chao Cuo have other monographs) have been analyzed in detail above. Here is only a comparison of personal morality and personality: it can be said that Jia Yi is the best. He is affectionate, righteous and considerate of the overall situation. King Liang Huai fell from his horse and died, he often washed his face with tears, blaming himself for failing to fulfill his responsibilities; After Zhou Bo, who had suppressed him, was imprisoned, he wrote to Emperor Wen that he should treat his ministers with courtesy; At the end of his life, he still put state affairs first, and put forward his own ideas on the heirs of King Liang and the demarcation of the borders of Liang, which were adopted by Emperor Wen and tested by history to be indeed far-sighted.
Although Chao Cuo is a deep and stern person, narrow-minded, and often disagrees with his ministers, he is upright and outspoken, and cares about the world. Faced with the scourge of killing, he ignored his father's dissuasion, gave up his life and forgot his home and was willing to sacrifice himself for the country. Just because he didn't have the mind and bearing of a great statesman, after the outbreak of the "Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu" rebellion, he lacked a good way to deal with it, gave people a handle, and was unjustly killed by Emperor Jing!
It can be said that the master father has the worst moral character. After being reused by Emperor Wu in the temple, he was jealous and framed the Hongru Dong Zhongshu; used Emperor Wu to fight the princes, but secretly accepted money; perversely, indiscriminately exerting coercion, regardless of official position and honor. From being dissuaded from "running rampant", to the "confession" to the guests after Ren Qi was the prime minister, and the fake public and private investigation of the king of Qi. The narrow-mindedness of his mind is obvious!
If you look closely, the differences in personality and handling styles of the three are not unrelated to their early education and life experiences. Jia Yi is "eighteen years old, and he is known in the county for being able to recite poems and books" ("Historical Records - The Biography of Qu Yuan Jia Sheng"), and is an authentic Confucian background. Fortunately, he was recommended by the noble Wu Gong, and successfully entered the official career, and was soon reused by Emperor Wen, and was promoted to four levels in a year, and became a doctor in Taizhong.
Chao Cuo is "too often in charge of literature" ("Historical Records-Yuan Anchao's Biography") was selected to enter the official career, and he is known as a criminal lawyer. Later, he was sent by the public to learn from the great Confucian Fusheng the Confucian "almost lost" "Shangshu", and after returning from the gilding, he was appreciated by Emperor Wen and made the prince's family order. After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, he ascended to the sky in one step, and the official reached the imperial historian, and the power leaned towards the government and the opposition.
At first, the master father Yan "learned the art of long and short vertical and horizontal", and "later was to learn Yi, Spring and Autumn, and Baijia dialect" ("Historical Records-Pingjin Marquis Master Father Biography"). belongs to the Warring States Zhang Yi and Su Qin-style vertical and horizontal families, and it can also be said to learn from others. However, he has not met for a long time, his career has been bumpy, and he has been the last in his twilight years, and after being reused by Emperor Wu, he has also been promoted to four levels in a year, and he has become a doctor.
The different growth paths of the three also made them play their due role in different eras...... How can these not be pondered for those who come after them!
Throughout the life of the main father, it can be summarized simply:
Forty years of studying and running around has never met a talent,
A court plays the Nine Heavens and the official fortune is prosperous.
Talent and virtue are contradictory, but the world needs to meet the master,
If you get carried away and cause trouble, you will be damned!
The first draft was published on July 15, 2024 and revised on September 20, 2024 at the apartment on Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing
(End of full text)
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