Observing the turbulent times of the Three Kingdoms period, even inadvertently, we can see the figures of those heroes. Liu Bei is based in Shu and relies on benevolence and righteousness in the world;Cao Cao guarded the Central Plains and relied on an iron-blooded policy. And when they are neck and neck, Gongsun Zhan, the role of the eventual decline, seems to be worthy of our today's pen and ink to depict one or two.
In 190 AD, after Dong Zhuo took power, the government and the opposition were already stormy. At this time, Gongsun Zhan, who was originally serving as a pastor in Youzhou, took the opportunity of Dong Zhuo's chaos to lead the army south in response to Yuan Shao, Liu Yu and others. He was originally just a military general, but he also made a name for himself in this troubled world. When Cao Cao was still accumulating strength and Liu Bei was still wandering in the rivers and lakes, Gongsun Zhan had already been divided as a prince.
However, the reason why Gongsun Chan was able to rise in the early days of the troubled times was no accident. In the past few years in Youzhou, he has secretly befriended heroes and recruited talents. Once the time is ripe, they will quickly respond to the uprising and occupy Jizhou. It can be said that Gongsun Zhan's choice to raise troops in Youzhou was due to his inevitable considerations:
First, Youzhou is located on the border, far away from the imperial capital. Rebellion was brewing here, and it was easy for the imperial court to ignore it. Gongsun Chan was originally just a magistrate, and if he rebelled in the Central Plains, he would inevitably attract heavy troops from the imperial court to encircle and suppress him. But in Youzhou, he can lurk for a long time, and only when his power grows stronger will he openly oppose the flag. The sky is high and the emperor is far away, which is conducive to the brewing of rebellion.
Second, Youzhou is rich in products and easy to store military supplies. According to historical records, during the reign of Gongsun Zhan, he "accumulated grain for self-sufficiency" and stored a large amount of military rations for the army to deploy. In addition, Youzhou is also rich in high-quality war horses. This provided a strong guarantee for cavalry operations. The abundant logistical supply enabled Gongsun Chan to rapidly expand his military strength against the princes of the Central Plains.
Third, the people of Youzhou are fierce and easy to launch. Gongsun Chan had already bought people's hearts and accumulated force in Youzhou. Once the army is raised, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses can be raised quickly. In addition, the people of Youzhou have a strong personality, which is more conducive to the development of the rebels. Gongsun Chan can completely rely on the power of Youzhou and put other princes to death.
Relying on these advantages, Gongsun Chan finally successfully raised troops to occupy Hebei when Dong Zhuo was in turmoil. He called himself the "King of Wei", and for a while he stood with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, and became one of the princes of the Three Kingdoms period. For an originally inconspicuous border official, this is undoubtedly a legendary story.
In the long history that followed, we can also see the manifestation of the power of Gongsun Chan's scales and half claws:
Gongsun Chan initially only occupied a corner of Youzhou, but soon annexed Jizhou and approached the Central Plains. This made Cao Cao unable to ignore the land of Hebei, and was forced to personally conquer Gongsun Zan twice. In the contest with Cao Cao, Gongsun Zhan successively repelled famous generals such as Zhang Xiu and Zhu Ling, proving his strength. Although he was ultimately defeated by Cao's iron cavalry, Cao Cao also suffered a lot and paid a huge price for the capture of Hebei.
According to the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", Gongsun Zhan was "impermanent", but during his rule in Hebei, he still tried to implement a certain political rectification. For example, reducing taxes will appease the people's hearts, so that Hebei will "return the guest travel, and the household registration will be slightly comfortable". This was also a rare case in the midst of the crisis at that time.
From today's perspective, Gongsun Chan may just be a small person who is pushed by the times. But it was these little people, gathered, that gave birth to the history of the Three Kingdoms. Gongsun Chan also left his own mark on this historical coordinate.
Speaking of the Anshi Rebellion, what we remember most is probably the great change in the division of feudal towns and the domination of the world. Indeed, this turmoil directly led to the Tang Dynasty turning from prosperity to decline and opening a new chapter in history. However, behind the repeated written records, there is more unspeakable pain. The lives of those who lost their lives, those who lost their homes, their fates were reduced to numbers between the lines. In today's situation, we can no longer truly perceive the tragedy and struggle of that time. Only by tracing it carefully, you may be able to get a glimpse of it.
This turmoil arose in the 14th year of Tianbao (755). At that time, the border general Shi Siming betrayed the Tang dynasty and established himself as Emperor Yan. In October, Shi Siming led more than 100,000 troops south to Chang'an. Faced with the surging rebels, Tang Xuanzong fled in a hurry, leaving an empty city. Shi Jun almost entered Chang'an without resistance, and pointed his sword at the eastern capital Luoyang. However, at this time, the discord between Shi Siming and his son led to infighting. This provided an opportunity for the Don army to finally crush the rebels in September. Shi Siming had to be defeated and went to Youzhou, and soon died of illness.
Observing this rebellion, Shi Siming's choice of Youzhou as his base camp is also inevitable
First, Youzhou is remote, which is conducive to concealing the military plots that are brewing rebellions. Shi Siming was just a border general at first, and if he rebelled in the Central Plains, he would inevitably be burned. But in Youzhou, far from the imperial capital, the rebels could accumulate strength for a long time.
Second, Youzhou is prolific with high-quality war horses, which is conducive to cavalry combat. Shi Siming relied on the high mobility of the cavalry to sweep Chang'an. The infantry of the Don Army struggled to withstand the charge of the cavalry.
Third, the people of Youzhou are fierce and good at fighting, and they are easy to launch. Shi Siming relied on buying Youzhou soldiers and horses at the beginning to rapidly expand his military strength. Later, when he went south, he attached himself to the Hebei domain and strengthened his army.
It can be said that without the fertile soil of Youzhou, it would be difficult for Shi Siming to launch and strengthen the rebel army and truly threaten the Central Plains. It was the strategic location of Youzhou that made this turmoil happen.
Although this turmoil ended within a year, the damage it did to the Tang Dynasty and the people was far from being healed. According to incomplete statistics, more than 100,000 people died in Luoyang alone, and the capital fell into ruins. One can imagine how devastating the indirect toll of the war was across the country. Displaced by their homes and refugees, people are struggling to survive in the long post-war reconstruction. The officials were at a loss, and the social order collapsed completely. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty came to naught overnight, and it has been in a slump ever since.
Those sober figures in the history books can no longer sum up the suffering of life. The peaceful and prosperous times we enjoy today are not easy to come by. Behind the seemingly calm, there is the blood and tears of the ancestors. This is the lesson we should learn from reading history.
Tracing the cause of the fall of the Ming Dynasty, it is not difficult for us to see that Zhu Di, the king of Yan, played a role that contributed to the trouble. In the last years of Yongle, he launched the Jingyan Revolution and justifiably seized the throne. However, few people have noticed that this seemingly righteous coup d'état, the tragic factor sown, was ultimately the fuse for the decline of the Ming Dynasty.
In 1408, Ming Chengzu died, and his grandson Xuanzong ascended the throne. However, Zhu Di, the fourth son of Chengzu, was eyeing the throne. In the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420), Zhu Di, driven by the long-standing rebellion, finally raised troops in Youzhou in the name of "Qingjun side".
The choice of Youzhou is not accidental. First, it is far away from the imperial capital, and it is easy to hide when raising troops;Second, the people are fierce and easy to launch;Third, it is rich in products and can be used to support military supplies. Relying on Youzhou, Zhu Di quickly expanded his army to more than 100,000, which was like a bamboo. In the second year of orthodoxy, the Yan army captured Jingshi, and Xuanzong, the grandson of Ming Chengzu, fled in a hurry. Soon after, Xuanzong surrendered under the pursuit of the Yan army and was forced to abdicate the throne. At this point, King Yan seized the throne for Ming Xuanzong.
However, the impact of this coup d'état was far from stopping with the accession of Ming Xuanzong. We can see that the negative effects of this seizure of power eventually became one of the factors that promoted the demise of the Ming Dynasty
First, the murder of the monarch and the seizure of the throne provoked social unrest. After Ming Xuanzong ascended the throne, the upright forces in the Ming court criticized it, and the situation was turbulent. The people were also suspicious of the new monarch, and the society lost its sense of stability.
Second, the legitimacy of the regime has been questioned, and the prestige of the imperial system has ceased to exist. King Yan's deposition of Xuanzong psychologically shook the absoluteness of imperial power. Since then, the authority of the Ming court has been eroded.
Third, it set a contradictory precedent that led to royal infighting. The success of King Yan's rebellion also inspired infighting among the imperial families such as Emperor Jianwen and Emperor Jingtai in the future, weakening the unity of the dynasty.
Fourth, the Donglin Party has emerged one after another, and the political situation has intensified contradictions. After the coup d'état of King Yan, the two major parties in the Ming court fought again and again, which seriously affected the national politics.
Fifth, the military has been destroyed and has not been restored, and the border defense is becoming increasingly empty. The Battle of Jingyan resulted in a large number of military casualties, and the Ming court was never able to recover its military strength. It was not until later that the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs that it attracted attention.
It can be seen that the negative impact of King Yan's temporary seizure of power is multifaceted. This eventually led to the decline of the Ming Dynasty, which died after the entry of the Later Jin Dynasty. King Yan rebelled from Youzhou, which became an important fuse to promote the turmoil in the late Ming Dynasty. This is a historical lesson that we should not ignore.
Youzhou is a fertile ground that has given birth to countless rebellions. Those lives with great ambitions but ultimately achieved nothing will be left to future generations only with a fragmented history. Many of them may have been loyal, just because they stood on the cusp of history and were pushed by the general trend. However, in any case, they did not escape the fate of defeat. History does not stand still for any individual. We can't overturn the case for them, but we can use today's thinking to understand the past.