At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Gang dismantled the bonds, the princes were divided, and the heroes fought. Decades later, Cao, Liu, and Sun stood out and established the three states of Wei, Han (Shu), and Wu respectively. Interestingly, the three founders of the regime, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, all had their own unique titles for a certain period of time.
Statue of Cao Cao.
Cao Cao's "Xianggong" has a very high gold content
In the twentieth year of Jian'an (215), Cao Cao conquered Hanzhong, and Zhang Lu, who had been in Hanzhong for many years, led the people to surrender. In December of the same year, Cao Cao "returned from Nanzheng and stayed in Xiahou Yuantun Hanzhong". In October of the following year, after Cao Cao returned to Yecheng, he went south from Qiaoxian and Juchao, intending to attack Sun Quan again. During this period, Wang Cang, one of the "Seven Sons of Jian'an", traveled with the army and composed five poems of "From the Army". The first poem of this group of poems recalls Cao Cao's conquest of Hanzhong's past and praises: "Xianggong is on the right, and he is angry and inspires Tianwei." Destroy the captives in one fell swoop, and then subdue the Qiangyi".
The "Xianggong" mentioned in the poem refers to Cao Cao. According to the available historical data, he was the first person to be called "Xianggong". Cao Cao's "Xianggong" has a very high gold contentThe "phase" of the prime minister is the prime minister, and Li Xian's note in volume 27 of the "Selected Works" says: "Cao Cao is the prime minister, so he is called 'the prime minister'." The prime minister has a lofty status, and has the ability to "hold the son of heaven and assist ten thousand machines", which has caused a certain threat to the imperial power, so when the emperor mourned in the Western Han Dynasty, he once dismissed the post of prime minister and placed the great Situ.
Caught in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the power was divided into three, and the outer dynasties had Taiwei, Situ, and Sikong in charge, and they were known as the "Three Princes". At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao welcomed the Son of Heaven and served as the secretary. At that time, Taiwei Yang Biao was dismissed, and the position was vacant, and Situ Zhao Wen was silent and silent, Mingzhe protected his life, so Cao Cao, who was a scholar of Sikong Records, became the "prime minister" in the actual sense. In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208), Cao Cao unified the north, and reinstated the post of "prime minister" with this great achievement. Since then, the name of Prime Minister Cao has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In order to show respect for him, the people of the time called him "Xianggong".
The word "gong" is also an honorific title in the Han and Jin dynasties. Some scholars believe that the word "gong" refers to a title, and this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Statue of Liu Bei.
"The lord" first appeared in "Three Kingdoms" and specifically refers to Liu Bei
In some costume dramas, we can often see the word "lord". But this word, like "Xianggong", was originally a specific reference.
Throughout history, this title first appeared in the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms". "Three Kingdoms" volume 37 "Fa Zheng Biography" recorded: "Or Zhuge Liang said: 'Fa Zheng is too vertical and horizontal in Shu County, and the general should enlighten the lord and suppress its prestige. Liang replied: "The lord is in the public security, the north is afraid of Cao Gong's strength, the east is afraid of Sun Quan's pressure, and the near is afraid of Mrs. Sun's change under her elbows;At that time, the advance and retreat of the wolf, the law of filial piety for the wings, so that the soaring, can not be copied, how to prohibit the law is not allowed to do its intentions!’”
This material says that Fa Zheng was cited by Liu Bei as a confidant and served as the Taishou of Shu County and the general of Yangwu. As a result, after Fa Zheng gained power, he took revenge for personal gain, and some people couldn't stand it, so they hoped that Zhuge Liang could reflect this problem to Liu Bei, but Zhuge Liang said that he couldn't control it. From the conversation between the two, it is not difficult to see that the "lord" refers to Liu Bei. A similar situation also appears in Fa Zheng, Zhuge Liang's exhortation to Liu Bei in person, Peng Yi's dialogue with Ma Chao, Peng Yi's letter to Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang's letter to Liu Ba. In these scenes, the "lord" refers to Liu Bei. To be sure, the word "lord" not only first appeared in the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", but also specifically refers to Liu Bei.
Statue of Sun Quan.
"Supreme" is the unanimous "slogan" shouted by the monarchs and ministers of Eastern Wu
The term "supreme" has been around for a long time. Book 29 of the "Rites", "Mourning Clothes XI", states that kings, fathers, and husbands can all be called "supreme." In the Han Dynasty, the term "supreme" often referred specifically to the emperor.
When Jiang Biaohuchen Gan Ning first saw Sun Quan, he persuaded him to enter Jingzhou: "Liu Biao is not far away, and his son is inferior, so the supreme should be the rule early." Later, Zhou Yu was seriously ill, and he did not forget to mention Sun Quan in his suicide note, and also called him "Supreme": "Cao Gong is in the north, Liu Bei is in residence, and this supreme is also worried." In addition, Lu Su, Lu Meng, Lu Xun, He Qi, Zhuge Ke and other Jiangdong civil and military officers are all good at calling Sun Quan "Supreme".
In the fifth year of Jian'an (200), a generation of heroic Sun Ce was assassinated, and the young Sun Quan ascended to the throne for the first time, with the help of his mother Mrs. Wu and Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Zhu Zhi and other old ministers, he not only consolidated his dominance in Jiangdong, but also gradually developed an enterprising spirit. Zhou Yu, Gan Ning, Lu Su and others advocated that Jingzhou should be mapped first, and then enter Bashu, and finally take the Yangtze River as a moat, and the north "divide the world", if the time is ripe, you can also enter Tuhuainan and go straight to the Central Plains. This strategy won Sun Quan's heart. Therefore, rather than saying that "supreme" is Sun Quan's "delusion", it is better to say that this is the unanimous "slogan" shouted by the monarchs and ministers of Eastern Wu.
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