At the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, at the critical historical moment when the old and new dynasties launched a life-and-death decisive battle and finally realized the change of dynasties, there was a special historical figure who played an irreplaceable special role in an extremely special way. He is Wei Ziqi, the eldest son of Emperor Yi of Shang and the eldest brother of Emperor Xin, King of Shang.
There has always been a great deal of controversy about the micron Qiqi. Those who praise it are called benevolent people in the last days of Yin Shang. The representative of this view is Confucius. "The Analects of Weizi" says: "Weizi goes, and the Jizi is a slave to it, and he dies than a dry admonition." Confucius said: Yin has three benevolences. This means that Weizi left the king of Zhou, Jizi became a slave, and Bigan died because of his advice, and Confucius believed that all three of them were benevolent people of Yin Shang.
Those who demean it are called traitors who collude with foreign enemies and lead wolves into the house. The representatives of this view are great men. After the great man inspected the cultural site of Daxinzhuang in Shandong in the fifties, he once made a sharp comment on Wei Ziqi. He believed that the reason why the Shang king failed was because Weizi, Jizi, and Bigan opposed him. Among them, Weizi was the worst, he was a traitor, and he privately sent a representative to the Zhou Dynasty to ask for troops, and he did the internal response of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
So, what kind of person is Wei Ziqi in real history?As a descendant of Cheng Tang, why did he betray his ancestors and destroy the Shang Dynasty's Jiangshan Sheji with his own hands?We might as well read the historical records in the "Historical Records", "Lü's Spring and Autumn Period" and "Shangshu".
1. The true relationship between Wei Ziqi and the king of Shang
Historical Records: Yin Benji": "Emperor Yi's eldest son is called Weizi Qi, and his mother is cheap, and he has no heirs. The young son Xin, Xin's mother is the queen, and Xin is the heir. Emperor Yi collapsed, Zi Xin Li, is for Emperor Xin, the world is called Xuan. ”
This passage means that Wei Ziqi is the eldest son of Di Yi, and because of his mother's humble status, he cannot become the crown prince. And Di Yi's youngest son is named Xin, and his mother is the queen, so he was made the crown prince. When Emperor Yi died, Emperor Xin officially ascended the throne and was the so-called King of Shang.
Judging from this record, it seems that there is no competition between Wei Ziqi and the king of Shang for succession. Although the succession to the throne of the Shang Dynasty was mostly from brother to brother, by the late Shang Dynasty, it had actually gradually transitioned to the primogeniture system. In this case, Wei Ziqi, as a concubine, even if he has great ambitions, it is difficult to ascend to the position of the Son of Heaven.
However, the historical account of Lü's Spring and Autumn on this issue provides us with another version that gives us a new understanding of the true relationship between Wei Ziqi and the Shang king.
Lü's Spring and Autumn Period: "The three of the same mother, the eldest of which is called Weizi Qi, followed by Zhongyan, and then Shoude. It is rare to receive virtue. The mother's son, Wei Ziqi and Zhongyan, are still concubines, and they have been born as wives. The father and mother of the Emperor wanted to put Weizi Qi as the prince, and Taishi argued according to the law: The son of a wife, but not the son of a concubine. The reason is the last. If so, if not. ”
The meaning of this passage is that Wei Ziqi, Zhong Yan, and Shoude (King Xu) are half-brothers of the same father and mother, and that King Zhou is much younger than the two elder brothers. When Weizi Qi and Zhongyan were born, their mother was still a concubine, and later gave birth to King Su after becoming a wife. King Xu's parents originally wanted to establish Weizi Qi as the crown prince, but they were fiercely opposed by Taishi. The reason for Taishi's objection was that according to the legal code system of the Shang Dynasty, since there was a son of a wife, the son of a concubine could not be established. Therefore, he made the king the crown prince.
It is worth noting the last sentence: "If you use it this way, you can't use it." This sentence reflects the indignation of the compiler of "Lü's Spring and Autumn". This is also understandable, Wei Ziqi, as the eldest son of Emperor Yi, was born to the same mother as King Xu, and he was unable to inherit the throne for such a ridiculous reason, how can it not make people feel resentful?
However, if this sentence is also a true portrayal of Wei Ziqi's inner world, then it is a big problem. This means that from the moment King Su was made the crown prince, Wei Ziqi was his biggest political enemy, but King Su was completely unaware of this.
2. The abnormal performance of Wei Ziqi before the decisive battle between Shang and Zhou
Historical Records: Yin Benji": "The more fornication continues. Weizi didn't listen to the advice, but conspired with the master and the young master, and left. Bigan said: Those who are ministers have to fight to the death. It is a strong admonition. He said angrily: I heard that the saint has seven tricks in his heart. Cut and dry, look at its heart. Ji Zi is afraid, but he is a slave and imprisoned. Master Yin Zhi and the young master are holding their sacrificial instruments to go around. King Wu of Zhou then led the princes to cut down. ”
The meaning of this passage is that Wei Ziqi, Bigan and Jizi took completely different attitudes when facing the absurdity of the king of Shang. Bigan thought that it was the duty of his courtiers to admonish, and was finally killed for his forcible adviceMiko feigned madness, but was still imprisoned;When many persuasions were ineffective, Wei Ziqi conspired with the Taishi and the young master and chose to escape. In the end, the Taishi and the Young Master fled to the Western Zhou. So King Wu of Zhou decided to lead the princes to attack the Zhou.
On the surface, Wei Ziqi's behavior and attitude belong to self-preservation, and there seems to be nothing wrong with it. However, another written record of "Lü's Spring and Autumn" allows us to see an incredible historical scene:
Lü's Spring and Autumn Period, Honesty and Honesty": "In the past, the generals of the Zhou Dynasty were also Xing, and there were two scholars, who were in a lonely bamboo, called Boyi and Shuqi. The two of them said to each other: I heard that there is a bias in the West, and it seems that there will be a TaoistThe two sons traveled west like Zhou, and as for Qiyang, King Wen had died.
King Wu ascended the throne, and when he watched Zhou De, the king made Shu Dan glue in the second four, and allied with him and said: Rich and third-class, he will be in a column of officials. It is three books, the same word, blood is sacrificed, buried in one in four, and all are returned to one.
He also made Bao Zhaogong open under the common head, and allied with him: The world is the long marquis, guarding the Yin and regular rituals, worshipping the mulberry forest, and it is advisable to be private. For three books, the same word, blood is sacrificed, buried under the common head, all with one.
When Bo Yi and Shu Qi heard it, they looked at each other and smiled: "Hey!."It's amazing!This is not what I call the Tao. ”
This passage means that when the two sages, Bo Yi and Shu Qi, heard that Xi Bohou was a king of the Tao, so they rushed to the Western Zhou Dynasty to defect. It was only in the Western Zhou Dynasty that he learned that King Wen of Zhou had died. After King Wu ascended the throne, the two observed Zhou De and learned two things:
First, King Wu sent Zhou Gongdan to Si Nei (ancient place name) to find Jiao Xuan, Jiao Qi was recommended by King Wen of Zhou to the Minister in charge of salt affairs to the King of Shang that year, Zhou Gongdan swore with him that he would let you increase your **, and the official residence would be first-class. Then the oath was written in triplicate, with the same words, and smeared on the oath with the blood of sacrifice, one of which was buried in four, and the other two were brought back with each of them.
The second is to send Taibao Zhaogong and Wei Ziqi to meet at the foot of Gongshou Mountain, and Zhaogong swore with him that you will be the chief of the princes for generations, and worship the temple of Yin Shang, and allow you to worship Sanglin (Chengtang had set up an altar in Sanglin to pray for rain in the past), and take Meng Zhu as your personal fiefdom. Then they also brought back the oath in triplicate.
After Bo Yi and Shu Qi heard this, they looked at each other and smiled and said: Haha, this is too amazing!That's not what we're talking about.
What the two sages really wanted to express was that the Western Zhou Dynasty took advantage of the turmoil in the governance of the Yin Shang Dynasty to bribe the important ministers of the Shang Dynasty, and regarded the oath of killing animals as a means of integrity, which was a substitution of rebellion for tyranny, and it was not a moral policy at all. Because of this, the two sages ate Zhou Su in shame, continued to walk westward, and finally starved to death at the foot of Shouyang Mountain.
Judging from this record, Wei Ziqi, as a descendant of Chengtang, played an extremely disgraceful role as a second-hand minister in the historical process of the Western Zhou Dynasty's overthrow of Yin Shang.
3. The fate of Wei Ziqi after Zhou's destruction of Shang
Historical Records of the Song Weizi Family": "King Wu of Zhou cut down Keyin, Weizi was built in the military gate with his sacrificial vessels, the flesh was tied to the face, the left led the sheep, the right took the grass, and the knees walked forward to tell him. So King Wu is a release of Weizi and reverts to his position as before.
King Wu sealed his son Wu Genglu's father to continue the worship of Yin, so that Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai were in harmony. ”
This passage means that after King Wu's successful attack, Wei Ziqi came to the gate of the military camp on behalf of the Shang Dynasty royal family, took off his shirt, tied his hands behind his back, and knelt on his knees to announce his surrender to King Wu of Zhou. So King Wu of Zhou released Wei Ziqi and restored him to his title as a prince.
However, King Wu of Zhou did not divide Wei Ziqi, but divided the old land of Yin Shang to Wu Geng, the son of King Shang.
Why didn't King Wu of Zhou divide the Wei Zi Qi?It is nothing more than two reasons: one is not dare, and the other is unwilling. The so-called dare is afraid of setting a bad example for the people of the world. The so-called reluctance means that he has a dislike for a retainer like Wei Ziqi deep down in his heart. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain that he did not give any reward to Wei Zi Kai until his death.
In sharp contrast, King Wu of Zhou's attitude towards Jizi was not only courteous, but also extremely respectful.
Historical Records of Zhou Benji": "King Wu has conquered Yin, and two years later, he asked Jizi Yin why he died. Jizi can't bear to say evil, and it is appropriate to sue for survival. King Wu is also ugly, so he asks the way of heaven. ”
This passage means that after the destruction of Shang, King Wu of Zhou once asked Jizi why Yin Shang perished. Jizi couldn't bear to speak ill of Yin Shang, and only talked to him about how to save the fallen country. King Wu also felt embarrassed, so he diverted the topic and only asked him about the way of heaven.
In "Historical Records: The Family of Song Weizi", Taishi Gong also used a lot of space to describe in detail that King Wu of Zhou asked Jizi how to govern the country. Jizi expounded his views in detail from ten aspects, including the Five Elements, the Five Things, the Eight Politics, the Five Disciplines, the Imperial Pole, the Three Virtues, the Doubts, the Shu Zheng, the Five Blessings and the Six Poles, which were highly appreciated by King Wu of Zhou.
So King Wu was sealed in Korea and not subordinate. ”
This sentence means that King Wu of Zhou then sealed Jizi to Korea and did not treat him as a courtier of the Zhou Dynasty.
Historical Records: The Family of Song Weizi": "King Wu collapsed, became a young king, and Zhou Gongdan was in charge of the country. Guan and Cai are suspicious, but they are making trouble with Wu Geng, and want to attack King Cheng and Duke Zhou. Zhou Gong Cheng Cheng was ordered to punish Wu Geng, kill Uncle Guan, and release Uncle Cai, but ordered Weizi to open the Yin Dynasty, and worship his ancestors, as the order of Weizi to Shen Zhi, and the country was in the Song Dynasty. Weizi can be benevolent and virtuous, and he is a representative of Wu Geng, so the rest of the people of Yin love him very much. ”
This record clearly shows that Wei Ziqi was divided into the Song State and became the founding king of the Song State during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou. After Zhou Gongdan killed Wu Geng, he ordered Wei Ziqi to represent the descendants of Yin Shang and sacrifice to the ancestors of Yin Shang, and wrote a "Wei Zi's Life" as an explanation.
Shangshu, Zhoushu, Weizi's Life": "You!".King Yin Yuanzi. But the ancient, Chongde is like a sage. Inherit the previous king, repair his gifts, be a guest in the royal family, and rest with the country, forever. ”
The meaning of this passage is that you, as the eldest son of King Yin, should honor the virtues, imitate the sages, rectify the ceremonial cultural relics, be the guest of honor of the Zhou royal family, and share the fate with other countries for eternity until infinity.
In view of the lessons learned from Wu Geng's rebellion, the content of the article is quite hammering, declaring that Weizi must respect the ancestor Chengtang, restrain his subjects, and support the Zhou royal family.
Weizi started to pawn and set up his younger brother Yan, which was for Weizhong. Wei Zhong pawn, son Song Gong Jili. ”
This passage means that after Wei Ziqi's death, he passed the throne to his second brother Zhongyan, known as "Wei Zhong" in history. After Wei Zhong's death, he passed on the throne to his son Song Gongji. In other words, the remnants of Yin Shang that continued in the Song Kingdom were actually the descendants of Zhongyan, the second son of Emperor Yi.
What is the reason why Wei Ziqi did not pass on the title of Song Kingdom to his son, but to his younger brother?There is no record in the history books, and we do not know.
Today, more than 3,000 years later, when we look back on this period of history, the rise and fall of dynasties and the achievements of emperors are no longer important. However, in the face of a historical figure like Wei Ziqi, there is a question about human nature, but it has been leading people to think: Why is it your unguarded dear person who hurts you the most?