In the long course of history, countless people have endured the torment of life for the sake of their ideals. The ancients said: "The heavens will descend on the people, and they must first suffer their minds and muscles." "Sima Qian is such a person who silently endures the pain of palace punishment for the sake of his ideals.
Living at the height of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian was tormented by a conflict with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. As an emperor through the ages, why did Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty have a dispute with Sima Qian, an upright man? The matter involved another major event in the Han Dynasty. At that time, the Han Dynasty was strong, and Li Guangli led a large army to conquer the Xiongnu. And Sima Qian, who was far above the court, almost died because of this. Responsible for escorting grain and grass for Li Guangli is Li Ling, a figure whose identity is not simple. He is the eldest grandson of the flying general Li Guang and the descendant of the Li family. And Li Guangli is the elder brother of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's favorite concubine Madame Li and favored minister Li Yannian. Despite his many expeditions, Li Guangli was defeated repeatedly, which was completely different from his prestige. Li Ling led 5,000 soldiers and horses to escort grain and grass, but he bravely killed the enemy under the siege of 80,000 Xiongnu, and the results were remarkable. Despite the disparity in strength, Li Ling still killed more than 10,000 Huns, fully demonstrating his loyalty. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty heard about the victory at the front, he praised it, but he was looking forward to Li Ling's death. However, Li Ling fell under the siege of the Xiongnu, but reinforcements were delayed, so he had to temporarily surrender to save his life. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was disgruntled, and the ministers of the court also attacked Li Ling. At this time, Sima Qian showed a different attitude. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked him to express his opinion, and Sima Qian, with his extremely upright character, although he was dissatisfied with Li Ling, frankly admitted that he had performed well in the Battle of Junji Mountain. He believed that Li Ling had made great efforts, but the reinforcements had not arrived for a long time, and Li Ling had to surrender temporarily to wait for future opportunities. This remark was undoubtedly criticizing Li Guangli's ineffective leadership and speaking for Li Ling, who had surrendered. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was furious and imprisoned Sima Qian. Subsequently, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty listened to the rumors and believed that Li Ling was training troops in the Xiongnu, so he killed all Li Ling's family, which involved Sima Qian. The palace punishment replaced the death penalty as Sima Qian's punishment. It was later confirmed that Li Xu was training troops for the Xiongnu, and Li Ling did not betray him. In the Han Dynasty, palace punishment could replace the death penalty. In the face of palace punishment, Sima Qian once wanted to kill himself, but after careful consideration, he chose to stubbornly overcome the pain, because he understood: "Death is heavier than Mount Tai, and some are lighter than a feather." He thought of his unfinished "Historical Records" and persevered. This is also the foundation work of China's first general history of the chronicles.
The person who is left behind the sentence is the true husband. Sima Qian, who overcame the torture of palace punishment with his full body, created the pinnacle of Chinese historiography "Historical Records".