The four most regrettable people in ancient times were one step away from dominating the world
We often say that those who achieve great things are not informal, but history tells us that some people, even if they have big ambitions, lose everything because of the mistake of the last step. So, who in ancient history was one step away from achieving great things, but lost everything because of a small mistake?
Qu Yuan threw himself into the river and Xiang Yu broke his hair, and there are countless similar cases in history. The saddest thing is Xiang Yu at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Chai Rong at the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms, and Liu Yu at the end of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. They are all big heroes who dominate the world, but they lost at the last step at the peak of their careers. If they could have been more sensible and cautious, history might have been rewritten, and China would no longer be divided between north and south.
1. Xiang Yu's soldiers were strong and brave, but lacked wisdom.
Xiang Yu, whose name is Luo Cheng, was born in 232 BC. He was born with infinite strength, and once single-handedly killed Bai Qi, a high-ranking general of the Qin army. In the last years of the Qin Dynasty, the peasant rebel army was attacked on all sides, and Xiang Yu led the army into Yu to rescue, so that the rebel army was reunited, and the morale was greatly boosted, and finally the Qin Dynasty was destroyed.
After the death of Qin, Xiang Yu divided the world and established himself as the overlord of Western Chu. At this time, he has achieved fame, and domination of the world is just around the corner. However, Liu Bang, who rose to prominence at this time, was not willing to be subservient. The two armies fought, and Xiang Yu won several times. However, when Xiang Yu went to the Qi Kingdom, Liu Bang took the opportunity to attack Xiang Yu's hometown. Xiang Yu returned to Xiang Yu's hometown and defeated Liu Bang's army of more than 500,000. After this battle, Liu Bang suffered a heart attack and sued Xiang Yu for peace. For the sake of his hometown, Xiang Yu let down his guard and accepted the peace treaty.
Who knows, before Liu Bang was wiped out by the allies, he turned his back to Xiang Yu and threw himself into his arms. Xiang Yu was caught off guard and was defeated. At this time, Xiang Yu could still choose to return to the east, but he wanted to keep Pengcheng. As a result, Pengcheng was breached three days later. Looking at the ruined city, Xiang Yu had a feeling of dying in the water.
He realized that it was all over. At that moment, seeing the white bones on the Wujiang River, Xiang Yu sighed endlessly in his heart, not only for himself, but also for this endless revolution. In the end, he let out a long howl and slashed his throat on the bank of the Wujiang River and died.
This amiable family fell apart after his death and ended up with an unfortunate ending. Such an ending can only make people sigh.
Second, Chai Rong is ambitious, but he is not an opponent of traitors.
Compared with Xiang Yu's sword and sword shadow and Wujiang's tragic death, Chai Rong's life path is much more peaceful. Chai Rong's life path is much more peaceful. Chai Rong was born in 890 A.D. and was originally a commoner. Fortunately, Guo Wei, the founding emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty, accepted him as his adopted son, and Chai Rong changed his fate.
In 907, Guo Wei established the Late Zhou Dynasty and was succeeded by Chai Rong. In 937, Chai Rong led a large army north to crusade against the Northern Han and defeated the Northern Han army. After this battle, the national strength of the late Zhou Dynasty reached its peak and was invincible. This is a time of great achievement.
But the good times didn't last long. At this moment, Chai Rong's body had problems, and he wanted to live with his spiritual power, but he was already dying. Before dying, Chai Rong remembered Guo Wei's advice many years ago:"This son can help the world"。Now, as an orphan, he has established such a ** club to complete his mission. Thinking of this, Chai Rong took a deep breath and stopped worrying.
After Chai Rong's death, the Northern Song Dynasty ushered in a new ruler, Zhao Kuangyin. Within a few years, Zhao Kuangyin seized the throne with the help of Chai Rong's accumulated forces and established the Northern Song Dynasty. At this time, Chai Rong's hard work has turned into a treacherous ladder of ambition. After his death, the palace was snubbed, and his ambition was unpaid.
Cao Cao III had good intentions, but he was defeated.
Similar to Chai Rong was Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. The difference is that Cao Cao is in the prime of life, reigning over the world and holding real power. However, even after his death, his descendants could not escape the fate of the usurpation of the throne.
In 208, Cao Cao was defeated at Chibi, and his reputation was damaged for a time. However, Cao Cao soon made a comeback, pacified Hanzhong, and destroyed Shu Han in one fell swoop in 215. In the years that followed, Cao Cao stabilized the north through his efforts in agriculture.
In 220, Cao Cao proclaimed himself King of Wei and relinquished the throne to his son Cao Pi, who succeeded him and established the Wei dynasty. The following year, Cao Cao died of illness. On his deathbed, he left a testament:"After death, he was wrapped in cloth and placed in an ordinary thatched hut"。However, this last word did not come true.
After Cao Cao's death, Wei consolidated the north and waged a protracted struggle against Shu Han and Eastern Wu. In 263, his grandson Cao Huan was forced to abdicate due to Sima Zhao. In 263, his grandson Cao Huan was forced to abdicate due to Sima Zhao's heart, and Cao Wei then came to power through Sima Yi's lineage.
Cao Cao laid the foundation for the Wei State throughout his life, which can be described as well-intentioned. But he didn't expect that his hard-won country would eventually fall into the hands of traitors. He wrote in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms":"Alas! Who is the hero of the world, but he is defeated in the hands of Adou! "
Fourth, Liu Yu's annexation ambitions were not realized.
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Liu Yu also almost rewrote history.
He came from a poor background and knew nothing about it. However, he inadvertently joined the army and was promoted and reused because of his outstanding military achievements. During this period, Liu Yu did everything for the people, dredged waterways, reduced taxes, and was deeply loved by the people.
In 420, the political situation was turbulent and Liu Yu came to power. He quickly seized the opportunity, ascended to the throne, and established the Song Dynasty. In the years that followed, he commanded the Southern Korean armies and wiped out the armies of several countries one by one. Now, most of Gangnam is unified in his hands.
The Northern Wei Dynasty has been in the country for a long time, and now is a good time to send troops to the Northern Expedition. Liu Yu was enthusiastic, and often deserted to discuss the Northern Expedition. However, during this time, he had physical problems, and although he could barely support himself, he eventually passed away because he was unable to do all the work.
After Liu Yu's death, the situation in the north stabilized. Hopes for reunification were dashed. More than 160 years later, in the first year of Emperor Kaihuang of Sui (581), the unification of the north and south was achieved. During this period, China went through the darkest period, with wars raging and people struggling to survive.
Xiang Yu, Chai Rong, Cao Cao, Liu Yu, all four of them have great talents, and they almost ended the war and dominated the world. Unfortunately, when the last step is taken, it is either a lack of resourcefulness, a rebellion of traitors, or the end of his life. In the end, they all failed, and for centuries there were constant wars and people suffering.
History is shattered under the wheels of ruthlessness. We should regret their mistakes and rejoice that Emperor Wen of Sui and Emperor Wen finally succeeded in unifying the world. Let us remember the wisdom of history, let us learn the lessons of each dynasty, and let us nurture a peaceful life today.