King Chu Zhuang, the monarch who struck the game in silence, was full of thoughtfulness and remarkable political wisdom in his every move. After three years of silence, it was just a blockbuster, and finally dominated the Central Plains, what extraordinary talent did this elegant monarch have?
In the long course of history, King Chuzhuang is unique with his unique way of doing things and unexpected decision-making. His silence is not only a deep reflection on the current situation, but also his far-sighted consideration of the political landscape.
How did this charismatic monarch gather strength in silence and finally dominate the Central Plains in a shocking way? In this shocking historical story, the talent and resourcefulness of King Chuzhuang will become the focus of our attention.
Was it his cautious silence that gave him superior leadership, or was there a larger conspiracy and mystery behind it? Following in the footsteps of King Chu Zhuang, we will unravel the mystery of this ancient monarch and explore his historical legend between silence and astonishment.
The plains of Chu are not in danger to defend, and once they encounter famine, they will be invaded by neighboring countries. The recent lack of rain in spring and summer, the failure of crops, and the slim hope of a bumper autumn harvest heralded a catastrophe.
Winter came early, and the cold wind made the people feel even more desolate. As the end of the year approaches, news comes from all over the country that this year's harvest is hopeless, and hunger and disease are raging. Chu had no danger to defend, and in the face of famine, the consequences were unimaginable.
King Chuzhuang was obsessed with the prosperity of the harem, neglecting the government and politics, singing songs every night, feasting and enjoying every day, and indifferent to the suffering of the people. Although the state of Chu was stable, its grain reserves were dwindling day by day, and the people were living in poverty.
The ministers couldn't bear it anymore and wrote letters one after another, urging King Zhuang to take action. King Zhuang woke up and convened a court meeting, and the two factions argued fiercely. The faction headed by Fu Jia advocated an active attack and a preemptive strike.
He analyzed that the land of Chu was vast, and if the enemy army penetrated deep into the hinterland, it would be easy to hit Yingdu. Therefore, we should take the initiative to attack, because the enemy forces are not yet fully assembled, and now is the time to defeat them.
In addition, the reason why the enemy army was ready to move was because they underestimated the strength of the Chu army. At this point, if we suddenly fight back, we will definitely be able to defeat them. As long as we win the first battle, the prestige of the state of Chu will be restored, and the other enemies will flee in the wind.
However, the conservatives, led by Sima Qugu, advocated moving the capital for self-preservation. They believed that although the land of Chu was rich, there was nothing to guard.
Once the great enemy comes to attack, there is no way to resist. Therefore, they suggested that the capital be temporarily moved to a dangerous place and hold on to the reinforcements. Qu Gu explained in detail to King Zhuang the steepness of the Western Chu Mountain, saying that this could not only protect the people's livelihood, but also contend with the enemy.
Hearing these bold words, King Zhuang was also moved.
The two factions hold different views and put the general interests of the country first, and they are in dispute. There was chaos in the court, but King Zhuang was in a dilemma. He looked at Fu Jia and glanced at Qu Wei again, at a loss.
Finally, the time came to wait for him to make a decision. The ministers waited quietly, and King Zhuang finally spoke: "What Xiangguo said is reasonable, I decided to personally lead the army to meet the enemy."
There should be no delay in this matter, and the Secretaries should immediately convey orders and mobilize troops, and in seven days the whole army should be set out for battle. King Zhuang looked firm, and his ministers were encouraged by his decision.
As a result, the army quickly assembled and was ready to go. However, as Fu Jia expected, as soon as the Chu army set out on the expedition, the enemy country heard the news and sent troops. The four-way army led by Yongguo attacked separately and pointed directly at Chu Yingdu.
A military disaster ensued, and the following years of natural disasters and wars were a great test for the young Zhuang Wang. Wins and losses are confusing.
King Zhuang deeply understood the importance of "cultivating virtue and doing righteousness", and although this expedition was ultimately successful, he personally realized that the "heaven and man induction" established since the Shang and Zhou dynasties was not groundless.
This war and recovery made him feel the warmth and coldness of the world, and he understood that in order to revitalize the Chu State and achieve long-term peace and stability, it was far from enough to rely on force. He no longer followed the old path of the king of Shang, but devoted himself to building strength and governing the country with virtue.
Three years later, the state of Chu had a bumper harvest, the country was peaceful and the people were safe, and its strength was unprecedentedly strong. King Zhuang saw the change of people's minds, and began to have the idea of winning the championship. He personally led a large army north to the Central Plains, invincible all the way, and was about to succeed.
However, he did not forget the importance of "cultivating virtue and doing righteousness", and finally chose to convince people with virtue, gave up rashness, and achieved his goal in a more stable way.
The king of Chuzhuang wanted to win the Central Plains, but was admonished by Wang Sunman. Wang Sunman pointed out that the society in the world needs to be governed by virtue, and benevolence and virtue are the first, and only in this way can they be worthy of the land under the jurisdiction of Dingqi.
King Zhuang felt deeply guilty and admitted that he was far inferior to King Shengming of Zhou Wu, and did not dare to act rashly. Wang Sunman also pointed out that the national strength of Chu still needs to accumulate a foundation before it can be called king and hegemon.
King Zhuang decided to cherish the existing foundation and convince people with virtue, which is the right way to hegemony. A few years later, the Chu army fought in the south and the north, won many small countries, and the national strength was unprecedentedly strong.
King Zhuang finally succeeded in defeating the traitors of the Chen State who had killed the monarch and won a great victory. The ministers praised King Zhuang for his wisdom and congratulated the expanding territory of Chu.
In the celebratory atmosphere, only Uncle Shen was unmoved, and King Zhuang was curious about it. Uncle Shen lowered his head in shame, and after a moment he said, "The king's decision is good, but he needs to be cautious. ”
King Zhuang was even more puzzled, and he asked Uncle Shen for the reason. Uncle Shen took a deep breath and slowly told the story in the morning glory garden. He pointed out that while it is wrong to trample on someone else's field, it is even more unjust to take someone else's cattle.
It is undoubtedly just to crusade against rebellion, but if it were incorporated into the territory, it would undermine the prestige of governance. After hearing this, King Zhuang suddenly became enlightened, he was amazed, and realized that he still needed to further improve his connotation in order to be worthy of the title of "king".
Therefore, he decided to continue the feudal state of Chen, and did not take advantage of the danger to annex its territory. Uncle Shen's sharp and pertinent words achieved this historic turning point, and made King Zhuang pay more attention to the outspokenness of his courtiers and open up his way of speech.
In the heart of King Chuzhuang, correct decision-making is the key to winning the Central Plains, and only by persisting in cultivation can he establish his prestige. In the past ten years, he has cultivated both internally and externally, and his national and military strength have been continuously improved.
This process fully demonstrates the wisdom and talent of King Zhuang. In this year, Chu and Jin fought bitterly, and the two sides fought fiercely on the shore of Pushui, the Chu army won a complete victory, and the main force of the Jin army was completely annihilated.
Although King Zhuang was excited in his heart, he was calm on the surface. Because he knew that in order to become a true Seven Virtues Saint, he needed more cultivation and hard work. So, he didn't do anything to show off.
When General Pan Dang proposed to build an altar with the corpses of the Jin army as a memorial, King Zhuang immediately vetoed this barbaric idea. He believed that the establishment of hegemony first needed benevolence, so as to win the obedience of the people.
Quoting scriptures and histories, he explained in detail to his ministers, pointing out that the purpose of this war was to punish evil deeds and promote justice, not to show force and intimidate the world.
The ministers were so impressed by his thoughtfulness and noble sentiments that they had no more objections. Three years later, the two armies of Chu and Jin engaged in a tug-of-war in Yedi. The outcome of this war has not yet been determined, and the top and bottom of the Chu State also have their own opinions on whether to fight a decisive battle, and they are arguing endlessly.
However, King Zhuang reversed the idle attitude when he first ascended the throne, he personally listened to all the opinions of the ministers on the left and right, carefully summarized the suggestions of the staff officers, and repeatedly weighed the pros and cons.
The two military divisions, the main battle faction thought that if they did not fight, they would retreat, which shook the morale of the army; Conservatives believe that the Chu army has been deep into the enemy territory for many days, exhausted, and outnumbered and difficult to win. King Chuzhuang responded calmly and did not make a decision.
He sent envoys to test the attitude of the Jin army, communicate with the princes, and buy time to observe the changes. Until the Jin army provoked, King Zhuang decisively personally supervised the division, captured the Jin generals alive, defeated the main force in one fell swoop, and won a complete victory.
This victory was not easy to come by, and it was inseparable from King Zhuang's determination, art of war and flexibility. It can be seen that decision-making is an important quality of Mingjun. Listening to the opinions of many parties and daring to change is the way to success for King Zhuang.
This victory made the king of Chuzhuang rise rapidly, and finally unified the princes and dominated the Central Plains.
In today's society, we can't help but lament that true leadership is not hereditary. Those who only enjoy life will eventually face a tragic end, and the foundation they have worked hard to gain will fall apart.
The great men who truly created the glorious era will inevitably be tempered in difficulties and failures, and grow in pain. The key to the fact that King Chu Zhuang was able to complete this famous rebirth was that he had both innate talent and the ability to continuously learn and improve.
In times of crisis, he was promoted to become a great leader. He first experienced the invasion of the enemy and established outstanding military exploits; Then I took the advice many times and reflected deeply.
On this basis, he comprehended the truth and finally achieved hegemony. Such a legendary story is where the helplessness and charm of history lie. It also makes us reflect on what kind of choices we will face and what kind of life path we will take.