Why were the strategists of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period so confident? The answer is thought-provoking
Why would a shrewd counsellor listen to the king? Where does their wisdom come from?
Qin Shi Huang burned books to pit Confucianism, but the shadow of the conspirators remained. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, their spirit took root in this land.
Time flies, years change. We travel through the millennium, trace the footsteps of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and listen to their voices...
i.In troubled times, strategists stand at the forefront of the tide.
Turning over the history of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there seem to be war drums and tragic horns echoing in my ears.
During this period, there were frequent changes of kings, wars between princes, the decline of etiquette and music, and the prosperity of scholarship. Zhou Tianzi existed in name only, the six kingdoms stood side by side, and the princes competed for hegemony. During this turbulent period, a new political force rose – the Strategists.
Most of the strategists came from the people, and they won the trust of their masters not by birth, but by their political wisdom. In war-torn times, a clever strategist can often determine the rise or fall of a country. Therefore, the princes vied with each other to hire advisers to work for them and become the makers of national policy. It can be said that it was these strategists who kept these weak kingdoms alive.
But how did these conspiracies come to be at the heart of Spring and Autumn politics?
A big reason why they are admired by the rulers of these countries is their unique sense of self.
First, the strategists insisted"Obey the way and not the king"。In their eyes,"taxi"It is not only an identity, but also a spiritual pursuit. Therefore, when the strategists found out that the monarch was mediocre and unvirtuous, they preferred to leave rather than stay for their own benefit. Therefore, the monarch paid more attention to the opinions of his advisers.
Secondly, the conspirators are cowardly in their hearts and easily succumb to troubled times. They abide by it"Don't be in danger, don't be in troubled times"rather smuggle than succumb to corrupt rulers. For this reason, the rulers endeavoured to nurture their advisers.
Thirdly, strategists are cynical and eclectic. They have a reputation and travel to various countries at every opportunity. Therefore, in order to compete for good talent, the rulers of various countries have also had to be more open and tolerant to them.
It was this sense of transcendence that allowed him to occupy a central position in the political space of the Spring and Autumn period. The princes and kings competed to attract advisers and relied on their advice, which became an important symbol of this period.
Of course, we cannot ignore the great political wisdom of the strategists. It is their masterful cunning that keeps these weak kingdoms alive.
Second, a series of tricks to win the trust of the strategists, and the magic of the scheming is revealed in the information war.
In Spring and Autumn, the strategists are rewarded with a moment of glory, not only because of their extraordinary self-knowledge, but more importantly because they are truly amazing!
Strategists are convinced that they have more political wisdom and tactics. This self-confidence stems from two things.
First of all, they know how to judge the situation and surprise people.
In the turbulent times of spring and autumn, strategists are like fish in water. They are good at observing the changes in the political and economic situation of various countries and the reality of the enemy country, and can quickly analyze the situation, formulate crisis plans, and give advice to the monarch.
Take Fan Li as an example. Seeing that the Qin State was growing stronger, he felt the need to balance the Qin State, so he designed the famous one"Outbred and close attack"Strategy - First ally with distant monarchs and attack the state of Qin, then the neighboring state of Wu. This move undoubtedly changed the fate of the weak Yue Kingdom.
Sun Bin is also good at perceiving subtle changes in the situation. During the reign of King Lu of Wu, he advocated peace with the powerful Qin state; After Fucha ascended the throne, he sensed Fucha's arrogance and ignorance, and advised King Wu to seize the opportunity to develop his own power. His strategy made Wu one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Their adaptive intelligence is particularly impressive. That is why the king is increasingly relying on their advice.
Second, their strategy has been tested and proven to work. The advice of the strategists is not groundless, but has been matured and perfected in the practice and testing of many countries. Repeated verification of its effectiveness has also boosted the confidence of strategists.
Take Su Qin as an example. He lobbied the Six Kingdoms, advocating the reunification of Yan, Qi, Zhao, Wei, and Han, and the strategy of first resolving external troubles and then fighting for the world was very effective. This strategy destroyed the Qin state. Su Qin's fame spread to the vassal states.
Another example is Zhang Yi, who assisted King Wei Hui and King Han Xian, who can always make suggestions for the development of the country. He helped Wei defeat Qi in the Battle of Persimmon and Korea defeated Shanjung, achieving great success in all aspects. Zhang Yi's successful strategy made the rulers favor him even more. The self-confidence of the Spring and Autumn strategists was based on superb political wisdom and time-tested ingenuity. Thus, we see that the counsellor is equal to the king, and the king trusts the counsellor's strategy more.
3. Taking history as a mirror: the image of the Spring and Autumn strategists written by Guan Zhong, Bao Shui, and Zichan.
Speaking of the strategists of the Spring and Autumn Period, the first thing that comes to people's minds is undoubtedly Guan Zhong, Bao Shui and Zi Chan.
Their skills sustained the kingdom, and their delicate relationship with the king became a story to be talked about for generations to come.
Guan Zhong, whose surname is Ying, is a native of Lu. According to the "Historical Records", Guan Zhong knows people well. In 690, Duke Huan of Qi ascended the throne, when the country was weak and the people were poor. Guan Zhong offered suggestions for the development of Qi and advocated the selection of talents. During his reign, he implemented the policy of lightly dispensing with small endowments, teaching students according to their aptitude, and respecting the virtuous and valuing talents, which greatly increased the national strength of Qi and became one of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Uncle Bao, surnamed Bao, is originally from Chu. According to the "Historical Records", he came from a humble background, was generous and benevolent, and had great ambitions and wisdom. In his early years, he traveled to various countries, made extensive contacts, and was later hired as a minister by the king of Chu. Uncle Bao used his talents to adopt his advice and make the state of Chu unprecedentedly strong. Bao Shuya also maintained the best relations with the king of Chu, who ruled for 50 years, and at the end of his tenure, the state of Chu ushered in its heyday.
The child is originally from the Wei State. According to the record of "Warring States Policy", he has been a good scholar in the temple since he was a child, proficient in scriptures, and humble and polite. In the tenth year of Wei Linggong (312 BC), the son was appointed as Wei Xiang. He took the advice of his friends, eliminated slander, appointed people on the basis of merit, and actively prepared to attack his neighbors so that the kingdom would flourish again. He implemented new laws, reduced taxes, and advocated agriculture, which greatly increased the national strength of Wei. In just three years in power, Zichan reversed the collapse of the Wei state and made the Wei state strong again.
Through the biographies of these three strategists, we can see more intuitively that they were indeed reused in the political arena of the Spring and Autumn Period, supporting the turbulent situation in the country, and also showing more clearly the faces of the strategists who made the monarch care about success or failure.
iv.The words of the strategists are golden and good, and the heart of the king is incredible.
The king appreciated the sophisticated cooperation of the strategist.
The counsellor can advise the king, and the king is willing to listen to the counsel of the counsellor. The strategists encouraged the king to pay more attention to the selection of talents, and the two complemented each other and were indispensable.
Let's take a look at some typical scenarios to understand the interaction between strategists and rulers.
King Chu Zhuang and Uncle Bao.
When King Chuzhuang first ascended the throne, he was very suspicious of the ministers around him. One day, Uncle Bao argued with him and demanded that he implement a policy of honoring the virtuous. King Chuzhuang thought about it for a long time and finally accepted his suggestion. Since then, Uncle Bao has shone in the officialdom of Chu State.
Uncle Bao asked to see King Chuzhuang:"The king has just ascended the throne, and now the country is ruined, the ministers are cattle and horses, and there are no virtuous people in the palace. If the king wants to make the state of Chu prosperous, he must open his way and recruit talents. The ministers are willing to offer advice and advice to His Highness, so that the Chu State will be strong and prosperous as soon as possible, and His Highness will succeed as soon as possible. "
King Chu Zhuang thought for a long time, then nodded and said"Qing said it very well. The reason why the widow ascended to the throne was because the courtiers in the palace had many doubts in their hearts. Now after listening to Qing's words, I understand that if the country wants to prosper, it must first widen the distance between the monarch and the minister, so that Chongxian can be. From today onwards, please also guide me a lot and help me build a strong Chu State. "
Wei Huiwang and Zhang Yi.
When Zhang Yi first arrived in Wei, King Wei Hui looked down on him. Zhang Yi thought of a way to let King Wei Hui see his abilities. King Wei Hui then reused Zhang Yi again.
King Wei Hui said with a smile"Zhang Qing is very talented, it is a good thing that you can come to my Wei Kingdom. I just don't know what you think, I hope you can help me revive the Wei Kingdom and eradicate the troubled times with one sword. "
Zhang Yi muttered:"Your Majesty is serious. The minister is just a scholar, well-dressed, how can he go into battle and make meritorious contributions? "
King Wei Hui shook his head and said:"Qing's words are lower than Qing's position, how can I believe that he is incompetent? If you can come up with a bold plan, the widow will accept it. "
Subsequently, Zhang Yi formulated an excellent military strategy and led the Wei army to a great victory over the Qi army. King Wei Hui was overjoyed and obeyed Zhang Yiyan from then on.
Through these dialogue scenes, we can more intuitively feel that the clever strategy of the strategists can often influence the monarch, prompting the monarch to renew his commitment and dedication to the strategists. It is the benign interaction between them that has created the glorious political careers of the strategists in "Spring and Autumn".
Fifth, those who know the times are Junjie.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, strategists played an important role in the political arena, not only promoting social change, but also forcing rulers to pay more attention to talent selection, which undoubtedly promoted social progress.
It's not hard to conclude that this is the key to Springsteen's greatness.
First, be aware of current affairs. Strategists are good at judging the situation"Adapt to the times"。They have the pulse of the times and can develop strategies to adapt to the situation. It is this keen insight that makes rulers trust them as advisors.
Second, be humble and humble. Strategists are modest and cautious, and do not take credit for themselves. They are willing to learn with an open mind, learn from others, and constantly improve their strategies. This modest and prudent character earned them the admiration of scholars.
Third, consider independent personality. Strategists do not follow the trend, they always insist on an independent personality in order to maintain a high degree of self-awareness. They chose no"From the royal road", not to be swayed by the powerful, so as to win people's respect.
Fourth, take the world as your own responsibility. The strategists had a high degree of political ideals, believing that the rise and fall of the world was the responsibility of the husband. They have worked diligently and conscientiously for the great cause of reunification. It is this kind of world mentality that supported the political model of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Of course, we must realize that the situation for strategists is not all smooth sailing. They may have the trust of the king, but they are also often misrepresented and vilified. Like politicians, they must always be vigilant against the choppy waves of power struggles.
But it is undeniable that the change in the pattern of the warring dynasties in the Spring and Autumn Period was precisely because of the rise of the strategist group. Their superb political wisdom and good grasp of the current situation have had a profound impact on countries and even future generations. It can be seen that the changes of an era are often brought about by a group of strategists who have the world in mind.
History is no longer far away, and people today must learn from the wisdom of their predecessors. In the face of the changes in today's environment, the spirit of the Spring and Autumn Strategist must rise in the hearts of each of us. Only by constantly absorbing the strength of predecessors, recognizing the current situation, and being cautious in words and deeds, can we achieve great achievements and create the future.