[a].
On the occasion of the Jin Dynasty's monarchs and ministers celebrating the glorious victory of destroying Shu, usurping Wei and swallowing Wu, Wang Hun, the general of the Western Jin Dynasty, held a feast in Jianye Palace, staggered and laughed. This palace, which was ruled by Sun Quan of Emperor Wu in the past, has now become a stage for Wang Hun to show off his strength. With a little drunkenness, he provocatively asked the Wu people present in the posture of a conqueror: "Don't you people who have lost your country have a trace of sorrow? ”
Wang Hun's arrogance and provocation deeply pierced the hearts of the Wu people, and they dared not speak out. However, at this moment, a voice sounded: "At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu were established, the Wei State died first, and the Wu State was destroyed later." If you talk about the pain of losing your country, how can it be alone? ”
This back-to-lips ridicule made Wang Hun blush, speechless. Only then did he realize that as an old minister of the Wei State, he joined the Western Jin Dynasty after the Sima family usurped Wei Jianjin, and he was no different from the old ministers of the Wu State here. His Wei state is dead, how can he not feel hurt? How could he still have the face to be triumphant here?
Wang Hun looked at this hero who dared to refute him with shame, only to see that he was burly and heroic, with the heroism of a warrior and the demeanor of an elegant scribe. This person is Zhou Chu, a hero who is both civil and military. Before he became **, he was an extraordinary swordsman.
Zhou Chu was born in the Three Kingdoms period, served in the Western Jin Dynasty, and was a member of the Jin Dynasty. However, his prestige is not inferior to those of the heroes of the Three Kingdoms. The legendary story about his "elimination of the three evils everywhere" has been widely circulated and is still talked about by people today. This story, like "Sima Guang smashing the cylinder", is regarded by modern teachers and parents as an ancient celebrity story with profound educational significance for children and teenagers, and has even been selected into primary school Chinese textbooks.
Zhou, whose name is hidden, was born in Yangxian, Wu County (now Yixing, Jiangsu). He was the son of Zhou Yi, the Taishou of Poyang in Eastern Wu. Zhou Yi was a wise and courageous courtier under Sun Quan, known for his superb wisdom and ingenious strategy. He once deceived Cao Wei and successfully fooled Cao Xiu, the great Sima of Wei, who was known as the "Cao Family's Thousand Miles of Horses", into an idiot, which directly led to Cao Xiu's defeat of tens of thousands of soldiers by Lu Xun, a famous general of Eastern Wu, and died of depression and illness. The ninety-sixth episode of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" "Kong Ming tears and slashes horses, Zhou Yi breaks his hair to earn Cao Xiu" describes this story in detail.
Zhou Yi is brave and good at fighting, and he is resourceful; And the surroundings are also extremely brave, mainly in martial arts. However, Zhou died young, leaving the young Zhou to become an orphan. Due to the lack of discipline, Zhou did not like to read when he was young, but was obsessed with practicing martial arts and swords, dreaming of becoming a chivalrous warrior.
Before he was twenty years old, Zhou was extremely strong and armed with a long sword, and even if several middle-aged men joined forces, he was no match for him. However, despite his valor, he was hated for his indulgent and uninhibited nature. He was violent, domineering, rampant in the countryside, lawless, or hunting horses and trampling on people's fields, or beating people because of verbal disagreements. The local people were troubled and feared by him, and regarded him as a great scourge.
2) One day, when the urchin boy was wandering around, he came across a group of old men with sad faces, and he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Now that the wind and rain are good and the crops are harvesting, why are you so worried?" ”
The old men sighed and said, "The three evils have not been eliminated, so why be happy?" ”
Zhou asked: "What are the three evils?" ”
The old men were blunt: "The white-fronted tiger in Nanshan, the dragon in the water under the long bridge, and the ......."Personally. ”
It suddenly dawned on him that his status in the hearts of the people was so unbearable. In the past, he was already furious and threw his fists at him, but this time, he was determined to change his ways.
He said firmly: "If you regard these three evils as evils, I will get rid of them!" ”
When the old men heard this, they were overjoyed and said, "If we can get rid of these three evils, it will be a great blessing for our county!" ”
At this moment, the old surroundings have died, and a new surroundings have been born. Carrying a bow and arrows and a sharp sword in his hand, he first ran to Nanshan to find the white-fronted tiger. Zhou stretched out his bow and arrows under the big tree, quietly waiting for the appearance of the beast. Soon, the fishy wind blew in the face, the sky was clear, the tiger pounced, and the arrows around it were like lightning, hitting the tiger's forehead, and the first harm was killed.
After a short rest, he went straight to the long bridge again, only to see the rough waves, he waved the three-foot green edge, jumped into the water, and fought with the dragon.
What exactly is a dragon? Some people believe that it is a type of dragon, with mythological overtones; Some people think it's a crocodile, but it does exist in reality; It is also believed to be a ferocious aquatic animal that has long been extinct. Whatever it is, this dragon is more difficult to deal with than a tiger. I saw that it sometimes rose and fell, sometimes rolled, and swam in the water for dozens of miles. It is always entangled with it everywhere, rising and falling, tumbling, and wandering ...... together
The deeds of the local eradication quickly became the biggest news in the local area, and the people paid attention to it. He went into the water for three days and three nights and did not return, and the people cheered and rushed to tell each other, believing that the three evils had finally been eradicated, and the joy was overflowing.
Just as the people were celebrating, the dragon in the water floated to the surface with a white belly and died. Immediately afterwards, Zhou also carried a sword ashore, although the river washed away, he could still see the blood stains on his body, and he couldn't tell whether it was Jiaolong's or his own.
After learning that the villagers congratulated each other on their death with Jiaolong, Zhou felt deeply guilty, learned from the pain, determined to reform his life, and decided to learn from his teacher. From this moment on, Zhou Chu has become a truly respectable hero, because he is not afraid of difficulties and dangers, sacrifices his life and forgets death, and removes the three evils for the people.
Zhou Chu had heard that Lu Yun and Lu Ji, the two grandsons of Lu Xun, a famous general of Eastern Wu, were erudite and talented, and they were famous for a while, known as "Erlu", so he went to visit. Lu Ji was not there at that time, so Zhou asked Lu Yun for advice and asked if it was too late to study hard from now on? Lu Yun replied: "The ancients are recognizing their mistakes and correcting them in time, you have a bright future, but you can't set great ambitions, why worry about your reputation?" ”
The words of the celebrity made the mouth of the Zhou Place, and since then he has read a lot of books, and he has gradually become brilliant. He has lofty ambitions, strict self-discipline, and does what he says, and eventually becomes a talent with both civil and military skills. In the last years of the Wu Kingdom, he served as the military commander of the Wu Difficulty Governor, that is, the commander of the "Wu Difficult Battalion" in the Wu army.
3] Wu Guo has passed away, and there is not too much heartache in the surrounding area. He had never favored Sun Hao's corrupt court, but he was extremely dissatisfied with the arrogant attitude of Wang Hun, the general of the Jin Dynasty. If he had gone back in time, he might have thrown his fist at him, but now he has become a man of profound cultivation, and he has skillfully countered Wang Hun with his excellent eloquence. This is enough to prove that Zhou is still as brave as he was back then, and his bravery is not only reflected in force, but also in wisdom and courage.
The Western Jin Dynasty court attached great importance to Zhou, first appointing him as the Taishou of Xinping, and then promoted to the Taishou of Guanghan. As a result, a chivalrous man with strong martial arts turned into an iron-faced and selfless "Zhou Qingtian" who was like a god in solving cases, and was deeply loved by the people. This transformation is like Zhan Zhao becoming Bao Zheng, full of drama.
He took off his robes, took off his sword, changed into official uniforms, picked up the big seal, sat upright in the palace, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the affairs of the people. In just a few years, he has made outstanding political achievements. He was busy appeasing Rong Di and bringing the rebellious Qiang people into his possession; He promoted indoctrination and advocated benevolence and righteousness; He collected the bones abandoned during the war and buried them properly. Most commendably, he has solved a backlog of difficult cases that have been backlogged for many years, even those that have not been adjudicated for 30 years.
As a result, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the fame of the surrounding area also grew. People praised him: There was a Zhou Qingtian in the Western Jin Dynasty, who was selfless and loyal and treacherous, loved the people and did practical things, and was honest and honest and dared to be the first. When the imperial court heard about Zhou's outstanding performance in the local area, it greatly appreciated him, and transferred him to the imperial court and was named the Zhongcheng of the Imperial History, which is equivalent to the deputy procurator general of the Supreme Procuratorate today.
Zhou was upright and upright when he was in the place, and he was still like this after he arrived at the imperial court. He was not afraid to ** civil and military ministers, and even the emperor's relatives and relatives, and regarded those ** filthy officials and traitors as tigers and dragons, and resolutely cracked down on them. Therefore, he offended quite a few people. However, this is precisely because his character is too upright, and there are too many treacherous people.
In the court, there was a king of Liang named Sima Tong, who was the eighth son of Sima Yi, a man of the Three Kingdoms in the past. He relied on his prominent position to blatantly violate the law, and no one among the courtiers dared to speak out, only to stand up everywhere and insist on enforcing the law like a mountain. As a result, he offended the prince because of this.
Good for you, this king remembers you! Wait and see! Sima Tong pretended to be indifferent on the surface, but the more he thought about it, the more he hated it. He was waiting for his moment, ready to take revenge on Zhou at any time. Finally, one day, he thought his chance to take revenge on Zhou.
4) In the sixth year of Yuankang in the Western Jin Dynasty (296), the Qiang ethnic minority in the northwest rebelled and established Qi Wannian, the leader of the Di nationality, as the emperor. Qi Wannian's actions shook the court of the Han people, and although the Western Jin Dynasty was not strong, it could not tolerate someone setting themselves up as emperors in their own territory. As a result, the imperial court appointed Sima Tong, the king of Liang, as the general of the expedition to the west, responsible for commanding the military forces in Guanzhong, and at the same time appointed Xiahou Jun, the grandson of Xiahou Yuan, a famous general of Cao Wei, as the general of Anxi, responsible for quelling the rebellion.
At this time, the ministers of the court and the central government who had been offended by Zhou began to become active. They looked at each other and smiled, and suggested in unison: "Zhou is the famous general of Wu State, loyal and brave, bold and resolute." If he is sent to quell the rebellion with General Xiahou Jun, he will definitely be able to win! ”
For a person like Zhou who is both civil and military, it should be a good thing to have the opportunity to go to the battlefield. However, the opportunity he faced to go on this expedition was a hidden murderous one. The ministers of the DPRK and China clearly set a trap and wanted to put him to death. Zhou's two superiors in the army were both noble sons of vain names, not only did they have no military talent, but they also relied on their family backgrounds to fly and dominate. And Sima Tong, the king of Liang, was even more hostile to Zhou and wanted to kill him all the time.
These two gentlemen actually teamed up to trap a great hero. The situation around him is worrying, but fortunately, not everyone wants to harm him. Fubo General Sun Xiu saw that there was a lot of luck around, so he persuaded him: "You have an elderly mother who needs to be supported, so you can refuse." ”
However, Zhou Chu said firmly: "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety cannot be both, since I am a courtier, I can no longer take care of my mother at home." Even if I die today, I will be loyal to my country! ”
Another person who wants to save Zhou is Zhongshu Ling Chen Zhun. He played the imperial court: "Xiahou Jun and King Liang are both relatives of the emperor and lack the talent of generals. They do not seek fame when they advance, and they are not afraid of being punished when they retreat. And the people around are Wu people, who are upright by nature, loyal and courageous, offended too many people, and have no help. If you send him on the battle, you will die. Meng Guan should be sent to lead 10,000 elite soldiers as the vanguard to exterminate the thieves. Otherwise, King Liang will definitely let Zhou take the lead to send him to death, and this battle will be lost. ”
Chen Zhun's bitter heart was ignored by the imperial court, and his suggestion was taken as the wind in his ears. Not only did the courtiers know about the traps around them, but even the rebellious Qi Wannian had heard about it. This puppet emperor had long heard of the prestige of Zhou, knew that he had treated the Qiang people well, and respected and admired him. After learning that Zhou was going to be killed, he sighed: "Zhou Fujun used to govern in Xinping, and I am familiar with his personality, and he is both civil and military. If he comes with full authority, how can we resist it. It's a pity that he's restrained, so it's easy for us to deal with. ”
However, Zhou is not an unreasonable person. He knew that there would be a lot of bad luck in this place, but he believed that as a courtier, he should serve the country loyally and not back down because of personal feelings. This is precisely the spirit of the heroes of antiquity. So, carrying a bow and a satchel around, he resolutely embarked on the journey.
5) In the first month of the following year, the two armies met on the battlefield. At that time, Qi Wannian led an army of 70,000 troops stationed in Liangshan (not Liangshan in Shandong, but in today's Qianxian County, Shaanxi), and at the order of Sima Tong, Xiahou Jun forced Zhou to attack with 5,000 elites.
Everywhere, brave and fearless, but he didn't want the soldiers to suffer because of himself, let alone the court to be humiliated. He glared angrily and said, "If there is no backup, you will definitely lose." My death is not a pity, but the humiliation of the country is really intolerable! ”
Seeing that Zhou was disobedient, Sima Tong once again forced him to fight with the respect of a commander, and at the same time hypocritically promised: "General Zhou, although you move forward, I will send Zhenwei General Lu Bo and Yongzhou Assassin Shi Xie to help you!" ”
The military order was like a mountain, and there was no choice but to sigh, turn over and get on the horse, and rush towards Qi Wannian's army. In the face of the enemy army several times larger than himself, although he was both civil and military, he still felt desolate and pathetic, and casually chanted a poem: "After the death is over, ride the horse to Xirong." Quinoa and sweet beam, the end of the period. ”
After chanting the poem, the horses around the horse into the enemy formation, instantly cut off two enemy heads, its brave state, so that the morale of the Jin soldiers was greatly boosted, they shouted and rushed into the enemy formation, arrows such as flying locusts, swords and guns danced wildly, and Qi Wannian army launched a fierce battle.
On the battlefield, blood and light were splashed, and people turned on their backs, as if the sky was falling apart. This battle was tragic and abnormal, 5,000 against 70,000, from early morning to dusk. Zhou and his warriors killed more than 10,000 enemies, but the enemy army continued to reinforce, but the Jin army had no one to help. The reinforcements mentioned by Sima Tong are like ghosts, nowhere to be seen. The soldiers of the Jin army were nearly exhausted, hungry, and their weapons were broken.
Looking at the battlefield, human heads are rolling, corpses are everywhere, and blood is flowing like a river, like purgatory on earth.
General Zhou, don't fight again, the more the thief army fights, the more courageous it becomes, our army is afraid that the whole army will be wiped out, so it's better to withdraw quickly! ”
Withdraw! Checkmate! If you don't retreat, I'm afraid there will be no life! ”
The surrounding soldiers persuaded Zhou to evacuate, but Zhou Shi swore by his sword: "Today is the time for me to serve the country loyally, how can I talk about retreating!" In ancient times, good generals were ordered to pass through the fierce gate to show their determination before going on the expedition, which is to advance and not retreat! Now that my comrades are treacherous and the situation is precarious, as a minister, I deserve to die for my country, which is a matter of course! ”
The end of the hero, the tragedy of generosity. With that, Zhou Shi broke free from the shackles and entered the enemy line again. I saw that his swordsmanship was like a god, and the cold light was shining, cutting the enemy like cutting vegetables and chopping meat. However, after all, his strength was limited, and Zhou Ji eventually died of exhaustion due to his injuries. The enemy soldiers rained down on arrows, the spear forest was dense, and a generation of heroes were everywhere, bravely martyred.
Two shameless second-generation officials finally got their wish and killed a heroic general. The despicable villain is worse than the tiger and dragon.
When the news of Zhou's death spread throughout the imperial court, all civil and military officials did not dare to come forward to accuse Sima Tong, the king of Liang. Fortunately, some wise ministers praised Zhou for his loyalty and courage, and he deserved to be commended for his devotion to the death for his country. So, the imperial court issued an edict, posthumously gifted Zhou Chu as General Pingxi, rewarded him with millions of money, gave him a cemetery, and promised to support his old mother.
Zhou Chu was not only a heroic general, but also a talented man with both civil and military skills, and his literary works such as the Thirty Essays of Silent Language, the Records of the Wind and Soil and the Book of Wu, etc., are all masterpieces of literature and history, leaving a valuable cultural heritage for future generations. In Yixing, Jiangsu, people built the Temple of King Zhou to worship this great hero. And the story of eliminating the three evils around is a household name and has become an inspirational classic story.
When Zhou passed away, Pan An, a writer of the Western Jin Dynasty, wrote a poem to commemorate him. Pan An is known as "the most beautiful man in history", and his poems are full of praise for Zhou: "Zhou is a teacher, and his body is anointed." The clouds of people are dead, and chastity is restrained. The poems of this beautiful man show the admiration and appreciation of the literati for the heroic generals.