Han Xin's death, Liu Bang's complicated feelings are a mixture of joy and sorrow, which is indescribable
In the first month of the winter of 196 BC, Han Xin, the founder of the Han Dynasty and the Marquis of Huaiyin, died in the Changlu Bell Tower at the age of 33. Subsequently, the three clans of Han Xin were executed, and thousands of innocent people were splashed with blood in Chang'an, and the screams were heard for hundreds of years. At that time, the wind was bitter cold and the snow was falling. The residents of Chang'an City all sighed and mourned, saying that the Marquis of Huaiyin did not forget to leave his mother when he had food, and he would rather snub the Han Emperor if he urged him to eat. Xiao He's words are enough to congratulate, can't he be so direct if he wants to rebel? Hou does not deny Han, Han does not Hou, Hou is not wrong!
This is not a mockery of Han Xin, nor is it a conspiracy against Han Xin, some people have questioned it for thousands of years, it may or may not be. But there is nothing wrong with his death, he should have died a long time ago, as soon as he died, it was a good thing for the world, if you want to say negative, it is also the negative period of the whole world, the whole Han Xin, and I have nothing special.
Soon, Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, returned from the northern battlefield. The battle was fierce, Chen Feng was really strong, and the Han army tried their best, but they only forced him to retreat to Daidi. It seemed that this battle would take a long time, so Gaozu decided to return to Chang'an first.
When Gaozu arrived in Luoyang, Lü later told Gaozu that Han Xin had killed his entire family and left no one alive.
The history books record Gaozu's reaction after hearing the news, just five words:"Mixed blessings"。Happily, Empress Lu finally helped him relieve his worries; Sadly, Han Xin is still the founding father of the Han Dynasty, thinking of the glorious years when the two fought side by side, and thinking of Han Xin's past exploits, Gaozu can't help but feel very sorry. After all, Gaozu knew that without Han Xin, there would be no world for him, although he was politically ruthless, he was also a human being, and he also had the feelings of ordinary people, Han Xin was his benefactor, but Empress Lu killed his wife. If one's benefactor is killed, all will feel unbearable and miserable; Moreover, Han Xin's death was innocent, and his sins were not as good as his descendants, and Empress Lu killed him all over the house, which was really vicious (Note 1).
In fact, Empress Lu's poison is zero, and she still has a lot of backbone. Later, Liu Bang fell, and Empress Lu covered the sky with one hand, controlled the government, and ruled for more than ten years, almost giving Liu Guo to the Lu family. This is not the subject of this chapter, so please do not mention it.
As for whether Han Xin rebelled, Gao Zu knew in his heart that although Han Xin was arrogant and flamboyant, he was direct and had a good grasp of the current situation and situation, so it was unlikely that he would rebel. However, Han Xin's sword was too sharp, and he was afraid that he would be weak, so he would destroy this sword first!
Lu Hou said: This concubine can calm the troubled times, and Xiao Heluan's family should reward her name.
Gaozu was deeply moved. So, he promoted Xiao He from prime minister to Shang Shuling, and added 5,000 cyclical shares to Xiao He, so that Xiao He's cyclical shares finally exceeded Cao Shen's 10,600 and reached 15. Luan Ruan is the Marquis of Shenyang, with 2,000 households.
King Xiang's head is worth thousands of gold and 10,000 households, and Han Xin's head is worth 7,000 households and 500 soldiers, about the same!
After the reward, Gaozu thought of something, and asked Empress Lu again:"Did Han Shin say the last words before he died? "
Xinling Jun hates not to use Kuaitong's plan"。Lu Hou said.
Who is Kui Tong? "
Lu Hou said. "I know this person, he is also the general of the Qi State. When Han Xin pacified the Qi State, Kuai Tong was his advisor, and when Han Xin led the Qi army south, he fell ill and retired. "
Gao Zu was dumbfounded. Why did Han Xin just complain that he didn't listen to Kuaitong's words, and didn't regret that he didn't plan well? Could it be that this matter is also related to Kuaitong? Forget it, don't think about it so much, order Qi Guo to arrest Kuaitong, I want to ask for an explanation.
Cao Shen, the prime minister of Qi State, had been Han Xin's deputy for many years, and Kuaitong's fame was also very great, so they dug out their hearts to inquire about Kuaitong's whereabouts, knowing that he was crazy on the streets of Linzi every day, and often made a living from witches.
In the center of Linzi City, Cao Sen saw Kuaitong again, but behind a group of stormy children, he saw an old man, barefoot, crazy, with words in his mouth, not knowing what he should sing.
Cao Sen got out of the carriage, walked in front of Kuaitong in person, raised his hand and bowed, and said"Goodbye, sir. "
Kuaitong ignored him, and just muttered to himself"Chang'an Star has fallen these days, I don't know which generals have died, right? "After saying these words, he picked up the bricks and tiles in his hand and threw them to Cao Shen, muttering all kinds of poetry for a while, and laughing out loud for a while.
Cao Shen came out of the crack in the bricks, pulled Kuaitong's clothes and shouted"Lord, you and my late handsome Han Xin were beheaded by Empress Lu in Changle Palace in the first month of this year! "
Hearing this, Kuaitong screamed and fainted to the ground. Cao Shen hurriedly picked him up and sent him home, and he woke up in the middle of the night banquet with endless tears:
Didn't Han Shin wake up a long time ago? Didn't Han Xin wake up a long time ago?.."
Cao Shen comforted Kuaitong and said"Now that the Han Emperor has issued an edict to arrest Gong, I am distressed and don't know what to do. "
Kuaitong:"Don't be embarrassed, I'll go to Emperor Wen of Han. "
Senator Cao stopped and said"No, no, if you go, your life will be in danger! "
Kui Ye said:"Feet for sure. Brother, but the tongue and ears in your mouth can't die. "
If this is the case, the prince can return to the country of Qi and be a guest under my door, and I will definitely treat him well. "Cao Shen said.
A few days later, Gao Zu was questioned by Kuaitong himself. Kuaitong simply and kindly admitted that at the beginning of Pingqi, he had helped Han Xin to build a meritorious career. Gao Zu said angrily"The old ministry is against Han Shin, why? "
The king was angry, and his blood flowed for thousands of miles, and in the face of the anger of the Son of Heaven, Kuaitong did not answer, but complained indignantly:"All this is because of Han Shin, the upright son, who refused to implement the minister's policy, and today is the death date of the clan. If the minister uses a trick, can His Majesty kill him? "
Gao Zu said angrily:"The beast was still bleating when he was dying. Dude, cook this idiot for me! "
Kui Tong looked at the boiling cauldron that was lifted and shouted unevenly"Humiliation! Humiliation! Humiliation! "
Teaching Han Xin to rebel and spread anti-Han remarks is an unforgivable crime, what is wrong? "
Things are different now. Qin lost his deer, the world knows, and those who have great talents and wisdom must get it first. When I taught Han Shin back then, I only knew about his existence, not His Majesty's existence. At that time, there were many people in the world who wanted to be emperors, but not all of them could succeed, how could Your Majesty take care of them one by one? "
Gao Zu thought about it and asked again"What did you and Han Shin talk about that day? "
Kuaitong said:"I said that Han Xin has princes on his face and great wealth on his back, because I said that if Han Xin's back can stand alone, then there can be three worlds. "
Kejo asked again"What would Lan Xin say? "
Kuaitong sighed for a long time, and Han Xin said:"King Han welcomed me very warmly, took me in his car, dressed me in his clothes, and ate his food. When I hear that I ride in a chariot that carries people in distress, and wears clothes that carry people in distress, and eats the food of the dead, do I not see the benefits and forget what is right? "
Ke Qiao was stunned, speechless for a long time, but there were tears in his eyes.
Han Xin never seemed to have forgotten my friendship with him, and before he died, he said that he only hated Empress Lu, and today I killed three of his clansmen, which is not something that a human can do.
Kuaitong sighed again"The Han Dynasty won the world, mainly due to the contribution of the Marquis of Huaiyin. But as soon as he thought that His Majesty had given him food and clothing, he would not listen to me, led his army south, defeated King Xiang at the wall, returned to the State of Chu, persuaded King Xiang to enter the water, and greeted His Majesty in the State of Chen. In the past, when Chu and Han fought for life and death, he had no disobedience. Now that everyone is together, because he has no power, no power and no soldiers, he has no dissatisfaction, but cooperates with Chen Feng and does whatever he wants.
Gao Zu couldn't listen anymore, he shook his head, waved his hand and said:"Put it down! "Put it down!
Kuaitong bowed again reluctantly, and vaguely heard Gao Zu whimpering and walking towards the door.
With a wry smile, Kuaitong rolled up the dust of the world, returned to Linzi, and became a gatekeeper in Cao Shen's house, which also meant the end of Cao Shen's old man's wealth (Note 2).
Although Han Shin cannot follow his advice and achieve great things, he can pretend to avoid trouble, and even if he can no longer avoid it, he will avoid it gracefully with extraordinary wisdom. What he did is not known to future generations, only because he followed the wrong person and did not stand under the banner of the victor Liu Bang, otherwise he would have no status among the ministers of the early Han Dynasty.
On the other hand, the betrayal of the Marquis of Huaiyin and the killing of his clansmen did not completely stabilize the situation in the empire, but instead triggered a series of tragic events, in which the comrades-in-arms who had participated in the anti-Qin and anti-Xiang struggles in the past pulled each other and finally went to hell!
In the spring of that year (196 BCE), Han Shin's former general, Chai Wu, defeated Han Wangxin and beheaded him at Shenhe (footnote 3). Zhao Wangli, who had disappeared from the history books before, is expected to suffer a similar fate to Han Xin. Therefore, with the exception of Zhang Liang, all the old nobles of the new era were purged.
In March of that year (196 BC), Peng Yue, the king of Liang, was convicted of rebellion by his own courtiers. Empress Lü resolutely razed his three clans to the ground and dismembered his corpse into small pieces of flesh to be distributed to his master. First Han Xin was falsely accused by his subordinates, and then Peng Yue was falsely accused by his subordinates (Lu Hou ordered his subordinates to falsely accuse Peng Yue of rebellion), which can really be described as the same party and has no creativity at all.
After Peng Yue's death, Gaozu named his fifth son Liu Cang as the king of Liang and seized Peng Yue's former territory.
In July, Yingbu, the king of Huainan, was falsely accused of rebellion by his subordinates. Yingbu was unwilling to be humiliated and simply rebelled.
He knows the level of Gaozu Yingbu, it can be said that the generals of the Han Dynasty are not all good things, but this year Liu Bang is 62 years old, he is too old, and his body is sick, and he really doesn't want to go to the battlefield, so he is ready to send the prince to quell the rebellion, which is of course ridiculous, after Lu Hou heard about it, he ran to her and cried and begged her not to let his sons go to the battlefield:
He was an outstanding general and was well versed in the art of war. Now that all the generals are gentlemen of His Majesty's generation, letting the prince accept this old subordinate is tantamount to turning a sheep into a wolf, and he will not be willing to use it; If Bu blinked, he would boldly use troops in the west, Guanzhong would tremble, and the whole situation would collapse! Although His Majesty is sick, he can lie down and command the supply, and the generals will not dare to give up their efforts. Although Your Majesty is hard, he is self-reliant for his wife and children! "
After thinking about it for a long time, Liu Bang felt that Yingbu could only rely on himself if he wanted to clear his name, so he could only sigh and swear:"I know very well that the shaft is not enough, this is the ear of the person who has the will. "Then he admitted his illness and set off on his own.
In October of the same year, the British were defeated and killed. Soon, the rebellion of Chen Xuan, which lasted for more than two years, was finally quelled, and Chen Xuan was also defeated and killed in Daidi. Gaozu then named his youngest son Liu Chang as the king of Huainan and seized the territory of Yingbu.
In February of the following year, Liu Bang, Gaozu's childhood friend and the last king of Yan with a different surname, Liu Bang, was involved in the whirlpool of suspicion of the monarch and ministers, and actually agreed with the Xiongnu to plot to leave. After receiving the letter, Gaozu was furious and sent Fan Hao to lead an army to attack Yan. Empress Lü did not dare to go to war and fled to the Xiongnu.
Everyone should know that this series of events was the plan of Gaozu and Empress Lu. They have long wanted to eradicate the king with a different surname and let the king with the same surname usurp the throne, so they did everything possible to create excuses, intensify the contradictions, and eradicate the king with a different surname. Such a period of history is of course very bloody and full of crimes, but if the hidden dangers can be eliminated and the clan politics can be transformed into a relatively stable blood feud, it can also be regarded as a kind of historical remnant. After all, people's hearts are unpredictable, and even if the king with a different surname didn't want to rebel at that time, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not rebel in the future, and it is even inevitable that he will be used by people with ulterior motives, because fame and fortune blind people's eyes, and absolute power makes people crazy. Of course, those who read history should not accuse the king with a different surname of not abdicating to protect himself. It's like when a woman is attacked by a bully, she doesn't blame the bully, but blames the woman for dressing too much. The kings with different surnames won the throne by their own ability, and the Han Dynasty took away their throne for no reason, and even ruthlessly ** them, why did they take the initiative to surrender, although this is in line with the so-called"The evolution of history", but it should be nailed to the pillar of moral shame.
In order to further consolidate the political stability of the Han Empire, Gaozu took another move of far-reaching strategic significance"The Alliance of the White Horses"。For this reason, Liu Bang even killed the rare animal white horse, forming an alliance with the royal family and ministers:"The Yellow River is like a belt, Mount Tai is like a sword, the rivers and mountains are eternal, I and my descendants, for the king is not Liu, and the world shoots it together; If you don't have merit for your husband, the world will kill him. "It means that when the Yellow River becomes a trouser belt, when Mount Tai becomes a whetstone, as long as the rivers and mountains that the lord is fighting for are still there, our children and grandchildren can enjoy the income of the fief for generations. However, because of the oil and water flowing outside, the old Liu family cannot be called the king, there is no military merit, there is no recognition of the old Liu family, there are no courtiers, whoever dares to make a mistake will be killed by the people of the world!
In other words, the throne, the position of the princes, and the platform of the elders, these three parts of power, the members of the Liu family and the military group, will always be equally divided, and whoever dares to make trouble will be defeated!
Don't underestimate the importance of this treaty. It is precisely because of it, as a political basis for consolidating the power boundaries of the feudal ministers of the Han Dynasty, that Zhou Bo can protect Liu, Guangwu can reach the top, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty can survive, and Shu Han can divide the world in the next four hundred years.
In March, Gaozu learned that Empress Lu's brother-in-law Fan Xu had also committed an accident, and he was furious and ordered Chen Ping and Zhou Bo to go to seize military power and kill Fan Xu. Chen Ping is really a humorous person.
Gaozu did not have time to get rid of Fan Xu, and died in April at the age of sixty-three in Changle Palace.
In other words, at the moment before he died, Gao Zu was holding his breath to eliminate the last hidden danger before death! This is not only the tragedy of the emperor before his death, but also the greatness of the emperor in his later years.
If you are weak, you usually do not live well; If you're strong, you usually don't die well. This statement really makes sense. King Xiang committed suicide; The Marquis of Huaiyin was even more miserable, and the three tribes were razed to the ground; Liu Bang was no better, he was the emperor for seven years, six personal expeditions, more tired than Cao Cao, and finally died of a gunshot wound ** during the attack on Yingbu. These three people, destitute, don't make the hero's heart ache?
It is a pity that Liu Bang fought with the sky, the earth, and people in his life, and fought to the end. Although he cared about the cold and warmth, he finally left a fairly peaceful country for future generations, and he died a well-deserved death. Although later someone criticized him"The industry is high and virtuous", but this is the way of the emperor that no of the founding fathers can avoid.
Because of this, Liu Bang's attitude towards death is indeed very calm, and he is one of the few emperors in Chinese history who does not seek immortality. Although the miracle doctor summoned by Empress Lu said that he was still saved, Liu Bang still scolded:"I fight for the world with the sword of cloth, isn't it the origin of the destiny? This life is terrifying, what is the use? "And then what? No need to heal!
Liu Bang was able to accept death calmly and die with his eyes open. In this alone he surpassed the emperors of Qin, Han, Tang, and Song.
In the winter before Liu Bang's death, he triumphantly attacked Yingbu, and on the way back to his hometown in Pei County, he feasted all his hometown relatives and fellow villagers; Seeing the children of the previous generation grow up**, seeing the elders of the same generation and neighborhoods being cared for, and seeing his hair begin to thin, Liu Bang was full of emotion.
Fifteen years ago, when he was still Liu Ji, the chief of the Peiguo City Pavilion, he ascended the throne here; Fifteen years later, he returned to his hometown and became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty.
Liu Bang is indeed very old, he has fought for a long time and won the world, but he also has times when he shines and sometimes he is injured. In the chasm, King Xiang gave him an arrow, and last month in Huainan, Yingbu gave him another arrow, and these two arrow wounds almost killed him.
But there is another hidden wound in his heart that cannot be discovered, that is, the tragic death of Han Xin's family.
Although Liu Bang has officially gotten rid of Han Xin, he knows in his heart that he still owes Han Xin, he can deceive the world, but he can't deceive himself, he will never forget Han Xin's angry eyes, that is the guilt of his life, that is a burden that he can't bear for the rest of his life.
I think that back then, King Han and Han Xin were so beautiful in addition to pushing food, worshiping Chen Ce, and creating a great Han together. Just .
Allah, Han Xin Ji Han Xin, if you learn to be humble, not arrogant, and not boast of your talents, you will be able to compare with the Han family's ** Zhou Gongdan and Jiang Taigong, and you will be able to take care of future generations. Why should I hurt you?
When his compatriots gathered, Liu Bang was inexplicably stuck in the past and could not save himself.
Ambition is not rewarded, and wealth and glory return to their hometown"。People always like to reminisce about their old age, and if the past often comes back to you, then you are really old.
Seeing the emperor's worried look, the residents of Peiguo specially gathered 120 children to sing and dance.
Liu Bang is very happy, heroic and dry, and the old friends who came with him applauded and persuaded to drink, everyone knows that the injured person is the most taboo to drink, but Liu Bang did not worry so much, life should be happy in the world, there is a little tolerance and enjoyment, Liu Bang drank more and more, only felt that there was a kind of sorrow mixed with passion in his chest, about to appear, couldn't help but pick up the bamboo ruler, knocked on the strings of the building, and sang a passionate song:
The wind is surging, the power of the sea returns to its homeland, and the brave warriors defend the Quartet?
Liu Bang and his henchman Qi Ji are good at drumming and are experts (Note 4). So this tune, this song is very touching. Besides, how many times in a lifetime do you have the opportunity to see the emperor perform? As a result, 120 young people were enthusiastic, singing and dancing. In an instant, the ever-changing soft and pure sounds of heaven converged, and the singing stirred the fertile Chuanna, the water fluctuated, the smoke filled, and the atmosphere of the banquet reached its climax.
Liu Bang felt even more sad and joyful at this time, and hurriedly pulled his old and injured body to stand up, and the two sang and danced together
What do you want to do?
What do you want to do?
What do you want to do?
Although the world has been pacified, the eyes of the northern Xiongnu are still staring at the Han Dynasty. I'm old, time is short, I can't wash away the shame of Bai Deng in my lifetime, the prince is young and frail, and the princes and kings are all young people, I can't control the Quartet like Han Xin and Peng Yue, right?
Thinking of this, Liu Bang sang a passionate sad song, and couldn't help but cry twice, crying silently, and even said a few words...
Although I have reached the summit, looking around, how many people can share the great mountains and rivers with me?
Weyinga is the sea, a traveler, although the Grim Reaper loves his homeland.
In the last moments of Liu Bang's life, he experienced excitement, glory, loneliness, despair and sorrow, and finally became emperor.
There is no doubt that Liu Bang was full of affectionate and brilliant tragic songs at the last moment of his life, which added a lot of points to him, and even made some people suddenly change their views on the rogue son of heaven"Heroic and merciful", the Song Dynasty poet Chen Yanxiao said:"Emperor Han Gao's "Song of the Great Wind", although it is not dazzling, but its atmosphere is profound, and it is also a true hero! "Zhu Xi also commented:"Since the words of the ancient lord, it is as extraordinary"。It is true that today's modern poetry, although usually thousands or even 10,000 lines long, cannot resist Liu Bang's three-line poetry madness. Qianlong, for example, wrote 43,500 poems in his lifetime, but not all of them were as warm and organized as Liu Bang's poems. I think that although Gao Zu was born recklessly, although he was heroic, and he did those obscene things, he also had political incompetence. I think that's exactly what happened"The text is like its person"A bandit cannot write such a text (footnote 5).
Of course, there are too many people who don't understand this truth. A thousand years later, the Qing Dynasty poet Huang Ren spoke about this and wrote a poem:"In the past, I went back, and the willows followed; Now I think about it, rain and snow
The Son of Heaven has not returned, and the wind and rain have sung. Why didn't the Son of Heaven take pity on the son and let Han Peng guard the Quartet?
Obviously, the poet's heart could never understand the position and emotions of the emperor.