Zhu Chao accompanied me to watch short videos

Chapter 271 The Most Underrated Hero of the Western Han Dynasty

Although the conflicts and contradictions between nomadic and farming peoples have always been an eternal topic in history, in this country where farming peoples are the majority, the evaluation of nomadic peoples is often not high.

However, there are also some outstanding figures among nomadic peoples who also fight for the interests and rights of their nation. Maodun Chanyu of the Xiongnu is a shining star.

With his great talent and his cause of unifying the grassland, he became the king of the grassland. To a certain extent, he also promoted ethnic integration and made later generations such as Genghis Khan worship him.

[Read all the stories of the unjustly killed loyal man in one go, Chao Cuo's history of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion and Emperor Jing of Han]

He was a loyal minister of the Western Han Dynasty, but he was sentenced to death for reducing the power of the feudal lords, and his entire family was executed. He was also a mortal in history, but he became the worst "scapegoat" in history.

He used three great strategies to make the Han Dynasty strong for a hundred years, but since ancient times, loyal ministers have been disliked by people, and only villains are always worried. In this video, let's talk about Chao Cuo, a loyal minister throughout history.

Speaking of "Chao", perhaps many people are unfamiliar with him, but his proposal to reduce the power of the princes is well-known in history. As the name suggests, reducing the power of the princes means weakening the power of the princes, and the princes here are the princes.

Chao Cuo was the first person in Chinese history to reduce the power of the feudal lords, and the protagonist of the first "clearing the imperial court" in history. Chao Cuo's advocacy of reducing the power of the feudal lords directly led to the rebellion of seven kingdoms including Wu and Chu in the name of "clearing the imperial court", which is the famous "Wu-Chu Seven Kingdoms Rebellion" in history.

What’s even more interesting is that a similar thing happened in the Ming Dynasty more than 1500 years after Chao Cuo’s death.

Emperor Hui of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen, also faced the problem of vassal kings, and the other protagonist was the famous Prince of Yan, Zhu Di. History always repeats itself. The Han Dynasty eventually succeeded in reducing the power of vassal kings, while the Ming Dynasty ended in failure. The ending is thought-provoking.

However, Chao Cuo, who was the first person to reduce the power of the feudal lords, was executed along with his entire family because of this, becoming the most unjust and tragic "scapegoat" in history.

There is one interesting point about Chao Cuo's death. When he was young, Chao Cuo studied the theories of Shen Buhai and Shang Yang, two pre-Qin legalists, and advocated for reform. As we all know, legalists in history often ended up in a miserable way, and Chao Cuo's identity as a legalist also added a layer of tragedy to his death.

At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang conferred titles on many princes with the same surname. However, as two or three generations passed, the princes' power gradually grew, and their blood relationship with Emperor Wen of Han became increasingly alienated.

Emperor Wen of Han was a concubine's son of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and his position was not stable. The contradiction between the central autocratic imperial power and the power of local vassal states became increasingly intensified, threatening national security.

In the face of this problem, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, Chao Cuo had repeatedly submitted petitions to the emperor to propose reforms to reduce the power of the feudal lords, but they were not adopted. However, Crown Prince Liu Qi supported Chao Cuo's proposal, while Yuan Ang and others were opposed.

With the accession of Emperor Jing of Han, who had long intended to reduce the power of the feudal lords, and Chao Cuo hit it off and directly promoted Chao Cuo to the position of Imperial Censor, one of the Three Dukes. Soon after, Chao Cuo began to implement the policy of reducing the power of the feudal lords.

However, reducing the power of the princes would be understood to a certain extent as an offense to the royal bloodline, and Chao Cuo's forceful implementation of the policy was actually a huge risk.

Chao Cuo's father knew the consequences of reducing the power of the feudal lords, and after his painstaking persuasion failed, he committed suicide by taking poison. However, Chao Cuo persisted in the face of numerous dangers, which also shows that he was thinking long-term for the country.

Both the "Records of the Grand Historian" and the "Book of Han" used four words to describe Chao Cuo: "straightforward, harsh, deep and harsh", which means severe, upright, harsh and chilling. He planned to defend the country, had a long-term vision, and was a loyal minister who worked hard.

Unfortunately, loyal ministers have never had a good death since ancient times, and Chao Cuo did not have a good end either.

The Wu-Chu Rebellion broke out just ten days after Emperor Jing of Han issued the order to reduce the power of the vassal states. The coalition of the seven states had planned this in advance, and the imperial guards of Qi responded quickly, which caught Emperor Jing of Han off guard and caused him great confusion.

At this time, Chao Cuo suggested that Emperor Jing of Han lead the army in person and that he stay in the capital.

On the other hand, at Dou Ying's recommendation, Emperor Jing of Han asked Yuan Ang, who had a grudge against Chao Cuo, for advice. Yuan Ang suggested killing Chao Cuo to appease the anger of the princes, and the rebellion would naturally subside.

However, although everyone knew what Sima Zhao was thinking, Emperor Jing of Han believed that sacrificing Chao Cuo could be exchanged for the withdrawal of the princes, so he approved the memorial to execute Chao Cuo and his entire family.

What is even more tragic is that Chao Cuo, the teacher of Emperor Jing of Han, did not realize the ruthlessness of his student until the moment of his death. Emperor Jing of Han sent someone to Chao Cuo's home, falsely claiming that he was going to the court to discuss matters.

When he was riding in a carriage passing through the east gate of Chang'an, he stopped the car and read the imperial edict to Chao Cuo, and immediately executed him by beheading him and his entire family.

At that time, Chao Cuo was still wearing court clothes, thinking that he was going to court, but he was unexpectedly going to the underworld. From this, we can imagine Chao Cuo's mood before his death: he risked his life and was loyal to his country, but was sentenced to death.

However, killing Chao Cuo did not stop the Seven Kingdoms' army from attacking. Instead, the Seven Kingdoms' coalition believed that Emperor Jing was weak and incompetent, so Liu Bei proclaimed himself the Eastern Emperor and challenged the Western Han regime.

Chao Cuo became a victim, which made Emperor Jing of Han realize that there was no way out, so he made up his mind to put down the rebellion. Under the command of Zhou Yafu, the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms was finally put down in just three months.

Regarding Chao Cuo's death, some people may blame Chao Cuo from the perspective of Emperor Jing of Han.

Su Shi believed that after the outbreak of the Wu-Chu Rebellion, Chao Cuo suggested to Emperor Jing of Han that he lead the army in person while he himself stayed in the capital. At the critical moment, he pushed the emperor to the front line while hiding in the capital, putting the king in danger. He was despicable.

But from a historical perspective, it is not without benefits for the emperor to lead an army in person. Emperor Zhenzong of Song once led an army in person under the strong persuasion of Kou Zhun, which eventually boosted morale and defeated the Liao army. In history, the only one who succeeded in suppressing the rebellion of the vassal kings was Zhu Di.

Zhou Yafu and Chao Cuo were much more capable than Li Jinglong, the crown prince who inherited the throne. Therefore, the claim that Chao Cuo put the king in a dangerous situation was not valid.

Chao Cuo and Yuan Ang have always hated each other. Although Chao Cuo's death was related to Yuan Ang's advice, a loyal minister must inevitably become a lone minister.

The people's groping in the back of the enemy was a secondary reason, and the fundamental reason was that Emperor Jing of Han was mean and ungrateful, and in panic he sacrificed Chao Cuo in exchange for peace. It was not like what the film and television dramas said that Chao Cuo brought it upon himself, which made his expedition in vain.

After Chao Cuo's death, history evaluated him as a loyal and noble minister. Although he is often compared with other loyal ministers who were also unjustly killed, such as Long Feng and Bigan, Chao Cuo's fate was even worse.

Therefore, Chao Cuo's death was not an accident, but because Emperor Jingdi of Han needed him to take the blame. Although Emperor Jingdi of Han could be called a wise ruler because he did not harm the people, his narrow-mindedness, harshness, and lack of generosity also led to Chao Cuo's death.

[Read all the historical facts about Sima Xiangru, the most romantic and talented scholar in the Han Dynasty]

He was the most romantic and talented scholar in the Western Han Dynasty, who won the heart of a beautiful woman with his zither music. He was also a meritorious official in the Western Han Dynasty, and was famous for stabilizing the territory. He was called "the sage of fu in the Han Dynasty", and his talent was not inferior to that of Li Bai, the poet of the Tang Dynasty. In this video, let's talk about Sima Xiangru, a talented scholar in the Han Dynasty.

The love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun is an enviable love story in Chinese history. However, some people nowadays often ignore the facts in order to attract attention, calling Sima Xiangru the representative of "Phoenix Man" and "Eternal Unfaithful Man".

In fact, the love story between Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun is not found in the official history books such as "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Book of Han", but is often mentioned in unofficial history books, especially the novel "Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital". In history, Sima Xiangru can be regarded as the most romantic and talented scholar in the Han Dynasty.

We often mention the literary peaks of each era: Chuci, Hanfu, Tang poetry, and Song ci. Sima Xiangru, like Li Bai, the poet of the Tang Dynasty, represents the literary heritage of that era.

What’s even more interesting is that Sima Xiangru is often called a “giant”, and his life experience is quite similar to that of Li Bai, the first “son-in-law” in the Tang Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Wu, scholars often commented, "There is no one better than Sima Xiangru in writing, and no one better than Sima Qian in terms of writing." As one of the four great writers of fu in the Han Dynasty, Sima Xiangru's literary talent was praised as "like heavenly writing," and he was therefore known as the "Saint of Fu."

Sima Xiangru's original name was Sima Quanzi, but when he grew up, he felt that this name was not elegant enough. In addition, he liked Lin Xiangru, a gentleman in the Warring States Period, very much, so he changed his name to Sima Xiangru.

During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, Sima Xiangru was not appreciated because Emperor Jing was not good at poetry and prose. However, Emperor Jing's younger brother, King Liang Liu Wu, admired him very much.

It was when he was a guest of King Liang that Sima Xiangru created the "Zixu Fu", which was extensive, magnificent and outstanding in the Han Dynasty. However, with the death of Liu Wu, Sima Xiangru resigned due to illness due to his lack of ambition, left Liang, and returned to Linqiong, Sichuan, where he lived a poor life.

Wang Ji, the magistrate of Linqiong County, was on good terms with Sima Xiangru, so he invited him to stay temporarily at the Linqiong County Office. Zhuo Wangsun, a wealthy merchant in Linqiong, learned of the arrival of the distinguished guest and invited Sima Xiangru to a banquet.

Thus, a lingering love story begins. Zhuo Wangsun had a daughter who had just become a widow. Her name was Wenjun, also known as Wenhou, and she was proficient in music.

Because she had long admired Sima Xiangru's literary talent, she hid behind the screen and watched. Although Sima Xiangru pretended not to know, he had actually heard of Zhuo Wenjun's talent. When he was invited to play the zither, he took the opportunity to play a song "The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix" to express his admiration.

Zhuo Wenjun recognized the sound of Sima Xiangru's piano and secretly watched him through the crack in the door. She was attracted by his demeanor and talent, and developed admiration for him.

Sima Xiangru conveyed his feelings to Wenjun through her maid. As a result, Zhuo Wenjun escaped from home late at night and eloped to Chengdu with Sima Xiangru, performing an ancient version of the love story of "a poor boy and a rich girl".

They were also the pioneers of free love. As a super tycoon, Zhuo Wangsun, although he verbally claimed that his daughter violated the ethics, he could not bear to hurt her, but he was unwilling to give his daughter a penny.

Zhuo Wenjun, who was somewhat in love, had already fallen into the whirlpool of love. After arriving at Sima Xiangru's house, she found that his family was really poor and had nothing.

However, in the face of all this, Zhuo Wenjun chose to share the joys and sorrows with him. After all, "it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality." After living in Chengdu for a while, Zhuo Wenjun said to Sima Xiangru: "In fact, if you just come back to Linqiong with me and borrow some money from my brothers, we can find a way to make a living."

Sima Xiangru listened to her and returned to Linqiong with her. They sold their carriages and horses as capital and opened a tavern. Zhuo Wenjun sold wine and managed the finances, while Sima Xiangru wore an apron and washed cups and plates among the waiters.

Although the two lived a hard life, they were very loving and happy, and their story became a timeless tale, leaving behind the allusion of "selling wine at the wine shop".

After hearing the news, Zhuo Wangsun, the tycoon's father, finally admitted the truth under the persuasion of his brothers and elders. He gave Zhuo Wenjun 1 million copper coins and a batch of property when she got married.

So, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru both returned to Chengdu, bought land and houses, and lived a rich life.

Not long after, Sima Xiangru's "Zixu Fu" was appreciated by Emperor Wu of Han, and he was appointed as a Langguan for his "Shanglin Fu".

He also went on a diplomatic mission to the Southwest Yi to stabilize the southwestern border, and was therefore known as the "meritorious official who stabilized the border" and his name went down in history. In 118 BC, Sima Xiangru was dismissed from office due to illness and lived with Zhuo Wenjun in Maoling, where he died of illness shortly afterwards.

Looking at the unswerving love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, one can't help but sigh: a talented man and a beautiful woman, a song determines their lifelong relationship, they met, knew each other, and stayed together, which can be called a love story that will last forever, and it also satisfies the yearning for love of many people.

[Read all about the most underestimated hero of the Western Han Dynasty in one go, Lv Ze's historical knowledge of the Western Han Dynasty]

He was a mysterious commander who was comparable to Han Xin, one of the three great generals of the early Han Dynasty. He had outstanding achievements but was deliberately ignored. He was an outstanding figure among the Lu family's relatives, and his untimely death also led to the final destruction of the Lu family in the political struggle. In this video, let's talk about Lu Ze, a meritorious relative of the Lu family.

Speaking of Lu Ze, as the eldest brother of Queen Lu Zhi, he can be regarded as the most outstanding talent among the foreign relatives and the most underestimated top contributor to the founding of the Western Han Dynasty.

Because the Lu family suffered a disastrous defeat in the coup after Empress Lu's death, all detailed records about the family were erased with the demise of the Lu family. The most regrettable one was Lu Ze, Marquis of Zhou and Lu.

He was almost reduced to a marginal figure, not even qualified for the most basic biography.

When we open the "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Book of Han", it seems that Lü Ze was just an ordinary relative. However, among the more than 100 founding heroes of the Han Dynasty, there are only five who are clearly recorded as former subordinates of Lü Ze.

What is even more incredible is that among them, Lü Ze reminded Yang Duhou of his talent, ranking fourth among the founding heroes, only 4 less than Xiao He. Just from this point of view, Lü Ze as a leader is by no means an ordinary person.

Lü Ze's initial experience was briefly recorded in the "Records of the Grand Historian: Chronicles of Emperor Gaozu's Meritorious Officials and Marquises": In 209 BC, the six kingdoms rose up in rebellion against Qin, and Lü Ze joined Liu Bang's camp as a guest general.

The "guest general" here refers to the generals who are not affiliated with the main unit, so the initial responsibility should be to join Liu Bang's camp as a co-founder.

After Liu Bang became the King of Hanzhong, Lü Ze was granted the title of Marquis. At that time, there were only a handful of people who could be granted the title of Marquis. Some people may think that he relied on his status as a relative by marriage, but if Lü Ze did not have certain achievements and prestige, how could Liu Bang, who was in the early stages of his business, convince the public?