freenovelworld Chapter 254 Yang Zhu, a mysterious person
Chapter 254 Yang Zhu, a mysterious person
[Assassin's Biographies, read all the five strongest assassins in one go, historical trivia about assassins]
Kill one person every 10 steps, leaving no trace in a thousand miles: Five of the most famous assassins in history
They are the five most famous assassins in history, with the courage to face death and the feats that shook the world. They take "a man will die for his friend" as their life creed, work in darkness, but serve the light.
In this video, let us review the top five assassins with extremely high combat power in "Assassin's Biographies".
First place: Nie Zheng - White Rainbow Piercing the Sun
Nie Zheng was a Korean during the Warring States Period, known for his chivalry. When he was young, he fled to Shandong to avoid disaster for murder and became a butcher. At that time, Yan Zhongzi, a Korean doctor, fled abroad because he failed in his power struggle with Han Xianglei.
When Yan Zhongzi heard of Nie Zheng's reputation as a chivalrous man, he made friends with him in the name of celebrating his mother's birthday and asked him to assassinate Xia Lei to avenge him.
After three years of mourning for his mother, Nie Zheng came to the capital of Han alone to repay Yan Zhongzi's kindness. On the steps of Xia Lei's mansion, he killed dozens of guards, successfully assassinated Xia Lei and escaped.
In order to avoid implicate his sister who looked similar to him, Nie Zheng disfigured his own face and committed suicide by cutting open his stomach.
Second place: Zhuan Zhu - Comet hits the moon
Zhuan Zhu was a native of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period. He was the most efficient assassin among the five great assassins. At that time, King Liao of Wu was in power, and his cousin, Prince Guang, wanted to seize the throne. So Wu Zixu recommended Zhuan Zhu to Prince Guang.
Under the pretext of entertaining King Liao of Wu, Prince Guang hid a dagger in the belly of a fish and stabbed King Liao to death on the spot. Zhuan Zhu was also killed by King Liao's guards.
Third place: Cao Mo - Blood splattered five steps
Cao Mo was a native of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. He was the only assassin of the Five Assassins who survived. During the war between Qi and Lu, Lu was repeatedly defeated and its territory was occupied by Qi. Later, Duke Huan of Qi agreed to form an alliance with Lu.
On the altar of offering sacrifice to heaven, Cao Mo, who was beside Duke Zhuang of Lu, suddenly attacked and held Duke Huan of Qi hostage with a dagger in hand, demanding that Qi return the territory of Lu or they would perish together. Duke Huan of Qi had no choice but to agree.
According to the etiquette of the time, Cao Mo should have died to atone for his crime, but he remained calm and returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
Fourth place: Yu Rang - Cutting the clothes three feet long
Yu Rang was a native of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period. He was the most tragic assassin among the five assassins. He was a retainer of Zhi Bo, the prime minister of Jin. Han, Zhao, and Wei of Jin jointly attacked Zhi Bo, who was defeated and killed.
In order to avenge his master, Yu Rang changed his name and sneaked into the residence of Zhao Xiangzi. In order not to be recognized by others, he swallowed charcoal to make his voice mute. Later, Yu Rang failed to assassinate Zhao Xiangzi and was captured by Zhao Xiangzi.
Before his death, Yu Rang asked for Zhao Xiangzi's clothes, drew his sword and cut three feet of him to show his revenge for his master, and then committed suicide.
This is the allusion to "A man will die for his best friend, and a woman will dress up for the one who pleases her."
No. 5: Jing Ke - The truth is revealed
Jing Ke was a native of Wei during the Warring States Period. He was fond of reading and fencing, and was generous and chivalrous. At that time, Qin King Ying Zheng unified the six kingdoms, and the Qin army, after destroying Zhao, headed straight for the border of Yan.
The terrified Prince Dan of Yan decided to send someone to Qin to assassinate King Ying Zheng in order to save the Yan State, which was facing a catastrophe. With Tian Guang's recommendation, Prince Dan found Jing Ke.
In 227 BC, Jing Ke went to Qin with the map of Du Kang in Yan and the head of Qin's rebel general Fan Yuqi. The King of Qin solemnly summoned him in the Xianyang Palace.
Jing Ke hid a dagger in the map in the name of presenting it to the king. When the map was completed, the dagger was revealed and Jing Ke failed to stab the king of Qin. He was wounded by the king and eventually killed by the Qin guards.
[Read all the historical facts about the life of the great man Wu Zixu in one go - Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period]
He was the most legendary hero in the chaotic Spring and Autumn Period. His father and brother were killed unjustly, and he wandered all his life. He turned gray overnight for revenge. He was the most resolute man in history books.
He endured for many years, took revenge, dug up his enemy's grave and whipped his corpse. His life was legendary, but he was eventually framed and stabbed to death, and his body was thrown into the river. The Dragon Boat Festival was also established to commemorate him. In this video, let us learn about the life of the real man Wu Zixu.
Wu Zixu was born into a prominent family in the State of Chu. His father, Wu She, was a teacher to the crown prince of Chu, and his brother, Wu Shang, was also a young talent. If nothing unexpected had happened, Wu Zixu could have lived a peaceful life.
However, things never go as planned. In 522 BC, the Crown Prince Jian of Chu was falsely accused of rebellion by the treacherous minister Fei Wuji, and Wu Zixu's father Wu She, as the Crown Prince's teacher, was also implicated.
King Ping of Chu believed the slander and executed Wu Zixu's father Wu She and brother Wu Shang. Wu Zixu was forced to flee and escaped death. With the help of Duke Donggao, Wu Zixu successfully passed Zhaoguan and came to Wu State. This is the allusion of "Wu Zixu's hair turned white overnight at Zhaoguan".
In 515 BC, Wu Zixu came to Wu and made friends with Zhuan Zhu and Prince Guang. In order to use the power of Wu to attack Chu, he asked Zhuan Zhu to assassinate King Liao of Wu and help Prince Guang become King of Wu, namely King Helu of Wu.
Afterwards, in order to relieve Prince Guang of his worries, Wu Zixu arranged for Yao Li to assassinate King Liao of Wu's son Qingji.
In 506 BC, Helü made great use of Wu Zixu and appointed Sun Wu, who was recommended by Wu Zixu, as the commander to attack Chu. In the Battle of Baiju, the Wu army defeated the Chu army and then conquered the capital of Chu, Ying.
At that time, his enemy, King Ping of Chu, had died, but Wu Zixu had not forgotten the decades-long vengeance on his father and brother. So he dug up King Ping of Chu's tomb and whipped his corpse 300 times to avenge his father and brother.
In 505 BC, Wu Zixu's friend Shen Baoxu cried bitterly in the Qin palace for seven days and seven nights in order to save the State of Chu. He finally persuaded the Qin State to send troops to rescue Chu, defeated the Wu army, and saved the State of Chu from danger.
Shen Baoxu can be regarded as a model of loyalty and patriotism throughout the ages.
In 496 BC, in the Battle of Zhuli, Yue defeated Wu, and King Helu of Wu was seriously injured and died. His son Fuchai succeeded him, and Wu Zixu was entrusted by the King of Wu as a regent, a high-ranking official.
In 494 BC, two years after Fu Chai ascended the throne, Wu defeated Yue in the Battle of Fujue, and Yue surrendered. Wu Zixu thought that Yue should be destroyed at this time, but Fu Chai listened to the slander of the treacherous minister Bo Pi and gave up destroying Yue, leaving hidden dangers.
In 484 BC, Bo Pi falsely accused Wu Zixu of plotting rebellion.
So Fuchai ordered Wu Zixu to commit suicide, and then threw his body into the Qiantang River. The people were grateful for Wu Zixu's experience and commemorated him, which is another origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Before his death, Zixu asked his family to dig out his eyes and hang them on the city gates so that he could see the demise of Wu. Later, Yue finally conquered the capital of Wu, and Wu Zixu seemed to have seen the demise of Wu.
Wu Zixu, the most legendary hero in the chaotic Spring and Autumn Period, had a tragic end. He turned gray overnight to avenge his father and brother, and endured for decades to get his revenge. Sima Qian couldn't help but praise him: "Who else but a brave man could do this?"
[Read the Yang Zhu School in one go! Historical knowledge Yang Zhu School]
He was called a "beast" by Mencius, but the school of thought he founded became the mainstream at the time and its influence once surpassed that of Confucius.
He was one of the greatest thinkers in the Hundred Schools of Thought, but was rejected and criticized by Confucianism and gradually forgotten by the world. In this video, let us learn about Yang Zhu, the earliest pioneer of individualistic thought in China.
Yang Zhu was a native of Wei during the Warring States Period. He was an important figure in the Taoist school. The Taoist Yang Zhu School he founded was unique in the Warring States Period and was as famous as the Mohist School.
Mencius once said: "The teachings of Yang and Mo are endless, but the teachings of Confucius are not effective. The words of the world either belong to Yang or to Mo." This shows the influence of the Yang Zhu School.
Yang Zhu once said a famous saying: "If cutting a hair can benefit the whole world, I won't do it; if I can benefit the whole world, I won't take it. If everyone does not cut a hair and no one benefits the whole world, the world will be well governed." This means that if cutting a hair can benefit the whole world, I won't do it;
But if everyone in the world wants to give me benefits, I don't want such benefits. If everyone can do nothing to harm others and not establish benevolence, righteousness and propriety in the world, then the world will naturally be governed.
Looking at this sentence alone, it sounds like an example of a sophisticated egoist, but in fact the original version of this sentence is: "If I could lose even a hair to benefit the world, I would not give it; if I could give the whole world to myself, I would not take it." Yang Zhu's thoughts were deliberately misinterpreted by Mencius, who emphasized that Yang Zhu was "not willing to give even a hair" and was an extremely selfish person, and therefore called him a "beast."
But Yang Zhu's real intention was "no one harms himself, no one harms others and benefits the world", which obviously went beyond the scope of Confucianism. He pursued a kind of world order under individualism, which was contrary to our common sense, so his doctrine has always been controversial.
To truly understand Yang Zhu's thoughts, we must look at the premise of this school of thought. The thoughts of Yang Zhu's school can be summarized into three aspects: discussing life and death, valuing oneself, and preserving one's nature and authenticity.
The Yang Zhu School believed that everyone will die, and that life and death are natural laws that have nothing to do with becoming an immortal or worshipping gods. This is a truth that is difficult to accept, and is one of the main reasons why Yang Zhu's thought was considered a heresy.
But people just can't accept the truth. On this basis, Yang Zhu said: "Whether you become a saint like Yao and Shun, or a wicked person rejected by everyone, you will eventually face death."
If you want to live a good life, you must face reality and accept the outcome calmly.
Yang Zhu's disciple Meng Sunyang once asked him: "If a person cherishes his life and body and prays for immortality, can he do it?" Yang Zhu replied: "There is no reason for people to be immortal."
Meng Sunyang asked again: "Can you pray for longevity?" Yang Zhu replied: "There is no reason for people to live long. Life cannot be longed just by wishing it, and the body cannot be healthy just by taking good care of it."
Here, Yang Zhu also said a classic saying: "What is the point of living for a long time? The likes and dislikes of the five emotions are the same in ancient times as they are today; the safety and danger of the four limbs are the same in ancient times as they are today; the suffering and happiness of the world are the same in ancient times as they are today; the disorder of yin and yang are the same in ancient times as they are today."
What is the point of living forever? The joys and sorrows of the world are the same in ancient and modern times, and the changes in society are the same in ancient and modern times.
If you have truly experienced your life, heard what you should hear, seen what you should see, and experienced everything you should experience, then you may not want to live forever.
The second key point of Yang Zhu's thought is "valuing oneself". He emphasized that "valuing oneself" is the second key point of Yang Zhu's thought, which is the most difficult to understand and the most easily misunderstood. Yang Zhu said: "If you live a hundred years, get rid of all disturbances, and live in leisure, you will not live more than thirty. However, there is little joy in your life."
This means that 100 years is the limit of human lifespan, and there is less than one person in 1000 who can live to be a hundred years old.
Assuming that a person can live to be a hundred years old, the time spent in childhood and old age takes up half of his life, half is lost in sleep at night, and another half is spent on illness and worries. All calculated in this way, life will only be a dozen years.
So how do you spend the next decade? Run for fame and damage your body? Or be bound by desire and add to your troubles? None of them.
You don’t need to ask others how you want to live, but ask your own heart. This is called “Don’t act according to your heart, don’t be persuaded by fame; follow your heart, don’t go against the good of all things; the fame after death is not what you want.”
It means not going against one's natural instincts, not being tempted by fame, not being burdened by external things, and not pursuing fame after death.
Yang Zhu's disciple suddenly asked in confusion: "Isn't it selfish to only focus on yourself?" So Yang Zhu said what we mentioned at the beginning: "If I could lose a little bit and benefit the world, I would not do it; if I could gain the whole world and serve myself, I would not take it." The original meaning of this sentence is that everyone should value himself, and at the same time value others.
Don't do anything that is bad for yourself, and don't do anything that is bad for others. Confucianism talks about "sacrificing yourself to achieve others", but after Confucius passed away, who really sacrificed themselves?
Isn't it all about letting others sacrifice themselves to achieve their own goals? These words may be a little contrary to common sense, but this is Yang Zhu's thought, which is why it has always been controversial.
The third key point of Yang Zhu's thought is "keeping one's nature intact". He advocates keeping one's nature natural and not being burdened by external things. He opposes sacrificing one's life and health for fame or profit, and believes that only when everyone values themselves and does not harm others can society truly achieve harmony.
Yang Zhu's disciples once asked him, "Shouldn't people pursue fame? Shouldn't they pursue something moral?" Yang Zhu replied, "It's just using fame to get rich."
The disciple asked again: "Why do some wealthy people not give up?" Yang Zhu replied: "They still seek a prominent position." The disciple asked again: "The position is already very prestigious, why don't they give up?"
Yang Zhu replied: "For the reputation after death." The same logic continued: the person is already dead, so what is the point of having a reputation? This is to make a name for future generations to offset the kindness.
——"Those who are excluded by Home Inn are all knowledgeable people."
——"Huaxia Love is the first to say that moral kidnapping is unacceptable."
——"The words of the saints are to be listened to, not for you to use. They are for others to use, not for you to use."
——"Yang Zhu's thoughts were too advanced and too worthwhile."
——"Yang Zhu was mainly criticizing the group of saints at that time."