Why are heroes so easy to emerge in troubled times and capable ministers in prosperous times?

Because in troubled times, everyone will do anything to survive, so it is easier for those ruthless and ambitious heroes to stand up and win the hearts of the people, because people will choose to rely on more powerful monarchs in order to survive.

But in the prosperous times, people had their own values ??and concepts of honor and disgrace. If those heroes choose to jump out and commit rebellion, they will be conspiring to commit rebellion. Not only will they be punished by death, but no one will follow them.

A hero in troubled times

So in the prosperous times, if you want to be a hero by not taking the ordinary path, there is no future.

The best choice in the prosperous times is to be a capable minister in governing the world, such as Yi Yin, Huo Guang, and capable ministers like Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng. When they were in office, they all used their talents to help their monarchs govern the world in order. Become a symbol of admiration for future generations.

The capable minister in prosperous times

The reason why there is such a difference, I personally think, can be understood as two concepts: "the capable minister in the prosperous times" and the "hero in the troubled times". One is life and the other is survival.

In troubled times, wars are going on everywhere. You, a capable minister, come out and say that I can help you govern the country, let the people live and work in peace and contentment, and triple the per capita GDP in ten years.

...This is unrealistic. I don’t know if the city I conquered can be defended for ten years.

The same is true in the prosperous times. Everyone has something to eat and clothes to wear. If you, a hero, jump out and say, follow me, kill them and we can survive! Don't be like this, brother, we are living well, you are causing trouble!

In times of trouble, someone needs to stand up, train soldiers, and lead them to resist the invasion of foreign enemies, attack cities, and achieve hegemony. In the prosperous times, one person is needed to govern the country to make life better and more civilized.