How to understand "The country cannot be saved if it is destroyed, and those who serve as ministers will be guilty of death, but if they dare to escape death, they will lose their minds."

As a minister of the country, the country is in danger and there is nothing you can do. You have already deserved to die. How can you dare to live in an ignoble way and have second thoughts?

Wen Tianxiang

“As long as a person’s reputation lasts for thousands of years, he will be disappointed if he is not granted the title of marquis” - Zhang Hongfan, the famous general of the Yuan Dynasty

Chinese people have always valued honor and integrity, and loyalty is even more important. It is an important criterion for measuring moral standards, but traditions and concepts are not formed overnight. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods when a hundred schools of thought contended, elites traveled around the world to choose the right master, and no one criticized their morality. Wu Zixu was a native of Chu, and he did not hesitate to destroy his motherland in order to avenge his own personal revenge. However, in the eyes of the world, he and Shen Baoxu, who cried for Qin Ting, were both heroes. However, as the times evolve, history has gradually taken on a heavy moral destiny, and personal choices have become narrower and narrower.

For thousands of years, there may not have been a more unlucky founding hero than Zhang Hongfan. This famous general with both civil and military talents has made great achievements in the annals of history. "Loneliness is a thing before death, and loneliness is a name after death."

After famous generals, young talents

In 1238 AD, Zhang Hongfan was born in a family of famous generals. He was the ninth son of Zhang Rou, a Mongolian household. Speaking of Zhang Rou, he was a famous figure during the Mongolian and Jin Dynasties. He was from Dingxing, Hebei Province. When the Mongolian army invaded the Jin Kingdom in the south, as a local powerful man, he gathered thousands of neighboring relatives to form a stronghold to protect themselves, and received the Dingxing Order. Later, he was tired of his official position and stayed in Zhongdu to know about the great prosperity. In 1218 AD, Zhang Rou was defeated by the Mongolian army at Langya Ridge and later surrendered to Mongolia.

Taizu of the Yuan Dynasty still appointed him to serve in his old position. In 1125, Zhang Rou was granted the title of Marshal of Qianhu and Du. His power greatly expanded, and he followed Subotai to besiege Bianjing. In 1233 AD, Marshal Cui Lixian of the Jin Dynasty surrendered. Zhang Rou followed Tachaer to conquer Caizhou, and the Jin Dynasty was destroyed. Also in this year, Zhang Rou was promoted to ten thousand households by Wo Kuotai for her meritorious service. She also took charge of the army and civilians, and became the leader of the Han army who dominated one side.

Although Zhang Rou was a military commander, he deeply admired the culture of the Central Plains and was interested in recruiting Han literati and officials who were living among the people. When he captured Bianjing, many generals looted their children's treasures, but he snatched away the precious document "Jin Shilu", and also hired Wang E, the last number one scholar in the Jin Dynasty, to his shogunate. Among Zhang Rou's staff, There are talented people like Le Kui, Jing Xuan and Hao Jing.

When Zhang Hongfan was born, it was already the tenth year of Wokuotai, Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty, and four years after the death of the Jin Dynasty. This effectively refutes the theory that he was a so-called traitorous general of the Jin Dynasty. Zhang Hongfan had eight elder brothers and two younger brothers. The Zhang family was a famous bibliophile in the early Yuan Dynasty. It is said that he collected more than 10,000 volumes of books. The famous Confucian Hao Jing was the tutor of his children. Under such influence, Zhang Hongfan quickly grew into a young general with all-round talents in both civil and military affairs. In 1256 AD, the twenty-year-old Zhang Hongfan was already "good at riding horses", quite capable of singing and poetry, and had outstanding appearance.

This year, Zhang Honglue, who was then the general manager of Shuntian Road, went to the emperor's residence to report on his duties, so Zhang Hongfan was left to perform his duties on his behalf. The young Zhang Hongfan was honest and upright, and historical records say "the officials and the people obeyed his clear decisions." At that time, the Mongolian army was brutal and disturbed the people. However, as long as there was trouble in Shuntian Prefecture, Zhang Hongfan would definitely "send them off in battle" without mercy. The Mongolian army was afraid of its majesty and no one who crossed the border dared to offend.

This experience can’t help but remind us of Wen Tianxiang’s early years. This loyal minister who “has left a mark on history” was “a luxurious person in his youth, and he was very self-respecting and well-known for his talents” in his youth. Comparing the two, the results are intriguing.

In 1260 AD, Kublai Khan succeeded to the throne and changed the Yuan Dynasty to the Central Government. Zhang Hongfan was appointed as the general manager of the Imperial Bureau, and thus became aware of Kublai Khan. In 1262 AD, the Han warlord Li Fen, who was entrenched in Jinan, rebelled. Zhang Hongfan led two thousand troops to join Prince Hebichi to attack him. It was during this battle that the 26-year-old Zhang Hongfan commanded Ruode, accomplished extraordinary feats, and first showed his elegance as a famous general.

At that time, Zhang Hongfan's army was in the west of Jinan City. Li Fen repeatedly sent troops to counterattack the besieging army, but Zhang Hongfan was missed. This trick did not succeed. Zhang Hongfan judged: "Our army camp is in a dangerous place, and Li Fen deliberately showed weakness I will attack with a surprise force, thinking that I don't know!" So he took strict precautions, built a long fortress, buried soldiers inside, set up trenches outside, and opened the east gate to wait for him.

The next day, Li Fen led his troops to attack the camp at night, and most of the soldiers fell into the trenches. The few who broke into the camp were killed by Zhang Hongfan's ambush. In this battle, two enemy generals were captured. When Zhang Rou heard about it, she praised him: "He is truly my son."

Zhang Hongfan managed the army quite well with the methods of famous generals in ancient and modern times. Throughout his life, he admired Wang Huan, the famous general of Chu State in the Five Dynasties, and imitated his actions, and his soldiers were ordinary. If there is illness or injury, he must visit him personally and take care of the medicine; if he dies unfortunately, his coffin must be sent back to his hometown; if there is any reward, he must distribute it to his subordinates. Because of this, Zhang Hongfan has won the hearts of the military and his prestige is growing. In 1264 AD, his elder brother Zhang Honglue was transferred to the Beijing Guards. Kublai Khan personally gave him a tiger talisman and officially appointed Zhang Hongfan as the general manager of Shuntian Prefecture.

Perhaps due to Hao Jing’s teachings, Zhang Hongfan was an official and paid attention to the suffering of the people. In 1265 AD, when he moved to Daming, there was a flood, and the people’s houses were destroyed and they were unable to pay the rent. Zhang Hongfan immediately ordered All exempt. Later, an official impeached him for being "excellent" and complained to Kublai Khan. Zhang Hongfan complained in front of Kublai Khan: "This year the water is too low, but the people must be blamed for losing. Although the warehouses are solid, but the people are dead, next year the rent will be If you can keep the people alive and prevent them from fleeing, then you will have a constant harvest. Isn’t it a big storehouse for your majesty?”

This statement is deeply understood in the herdsman’s way, and it is also very sharp in rhetoric. He was not only a talented general, but also capable of managing the people. When Kublai Khan heard this, he also praised him greatly, pardoned his crime of specialization, and said: "If you know your body, don't ask."

Galloping across the battlefield to defeat the enemy

In 1269 AD, the offensive and defensive battle around Xiangyang between the Yuan Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty entered a critical moment. Boyan, the prime minister of the Yuan Dynasty, personally led an army to reinforce him. Lieutenant Zhang Hongfan was ordered to march thousands of households to Yidu, Zilai and other roads, and command Li Fen's old troops to assist in the battle. Zhang Hongfan was ordered to guard Lumen Fort, cut off the food route to Xiangyang, and prevent reinforcements from Yingzhou.

Later, Zhang Hongfan led thousands of troops to move to Wanshan to build a city. The city had just been completed when Song general Xia Guitu led a large army to cover up the city. His men were outnumbered and asked to retreat. Zhang Hongfan replied categorically, "What are you and I doing here? Are you going to stop fighting when the enemy arrives? Those who dare to retreat will die!" After saying this, he put on his armor and mounted his horse. He and his general Li Ting led 200 cavalrymen into battle and defeated the Song army.

In 1271 AD, Zhang Hongfan built a "one-word city" between Xiangfan and Xiangfan to separate the Song army's defense system and began a key attack on Fancheng. During the fierce battle, Zhang Hongfan was hit by a stray arrow in his elbow. Guo Chuangjin met with the commander and proposed a battle plan of using the navy to cut off the river, cut off Fancheng's rescue, and then advance both by land and water. As a result, the Yuan army quickly captured Fancheng after repeated attacks. Song general Fan Tianshun died in the battle, and Niu Fu led more than a hundred troops to fight in the streets. After being defeated, he threw himself into the fire. Once Fancheng was broken, the defender of Xiangyang was alone and could no longer defend, so the defender Lu Wenhuan had no choice but to surrender to the Yuan Dynasty. The Battle of Xiangfan, which lasted for six years, ended with the victory of the Yuan Dynasty and the defeat of the Song Dynasty. This was a decisive battle between the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty. The Song Dynasty lost its last barrier and its demise was a foregone conclusion.

After retiring from the army, Zhang Hongfan was rewarded by Kublai Khan with "brocade clothes, platinum, and precious saddles" for his achievements in Xiangfan. In 1274 AD, Boyan once again launched an army to attack the Song Dynasty. He divided his troops into two groups. One group attacked Huaixi and Huaidong, aiming directly at Yangzhou; the other group was led by generals Ali Hague and Zhang Hongfan, with general Lu Wenhuan as the vanguard, and went down the Han River from Xiangyang. Pass by Wuji Fort and go straight to Lin'an.

Jia Sidao, the treacherous Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, was afraid of the enemy and avoided fighting. Although the commander was stationed in Wuhu, he sent Song Jing to the Yuan army camp to negotiate a peace, asking for a year's worth of gold and silk in exchange for surviving, but Boyan flatly refused. , Jia Sidao then ordered Sun Huchen, the commander in front of the palace, to lead 70,000 infantrymen to station in Chizhou. Xia Gui, the navy commander, stationed 2,500 warships across the river, and he himself led the rear army to station in Lugang.

The Yuan army did not give Jia Sidao a chance to breathe. Zhang Hongfan led the infantry and cavalry to advance across the bank and attacked Sun Huchen first. Sun Huchen's army collapsed and fled to Lugang. After Xia Gui heard the news, he also abandoned his army and fled in panic. The Song army Jiang's defense collapsed completely, Zhang Hongfan marched straight in and occupied Jiankang. At that time, Kublai Khan thought that the weather was hot and he was afraid that the army would be tired, so he ordered to "station less and wait." Zhang Hongfan said: "The Holy Grace treats the soldiers with sincerity, but the best thing to do is to take it easy. Now the enemy has taken away his breath." , It is time to take advantage of the situation of breaking the bamboo and take advantage of it. Why should we be slow and slow so that the enemy can make a plan?" Prime Minister Boyan also agreed with him, so the Yuan army marched to Guazhou and set up fences along the river, preparing to continue the attack. .

At this time, Jiang Cai, the governor of Yangzhou in the Song Dynasty, led 20,000 elite troops to fight. Jiang Cai's army was said to be brave and good at fighting, and they formed a formation by blocking the water. The Yuan army looked at it with fear.

Zhang Hongfan asked the capital marshal A Shu to supervise the formation, and he led thirteen elite cavalry across the water to charge into the formation. Because Jiang Cai's formation was immobile, Zhang Hongfan pretended to retreat, and the Song army chased after him. One of the cavalrymen jumped on his horse and waved his sword, gradually advancing. Zhang Hongfan suddenly turned his horse's head and struck hard with his sword. The enemy cavalry was killed instantly. The rest of the cavalry were shocked. The Yuan army took advantage of the momentum and attacked fiercely, defeating the Song army and beheading more than 10,000 soldiers.

The vanguard of the Southern Expedition captures Lin'an

After the Yuan army captured Jiankang, Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, was already in danger. The Song court issued the call of King Qin, but few responded, only Zhang Shijie and Wen Tianxiang. A few people. Zhang Shijie turned out to be Zhang Rou's subordinate. After Zhang Rou surrendered to Mongolia, he ran south to the Song Dynasty and later became one of the commanders of the Southern Song Dynasty's anti-Yuan Dynasty. In the end, he died for his country and his death was considered heroic. In July, the Southern Song Dynasty sent envoys Zhao Qing along the river, privy councilors Zhang Shijie, Zhi Taizhou Sun Huchen and other boat divisions gathered in the north and south of Jiaoshan to prepare for the final decisive battle with the Yuan army. The commander-in-chief of the Yuan army, A Shu, gathered thousands of warships from all the provinces in Guazhou. Atahai and Dong Wenbing gathered 10,000 warships from the Privy Council to cross to Xijin. Zhang Hongfan and others used a thousand warships to raid the Pearl Sands westward. A Shu and Atahai climbed to Shigong Mountain on the south bank, and commanded Liu Chen, the naval force of Wanhu, to follow the south bank of the river. After bypassing the Southern Song Dynasty defense army, Dong Wenbing went straight to the southern foot of Jiaoshan Mountain and responded to Liu Guojie of the Yuan army. Wanhu suddenly attacked the center. Zhang Hongfan came from the upper reaches to join his army in the north of Jiao Mountain.

In this battle, the Song army was defeated across the board, with countless casualties. Zhang Hongfan led his army to the east of Pushan. Kublai Khan gave him the honorary title of "Batu" and the title of Haozhou. Thousands of households.

In view of the futility of continuing to resist, in the first month of 1276 AD, the Song Dynasty sent clan members Zhao Yinfu and Zhao Jifu to the Yuan army camp to beg for peace with the national jade seal and the surrender form. In the surrender form, they were called uncle and nephew. Yan sent Zhang Hongfan, Meng Qi, Cheng Pengfei and others to Lin'an City first to accuse them of breach of contract and breach of trust. Zhang Hongfan persuaded the Song court and obtained the Song king's declaration of humiliation and surrender. In March, Boyan entered Lin'an, and the young leader of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xian (Emperor Gong) and Queen Mother Quan were escorted to Dadu.

At that time, the anti-Yuan forces in various parts of the south were very strong. Many cities surrendered and rebelled again. The Mongolian army mostly massacred the towns to suppress them, but Zhang Hongfan did not use this method. For example, during the Zhejiang Rebellion, he only Killed several leaders. In 1277 AD, Zhang Hongfan was promoted to an official position and was awarded the title of "General of Zhenguo". He also served as the envoy of Jiangdong Road. This year he was 41 years old.

Wupo Battle Loyalty and Righteousness

In 1278 AD, Wen Tianxiang, Zhang Shijie and others supported Zhao Gang, the young emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, and rushed south to Guangzhou. Unexpectedly, Zhao Gang died of illness on Dongzhou Island. They supported Zhao Dong, King of Guang, and renamed themselves Yuan Xiangxing, and continued to resist the Yuan army.

Of course, the Yuan Dynasty government would not tolerate the continued existence of the Southern Song Dynasty regime, so Kublai Khan appointed Zhang Hongfan as the marshal of the Mongolian and Han armies, and specially assigned two batches of Mongolian troops to his command. This was an extraordinary measure at the time. Even Zhang Hongfan wrote a letter saying, "The Han people have no control over the Mongolian army, so they beg to appoint Mongolian loyal ministers as their commanders." Kublai Khan replied, "Do you know what happened between your father and Chahan? They destroyed Anfeng, and your father wants to keep troops." Defend it, but Chaohan refuses to obey. The army is in the south, and Anfeng has returned to the Song Dynasty. It has lost ground in advance and retreat. Your father deeply regrets it. You have not been appointed for good reasons. How can you have the regrets of your father now? , If you can take your father's heart into consideration, I will reward you."

In the Golden Palace, Kublai Khan gave Zhang Hongfan brocade clothes, jade belts and other items, but Zhang Hongfan asked for swords and armor. Lie immediately ordered that the best swords and armor in the arsenal be displayed in the main hall for Zhang Hongfan to choose. Kublai Khan also solemnly warned Zhang Hongfan, saying, "The sword is your auxiliary. If you don't need to order it, just keep it here." In fact. It gave him exclusive power.

Before leaving, Zhang Hongfan recommended Li Heng, a descendant of Xixia, as deputy marshal. Soon, this southern expeditionary army, composed of a mixture of Mongols and Han, with 20,000 soldiers by land and water, was divided under the leadership of Zhang Hongfan. Head south. Zhang Hongfan appointed his younger brother Zhang Hongzheng as the vanguard, and warned him: "I chose you to be brave, not for selfish reasons. Military law is strict, and I dare not use private interests to undermine public officials, so I encourage them." Wherever the Yuan army's frontline is headed, no one can defeat it. After marching down Zhang, Chao, Hui, Tan, Guang and Qiongzhou, Zhang Hong met the small army of Song Prime Minister Wen Tianxiang at Wupoling. The Song army was dispersed and Wen Tianxiang was captured. The Yuan army asked Wen Tianxiang to pay homage to Zhang Hongfan, but Wen Tianxiang remained unmoved and refused to bow down. Zhang Hongfan did not make things difficult for him, and asked his officials to loosen Wen Tianxiang's bonds and treat him as a guest.

In 1279 AD, Zhang Hongfan led the navy to massively attack Zhang Shijie who was entrenched in Yashan, and began the final battle to destroy the Song Dynasty. At this time, Wen Tianxiang was also under house arrest on a Yuan army ship as a prisoner of war. Zhang Hongfan asked him to write After writing a letter to Zhang Shijie, persuading him to surrender, Wen Tianxiang copied his "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" and gave it to Zhang Hongfan as a reply.

After Zhang Hongfan read it, he deeply respected Wen Tianxiang as a person, so he laughed it off and did not force him to write a letter to persuade him to surrender. During this period, Zhang Hongfan had many conversations with Wen Tianxiang, and his subordinates repeatedly advised Zhang Hongfan: "The prime minister of an enemy country has ulterior motives and should not be approached." Zhang Hongfan said with a smile: "He is a man who is extremely loyal and loyal. I guarantee him no one else."

Yashan Leshi became famous

In January, the main force of the Yuan army arrived at Yashan. Zhang Hongfan sent Zhang Shijie's nephew Han to go three times to persuade him to surrender, but he was sternly rejected every time. At that time, Zhang Shijie had a thousand warships. He connected the ships in a line and "built buildings and oars on top of them, which was like a solid wall." Zhang Hongfan blocked Haikou and cut off the water source of the Song army. The Song army was hungry and thirsty, so they drank from sea water one after another, and the soldiers were exhausted.

After Li Heng, deputy marshal of the Yuan Army, arrived from Guangzhou, Zhang Hongfan "gave him two battleships to guard the north." At the beginning of the war, the soldiers asked for artillery bombardment first. Zhang Hongfan said: "If the fire breaks out, the boat will scatter, so it is better to fight." It can be seen that in the battle of Yashan, Zhang Hongfan's strategy was to achieve total annihilation. The next day, Zhang Hongfan divided his army into four groups and surrounded the Song army on three sides. Zhang Hongfan led an army to Xiangliyu and ordered: "Song Zhou must flee east when the tide comes. Attack it urgently. Don't let it go. If you hear that I am happy to do it, fight." , Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!"

After the sea tide rose, the Yuan army led by Li Heng rushed into battle and took advantage of the tide to attack the Song army. However, Li Heng and others retreated with the tide. At this time, there was loud music in Zhang Hongfan's army, which was the signal for a general offensive. However, the Song army thought that Zhang Hongfan was "having a banquet" and relaxed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Hongfan led his boat division to rush forward, and various departments of the Yuan army followed suit. After the two sides connected, the Yuan army "used bows, crossbows, flints and stones" and instantly sank seven Song warships. In the fierce battle, the Song Dynasty navy was defeated.

Seeing the ruin of his country and his family, Lu Xiufu, the left prime minister of the Song Dynasty, "drove his wife and son into the sea" and threw himself into the sea holding the seven-year-old Emperor Zhao Kuai. Zhang Shijie broke out of the siege and prepared to recruit his old troops; he searched for the descendants of the Zhao clan and tried to recover. Unfortunately, he encountered a big storm and everyone on the ship drowned at the foot of Pingzhang Mountain. The Southern Song Dynasty was completely destroyed. According to historical records, after Zhang Hongfan's victory, he laid a stone on the mountain to commemorate his merits. This incident was later used as a joke that "Song Zhang Hongfan destroyed the Song Dynasty here." In fact, Zhang Hongfan was neither a Jin official nor a Song official, so why did he say this?

After the Battle of Yashan, the Yuan army held a banquet. Zhang Hongfan said to Wen Tianxiang: "When the country is destroyed, the prime minister's loyalty and filial piety have been exhausted. Those who can change their mind to serve the Song Dynasty will serve as the emperor." Wen Tianxiang burst into tears. , said: "The country cannot be saved if it perishes. A minister who is a minister is more than guilty of death. How dare you escape and die?" Zhang Hongfan felt his loyalty and sent an envoy to escort him to the capital. Wen Tianxiang's old friend Deng Guangjian, the Minister of Rites of the Song Dynasty, was a Jinshi. Because of his erudition and knowledge, he was hired by Zhang Hongfan as the teacher of his beloved son Zhang Gui.

Who is commenting on the entanglement between loyalty and treachery

In October of this year, Zhang Hongfan's class teacher returned to the court, and Kublai Khan specially washed his dust in the inner hall. However, Zhang Hongfan's health was deteriorating. Due to long-term battles, overwork, and malaria, Zhang Hongfan fell ill soon after returning to Dadu.

Kublai Khan paid great attention to this hero who served his life. He specially ordered the doctor to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, he sent his ministers to discuss the use of medicine. He also ordered guards to go to the gate of the Zhang family prison to stop people from disturbing his illness. When Zhang Hongfan was critically ill, he took a bath, changed his clothes, and had people help him to the atrium, where he bowed to the emperor again. Sit down, order wine and have fun, and say goodbye to your relatives. He took out the sword and armor given by Kublai Khan, handed it to his son Zhang Gui and said, "Your father has accomplished meritorious service in this way. I admire you and don't forget it." After saying this, he sat down and died at the age of forty-three.

After Zhang Hongfan's death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Yinqing Ronglu Doctor by the Yuan Dynasty. In 1311 AD, the Yuan Dynasty also gave him the posthumous title of "Zhongwu, a hero of Jieyi Yun, Taishi, Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Shangzhuguo, Qi Guogong". In 1319 AD, the Yuan Dynasty also granted him the title "The hero who protected the great power" was granted the title of King of Huaiyang, and his posthumous title was changed to Xianwu.

Zhang Hongfan was versatile in both literature and martial arts. He studied prose with Hao Jing in his childhood and was quite good at poetry. He wrote "Huaiyang Collection" and "Huaiyang Yuefu". The content of his sanqu was mainly about cavalry fighting and self-respect. Zhu Quan of the Ming Dynasty " "Taihe Zhengyin Pu" lists him among the 150 "Ci Lin Yingjie".

There has always been a lot of controversy about Zhang Hongfan’s merits and demerits in his life. Some people say that he was a good general who founded the country, while others say that he was a shameless traitor. In fact, as long as a man is upright and upright in life, he has made great achievements in history, so why should he care about future generations? Comment!