The 33rd King of Chu: A brief introduction to the King of Chu, why did he mourn?

The Three Jin Dynasties in the characters' lives threatened to mourn the first year of King Chu (40 BC1). When the king of Chu ascended the throne, the situation at home and abroad was far from that of his great-grandfather Chu Wanghui. The most important change is that in foreign countries, Sanjin became stronger, and Chu fell into a forced predicament.

In the second year of mourning for the king of Chu (400 BC), the allied forces of Sanjin defeated Chu Shi in Qiu Cheng (southwest of Juye County, Shandong Province). The intention of Sanjin was to weaken Chu's right wing in order to relieve the threat of his left wing.

In the ninth year of King Chu's funeral (393 BC), the State of Chu attacked South Korea and seized Sogdian (now southwest of Dengfeng County, Henan Province).

In the 11th year of King Chu's funeral (39 1 BC), the allied forces of Sanjin made a comeback for revenge and defeated Chu's division in Daliang (now northwest of Kaifeng, Henan) and Guan Yu (now northeast of Xinzheng, Henan). Chu not only lost these two important strategic places, but also was taken away by Wei, which made Chu unable to cope, so he had to "be lenient with Qin" and ask Qin for help. Qin sent troops to capture six cities in South Korea, and Sanjin turned to deal with Qin, reducing the pressure on Chu. Sanjin saw Qin Chu united and turned to draw Qi. Since then, the contradiction between Sanjin and Chu has become more acute and complicated, posing a very serious threat to Chu.

The king of Chu was sad from Wuqi to heaven. He was an ambitious man. He wanted to get rid of this dilemma, but he couldn't come up with a good plan and didn't know where to start. What bothers him even more is that no minister can share his troubles. Big noble, Qu, Jing and Zhao all had great influence and held important positions. They have the means to oppress the people, but they have no way to govern the country and resist foreign aggression. They rely on their own strength and sometimes even mourn the king. Ai Wang Yi envied his ancestors for having wise ministers to assist him; On the one hand, we are also actively looking for and looking for talents. He has been working hard for this for many years, but he has never found a suitable candidate. Just as he was looking forward to talents, Wu got up and went to Chu. It's a blessing to mourn the king. He thinks that God has eyes and will not fail those who make up their minds. Therefore, Wang funeral received Wuqi with the longest etiquette and the highest specifications.

Wu Qi, born in a very rich family, was originally a patriotic person. He liked the army since he was a child. In order to realize his ambition, he did not hesitate to go to other countries, hoping to get the reuse of governors in order to display his talents and make a difference. I didn't expect to hit a wall everywhere, and I was laughed at by my neighbors when I went home. In a rage, Wuqi killed those who slandered and insulted him and decided to go out to study. When I said goodbye to my mother, I vowed not to be a senior official, not to be a first-class official, and never to go back to my hometown again. He first came to Shandong and studied Confucianism under the guidance of Confucian scholars at that time. Soon after, his mother died, and Ceng Zi sent him home to be filial. He felt that he had achieved nothing in his studies, that his vows had not been fulfilled, and that he had no face to go home to see his mother's coffin, so he stopped going. Ceng Zi was very angry and sent him away. After Wu Qi left Ceng Zi, he devoted himself to studying the art of war and military strategy. One year, Qi sent troops to attack Lu, and Lu Jun was terrified. He appointed Wu Qi as commander in chief in every way, but unexpectedly he broke the Qi army. Wu Qili's meritorious military service was not praised, but was suspected and rejected by Lu nobles. They said to Lu Jun, "Lu is a small country. When we win the battle and become famous, other vassal States will attack us together, and Lu will be in great trouble. " Lu Jun listened to the slanderers, and Wuqi had to leave Lu.

Wuqi has made outstanding achievements in military affairs. He heard that Wei Wenhou was very wise and appointed Li Kui to carry out political reform, which badly needed talents. When I came to Wei, I asked what kind of person Wuqi was. Li Kui said: Wuqi is good at fighting. Even if Sima Yi, a famous Qi, is reborn, he can't surpass him. Wei Wenhou was very happy and appointed Wuqi as general. Wu Qi is a general who manages the army well and "loves soldiers like children". He can share joys and sorrows with the foot soldiers, wear the same clothes and eat the same food; Don't take a car when marching, carry luggage and rations like foot soldiers; When camping, don't pave the way like foot soldiers. On one occasion, when Wei Jun, his commander-in-chief, attacked Zhongshan State, he found that a soldier had a poisonous sore, and personally sucked the pus out for the foot soldiers with his mouth. The mother of the foot soldiers couldn't help crying when she heard the news. Someone asked her: "General Wu personally sucked pus for your son. Why are you not happy, but so sad? " My mother sobbed and replied, "My husband has a poisonous sore, and General Wu sucked pus out of him. After his illness was cured, he died heroically on the battlefield. Now General Wu is personally giving my son a drug sore, and my son will die. I don't know where he will die, so I can't help crying. " Wuqi is not only kind to foot soldiers, but also disciplined and rewarded clearly. At the same time, he knows all about disposal and various methods of warfare, especially the coordinated operations of various services and arms. Wei Wenhou once ordered Wuqi to command 50,000 infantry in Wei Jun and ordered the whole army: "Soldiers of the three armed forces should resolutely obey the command and face the enemy's chariots, cavalry and infantry tomorrow. If people who fight in chariots can't capture the enemy's chariots, those who fight on horseback can't capture the enemy's cavalry, and those who fight on foot can't capture the enemy's infantry, even if they defeat the enemy, they can't be considered meritorious. " The next day, when the battle started, Wei Jun was brave, and everyone rushed to kill Qin Jun, which was overwhelming. Wuqi finally defeated Qin Jun by 50,000 soldiers in Wei Jun, which made great achievements. Later, it even broke five cities in Qin Jun, making Qin Jun afraid to move eastward. From then on, among the nationalities at that time, I heard the name Wuqi, and I really heard it. So, how can he not be very happy when he comes to visit the king in Chu?

The spy also had some doubts in his heart and sincerely mourned for the king: how could Wei let a wizard like Wu Qi go? At the banquet hosted by Wu Qi, Wang Moning raised such a question: "The general has made so much contribution to Wei Jun, how can Wei be willing to give up the general?" Wu Qi said, "With all due respect, if I am alive and trusted by my ministers, how can I abandon Wei?" . Now that the marquis of Wu has succeeded to the throne, I listened to the rumors of my brother, who has no place to stand, so I came to see the king. "

The mourning king was beaming and said, "Great, great, very welcome!" Mourning the king's mouth, he wondered, is this true or false from Wuqi? I wanted to appoint him as Lingyin immediately. I am afraid that Wuqi may be insincere, and I am afraid that all ministers will not accept him. He thought for a moment and said to Wu Qi, "I heard that you are the prefect of Wei's Xihe River, and you manage it very well. Now that the magistrate in this place is old, he should retire. Could you please be a prefect there first and set an example for other places? " Wuqi readily agreed. The bereaved king really hopes that he can set an example, so that other places can follow suit; On the other hand, it also shows that Wuqi is loyal to himself, so it can be reused to govern Chu.

After Wu went to Wan, he was familiar with his experience in managing Xihe River, and some of his experiences could even be copied intact. Wuqi began his reform in Wandi. First of all, he rectified Wandi's official management, reused and promoted honest and capable people, eliminated mediocre and incompetent people and cracked down on corrupt officials. At the same time, the policy of land to the tiller will be implemented, and land reclamation will be rewarded, agricultural production will be developed, the national treasury will be enriched, and the salary of Emperor Wan will be sufficient. In addition, rural grass-roots organizations are linked with military organizations, so that farmers of a certain age can engage in agricultural labor during busy farming hours and conduct military training in their leisure time, which is convenient for going to the front line in wartime. Through the governance of Wuqi, Wandi has taken on a new look, not only the people live and work in peace and contentment, but also the soldiers have plenty of food and clothing. At the same time, Wu Qi conducted many social surveys and gained a deep understanding of many situations in Chu State.

The king of Chu was very happy about this and strengthened his determination to reuse Wuqi, so he transferred Wuqi back to Du Ying. King Ai humbly asked Wu Qi, "General Wu, what do you think is the main drawback of Chu State? Why do you always lose in foreign wars? " Wu Qi said: "I think the main problem of Chu State is that ministers have too much power and too many monarchs. If the minister is too powerful to listen to your command and dispatch, it will directly threaten the authority and credibility of the king. The greater their power, the more people will suffer. There are too many monarchs. They not only dominate the country, but also occupy most of the fertile land. The state's tax revenue cannot be collected, and the state treasury is empty, and the country is naturally poor and weak. " King Ai said, "You are absolutely right. I feel the same way. If you have any questions, please say it again. " Wu Qi added: "Chu is vast in territory and abundant in resources. No country in the world is as vast as Chu, but the land of Chu has not been well used." What Chu lacks is people, but Chu is not really under-populated. The key point is that the vast majority of the population of Chu is occupied by big bureaucrats, monarchs and nobles. Therefore, the state dignitaries feel that there are not enough manpower, soldiers and soldiers. Moreover, the lower class people are overburdened, it is difficult to support their families, and all production income is exploited. Who wants to diversify land and reclaim wasteland? "Wuqi, through his practice in Wandi, talked about corruption and unhealthy practices in the officialdom of Chu, disorganization and abuse of soldiers in the army and many other problems. He talked with the funeral king for three days and nights, and the more he talked, the more speculative he became. He was deeply impressed by Wang's insight, analytical ability and profound knowledge. Finally, he suggested mourning for the king: If we want to enrich Qiang Bing, we must carry out political reform. King Ai said, "I listen to you, and I will give you this great event. "

After the political reform, Wu Qi was appointed as Lingyin in Mourning the King, and the political reform was carried out. At that time, the order to announce Lingyin was my order, and anyone who dared to disobey it would be killed without forgiveness! Wu Qi was very grateful for the kindness of losing the king and decided to show his talents and serve the State of Chu. So after taking office, he began to make drastic reforms.

First of all, we should reduce big noble's privileges and enact explicit laws to limit the power of ministers. For example, the promulgation of the "order to reduce the order" means that the order is reduced or exempted. The rank is a title, and the salary is a salary, which is the salary of an official. Obviously, this is aimed at ministers and monarchs, that is, demoting titles, taking over territory and reducing people. According to different objects, there are different specific methods such as "loss", "receipt" and "leveling". For example, people who occupy positions at all levels and departments and do nothing will be laid off. This is the "incompetent, useless and unhurried official" contained in history books. Take it back, it is what the history books say, "seal the gentleman Sun III and take his title." In other words, the title and territory of the monarch are only valid for his own generation, his son's generation and his grandson's generation, and will be taken back by the fourth generation of countries, and can no longer be enjoyed for generations as in the past. "Ping" is aimed at senior officials who are still in office, which is recorded in the history books: Record, which not only limits their income, but also clearly stipulates their rewards, and limits their rights and interests not too much. Naturally, they cannot collect money without merit and let them take it for granted.

Secondly, rectify the official management, that is, the "knowing the law and judging the order" contained in the history books. Starting with streamlining the organization and eliminating redundant staff, Wuqi cut off many unnecessary official posts, and then cracked down on the unhealthy trend, that is, "it is the custom of Chu to stop private invitation", that is, to block and put an end to private invitation (bribery) and change the bad customs of Chu; Prohibit the formation of political parties for personal gain and encourage officials to abide by the law; Oppose harming national interests for personal gain, and stop traitors from covering up the loyalty of loyal subjects with slanderers; Advocate and encourage "righteousness" without sacrificing personal fame and fortune. At the same time, some talents were promoted and used, which greatly improved the administrative efficiency of state organs.

Third, actively develop remote areas. Wuqi moved the nobles who recovered their titles to a vast and empty land, that is, moved them to a sparsely populated place, especially in the south of Chu. In this way, not only a large amount of newly cultivated land was reclaimed, but also the grain of Chu State was increased. These nobles lost their salaries, and some of them became self-reliant workers from parasites. Moreover, the land they once occupied was returned to the country (the king) and leased to landless farmers. In this way, it not only increases national income, but also eases class contradictions.

Fourth, reform the military system, "in Qiang Bing". While carrying out political and economic reforms, Wuqi suggested that mourning Wang "strive for the benefit of the world", that is, build a strong army, which is of course more in line with mourning Wang's mind. Wu Qi suggested that the recovered salary and the money saved by the reduction of officials should be used to raise troops and expand armaments. Mourning Wang also admired Wu Qi's foresight and extraordinary talent, so he entrusted him with full authority to rectify and train the army. Before Wu rose to the position of Chu, he wrote Sun Tzu's Art of War, or Wuqi for short. In Wei, he practiced according to his own art of war and achieved remarkable results. Now he has practiced it again, and made many supplements in combination with the actual situation: first, he recruited soldiers from all over the country, selected young and strong men, formed teams according to their bodies and specialties, and was good at using five weapons (ge, spear, halberd and halberd). The second step is to carry out strict training, including individual skills training, formation training, formation training and contact sign training. He also pays special attention to cultivating the backbone. "One person learns and teaches ten people; Ten people learn, teach hundreds of people ... ten thousand people learn and teach into the three armed forces. " In this way, the quality of the whole army has been rapidly improved. In addition to repeated strict drills, it also emphasizes strict discipline, clear rewards and punishments, and resolute obedience to all actions. There is a story in the history book. Once Wuqi led troops to fight against the Qin people, and the two armies had not yet fought drums. An infantryman couldn't help killing the enemy. Without waiting for orders from his superiors, he bravely rushed forward and killed two enemies. Wuqi ordered the soldiers to be beheaded! The military attache came to persuade: "This foot soldier is very brave and talented. Why did the general kill him? " Wu Qi said: "Although he is brave, he disobeys orders and violates military discipline. He should be beheaded!" Military officials have nothing to say. This is that punishment should be "unrelenting" and accurate and timely. Wuqi emphasized both heavy punishment and heavy reward. His general merits are divided into "first class merit" and "second class merit", and different awards are given according to different military merits. Those who have made great contributions to the opposition should not only be promoted, but also be rewarded to their families and children, which not only makes the individual who has made contributions to the country's killing of the enemy feel honored, but also makes his family feel honored. It was really not easy to think about this more than two thousand years ago. Wuqi deserves to be a great strategist.

At the same time, Wuqi also strongly rewarded the ploughing war. The history books say: "People who are forbidden to visit are people who intensively cultivate", that is to say, people are forbidden to leave farming and trade, and people are encouraged to work hard to cultivate and store food, which not only solves the problem of food supply for the army, but also achieves the goal of soldiers having enough to eat. But also improved the lives of soldiers and their families and relieved the worries of foot soldiers.

Wuqi also banned strategists from lobbying in Chu to make the whole country feel more at ease and do a good job in production.

With the full support of Ai Wang, the political reform went smoothly. However, because he violated the interests of princes and ministers, he was strongly opposed from the beginning. For example, Qu Yijiu, one of big noble, directly accused Wuqi of saying, "Wuqi, if you engage in political reform, you will always change things, disobey the laws of your ancestors, conspire against it, make good use of weapons, and plot to confuse Chu. You are the culprit and the bane of Chu. " Wuqi waged a tit-for-tat struggle with it, saying: "Chu can only compete for hegemony if it is strong;" Only by carrying out political reform can the country become rich and strong; Stick to the rules, you can only be beaten everywhere, and even be in danger of national subjugation. Don't you want Chu to be strong? You are afraid of Chu' chaos' and Chu's death. What is your intention? " Nineteen was speechless, but he was not willing to fail. They spread all kinds of remarks that undermined the political reform, and even corrected a group of old nobles who falsely accused Wuqi in front of the funeral of the king. They wanted to mourn the king to stop the political reform, but they were reprimanded by the mourning king: "A few years ago, Sanjin attacked and asked you for food and grass, but they didn't give it; Adjust your troops, they are very fragile. Now the national treasury is enriched; Yin's army is dignified and tidy; The people live and work in peace and contentment, and the number of unemployed people and street beggars has been greatly reduced. What's wrong with these? Where is the chaos and where is the bad? " King Ai looked around at the people who came to give advice and found that several of them were supposed to go to remote areas according to regulations, pointing to them and saying, "Why don't you go away if you don't obey orders?" I ordered this, not you. Your orders are only to carry out my will! "Someone whispered at the bottom:" We didn't break the law, so why should we join the army? "Hearing this, King Ai retorted," This is not an exile of the army, but an achievement. Can exile make you bring so much money? This is a new field for you. If you do well there, you can not only get tax exemption, but also get a reward. Can exile compare with this? One more thing. If you don't want to go to the real border, you can also serve in the army, and you can also get rewards for serving in the army. These are all good opportunities to make contributions. Why not go? Now I'm in charge of making trouble. On the surface, it means that your yin is wrong. Actually, it's attacking me. Reform is my decision. I want your Yin to issue these orders. Are you going to rebel? How many heads do you have? " These opponents were dumbfounded and sweaty by the question of the loss of the king. King Ai raised his voice and said sternly, "If I hear another word of attacking political reform, I will be killed without forgiveness! Who dares to resist and disobey orders again, hell to pay! Did you hear me clearly? These people had to obediently answer: "Listen carefully." "When I first came, my arrogance was swept away. King Ai shouted, "Get out! They ran away with their tails between their legs.

The reform led by Wu Qi, with the full support of Wang Moulin, made the prosperity of Chu. Chu, once a "poor country and weak soldiers", soon became strong. Wuqi commanded the Chu army and galloped into battle. He first conquered Baiyue tribe in the southern part of Wuling, and extended the territory of Southern Chu to the border area of Hunan and Guangxi today. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the Chu cultural relics unearthed in this area have fully proved this fact. Then defeated Qin in the west. Northern Sanjin has always been the biggest threat to Chu, especially Wei, which is the biggest threat to Chu. Some lands in the north of Chu, such as some places in former Chen and Cai, were also occupied by them. Wei's threat has become a major worry in mourning for the king. If we don't defeat them, we will overwhelm them and mourn the uneasiness of the king's bedroom. The bereaved king has been looking for opportunities, hoping to defeat them. The opportunity has finally come. In the 19th and 20th years of Aigong (383-382 BC), Wei and Zhao fought to defend their country, and Qi assisted Wei, so Wei, Qi and Wei jointly attacked Zhao, and the situation was fierce and unfavorable to Zhao. Zhao was desperate and asked Chu for help. Some advisers of Chu claimed that this was the internal affairs of Sanjin, and there was no need to take care of him. Others argue that it is better to sit quietly and watch the tigers fight, or send some soldiers to wait and see, and if Zhao wins soon, give him a hand; But Wei is too strong and Zhao is hard to win. When Wei is about to win, we should withdraw our troops quickly, so that our army will not fight against Wei and avoid losses. I think this is a good opportunity to send troops to defeat Wei. If we don't send troops, it will be stronger and worse for Zhao. And now we send troops, as if to help Zhao, actually Zhao is helping us, and now the Chu army is enough to defeat Wei Jun, not to mention Zhao's help? Some people think that Wuqi is too crazy, saying that Wei Youqi has Wei's help! Wu Qi said: Qi Wei is not really willing to make great efforts. Besides, their strength is not strong. As long as you defeat Wei Jun, you will automatically withdraw.

In the twenty-first year (boxer, 38 BC1), the king of Chu mourned and ordered Wuqi to unify the army to save Zhao. Wu Qi analyzed the war situation at that time. If you go directly to Zhao, first, it is a long way, and the Chu army needs to travel long distances; Second, Wei Jun's main force is in Zhao, and his own domestic emptiness, it is better to directly attack Wei, attack Wei's weak places, so that we can not only solve the siege of Zhao, but also achieve rapid results. This move proved to be very effective, and Chu Jun's offensive was also very sharp. Wei Jun at the front had to retreat quickly and was defeated by Chu Jun in western Henan. The Chu army was invincible, sweeping across the Central Plains and reaching the Yellow River. And Ye Zhao conveniently counterattack, occupied the spine and other places of Wei. Wei Jun became a little puss-head, while the Qi army ran back to their hometown. This battle played the prestige of the Chu army, not only recovered the land occupied by Chen and Cai in the north of Sanjin, but also expanded a part of the land. Moreover, from a strategic point of view, Chu and Zhao were repaired from now on, and Zhao no longer participated in Wei and Han's attack on Chu, which also disintegrated the Sanjin Alliance. In fact, Chu found a force behind Wei. In this way, Wei is no longer the most terrible enemy of Chu. Just as the Chu army won a decisive victory, good news came from time to time, mourning for Wang may be too excited and too excited, and suddenly died. Wuqi had to rush back to Beijing from the front to arrange the king's funeral at the palace. However, the old nobles Qu Yijiu, Yang and others were unwilling to fail, thinking that it was time for revenge. They got together, took the opportunity of mourning for the king in the palace, and launched a sudden attack on Wuqi in a frantic manner. Wu Qi knew that his life was in danger and used his quick wits. When he died, he squatted on the king's body and shouted, "The princes are in chaos." These crazy nobles still keep shooting Wuqi. The disorderly arrows hit Wuqi and the king's body. They killed Wuqi, but they still didn't take revenge. They also took out Wuqi's body and dismembered it, showing how much they hated Wuqi.

After Wu Qizhi died for the king of Chu, Xiong Cang, the son of the king of Chu, succeeded to the throne as the king of Chu Su. Those guys who killed Wuqi not only crowned each other to celebrate, but also came to Wang Su to show their achievements. At first, they didn't show their emotions. They just said, "Wu Qi deserves to die, but you killed Jing, so you should be rewarded.". Who else? " As soon as these fools heard that there was a reward, they came to take credit one by one. Su Wang asked Xin Lingjun to write down all their names, leaving no one missing, and then told them to go back and wait for the reward. Just as these powerful people were dreaming of being rewarded, King Su gave an order: Xin Lingyin would arrest them all and punish them according to law. Because according to the law of Chu, anyone who touches the king's body with a weapon will be put to death, and the crime will affect the three families. Except for one person who escaped, more than 70 people fell into the net. The fief of Yangcheng Jun was also confiscated. These are exactly what Wu Qi expected, so the author of "Lu's Spring and Autumn Period and Your Death" thinks this is "Wu Qi's wisdom".

Later generations commented on the situation of Chu at that time, just like the Qing Empire after the Opium War in 1840, which was bullied by foreign powers everywhere. Although the severe international situation and the weak domestic situation made the king of Chu mourn, exhausted and anxious, he did not sink into it because of his indomitable nature. He didn't want to see the vast territory of Chu destroyed by himself. He hopes to get rid of the passive beating situation as soon as possible through his own efforts. In order to continue his new posture, he is willing to wipe his brains all over the floor. King Chu is a thoughtful man. He made a serious comparison between the poor and weak Chu State and the extremely rich and powerful Wei State. Through long-term analysis, he found the mystery of Wei's strong rise in a short time: Wei Wenhou's opening to Li Kui not only liberated the productive forces, but also mobilized the people's enthusiasm for participating in national suggestions and expanding the territory.

After mourning the death of Wang and Wuqi, the late ruler Su got rid of so many old aristocrats, reduced a lot of resistance, further expanded and consolidated the kingship, and made it easier for government decrees to flow smoothly. At the same time, it eased domestic contradictions and created a more stable environment for the development of production. But because there is no such talent as Wuqi. Although Chu is still developing steadily, it is not as colorful as when mourning the king.

The king of Chu appointed Wuqi to reform, but it was only about eight years before and after, but he turned Chu from a weak and beaten country into a rich and powerful country. This not only reflects the foresight of losing the king, but also reflects the wisdom of Wu Qi. He is worthy of being a great politician and strategist. Sima Qian commented in Records of the Historian Sun Tzu's Biography of Wu Qi: "The king of Chu mourned the saints and knew Chu well. We should make a decree according to the law, donate (damage) officials who are not in a hurry, and abolish those who leave the public to support the soldiers who fight. If you want to be in Qiang Bing, you will break the rules. So Nanping Baiyue; North and Chen, Cai, but Sanjin; When Qin was cut in the west, the princes were strong by Chu. " The king of Chu, who can reuse Wuqi, is a wise monarch who is unwilling to lag behind and dares to change in the history of Chu, which is also commendable.

Historical Records Historical Records Chu Family:

In six years, Yin Wang robbed Yin Wang, and Zi Ai Wang Xiong was suspicious. In the second year of mourning for the public, Sanjin came to attack Chu and returned from the hills. Four years, Chu cut Zhou. Zheng killed Ziyang. Nine years, cutting Korea, taking negative millet. In eleven years, Sanjin attacked Chu and defeated me. The Duke of Chu paid tribute to Qin as an equal. Twenty-one years, mourning for the king, perilla king Zangli.