"Gongsun Hong and Gongsun Xi"

Although these two people share the same surname of Gongsun, they are not related by blood to each other; what brings them together is a record written by Han Feizi in his "Shuo Linxia". Han Fei's relevant records say: "Gong Kong Hong cut off his hair and became the king of Yue. Duke Kong was delighted and said: 'I will not become Kun's younger brother with you.' Gongsun Hong said: 'I cut off my hair, and my son broke his neck. What do I mean by using soldiers for others? "In the battle of Zhounan, Gongsun was happy to die."

It can be seen from Han Fei's writing that the man named "Gongsun Hong" is obviously better than the other. The cleverness of "Gongsun Xi"! Han Fei wrote that Gongsun Hong cut his hair short in order to become a knight of the King of Yue. In Gongsun Xi's view, this move simply changed the traditional humanistic etiquette of the Central Plains people, so Gongsun Xi angrily declared that he was treasonous. Gongsun Hong broke off personal relations and declared in a high-profile manner that he would no longer maintain a brotherly relationship with Gongsun Hong. In response, Gongsun Hong retorted: "I just cut my hair short, but you, Gongsun Xi, worked hard to lead troops to fight for others! What can I say to your behavior?" "As a result, in the subsequent Battle of Zhounan, Gongsun Xi was killed by Qin general Bai Qi and died in the battle.

Let’s take a look at this “upright and upright” General Gongsun Xi. This man named Gongsun Xi, also known as "Xi Wu", was the main general of the Wei State during the Warring States Period, and was also the younger brother of the famous "Rhino Head" Gongsun Yan, a celebrity in the Warring States Period. Although he is not as famous as his elder brother "Xi Shou" Gongsun Yan, his younger brother "Xi Wu" Gongsun Xi is also one of the best in Wei. However, in the later "Battle of Yique", the Wei army led by Gongsun Xi encountered Qin Baiqi, who was known as the "human massacre" and ranked first among the "Four Famous Generals of the Warring States Period", and was killed by Bai Qi. . But Gongsun Xi's deeds later became the reason for Su Qin's younger brother Su Li to persuade Bai Qi to stop fighting. There is a little difference between the two brothers "Xi Shou" and "Xi Wu" that needs to be emphasized. That is the elder brother "Rhino Head" Gongsun Yan, who used to work for the Qin State, and later left the Qin State and returned to the Wei State; while the younger brother "Xi Wu" Gongsun Xi has always served his motherland—— Wei State. From this point of view, General Gongsun Xi is not a bad soldier.

Finally, let’s take a look at “Gongsun Hong” whose actions were extremely “disdained” by General Gongsun Xi, the “Xiwu”. Who is "Gongsun Hong"? There are many people named Gongsun Hong in history. The most famous one is Gongsun Hong, the old prime minister during the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty. But this "Gongsun Hong" happened more than 200 years after Han Fei's death, so it is obviously not the case. Han Fei called "Gongsun Hong" in "Shuo Linxia" and was extremely despised by the "Xi Wu" General Gongsun Xi. According to research, the "Gongsun Hong" mentioned by Han Fei here may be a disciple of Mengchang Jun, the Prime Minister of Qi State in the middle of the Warring States Period! According to historical records, Lord Mengchang was preparing to unite the princes to fight against the powerful Qin. At this time, he took the initiative to ask for help and sent an envoy to the Qin State to inspect the capabilities of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. Later, he was challenged by King Zhaoxiang of Qin and fought back, forcing the King of Qin to surrender. It was this famous person who forced the King of Qin to surrender. The envoy of Lord Mengchang named "Gongsun Hong".

Who is better between "Gongsun Hong and Gongsun Xi"? It depends on people's evaluation standards. In terms of reputation, the retainer Gongsun Hong is certainly far behind the "rhinoceros" General Gongsun Xi; but in terms of the ability to complete the mission, the "upright and upright" General Gongsun Xi is far behind the "wise and sophisticated" Gongsun Hong.