Like a shooting star, Le Yang burst out with dazzling light in the Battle of Zhongshan, but there was no news after that, while Wu Qi has been active on the political stage of Wei.
After the death of Wei Wenhou, Wei Si, his son Wei Jie ascended the throne and became the king. He was named Wei Wuhou. One day, Wei Wuhou and Wu Qi took a boat together and drifted down the Xihe River. Halfway through the boat, Marquis Wu of Wei stood up and said to Wu Qi: "We in Wei have such dangerous mountains and rivers as a barrier. It is a blessing from God!" This may be because Marquis Wu had just ascended the throne, so he was filled with great pride in facing the great rivers and mountains he controlled. There is nothing wrong with this, and what Marquis Wei Wu said is also very reasonable.
But Wu Qi may have looked down on this young man who had just come to power, so he used the topic as a lesson: "To defend the country and the inheritance of the ancestors, it is not the strong mountains and rivers, but the virtue of the monarch himself! In the past, the Sanmiao clan faced Dongting Lake on the left. On the right is Pengli Lake, but he did not practice morality and was finally attacked and destroyed by King Yu. The place where Xia Jie lived was surrounded by the Yellow River and Jishui on the left, Mount Tai and Mount Hua on the right, and Mount Yique as his barrier in the south. There was only a narrow path connected to the outside world, and its terrain could not have been more dangerous. However, he was greedy, cruel, arrogant and extravagant, and finally lost the world and was exiled by Shang Tang. The capital of Yin Zhou has Mengmen Mountain on the left and Mengmen Mountain on the right. It is the Taihang Mountains, with Changshan as a garrison to the north and the natural dangers of the Yellow River to the south. However, he imposed excessive levies and showed no mercy. Finally, King Wu of Zhou came to the city and was forced to burn himself to death. From this, we can see that if you want to have a permanent throne and long-term peace and stability in the country, it depends on not Dangerous mountains and rivers depend on the monarch's own virtue. If the monarch does not practice virtue, then even the people on this boat will become sworn enemies, let alone others?" Wei Wuhou could only nod in agreement.
Although he has become a military general of the Wei State, Wu Qi's ultimate goal is still to ascend the throne of the Prime Minister. "If I don't become a prime minister, I swear I won't join the army." He still remembered the promise he made to his mother. In fact, due to his illustrious military exploits and outstanding talents, Wu Qi was indeed the best candidate for the prime minister of Wei in many people's minds. However, the final result surprised Wu Qi and everyone: Tian Wen became the prime minister. Wu Qi was naturally unconvinced, so he asked Tian Wen to argue: "Do you dare to compare your achievements with me?" Tian Wen bowed and said, "General, please speak."
"Commanding the three armies, ordering the soldiers to fight to the death, so that other countries dare not face up to Wei, I did it, how do you compare with me?" Wu Qi asked.
"I'm not as good as you." Tian Wen replied.
"Guarding the land of Xihe made it difficult for the Qin people to advance even half a step eastward, and at the same time frightened the Han and Zhao families so that they did not dare to act rashly. I did it, how do you compare to me?" Wu Qi asked.
"I'm not as good as you." Tian Wen replied.
"I have managed the civil and military officials, made the people attach themselves to the court, and enriched the treasury. I have done it. How do you compare to me?" Wu Qi looked proud.
"I'm not as good as you." Tian Wen remained expressionless.
"Since you can't compare to me in these aspects, why do you still go on stage to worship the prime minister and rank above me? What kind of truth is this?" Wu Qi sneered.
"The late king has recently passed away, and now he is in charge of a great treasure. At this time of transition, the people of the country are helpless and hesitant. The courtiers have their own plans and are not convinced. The people are doubtful and disbelieving. It is a troubled autumn and the weather is precarious. You said that at this time, you are handing over the political affairs. Do you take care of it, or leave it to me?"
Wu Qi knew that Tian Wen's appointment as prime minister as a clan member of Wei State would indeed help stabilize the political situation. After being silent for a long time, he sighed: "I should entrust the political affairs to you!" Then he realized that he only thought about his own honor and disgrace, not the overall situation like Tian Wen. He felt ashamed, so he never mentioned who should be sealed in front of Tian Wen. Mutually. Wu Qi said, "The prodigal son turns back, he knows his faults and can change them." Zhai Huang did no worse than Wu Qi.
Previously, Wei Wenhou complained to Li Kui, saying that he was very tired from shouldering the state affairs alone, but in the end he still could not manage the state affairs in an orderly manner.
Li Kui said: "If your family is poor, you should find a good wife; if your country is in turmoil, you should look for a good prime minister."
Marquis Wen asked: "I do want to establish the position of prime minister, but I am torn between Wei Chengzi and Zhai Huang. I don't know who to choose."
Li Kui replied: "If you are not in your position and do not seek political advice, how can you participate in such an important matter as selecting the prime minister?"
Marquis Wen said: "Sir, you are too polite. Don't refuse. Please give me some advice."
Li Kui said with a smile: "You can't make a decision because you don't observe carefully enough. To judge whether a person is qualified for a certain position, you have to listen to his words and observe his actions. You have to see who he is close to at ordinary times and who he makes friends with after he becomes rich. Which people should be promoted when you become a prominent person, what things you should not do when you are not lucky, and what things you should not take when you are poor. With these five standards, it is enough for your Majesty to choose a prime minister. Do you need me, Li Kui, to talk nonsense here?"
Marquis Wen raised his eyebrows when he heard this and said, "Sir, you can go back and rest. I already know who I should worship as prime minister."
Li Kui walked out of the Wei Palace and came to Zhai Huang's house. Zhai Huang asked eagerly: "I heard that the king summoned Mr. to the palace today to discuss the choice of the prime minister. I wonder if there will be any results?"
"If nothing else, he should be worshiping Wei Chengzi as prime minister."
Zhai Huang's expression changed: "How can I be inferior to Wei Chengzi? Wu Qi, Le Yang, Ximen Bao, and of course you, sir, are all recommended by me. You have all made great contributions to Wei... You said, I How can he be better than Wei Chengzi?" The implication is that he recommended Li Kui, so Li Kui should speak for himself.
"Is your original intention of recommending me to recommend talents to the monarch, or is it to form a party for personal gain?" This sentence immediately made Zhai Huang soften. Li Kui said again: "Your Majesty asked me who should I choose as prime minister, you or Wei Chengzi. I said to your Majesty, to judge a person, you should see who he is close to at ordinary times, who he makes friends with when he becomes rich, and prominent people." Which people should be promoted later, what things should not be done when you are not in luck, and what things should not be taken when you are poor. With these five points, it is enough to make a decision, so you know that this aspect must belong to Wei Chengzi. Although you are virtuous, you are not as good as Wei. What about Chengzi? Wei Chengzi lived and earned a thousand dollars, 90% of which was spent outside the family for the country, and only 10% was spent within the family. If this was not the case, how could the wise men like Bu Zixia, Duan Muqian, and Tian Zifang be separated from each other? The country invites you from afar? These three people are all regarded as teachers by the emperor, and the five people you recommended are all listed as ministers by the emperor. Based on this alone, how can you compare with Wei Chengzi?"
Most people always get angry when they hear words such as "How can you compare with Wei Chengzi" and "How can you compare with Wei Chengzi", at least when serving tea to guests. But after hearing this, Zhai Huang remained silent for a long time and thought about it. Finally, he bowed his head to Li Kui and said sincerely: "I, Zhai Huang, am shallow and have no actions, and all my words are false. I would like to be your disciple for the rest of my life. Listen and be taught by your side.”
This is the group of civil servants and generals under Wei Wenhou, whether it is Wu Qi or Zhai Huang. They are not only seeking fame and wealth, but also the improvement of self-cultivation and the tempering of their own moral character. This may be the reason why they have repeatedly created miracles and made great contributions to the world. Because their minds often transcend this world, they miss and miss this mediocre world for a long time.
However, if the world were filled with modest gentlemen like them, then the world would be peaceful. In fact, fame and fortune are so dazzling that they have already dazzled the ears and eyes of some people, causing them to do everything possible to maintain their power and position. After Tian Wen's death, his uncle became the prime minister of Wei. He was not a politician with his own political ideals, but a politician who was obsessed with fame and fortune. The uncle knew that his talent and prestige were far inferior to Wu Qi's, so he had trouble sleeping and eating poorly. He worried day and night that one day he would lose his seal and be replaced by Wu Qi.
The master's worries cannot escape the servant's eyes.
The uncle's servant comforted him and said: "Master, there is no need to worry. It is not difficult to drive away Wu Qi."
The uncle asked: "What can you do?"
He replied: "You must find a way to alienate the relationship between Wu Qi and the king. Wu Qi has always been arrogant, and he is greedy for fame and honor. However, although he has served the Wei Dynasty for many years and made great contributions, he has never been able to worship the prime minister, so you You can say to the king: "Wu Qi's talent is unparalleled in the world, but Wei is a small country, and it is adjacent to the vast Qin State to the west. I am worried that Wu Qi will leave Wei sooner or later and find a job in another country." At this time, the king will definitely It's up to you. You can say: 'We can give him a try by marrying the princess to Wu Qi. If he is willing to marry the princess, it proves that he really intends to continue to serve in Wei; if he refuses the marriage, it means that He has long wanted to leave Wei.' Your Majesty will definitely agree to this method. In this way, you can hold a banquet at home and invite Wu Qi to the banquet with the princess. At the banquet, you can deliberately provoke the princess and make her angry. If you humiliate you in public, Wu Qi will naturally push off the marriage when he sees the princess's unruly temper."
Everything goes according to plan. Wu Qi saw that the princess was so disrespectful to the prime minister and his uncle, and thought that if he really married her, wouldn't he be looking for trouble for himself? And the princess was so beautiful that she couldn't be beaten or scolded - wouldn't the rest of her life be ruined in the hands of this woman? So the next day, he went to the palace and turned down the marriage to Marquis Wu. Marquis Wu thought that Wu Qi had already intended to leave, so his attitude changed and he no longer trusted Wu Qi. Wu Qi's suggestion could not be adopted by Wu Hou. Knowing that he had lost Wu Hou's trust and fearing that he would get into trouble later, he left Wei and went south to Chu.
Wu Qi, who was famous all over the world, quickly gained the appreciation of the ambitious King Chu Miao. He became the official of the Chu Kingdom and presided over the reform. The Chu State is located in the south, and its cultural customs and political system are very different from those of other countries in the Central Plains. The so-called "Ling Yin" is the highest official position in Chu State. He assists the king at the top and controls all officials at the bottom. He takes charge of the affairs of the state internally and controls the military and horses externally. It is equivalent to the prime minister of other countries. Due to the high power and important connections, the position of Ling Yin was generally held by clan members of the Chu State, such as the Mi family, Xiong family and other clans. The fact that Wu Qi, an "outsider", could take up the post of Ling Yin, shows King Chu's trust in Wu Qi and his determination to reform.
The state of Chu was fertile and vast, with vast territory and a vast population. Wu Qi's reforms were mainly aimed at the aristocratic class who had done nothing. These nobles did not achieve any merit, but only relied on their noble birth to occupy official positions. They idled around all day, indulged in drinking and sex, and made the whole country of Chu a mess. Not to mention, every day they are in office, the court will have to spend a lot of money to maintain their salaries, and they can no longer use money to replenish the treasury, recruit soldiers and train troops; and aspiring and talented scholars The way for people to make progress will also be blocked by them, and they will not be able to show what they have learned, so the Chu State has a serious brain drain.
Originally, it seemed a bit like a fantasy that Wu Qi, an outsider, wanted to attack the deep-rooted and flourishing local aristocratic forces. However, with the strong support of King Chu Dao, the reform was able to proceed smoothly despite the complaints of the nobles against Wu Qi.
Within a few years, the state of Chu took on a new look under Wu Qi's reforms: the government was strict, the whole country acted in accordance with the law, the soldiers obeyed their orders, and the tigers and tigers flourished. With such a powerful army, it would be a pity if it could not show its prowess on the battlefield. Therefore, within a few years, Chu State "pacified Baiyue in the south; merged with Chen and Cai in the north, but defeated the three Jin Dynasties; and attacked Qin in the west. The princes suffered from the strength of Chu." At this time, Wu Qi's position was also increasingly consolidated.
But a few years later, the situation suddenly reversed: King Chu Mourning passed away and ascended to heaven! This is undoubtedly bad news for Wu Qi, because he will no longer be able to get the strong support of King Chu Mourning as before. What's even worse is that he is devoted to public affairs and is clumsy in pursuing personal interests, and has already destroyed the nobles of Chu State. Having been offended many times, these people are now gnashing their teeth and wishing to cut Wu Qi into pieces. On the day of the funeral for King Chu Mourning, these clan nobles finally launched an army to kill Wu Qi. Wu Qi knew that he would be unjust, so he simply ran to the place where King Chu Mourning's body was laid to rest, jumped up, threw himself on King Mourning's body, and said with a ferocious smile: "I, Wu Qi, will not die in vain today, and you will all be buried with me!" After saying this, he was shot to death by random arrows. However, the arrow that shot Wu Qi to death also destroyed the body of King Chu Mourning. This is the crime of disrespect committed by the following.
Soon, the prince ascended the throne and became King Su of Chu. He ordered that all those who shot Wu Qi and destroyed the late king's body should be arrested and executed. In this way, more than 70 families made burial objects for Wu Qi.
Ma Qian of the Taishi Company commented on Wu Qi this way: "Those who can do things may not be able to speak, and those who can speak may not be able to do it. Wu Qi said that Wuhou's situation was not as good as his virtue, but he did it to Chu, and his body was destroyed by carving, violence and little kindness. Sad husband !”
When people are in different situations, they will naturally make different judgments and actions, which is what the saying goes, "Sing whatever song you go to on the mountain." When Wu Qi was in the state of Wei, he used the topic to teach Marquis Wu of Wei a lesson, which was indeed wonderful and profound. But after he arrived in Chu State, the situation had completely changed. Since the Three Jin Dynasties are located in the north, they are often attacked by Rong and Di. Therefore, the policy has always been to strengthen the army to build the country. Therefore, the feudal system and the ritual and legal system were destroyed earlier and more profoundly, and they were closer to Legalism. Tradition - If there is no uncompromising military law in the army, how can it enforce orders and prohibitions, and how can it be assembled into a powerful fighting force? The Chu State was different. It was rich in products, never had to worry about food and clothing, and did not have to face the threat of Rong Di harassing the border all the time. Therefore, life was comfortable. It also advocated witchcraft, obscene worship, romance and unrestrainedness, so its reforms The motivation was really insufficient. If it had not been for a king like King Chu Mourning who was determined to dominate the world, the Chu State would have been able to stay in a corner, waiting for the six countries to compete, and then choose to surrender. Therefore, there are a lot of feudal remnants in the Chu State. You can see how powerful the aristocracy in the country is - the position of Ling Yin has always passed among the hands of those clan families.
When the Wei State was reforming and striving to become stronger, in addition to Wu Qi, there were also Li Kui, Wei Chengzi, Zhai Huang, Duan Muchan, Tian Wen... wise kings and wise ministers, working together, the resistance to reform was naturally very small, so the process was relatively " Peace” a lot. When the Chu State began to reform, there was only Wu Qi alone to support the great cause of reform. Therefore, the resistance to reform was great, and the so-called bloody, violent, ruthless and straightforward "thunder methods" had to be used. When the reform has reached this point, it is impossible to be polite, so it is inevitable that Tai Shigong will be called "harsh and cruel but unfavorable".
Perhaps Wu Qi also knew that such "forcible force" would eventually bring disaster to his life, but if a man is in the world, how can he achieve great things if he is greedy for life, afraid of death, and worried about everything? "It is better to burn calmly than to decay silently." Yes or no, success or failure, in short, you must live a vigorous life, so as to live up to the good years given by God!
