Since Liu Bang became emperor, Xiao He has been serving as prime minister. Xiao He fulfilled his duties and did his best for the Han Dynasty, but the more dedicated he was, the greater the risk of being suspected. Xiao He put all his energy into his position as prime minister, worked hard and dedicated himself, and did not feel that others were talking about him behind his back.
If you have great achievements, you will be in great trouble!
Han Xin rebelled, and Xiao He used a trick to kill Han Xin. After Liu Bang came back, he worshiped Xiao He as the prime minister, granted 5,000 households, and ordered him to lead 500 people to defend Guanzhong. Zhao Ping was an outsider and understood the subtleties. He informed Xiao He of the truth that "great achievements will lead to great troubles" and advised Xiao He not to accept the reward. Xiao He accepted it but did not receive Liu Bang's reward.
It is gold and will not grow moldy; if you have great talents, they will always be reflected; if you are virtuous, you will win the hearts of the people. Xiao He worked conscientiously, made steady progress, worked for the benefit of the people, and won the hearts of the people. When Liu Bang entered Guanzhong, he made a three-chapter agreement with the people, which won the hearts of the people. Xiao He served as prime minister for ten years and worked for the benefit of the people. He easily took away the people's hearts that Liu Bang had exchanged for his life. Liu Bang was displeased. Liu Bang led his troops to fight outside, and he was most worried about Xiao He. Liu Bang believed that Xiao He was like a calm body of water, and he didn't know when he would make trouble.
When Yingbu rebelled and Liu Bang went on a campaign, he sent people many times to ask Xiao He what he was doing.
Xiao He treated his master's enemies, such as Han Xin, with great resourcefulness and loyalty to Liu Bang. Xiao He is wise, but he never doubts his master. Whatever his master ordered, he would carry it out to the best of his ability; whatever his master said, he would never doubt it.
Liu Bang asked, and Xiao He answered honestly, saying: "Go back and tell the emperor that he is leading the army outside, and I will pacify the people for him. I will donate everything I have to the army, just like the emperor did when he conquered Chen Xi." The country does not need a family, and for everyone, it does not need a small family. The people admire such people the most, so Xiao He won the hearts of the people. Although Liu Bang repeatedly sent people to ask him what he was busy with, Xiao He never doubted Liu Bang.
Seeing Xiao He's behavior, the retainers reminded Xiao He and said, "You are about to be exterminated. You are now in the position of prime minister, with first place in merit, and everything has reached the limit of being a minister. When the emperor entered Guanzhong, he won the hearts of the people; you should In the more than ten years since I have been Prime Minister, the people's hearts have turned to you. The reason why the emperor has sent people to ask you what you are doing many times is because he is afraid that you will incite the people of Guanzhong to rebel. Since the emperor thinks so and is worried that you have won the hearts of the people, you should just obey Do what he wants and throw away some of the people's support. Why don't you forcefully buy fertile land and extend loan sharking at high interest rates, so that you lose some of the people's support?"
A wise man will not be stubborn. Xiao He took the advice of his retainers, bought fertile land by force, and extended usury. The secret agent reported Xiao He's actions, and Liu Bang was very happy after hearing it.
Returning from the expedition against Yingbo, the soldiers and civilians of Guanzhong stopped him halfway. These people knelt down and begged, suing Xiao He, saying that he was a loan shark and forced to buy good fields, good land and good houses at extremely low prices. Liu Bang was very happy to see the people who were suing Xiao He kneeling all over the ground.
When Xiao He came out of the city to greet him, Liu Bang said with a smile: "Xiao Xiangguo is doing things that benefit the people and the country again!" What Liu Bang said was ironic, meaning that Xiao He also did things that harmed others and enriched himself. He was "benefiting the country and the people." It is the inner irony born of jealousy. If Xiao He really did something good for the country and the people, Liu Bang would be furious.
"You handle your affairs yourself." Liu Bang handed over all the papers filed by the people of Guanzhong against Xiao He to Xiao He.
When he first entered Guanzhong, Liu Bang made a three-chapter agreement with the people, and everyone said that Liu Bang was good; Xiao He had only been prime minister for more than ten years, and everyone only knew about Xiao He and not Liu Bang. Liu Bang had no intention of killing Xiao He, but he couldn't bear to see Xiao He stealing all the people's hearts in Guanzhong. Comparing the glory and favor of the past with the loneliness of today, it makes people feel sad. Liu Bang didn't have the style of everyone, and he couldn't even hold a needle in his belly, so he couldn't help but be jealous of Xiao He.
The people supported Xiao He so much because Xiao He worked conscientiously and worked for the benefit of the people. Xiao He was a prime minister who wholeheartedly worked for the welfare of the people, but his actions were extremely unpopular with the emperor.
Xiao He said to Liu Bang: "There are many people in Chang'an but little land. There are many open spaces in Shanglinyuan that are deserted. I hope the emperor will allow the people to farm there. The people will plant crops and your wild beasts will have something to eat."
Shanglinyuan was the place where the emperor hunted. No matter how generous the emperor was, he would not feel comfortable hearing it, let alone Liu Bang, who had a small belly. Xiao He's move is tantamount to seeking skin from a tiger, and he will surely suffer from it.
Liu Bang was furious and said: "Xiao He engaged in loan sharking at random, robbed people's fields, and now he wants to rob me of Shanglin Garden."
Liu Bang ordered the Tingwei to put shackles on Xiao He and imprison him first, waiting for questioning. Arresting the prime minister, the emperor ordered it, without going through any procedures. This is the power of the emperor. After being the emperor for so many years, Liu Bang still liked to abuse his power. A few days later, a guard named Wang told Liu Bang that Xiao He had not committed a serious crime and that Xiao He should not be imprisoned.
"I heard that when Li Si was the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty, he benefited from the benefits to Qin Shihuang and took the blame himself. Xiao He accepted money from merchants and robbed me of Shanglin Garden to give to the people. He was a good person in front of the people, and I was a bad person. Therefore, I imprisoned him. "Liu Bang disagreed.
"As long as it is beneficial to the people, he will plead for the people. That is the real prime minister. How can the emperor doubt Xiao Xiangguo because of this! The emperor and Xiang Yu have been fighting for several years. Chen Xi and Yingbu rebelled. The emperor led troops to conquer personally, and Xiao Xiangguo stayed in Guanzhong. If Xiangguo is really selfish and makes trouble in Guanzhong, Guanzhong will no longer be yours. If Xiao Xiangguo didn't take advantage of this exclusive power, how could he accept bribes from businessmen! Besides, the reason why the Qin Dynasty lost the world was all because Li Si deceived the emperor, and Li Si was not worth it Follow suit. From this point of view, the emperor’s suspicion of Xiao Xiangguo is too shallow.”
What the Weiwei said was reasonable and reasonable, but Liu Bang was still upset. This guard had no idea that there were only ministers who did wrong things in the world, and there was no emperor who did wrong things.
A few days later, Liu Bang's anger subsided and reason prevailed again. A few days later, the envoy Chijie released Xiao He. Xiao He was respectful and polite throughout his life, and he did not change it until his death, even when he was wronged. Xiao He changed his clothes and went to apologize to Liu Bang respectfully. "Xiangguo, don't be like this. Xiangguo asked me for Shanglin Garden on behalf of the people, but I didn't allow it. I am just an emperor like Xia Jie and Shang Zhou, but Xiangguo, you are a virtuous prime minister. The reason why I detained you is, I want the people of the world to know my fault." Liu Bang's words were strong reasoning.
Although Xiao He was wise, he was very stupid in front of his master and had no use for his wisdom. When Xiao He met the emperor, he was respectful and did not dare to speak out loud. His seven-skilled and exquisite heart had disappeared somewhere. Xiao He actually believed what Liu Bang said and went to serve Liu Bang respectfully. Zang Yan said a few words to Zhang Sheng, which caused Lu Wan to rebel, flee, and eventually die in a foreign land; Liu Bang said a few good words to Xiao He, and Xiao He managed the Han Dynasty conscientiously.
In the first month of the second year of Emperor Hui (193 BC), this spring is a bit strange. Historical records record that an earthquake occurred in Longxi (now Lintao, Gansu).
The ancients believed that if the heaven and earth suddenly changed, something big would happen in the world. Sure enough, Liu Zhong died, and then Xiao He breathed his last. Maybe Liu Zhong is not important, but Xiao He, who made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, must be important. Xiao He was about to die, and Emperor Hui Liu Ying went to visit him.
Liu Ying began to use cold violence against Lu Pheasant, drinking and having fun all day long. When she heard that Xiao He was critically ill, she went to visit Xiao He. As an emperor, Liu Ying was a bit cowardly, but he knew the priorities. He knew that the Liu Dynasty relied on Xiao He's dedication and dedication. Xiao He, this big beam, is about to fall. If the beam falls, the building is in danger. Who will be the next big beam?
Liu Ying asked Xiao He: "Who can replace you after you die?"
Xiao He said: "No one knows my ministers better than the emperor." Xiao He meant that you should know my thoughts. Liu Ying asked Cao Shen if it was okay. When Xiao He heard this, he was very happy and said, "Your Majesty knows, I will die in peace!"
As the prime minister, Xiao He was diligent and hard-working, and could be said to be a hero of the Han Dynasty. However, he lived in a poor and shabby alley with a dilapidated house. Xiao He dedicated his life to the Han Dynasty and left nothing to his descendants, except for one sentence: "If the descendants in the future are virtuous, they should be as diligent and thrifty as me; if they are not virtuous, the savings I left behind will also be taken away by others." .”
I also sent these words to Confucius.
Historically, Liu Bang's character has not been well received. Xiao He is different, his image is getting more and more brilliant. After Xiao He's death, several emperors in later generations were extremely afraid of such meritorious officials and took great care of Xiao He's descendants.
