The longevity of officials in the Qin Dynasty is a strange historical phenomenon. Everyone knows that the Qin law is harsh, the Qin Dynasty people do not have any freedom, it seems that they are not very comfortable, and they should have a short life. However, the qin officials who have undergone strict training have a long life, which is very interesting and worth exploring.
First of all, it is worth mentioning that Zhao Tuo lived for about 110 years, and most of the time he still lived in the place of "Lingnan miasma, husband died early". In the early years, Lingnan was still a wild place, the medical conditions were very limited, and there were many serious boys and girls, but Zhao Tuo could stand out and was not affected by the harsh environment, which was not easy.
Some people will say that Zhao Tuo may have a longevity gene, which is probably not necessary, because Zhao Tuo's descendants are not long-lived. Zhao Tuo's crown prince died earlier than Zhao Tuo, and after Zhao Tuo's death, his grandson succeeded to the throne and reigned for only a dozen years. Zhao Tuo was crowned king of Nanyue during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and was one of the princes, and did not die until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, reigning for 60 years. 60 years is only the official number of years recognized by the Han Dynasty, in fact, before the canonization, he had already claimed the title of king, starting from the time of Qin II, and the total reign lasted for more than 70 years.
The Book of Shang begins by saying that Yao reigned for 70 years, and many people find it untrustworthy. However, the Longchuan County Order of the Qin Dynasty, and later the Nanyue King Zhao Tuo of the Han Dynasty, confirmed that a reign of 70 years could be achieved.
Before Zhao Tuo became king, he was the county commander of Longchuan County, Nanhai County in the Qin Dynasty, and according to the Book of Han, Zhao Tuo was one of the first Qin officials to enter Guangdong, and by the time of the chaos in the second year of the world, he had been living with the natives of Guangdong for 13 years. In general, Zhao Tuo, a native of Hebei, has lived in Guangdong for nearly 90 years.
Why Zhao Tuo lived so long, he himself also discussed. He once said that he did not eat heavily, did not look at the color of the man, did not listen to the sound of bells and drums, and could be said to be a relatively fresh and widowed person. The only thing on his mind was that the ancestral tomb was in the Central Plains, worried about being destroyed, and later Emperor Wen of Han solved this problem and sent someone to protect his ancestral tomb, and from then on, he had no worries and sat back and relaxed.
In general, Zhao Tuo's longevity is related to good personal living habits, as well as strict self-requirements and self-control, and these habits and qualities were cultivated under the strict requirements of Qin Shi Huang. The officials of the Qin Dynasty were not good, especially the officials in important positions, and those who could be long-term and live to the Han Dynasty were all human spirits, and they all reached a certain realm.
The second long-lived Qin official was Zhang Cang, who was the imperial history of the Qin Dynasty. In the early years of the Han Dynasty, he was almost killed, but was later rescued by Wang Ling. Wang Ling later ascended to the throne, and Zhang Cang later became the chancellor. Zhang Cang retained a lot of Qin Dynasty characteristics for the Han Dynasty.
Zhang Cang experienced the strictness of the Qin Dynasty, and when he arrived at the Han Dynasty, he could be described as at ease and very experienced in the official field. In the Qin Dynasty, it was easier to survive intact, and in the Han Dynasty, it was easier, and in the Han Dynasty, the emperor did not need to be strict with him, and he himself was also strict with himself, because he had developed habits, strict and natural, and reached the realm of "strong and not reactionary", and even the realm of "not exceeding the rules from the heart".
Zhang Cang also has a characteristic, that is, he respects his benefactor, repays virtue with virtue, and never forgets it until death. Wang Ling had rescued him and recommended him, and after Wang Ling was dismissed from office, he was old and in a bad physical condition, Zhang Cang often visited him, and treated Wang Ling like an old father. After Wang Ling's death, Zhang Cang, who was already a very popular courtier, also took time to visit Wang Ling's wife, just like an old mother. In Zhang Cang's mind, Wang Ling and his wife were his reborn parents.
Zhang Cang is not only well trained in all aspects, able to seek advantages and avoid harms very well, but also a person with a very good conscience. It can be said that "looking up to the sky, not bowing down to people", there is no shame.
After Zhang Cang was appointed as a minister for more than ten years, he felt that it was time to give up his position to the newcomer, and indeed some people were worried about his position, so he took the opportunity to resign. Instead of coveting power like Zhang Tang and Zhu Maichen, fighting to the death, he retreated bravely and walked with the times.
After Zhang Cang retired, he began to enjoy life, leisurely and self-reliant, living in a deep and simple house compound, and breaking off contact with the magnates. Some people may criticize Zhang Cang's incorrect concept of life in his later years, and the problem seems to exist. But the people outside the wall often know only the superficial phenomenon, and no one understands the real reality. Some cases are often just in that era, showing the powerful that the old man has no fighting spirit and will not come back.
In general, Zhang Cang, as the imperial history of the Qin Dynasty and the chancellor of the Han Dynasty, eventually lived more than 100 years, which is really rare. There are some outstanding points that are beyond the reach of the officials of the Han Dynasty.
The doctor of the Qin Dynasty, FuSheng, also had a long life expectancy, and was more than 90 years old in academics, and was also deeply valued by the Han Dynasty. Although Feng Tang did not formally serve in the Qin Dynasty, Feng Tang belonged to the upper class in the Qin Dynasty, experienced all aspects of the Qin Dynasty, and also lived for more than 90 years.
Xiao He, Cao Shan, and Xiahou Nian were also officials of the Qin Dynasty, but they were all grass-roots officials, and they did not experience many things. Although they are not known for their longevity, they all die and will not die like other heroes. In fact, Liu Bang killed the heroes, to a large extent, because those heroes were born in the grass and did not have the quality to be officials, so that they unconsciously made some mistakes. When the Qin officials arrived in the Han Dynasty, they were all well trained and would not make low-level mistakes.
Although Zhao Tuo was only a county-level official, Zhao Tuo's county was a large frontier county, a county with a very complicated situation, named County Ling actually had the reality of a general, far surpassing Xiao He Cao And others in terms of actual rank. Although Longchuan County was far from the capital, it was more valued by the First Emperor than Pei County.