Xu Maogong (徐茂公), originally known as Xu Shixun (徐世勣) (jì) (594–669), was a native of Cao Prefecture (曹州離狐, in modern Dongming County, Heze, Shandong). Born in Gaoping Northern Ancestor Shangfang Xu Clan, a famous general in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, he was also known as Li Jing, the Duke of Weiguo.
Xu Maogong joined the Wagang Army in his early years, and later accompanied Li Mi to tang. Throughout his life, he experienced the three dynasties of Tang Gaozu, Tang Taizong and Tang Gaozong, and won the trust and heavy responsibility of the imperial court. He accompanied Emperor Taizong of Tang to pacify the four sides, attack xue Yantuo twice, and pacify the north of the moraine. Later, he broke the Eastern Turks and Goryeo and became one of the main generals of the Tang Dynasty to expand its territory.
He was a general in and out of the picture, and his merits were outstanding, and he was relied on by the imperial court as a dry city, and was one of the twenty-four heroes of Ling Yan Pavilion. He successively held the posts of Bingbu Shangshu, Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin, Sikong, and Prince Taishi, and was enfeoffed as a British Duke.
Since childhood, he had a wealthy family and was a philanthropist, so he was very famous in the local area. In the last years of the Sui Dynasty Emperor's great cause, Xu Shixun joined the Wagang Army led by Zhai Rang nearby. Zhai Rang was full of jianghu habits, and it was difficult to lead the Development and Growth of the Wagang Army, and it was at this time that Li Mi came to Wagang.
In order to make their team grow and develop, Xu Shixun and Wang Bodang persuaded Zhai to let him retire and give up the position of village lord to Li Mi. Zhai Rang saw that everyone meant this, and it was not good to occupy this position, so he agreed to come down.
After Li Mi became the lord of Wagang, he recruited troops and bought horses, so that Wagang flourished day by day, showing a thriving trend. Later, contradictions arose within Wagang, Li Mi killed Zhai Rang, and Xu Shijian was also severely injured.
Although Li Mi later wooed Xu Shixun, he had already developed a rebellious heart. With the gradual decline of Wagang, Xu Shixun turned to Li Tang. When Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong and also defected to Li Tang, his territory was handed over by Li Yuan to Xu Shixun.
Xu Shixun repaid Li with peach, registered the land and population, and dedicated it to the newly established Tang Dynasty through Li Mi's hand. Li Yuanlong gave Xu Shixun the surname of The State of Yan, and from then on he changed his name to Li Shixun.
There was an interesting story between Xu Maogong and Li Shimin:
At that time, Xu Mao was sick of public nuisance, and the doctors were helpless after taking the pulse, until the Tai Doctor said that he needed the beard of the true dragon as a medicinal primer to cure the disease.
Because Li Shimin was the emperor, everyone did not dare to say it, for fear of offending Tianwei, and after Li Shimin learned of this matter, he took a knife and cut off his beard himself, and then personally sent it to Xu Maogong's palace.
Because of the great defense of the ancient monarchs, Li Shimin frightened Xu Maogong into a state of no master and directly fell to his knees on the ground. Later, Tai Medical cured Xu Maogong with medicine, and from this incident, we can see how profound the feelings of the two people are.
Xu Shixun, who had achieved fame and success, did not indulge in the life of the high-ranking official Houlu, but was placed in the military camp, and together with the famous General Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty attacked the Xiongnu in the north and Destroyed Goguryeo in the south, he devoted half his life to the territorial integrity of the Tang and the long-term peace and stability of the frontier.
However, before his death, Li Shimin exiled xu Maogong, the founding father of the country, to other places, so why did Li Shimin punish Xu Maogong? What mistake did Old Xu make?
Xu Shixun was in a high position of power, a great hero, and an elder of the two dynasties, and Li Shimin was afraid that after his death, the new emperor Li Zhi would not be able to suppress Xu Shixun, so he said to Li Zhi:
Li Shiming once said, "Li Shixun has more than enough wisdom, but Ru is not gracious with him, and I am afraid that he will not be able to bear it." If I am deposed now, if I am ready to do so, if I die, I will be used as a servant and let it be done, and if I wander and look, I shall be the ear of the killer. ”
Li Zhi understood Li Shimin's intentions and couldn't help but burst into tears. "Low-handed harm to defeat the enemy, master saves people to defeat the enemy", Li Shimin can be described as a master in the master, and the move of issuing Xu Maogong seems to be plain and bland, but in fact it hides a mysterious opportunity.
Obviously, he was paving the way for his son, he first became an evil person, and let the founding father Xu Shixun go to the desolate place far away from the Shangao Emperor to serve, artificially increasing his dissatisfaction.
After his death, he let Shi En, the son of the first ascendant and succeeding to the throne, transfer him back to the central government and entrust him with a heavy responsibility.
In this way, Xu Shijian will be grateful to his son, and will continue to be loyal to the Li Dynasty, exert his superior wisdom, and help his son consolidate and protect the Li Dynasty.
Of course, there is a foreshadowing here, and Tang Taizong Li Shimin has this plan: If Xu Shixun, who is highly respected and powerful, does not obey the transfer, he will use this as a handle, and while he is still alive in the world, list the charges and kill him, and clear the hidden dangers for his son.
After all, Xu Shijian, who has been in the battlefield for a long time, can fight habitually, and is strategic, if he is buried in the sky, his cowardly son may not be able to stop him!
Before he was born to rule the world, after his death, Li Shimin was worthy of being the lord of the first generation, and no matter how clever Xu Maogong was, he could not escape the emperor's mercy. Even if he knew the reason, he could only listen.
In fact, this trick is not a precedent for Li Shimin. The Great Bull Man of the Three Kingdoms Era, the Emperor of The Shadow, and the Emperor cao of Weiwu also did it. As we all know, this Cao Cao was a good hand at buying people's hearts, and in order to welcome Xu You, he didn't even want shoes.
As for Guan Yu, it is almost obsessive and worshipped as an idol. In his later years, why didn't he call himself emperor? In addition to some reasons for taking into account the reputation, it is largely for the sake of his son Cao Pi to be able to succeed smoothly.
Soon after, Xu Maogong was indeed demoted. After Li Zhi ascended the throne, as his father said, he summoned Xu Maogong to the History of Bailuo Prefecture, and in the same year officially crowned him as Shangshu Zuo's servant.
Xu Maogong was a wise man, and he could also see the intentions of Li Shimin's father and son, and from then on he bowed to Li Zhi to the best of his ability, and died after his death.
When Li Zhi wanted to make Wu Zetian empress, he took a clear stand on Li Zhi's side despite the objections of other courtiers. And Li Zhi also had great trust in him, and then repeatedly sealed him.