Text: Black Pupil (Columnist for Reading History)
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Su Qin was the leader of the scholars at that time, born in poverty, bearing the seal of the Six Kingdoms, prestige, and entering and leaving the nobles, so that "the world was afraid of anger, and the world lived in peace and rested", preventing Qin from entering the west of Hangu Pass and not invading for fifteen years.
Such an achievement, not only his disciple Zhang Yi is difficult to look up to, but also the entire history of China can not find a second person.
This is the Su Qin in everyone's eyes, with a magnificent and magnificent life. However, we know that historical image has never been a historical truth, and great achievements do not represent lofty original intentions and noble virtues.
So, what kind of person is Su Qin?
First of all, he's a smart guy.
Tai Shi Gong said that he was "a relative of the Six Kingdoms, and this wisdom is superior", and he spared no effort to persuade King Yan Yi, Marquis Su of Zhao, King Xuan of Han, King Xiang of Wei, King Xuan of Qi, and King Wei of Chu. For the kings of various countries, first analyze the general trend of the world, the geographical advantages of each country, and the national situation, and then either obey it or induce it to profit. In the end, the six kingdoms that were pregnant with ghost fetuses were tied together to resist the tyrannical Qin together. Such intelligence is not high, and such eloquence cannot be described as bad. His argument to persuade the Six Kingdoms is indeed a shocking read to this day.
He persuaded the State of Yan not to talk about the general situation of the world, not to talk about morality and integrity, but only to talk about immediate interests, and suggested that the State of Yan give up its centuries-old hatred and join forces with the State of Zhao, fight a war, and accumulate national strength.
He persuaded zhao guo not to talk about entanglement with the interests of neighboring countries, but to talk about the strategic situation of zhao guo, that the west was strong in Qin, surrounded by many enemies, and if Zhao Guo wanted to seek hegemony, he should take the lead in uniting the countries to resist Qin, and if He cut Qin, Zhao Qiang would bring the strength of the six kingdoms with him to become his own hegemony.
He persuaded The Roks to raise first and then suppress, and to provoke the King of Han with the consequences of the death of the country, so that the cowardly South Korea would dare to abandon the foreign policy of "doing everything in the Qin" and resolutely join the connivance.
He persuaded the State of Wei to first review the glorious history of the State of Wei's successive victories over the State of Qin, and then stimulate the hegemonic ambitions of the King of Wei in the form of the State of Wei's domestic economy not losing to the State of Chu, but willingly being a small country, so as to make it join the connivance.
He persuaded the State of Qi, praised the strength of the State of Qi, and analyzed the influence and deterrence of the State of Qi, which was so powerful but did not match among the nations, refuted the idea of self-preservation of the State of Qi and made it join the connivance.
He persuaded the State of Chu that the State of Chu had the same level of national strength as the State of Qin, and that qin was strong and weak, and that If Chu was strong, it would be weak, and he threw out the bait that if the State of Chu was successful, he could be called king, and finally proposed that the unity of the five kingdoms was already a godsend, and the State of Chu lost its political influence over the five countries without participating, and as a result, the King of Chu was convinced and said that "the whole country is subordinate."
At this point, the six kingdoms were easily reached in Su Qin's several remarks.
I have to say that Su Qin, Gao Ming, is a smart person.
But did Su Qin do this out of hatred for tyrannical Qin, or out of the righteousness of the Six Kingdoms?
No, Su Qin was clever, but he was by no means noble, and in today's parlance, he was an exquisite egoist.
Does Su Qin hate violent Qin? not. Because at first Su Qin wanted to connect horizontally.
After studying the Zhou Shu Yin Rune under The Ghost Guzi, Su Qin first went to serve King Zhou Xian, which shows that he still had orthodox thoughts at that time, but King Zhou Xian did not trust him, and after that, he traveled west to Qin and proposed himself to King Huiwen of Qin. He lobbied King Huiwen to "adopt the strategy of connecting the horizontal and merging the nations, and calling himself emperor and ruling.". Only because King Huiwen of Qin thought that the time was not ripe enough, coupled with the fact that Shang Martin had just been executed, the country was undergoing major changes, the political situation was uncertain, and the meritorious old ministers hated lobbyists who talked about the river, King Huiwen sent Su Qin away with the idea: "Mao Yu has not yet succeeded, you cannot fly high".
Su Qin ran away again and settled in the Yan Kingdom before he peddled the law of combined indulgence to the King of Yan. It can be seen that Su Qin does not hate violent Qin, let alone for the righteousness of the Six Kingdoms, but like a businessman, someone pays the right price, he will serve whom.
If Qin uses him, he will be even horizontal; if the Six Kingdoms use him, he will be united. Su Qin had no national righteousness and no academic insistence. In contrast to Confucius, Confucius traveled around the world, and although he repeatedly encountered walls, he still adhered to Confucianism, even if he was poor and poor, he still did not forget his original intention. "Soldiers can't not not hongyi", Su Qin "does not hongyi".
Is Su Qin noble? not. Just look at his words and deeds to King Yan Yi.
Su Qin once said, "I don't pay attention to honesty, it is your blessing on the king." Those who speak of good faith are moral, and who runs for the benefit of the king? (From the Warring States Policy, vol. XXIX, Yan Yi).
There is some truth to this statement, but it feels more like the sleek rhetoric of a speculator.
And Su Qin's behavior was even more disgraceful, "Queen Yi's mother, Lady Wenhou, also had an affair with Su Qin. Su Qin was an official in the Yan kingdom, but he had an affair with Empress Yan.
Such words and deeds cannot be called noble in any way, can they?
Is Su Qin an exquisite egoist? be.
It's good to be vertical or horizontal. Whether the Qin state unifies the six kingdoms, or the six countries jointly resist and strengthen The Qin. Su Qin didn't care, nor did he care. The strategy of combining vertical and horizontal is not for the interests of the six countries, nor is it for the interests of the Qin state, let alone for the interests of the world. But for their own interests, glory and wealth, out of the general to worship, the stars holding the moon, a hundred responses are what Su Qin wants.
Comparing the Confucian way of benevolence and righteousness, the mo family's way of love, the way of ruling the country of the Fa, the tao of self-cultivation of the Taoists, and the combination of su Qin' combination of vertical and horizontal, it seems to be a small instrument.
Su Qin's character formation can be seen when he is poor and poor, the wife does not make clothes, the sister-in-law does not cook, the parents are cold and violent (the wife is not down, the sister-in-law is not cooking, the parents are not with the words), he said a sentence, which can best reflect this. He said: "I was taught by my teacher and immersed myself in studying, but I can't exchange it for glory and wealth, so what is the use of reading more books?" ”
Perhaps since then, Su Qin's spirit spirit has died.
To be fair, although Su Qin's selfishness is not moral, it is also the law of the jungle that he came from the bottom and experienced deceit. He superficially obeyed the etiquette and morality of that time, but from the bottom of his heart he still looked down on it. His selfishness is understandable, but the dangers of his selfishness should be sobering.
On the surface, Su Qin had achieved fruitful results, simply reached a combined alliance, and deterred the Qin state for fifteen years, but Su Qin's selfish and selfish personality led to his alliance of interests only. He did not use the alliance to deepen political mutual trust among the countries, coupled with his own adultery with Empress Dowager Yan, as Qi Xiang but against the State of Qi, etc., directly promoted the excessive consumption of trust between countries. So that in the end, he was despised by Qi Guoshi and sent someone to assassinate him. After his death, the Hezhong Alliance became an empty word, Qi Wei attacked Zhao, and the Hezhong Alliance collapsed.
After that, the Six Kingdoms had many acts of collusion, but due to the first unsuccessful experience, the political mutual trust between the countries had collapsed, and each subsequent alliance was hastily concluded, so that by the time Qin destroyed the Six Kingdoms, the countries fought for each other, not to mention the joint connivance, and even the strategic support of the Xinling Jun stealing the charm to save Zhao was gone.
Afterwards, someone asked Mencius: Zhang Yi Suqin can be regarded as a big husband, right? When the world is angry, the world is afraid, and the situation is safe and the world rests.
Mencius refutes it: How can this be called a great husband? Dwelling in benevolence, standing in courtesy, acting in righteousness, rich and noble cannot be adulterous, poor and lowly cannot be moved, mighty cannot be bent, that is called a big husband.
Su Qin, whose achievements are based on the benefits of his tongue, only stops at the benefits of his tongue, loses to the benefits of his tongue, and overdrafts the mutual trust of the six countries, can only portray the next image of selfishness and clever words in history.
And today, how many exquisite egoists are there like Su Qin?