Ancient China seems to have an immutable law. That is, if the courtiers are highly respected, they will not be able to escape the fate of being killed. The Warring States killed Wen, Liu Bang of the Western Han Dynasty killed Han Xin, and Yue Fei of the Song Dynasty was wrongfully killed. These people, whether they were deliberately killed or wrongfully killed, are all famous for their military achievements. But their fate is full of lamentations and regrets.
But there are always people who can escape the curse of history, and these people seem to know better how to protect themselves. They retreated in the torrent of history and ended up with a good ending.
First of all, we have to mention Fan Li in the Spring and Autumn Period. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Fan Li defected to the State of Yue because he was dissatisfied with the dark rule of the State of Chu and became a general next to the King of Yue, and assisted him. The Yue king's twenty years of "lying down and tasting guts" finally revived the Yue kingdom. Fan Li can be said to be the first-class minister of the revival of the Country. But he knew the truth that the birds were exhausted, the good bows were hidden, and the cunning rabbits were dead and the dogs were cooked, and he had already made up his mind to go into hiding. Moreover, the king of Yue told him that he hoped that he would bring his own plan to the previous king. So Fan Li did not hesitate to leave, before leaving he persuaded Wen Zhu to leave quickly, but Wen Li thought that Gou Jian would definitely be different from him and insisted on refusing to leave, the end did not want to know, Wen Li was killed by the Yue King, Fan Li and Xi Shi hidden in the world. In addition, Fan Li's wisdom in life is really admirable, he has become rich in business three times, and he has a million family wealth, calling himself Tao Zhugong. But he knew that wealth would only bring him the envy of the kings, so he did not hesitate to scatter the family wealth, and finally Mingzhe saved himself. Fan Li's calculation was that the end of that turbulent era was relatively good.
There is also a well-known example of a successful retirement is Zhang Liang of the Western Han Dynasty. In the peasant war at the end of qin, Zhang Liang gathered a crowd to rebel against Qin, and later returned to Liu Bang and became one of Liu Bang's important strategists. He advised Liu Bang to make a humble remark at the Hongmen banquet, preserve his strength, and dredge Xiang Yu's uncle Xiang Bo, so that Liu Bang could escape. He Cheng helped Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu in the Chu-Han War. Zhang Liang made an indelible contribution to the establishment of the Han Dynasty, and after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, he was given the title of Marquis of Liu. But he refused Liu Bang's reward for his land and money, and he only asked to return to his hometown. In the end, the tragedy of Rucheng and Xiao He and Xiao He was avoided.
Another very famous is the Song Dynasty's Shi Shouxin. When it comes to the Song Dynasty, people can't help but think of the Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin's yellow robe and body to establish his own dynasty. When we admire the success of Zhao Kuangyin's self-made career, we also have to praise the people who helped Zhao Kuangyin succeed, and one of the most important positions is Shi Shouxin. Shi Shouxin participated in the Battle of Gaoping and the Battle of Huainan, and was a member of the "Ten Brothers of the Righteous Society" by commanding envoys in front of the Leiguan Palace and the emissaries of the Yicheng Army. After the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty, he led the army to quell the rebellion of Li Jun and Li Chongjin, and served as the deputy commander of the Ma Infantry Army and the commander of the Ma Budu Of the Guards. Shi Shouxin's role in the Song Dynasty was great, and before the Establishment of the Song Dynasty, he and Zhao Kuangyin had almost equal status. After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin was guarded against Shi Shouxin and others, so he had the famous right to release the army with a cup of wine. The day after the cup of wine released the military power, Shi Shouxin chose to surrender the military power and return to his hometown, of course, Zhao Kuangyin did not treat him badly for giving him good land and money, and Shi Shouxin's timely abdication not only saved his own life but also preserved his glory and wealth.
In ancient history, there were not many people who could save themselves and retire, and many loyal people were either not allowed to use grief and anger to die, or were unjustly killed, or they were killed because their merits were too great to threaten the position of the emperor. People who can protect themselves should keep a clear mind and know when to do things. Will not be carried away by temporary honor and will not become greedy because of glory and wealth.