Years later, did King Qi Wei ever regret his reckless behavior in the second half of his life?
In 334 BC, King Wei of Qi summoned King Hui of Wei to Xuzhou (徐州, southeast of present-day Tengzhou, Shandong) and proclaimed himself king with the State of Wei. King Qi Wei's act of claiming the throne was actually more to vent his high dissatisfaction with the Zhou royal family's contribution to Qin: the state of Qi's two great victories over the former overlord Wei State failed to exchange the approval of the Zhou royal family, so why let the State of Qin, which was in the land of barbarians, ascend to the position of hegemon? Since you can't be the overlord, it's better to be the king yourself!
At this time, the state of Qi was already difficult to find a country that could compete with it. However, there are exceptions.
Among the neighbors of the State of Qi, there is one country that has not participated in the Central Plains hegemony for a long time and is independent of the Northern State of Yan. During the Jiang Qi era, the State of Qi assisted the State of Yan many times, and the State of Yan also married Qi many times. After the Tian clan dai qi, perhaps because of gratitude to Jiang Qi, the Yan state rarely had any contact with the state of Qi. Now that the State of Qi is called the Queen, whether it is the powerful countries such as Wei, Han, and Zhao, or the weak countries such as Song, Lu, and Zhongshan, they all give up three points of courtesy, but the State of Yan ignores the State of Qi.
Therefore, king Wei of Qi suddenly ordered the Qi army to attack the Yan state of Quanyi (權邑, in modern Zhengding County, Hebei). King Qi Wei's move unexpectedly triggered a series of chain reactions in the Eastern Zhou Jianghu: because he had just married the State of Yan, the State of Qin immediately sent emissaries to the State of Zhao, prompting the Zhao people to send troops to rescue the State of Yan; and the powerful State of Yue, which had only risen in the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, also saw the strength of the State of Qi and invaded the State of Qi in a big way under the leadership of King Wu of Yue!
In peacetime, the State of Qi was not afraid of the State of Yue at all. At this time, the main force of the Qi army was attacking Yan in the north, and it was unable to meet the enemy on both sides. In desperation, jingguo jun, who was in charge of the government, sent lobbyists to see The King of Yue and persuade him to go south to cut down Chu. Under the deception of the Qi state, the Yue king Wuqi did indeed turn around and attack Chu, but he did not want to be attacked by the army led by the king of Chu Wei, and the soldiers were defeated and killed. The King of Chu Wei, who had defeated the Yue army, heard that Tian Bao had instigated the Yue people to cut Down Chu, and he was immediately furious and immediately led a large army north to cut Qi!
As a result, the State of Qi suddenly fell into a dilemma of being attacked by the enemy on its belly and back: on the northern front, the Qi army was firmly dragged by the Yan people, and there was still the Zhao army behind it; on the southern front, the powerful Chu army directly inserted xuzhou and forced it to seek a decisive battle! It was difficult to balance the front and back, and the State of Qi soon suffered a rout on both fronts!
Holding a good hand of cards, but instantly losing the bottom pants are gone, I have to say that this is the result of Qi Wei Wang's own too "wave"!
After successive defeats, the State of Qi had to take the initiative to ask the State of Chu for peace. But the King of Chu Wei did not spare him, and took advantage of the victory to put forward a harsh condition to the State of Qi: expel Jingguo Juntian Baby!
Jingguo Juntian Baby, some said to be the son of King Qi Wei, and some said to be the brother of King Qi Wei. No matter what the saying goes, Tian Bao is a close relative of the Qi state office. After King Qiwei's later years, Jing Guojun monopolized power and ruled state affairs for a long time, and was a vassal that King Qiwei could not leave for a moment. Expelling Jing Guojun was like forcing King Qi Wei to cut off his hands and siblings, although it was not enough to kill him, but it was extremely insulting.
Such humiliating conditions are of course difficult for qi people to accept.
When he was helpless, king Qi Wei sent his doctor Zhang Qiu to the Chu army camp to negotiate with the king of Chu Wei. Just after the big defeat, it is necessary to bargain with the Chu people, and such negotiations should not be said to be extremely difficult. Such envoys are often laborious and unflattering, and ordinary people will avoid it, and Zhang Ugly is naturally also a mountain of pressure.
In order to persuade the King of Chu Wei, Zhang Qiu thought for a long time, and finally decided to adopt an unusual strategy.
After meeting Queen Chu Wei, Zhang Qiu did not defend Tian Bao. On the contrary, he stood in the position of the State of Chu and uttered something that convinced the King of Chu Wei: "The reason why the Great King was able to win a great victory in Xuzhou was because the State of Qi failed to reuse Tian Pan. Tian Pan did a great service to the Qi state, and the people were willing to be driven by him. Because Tian Bao did not like Tian Pan, he chose another general before the war. Most of the Qi people were unwilling to obey Shen Jiao's orders, so the great king could defeat the Qi army! Once Tian Bao is expelled, then Tian Pan will definitely be reused. And if Tian Pan can re-emerge from the mountain, he will definitely regroup and fight against the Great King, which will be extremely unfavorable to the Great King! ”
Zhang Ugly's remarks, which completely revealed the contradictions between the top echelons of the State of Qi to the Chu people, not only suspected of revealing the national conditions, but also seriously degraded Tian Bao's personality - in an obvious accusation that Tian Bao was jealous of Xian's ability. However, long before Zhang Qiu, another Qi person had already revealed this information to the Chu people, that is, the famous general Tian Ji, who had been excluded to the Chu state by Zou Ji in the early years. Therefore, Zhang Ugly's remarks are just a negotiation strategy adopted to achieve the goal, not a leak.
Listening to these words, the King of Chu Wei felt very reasonable: instead of letting Tian Pan re-emerge from the jianghu, it was better to let Tian Bao continue to plague the Qi state. Therefore, he happily agreed not to expel Tian Bao.
Seemingly impossible tasks can be easily completed after a few words, and Zhang Ugly's talent can be seen from this. Although Zhang Ugly's words during the negotiation were somewhat offensive to Tian Bao, his starting point was to safeguard the interests of the State of Qi and faithfully perform the duties entrusted to him by King Qi Wei.
However, since then, Zhang Ugly has unexpectedly disappeared in the State of Qi. Where did he go?
Since Guiling and Maling were defeated by the State of Qi twice, the strength of the State of Wei had declined greatly. Seeing this, the state of Qin in the west continued to expand eastward, successively encroaching on a large amount of land west and east of the Wei state; the state of Chu in the south also took the opportunity to beat the falling water dogs and launched many attacks on the state of Wei. In 323 BC, Zhaoyang, a Chu man, led an army to attack the State of Wei and destroyed the Wei army at Xiangling (襄陵, in present-day Sui County, Henan), seizing eight cities. There was Qin in the west, Chu in the south, and Qi in the east, coupled with the long-term discord with the two kingdoms of Zhao and Han in the Three Jins, the State of Wei was suddenly caught in an extremely tight living space.
In order to improve the strategic environment and gain opportunities for recuperation, the State of Wei urgently needed to make peace with the nations, especially the powerful States of Qi and Chu.
It can be seen that after the State of Wei was isolated and helpless, Korea, which had been suppressed for a long time, also sent troops to attack the State of Wei's Yun Yi (present-day east of Yuncheng, Shandong) in an attempt to take advantage of the fire and looting.
Having suffered many blows in a row, Wei Guo was now a little overwhelmed. If South Korea cannot stop attacking, I am afraid that the essence of Wei's foreign power and cadres will be completely exposed, and the situation will be out of control. In the face of South Korea, which has been resentful for a long time, who can persuade the Rok army to stop the attack and shake hands with the Wei state?
What was surprising was that King Hui of Wei actually sent out the former Qi people Zhang Ugly!
After seeing Han Xianggongzhong, Zhang Qiu did not directly persuade him to stop attacking, but analyzed the current situation from the standpoint of South Korea: "Now that you are attacking the Wei state of Yunyi, once the Wei people feel that the situation is critical, they will definitely cut off the land and seek peace with Qi and Chu, and in turn attack Korea." So, you might as well stop the attack. Once the situation in the State of Wei eased, it would continue to engage Qi and Chu. If Wei Guo wins, then Korea can take advantage of Wei Guo's fatigue to attack yun yi; if Wei guo loses, then it will take the initiative to sacrifice Yun Yi to Korea! ”
South Korea's national strength has long been weaker than that of the Wei state, and at this time it is just trying to take advantage of the danger of others. Once Wei Guo eased up and launched a counterattack against South Korea with all his might, South Korea was really not sure to resist. Therefore, it was better to let Wei Guo consume with Qi and Chu first, and then sit on the side and watch the tiger fight. Thinking of this, Gongzhong did not say a word and nodded in agreement.
As soon as Korea stopped attacking, Zhang Qiu immediately sent an envoy to Qi and Chu, saying: "Korea has already formed an alliance with the State of Wei; if you don't believe it, then why don't you go and see if Gongzhong is still continuing to attack Yunyi?" ”
Qi and Chu became suspicious and sent people to investigate, only to find that Gongzhong had indeed stopped attacking. At this time, the two countries were a little panicked, so they did not communicate with South Korea and directly made peace with Wei Guo!
The former Qi people came to the Wei state that was defeated by the State of Qi, what was going on?
Not only that, but another thing showed that Zhang Ugly was sincerely submitting to the Wei state.
At the time when Su and Qin joined forces with the Six Kingdoms of Shandong, Zhang Yi also frequently traveled around the world and persuaded them to join Qin. As a former Wei person, Zhang Yi's important targets of lobbying naturally included the State of Wei. To this end, Zhang Yi took the initiative to visit Wei Guo.
Hearing that Zhang Yi was coming, King Hui of Wei, who was terrified of the State of Qin, prepared to go to greet him. Under the current situation, there is no guarantee that he can save the State of Wei, but Lian Heng is bound to cause long-term harm to the State of Wei. Therefore, Zhang Ug persuaded King Hui of Wei several times not to accept Zhang Yi. However, King Hui of Wei was afraid of the State of Qin, but did not dare to reject Zhang Yi.
After several attempts to persuade him to no avail, Zhang Had to step down. But soon he turned around and came back again, "Has the great king heard about the old concubine serving the housewife?" When children grow old and decay, they pay more attention to the family. Now the subordinates serve the king, just like the old concubines serve the housewives! ”
Zhang Ugly compared himself to the old concubine, that is, although he was old, he had regarded Wei Guo as his home, and preventing Zhang Yi from coming to Wei was also dedicated to wei guo! Under Zhang Ugly's several earnest requests, King Hui of Wei was finally moved and did not accept Zhang Yi. Although the State of Wei later accepted Zhang Yi as a minister, Zhang Qiu's view of Zhang Yi was always correct--Zhang Yi came to the State of Wei to serve the State of Qin, not to help the State of Wei.
It can be seen that after leaving the State of Qi, Zhang Ugly really regarded the State of Wei as his ultimate belonging. What kind of circumstances did the former Qi people eventually become loyal subjects of the State of Wei, and what circumstances led to such a change?
The mystery of this is probably closely related to Tian Bao.
Around the year of the Great War of Qi and Chu Xuzhou, under the leadership of Su Qin, the six kingdoms of Shandong began to merge. The two countries had conflicts over the war of power, and in order to enhance mutual trust, the two countries took the initiative to exchange hostages. The hostage sent by the State of Qi to the State of Yan was none other than Zhang Ugly, a great hero in the Xuzhou peace talks. However, zhang ugly had not been in the Yan kingdom for less than a year, but the state of Qi suddenly cut down Yan and captured ten cities in the Yan kingdom!
The treachery of the Qi people made the newly enthroned King Yi of Yan extremely angry, and on the one hand, he instructed Su Qin to go to the State of Qi to ask for explanations, and on the other hand, he prepared to kill the hostage of the State of Qi, Zhang Ugly!
In order to save his life, Zhang Ugly had to embark on the road of escape. But after reaching the border, the Yan border officials still recognized Zhang Ugly and arrested him!
At the critical moment, Zhang Ugly could only threaten the border officials who arrested him: "The reason why the King of Yan wanted to kill me was that some people said that I had a jewel, and the King of Yan wanted this pearl. Now I lost the orb, but the Yan King didn't believe it. If you want to sacrifice me to the King of Yan, then I will say that you snatched the orb and swallowed it in your stomach, then the King of Yan will definitely kill you and cut your abdomen! If you want to be appreciated by the king, you should not please him with profit. If I die, your intestines will be cut off!" ”
The bian official was stunned by Zhang Ugly and let Zhang Ugly go in fear.
With his own quick wit, Zhang Ugly finally escaped this unprovoked killing disaster.
The previous year, Zhang Ug was still serving the State of Qi in Xuzhou and made great contributions; the following year, the State of Qi sent Zhang Ug to the State of Yan to die. Who in the end had such a big hatred with Zhang Ugly and put up a life and death game in the Yan Kingdom for him to drill?
Come to think of it, only Jingguo Juntian Baby.
Although Zhang Ug had succeeded in convincing the King of Chu Wei, he had caused great harm to Tian Bao—his reputation for jealousy of Xian's ability had spread throughout the entire State of Qi in an instant. Therefore, Tian Bao was angry and hateful at Zhang Ugly, and immediately set up a life and death situation for him in the Yan Kingdom! Soon after, Su Qin came to the State of Qi to persuade him to make peace, and the Qi people immediately returned these ten cities to the State of Yan, which highlighted the cattiness of them.
How could Zhang Ugly, who had escaped the scourge of death, continue to stay in the State of Qi?
At this time, after the defeat of Ma Ling, King Hui of Wei was painfully determined and began to recruit talents from the world. Mencius, Zou Yan, Chun Yu (淳裕髡) and other celebrities of the Qi state of Jixia Xuegong (髡) and others have turned to the State of Wei. Since it was no longer possible to take shelter in the State of Qi, it was only natural that Zhang Qiu fled to the State of Wei. It was precisely because King Hui of Wei took in Zhang Ugly at the most dangerous moment that he became a loyal vassal of the State of Wei in his later years.
The unexpected transformation of Zhang Ugly's life is just a microcosm of the large number of talents lost in The State of Qi. In addition to Zhang Ugly, Tian Ji, Tian Bao, and so on were deliberately excluded by the powerful ministers. The talents who once studied in the Minoru Academy have also switched to other countries.
Why did the Qi talent suddenly flow out in large numbers?
The two powerful ministers trusted by King Qi Wei, Zou Ji and Tian Bao, were the culprits. Zou Ji and Tian Bao, in fact, both of them are quite talented. However, under the long reign, there was no check or supervision, and both of them developed the same problem: jealousy and jealousy. For those talents who did not obey themselves, Zou Ji and Tian Bao tried their best to exclude and suppress themselves to avoid being replaced, which seriously hindered the upward passage of Talents in the State of Qi. Therefore, in the later years of King Qi Wei, domestic talents were outflowing, which made Tian Qi quickly go downhill.
Therefore, Zou Ji and Tian Bao became powerful courtiers, and the root cause was the laziness of King Qi Wei.
——End——
The author | Desire Cloud: a science and engineering man who likes history and now lives in Shenzhen
Pictures | from the network,
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