Speaking of the reasons for the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty, many people blame the founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan, the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty, as if it was this guy who set up an idiot heir, which led to the chaos of the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings" in later generations.
Today, we talk about the "idiot heir" set up by Sima Yan, Sima Zheng, the Emperor of Jinhui, to see if he is an idiot in everyone's imagination.
Many people think that Sima Zheng is an idiot, only because Sima Zheng once said a famous sentence: "Why don't you eat meat?" But in fact, if we only rely on this sentence to conclude that Sima Zheng is an idiot, it is really biased.
On this point, we can look at the fifty-first time in "Dream of the Red Chamber", which says that Jia Baoyu's yakuza Qingwen fell ill and the attacker who managed jia baoyu's account was not there, so Jia Baoyu arranged for another yakuza musk to go and get a silver or two and ask a doctor for Qingwen.
Musk Yue, who received this task, was very embarrassed, and she actually asked Jia Baoyu: "How big is the silver counted as one or two?" Jia Baoyu's answer was also very absolute: "You choose a larger piece of silver, we are not traders, how big is it?" ”
Musk Yue then took a piece of silver and lifted it up to ask Baoyu, "Is that one or two stars?" Bao Yu smiled, "You asked me interestingly, but you only came here." Musk Yue also smiled and went to ask people again. Bao Yu said, "Pick the big one and give him one." And don't do business, count these things for what. ”
Looking at this conversation between Musk Yue and Jia Baoyu alone, how much better than Sima Zheng's "why don't you eat meat paste"? Why don't you say that Musk Yue and Jia Baoyu are idiots, but instead say that Sima Zheng is an idiot?
Some people may say that although the dialogue between Musk Yue and Jia Baoyu is not in tune, judging from the usual actions of these two people, it is certainly not an idiot.
However, if we compare it through the evaluation of the history books, it is difficult to say that Sima Zheng is an idiot. How should the real idiot emperor be recorded? Let's take a look at Sima Dezong, Emperor An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty:
The emperor is not favorable, from few to long, the mouth can not speak, although the change of cold and heat, there is no way to argue. Whatever moves and stops is not out of their own hands.
Emperor An was young and unwise, his mouth could not speak, and as for the cold and summer hunger and hunger, he could not distinguish between hunger and hunger, and his diet and sleep were not his own.
The above two paragraphs are from the Book of Jin and the Zizhi Tongjian respectively, and it is not to say whether the true image of Sima Dezong is so, but at least it shows one point: if the history books say that someone is an idiot emperor, we must tell him about the phenomenon of his idiot.
For example, Sima Dezong, the history books say that he can't speak, doesn't argue about cold and heat, and eats and drinks Lhasa and needs to be taken care of... With these specific examples, it is why Sima Dezong is said to be an idiot emperor.
But if we go through the records of Sima Zheng, where is there a similar statement?
Most of Sima Zheng's evaluations were that he was "simple," "unlearned," and "unable to do political affairs." From this point of view, it can only be said that Sima Zheng is not very smart, but on the whole he is still a normal person.
If we look at Sima Zheng's daily actions, it seems difficult to say that he is an idiot.
After Sima Zheng became emperor, he only explicitly expressed his love once, that is, when the rebel army wanted to kill Ji Shao, Sima Zheng said: "Ji Shao is a loyal subject, you can't kill him." But Ji Shao was eventually killed, and the blood splashed Sima Zheng's body. Afterwards, when people wanted to wash Sima Zheng's clothes, Sima Zheng said, "There is blood from the servants on it, and you must not wash it." ”
Emperor Yue: "Loyal subjects, do not kill!" "By the order of my brother-in-law, I will not offend The Ear of Your Majesty!" "Kill Shao." Blood spattered imperial clothes... Right desire Huan Emperor clothes. Emperor Yue: "Blood in the hands of the servants, don't be Huan ye!" ”
Judging from Sima Zheng's performance this time, which point does he look like a person with intellectual problems?
After Sima Zheng became emperor, there was only one explicit expression of his hatred, that is, after Sima Lun, the King of Zhao, rebelled, Sima Zheng said in public: "Api skimmed my fingers and snatched the jade seal from my hand, and I cannot spare him." ”
Api was the nickname of Sima Wei, the King of Yiyang, and when Sima Zheng said these words, Sima Wei was immediately killed.
After Lun was defeated, Emperor Hui of Jin was anyway, saying: "Api Wu Zhi, take the Wu Seal Silk, must not be killed." "Api, Wei small characters also." So he cursed.
Judging from Sima Zheng's nickname sima wei, the relationship between the two should have been extremely close, but Sima Wei betrayed Sima Zheng at a critical moment, so Sima Zheng hated him deeply and personally sentenced him to death.
From the analysis of Sima Zheng's nickname "Emperor Hui of Jin", people at that time should only think that he was mediocre and kind, not that he was an idiot. Liu Ying, the Han Hui Emperor who was also known as "Emperor Hui", no one said that he was an idiot.
Sima Zheng's biggest problem was that although he was not an idiot, he was relatively stupid, and at the same time he was weak and afraid of the inside. But from a certain point of view, this is also the result of the training of Sima Yan, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty.
Even infants and toddlers always want to let the world revolve around them. If the outside world does not come by his nature, he will cry and make a lot of noise. Instinctively, if the outside world cannot be satisfied, people will express strong dissatisfaction and try to change all this, which is instinctive.
People later learn to obey, know how to be silent, and even become cowardly, all of which are the result of acquired reinforcement. When he wants to cry, experience will tell him that the world will never revolve around him, and if he is not silent, he is likely to lose more.
Sima Zheng became the heir of the Western Jin Empire at a very young age, and he was taught from childhood to adulthood on how to be a good emperor, but he was stupid, and I am afraid that it is difficult to sort out such a complicated situation.
In this context, Sima Yan kept training him: when you can't understand the development of the situation, remember that "silence is gold" and let the power machine of the empire operate on its own.
Most importantly: the human heart is unpredictable. Who is a good person? Who are the bad guys? Who is planning for you? Who borrows from you for profit? Don't say that Sima Zheng is such a stupid person, even if I am a person with a normal IQ, who dares to say that he never looks at people and never looks away?
When everyone stood in front of Sima Zheng, it must have been a face of loyalty and meekness, and it was the country and the world when they opened and closed their mouths, but what was they thinking in their hearts? Don't say that Sima Zheng is such a stupid person, even if I am a person with a normal IQ, who dares to say that he can see everything?
Against this background, Sima Zheng learned to be silent. Only when Ji Shao was killed and Sima Wei betrayed him, he couldn't help but stand up and speak. Because at this time, he thought he could make accurate judgments.
In addition, when his cousin Yang Jun failed, his nephew gave a speech to Sima Zheng that Yang Jun was most loyal to, but Sima Zhengli did not want to pay attention to him.
Duan Guang knelt down and said to Emperor Yue: "Yang Jun is lonely and childless, is there any reason to oppose it, may His Majesty judge him!" The emperor did not answer.
When Empress Jia Nanfeng failed, she also shouted at Sima Zheng for wrongs, but Sima Zhengli did not want to pay attention to her.
Later, when he reached the upper cabinet, he called out to the emperor: "Your Majesty has a wife, and if you make people abolished, you will also abolish yourself." ”
When Sima Zheng could not judge the true and false loyal traitors, he always remained silent and allowed all parties to play a game of interests, which was the main reason for the gradual collapse of the Western Jin Dynasty.
Some people may say: "From this point of view, Sima Zheng should indeed be responsible for the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty, and Sima Yan chose Sima Zheng as his successor, is it not more responsible?" ”
Logically, this statement is correct. From a practical point of view, this statement is also problematic.
All theories about the right to inherit the throne are used to blur, because the weapon of criticism can never replace the criticism of the weapon.
You have no more reason, but the gun behind you does not give force, then what you say is equivalent to saying nothing; if the gun behind you gives force, then you will not say it does not matter, the theory of this thing is always a grasp of a big hand.
How should an heir be chosen? Li Yan can do it, li gong, li xian, li chang, and li de; no matter how it doesn't work, Zen can also make it; no matter how bad, shang tang zhou wu's revolution can also be.
You can think about it: whether ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign, is there any team that has the strength to determine the world, but because it can't find a suitable reason, it will give up the world?
I haven't read through all the history books on Earth, but I'm sure there won't be such examples. How is it possible to have power but no excuses?
Sima Yan had twenty-six sons, and Sima Zheng was indeed not a suitable successor, but why didn't Sima Yan replace him?
When I wrote about Sima Suo, the crown prince, I said that there are reasons for Sima Song here, but this is only one of the reasons. The most important reason is that Sima Zheng, the prince, is deeply popular with the people, and it is not something that Sima Yan can change if he wants to.
When Sima Zheng was nineteen years old, the chancellor Wei Wan, once vaguely said that Sima Zheng's ability was too poor, and if he was allowed to succeed to the throne, something big would definitely happen.
Every time he wanted Chen Qi but did not dare to send it; he would feast on Ling Yuntai, yang drunk, kneeling in front of the emperor's bed: "The subject wants to have enlightenment." What is the evil of what the "emperor" is saying? The third person who wanted to stop talking said, because he touched the bed with his hand: "This seat is a pity!" ”
After listening to Wei Zhen's words, Sima Yan thought of a way to test Sima Zheng's ability: he wrote down some difficult problems on paper and sent them to Sima Zheng's mansion for him to answer, and the senior people in Sima Zheng's mansion quickly gave an answer, and then asked Sima Zheng to copy it and give it to Sima Yan.
After Sima Yan got the answer, he immediately handed it to Wei Wan: "You said that the prince's ability is poor, look at this answer, is the ability poor?" Wei Wan was immediately nervous and confused.
Emperor Xi summoned the officials of the Eastern Palace to set up a banquet, and sealed Shang Shu's suspicions, so that the crown prince decided. ....... Hong, that is, the grass, made the prince write it himself, and the emperor was very pleased. First of all, he showed his eyes, and he hesitated, and the people knew that there was something to say.
As long as anyone with a normal IQ can see it, Sima Yan's practice is really a bit nonsensical: If you really want to test Sima Zheng's ability, why don't you call him to the temple and let him personally answer in full view of everyone? When you sent the question to the Prince's Mansion, didn't you explicitly give Sima Zheng the opportunity to cheat?
In fact, Sima Yan's intention lies in this. Zhizi Moruo's father, what level is Sima Zheng, can Sima Yan not be clear?
Sima Yan's approach was not testing Sima Zheng's ability, but testing Sima Zheng's popularity.
Through such a test, everyone knows that the prince is stupid, but who dares to say it? Why wei Huan was so nervous, because through this incident, he also saw how high Sima Yan's people were. Under such circumstances, how dare Wei Ou say anything more?
In that era, who could be the crown prince was by no means the emperor alone.
Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gao, was bent on deposing The Crown Prince Liu Ying, and Lü Hou wept that he would not listen, Zhang Liang did not listen to persuasion, Uncle Sun Tong persuaded him not to listen, and the ministers persuaded him not to listen.
But when Liu Bang was ready to really depose the prince, he found that the power of the prince was too great: the high-ranking officials of the government supported the prince, and the world's admired high-ranking people also supported the prince.
In the face of such a huge force, even if Liu Banggui was the founding emperor, he did not dare to decide the candidate for the crown prince at will.
Shang wanted to depose the crown prince, and Li Qi's wife,Zhao Wang Ruyi. The ministers are much in contention, and those who fail to be resolute are also. Lü Hou was afraid and did not know what to do. The upper from the broken cloth returned, the disease benefited even more, and the more desired the prince. Zhang Liangzhi did not listen, because of illness, he did not look at things. Uncle Sun Taifu said that he introduced ancient and modern times, and fought for the prince with death. The lord agrees, and desires to make it easy. [Note]: And Yan, placed wine, prince waiter. The four of them were from the crown prince, all of whom were more than eighty years old, with white eyebrows and very good clothes. The four of them were gone after their birthdays. Seeing it, Lady Zhao Qi instructed the four of them: "I want to be easy, and the four of them are supplemented, and the wings are already formed, and it is difficult to move." Lü Hou is really and masterful. ”
Liu Bang started from scratch to fight the world, but Sima Yan's world began to accumulate strength from the time of his grandfather Sima Yi. What Liu Bang couldn't do, how could Sima Yan do it?
Historically, the power struggle around the prince has always been very fierce. The fact that the empire often formed several major groups as a result, one faction supporting the prince and the other supporting the prince, and finally attracting the fire of several major groups, and eventually leading to the fact that both sides were defeated.
Needless to say, take the Three Kingdoms before the Western Jin Dynasty: the Cao Pi brothers almost boiled beans and burned beans, and Sun Quan's two sons fought even more deadly.
Cao Pi was clever and capable, and Sun He was also smart and capable, but their brothers had been competing with them for the right to inherit the throne, and in the end the brothers were in a mess.
In contrast, Sima Zheng, who had intellectual problems, was able to always sit firmly on the throne of the crown prince and ascend to the throne more smoothly. Although he had many brothers, none of them tried to compete with him for the succession to the throne.
This in itself proves that the power within the empire to support Sima Zheng as the crown prince has always had an overwhelming advantage.
From this point of view, the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty, as well as the three-hundred-year-long chaos in the future, I am afraid that sima shi cannot only bear the burden. The noble clan that supported Sima Zheng could not be separated from it.