"Chao San Twilight Four" and "Chao Qin Twilight Chu" are all derogatory terms to describe people's inattentive feelings, even in modern society, when a person frequently changes his partner, most of them will also attract some discussion. However, during the Western Han Dynasty, there was such a minister who changed a new lady every year, and Emperor Wudi of Han not only did not criticize him, but said that he was smart.
This person is Dongfang Shuo. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there were many well-known military generals, Dong Zhongshu, The Main Father, Zhang Tang, Wei Qing, Huo Fuyi, Li Guang, Huo Guang, Sang Hongyang, Jin Riju... Most of these people appeared in the "History", and Dongfang Shuo was no exception, but when Sima Qian wrote about Dongfang Shuo, he classified him in the "Funny Column Biography".
One of the characteristics of the characters in The Funny Column is that they have a very high level of speech, and they can always use humorous and witty words to satirize the king and make the king listen to advice. This is also the reason why Dongfang Shuo was included in the "Funny Column Biography", although his historical fame was not lost to the rest of the famous courtiers during the Han Wu Emperor period, but in fact, Dongfang Shuo was just a amused Lang official around The Han Wu Emperor.
There were too many Lang officials in the Han Dynasty, where was Dongfang Shuo in particular? First, he served Emperor Wu of Han closely, and he may have seen Emperor Wu of Han for longer than those important courtiers in the dynasty; second, Dongfang Shuo had a special personality, which could be called a wandering skeleton. The Book of Han records that Dongfang Shuo was received by Emperor Wu of Han because Dongfang Shuo lied and deceived several dwarfs who helped Emperor Wu of Han raise horses, saying that Emperor Wu of Han wanted to punish them.
These people believed it to be true and ran to Emperor Wu of Han and cried bitterly and begged for forgiveness, but Emperor Wu of Han was confused and understood the causes and consequences, so he called Dongfang Shuo over and asked him why he had fabricated rumors. Dongfang Shuo replied boldly, "I am nine feet tall and knowledgeable, and I deserve your reuse, but after you read my materials, you have been putting me in the Bus Office, and I really don't want to eat the same thing as these dwarfs who raise horses, you might as well let me go home, otherwise I can only waste the grain of the imperial court." ”
Emperor Wudi of Han laughed and began to appoint Dongfang Shuo from then on, and Dongfang Shuo, with his own cleverness, repeatedly advised Emperor Wudi of Han that he had not been punished, and even if he married a new lady a year, Emperor Wudi of Han did not care. The "Records of History" records: "[Dongfang Shuo] used the money he gave in vain and took the young woman to the women in Chang'an. Those who take women at the age of one year are discarded, and even more women are taken. The money given goes to the woman. The Lord of Man half-called 'madman' to the left and right. ”
That is to say, Dongfang Shuo received many rewards from Emperor Wu of Han, but he took all this money to marry his wife, marrying a young and beautiful woman in Chang'an City every year, quitting after a year, and marrying a new one, every year. Marrying a wife is to give a dowry, and it costs a lot of money to buy clothes and jewelry after the wife enters the door, so that Dongfang Shuo spends all his money on marrying his wife.
So his colleagues thought the man was too crazy and brazen, and collectively said bad things about him. In addition, Dongfang Shuo had also done things such as hiding the meat on the feast in his clothes and bringing it back, urinating in the main hall, and everyone was even more unaccustomed to him. Unexpectedly, Emperor Wudi of Han did not think so after hearing those comments: "Dongfang Shuo is very clever, if there were no such stinky problems, which of you would be able to compare with him!" ”
Why did Dongfang Shuo do this? In fact, this is because he has been with Emperor Wudi of Han for a long time, and he understands very well the truth that he accompanies the emperor like a companion of the tiger, although Emperor Wudi of Han seems to trust him, but in fact, he does not let him hold an important position, and the rewards he gets are all because he speaks well and can make Emperor Wudi laugh, once the emperor is suspicious, these rewards will be taken away.
Since this was the case, it was better to scatter the money early, not to let the surplus wealth remain in his hands, and to eliminate any possible suspicion of Emperor Wu of Han about him. A person full of shortcomings is always more reassuring than a person who cannot find shortcomings, and it is precisely because of this wisdom that Dongfang Shuo saved himself, did not be punished for often advising Emperor Wu of Han, and died peacefully in the era of Emperor Wu of Han.