The uprisings of Chen Shi and Wu Guang at the end of the Qin Dynasty are well known in Chinese history. The common saying is that in the autumn of the first year of Qin II (209 BC), the Qin court requisitioned the poor tun shu Yuyang, Chen Shi, Wu Guang and more than 900 other pawns were requisitioned to Yuyang Shubian, on the way in Daze Township, Pu County, blocked by heavy rain, could not reach the destination as scheduled, in a hurry, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led the pawns to kill the officers escorting the pawns and launched a mutiny. So, as poor people at the bottom, why do they dare to rise up? Did they rise up in a hurry, or did they have a deep historical background? Few people have studied it in the past. The historical novel "Qin Chu Love Feud", which I created based on archaeology, especially explored this. Their uprising itself was a failure, but because of his uprising, the Great Qin Empire collapsed and the powerful Han Dynasty was established. Therefore, it can be said that Chen Shi is a figure who promotes great social changes.
I. The Historical Background of Chen's Uprising
The "Chronicle of History" records that in 230 BC, Qin destroyed Korea and set it as Yingchuan County. At this time, Chen County, which originally belonged to the Chu state, that is, present-day Huaiyang, was also occupied by the Qin state and assigned to Yingchuan County. Zhang Liang, the young son of the Korean prime minister, because he could not survive on Korean soil, left Korea in order to avenge his departure from Korea, determined to resist Qin, arrived in Chen County, and met Hercules Canghaijun, and carried out anti-Qin propaganda and agitation in and around Chen County, and the yangcheng people generally had anti-Qin ideas at this time.
In 226 BC, Qin Shi Huang wanted to destroy the Chu state, at this time, the son Xiong Qi, who was married to the younger daughter of King Zhao of Qin when he was a proton in the Qin state, had already succeeded Lü Buwei as the minister of the Qin state for twelve years. Then, in order to lay the foundation for the destruction of Chu, Qin Shi Huang separated Chen County, which had been assigned to Yingchuan County, and established Huaiyang County, making Xiong Qi the shou of Huaiyang County. The area around Shangshui is located in Yangcheng County, which belongs to Huaiyang County. From this time on, Xiong Qi began anti-Qin underground propaganda in the Huaiyang County area, recruiting troops and horses, and secretly organizing armed forces. Zhang Liang was still in Huaiyang at this time and became acquainted with Xiong Qi. They are all secretly carrying out anti-Qin activities.
In 225 BC, Qin Shi Huang sent the general Li Xin to attack Chu, and when he reached Huaiyang County, Xiong Qi raised an army against Qin, and Li Xin was defeated. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was furious and sent his general Wang Qi (王翦) to lead 600,000 troops to attack Chu in 224 BC, first attacking Huaiyang. Nearly a year-long bloody battle was fought here. In 1975, the soldiers' letters of Heifu and Brother Surprise unearthed in Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, described this period of war history: it was winter when it came, and now the weather is warm, there is no clothes to change, let the family send them money or send clothes.
After Qin Shi Huang unified the world, Huaiyang was garrisoned by the Qin army and could not hide, so he and Canghai Jun lurked in the surrounding counties of Huaiyang, including Yangcheng County, and continued anti-Qin activities. At this time, although Chen Sheng was only a teenager, he made up his mind and said to his partners who cultivated the land together: "Gou is rich and noble. Everyone felt funny when they heard it: "Let's sell our strength to cultivate the land for others, where is the wealth?" Chen Sheng sighed, "How does Yan Que know Honghu's ambitions?" ”
In the twenty-ninth year of Qin Shi Huang (218 BC), Zhang Liang and Cang Haijun set out from Yangcheng to prepare to assassinate Qin Shi Huang in Xianyang, and happened to learn that Qin Shi Huang's third eastern tour was lurking in Bolangsha on the eastern outskirts of Yuanyang County to assassinate Qin Shi Huang. Although the assassination attempt was unsuccessful, he fled east again, lurking in the Huaiyang area again, and finally, fled east to Xia Pi, hid his name and hid.
II. The internal struggle of the Qin court before the Chen rebellion
Zhao Gaoben was a distant relative of the Qin Emperor's family, entered the Qin Palace as a eunuch, served as the commander of the Zhongche Prefecture, concurrently performed the Fu Seal Order, was responsible for the management of Qin Shi Huang's carriage and horse and travel with him, and even personally drove the emperor, the position was extremely important, and the heart side that was not the absolute trust of the emperor could not be assumed. Because Zhao Gao was good at observing words and colors, he soon won the appreciation and trust of Qin Shi Huang and his son Hu Hai. Qin Shi Huang also had Zhao Gaojiao Hu Hai sentenced to prison. Once, zhao gao committed a felony, and Meng Yi wanted to execute him according to the law, and Zhao Gao's clever words made Him confuse Qin Shi Huang, and finally made Qin Shi Huang pardon him and reinstate him to his original post. Since then, Zhao Gao has held a grudge against the Meng Yi brothers.
(Volume 1: Qin Que Chu)
Qin Shi Huang's chancellor turned out to be Lü Buwei, who established his own huge political group in the Qin state, and Li Si joined this group as soon as he arrived in the Qin Dynasty. After Emperor Qin Shi Huang came to power, because Lü Buwei found a "big penis man" for Qin Shi Huang's mother, he caused the court to be full of storms and rain, and he was quickly killed. Xiong Qi became a chancellor, and was degraded because he opposed Qin Shi Huang's destruction of Chu. Li Si made a minister. Although Li Si was a chancellor, because he was a Native of the Chu State and had close relations with Lü Buwei and Xiong Qi, Qin Shi Huang was often uneasy about him. At this time, Zhao Gao was very favored by Qin Shi Huang because he was good at greeting him, and Fu Xi was controlled by Zhao Gao.
In 210 BC, during qin shi huang's fifth eastern tour, he died in the sand dunes, in the territory of Guangzong in present-day Xingtai City, Hebei Province. After The death of Qin Shi Huang in the sand dunes, Li Si did not agree to make Hu Hai the crown prince, because Hu Hai liked Zhao Gao, and Zhao Gao thought that Hu Hai had become emperor, and he could monopolize the imperial program, so he tampered with Qin Shi Huang's suicide note, forced Qin Shi Huang's eldest son Fu Su to commit suicide, made Hu Hai emperor, and made himself Lang Zhongling. Meng Tian and Meng Yi were highly valued during the lifetime of the First Emperor, repeatedly built Qigong, and were also highly respected in the court, so they were the most taboo people in Zhao Gaoping's life. He took the opportunity to get rid of the Montessori brothers. After getting rid of the Meng brothers, Zhao Gao asked Hu Hai to kill 12 of Hu Hai's brothers in Xianyang and crush 10 princesses to death in Duyou. Because Li Si knew the inside story and was worried about the leakage of secrets, Zhao Gao always wanted to kill Li Si, and Qin II also had the intention of killing Li Si.
Why did the Qin Dynasty recruit troops to defend Yuyang in the area of Huaiyang, the old capital of the Chu State?
Due to Hu Hai's fainting, Zhao Gao formed a party for personal gain after his dictatorship, and the conscription became more arduous and the administration was more harsh. At the end of qin, the masses rose up together, and the world was in chaos. The Hu people in the northeast took the opportunity to attack the Qin Dynasty. Hu Hai had to order conscription to defend Yuyang.
Huaiyang, Yangcheng and Yangxia are the original Chu lands. Li Si was a native of the Chu state, his hometown was Shangcai, a native of Li Silou Village, Lugang Township, Shangcai County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province, and was very close to Yangcheng. Zhao Gao was worried that Li Si, the chancellor, had great power and had been eliminated himself, so he set traps everywhere to get rid of Li Si, at this time, he deliberately let Hu Hai not recruit people in some areas closer to Yuyang, but ordered the people of the original Chu land, especially the people in Li Si's hometown to shubian Yuyang. This is tantamount to killing two birds with one stone: if Li Si opposes, he will use it to kill Li Si; Li Si acquiesced, and also made the people in Li Si's hometown hate Li Si. It was his Zhao Gao's credit for making these Chudi people succeed, and if they didn't succeed, they put the blame on Li Si's head.
(Volume 2: Chu Annihilation qin)
In July of the first year of Qin II (209 BC), the imperial court recruited a large number of troops from Li Si's hometown to defend Yuyang (in present-day southwest of Miyun, Beijing), and Chen Sheng was also among the conscripts, and was appointed as the commander of the team. According to the laws of the Qin Dynasty, the age of conscription was between sixteen and sixty years old. Chen Sheng's age is not historically available, but he can be a tun chief when he is between the ages of thirty and forty. When Xiong Qiren was serving as the sheriff of Huaiyang County and Zhang Liang was active in the Huaiyang area, Chen Sheng was in his youth. Chen Sheng and 900 other poor peasants, escorted by two Qin officials, rushed to Yuyang day and night. Chen Sheng already had the will to oppose Qin, because he could not arrive on time in the rain and was going to be killed, so he rose up.
After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang revolted, they captured Daze Township in one fell swoop. Then he attacked PuXian County, and the momentum was like a bamboo. When the rebels captured Chen County, there were already six or seven hundred chariots, more than a thousand cavalry, and tens of thousands of soldiers, and the momentum was huge and unstoppable.
Mikawa-gun Taishou Li You, the eldest son of Li Si, learned of the news and immediately sent someone to report to Li Si, who immediately presented it to the second. The second emperor, who was having fun in the Xianyang Palace, was very dissatisfied when he heard it, and said: I heard Zhao Gao say, but there are some thieves in Puxian County, how can the father and son of the prime minister say that it is different from them? What is the intention? When Zhao Gao heard about it, he immediately framed Li Si to Hu Hai: The conspiracy of the dunes, the minister was involved. Your Majesty Fang Jin, you have become the emperor, but the status of the prime minister has not improved, obviously he means to cut off the land and crown the king! Li You, the eldest son of Cheng Xiang, served as the sheriff of Sanchuan County, and Chen Sheng, a robber in Chudi, and others were all people from neighboring counties in Xiang Xiang's hometown, so they dared to run amok in public. When Chen Sheng's army crossed Sanchuan, Li You only defended the city and did not attack. His subordinates had heard that there was a correspondence between them. ”
Therefore, Hu Hai listened to Zhao Gao's rumors, but Zhao Gao sent someone to Shangcai to track down Li Si's rebellion in his hometown. Ordered to send people to Shangcai and Sanchuan County to picket the relationship between Lis's father and son and the rebel army. What is even more tragic is that when Li You led his troops to die in a bloody battle with Xiang Yu at Yongqiu (雍丘, in present-day Qixian County, Henan Province), in Xianyang, Zhao Gao was executing Li Si with a knife.
It can also be proved that Yangcheng is the Yangcheng of today's Shangshui, not the Yangcheng in the southeast of Dengfeng City, and it is not the Yangcheng in other places.
4. Where were Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, and Zhang Liang at the time of Chen Sheng's uprising
When Qin Shi Huang sent the general Wang Qi to lead an army of 600,000 to attack the State of Chu, after capturing Huaiyang, attacking Shouchun in the southeastern Chu capital, Xiong Qi followed the Chu generals Xiang Yan and Xiang Liang to continue to resist Qin. After the Chu king was captured by the Qin army, he was executed. Xiang Yan committed suicide after being defeated, and Xiong Qi was proclaimed King of Chu. Xiang Liang is a general. Soon, Xiong Qi died in battle, and the Chu state perished. Xiang Liang took Xiang Yu to Wu County, in present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, hiding his name and living a commoner life. At the time of Chen Sheng's uprising, he had also been in Wu County.
After the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang served as the chief of Surabaya Pavilion in Pei County. Once, Liu Bang released the prisoners on the way to Xianyang Xiu'afang Palace, fearing that he would be punished, and hid in Zhongshan. After Chen Sheng's uprising, he has also been hiding in Zhongshan.
After Zhang Liang's attempted assassination of Qin Shi Huang, he fled to Xia Pi through huaiyang and has been buried in anonymity in xia pi. Meet the Huangshi Gong and get the "Taigong Art of War" and "Huangshi Gongluo". It was also here that he met Xiang Bo, the uncle of Xiang Liang, who killed Qin Bing, and formed a deep friendship. After the Chen Sheng uprising, he has also been here. In the "Hongmen Feast", it is said that "Xiang Bo and Zhang Liang have an old relationship", and Xiang Bo saved Zhang Liang, which is the reason.
Although these people all hated the Qin Dynasty, they were all on opposite sides of the heavens and did not raise the banner of anti-Qin. It was Chen Sheng's rise that they took advantage of the situation to raise the banner of anti-Qin.
(Volume 2: Chu Annihilation qin)
V. The epoch-making significance of chen sheng uprising
After Chen Sheng established the Zhang Chu regime in Chen County, he set up a point general platform in the east of the city, divided into five routes of soldiers and horses, and attacked various places, especially to xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, which ignited anti-Qin anger throughout the country. A few months later, zhao, qi, Yan, Wei and other places had people who established themselves as kings under the banner of restoring the Six Kingdoms. Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, and Zhang Liang also rose up against Qin and came together. The State of Chu was restored, and So was Korea.
In the end, it was Liu Bang and Xiang Yu of the Chu State who destroyed the Qin Dynasty. After the Chu-Han rivalry, Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty.
Although Chen Sheng was killed by the coachman, the uprising itself was a failure, but the purpose he wanted to achieve was achieved, and in this sense, the uprising was successful.
The Chen Sheng and Wu Guangzexiang uprisings were the first large-scale peasant uprisings in Chinese history. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's revolutionary initiative inspired millions of working people to rise up against brutal rule.
The chen sheng and wu guang uprisings fundamentally shook the rule of the Qin Dynasty, created favorable conditions for Xiang Yu and Liu Bang to destroy qin, occupied an important position in the history of China's peasant wars, and were also an excellent education for the feudal rulers behind them. Therefore, Chen Sheng, one of the greatest figures in Chinese history, not only dared to oppose tyranny, but also sounded the alarm bell for the rulers of successive dynasties and made great contributions to improving the status of the people.