preface
History is the collective memory of a nation and even an era. In this memory, many historical figures are famous for their momentary successes and failures. However, when we comment on history, do we also need to examine the inner world of these sages in order to restore history as it is? This article attempts to take Dong Cheng in the Three Kingdoms period as an example, compare historical facts and novels, discuss the fate of an ordinary person in a troubled world, and what kind of historical attitude we should take to view these ancestors who left us a historical imprint.
1. Dong Cheng's image in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Under Luo Guanzhong's careful depiction, Dong Cheng was a loyal and righteous Han Dynasty loyal minister in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In order to protect the dignity of the Han family, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his life for righteousness, and single-handedly fought against the powerful Cao Cao, and was a true hero of Jian'an.
Luo Guanzhong focused on the experience of King Dong Chengqin, making him appear loyal and single-minded. Such as escorting Emperor Xian of Han to the capital Luoyang and repelling hundreds of thousands of pursuing soldiers on the way back to Beijing, these deeds make people feel his infinite loyalty to the Han family. Later, in order to weaken the power of Han Xian and other warlords, he transferred to Cao Cao in Luoyang, and was finally seized power by Cao Cao. But in Luo's writing, this is all described as the result of Dong Cheng's selfless dictatorship and misjudgment of the situation.
The climactic moment of Dong Cheng is the famous story of "Clothes with Edict". In order to eradicate Cao Cao's rebellion, Emperor Xian of Han personally embroidered the secret edict into a brocade belt and quietly passed it on to Dong Cheng. Luo Guanzhong carefully describes the scene of Emperor Xian of Han writing a secret edict and crying blood in the edict, highlighting the emperor's anger towards Cao Cao and his absolute trust in Dong Cheng.
After receiving the edict from the Son of Heaven, Dong Cheng ignited in his heart the ambition of avenging the Han family, and immediately launched a campaign, contacting loyal ministers and preparing to assassinate Cao Cao. Luo's Dong Cheng seems to have put aside many stakes in an instant, just to be loyal to the Han family and the Son of Heaven. He successively recruited old Han courtiers such as Prince Fu, Chong Ji, and Ma Teng, and even Liu Bei, who was powerful at that time, to join. These loyal men plotted day and night, ready to deliver an earth-shattering blow to Cao Cao. Later, the imperial physician Jiping had the opportunity to get close and was also introduced into the assassination plan by Dong Cheng. For a while, Cao Cao's death seemed to be imminent.
However, this conspiracy was finally revealed, and everyone involved in it was spared, even Dong Cheng's daughter in the palace was implicated, and the mother and daughter died on the same day. Despite the failure, Dong Cheng's unswerving loyalty and fearless spirit still made future generations admire and praise his righteous deeds. In Luo Guanzhong's writing, he is the true Jian'an loyal soul.
2. Dong Cheng in history
However, when we open the official history and explore the real history, we will find that there is a big difference between Dong Cheng and the historical facts in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Historically, Dong Cheng was indeed the uncle of Emperor Han Xian, and it is true that he escorted Emperor Han Xian east to Luoyang. But according to the canonical records, this was not entirely out of loyalty. At that time, Dong was entrusted by Yuan Shao with the intention of seizing power in Luoyang, and took the opportunity to marry his daughter to Emperor Xian of Han and control the imperial power as an imperial qi. The escort is selfish.
Next, he led the wolf into the room and transferred Cao Cao into Luoyang, which was quite suspicious. This move was ostensibly intended to weaken the power of warlords such as Han Siam, but in fact it was probably due to Dong Cheng's own political calculations. He wanted to rely on Cao Cao's power to further consolidate his position in the dynasty. When Cao Cao turned against the guest and Dong Cheng's power was emptied, he realized his wrong decision.
In order to regain power, Dong Cheng began to conspire with his old ministers, ostensibly to eliminate harm to the Son of Heaven, but in fact he may have wanted to use the name of the Son of Heaven to protect himself. The so-called "edict of clothing" is not found in the official history, and it is likely that it is an excuse invented by Dong Cheng. Its motives are also questionable. In order to attract the prince's uniform, he even took out the example of Lu Buwei, which shows that he just wanted to rely on power and regain benefits.
After the defeat, he also gained the reputation of a martyr, but this seems to be very different from his calculations during his lifetime. Perhaps, we can put ourselves in Dong Cheng's shoes and think about it - the entire Han Dynasty, as a sect and with lofty ideals, it is inevitable that he will find ways to regain control of the overall situation. However, the talent is limited, the opportunity is not good, the power is sidelined for a while, and the struggle is helpless, which finally leads to failure. As an ordinary person, Dong Cheng may not be required to have too high a character, and his various actions are also the result of this troubled time and ignorance that makes it difficult to correct. We should not be unduly critical of individuals, but examine the root causes of the evil of this troubled world.
Third, the truth of history
History is not as black and white as romance novels, heroic and righteous. Historical figures are often gray, and we need to restore them to the real historical context to examine them in order to make a more accurate judgment on history.
The same is true of Dong Cheng, who is not as sacred and inviolable as in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the historical context of the time, his actions were not entirely unreasonable. But over-glorifying or demonizing historical figures can create obstacles to our correct reading of history.
For example, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dong Cheng is depicted as almost perfect, loyal and patriotic, benevolent, righteous, and wise, and all-encompassing. But the real Dong Cheng may just be an ordinary person, with the selfishness and cowardice of a normal person. He can also misjudge the situation and make the wrong decisions. However, due to the limitations of the times and atmosphere, his shortcomings were infinitely magnified, which eventually led to a tragic end.
So, how should we view Dong Cheng in history? Perhaps it is not possible to use black and white value judgments, but to examine the characteristics of an ordinary person in a troubled world from a higher historical perspective. It also helps us to understand and recognize the true face of that era more deeply.
4. Historical reflections
History is the common memory of a nation, and we need to continue to learn and explore to let ourselves truly understand history and those ancestors who left us historical memories. Taking Dong Cheng as an example, this is a process worth pondering. By gaining insight into the situation of an ordinary person in a troubled world, we can better examine and understand history and avoid simple emotional judgments.
Dong Cheng's life reflects the plight of ordinary people in that era - the chaotic political situation, the dark and cruel social environment, and the struggle of human nature. We should not jump to judgment, but put ourselves in the shoes of each historical figure.
This is also a wake-up call for us today, and in the face of this complex and ever-changing world, we need to maintain rationality and wisdom. We must not simply judge others, but fully understand the helplessness of each person's life. In this way, we can gain the wisdom of history and draw wisdom to face the difficulties of the present. History should not only stop at slogans and surfaces, but need to explore its deep value. This is also the ultimate goal of studying history.
epilogue
History is a mirror that reflects the vicissitudes of an era; It is also a touchstone, testing the spiritual pursuit of a nation. We need to let go of our preconceptions and continue to explore with humility, drawing strength from them. The fate of every ordinary person deserves to be heard, because it is these seemingly insignificant bits and pieces of life that together multiply into rivers and converge into a mighty torrent of history. We are all witnesses of history and will eventually become the inheritors of history.