Preface
Have we ever imagined what it would have been considered like to have a secret piece of armor in an ancient home? Many people may think that it is "cool", but in ancient times, it could be a recipe for the death of the whole family.
The crime of rebellion against a wealthy businessman, Zangjia, is the epitome of this cruel reality. In the face of power and conspiracy, how should he maintain his innocence and life? In the whirlpool of ancient politics, what kind of fatal danger does a seemingly harmless collection contain?
An extension of power, a symbol of armament
In 750 AD, Li Heng, the son of Tang Xuanzong, ascended the throne for Tang Suzong. At this time, the Anshi Rebellion had just been pacified, and the national strength was greatly consumed. The huge territory was divided, the financial revenues such as silver mines were sharply reduced, and riots continued in various places. In the face of internal and external troubles, the regime is in jeopardy.
A large amount of military power was concentrated in the hands of feudal towns and border warlords, who often fought openly and secretly with the imperial court, and each of them divided the mountains. Some important military locations were even more like independent kingdoms, giving orders to the imperial court. For example, the Jiedu envoys, they hold the military and political power of one side, and they can even establish themselves as emperors.
Against this background, the control of military power has become a central issue in government and opposition politics. The feudal towns often used force to threaten the imperial court, demanding large amounts of money and food for support, and seeking greater political autonomy. After all, whoever has a stronger armed force will be able to control the political situation and call for wind and rain.
And armor and other weapons and equipment are an important embodiment of military strength. Thousands of elite troops, armed with sharp spears and wearing steel armor, what a majestic sight. It is conceivable that such a military force is enough to make any enemy fearful, and it can also make the imperial court have to make concessions.
Therefore, in these turbulent and eventful times, it is easy for people to secretly possess armor and other weapons, which can easily arouse the jealousy and suspicion of others—are you also planning some kind of conspiracy? Or are you secretly working for a powerful person and jointly hiding military funds? It is easy for those in power to turn such suspicions as a major threat to the regime. Even a few pieces of armor were enough to terrify the skeptical ruler.
As a result, it is very likely that the person who hid the armor will be accused of rebellion. Even if he had no other intention than to hide his armor for his personal hobbies, he would not be able to escape such cruel accusations. Under the shadow of power, weapons pose a danger that goes far beyond what is outside the body. It connects the hearts of countless indignant people, and also connects the complex and unpredictable political undercurrents in the court.
The origin of the disaster suffered by the wealthy businessman Li Qing
In 763 AD, a wealthy merchant named Li Qing was found wearing dozens of exquisite sets of armor. The matter soon reached the imperial court and caused a great shock.
Li Qing originally had a wealthy family and had been in business for many years and had accumulated considerable wealth. He was born into a scholarly family, was brilliant at an early age, and was deeply favored by his grandfather. Due to his family's downfall, he was forced to interrupt his studies and embark on a career in the business world.
With his intelligence and ability, Li Qing soon made a name for himself in the business world. He is good at investment, buying granges and shops all over the country, and also operating silver accounts, and the business is widely distributed. Li Qing is good at seeing business opportunities, and he can always seize the best time to buy land or open a shop. With his keen judgment, these investments quickly paid off handsomely.
In addition to his career success, Li Qing also has a literati temperament. He is an avid collector, has a lot of experience in antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and looks for rare treasures. There is a collection of excellent antiques and cultural toys in the house, which is called the "Little Forbidden City". These collections not only highlight his connoisseurship, but also his status, which made him instantly famous.
Perhaps it is the mentality of great joy that is at work, Li Qing is particularly partial to some rare treasures, especially those with the atmosphere of power. For example, exquisite armor, which was the most high-grade military product at that time, could not be owned by ordinary people, and was deeply loved by the powerful. In his view, it was a symbol of power, satisfying the vanity of his heart.
In order to satisfy this selfish desire, Li Qing spared no expense to collect armor. He even made friends with some officers privately to obtain first-hand sources of armor. With the help of a friend, Li Qing successfully managed to collect dozens of well-made armors. This made him indulge in the pleasure and self-aggrandizement of collecting, and completely forgot the hidden dangers contained in these "collections".
Accusations of treason have arrived
In the winter of 763, a group of forbidden troops suddenly came to Li Qing's house and startled the servants guarding the door. I saw uniformed soldiers rushing straight in and searching Li Qing's inner house. Eventually, they found dozens of sets of armor in Li Qing's treasury, with everything and a wide variety. The massive accumulation of such important military supplies is truly incredible.
The matter spread quickly, and the government and the opposition were in an uproar. Faced with such a startling discovery, the imperial court immediately launched an investigation with the intention of finding out the source of the armor. The elites accused Li Qing of rebellion one after another and demanded severe punishment. After all, in the era of frequent internal and external troubles, people hoarded a large number of armor and other weapons, which is really difficult to grasp its intentions.
What's more, Li Qing has a flamboyant personality and has publicly criticized the government many times. His sharp remarks made many ministers extremely disgusted. This time, he was suddenly found to be hiding armor in his home, and immediately let the politicians of the government and the opposition find a breakthrough to attack him.
"He is hoarding such military funds, he must be a rebellion!" Check his relationship with the officers!" All kinds of accusations poured in, and Li Qing instantly became the target of public criticism. Fueled by the fire of the elites, the word "rebellion" undoubtedly pushed Li Qing into an even more desperate situation.
Li Qing was naturally unwilling to be arrested on charges of great rebellion. He went to the court several times and wept bitterly to prove his innocence. Claiming that the armor is a private collection is out of a love of antiques is nothing else. He also implored the Su sect to conduct an investigation to find out the specific source of the armor and prove that it was not an illegal channel.
However, in the face of the suppression of public opinion and power by the government and the opposition, Li Qing's defense was difficult to sustain. Those in power had no intention of launching an impartial investigation, they had only found an excuse to get rid of Li Qing. Under the pressure of the other party, it is hopeless to prove his innocence.
Innocent of objects in front of power?
In 765 AD, under the pressure of public opinion, Suzong finally found that Li Qing was guilty of rebellion and ordered the confiscation of his family property. His wife and children were also detained and interrogated in an attempt to find clues to the case. Li Qing himself was even thrown into prison and tortured day and night to extract a confession.
Under this ruthless suppression, Li Qing finally died in prison. He didn't have time to defend himself, so he died in vain in this sudden political persecution. This businessman, who was originally rich in the world, was ruthlessly crushed into a victim of political disputes because of a few innocuous collections. His hard-working business empire fell apart overnight.
The case caused a huge stir at the time. People lamented Li Qing's tragic death, and also complained about the court's handling methods. After all, it is too harsh to take a person's life and career just by virtue of the crime of a few collections.
However, even if some people are upset about Li Qingming, this case further highlights the political sensitivity of armor and other weapons in ancient times. In the face of power, even ordinary objects contain invisible dangers. They can easily be used as a tool to suppress dissent, leaving innocent lives in the vortex at any time. This also reflects from the side that the political struggle at that time was complicated, and the slightest carelessness could cost a lifetime.
epilogue
Li Qingmou's counter-case has revealed all kinds of shortcomings in ancient society. It reflects the brutality of the political struggle of the time, and the powerful could put the lives of others at risk for their own personal gain. It also highlights the political sensitivity of weapons such as armor, which can be misused by those in power to create crimes for their lives.
To this day, we still need to warn of the cruelty of ancient political persecution and prevent the abuse of public power to unjustly suppress the people. At the same time, it is also necessary to reflect on the danger posed by weapons, which should not be simply equated with human sin. An object of self-defense or collection can also easily become a victim in the intricacies of political disputes. The so-called innocence of objects, and the fault of people's hearts is what really needs to be vigilant.