Wang Xiang (180-268) was a great dutiful son of the Cao Wei period. His biological mother died very early, and his stepmother was very mean to him, often saying bad things about him in front of his father, and Wang Xiang's father slowly didn't like him anymore, so he often let him do hard work, but Wang Xiang did not complain, but was more respectful and obedient. Once the parents are sick, they must serve day and night, and they dare not undress and go to sleep.
"The World Speaks New Words: Virtue Fourteen Chapters" also tells two stories. Wang Xiang's family has a fruit tree that bears fruit, and his stepmother ordered Wang Xiang to guard, whenever there is a strong wind and rain, Wang Xiang always holds the tree with both hands, gritting his teeth and not relaxing, and crying in the rainstorm.
But his stepmother didn't seem to be moved, and for some reason, she still had murderous intentions towards him. One day, while Wang Xiang was sleeping in bed, his stepmother secretly took a knife and prepared to cut him, but Wang Xiang got up to urinate, and she only cut the empty quilt with a ruthless heart. When Wang Xiang returned, he found his stepmother very upset in the room, and only then did he know that his stepmother regretted this mistake, so he knelt down in front of his stepmother and begged her to execute him. The stepmother was moved by his loyal and filial behavior and woke up, and since then she has loved him like her own son.
In winter, his stepmother Zhu likes to eat fresh fish, although the river was cold and freezing at that time, Wang Xiang was not afraid, and after undressing and shirtless, he desperately cut the ice, hoping to catch live fish from the ice hole for his mother. At this moment, the ice suddenly melted on its own, and two carp jumped out of the water. This is the famous "lying on the ice for carp". Wang Xiang's filial piety is so sincere and pure. Since then, Wang Xiang has become one of the masters of the traditional culture "Twenty-four Filial Piety".
Sima Yan received Zen, established the Western Jin Dynasty, worshiped Wang Xiang as one of the princes of Taibao, and entered the Suiling Gong. "The Taibao patriarch is high, and I am also the one who relies on the political path of Yilong. It is to value Wang Xiang's virtues and want to show that he will govern the country with virtue.
It should be said that Wang Xiang is a typical example of emphasizing loyalty and filial piety in governing the world since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and there are many controversies in later generations! In particular, modern historians have sharply criticized him, here are a few examples:
Lu Bi: Guanxiang's loyalty, and his mother's filial piety, his whole life is fake. The Jin Dynasty was tolerant of those who regarded it as a useless thing.
Lu Simian: In addition, the elders of the early Jin Dynasty, such as Shi Bao, Zheng Chong, Wang Xiang, Xun Yi, He Zeng, and Chen Qian, were not disciples of the countryside, but they were fornicators. Can such a person be left alone?
Tang Changru: Wang Xiang has no career to be called except for filial piety, and He Zeng and Xun Miao are even more treacherous in history.
What do you think of him?
#Shishuo Xinyu# #Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties# #二十四孝#
