In 882 B.C., King Yi of Zhou heard of a shocking secret and immediately announced that the Duke of Qi Ai would "discuss important matters". As soon as Qi Aigong entered the door, he saw a cauldron more than one person high, steaming hot.
In the next second, King Zhou Yi gave an order, and Qi Aigong was cooked alive! When King Zhou Yi announced the secret, Qi Aigong's descendants said: We don't hate Zhou Tianzi!
Qi Aigong is the great-grandson of Jiang Ziya, the founder of the Zhou Dynasty. When it comes to Jiang Ziya, our first impression is: the bigwig-level character of "Romance of the Gods".
And Jiang Ziya in the historical facts is so powerful that even Confucius can't help but praise: Taigong, who also benefits the world.
When Jiang Ziya was young, he sold wine and slaughtered cattle, but he didn't achieve anything until he was 70 years old. But he never gave up studying, and always assiduously studied astronomy and geography, military strategy, and even the way to govern the country and secure the country.
A few years later, Jiang Ziya met Ji Chang, King Wen of Zhou, who was strategic, and assisted King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou all the way to destroy Shang and establish the Zhou Dynasty!
King Wu of Zhou named Jiang Ziya as the monarch of Qi, but Jiang Ziya rarely went to Qi and stayed in Haojing as a "Taishi" most of the time.
Jiang Ziya assisted his grandson Zhou Cheng Wang Ji Chanting, and then assisted his great-grandson Zhou Kang Wang Ji Zhao.
During the reign of King Cheng of Zhou, the rebellion of the three eunuchs broke out, and Huaiyi, Xu Yi, and the "Five Marquis of Yindong" rose up against Zhou. Jiang Taigong and his son either sat in Kyoto, or led the troops to charge into battle, and quickly put down the rebellion.
King Zhou Cheng died, Jiang Ziya and his son took on the important task of assisting the crown prince, and helped the prince Ji Zhao (King Zhou Kang) to ascend to the throne. In the sixth year of King Kang of Zhou, Jiang Ziya died of illness in Haojing, the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, at the age of 139!
Jiang Ziya, as the founder of the country, was all-wise and all-powerful, not only assisting every monarch with all his might, but also making his fiefdom Qi develop rapidly.
He broke nepotism, whether he was a native of Dongyi or not, as long as he had talent, he could be an official.
Culturally, Jiang Ziya did not forcibly promote Zhou etiquette, but proceeded from reality and simple etiquette, this enlightened new policy was not too contrary to Zhou etiquette, but also made Qi Min happy to accept it.
Economically, Jiang Ziya has adapted measures to local conditions, not only developing millet and rice production, but also making use of the characteristics of abundant mineral deposits and fish and salt resources to vigorously develop the smelting industry and the fishery and salt industry.
Qi has convenient transportation, and the local people pay attention to business, so Jiang Ziya implements a foreign trade policy with foreign countries.
It is worth mentioning that there were many old departments of the Shang Dynasty in the Qi State, and there were often rebellions, and the Zhou royal family granted the Qi State a right - to conquest rebellions. In this way, the territory of Qi expanded rapidly on the way to the east and west.
For other vassal states, the larger the territory, the more difficult it was to manage. But for the Qi country, the territory is large, and it is bound to become stronger and stronger.
Jiang Ziya formulated the strategy of "agriculture, industry, and commerce", and gradually, the clothes made in Qi sold well all over the world, fish and salt circulated all over the world, and Qi jumped from a remote and poor country to a rich country, attracting princes to rush to worship.
During the reign of King Yi of Zhou, the Zhou royal family had gradually declined, but the princes gradually rose to prominence. When the relationship between the strong and the weak is reversed, the attitude of the vassal states towards the old master is somewhat delicate.
Some princes did not come to pay tribute at all, and the vassal states were busy grabbing territory with each other.
Qi Aigong is the fifth monarch of Qi and the fifth grandson of Jiang Ziya.
1, Qi Aigong felt that King Zhou Yi was the ninth monarch and the eighth grandson of King Wu (Jiang Ziya's son-in-law). In terms of seniority, he is the elder, and there is no need to be too good to the juniors!
2, Qi Aigong looked down on King Zhou Yi a little, because he and his father were too weak.
King Zhou Yi's father was cowardly by nature, did not want to make progress, and governed the country in a mess.
After the death of King Yi of Zhou's father, according to the primogeniture inheritance system of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was supposed to be succeeded by the crown prince Ji Xie. But the father is incompetent, the son is cowardly, and Ji Xie's throne was robbed!
This person is also Ji Xie's uncle, known as King Xiao of Zhou in history. After his uncle's death, the princes supported Ji Xie to succeed to the throne, and Ji Xie had a chance to ascend to the throne, which was later King Zhou Yi.
At the enthronement ceremony, King Zhou Yi actually "went down to the hall to see the princes, and the pilgrimage was abolished". This move shows that the Western Zhou Dynasty began to decline.
In 884 BC, King Yi of Zhou, in order to brush up his sense of existence, wanted to gather the princes of the world to visit Zhou.
At this time, the ministers in the court objected, feeling that now that the world was stable, the Son of Heaven should not mobilize the people to hold such an alliance.
When King Zhou Yi heard this, his heart was depressed, and he couldn't afford to get sick. It is recorded in the "Imperial Century": In the third year, the king of (Yi) had a vicious illness and was depressed.
However, some people feel that King Zhou Yi is not really sick, but playing a drama to test the princes.
When the princes heard the news, they had no choice but to set off one after another to visit King Zhou Yi. For a while, the princes gathered in the national capital, and King Zhou Yi was happy now, and his illness was cured.
But King Zhou Yi suddenly discovered that the monarch of Qi was delayed. He sent people to investigate the cause, but the result was extremely disappointed! Qi Aigong knew that King Zhou Yi was seriously ill, but he laughed, and then went to the "desolate field".
This kind of neglected psychological gap, how can King Zhou Yi be an emperor!
Ji Hou was secretly happy in his heart, after he figured out King Zhou Yi's thoughts, he began to tell Qi Aigong a lot of black things, such as Qi Aigong did not pay tribute for two consecutive years, he was going to rebel.
Ji Hou planned to borrow a knife to kill people, because Ji Guo was next to Qi State, and the two countries often fought over territory. The stronger the Qi State, the more afraid Ji Guo became.
In addition, King Zhou Yi was born to the daughter of the clan of Ji Kingdom, and Ji Hou is the foreign family of King Zhou Yi, and he is more prosperous than Qi Aigong.
King Zhou Yi was furious, and secretly scolded in his heart: Lu Buchen, you are really "not a minister"! Since this is the case, don't blame me.
King Yi of Zhou sent a letter to the Duke of Qi Ai, and there were "important matters" to discuss. Qi Aigong had an arrogant attitude, and although he no longer shirked, he still slowly and leisurely rushed to the national capital.
As soon as Qi Aigong entered the door, he found a large cauldron at the door, steaming. King Zhou Yi ordered that Qi Aigong be thrown in.
Qi Aigong didn't expect that he was boiled to death before he could say a word. This scene was recorded in "Historical Records: The Family of Taigong Qi".
After King Zhou Yi killed the Duke of Qi Ai, he made his half-brother Lu Jing a marquis, and also rewarded Tong Gong and other things.
Is Qi Aigong's death unjust? No, he is so arrogant that he even compares his qualifications with Zhou Tianzi, but he doesn't know that the monarch and the minister are the first monarch and the second minister. This relationship of respect and inferiority cannot be provoked!
Moreover, Jiang Ziya's era has passed. With the passage of time and the replacement of Zhou Tianzi, Jiang Ziya's contribution to the Great Zhou is no longer so important.
The death of Qi Aigong is also related to Zhou Tianzi's temperament, King Zhou Yi was robbed of the throne, his mind is sensitive, and he is suspicious and inferior, and he always wants to prove himself. And Qi Ai just ran into the muzzle of the gun.
King Zhou Yi planned to use a trick to "kill chickens and make an example of monkeys" to rebuild the authority of the Son of Heaven. However, Zhou Tianzi's move was really inappropriate. He ignored the etiquette and law, and did not give Qi Aigong a chance to explain, so he casually disposed of a prince and king.
This move, instead of establishing the authority of the Son of Heaven, frightened the princes into not daring to go to the national capital again. After all, no one wants to be like Qi Aigong and have no return.
The descendants of Qi Aigong knew what the truth was, but they couldn't point the finger at King Zhou Yi. After all, King Zhou Yi is the master, they are slaves, the so-called king wants his ministers to die, and your death is the right thing!
But how do you vent your resentment? Then find a "scapegoat".
The descendants of Qi Aigong believe that if it weren't for Ji Hou's informant, Qi Aigong would not have died so tragically.
As a result, the anger of the people of Qi was transferred to King Ji, and they restrained and consumed each other with Ji Guo.
King Zhouyi's original intention was to kill Qi Aigong and let King Ji carry the black cauldron. It not only prevented the Qi State from becoming strong, but also consumed the Ji State, and it could not be infamy.
In fact, King Zhou Yi's goal was achieved, and the people of Qi fought infighting for nearly a hundred years, and the national strength was greatly consumed, and the development was not as rapid as before.
Ji Hou planned to borrow a knife to kill people, and then the fisherman profited, but unfortunately, Ji Hou didn't expect that his complaint was known to everyone, and the anger of the Qi people was all aimed at him and his Ji Guo.
This is really "stealing chickens does not make rice" and "mistaking the lives of Ji Guoren"!
In 691 BC, Duke Xiang of Qi (the ninth grandson of Duke Qi Ai) led his troops to attack the Kingdom of Ji, destroyed the Kingdom of Ji with the strength of one country, and avenged the Duke of Qi Ai. This is the origin of the idiom "the feud of the ninth generation".
Looking at the whole incident, did Qi Aigong have the intention of rebelling?
During the reign of King Yi of Zhou, it was already the norm for the princes and kings not to come to the court to see him! Lu Guogong only saw Zhou Tianzi once in 12 years, and he was warmly welcomed and recorded in history.
Compared with 12 years, Qi Aigong has not come for 2 years, and if he really wants to rebel, he will not go to Hojing.
King Zhou Yi cooked and killed Qi Aigong, but he was just killing chickens and setting an example for monkeys. In essence, even if the Duke of Qi Ai is respectful to Zhou Tianzi, the strength of his Qi State is the original sin!
For example, the eunuchs An Dehai and Li Lianying of the Qing Dynasty, An Dehai was too arrogant and was beheaded by Ding Baozhen, the governor of Shandong, but Li Lianying was low-key and sleek, and she lived for 3 years after the death of the Empress Dowager Cixi!