Preface
Since ancient times, there have been many heroes who have become models admired by future generations for their noble character and extraordinary wisdom. Among them, Huo Quzhi is undoubtedly a dazzling name.
However, the meat sent by the emperor once became a stage for Huo Qubing to show his wisdom. He knew that the meat would rot, but he decided to let it stink and not distribute it to the soldiers.
Behind this seemingly simple decision, there is his cleverness and vision. It was 26 years before the soldiers understood the wisdom of this decision. Today, let's walk into that turbulent era together and witness the extraordinary life of an ordinary person.
1. The trick of fate
In that era of gate valves, a person's future was determined by his background. It is extremely difficult for a child of a poor family to get ahead. However, fate is often so tricky of people, allowing the most inconspicuous person to reach the pinnacle of life.
Huo Quzhi was born in an ordinary family, and his father Huo Zhongru was just a small official. It stands to reason that Huo Quzhi's life should be like that of most people, obscure. However, fate opened a door to glory for him.
Everything starts with Huo Quai's mother, Wei Shao'er. Wei Shao'er is a singer who had a marriage with Huo Zhongru when she was young. Although Huo Zhongru later turned her back on her, she still gave birth to Huo Quzhi's son.
The trick of fate is that Wei Shao'er's sister Wei Zifu later became the empress of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. As the queen's younger sister, Wei Shao'er and her son Huo Qubing naturally got opportunities that others couldn't reach.
At that time, it was almost impossible for the children of the poor to get ahead. Because there was no imperial examination system at that time, the only way to select talents was to be recommended by local officials to the imperial court. The candidates recommended by the magistrates are naturally their own people, that is, the second generation of officials, the third generation of officials, and the fourth generation of officials. The children of ordinary people, no matter how good they are, are difficult to be recommended to the imperial court as officials.
However, Wei Zifu's identity broke all this. As the singer of Princess Pingyang, the sister of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, she eventually became the queen with her talent and appearance. This undoubtedly opened a door to glory for Wei Shao'er and her son Huo Quai.
Since then, Huo Qubing has had opportunities that are difficult for others to achieve. Not only was he able to receive a good education, but he was also able to enter the imperial court and become a military general by virtue of his family connections. All thanks to the tricks of fate, a person from an ordinary background has reached the pinnacle of life.
2. The awakening of military talent
With royal care, Huo Qubing has received a good education since he was a child. Since childhood, Huo Quzhi has been full of interest in the military. He likes to read military books and is also good at dancing guns and sticks. These are all thanks to the influence of his uncle Wei Qing.
As an outstanding general, Wei Qing led the army to expedition many times, defeated the Xiongnu, and established many meritorious achievements. Looking at his uncle's achievements, Huo Qubing also had the desire to serve the country, eager to one day establish his own merits.
When the opportunity came, 18-year-old Huo Qubing joined the army without hesitation. Under Wei Qing's command, he had his first taste of battle. With his excellent riding and archery skills and brave combat ability, Huo Qubing soon rose to prominence in the army and was reused by Wei Qing. Later, he was even more independent, leading the light cavalry to defeat the Hun cavalry many times, and established a lot of meritorious achievements.
All this is due to Huo Quzhi's interest in military affairs since he was a child, as well as the careful cultivation of his uncle Wei Qing. Under the influence of Wei Qing, Huo Quzhi's military talent was fully developed, and he eventually became a generation of famous generals who resisted the enemy.
3. The tragedy of untimely death
The reason why Huo Qubing was able to become the general of the Great Sima Hussars at such a young age and take charge of the Han army was entirely due to his outstanding military talent. In many battles with the Xiongnu, he repeatedly performed miraculous feats, defeated the enemy army, and made great contributions to the Han court.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty naturally also valued this young and promising general, so he named him the Great Sima Hussar General, and he was in charge of the Han army side by side with his uncle Wei Qing. This is undoubtedly a high affirmation of Huo Quzhi's illness, and it is also a full recognition of his military talent.
However, just when Huo Quai's meritorious service was outstanding, fate played tricks on him again. This promising general died young at the age of 24 and passed away. This was undoubtedly a great loss for the Han court.
Although Huo Quzhi's life was short, he left a valuable spiritual wealth for future generations. He showed the possibility that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things, and also demonstrated the importance of family ties in ancient societies.
More importantly, he warns us that even highly decorated generals must always keep a clear head so as not to suffer the suspicion of the emperor. Huo Quai's life is like a bizarre music, which makes people feel the tricks of fate. However, the spiritual legacy he left behind will forever influence future generations.
Fourth, the wisdom of self-preservation in the power dispute
In ancient societies, power games have always been an unavoidable topic. Even highly decorated generals were not immune to the emperor's suspicion. Although Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty reused Wei Qing and Huo Quai, he was also famous for his suspicions.
Once, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty rewarded Huo Qubing with 10 carts of meat as a reward. This is undoubtedly a great piece of good news for soldiers who have been fighting abroad for a long time. However, Huo Quzhi made a puzzling decision, he actually ignored it and let the meat rot.
This approach seems absurd, but in fact it is profoundly clever. The reason why Huo Quzhi did this was to avoid arousing the emperor's suspicion. If he gave the meat to his soldiers, the emperor might wonder if he had any intention of winning the hearts and minds of the people. In order to maintain his position, Huo Qubing would rather let the reward rot than arouse the emperor's suspicion.
This practice fully demonstrated the political wisdom of Huo Quzhi. He knew very well that in that era, even a highly decorated general would inevitably suffer from the emperor's suspicion. Therefore, he always kept a clear head and carefully maintained his position.
Huo Quai's practice also left a profound inspiration for future generations. In a game of thrones, even the best generals need to be constantly vigilant and cautious to avoid mishaps. Only in this way can we remain invincible in the sinister power struggle.
epilogue
Huo Quai's life is like a bizarre music. He came from a humble background, but because of his family relationship, he got opportunities that others couldn't reach. He was gifted and interested in military affairs, and eventually became a famous general of a generation to resist the enemy.
However, just as he was making great achievements, fate played tricks on him again, and he died young, only 24 years old. However, Huo Quai's life has left valuable spiritual wealth for future generations.
He showed that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary careers, he exemplified the importance of family ties in ancient societies, and he warned us that even highly decorated generals must always keep a clear head to avoid the suspicion of the emperor.