Preface
Since ancient times, people have often talked about karma, and the ancient political scene is full of such stories. Shi Hu, a monarch of Later Zhao, was known for his brutality and ambition, showing no mercy to political opponents and commoners alike. However, the reincarnation of fate is often unpredictable, and Shi Hu's treatment and predicament in his later years make people sigh at the magic of cause and effect.
So, what kind of results will a person's actions bring to him? Will a person's actions affect his fate? Is there a cycle of cause and effect, in which evil is rewarded with evil and good is rewarded with good results? Today, let us go into this period of history and explore the causal truth hidden behind the curtain of history.
1. The temptation of power
From an early age, Shi Hu witnessed the arduous journey of the Zhao Dynasty after Shi Le's establishment. He witnessed how Shile relied on his wisdom and courage to grow from a humble pawn to a hegemon. This huge power and status undoubtedly planted a deep desire in Shi Hu's heart.
He always paid close attention to Shiler's every move and studied his way of governing the country. When Shi Le was getting old and his body was getting weaker, Shi Hu finally waited for his chance. Shi Hu first set out to cut off Shiler's connection with the outside world. He skillfully exploited Shile's trust in him and gradually took control of the power of the imperial court.
He secretly mobilized the forbidden army and cut off Shiler's contact with other cronies. At the same time, he also used his position to purge those who might threaten his position. When the dust settled, Shi Hu ordered Shi Le's entire family to be beheaded and became the new owner of Hou Zhao.
As soon as Shi Hu ascended the throne, his reign began. His thirst for power has been building up for a long time, and now he has finally realized his dream. However, he does not realize that the temptation of power often makes people lose themselves. He began to act recklessly, and the suffering inflicted on the people was disastrous. He no longer cared about the suffering of the people, but blindly pursued more power and wealth.
Shi Hu's tyrannical rule soon aroused people's disgust. In order to consolidate his position, he had to resort to even more brutal means. He killed his two sons, Shi Di and Shi Xuan, which is despicable. Shi Di and Shi Xuan are both Shi Hu's eldest sons and should have been his heirs.
However, they all inherited Shi Hu's tyrannical nature. Shi Xuan was lustful and repeatedly fornicated with other people's wives and daughters, while Shi Xuan was extravagant and competed with his younger brother Shi Cong for power and profit. In the end, Shi Hu burned Shi Xuan alive in a torture, and Shi Di was also beheaded by him, and his death was miserable.
After Shi Hu killed his son and seized power, he began to look for a new heir. Taiwei Zhang Ju recommended Shi Bin and Shi Zun, while Rong Zhao's general Zhang Yu strongly recommended Shi Shi on the grounds that Shi Shi's mother was of noble birth. In the end, Shi Hu was moved by Zhang Jackal's words and made 10-year-old Shi Shi the crown prince.
This is undoubtedly an extremely unwise decision. How can a 10-year-old child take on such a heavy responsibility? Does Shi Hu really believe that he can live another 10 years and enjoy his life in peace? Obviously, his idea is too good.
2. Abuse of power
The 15 years after Shi Hu's reign in Zhao can be described as a dark time. All kinds of human beings are miserable and miserable, which is despicable. His abuse of power is destined to cost him.
After Shi Hu ascended the throne, his tyrannical rule began. He exploited the people in every possible way, and the taxes became heavier and heavier, and the people were struggling to make a living. At the same time, he also went on a killing spree and wiped out dissidents. The brutality of his rule is outrageous.
The people cried out for relief in despair, but Shi Hu saw it as nothing. He was just obsessed with more power and wealth, completely forgetting his responsibilities as a monarch.
Under these circumstances, the flame of resistance has long spread among the people. In the first month of 349, Shi Hu ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world. However, the former crown prince Shi Xuan's old Gao Li army was not pardoned. When they were sent to Liangzhou, they were bullied, so a strong discontent broke out, and the governor Liang Qian led the people to rebel. Liang Qian captured the county, killed the officials of Houzhao, and drove straight into Luoyang.
This high-strength army can be described as the elite of Hou Zhao, and they are all warriors who are good at fighting. Although they have no armor, they can still serve more than ten people with civilian improvised weapons. Liang Li led this army and was invincible, dealing a heavy blow to the Later Zhao army.
In the face of Liang Li's rebellion, Shi Hu was shocked. He successively sent Li Nong, Shi Bin and others to suppress the bandits, but they all suffered heavy defeats. After the Zhao army was defeated and retreated, Shi Hu had to go out in person and ordered Shi Bin to command the army to go to the crusade.
Shi Hu originally wanted Shi Bin to guard the imperial court, but Empress Liu and Zhang Jackal secretly obstructed it. They first tricked Shi Bin into hunting outside, and then organized a raid to put Shi Bin under house arrest. Although Shi Hu tried to save him, no one listened, and Shi Bin was finally cut down and eradicated.
This conspiracy against Shi Bin exacerbated the contradictions within the Later Zhao royal family. Empress Liu and Zhang Jackal's behavior is also taking advantage of the fire to rob and try to firmly grasp the power in their own hands. And Shi Hu, the man who once seized power by means, could not prevent his cronies from betraying at this time. His power is being eroded little by little.
3. Change of power
Shi Hu was seriously ill, and Liu Hou and Zhang Jackal began to act. They ordered Zhang Jackal to take control of the government and expelled Shi Zun from Guanzhong. At this time, the internal fighting of the Later Zhao royal family had already begun.
After Zhang Jackal became the de facto ruler of Later Zhao, he immediately attacked dissidents. He first purged Li Nong and other Han generals, and then provoked Shi Zun to counterattack the imperial court. Later, the Zhao royal family fell into a situation of fighting in the same room.
Zhang Jackal's approach is also exacerbating Hou Zhao's internal contradictions. His purge of dissidents will undoubtedly arouse more people's dissatisfaction, and he has provoked Shi Zun to rebel, which has pushed the contradictions to a fever pitch. This power struggle within the Later Zhao royal family will undoubtedly bring ruin to the country.
In this royal fight, a new strongman, Ran Min, gradually showed his edge. With his outstanding military talents, he soon became the leader of the Later Zhao army. Ran Min came from a humble background, but he had extraordinary military talents. He was good at commanding troops, won many battles, and soon became a dark horse in the Later Zhao army.
However, Zhang Jackal was also wary of Ran Min. He was worried that Ran Min would become a threat to him, so he began to suppress him. In the end, this kind of suppression led to Ran Min being forced to rebel, setting off a big counter-killing of "Ran Min Tu Qian".
Ran Min's rebellion was undoubtedly an important turning point in the internal struggle of the Later Zhao royal family. With his military talents, he once took the initiative. However, Zhang Jackal's intrigues and tricks finally put Ran Min in a desperate situation. This counter-killing of "Ran Min Tu Xuan" is a climax of the internal fighting of the Later Zhao royal family.
The encounter of Shi Hu's life is the best footnote to the cycle of cause and effect. He will do anything for power, but in the end he is burdened by power. He is ruthless to his relatives, and retribution is also ruthless to his relatives. His story warns us that power is a double-edged sword and that its abuse is self-destructive.
epilogue
The encounter of Shi Hu's life is the best footnote to the cycle of cause and effect. He will do anything for power, but in the end he is burdened by power. He is ruthless to his relatives, and retribution is also ruthless to his relatives.
His story warns us that power is a double-edged sword and that its abuse is self-destructive. We should sit firmly and walk the right path in order to avoid the same misfortune.