Preface
During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang was a highly respected military strategist, while his older brother Zhuge Jin was a controversial figure. As an important minister of Eastern Wu, Zhuge Jin worshiped the general and Zuo Duhu, and his status was second only to Sun Quan himself.
However, compared with Zhuge Liang's "superb" strategy, Zhuge Jin has been defeated repeatedly and has almost no achievements. So, why did this seemingly "inactive" figure be reused by Sun Quan? Let's find out.
Zhuge Jin's origin
Zhuge Jin was born in the famous family of Langya Zhuge and can be described as a child of a family. He and his younger brother Zhuge Liang lost their father when they were young, and later lost their mother and became orphans. This kind of family encounter should have put them in a desperate situation, but Zhuge Jin finally embarked on a career with his talent and morality.
Zhuge Jin showed extraordinary talent when he was young, erudite and versatile, both civil and military. Although his family is in the middle of the road, he is not defeated by the predicament, but works harder, hoping to revive his family's reputation with his own strength. In this turbulent era, he chose to go south to Jiangdong to avoid chaos, which was undoubtedly a wise choice.
In Jiangdong, Zhuge Jin quickly made friends with many powerful people by virtue of his extraordinary talent and humble and courteous behavior. One of the most important figures is Sun Quan's brother-in-law, Hongji. Hongzi praised Zhuge Jin and personally recommended it to Sun Quan, opening his career in Soochow.
This is undoubtedly an important turning point in Zhuge Jin's life, and it also marks his beginning to move towards the center of power. Since then, Zhuge Jin's position in the Eastern Wu court has become increasingly important.
He first held the post of Changshi, and later gradually rose to important positions such as general and Zuo Duhu. Although he was not born into a prominent family in Soochow, he quickly gained a good reputation and prestige among various factions with his impartial character and profound knowledge.
This also shows that Zhuge Jin not only has outstanding talents, but also has excellent political wisdom and can easily navigate the complex court environment.
Sun Quan's "bosom brother"
In the Eastern Wu Dynasty and the opposition, Zhuge Jin can be said to be Sun Quan's closest confidant. Although Sun Quan is brave and good at fighting, he has a violent and irritable personality, and is suspicious and suspicious. Whenever he was dissatisfied with his subordinate generals, he would often vent his emotions first, and only then listen to Zhuge Jin's analysis and suggestions afterwards.
Zhuge Jin knows Sun Quan's temper well, and can always patiently listen to him vent his emotions, and then help him clear his thoughts in private. Sometimes Sun Quan wanted to punish certain generals, and Zhuge Jin would also come forward to dissuade Sun Quan from thinking twice.
This role of "confidant brother" not only allowed Zhuge Jin to gain a long-term foothold by Sun Quan's side, but also made him one of Sun Quan's most trusted advisors. The key to Zhuge Jin being able to become Sun Quan's confidant is that he has extraordinary psychological literacy.
Not only was he able to accurately grasp Sun Quan's character traits, but he was also able to guide the lord to make the right decisions in a gentle manner. This philosophy of "overcoming rigidity with softness" undoubtedly won Zhuge Jin a place in the complex court environment.
At the same time, Zhuge Jin is also good at using the art of admonition. He was able to skillfully put forward his own suggestions and opinions without violating Sun Quan.
This practice of "admonishing but not committing crimes" not only won Sun Quan's trust, but also allowed him to establish a good reputation in the imperial court. It can be said that it is this unique way of dealing with the world that makes Zhuge Jin Sun Quan's closest adviser and confidant.
A defeated strategist
In the turbulent era of the Three Kingdoms, force was the most important means, and generals who could fight well were undoubtedly highly valued. However, Zhuge Jin doesn't seem to be outstanding at this point. According to historical records, he led the Eastern Wu army on several expeditions, but every time he was defeated, he had almost no military achievements to speak of.
We can find that Zhuge Jin's military talent does not seem to be outstanding, which is in stark contrast to his status in the imperial court. The reasons for this may be as follows:
First of all, Zhuge Jin was not from a warlord family after all, and lacked rich combat experience. In contrast, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu and others were all born into military families and received strict military training from an early age. This gap doomed Zhuge Jin to be difficult to compete with them in military terms.
Secondly, Zhuge Jin is better at strategy and decision-making than actual combat. His talent is more reflected in strategizing and winning thousands of miles, rather than commanding troops on the battlefield. This trait made him shine at the court, but it was difficult for him to play to his strengths on the battlefield.
In the end, Zhuge Jin's defeat is also related to Sun Quan's own record. As mentioned earlier, Sun Quan also lost in these battles, and Zhuge Jin's defeat can be forgiven to some extent. After all, as a strategist, his duty is to be loyal to the lord, and as for the outcome of the battle, it is the lord's business.
In general, although Zhuge Jin was not very good in military affairs, his status and influence in the court did not diminish in the slightest. This shows that his talent is not limited to one field, but has excellent qualities in many aspects, such as strategy and decision-making. It was this all-round talent that made him an indispensable and important figure in the political arena of Soochow.
The aura of the younger brother
Zhuge Liang, this name can be described as a household name during the Three Kingdoms period. As the military advisor of Shu Han, he relied on his extraordinary wisdom and strategy, and repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and almost became the most famous strategist at that time. In comparison, Zhuge Jin's fame is much smaller.
In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Zhuge Jin is described quite unbearable: he was sent to Shu twice, but not only did he not complete the task, but was severely defeated by Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu. Reading this, many people will feel that Zhuge Jin is really an incompetent person, and he is completely unworthy of the status of an important minister.
But in fact, Zhuge Jin is highly respected in the Eastern Wu government and the opposition. He is not only an official minister, but also one of Sun Quan's closest confidants. Yuan Hong, a famous scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, even commented on him: "Admonishment but not offense, righteousness but not perseverance." will order the court and forget his private position. This fully illustrates Zhuge Jin's status and prestige at that time.
We can find that the reason why Zhuge Jin is so badly described in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is largely because of the aura of his younger brother Zhuge Liang. As the military advisor of Shu Han, Zhuge Liang's military talent and strategy were undoubtedly the most outstanding at that time.
In contrast, although Zhuge Jin was also an excellent strategist, his performance in military affairs was relatively mediocre. This contrast will inevitably dwarf Zhuge Jin.
But we should not despise Zhuge Jin's achievements because of this. His status and influence in the Soochow court are enough to prove that he was an excellent politician and strategist. It was with his own talent and wisdom that he was able to gain a foothold in the complex imperial environment and become one of Sun Quan's most trusted advisors. This kind of achievement is by no means attainable by ordinary people.
The "glue" of the political situation in Soochow
Although Zhuge Jin seems a little "overshadowed" under the aura of his younger brother Zhuge Liang, he plays a very important role in the political situation of Eastern Wu - "glue".
Due to its location in the south of the Yangtze River, Soochow is full of gates, and the contradictions between various factions are complicated. As an outsider, Zhuge Jin was able to gain a foothold in this environment, largely due to his unique personality charm and philosophy of life.
He not only "admonishes but does not make mistakes" and dares to speak out, but also "is upright but not resolute," is tactful, and knows how to grasp the right balance. This trait gave him a certain prestige among the various factions and became an indispensable "glue" in the political situation of Soochow.
We can find that the key to Zhuge Jin's outstanding political arena in Soochow is that he has extraordinary political wisdom and philosophy of life. As an outsider, he was able to navigate the complex environment of the imperial court, without losing his principles, and at the same time maintaining good relations with the various factions.
This unique way of dealing with the world undoubtedly won him a pivotal position in the political situation of Soochow. At the same time, Zhuge Jin is also good at using the art of admonition, and can skillfully put forward his own suggestions and opinions without offending the superiors.
This practice of "admonishing but not committing crimes" not only won Sun Quan's trust, but also allowed him to establish a good reputation in the imperial court. It can be said that it is this unique way of life that makes Zhuge Jin an indispensable "glue" in the political situation of Eastern Wu.
epilogue
To sum up, the reason why Zhuge Jin can be highly used in the Eastern Wu Dynasty is not because he has had any earth-shattering military exploits, but because he has a unique personality charm and philosophy of life.
As an outsider, he was able to gain a foothold in Soochow, which was full of gates; as an important minister, he could play the role of a "glue" between various factions to maintain the stability of the political situation, and as a confidant of Sun Quan, he could patiently enlighten the lord and become his "psychological counselor".
It is precisely because of these unique personal qualities that Zhuge Jin can stand tall in the troubled times and become a bright pearl in the political arena of Soochow.