Original creator: Yu Shiliang
Lu Xun (183 - March 19, 245), whose real name is Lu Yi and whose name is Boyan, was a native of Huating, Wu County (now Songjiang, Shanghai), and a politician and military strategist of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period in the late Han Dynasty.
At the age of 21, Lu Xun joined Jian'an for eight years (203) and entered the shogunate of Sun Quan. He successively served as the east and west of Cao as the commander of the history, and presided over the secretarial work. Later, he served as the governor of Haichang Tuntian and the commander of Haichang County.
At the age of 34, in the twenty-first year of Jian'an (216), the thief commander of Poyang suddenly rebelled, which had a great impact, and Lu Xun led the army to cooperate with the Fenwu general He Qi to level it and behead thousands of people. Lu Xun was worshiped by Captain Dingwei for his merits and stationed in Liver.
At the age of 35, in the twenty-second year of Jian'an (217), Sun Quan appointed him as the governor of the right part of the account, commanded the personal guard troops under the account, and awarded Lu Xun the halberd, so that he could supervise the three counties of Huiji, Poyang and Danyang. Lu Xun Tunbing Wuhu (now Wuhu, Anhui)
At the age of 37, in the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Lu Xun participated in Lü Meng's attack on Jingzhou, and was appointed by Sun Quan as the right protector and general of Zhenxi by Sun Quan, and was promoted to the title of Marquis of Lou.
40 years old, the first year of Huangwu (222 years), Shu Han Emperor Liu Bei made a big campaign to Wu, Sun Quan ordered Lu Xun to be the governor of Eastern Wu, in the battle of Yiling, Lu Xun commanded Wu Jun to burn the company camp to break more than 40 battalions of the Shu Han Army, and added a general to the auxiliary state, led Jingzhou Mu, and changed the title of Jiangling Marquis.
It should be said that Lu Xun was at the right time, and at the age of 21, he decided to join the Sun Quan shogunate. He was a scholar before joining the Sun Quan shogunate, and he just started working as a secretary in the Sun Quan shogunate, but he knew that in troubled times, only by becoming a soldier and making outstanding military achievements could he realize his life ideals. He actively participated in the battle to exterminate Shanyue, and in the battle of Jiangling, which assisted Lü Meng to attack Guan Yu and recover Jingzhou, his extraordinary military talent made Sun Quan have to reuse him, in the battle of Yiling, defeated Liu Bei's Eastern Expeditionary Army, Liu Bei fled to the White Emperor City alone, and finally made Lu Xun famous all over the world. It was at this turning point that Lu Xun successfully transformed from a soldier to a politician.
Military personnel are military personnel, both combatants and non-combatants, who serve in the national military. Its main responsibilities are to defend national security, guard national borders, and maintain the stability of government power and social stability. The first duty of a soldier is to obey orders, and the glory of a soldier is to live up to his mission. From this point of view, Lu Xun is a qualified soldier.
Then why did Lu Xun turn into a politician after his immortal exploits in the Battle of Yiling? In fact, it is not entirely up to you to decide who you are. Under the winner-takes-all rule, even if you don't want to go, the gears of fate will push you away. For this reason, Lu Xun consciously or unconsciously stepped onto the political stage of Sun Wu.
Since Lu Xun won the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan added Lu Xun as an auxiliary general, led Jingzhou Mu, and changed the title of Marquis of Jiangling. Lu Xun has a heavy army in his hands, and he is also the pastor of Jingzhou. While Sun Quan gave Lu Xun honor, he also gave him great power. For this reason, he naturally gathered a group of "like-minded" Jiangdong scholars, and Lu Xun invisibly became the spokesperson of the wealthy families in Jiangdong. For this reason, Lu Xun naturally became a politician in the Sun Wu group.
Some people joke that politicians are carnivores. But the nickname also reflects one of the main characteristics of a politician, who wields significant political power. Politicians are political subjects who hold the core power, and they engage in and participate in social and political activities as dominators rather than the dominated. Politicians have power in their hands, like the minions of animals. Only animals with claws have the ability to eat meat. In addition, there are two characteristics of a politician, that is, the politician is a representative of a certain class or political force, and it is the coordinator and organizer of the political system.
However, as the spokesperson of the wealthy family in Jiangdong, what did Lu Xun do? Specifically, Lu Xun did three major things: one was to persuade Sun Quan to enter the throne; the second is to renew the alliance with Shu Han; The third is to use recuperation to dissuade Sun Quan from expanding externally.
Politicians are meant to seek benefits for certain political forces, and the interests of the wealthy families in Jiangdong represented by Lu Xun are not completely consistent with the interests of Sun Quan, which leads to a rift in Sun Quan's trust in Lu Xun.
1. Lu Xun persuaded Sun Quan to take the throne
In the first month of 220, two years before the Battle of Yiling, Cao Cao fell ill and died, and his son Cao Pi ascended the throne as King of Wei. The name of the era was changed to Yankang. In autumn, in July, Sun Quan sent envoys to the Han court to offer tribute. In the autumn of that year, Wei sent Zhang Jian to Wu to ask for instructions. Nearly 5,000 ordinary people from the five counties of Yinxian, Yu, Zhuyang, Shandu, and Zhonglu in Nanyang also defected to Wu.
(1) Sun Quan was called emperor slowly. In October of the same year, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty abdicated, and Cao Pi was called the emperor, which was Emperor Wen of Wei, and the year name was changed to the first year of Huang Chu.
In November, Cao Pi issued a document rewarding Sun Quan, and named Sun Quan as the king of Wu, and sent a special envoy to hold the festival Taichang Gaoping Marquis Xingzhen, and awarded the seal, documents, and golden tiger talismans from the first to the fifth, and the first to tenth of the Zuozhu envoys; He was appointed as the general of Sun Quan, the envoy of the governor of Jiaozhou, and concurrently served as the pastor of Jingzhou. In the second year, Liu Bei was also the emperor of Shu.
At this time, Cao Pi named Sun Quan as the king of Wu, and if Sun Quan was entitled, it meant that Sun Quan accepted the change of dynasty. Since Sun Quan was not surnamed Liu of the royal family, what he could do at that time was nothing more than that: first, he was like Liu Bei, claiming that the emperor was against Cao Pi; the second is to support Liu Bei and oppose Cao Pi; The third is to accept the canonization of King Wu and recognize the change of dynasty. At that time, Sun Quan was obviously not ready to become emperor, let alone accept Liu Bei's rule, so he chose the third path.
If Sun Quan is not called the emperor, he is theoretically still the king of Wu to which Cao Wei belongs, and this identity is even more dazzling in the eyes of Shu Han. So in such a situation, even if Sun Quan does not have the heart to be the emperor, he needs to find a suitable time to stand on his own. In other words, as Sun Wu's ministers, they all hope that Sun Quan will ascend to the throne as soon as possible.
In addition, according to "Wei Luo": Sun Quan heard that Cao Pi was under Zen and Liu Bei was proclaimed emperor, so he called the astrological diviner to ask how he was doing in the astrological field, so he had the idea of becoming emperor. However, because the rank of name and official position is still small, there is no capital to convince everyone, and they want to adopt the method of humility first and then arrogance. Because first expressing humility can gain the favor of Emperor Wei Wen, and then it will incur Wei Wenliang's crusade, which will anger his subordinates, so that his prestige can be increased. Therefore, Sun Quan completely broke off relations with Shu and further curryed favor with Wei.
In April of the second year of the early Huang dynasty (221), Liu Bei was proclaimed emperor in Shu. Sun Quan came to Exian County from the public security to build the capital, renamed Exian County as Wuchang, and took Wuchang, Xiapheasant, Xunyang, Yangxin, Chaisang, and Shaxian six counties as Wuchang County. In August, Wuchang City was built. Sun Quan gave an order to the generals and said: When you survive, you must not forget to perish, and when you are safe, you must consider danger, which is a beneficial teaching of the ancients.
Sun Quan pointed out with history as an example, "Once upon a time, there was a person named Yun Budo, who was a famous minister in the Han Dynasty. He lived in an era of social stability and peace, but the sword never left him. This shows that the gentleman believes that armaments cannot be disposed of. Moreover, now that we live on the frontier, and bad people as vicious as jackals can approach us through many channels, can we be careless and negligent without considering sudden changes and disasters? Recently, I heard that when the generals go out, everyone likes to be humble and simple, and do not bring an entourage of guards, which can be said to be a sign of carelessness and lack of care for themselves. If you want to love yourself, make meritorious contributions, and make your relatives feel at ease, why should you expose yourself to danger and humiliation? We should be on strict vigilance, earnestly attach importance to this major issue, and act in accordance with my opinions. ”
(2) Declared a vassal to Cao Pi and was named King of Wu. Since Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi became emperor, Sun Quan sent envoys claiming to be vassal states of Wei, and sent Yu Ban and others back.
The battle of Yiling lasted from the first month to the sixth month of the leap month, and finally defeated the Shu army. The Shu army was killed and surrendered, and only Liu Bei escaped. According to the "Wu Calendar", Sun Quan sent an envoy to Wei to present the seals, ribbons, and the number of enemies' heads and lands obtained by defeating Liu Bei, and expressed the intention that his subordinates should be knighted and rewarded for their outstanding achievements. Emperor Wen of Wei sent an envoy to Chengli, bringing rewards such as gray squirrel Qiu, Mingguang armor, horses, etc., and gave Sun Quan the "Classics" written in plain writing, as well as poems and songs.
In April of the second year of Huangwu (223), Lu Xun and Prime Minister Sun Shao led their ministers to the table and persuaded King Wu to take the throne, but Sun Quanqian did not agree. According to "The Biography of Jiang Biao": "The Han family is replaced, and it can't be saved, so why do you want to compete?" "The ministers called the Mandate of Heaven Fu Rui, and they were pleased. The right is not allowed, but the general said: "In previous years, the direction of Xuande was lonely to the west, so Lu Xun was ordered to choose the public to wait for him." Smell the north part, want to help the lonely, the lonely suspect that it is coerced, if not worshipped, is humiliated and interesting its quick hair, bento and the west, the two enemies, in the lonely drama, so self-suppression, on its king. The interest of humiliation, the monarchs seem to be unfinished, so now they use this to solve their ears. ”
Roughly speaking, Sun Quan humbly pushed and said: "The Han Dynasty is declining, and I can't help and save it, so how can I bear to fight for the throne?" The ministers said that the heavens had sent down auspicious signs, and insisted on asking again. Sun Quan still didn't agree, but he said to the ministers of civil and military affairs: "In previous years, because Liu Xuande had just marched to the remote places in the west, I ordered Lu Xun in advance to select elite soldiers to wait for the opportunity. I heard that the north (referring to Cao Wei) made a deployment and wanted to send troops to help me, I hate their coercion in my heart, but if I don't accept their appointment, this is to let them be humiliated and prompt them to quickly send troops to attack me, just to let them come with the Shu Kingdom in the west, then I will be attacked on both sides, it will be too cruel to me, so I will self-restraint and press, obediently accept their (referring to Cao Wei) king, lower my status and wronged myself and obey, all of you may not fully understand, so I will explain to you now. ”
(3) The purpose of persuasion of Jiangdong's wealthy families. In layman's terms, Sun Quan's claim to be emperor is conducive to consolidating the interests of the Jiangdong scholars, so Lu Xun wants to persuade Liu Bei to become emperor. For the Jiangdong scholars, only when the monarch is the emperor, the official position and political status of the subordinate scholars will rise, so they will also actively help the monarch to a certain extent. However, they do not want the central imperial power to be too hard-core, go deep into the grassroots of society, and replace the right to speak at the grassroots level of a big family like themselves, and the most fundamental thing is actually that they are afraid that the imperial power will seize and divide their own economic interests at the grassroots level and compete with them for profit, and it is the most beneficial for the scholar class that the imperial power does not go to the countryside and county.
This is also why the local scholars in Jiangdong saw that Sun Quan and Zhou Yu won the battle of Chibi, and Cao Cao had no hope of unifying the whole country in the south, among them, the Jiangdong scholars represented by the four surnames of Wu County began to cooperate with Sun Quan, seeking to follow the dragon's merits, establish an empire, further consolidate their economic status, and enhance their political status. However, after the Battle of Yiling, Gu Yong and Lu Xun and other locals opposed Sun Quan and strongly opposed Sun Quan's Northern Expedition and expansion.
This is a very typical manifestation of the scholar clan's desire to establish imperial power, but they do not want the imperial power to be strong and compete with themselves. For example, Sun Wu itself was a regime established by local wealthy clans, and established a system of hereditary generals leading troops. According to this system, the generals within the rule of Sun Wu could have the right to lead the troops, and the descendants passed it on from generation to generation, and they could absorb the taxes of the areas they led, which ensured the rights and interests of the local heroes and powers of Eastern Wu. During the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han Dynasty, Jiangdong was the most powerful and powerful, forming a "servant army, closed door into a market, cattle and sheep covering the plains, and fields and ponds for thousands of miles" (translation: There are so many slaves that they can be organized into an army, and they are like a bazaar behind closed doors. Cattle and sheep cover the fields, and the fields and ponds are spread over thousands of miles). The wealthy families of Jiangdong hoped to support Sun Quan as emperor in exchange for Sun Quan to protect the benefits they had obtained.
Second, the weak Wu and Shu sides rebuilt the alliance
In May, Liu Bei died of illness soon after, and was succeeded by his son Liu Chan, and Zhuge Liang took charge of state affairs, reconciled with Wu, and restored the Wu-Shu alliance.
(1) Take the initiative to ask Liu Bei for peace. According to the "Book of Wu", Sun Quan sent Feng Xi, the commander of Lixin, to visit Shu, mainly to pay tribute to Liu Bei. Feng Xi, a native of Yingchuan, is a descendant of Feng Yi (the founding general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a military strategist, and the seventh of the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai). When Sun Quan was the general of the chariot cavalry, Feng Xi first served as the East Cao Oak, and after returning from the envoy to Shu, he was appointed as the middle doctor.
Later, when he sent an envoy to the Wei State, Cao Pi asked Feng Xi and said: "If the King of Wu wants to rebuild the old good, he should sharpen his weapons on the Yangtze River Pass (referring to the formation of troops along the Yangtze River along the border with Shu) and crusade against the land of Bashu (referring to Shu), but I heard that he sent people to repair them (referring to Shu), which must have another plan." Feng Xi said: "I heard that our Wu State sent envoys to Xishu just to report the news, and only to observe their flaws in this way in order to launch an attack, not to have other plans." ”
Cao Pi also said: "I heard that the country of Wu has suffered from drought for many years, and the people and materials have declined and lost, with your wisdom, Doctor Zhong, what will you do if you observe the current situation?" Feng Xi replied: "King Wu is intelligent and wise, good at appointing sages, all political matters related to taxation and servitude, he must consult everyone in everything, he educates and cultivates the guests and the people who are in custody, the people who are close to the virtuous respect the scholars, the reward does not avoid the enemy, and the punishment must be used on the guilty, all the vassals are grateful to Dade, only loyalty and righteousness." There are millions of soldiers in armor in Wu State, grain and cloth are piled up, rice fields are fertile, and the people have no famine year. It is indeed difficult to speculate and measure who the situation is beneficial to the ministers. ”
Cao Pi was unhappy, because Chen Qun and Feng Xi were from the same county, so he sent Chen Qun to persuade him and lure him with heavy benefits. Feng Xi was unmoved. Cao Pi sent him to Mopi (southeast of present-day Bang County, Henan) under house arrest, intending to torture him with hardship to bring him to his knees. After being called back, before he reached the capital, Feng Xi was afraid that if he was forced to disobey, he would definitely endanger himself and insult his mission, so he committed suicide with a knife. His escort noticed and stopped him, so he didn't die. When Sun Quan heard this, he burst into tears and said, "What is the difference between this kind of heroic thing and Su Wu? Feng Xi eventually died in the Wei state.
(2) Respond to Zhuge Liang and eliminate Wei Lianshu. According to the "Wu Calendar", Shu sent 200 horses, 1,000 ends of brocade (one end is two zhang), and local treasures. Since then, it has become common for Wu and Shu to send envoys to visit each other. Wu also sent locally produced treasures to repay the deep friendship of Shu.
Previously, in order to repair the cracks caused by the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan had sent envoys to ask for peace, and Liu Bei also sent Song Wei and Fei Yi to Wu to respond. But now that Liu Bei has passed away, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang is worried that Sun Quan's attitude will change after learning the news, and he doesn't know how to deal with it. At this time, Deng Zhi met Zhuge Liang and said: "Now the lord (Liu Chan) is young, and he will not reign for a long time, so he should send envoys to re-establish his relationship with Eastern Wu." Zhuge Liang replied: "I thought about it for a long time, I don't know who to appoint, and now I have found it." Deng Zhi asked who it was, and Zhuge Liang said, "It's the envoy!" So he sent Deng Zhi as an envoy to Wu State.
After Deng Zhi arrived, Sun Quan was really puzzled, and if he didn't meet Deng Zhi immediately, Deng Zhi asked to see Sun Quan himself: "The minister is also here for Wu State, not just for Shu Han. Sun Quan then met him and said to Deng Zhi: "I originally sincerely wanted to make peace with Shu Han, but I am afraid that the lord of Shu is young, the country is small and the general situation is difficult, if Cao Wei takes advantage of the weakness to attack, he will not be able to protect himself, so I feel very hesitant." ”
Deng Zhi replied: "Where Wu and Shu combine and own four states, you are a world-famous hero, and Zhuge Liang is also a particularly outstanding talent in contemporary times. Shu has a heavy danger to hold, Wu has three rivers to block, combining these two strengths, become a state of lips and teeth, advance can seize the world, retreat can stand on its feet, this is natural common sense. If the king wants to commit himself to Wei now, Wei must ask the king to enter the court to worship, at least ask the prince to go as a proton, if you do not obey the order, there will be a reason to crusade, and the mainland will definitely see the advantage and march downstream, so that the land south of the Yangtze River is no longer owned by the king. Sun Quan pondered for a long time before saying, "What you say is very true! He severed relations with Wei and made peace with Shu Han.
In the third year of Huangwu (224), Sun Quan sent Fuyi Zhonglang to visit Shu Han.
When Zhang Wen's envoy was about to return, Shu Han sent Deng Zhi to Wu again, and Sun Quan said to Deng Zhi: "Wouldn't it be very happy if the two monarchs ruled separately when the world was peaceful." Deng Zhi said to him, "There are no two days in the sky, and there are no two lords in the earth." If after the fall of the Wei State, the king has not yet understood the Mandate of Heaven. The ruler exalts his benevolence, the servant gives his loyalty, and the commander holds the drum and beats the drum, and the battle has just begun. Sun Quan laughed and said, "You are indeed very sincere. ”
Deng Zhi was a key figure in the restoration of old relations between Shu Han and Eastern Wu, but he was not the only one. Before Deng Zhi, there were at least Song Wei, Fei Yi, Ding Wei, and Yinhua. Compared with Deng Zhi, Sun Quan was not very satisfied with Ding Zhi and Yinhua, which can be seen from Sun Quan's letter to Zhuge Liang, Sun Quan said: "Ding Zhi Zhang, Yin is inexhaustible. It means that Ding Ling's (Zi Jungan) words are more flashy, and the yin language is not satisfactory; The only thing that has made our two countries friendly is Deng Chi.
Deng Zhi's diplomatic skills are certainly excellent, but the reason why Shu Han and Soochow were able to re-align is more for the purpose of "cooperation is beneficial to both sides, and fighting is mutually destructive", and the alliance is in the interests of both sides. As the saying goes, "people don't destroy the heavens and the earth for themselves", Sun Quan doesn't think about Shu Han, but also thinks about his own interests. And the wealthy clans in Jiangdong preferred Sun Shu to form an alliance, because the alliance would bring peace to both sides.
Under the impetus of the native scholars in Jiangdong, Sun Quan finally decided to sever his political affiliation with Cao Wei and reunite with Shu Han to continue the front line of the Battle of Chibi.
3. Lu Xun proposed the purpose of recuperation
Since Sun Ce and Sun Quan captured Jiangdong, rebellions such as Shanyue in the Jiangdong region have occurred one after another, coupled with Sun Quan's continuous wars to the north, south, and west, the Jiangdong region has been plagued by wars, including Sun Quan himself, who believes that Sun Wu urgently needs to recuperate. The wealthy families in Jiangdong hoped that Sun Quan would reduce foreign wars and allow the economy of Jiangdong to recover quickly.
(1) Sun Quan and Lu Xun have different purposes for promoting recuperation. Although the imperial power represented by Sun Quan and the local scholar forces in Jiangdong represented by Lu Xun both hoped that the government would implement a policy of recuperation and recuperation, their goals were different: Sun Quan wanted to develop the economy through recuperation and recuperation, so that more taxes could be collected, and the more taxes Sun Quan's military spending could be more sufficient; And Lu Xun recuperated in order to make the "manor economy" of the wealthy families develop better and accumulate more private assets for them. In short, if Sun Quan wants to fight, he must be taxed, and Sun Quan's main target of taxation is the wealthy families in Jiangdong. This is also the main reason why Lu Xun opposes Sun Quan's war against foreign countries, and at a deep level, this is also the main contradiction between Sun Quan and Lu Xun.
In May of the fourth year of Huangwu (225), Prime Minister Sun Shao died, and Sun Quan ordered Taichang Gu Yong to take over as Prime Minister in the following month. In December, Peng Qi, a native of Poyang, led an army to rebel and captured several surrounding counties, with tens of thousands of people. In the same year, Cao Pi led his army to Guangling, and Sun Quan set up a strict defense. At this time, it was cold, the river froze, and Cao Pi retreated.
In the spring of the fifth year of Huangwu (226), Sun Quan ordered: "A long time has passed since the army was raised. The people were detached from the land and could not engage in farming; Some fathers and sons have been separated for a long time and cannot allow them to sympathize with each other; I pity them. At present, the enemy in the north is fleeing, and there is no war on the national border, so it is necessary to order the states and counties to find ways to make the people relaxed and rest. ”
At this time, because of the lack of grain in his area, Lu Xun petitioned Sun Quan to order the generals to develop more farmland. Sun Quan replied, "Your idea is very good! From now on, my father and son personally received a share of the farmland, and used the eight oxen that I drove to pull four ploughs to plough it, although it was not as good as the work of the ancient sages, but it could also work as everyone else. ”
(2) In the spring, Sun Quan ordered the whole country to carry out rest and recuperation, and in July, Sun Quan launched the Northern Expedition, forcing Lu Xun to advise Sun Quan in October. In the autumn and July of the fifth year of Huangwu (226), Sun Quan heard that Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi had died, and raised troops to conquer Jiangxia County and besieged Shiyang City, but returned in vain. Legend of Cangwu appeared a phoenix. Sun Quan divided into three counties to hand over the poor areas on the border, set up ten counties, placed Dong'an County, appointed Quan Cong as the county's Taishou, and quelled the rebellion of the Shanyue tribe.
In the winter of October, Lu Xun told Sun Quan Chen about the things that should be handled at the moment, and persuaded Sun Quan to show kindness, reduce the punishment, relax the collection of land taxes, and stop the collection of household taxes.
Then Lu Xun said: "The words of loyalty cannot be extremely stated, begging for the ministers, and counting them for profit." This means that the words of the faithful and upright cannot be stated as much as possible; And the flattering ministers have heard many times that they have benefited.
In this regard, Sun Quan clearly pointed out the purpose of the imperial court to make laws, Sun Quan said: "The purpose of making a decree is to use it to prevent evil, and it is a warning that should be taken before a crime occurs, how can there be no severe punishment to deter bad people?" This is to educate first and then punish, with the aim of not producing criminals in society. You pointed out the part where the punishment was too heavy, and what good is it for me to impose such a heavy punishment, just because there is no other way to do it. Now accepting your suggestion, we will reconsider and plan to make sure that our punishment is reasonable and appropriate. ”
(3) Sun Quan asked Lu Xun rhetorically, this is a warning to Lu Xun and other Jiangdong locals. In response to Lu Xun's words of "loyalty and loyalty, you can't be extremely expressed, ask for tolerance for the ministers, and count them for profit", Sun Quan asked Lu Xun three questions.
Sun Quan first asked: Aren't the widows willing to listen to advice to make up for their own shortcomings? Sun Quan said: "The ancient proverb is beneficial that if the courtiers who are always on the right and left should offer advice, the relatives of the same clan should make up for and supervise the mistakes of the monarch, so that the monarch is in line with the right path and show the loyalty of his subordinates. It is written, 'Do not submit to me to your face,' when it is written, 'Do not submit to my face' that I have disobeyed you,' and do not welcome words of honesty to help me? You still say, 'I dare not say as much as I can,' how can that be considered loyalty? ”
Sun Quan's second question: Can't the widow distinguish between a flattering villain? Sun Quan said: "If there is a good opinion among the low-ranking courtiers that can be adopted, can we not adopt it because the person is not important?" But the kind of person who flatters by stammering and flattering can see clearly even a foolish person like me. ”
Sun Quan asked: Don't you know why the widow levies the household tax? Sun Quan said: "As for the reason for the collection of household tax, it is only because the world has not yet been calmed down, and such a major event depends on the number of people to succeed. If you just protect Jiangdong, you can focus on the implementation of benevolent government, and the soldiers will naturally be enough, so why do you need to increase it? However, the sittings are to be despised by the people. If the household tax is not levied early, there is a fear that the temporary increase in expenditure will not meet the needs. "In other words, as for the matter of lowering the household tax, isn't it because our primary goal now is to unify the world? But sitting in Jiangdong and not seeking to forge ahead, it is really shallow!
In the end, Sun Quan said to Lu Xun very disappointed: "There is a huge difference between me and you in terms of status, but our honor and disgrace are the same. There are words in Sun Quan's words, maybe Sun Quan has this meaning: You have failed my expectations! You're still playing tricks with me!
This conversation revealed several important messages:
First, it seems that Lu Xun actively advised Sun Quan to practice more benevolent government, but we can clearly see that as early as the spring of 226, Sun Quan took the initiative to keep the edict to the prefectures and counties, and implemented a policy of tolerance and rest for the people. It shows that Sun Quan himself is practicing benevolent governance, not as if someone (such as Lu Xun) reminded him to do it.
Second, the problem is that in the spring of 226, Sun Quan was ready to implement benevolent governance, but on May 17 of the same year, Cao Pi died, and Sun Quan felt that this was a great opportunity for the Northern Expedition and immediately began to prepare and attack. Lu Xun believed that Sun Quan was saying one thing and doing another, so in October, Lu Xun advised Sun Quan to show kindness, reduce punishment, relax the collection of land taxes, and stop the collection of household taxes. This is clearly preventing and hindering Sun Quan's military plans.
Third, Lu Xun said that he was loyal and upright, and he didn't dare to speak freely, but those junior ministers could often use profit to hear and enter utilitarian words. Sun Quan felt that Lu Xun's words were really a bit yin and yang, and his temper immediately came up, and he directly threw three rhetorical questions to Lu Xun.
(4) Lu Xun, as a representative of the wealthy families in Jiangdong, has irreconcilable contradictions with Sun Quan, and it is just a matter of when. It can be seen from Sun Quan's words that he is not against the implementation of benevolent government, on the contrary, he has been doing these things personally, and he does not need Lu Xun to remind him at all, he is even willing to set an example for the world, personally claimed a piece of farmland, contributed all the cattle that pulled the royal car for himself, and took the little boy Sun Deng to the field to plow the land, hoping that everyone can actively cultivate and cultivate a variety of food. Sun Quan is dissatisfied: Whether it is Lu Xun or Gu Yong, you people do not support him to engage in the most important cause, and you always carry out moral kidnapping under the pretext of resting with the people. This is very fatal, this is what Sun Quan cares about the most, cares about the most, and cannot tolerate the most.
Some people say that Sun Quan is self-contained and confined to the river to protect himself, and he really wronged Sun Quan, and Sun Quan quarreled with Lu Xun because everyone did not support his Northern Expedition.
In fact, Sun Quan knows very well that the so-called "wide interest adjustment" and "rest with the people" of the Jiangdong wealthy families represented by Lu Xun are just pretenses.
Of course, in order to alleviate the contradictions between Sun Quan and the wealthy families in Jiangdong, he ordered the relevant officials in charge to write all the decrees and regulations, and sent Langzhong Chu Feng to Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin, and let them delete and supplement whatever they thought was inappropriate. In this year, some counties and counties of Jiaozhou were carved out, Guangzhou was newly built, and the original Jiaozhou was soon restored.
In fact, the contradiction between Sun Quan and Lu Xun is not a contradiction between them personally, but a contradiction between the interests of the local scholars that Lu Xun does not represent and the interests of Sun Quan as the representative of the Sun group. As a soldier, Lu Xun only needs to lead good soldiers and fight a good battle; As for Lu Xun, a politician, he has to represent the interests of the local wealthy families!
Fourth, trust is a responsibility, a responsibility, and a burden
I have never denied the nobility of Lu Xun's character, but with different positions, different views are naturally different. For the benefit of the wealthy families in Jiangdong, Lu Xun repeatedly prevented Sun Quan from implementing a policy of foreign expansion.
(1) Sun Quan trusts Lu Xun. Lu Xun's character and ability are just as Bu Qi said in his biography, Lu Xun, Gu Yong, and Pan Jun all belong to the wise people, which is why Sun Quan trusts Lu Xun.
"Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Biography of Buqi" records: Buqi once said on the table that those small officials now, the officials in charge of the review are picky, nitpicking, in-depth investigation, and there are many slanders, and they want to frame people at every turn to be powerful, and those who have not committed a little crime often suddenly suffer a very heavy punishment, so they make people in an embarrassing situation, which one is not trembling? In the past, only sages could serve as prison officials, so Gao Tao served as a scholar, Lu Hou revised the redemption, Zhang Shizhi and Yu Dingguo served as court captains, and the common people did not have anything wronged, and the blessing of auspiciousness and tranquility was really generated because of this. Today's petty officials, unlike the ancients, are different from the ancients at every turn, and they are bribed to handle cases and break prisons, despise and neglect people's lives, resulting in unjust imprisonment and then the guilt is attributed to the imperial court, causing resentment for the country.
Bu Qi also said that there was a person who sighed sadly, and there was a deficit for the king, which was very hateful. Cultivating virtue and prudently using punishment, and wise sages attach importance to criminal administration, which is called beautiful in ancient books. From now on, if you are convicted and sentenced to prison, you should consult Gu Yong in the capital, and in Wuchang, you can consult Lu Xun and Pan Jun, be fair-minded, serious and single-minded, and you must find out the truth.
(2) A soldier who can obey and win a war is a good soldier. There is no disputing that Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lu Meng, and Lu Xun are all good soldiers. Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lü Meng did not intervene too much in the political arena and did not represent the local forces in Jiangdong, so their contradictions with Sun Quan were not obvious. In addition, among the four British generals of Eastern Wu, Zhou Yu was able to lead the Nanjun Taishou until his death, and was not made a marquis. Lu Su killed the former Hanchang Taishou and Hengjiang General Zuo Hujun. Huwei general Lü Meng made great contributions to the battle of Jiangling, and Sun Quan appointed him as the Taishou of Nanjun and the marquis of Xiaoling. Whether in military or administrative positions, Lu Xun is higher than Zhou Yu, Lu Su and Lu Meng.
In "The Legend of the Three Kingdoms: The Biography of Lü Meng", Sun Quan commented on the merits and demerits of Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lü Meng in front of Lu Xun, and Sun Quan ranked the three people very bluntly in the order of their own hearts: Zhou Yu > Lu Meng> Lu Su, and pointed out that "Gongjin is strong, bold and strategic, and difficult to continue", in Sun Quan's heart, Zhou Yu is a flawless person, without any shortcomings, not even a little bit that needs to be improved, and no one can compare his credits. Sun Quan did not have a positive direct evaluation of Lu Xun, but hoped that Lu Xun could inherit Zhou Yu's position as the commander of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and continue to make great achievements like Zhou Yu back then, and expand his territory.
(3) Since Lu Xun received Sun Quan's seal, it indicates that their relationship is not compatible. At that time, Lu Xun led the army to guard Yiling (later changed to Xiling), and Sun Quan had to pass through Xiling to contact Shu Han. In order to facilitate Sun Wu's contact with Shu Han, coupled with Lu Xungang's victory in the battle of Yiling for Sun Quan, Sun Wu's worries were completely solved. Sun Quan fully trusted Lu Xun, and Sun Quan always asked Lu Xun to tell Zhuge Liang what he should do in current affairs, and engraved his own seal and put it with Lu Xun. Every time Sun Quan wrote letters to Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang, he often had to go through Lu Xun to read them, and if there was anything wrong with the severity, he asked him to revise the final draft and seal it with Sun Quan's seal.
As the saying goes, someone is happy to appreciate, and someone is lucky to trust. But luck comes quickly, and it doesn't go slowly. It can be said that after the victory of the Battle of Yiling, that is, in December 222 AD, the two sides began to contact and prepare for peace talks, after which the two countries maintained a period of oral alliance for more than 6 years, until 229 AD, that is, after Sun Quan became emperor, the two countries officially signed the alliance. In the past six years, Sun Quan basically trusted Lu Xun, but it cannot be said that there was no contradiction between the two of them, for example, in the winter and October of the fifth year of Huangwu (226), Lu Xun persuaded Sun Quan to show kindness, reduce punishment, relax the collection of land endowments, and stop the collection of household taxes, Sun Quan was very unhappy, and after becoming emperor, Sun Quan's trust in Lu Xun was even more discounted.
Balzac said in "The Rise and Fall of the Courtesan" that in politics, as on the ocean, there are times of calm and deception. That's the terrible thing about politics. Lu Xun has a military genius, he commanded wars to win beautifully, he is an excellent general, but he is not an outstanding politician, it can even be said that his military ability partially covers up his lack of political ability.
This also determines that Lu Xun's political road in the future will be very difficult and difficult......
Finally, the last two lines of Li Bai's "Difficult to Walk" were sent to Lu Xun:
Difficult to walk, difficult to walk, divergent road, where are you today?
There will be times when the wind and waves will be long, and the clouds will sail into the sea.
(Written in Yeosu on Sunday, May 12, 2024)
Note: The pictures about trust and difficulty in traveling are from the Internet, and the other pictures in the article are provided by photographer Yu Yuan, I am grateful!