In 686 BC, a palace coup d'état took place in the state of Qi, and Duke Xiang of Qi was killed by his ministers. For a time, the country of Qi was ownerless, and there was great chaos in the country. Qi Xianggong's two younger brothers, Gongzi Jiao and Xiaobai, hurriedly returned to China, and whoever arrived first would become the next monarch of Qi.
In the end, Gongzi Xiaobai ascended to the throne and was known as Duke Qi Huan in history. Duke Huan of Qi governed the State of Qi with the assistance of Guan Zhong of Xiangguo, allied the world, commanded the princes, and became the head of the famous Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons in history, and Guan Zhong was also known as the first prime minister of China.
However, Guan Zhong, who is famous all over the world, has an unknown side when he is young. Some people say that he is a poor boy with unbearable conduct.
Guan Zhong used to do business with Uncle Bao, and he always gave himself a little more when he shared money, so many people thought he was greedy for money. He also worked as a deserter, so people ridiculed him for being cowardly.
After Guan Zhong entered the court as an official, he assisted Gongzi Jiao. In order to help Gongzi Jie seize the throne, he tried to kill Gongzi Xiaobai. Therefore, there is still a feud between him and Gongzi Xiaobai.
So, why did Duke Qi Huan appoint this Guan Zhong, who had poor conduct and had an enmity with him? What is so powerful about Guan Zhong that can assist Duke Qi Huan to ascend to the throne of the overlord?
All of this has to start from Guan Bao's friends.
01
Guan Zhong worships the prime minister
Guan Zhong, whose name is Yiwu, is a native of Yingshang (now Yingshang County, Anhui Province). He was a famous politician, military strategist, and representative of Legalism in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Guan Zhong was born in an aristocratic family, and his father Guan Zhuang was a doctor of the Qi Kingdom. When he was young, Guan Zhong lived a carefree life, just like a noble son of a family.
Soon after, his father Guan Zhuang died, the family gradually declined, and Guan Zhong's life began to become beyond his means. In order to alleviate the financial pressure, Guan Zhong began to partner with Uncle Bao in business, wanting to make some money to solve the food and clothing of the whole family.
When dividing money, Guan Zhong often gave himself more money, and the world said that he was greedy for money. But Uncle Bao never cared about him, and understood that his family was poor and life was not easy. According to the "Historical Records":
Guan Zhong is poor and often bullies Uncle Bao, and Uncle Bao finally meets him and does not think about it.
Soon after, in order to dominate the cause, the Duke of Qi attempted to conquer the vassal states of the Central Plains by force, so he began to recruit a large number of troops. At this time, Guan Zhong's business failed, and in order to find another way out, he decided to abandon business and join the army and open up another path in life.
But what Guan Zhong didn't expect was that as soon as he entered the military camp, he met the war between the Qi State and the Song State, and Guan Zhong, who had not yet learned kung fu, was pulled onto the battlefield.
The cruelty of the battlefield gave Guan Zhong a huge impact, he understood that being a soldier was not his way out, not to mention that there was still an old mother at home to support, and he must not have an accident. So, he anointed the soles of his feet and fled quickly.
The news of Guan Zhong becoming a deserter soon spread in his hometown, and everyone said that he was cowardly and cowardly, so Guan Zhong never raised his head.
At this time, Uncle Bao comforted Guan Zhong and said, "I know that you are not greedy for life and afraid of death, but because you still have an old mother to support at home." Don't be presumptuous, you're just unlucky, and if you are given the opportunity, you will definitely make a difference. ”
At this time, Guan Zhong was very confused on the road of life. He failed in business, became a deserter, became an official three times, was expelled three times, grew older, achieved nothing, and was extremely disappointed in himself.
Therefore, Uncle Bao's encouragement gave him a little comfort, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "The parents who gave birth to me, and Uncle Bao who knows me." ”
The opportunity that Uncle Bucktooth said was coming soon.
This year, the monarch of Qi ordered Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya to assist Gongzi Jiu and Gongzi Xiaobai respectively. Guan Zhong knew that his opportunity to make a contribution had finally arrived, so he geared up and was ready to do a good job, but Uncle Bao was a little hesitant.
At that time, Zhu'er had already been made the crown prince, and he must be the one who will inherit the throne in the future. Under the suppression of Zhu'er, it is difficult for Gongzi and Xiaobai to get ahead, and in such a situation, it is difficult for Guan Zhong and Uncle Bao to be useful.
But Guan Zhong believes that although Zhu'er has been made the crown prince, his character is despicable, and it is still unknown whether he will be able to sit firmly on the throne in the future. In his opinion, the people who can govern the Qi country are none other than Gongzi Jiao and Xiaobai.
Guan Zhong does have amazing talent and foresight.
After the monarch of Qi died of illness, Zhu'er succeeded to the throne and was known as Qi Xianggong in history. After Qi Xianggong succeeded to the throne, he was unscrupulous, impermanent in government decrees, and even had an affair with his sister, Wen Jiang, the wife of Lu Huangong, and killed Lu Huangong because of this, causing a big disaster.
Seeing this situation, Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya both had a premonition that there would be a great chaos in the Qi Kingdom, so they decided to flee with their two sons. First, you can avoid disasters, and second, you can wait and see the changes in the situation in the country.
Because Gongzi Jiao's mother was the daughter of the Lu clan, Guan Zhong fled to Lu with Gongzi Jiao. And Gongzi Xiaobai is the daughter of Weiguo, but the distance to defend the country is far away, so Bao Shuya took Gongzi Xiaobai to temporarily take refuge in Ju in the south of Qi State.
At this time, a series of palace coups were being staged in the Qi State. According to the "Zuo Biography":
The Marquis of Qi made the company weigh and manage to his father's Kuiqiu. The melon comes and goes, saying: "And the melon is replaced." "Expectation, the public can't ask.
During the reign of Qi Xianggong, he sent ministers to the border and agreed to replace him. It means that when it comes to the next season to eat melons, someone will be arranged to replace it. However, the one-year period had passed, but Qi Xianggong never sent anyone there, and the king's untrustworthy words angered the minister.
At the same time, Qi Xianggong's cousin Gongsun Wuzhi also held a grudge against him because of the reduced treatment. So, these people hit it off, plotted rebellion, and killed Qi Xianggong.
After the death of Duke Xiang of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi ascended to the throne. But in the second year, Gongsun Wuzhi, who usurped power, was also killed by the ministers he insulted. The ignorant death of Gongsun caused the state of Qi to have no king, and the country began to fall into turmoil.
The bloody coups in Qi shocked the whole world, and the news of the absence of a monarch in the country soon spread throughout the vassal states. This situation gave Gongzi and Gongzi Xiaobai the news that they were competing for the throne once, and in this way, a contest began.
At this time, Guan Zhong, who got the news, immediately entered the palace to invite Lu Zhuanggong, wanted to borrow a hundred military vehicles from Lu Guo and escort Gongzi back to Qi to succeed to the throne, but Lu Zhuanggong was a little hesitant in his heart.
He knew very well that the civil strife in Qi was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if he could seize its capital, then the Qi country would be under his control. So, he said to Guan Zhong: "Sir, this matter should not be rushed, it is better to inquire into the truth again." ”
Guan Zhong saw that Lu Zhuang Gong intended to shirk, so he urged: "Lu Hou, the news has reached the Lu country so quickly, and it must have also reached the Ju country, but I am afraid that Gongzi Xiaobai is already on the way to the Qi country at this moment." ”
Guan Zhong's prediction was not wrong, at this time in the Qi State, the ministers were discussing the matter of establishing a monarch. There are already ministers who support Gongzi Xiaobai who secretly help Xiaobai return to Qi.
Guan Zhong understands that even if Gongzi Jiao is Xiaobai's elder brother, he is preconceived, as long as Xiaobai enters the Qi Kingdom first, even if Gongzi Jiao comes one after another, he can only be a latecomer. When 100,000 are in a hurry, there is no room for a moment.
Under Guan Zhong's persuasion, Lu Zhuang immediately decided to send soldiers and horses to escort Gongzi Jiao back to Qi, and asked Guan Zhong to take soldiers and horses to catch Xiaobai quickly, so as to win time for Gongzi to return to Qi.
Soon after, Guan Zhong took the soldiers and horses to stop Gongzi Xiaobai in the middle of the road. Xiaobai saw Guan Zhong coming with soldiers and horses, and he knew it in his heart, so he asked, "Sir, what are you doing here?" ”
Guan Zhong saluted and said, "Childe, are you in a hurry to return to Linzi?" ”
Seeing this, Xiaobai didn't go around the bend, and replied, "Isn't Mr. So you and I know what is going on, so let's just say what Mr. has to say. ”
So, Guan Zhong said: "The son is not surprised, and he is extraordinary." However, Gongzi Jiao is your brother, and the position of the monarch should be inherited by Gongzi Jiao, and please return to Ju Guo and don't be courteous. ”
Hearing this, Xiao Bai also replied loudly: "What the Qi country needs now is a sage rather than an elder, as a courtier of the Qi country, you should do your best for the country, if Mr. wants to stop it, Xiao Bai has to be rude." ”
After Xiaobai said that, he ignored Guan Zhong and prepared to continue on his way. Guan Zhong wanted to persuade Xiaobai to give up the position of monarch, but saw Xiaobai's tough attitude. So Guan Zhong's heart moved, and he suddenly snatched the bow and arrow from the soldier's hand, and shot an arrow at Xiaobai.
Seeing Xiaobai fall to the ground with an arrow, Guan Zhong thought that Xiaobai was dead, and said regretfully: "I am Gongzijiao's master, and it is my duty to help him ascend to the throne, since you are unwilling to give up, now I can only do it by killing you." ”
In fact, Guan Zhong admires Gongzi Xiaobai very much, but he knows his own body better. Since he assisted Gongzi, he had to fulfill his duties and do his best to seek the throne for him. Therefore, Guan Zhong did not hesitate to shoot Xiaobai to remove obstacles for Gongzi.
After seeing Xiaobai fall to the ground with his own eyes, Guan Zhong immediately sent someone to send the news to Lu Guo. Lu Zhuanggong, who knew that Gongzi Xiaobai was dead, thought that he had the chance to win, so the escorts who escorted Gongzi back to China also slowed down their progress.
However, when Gongzi Jiao's car drove into the Qi country, it was counterattacked by the defenders of the city. It turned out that at this time, the Qi State had been succeeded by a new monarch, and this new monarch was none other than the dead son Xiaobai.
It turned out that Guan Zhong shot an arrow on Xiaobai's belt hook that day. Xiaobai knew that Guan Zhong would not give up if he did not achieve his goal, so he fell to the ground and cheated to death in a hurry. After Guan Zhong left, Xiaobai immediately got up and hurried to the Qi State, and ascended to the throne of the King of Qi State with the preconceived idea.
Xiaobai's ascension to the throne ruined King Luzhuang's plan, so the greatly annoyed Duke of Lu Zhuang decided to send troops to attack the state of Qi in an attempt to interfere in this battle for the throne again.
Qi and Lu fought in the dry period, and Lu Zhuanggong personally led the army to the battle, but his strength was inferior to that of Qi, and he was finally defeated. Duke Lu Zhuang fled in a hurry, and Guan Zhong and Gongzi had no choice but to return to Lu again.
After this crusade, Xiaobai finally sat on the throne of the Qi State.
One day, Duke Huan of Qi summoned Bao Shuya in the palace of Qi, and he wanted Bao Shuya to take the post of Xiangguo. However, Uncle Bao asked rhetorically: "Dare to ask, is the king's ambition to govern the Qi country well, or to achieve the cause of the overlord?" ”
Qi Wanggong replied without hesitation: "Of course it is to achieve hegemony, why does Mr. ask so?" ”
Uncle Bao replied respectfully: "If the king only wants to govern the Qi country well, I can do it, but if you want to achieve hegemony, I'm afraid you have to have another person to assist the king." ”
Qi Huan Gong asked, "Who is it?" ”
Uncle Bao replied: "Only Guan Zhong can!" ”
Hearing the name Guan Zhong, Qi Huan Gong couldn't help but be furious. He said sharply: "The widow knew that Mr. and Guan Zhong were friends, but I didn't expect that Mr. would actually intercede for Guan Zhong for personal gain." ”
Seeing this, Uncle Bao persuaded him: "Your Majesty, I recommend Guan Zhong not for favoritism, but because his talent is up to the task. ”
Seeing that Uncle Bao was so sure, Qi Huan asked again, "What talent does he have?" ”
Uncle Bao replied: "Guan Zhongkuan is engaged in politics, loves the people, governs the country, has stable power, wins the trust of the people, wins the hearts of the people, formulates etiquette, weathers the world, and is above me everywhere." ”
However, Qi Huan Gong couldn't forget Guan Zhong's revenge no matter what, and he even wanted to kill Guan Zhong immediately.
Uncle Bao knew the thorn in Qi Huangong's heart, so he persuaded again: "Guan Zhong should be his master as a minister, he is the assistant to the prince, and he dares to shoot the king at the risk of the world's disapproval, and his loyalty can be seen." If the king absolves him and entrusts him with important responsibilities, I believe that he will assist the king like an assistant to the prince. If the king wants to achieve hegemony, this person must not be lost. ”
In fact, Qi Huan Gong also knew Guan Zhong's talent, but when he thought of Guan Zhong's arrow, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. Under the constant persuasion of Uncle Luoya, Duke Qi Huan, who wanted to kill Guan Zhong, finally decided to let him go and recall him back to the Qi State.
Uncle Bao did not avoid his relatives, and also gave up the position of Xiangguo to Guan Zhong, and this friendship was praised by future generations. And Qi Huan Gong put aside his hatred, forgave Guan Zhong, and was ready to reuse him, which is enough to show his wisdom and generosity.
However, not only Duke Qi Huan knew that Guan Zhong was talented, but Duke Lu Zhuang also knew.
On this day, Duke Lu Zhuang summoned Guan Zhong in the palace of King Lu and wanted to take him under his command. But Guan Zhong knew that he was Gongzi Jie's master, even if Gongzi Jiu did not ascend to the throne, he should not switch to another country.
Hearing Guan Zhong's refusal, Lu Zhuang Gong was furious and said sharply: "Do you know that if a widow can use you, he will definitely be able to kill you!" ”
At this moment, the palace people came to report that Bao Shuya, the envoy of Qi State, asked to meet Lu Zhuanggong. Lu Zhuanggong was very puzzled, but he didn't know the purpose of Qi Guo's time, so he ordered someone to invite Uncle Bao in.
After Bao Shuya saw Duke Lu Zhuang, he said respectfully: "Lu Hou, I was ordered by the Marquis of Qi to lead the army to escort Guan Zhong back to Qi State. ”
Lu Zhuanggong asked, "Lead the army to escort?" ”
Uncle Bao replied: "Yes, Qi Hou said that Gongzi Jiao is his elder brother, he can't bear to do it himself, and he asked Lu Hou to kill him on his behalf." But Guan Zhong dared to shoot the king, the crime was unforgivable, and Qi Hou wanted to do it himself in order to relieve the hatred in his heart. Please also ask Lu Hou to let me bring Guan Zhong back to Qi State, otherwise Qi Hou will not give up. ”
Lu Zhuanggong listened to it, so he had no choice but to agree. Lu Guo had already been defeated once, and he didn't dare to fight Qi Guo again, so he had to obediently hand over Guan Zhong.
In this way, Uncle Bao escorted Guan Zhong all the way back to Qi State. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the territory of Qi State, Uncle Bao untied Guan Zhong's shackles and asked him to go to see Duke Qi Huan immediately.
After Guan Zhong saw Qi Huangong, his heart was deadly silent, and he knew that his death date had finally arrived. Unexpectedly, Qi Huan Gong laughed and asked, "Mr. thinks the widow wants to kill you?" ”
Seeing that Duke Qi Huan asked like this, Guan Zhong replied weakly: "Didn't the king take great pains to bring me back to Qi Country just for this moment?" ”
Seeing this, Qi Huan Gong explained: "Mr. and I have an arrow of hatred, and I should have killed Mr. to avenge my hatred." But Mr. has great talents, and the widow hopes that Mr. can assist me, promote the good and eliminate the disadvantages, and strengthen Qi Tuhe. ”
Guan Zhong listened to it and understood that Qi Huan Gong wanted to reuse himself. He didn't expect that Duke Qi Huan would have such a mind and would become a great thing in the future, so he bowed his head and proclaimed himself. Soon after, Duke Qi Huan appointed Guan Zhong as the prime minister to preside over government affairs, and the hegemony of Qi began.
Guan Zhong escaped death and became the Xiangguo of Qi State, and began his life of great ambitions, and Qi Huan's public use of virtue and virtue did not avoid the enemy has also become a beautiful talk through the ages.
However, this incident was placed at the time, but Guan Zhong was once again subject to a lot of controversy, and his reputation became unbearable again.
It turned out that after Guan Zhong left the country of Lu, Lu Zhuanggong killed his son, and his other master also committed suicide, and the world praised him for his loyalty. Therefore, Guan Zhong, who survived, was spurned by the world, not to mention that he also assisted Gongzi's opponent.
In the face of the world's accusations, Guan Zhong didn't care, he had lofty ideals, he would not sacrifice for himself, what he wanted to sacrifice for was that the country was broken, the temple was destroyed, and the sacrifice was extinct.
In this way, Duke Qi Huan, with the assistance of Guan Zhong, opened his historical picture of the princes of Jiuhe and the world.
02
Jiuhe Hou
The Spring and Autumn Period was an era full of gunpowder, and the weakening of the Zhou royal family allowed the powerful princes to smell an opportunity. Ignoring the royal power of Zhou Tianzi, they began to unscrupulously conquer and merge with each other, wanting to show their strength by competing for hegemony.
Among them, the most ambitious one belongs to the monarch of Qi State, Qi Huangong. Duke Qi Huan was the head of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, and once commanded the world on behalf of Zhou Tianzi, but his road to hegemony was not all smooth sailing.
In 684 BC, the Duke of Qi Huan had ascended the throne for more than a year, and he worshiped Zhong as the prime minister. After Guan Zhong came to power, he began to strengthen the military, reform the economy, encourage production, and exempt fishery and salt tariffs.
But in fact, Guan Zhong's most bizarre operation is the establishment of Nulu, the earliest big health care place in China, and the first shared girlfriend project officially landed.
According to the record of "Warring States Policy: Eastern Zhou Policy":
Seven cities in the palace of Qi Huan, seven hundred women, and the people of the country are not.
The female lu is next to the harem of Qi Huangong, with more than 700 employees, and the scale is very grand. This not only gave the aspiring young people of Qi a place to vent, but also allowed a large number of female slaves to have a place to settle, and greatly increased the national income.
Under the operation of Guan Zhong, Nulu became famous all over the world, attracting businessmen from all over the world to do business in Qi State, and attracting talents from all over the world to go to Qi Country for development, so Guan Zhong was also nicknamed the founder of the big health care industry.
Although under the governance of Guan Zhong, the country of Qi has gathered talents, the national strength has gradually become stronger, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, but there is always a thorn in his heart that he wants to pull out.
A year ago, there was a civil strife in the Qi Kingdom, and he fought with Gongzi for the throne. Duke Lu Zhuang wanted to support Gongzi to ascend to the throne, repeatedly put Duke Qi Huan in danger, and finally led the army to attack the State of Qi.
In order to avenge the revenge of the year, Duke Qi Huan decided to attack the state of Lu, so he called Guan Zhong to discuss the matter.
After Guan Zhong heard the purpose of Duke Qi Huan, he advised: "I hope you will think twice about the matter of Valu, although the country of Lu is small, it is also divided by Zhou Tianzi, if it is attacked because of personal enmity, I am afraid it will be difficult to gain a foothold in etiquette, not to mention how can the unjust war be won?" ”
However, at this time, Qi Huan Gong had made up his mind and was unwilling to listen to Guan Zhong's persuasion.
The state of Lu and the state of Qi are neighbors, and there is often friction. Duke Huan of Qi had fought several battles with the State of Lu, and all of them were victorious. Therefore, he was still full of confidence in this war, and he also sent the most trusted Bao Shuya as a general to attack the Lu State.
Just when Lu Zhuang Gong gathered his army and prepared to fight the Qi army, a young man named Cao Di came to see Lu Zhuang Gong, hoping that Lu Zhuang Gong would let him go with the army and he would definitely win.
Lu Zhuang Gong saw that Cao Di was young and his tone was not small, and he really wanted to see his ability, so he agreed to his request.
Soon after, the State of Qi invaded the territory of the State of Lu with strong soldiers and horses. Lu Zhuanggong was forced to have no choice but to give an order to let the army retreat to the Longspoon area, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, to avoid the edge of the Qi army.
Seeing that the Lu army fled in a hurry, the Qi army thought that the Lu army was vulnerable, so they launched a fierce attack again. Lu Zhuanggong also hurriedly ordered people to beat drums, ready to give a battle order, but was stopped by Cao Di on the side.
I saw Cao Di say: "The king can know that even if the country of Qi is strong, it will definitely be defeated." ”
Sure enough, as Cao Di said, although the Qi army attacked fiercely, it failed to capture the position of Lu several times in a row, and the soldiers began to show fatigue. Seeing that the time had come, Cao Di suggested a counterattack to Lu Zhuanggong.
So, Lu Zhuanggong personally beat the war drums and issued an order to counterattack. The Lu army chased and fought fiercely, the Qi army scattered and fled, and on the way to escape, Yong, the prince of Qi, was shot and killed by the Lu army.
In the Battle of Long Spoon, the Qi army suffered heavy losses and returned defeated. This unique defeat made Qi Huan Gong realize that Guan Zhong's persuasion may be right, it is unrealistic to fight for hegemony by force, and convincing talents with virtue is the way out.
Guan Zhong saw that Duke Qi Huan realized his problem, so he offered him advice: "Your Majesty, if you want to become a hegemon, you must be polite, although the Zhou family is not in good spirits now, it is still orthodox, obeying the king, reprimanding the foreigners, and ruling the princes in the name of Zhou Tianzi is what a courtesy." ”
This is the first time that Guan Zhong proposed the famous strategy of respecting the king to the Duke of Qi Huan, and the core of this strategy is to respect the Zhou royal family, and the princes will not annex and invade the foreign land.
However, it takes an opportunity to use the name of the week. At this time, a major event occurred in the Song Kingdom.
In 682 BC, Song Mingong, the monarch of the Song Kingdom, laughed at the opponent's chess skills when he was playing chess with the general Nangong Changwan, and as a result, the embarrassed Nangong Changwan killed Song Mingong on the spot, and the Song Kingdom was in chaos.
Min Gongjin was jealous of this woman, and Gu said: "This captive is also! Therefore, the beauty of Luhou is evil? "Ten thousand anger, fight Min Gong, absolutely stubborn.
The Song Kingdom has no owner, and it should have been Zhou Tianzi who came forward and set up a new monarch. But unfortunately, King Zhou Zhuang also just passed away. For a while, the chaos in the Song Kingdom was unpresiding, and Guan Zhong, who got the news, thought that the opportunity for Qi Huan Gong had come.
At that time, the new monarch of the Zhou family succeeded to the throne, and the foundation was not solid, so Guan Zhong suggested that Duke Qi Huan take this opportunity to go to Luoyi. First, it was mourning, and second, the new monarch of the Zhou family succeeded to the throne, and the foundation was not solid, so he took this opportunity to ask Zhou Tianzi to order the Qi State to preside over the alliance of princes.
In this way, nominally it was to quell the civil strife of the Song Kingdom, but in fact it was an opportunity to establish prestige in order to dominate the princes.
In 681 BC, Zhou Tianzi agreed to the request of Duke Huan of Qi. Subsequently, the Duke of Qi Huan, in the name of Zhou Tianzi, issued a public notice to the nine vassal states of Song, Lu, Chen, and Wei, and met the alliance in Beixing in March.
When the alliance was met, Qi Huan Gong listened to Guan Zhong's advice and traveled lightly, and the army did not have it, in order to show his sincerity. However, in addition to Qi Huangong, there were only five countries participating in the alliance this time: Qi, Song, Chen, Cai, and Di.
Although Duke Qi Huan was angry in his heart, he still made a generous look on his face and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I should now nominate a person to preside over this alliance and implement the will of the Son of Heaven, I don't know who you think is suitable?" ”
When several princes saw that Duke Qi Huan said this, they understood it in their hearts, so they elected Duke Qi Huan one after another.
Seeing this, Qi Huan Gong did not shirk, and said: "Thanks to your trust, the widow will not shirk, and today he will ally with Beixing, support the royal family, resist foreign insults, and if there is a violation of the covenant, the countries will fight it together." ”
After Qi Huan Gong said that, Guan Zhong suggested: "Your Majesty, this time the monarchs of the alliance Lu, Wei, Zheng and other countries have not arrived, so they should be killed as usual." ”
Everyone also echoed: "They are disrespectful to Zhou Tianzi, they should be killed!" ”
The main purpose of the Beixing Alliance was actually to solve the civil strife in the Song Kingdom, but by the end of the alliance, no useful results had been discussed, which was of great significance to the Duke of Qi Huan.
Because, this is the first time since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty that there is an alliance presided over by princes. Moreover, Duke Qi Huan also became the leader of the alliance as a prince, and before that, the leader of the alliance could only be held by Zhou Tianzi.
The era of Qi hegemony opened by the Beixing Huimeng also opened a magnificent chapter of the Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons.
In addition to the Qi State, there are nine invited countries to the alliance, but there are actually only five vassal states present, among them, the countries that have not arrived are the Lu State, and the Lu State and the Qi State can be described as old enemies.
At this time, three years have passed since the Battle of Long Spoon, and in these three years, Qi Huan Gong recruited troops and grain, bent on avenging the revenge of the year, at this time, it happened that Lu did not participate in the alliance. As a result, Duke Qi Huan attacked the Lu State on the grounds of ignoring Zhou Tianzi.
In the past few years, under the assistance and governance of Guan Zhong, the overall strength of the Qi State has made a qualitative leap, the army is well-equipped and well-trained, and it is difficult for the Lu State to win by luck like the Battle of the Long Spoon.
In 681 BC, the state of Qi again invaded Lu. This time, the Qi army occupied a large area of land in the state of Lu with the momentum of wind and clouds. For this reason, the Duke of Lu Zhuang had to send an envoy to meet the Duke of Qi Huan, offering to cede the land, respecting the Duke of Qi Huan as the leader of the alliance, and requesting a truce.
Qi Huan saw that Lu Zhuang was soft, so he wanted to take advantage of the victory to pursue and take this opportunity to destroy Lu in one fell swoop.
Seeing this, Guan Zhong hurriedly persuaded him: "Your Majesty, you have forgotten the dream covenant of the Beixing Alliance, you said that the princes will not annex, and the royal family will be together." We attacked Lu because it ignored the majesty of Zhou Tianzi, but it made no sense to annex Lu. ”
Qi Huan Gong was carried away by the joy of victory, and after listening to Guan Zhong's persuasion, he suddenly came to his senses, and he hurriedly asked: "The widow is too happy for a while, so according to Mr. Yi, what should the widow do?" ”
Guan Zhong suggested: "Your Majesty, it is better to return the occupied land of the Lu State, so that you can show your benevolence and righteousness, and the princes of all countries will praise you." ”
Qi Huan Gong listened to Guan Zhong's suggestion but immediately refused, he thought that the land occupied by the Lu State was exchanged for the lives of the soldiers, and if it was easily returned, how could it be worthy of the dead soldiers. As a result, Duke Qi Huan still decided to take the land of Lu into his own possession.
In 680 BC, the two countries of Qi and Lu met at Keyi to negotiate an armistice. This time, Duke Qi Huan and Guan Zhong represented the State of Qi, and Duke Lu Zhuang brought a man named Cao Mo to participate in the alliance.
During the banquet, Lu Zhuanggong said: "The widow's request is very simple, as long as Lu Houken cedes all the land outside the capital fifty miles to the Qi state, the widow can immediately order the retreat. ”
When Cao Mo, who was beside Lu Zhuanggong, heard this, he gritted his teeth and said, "It's too much to deceive people!" Fifty miles of land? In this way, the country of Qi can start from the border to the capital of the country of Lu, and the marquis of Qi can have a good calculation. ”
Duke Qi Huan ignored Cao Mo's disrespect, and asked Duke Lu Zhuang, "What does Lu Hou think?" ”
Seeing that the Marquis of Qi was aggressive, Lu Zhuang said indignantly: "In this way, I am afraid that the country of Lu is not far from falling, rather than this, it is better for me to die in front of you first." ”
As soon as Lu Zhuanggong said that, he immediately pulled out the sword at his waist and prepared to kill himself. At this moment, Cao Mo flew in front of Duke Qi Huan with an arrow, kidnapped Duke Qi Huan with a dagger, and threatened: "Qi is strong and weak, you bully the weak, and invade the country of Lu several times." Now that the Lu State is defeated, there is the disaster of losing the country, we are all going to become homeless, what else is there to be afraid of, Qi Hou, you say yes? ”
Seeing that his life was threatened, Qi Huan was forced to agree and return all the land he had encroached upon to the state of Lu.
So, Cao Mo, who got the promise, threw down the dagger and stood back at Lu Zhuanggong's side, his face did not change, and his words remained as usual. Qi Huangong, who had lost face, was angry and wanted to break the contract, but was finally stopped by Guan Zhong.
The alliance ended with the return of the land of Lu by Qi, and the Duke of Qi Huan did not take any advantage in the confrontation with Lu, but his promise to return all the land to Lu won unanimous praise from the princes.
This assassination incident made the Duke of Qi Huan completely give up the idea of hegemony by force, and began to thoroughly implement the strategy of respecting the king.
In the nearly thirty years after that, the princes of the Qi Huan Guild Alliance more than ten times, and became the leader of the alliance many times, and his prestige among the princes increased day by day, and at this time, he was only one step away from his hegemony.
In 656 BC, King Hui of Zhou wanted to depose the crown prince and establish a new one, and this incident became the best time for the Duke of Qi Huan to claim hegemony.
At that time, King Hui of Zhou favored the youngest son born to the favored queen and wanted to abolish the crown prince of the eldest son Zheng, and the news soon spread among the vassal states.
After Guan Zhong heard the news, he suggested to Duke Qi Huan: "Your Majesty, the reason why Prince Zheng fell out of favor is because his power in the court is weak, if Duke Qi Huan can support Prince Zheng to ascend to the throne, it will be of great benefit to the Qi State." ”
After hearing this, Gong Qi Huan asked, "Sir, having said that, what should the widow do?" ”
Guan Zhong continued: "The king can go to the Son of Heaven and ask the prince to go out of the court and meet the princes of various countries. As long as the prince is out of the court and the name of the monarch and minister is decided, Zhou Tianzi cannot abolish the prince at will. ”
So, according to Guan Zhong's suggestion, Duke Qi Huan wrote to Zhou Tianzi and passed on the princes, agreeing to meet at the prime minister in the summer of the next year.
In 655 B.C., the princes of Qi, Song, Lu, Chen, Xu and other eight kingdoms gathered at the head, and the crown prince Zheng also arrived, so the princes of Qi Huan led the princes to meet him.
In the first meeting, Duke Qi Huan treated the crown prince Zheng with the etiquette of treating the Son of Heaven, and the princes of various countries also followed suit. Seeing this situation, King Zhou Hui understood the meaning of Duke Qi Huan, and although he was resentful in his heart, he could only give up the idea of abolishing the prince.
Three years later, King Hui of Zhou died of illness, and the crown prince Zheng ascended to the throne, known as King Xiang of Zhou.
In the second year of King Xiang of Zhou's ascension to the throne, Duke Huan of Qi allied with the princes in Kwaiqiu. King Xiang of Zhou has always been grateful for the kindness of Duke Qi Huan, and although he was not present, he sent an envoy to reward Duke Qi Huan, and he presided over the alliance in place of Zhou Tianzi.
At the Kwaiqiu Alliance, Qi Huan Gong announced the five prohibition clauses on behalf of Zhou Tianzi:
The first fate said, there is no filial piety, there is no easy tree, and there is no concubine as a wife.
Again, it is said that the virtuous and the virtuous are cultivated to show virtue.
Three lives, respect for the old and merciful, and never forget the guest journey.
The four lives say, there are no officials in the world, there is no official in official affairs, and the scholars must be obtained, and there is no special killing of doctors.
The five lives are said, there is no warp prevention, no curbling, and no closure without suing. He said, all those who have been allied with me, after the alliance, will be reconciled.
Zhou Tianzi's reward to Duke Qi Huan was the highest standard in history, and he also recognized Duke Qi Huan's supremacy. The Kwaiqiu Alliance marked that the Duke of Qi Huan officially became the first hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period.
03
At last
During the reign of more than 40 years, with the assistance of Guan Zhong, Duke Qi Huan vigorously carried out reforms and actively carried out external activities, so that the State of Qi gradually became stronger, and Duke Qi Huan also became the prince of Jiuhe, the head of the Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons in the world.
Confucius once commented on Guan Zhong:
The princes of Huan Gong Jiuhe, not with military vehicles, but also with the power of Guan Zhong. As benevolent! As benevolent! …… Guan Zhong Xianghuan Gong, tyranny princes, a Kuang world, the people have received it now. Microtubule Zhong, I was sent to the left. If the husband and the wife are forgiven, they will not know it since they have been blasphemed in the ditch!
In 645 BC, Guan Zhong was seriously ill, and Duke Huan of Qi asked him: "Who among the ministers can be the prime minister for you?" ”
Guan Zhong replied: "There is no one who knows his subordinates better than the monarch. ”
So Qi Huan Gong asked, "How is Yi Ya?" ”
Guan Zhong said: "Killing a child in order to please the king is not humane. ”
Qi Huan Gong asked again: "How about the prescription?" ”
Guan Zhong replied: "In order to please the king, he turned his back on his relatives, and it is difficult for such a person to get close. ”
Qi Huan Gong asked again: "How is the erection?" ”
Guan Zhong replied: "In order to please the king, he castrated himself, and it is difficult for such a person to be loved. ”
This year, the 78-year-old Guan Zhong died of illness, and without Guan Zhong's assistance, King Qi Huan was mediocre and incompetent in his later years. He did not follow Guan Zhong's advice and reused these three people, resulting in the dictatorship of these three people.
In the end, these four traitorous villains each had their own masters, and they competed for the throne with their sons, and imprisoned Duke Qi Huan in the cold palace and starved to death. After the death of Duke Qi Huan, the body was parked in the cold palace, and no one collected it for him, it is really embarrassing that a generation of overlords has fallen like this!