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Text: A little history
Edit|Xiao Xu History
The end of the Shang Dynasty: The choice of the three sages and the imprint of the times
In the changing era in the last years of the Shang Dynasty, there were many sages, but after all, they could not stop the debauchery and cruelty of the Shang king. However, in this chaotic era, there were three characters who were known as the Three Sages of the Late Shang Dynasty by later generations because of their relationship and choice with the Emperor of Zhou. They are the eldest brother of the King of Zhou, Wei Ziqi, Taishi Jizi, and the uncle of the King of Zhou, Bigan.
Wei Ziqi, as the eldest brother of the King of Zhou, his background should have made him the heir of the Shang Dynasty. However, because his mother was not a queen when he was born, he unfortunately became a concubine and missed out on the throne. In the face of the tyranny of the King of Xu, Wei Ziqi was deeply worried, but he never made up his mind to admonish. Eventually, he chose to flee the Shang Dynasty and join the growing power of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Although this choice saved his life, it also made him infamous as "a foreign country".
Unlike Miko Kai, Miko chose loyalty and silence. As a prince, he repeatedly advised the king to reform himself, but after all, he failed to awaken the conscience of this faint king. When the king became more and more unscrupulous, Miko chose to express his dissatisfaction with silence. He was reduced to slavery and even imprisoned, but he never gave up his loyalty to his country. When King Wu of Zhou defeated the Shang Dynasty, Jizi was released and sealed in Korea. He used his wisdom to govern Korea in an orderly manner and left behind immortal exploits.
As for Bigan, the uncle of the king of the Emperor has left very few records in the history books. His absence has made future generations full of imagination about his possible positions and choices. Perhaps, he also tried to admonish the king, but he was unsuccessful; Perhaps, he chose to join the same stream with the king in order to protect himself. In any case, the story of Bigan became part of the legend of later generations.
The choices of the three sages at the end of the Shang dynasty reflected the complexity of society and the diversity of human nature at that time. Their respective choices are not only influenced by the background of the times, but also reflect the differences in personal personality and values. Wei Ziqi's escape, Miko's silence, and Bigan's absence are all their survival strategies in this turbulent era. And their stories have become a valuable asset for future generations to think about loyalty, sacrifice and wisdom.