An Lushan was a notorious figure during the Tang Dynasty, he was once a brave and warlike general, and was appreciated and favored by the emperor.
However, he coveted power and eventually rebelled and launched the famous Anshi Rebellion, which dealt a devastating blow to the Tang Dynasty.
An Lushan's character is indeed very complex. In the beginning, he was a brave and heroic soldier who made outstanding contributions to the country's war effort.
But as his status continued to rise, so did his ambitions. He tried every means to get close to the royal family, and even recognized Yang Guifei, who was 16 years younger than him, as his godmother at the age of 48, which was undoubtedly a ridiculous thing at the time.
However, this move also allowed An Lushan to freely enter and leave the palace and get closer to the core of imperial power. In Yang Guifei, An Lushan is even more arrogant and coquettish.
Once Yang Guifei asked people to water him with boiling water, he went directly into Yang Guifei's arms and coquettish. This outrageous interaction was naturally criticized and suspicious at the time.
An Lushan was also quite strict with his subordinates, and he was even more ruthless to his personal attendant Li Zhu'er.
Just because Li Zhu'er had saved his life, An Lushan left him by his side to serve.
However, later, for the so-called "insurance", he personally cut off Li Zhuer's male symbol, which was humiliating and hurtful to Li Zhuer. Since then, Li Zhu'er's kindness to An Lushan has turned into revengeful hatred.
After the power fell into the opposition, An Lushan was further paralyzed by power and pleasure, and drank heavily all day long, weighing more than 300 pounds at one time.
At this time, even the people around him looked down on him, and even needed the help of Li Zhuer and others to put on pants. His brutal and irrational oppression of his subordinates is accumulating a deadly curse for himself.
An Lushan was a brave man at the beginning, but he was blinded by excessive power desires and hobbies, and lost his reason and the bottom line of being a man in excessive arrogance.
He not only desecrated the imperial power, but also committed harm and betrayal to the people around him. This finally led to him being eliminated by Li Zhu'er and others in 757.
The tragic fate of An Lushan is not only a person's personal fate, but also reflects a broader picture of the times.
The intoxication and recklessness of power made An Lushan arrogant and unscrupulous at his peak. The way he treats his cronies and subordinates is even more brutal. It was this contempt and blasphemy of humanity that ultimately led to his downfall.
From a favored vassal to a rebellion, An Lushan's life can be said to be in the whirlpool of power. At first, he was favored by the emperor with his military exploits and was given great power, but then he did not know how to satisfy his appetite and committed the great crime of rebellion against the country.
His end revealed an eternal truth, that is, no matter how great the power, the abuse of tyranny will be ruthlessly counterattacked and punished.
The Anshi Rebellion seriously shook the foundation of the Tang Dynasty and became a catalyst for the decline of this formerly powerful dynasty.
It is really a suffocating tragedy for a once outstanding soldier to ignore the people of the country and the people because of his selfish desires.
The fall of An Lushan is a cruel revelation of the dark side of human nature. In the face of hatred and revenge, how far can the viciousness and darkness of human nature reach.
Li Zhu'er is the best footnote. He was once cut off by An Lushan, and what kind of hatred and revenge he had for his enemies can be imagined.
In the end, Li Zhu'er, who was humiliated and betrayed, united with his cronies and killed An Lushan during the decadent period of alcoholism and overeating and weighing more than 300 pounds. A former power giant ended miserably like this, becoming a groundless wind.
The fall of An Lushan shows that any power that is abused is destined to be extinguished as quickly as fireworks. And his ending reminds us more that even those who are in charge of the country's military power must abide by the bottom line, restrain their desires, and respect human nature in order to protect themselves from the disaster of the pond fish.
Overall, the flaws of human nature and the myth of power embodied in An Lushan are an eternal lesson.
When we study and disseminate this period of history, we should examine the universal values and life philosophy reflected in it, so as to constantly reflect on ourselves and improve ourselves.
Summing up An Lushan's life, it is not difficult for us to find that he is actually an opportunist, scheming and calculating everywhere, pursuing self-interest and ignoring the general righteousness.
What he did in the Anshi Rebellion was even more heinous, betraying the royal family and the country, and bringing great trauma to the Tang Dynasty at that time.
Tracing back to the source, the reason why An Lushan embarked on this road of no return is largely because he blindly pursued power and pleasure and indulged his selfish desires.
Not only was he greedy for beauty, but he even did many ridiculous things that violated etiquette in order to please Yang Guifei, the center of power.
For example, at the age of 48, he recognized Yang Guifei, who was 16 years younger, as his godmother, which was undoubtedly a blasphemy at the time.
What's even more outrageous is that An Lushan, for his own selfish desires, actually cut off the male roots of his henchman Li Zhu'er with his own hands, giving him irreparable damage.
It can be said that An Lushan's life is actually a copy of human nature. He shows the dark side of human nature, such as greed, lust, and scheming, and thus eventually makes a big mistake.
And the fate of his betrayal by his cronies is a thorough dissection of human nature, revealing how terrifying and distorted human nature can become in the face of hatred and revenge.
From the fate of An Lushan, we can see an eternal philosophy: that is, no matter how great the power, the abuse of arbitrariness will be ruthlessly punished.
Although the Anshi Rebellion brought great trauma to the Tang Dynasty, it was more like a booster, warning future generations not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Therefore, whenever we look back on this period of history, we should not only stop at the story itself, but also reflect on the universal values and life philosophy it reflects.
For example, the restraint of desire, respect for human nature, reverence for power, etc., these are all eternal topics that we should reflexively admonish.