Su Wu shepherding sheep is a very famous story in Chinese history, reflecting the story of Su Wu as an envoy of the Han Dynasty, loyal and indomitable, and Su Wu has also become the representative of loyal ministers and good officials in successive dynasties.
But Su Wu's glorious and great image can't stand the brain hole of modern people, and someone suddenly asked such a question, Su Wu shepherds are so bitter, why don't they eat sheep?
This question is probably completely ignorant of the background and significance of Su Wumu sheep, and only from the perspective of ordinary people will ask such a question.
Cebu's identity was that of an envoy of the Han Dynasty, and the war between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu lasted intermittently for a hundred years, and despite Wei Qinghuo's defeat of the Xiongnu, there was still a Xiongnu regime in that place, which was nothing more than the difference between strong and weak.
Therefore, it is also common for the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu to send emissaries to communicate, including heqin, and between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, in fact, there has always been a variety of communications.
We should not think that the Xiongnu are backward and barbaric, that place is only because of geographical conditions, the formation of a completely different production and lifestyle from the Central Plains, the two sides to test each other is also a very important survival strategy.
It was in this context that Su Wu was sent to the Xiongnu, when the era of Wei Qinghuo's illness had passed, and the relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu had eased, but it was also common for the Xiongnu to detain the envoys of the Han Dynasty at every turn, and the Xiongnu were really organized, not as stable as the Han Dynasty, and there were often rebellions between tribes, which made the risk of the emissaries even more dramatic.
But since it is an envoy, that is to represent the Great Han Dynasty, the goal of the envoy can not be achieved, but the dignity and face of the country must not be lost, this is a courtyard that ancient and modern Chinese and foreign countries abide by, once you are an emissary, you are no longer yourself, you are the symbol of the country.
Understanding this layer of meaning, we can have a deeper understanding of Su Wu's later performance, and we can better understand what is meant by not dishonoring the mission, and after Su Wu came to the Xiongnu, he was indeed detained.
During this period, the relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu was more complicated, there was both cooperation and confrontation, and although the Xiongnu did not have any good feelings for the Han Dynasty, they could not immediately and completely tear their faces, after all, Wei Qinghuo's killing of the enemy was still in the surrounding area.
The exchanges between the two countries, sometimes this is the case, everyone is testing each other's bottom line, will not do things too desperately, after being detained, the Xiongnu of course the Western Han Suwu surrendered, which is not only a pity to increase their own talents, but also to humiliate the Han Dynasty, after all, Su Wu's identity is not ordinary.
But no matter what kind of coercion and inducement, Su Wu was not moved, so the Xiongnu let Su Wu go to the North Sea to herd sheep, and gave them rams, and said that when the sheep got off the cubs, he could go back.
Su Wu had been holding the scepter that symbolized his envoy status, and had never forgotten that he was an emissary of the Han Dynasty, and the question came at this time, in this case, could Su Wu eat the sheep he grazed, of course not.
Eating is surrender, eating is to represent their own submission, it can even be said that giving the other side a handle, in short, this sheep can definitely not be eaten, starvation can not eat, this is a matter of principle, but also su Wu has been sticking to the reason for so many years, eating sheep, is equivalent to everything in vain.
Of course, since he was alive, he still had to eat food, and Su Wu also married his wife and had children here, and Su Wu stayed in the Xiongnu for a total of 19 years, during which the emperors of the Han Dynasty changed from Emperor Wu of Han to Emperor Zhao of Han.
During this period, the famous Li Ling also came here to persuade Su Wu to surrender to the Xiongnu, but Su Wu resolutely refused to surrender, and Li Ling was the one who sima Qian interceded for him.
He finally really surrendered to the Xiongnu, you say that he was unjust, of course he was very wronged, but in the end he chose to surrender to the Xiongnu, this can not be said in any case, who has no grievances, who is not a stomach bitter water, but your grievances and bitter water, can not be the reason for you to break through the bottom line.
Li Ling came to persuade him to surrender, and slipped away, leaving only the figure of Su Wuwei'an, and finally after 19 years of long waiting, Su Wu finally returned to the Han Dynasty, the era of Emperor Xuan of Han, and was also reused, and finally died at the age of 82, and his spirit was forever recorded in the annals of history and became the object of study and worship in later generations.