Tao Kan was a powerful courtier during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and a military man with great talent and merit in ancient Chinese history. During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, Tao Kan became one of the sixty-four generals of the Wucheng King Temple, and during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, Tao Kan was ranked as the seventy-two generals of the Wu Temple. Tao Kan's path to development was extremely difficult, he still achieved nothing in his forties, and later only served as a county commander in a remote place. Today, let's talk about an interesting story on the road of this famous protector of the country.
Tao Kan, zi Shixing, originally from Poyang, later moved to Xunyang County, Lujiang County. He was born in 259 AD, and Sima Shi had not yet usurped Wei, during the reign of Sima Zhao. At that time, in Jiangnan society, the door valve atmosphere was already quite serious, and it was difficult for cold door students to enter the army. Tao Kan's family is poor, and he is an ethnic minority in Jiangnan, whose appearance is very different from that of the Han people, and he is often discriminated against by people, and is called "xi dog". Tao Kan's father, Tao Dan, was a grassroots officer during the Sun Wu period, and had no status, and Tao Dan died early, resulting in Tao Kan's family being "miserable". Therefore, in Tao Kan's early years, the social class he was in was already a very low bottom.
Tao Kan's mother, Zhan Shi, was an extremely strong woman. Zhan Shi understood that if he wanted to make his son stand out, the only way was to read. Therefore, the Cham clan is extremely strict in the management of Tao Kan, she saves money, relies on weaving silk for Tao Kan to study, and does her best to fund her son to make friends and broaden his connections.
In 280 AD, Eastern Wu was destroyed by Sima Yan, emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, and the north and south of China were reunited. Tao Kan was twenty-one years old and witnessed the process of the fall of the country. The people of Jiangnan were called "the remnants of the country" by the Central Plains people. The title implies contempt. The upper class of the Jiangnan clan was politically ostracized by the upper class of the Central Plains. In this way, Tao Kan, who still has no status in Jiangnan, wants to go to the north to make a difference, and it is even more difficult. Later, Tao Kan finally learned with talent, and under the recommendation of the county Gong Cao Zhou' visit, he became the county master bookkeeper, which got rid of the fate of serving as a lowly servant.
After the Western Jin Dynasty unified the north and south, the powerful families in the south of the Jiangnan And the talented people set off a trend of going north to the capital Luoyang to seek fame. Tao Kan also wanted to go north to the capital and seek a trace, but his identity was cold, and he suffered from no way out, until Xiaolian Fan Kui of Poyang County went north to the capital and passed by Tao Kan's house, Tao Kan finally waited for the opportunity.
When Fan Kui passed by Tao Kan's house, there were many retinues and horses. Tao Kan and his mother Zhan both knew that the opportunity to change their fate had come, even if there was only a glimmer of hope, they had to do their best. It was winter, the road was covered with ice and snow for many days, and the Tao Kan family had nothing to entertain Fan Kui for a while.
Zhan Shi said to Tao Kan, "You go to entertain the guests, and I will find a way to do other things." Tao Kan then entertained the guests in the house. Zhan, on the other hand, cut off his own hair, went outside to change money, and bought some grain. Zhan dismantled several beams in the house, cooked on a fire, and pulled out the dry grass under the bed as fodder to feed Fan Kui's horses.
On the other hand, when Tao Kan entertained Fan Kui, Fan Kui admired Tao Kan's eloquence. By the evening, Cham had prepared exquisite food. Fan Kui was very reluctant to go to the deep friendship of the Tao Kan family. When Fan Kui left the next day, Tao Kan followed xiang and sent him far away and refused to come back. Fan Kui thanked him several times and asked Tao Kan to go back, but Tao Kan just wouldn't.
Until Fan Kui said, "After I arrive at the capital city of Luoyang, I will definitely speak for you in front of my superiors." Tao Kan got these words, put down the stone in his heart, and returned home.
Tao Kan's persistent and unremitting pursuit of opportunities has finally reaped the rewards. After Fan Kui arrived in Luoyang, he praised Tao Kan in front of Yang Zhao, Gu Rong, and others, and Tao Kan gained an excellent reputation in the capital. Around 296 AD, the thirty-five-year-old Tao Kan finally left his hometown county and came to the capital to meet a new stage in his life.