In the early days of the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a large number of talented people emerged, and for a time it could be said that the stars were brilliant and radiant:
For example, Sima Xiangru, who was good at literature and diplomacy, Dongfang Shuo, a comical xiong who was good at advising, Dong Zhongshu, who deposed hundreds of families and respected Confucianism alone, Wei Qing, who strategized and won a decisive victory over thousands of miles, Huo Qi, who charged into battle and broke the Xiongnu, Zhang Qian, who was born into death to communicate with the western regions, Su Wu, who was a shepherd in the North Sea and was determined to do so, Sima Qian, who endured humiliation and burdens and wrote history with blood and tears, and so on.
However, in the later period of the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the talent withered away, and the only people who could get their hands on it were the old minister Sang Hongyang and the young and old Huo Guang.
Huo Guang successively assisted Emperor Wu, Emperor Zhao, and Emperor Xuan, and was the most influential politician in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty.
Ban Gu described Huo Guangqi in the "Biography of Huo Guang" as follows: "The light is calm and careful, seven feet and three inches long, white, sparse eyebrows, and beautiful beard. Every time you enter or exit the lower temple door, there is a constant place to stop entering, and the servants of the lang shoot to see it, without losing their size, and their assets are just like this. In a word, in Ban Gu's mind, Huo Guang was a beautiful man of dignified character, upright temperament, and extremely measured in his work.
However, Huo Guang also had times when he lost his measure, and one of the things that Ban Gu later recorded happened to be a counter-evidence--"There was a strange taste in the temple, and one night the courtiers were shocked, and the light summoned Shang Fu Xi Lang, and Lang refused to give the light."
The light wanted to take it, and Lang pressed the sword and said, "The head of the subject can be obtained, but the seal is not obtained!" 'Light is very friendly (appreciated). Tomorrow, the second rank of this lang will be increased. There is no more (praise) of light. ”
Huo Guang, who was extremely measured in his work, actually risked the great charm of the world to seize the imperial jade seal that only the emperor could use, fortunately, the small official in charge of the jade seal, Shang Fu Xilang, was a man who adhered to principles and was not afraid of power, and he would rather meet huo Guang, the number one heavy minister and the actual helmsman of the Han Dynasty, and fight to the death, rather than give up his duties and bow to power.
It was precisely because of the persistence of Shang Fu Xilang, a small figure, that Huo Guang preserved his brilliant example in the imperial court, thus leaving a positive image in history.
If Shang Fu Xilang did not dare to theorize with Huo Guang, but instead took the other side's obscenity and bent down to give Huo Guang the Chuanguo Jade Seal, then Huo Guang would have committed a trip to usurp the monarchy, and he would have been suspected of being a traitor and a thief, and Ban Gu would not have praised him for "not losing his measure" and "having a correct nature", and he would probably become another Cao A-qi among the descendants.
In this sense, it is the small person of Shang Fu Xilang who has completed the big figure of Huo Guang, and history has once again revealed to us the mysterious smile that she never lacked.