The golden knife meter, friends familiar with history are familiar with it. This plan is exquisitely conceived and interlocked, known as the ancient first anti-plot, and Wang Meng, who conceived this plan, is praised as the first conspirator of the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and Wen Tao Wuluo is comparable to Zhuge Kongming's existence. After former Qin Tianwang Jian invited him out of the mountains, he obeyed him like Emperor Liu's uncle Zhuge Liang, and Former Qin was able to quickly unify the northern king Meng.
It was such a wise man, but he did not calculate that in the end, the Former Qin Heavenly King Gong Jian would release Murong Chui with a breeze, which led to murong Chui's first rebellion after the Battle of Shuishui. This move puzzled many people in later generations, and even lamented that if Jian Jian obeyed Wang Meng's plan and got rid of Murong Chui, then Former Qin would definitely unify the world, and there would be no later Sui and Tang Dynasties.
Wang Meng stills
But is it really that simple? If Jian Jian was really so unbearable, could he ask Wang Meng to come out of the mountains to assist him, and could he unify the entire north in just a dozen years?
In later generations, the historical status of Jian Jian was very high, he was the first in history to unify the north by a minority tribal leader, he was the first to unconditionally trust the Han scholars to govern the country, and he was also the first to restore the Chinese Confucian Taixue by the tribal leader to let the children of the Xian nobles learn the advanced Culture of China.
And for Wang Meng, at that time, he was the second most powerful person in Former Qin. If he were to deal with an enemy general, would he leave such an obvious loophole? He had already plotted against Murong Chui's close confidant Jin Xi, and he could unknowingly solve Murong Chui by other means, and would he go to such great lengths?
Our careful analysis can find that the fundamental purpose of the Golden Sword Meter is not to get rid of Murong Chui, but to sing a double reed between Jian Jian and Wang Mengjunchen, the purpose of which is to beat Murong Chui. Let's analyze the causes and consequences of the golden knife meter:
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="14" >, the reason why Murong Chui was tolerated by Jian Jian</h1>
The Sixteen Kingdoms period is the first great chaos in the history of the ancient Central Plains, but also the beginning of the integration of nomadic and agrarian peoples in the history of China, before the barbaric backwardness of the nomadic peoples was still in the form of clan state alliances compared to the Central Plains, and after the Sixteen Kingdoms period into the north slowly through the influence of the Central Plains culture, the rapid development of nomadic civilization finally entered the Central Plains and the integration of farming civilizations to create the second prosperous era in Chinese history - the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
However, how to achieve this goal was the first time at that time, unlike the last Manchu Qing Dynasty, which could learn from the experience of the Hu and Han governance of the millennium and directly copy the entire Sinicization of the Central Plains system, and easily complete the goal of unifying the Central Plains.
During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, everyone did not have any references, and could only rely on their own experience to grope, in short, to cross the river by feeling the stones.
This was the case with former Qin emperor Jian Jian, who founded Former Qin in the Guanzhong area. At that time, Former Qin was only one of several separatist forces in the north, and the most powerful in the Central Plains was the Former Yan established by the Murong clan of the Xianbei clan, in addition to the Daiguo of the Xianbei Tuoba clan, the Qiuchi state of the Xianbei clan, and the Former Liang. The Hu-Han partition system, which was widely practiced in these countries, dominated the tribal aristocracy of the world, followed by the tribal people, while the vast number of Han people in the Central Plains were at the bottom of the rule without dignity. In doing so, serious antagonism and hatred are created that affect the rise and fall of tribal States.
Map of the Sixteen Kingdoms
However, the imperial and aristocratic people who created the various tribal countries were still immersed in the backward customs of the steppe peoples to rule the world immediately, and no one considered how to effectively rule the newly conquered Central Plains and ensure the long-term peace and stability of the country. Not to mention that some people will be willing to take the initiative to learn the Han classics and those effective rules and regulations that have been handed down for thousands of years, for them books and chapters are far less fun than horseback archery.
However, the appearance of Jian Jian is different, he has admired the Central Plains civilization since he was a child, so he has been trying to "Sinicize" himself. Through long-term study, he understood that relying on the strength of the Former Qin clan simply by force could not unify the Central Plains, nor could it guarantee the long-term peace and stability of Former Qin.
However, there is no experience in how to do it specifically, and there is no record in the previous texts. Jian Jian can only rely on himself step by step on the road to success "trial and error." ”
The first step of Jian Jian was to make the Yu people march towards the road of Sinicization, and he began to appoint a large number of Han non-commissioned officers as officials, first of all, to reuse Wang Meng. The first time the two met, they talked speculatively about each other, and Jian Jian said that he seemed to have met Zhuge Liang as if Uncle Liu had met Zhuge Liang.
But in fact, the relationship between the two has far exceeded Liu Bei's trust in Zhuge Liang, after all, Zhuge Liang was always a "logistics committee member" in Liu Bei's camp in the early days, and only after Liu Bei's fiasco at Xiaoting was he entrusted to Zhuge Liang. However, Wang Meng was granted great power by Jian Jian to trust him unreservedly, and the Han bureaucracy headed by Wang Meng also lived up to expectations and put Former Qin's state politics on the right track, and soon the country was strong and the people were rich to lay a solid foundation for the unification of the north.
The second step taken by Jian Jian was to unite the upper echelons of other nomadic peoples who surrendered, use their prestige in their own clan to control the people, and then assimilate their people step by step. This has always been the top priority of Jian Jian, and most of the major nomadic peoples who entered the Central Plains at that time still existed in the form of tribes, and their upper echelons were often highly respected in their own tribes, and one person could affect the entire tribe. This was also the real reason why He jian was given great preferential treatment later when Yao Cang of the Qiang clan and Murong Chui of Xianbei defected.
However, simple preferential treatment is not omnipotent, and the steppe peoples advocate the strong as respect. You have to always have the strength to crush him, and the constant knocking can convince him, so in this case the golden knife meter appears.
Stills of Jian Jian
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="14" > second, the golden knife meter</h1>
In 369, the famous Former Yan general Murong Chui took his family and fled to Former Qin. This news was good news for Jian Jian, who was already preparing to fight against Former Yan. Former Qin was founded by the Xianbei Murong clan, dominating Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi, and was founded by the Guangdong army and the Former Qin clan.
Murong Chui was originally the Former Yan King of Wu who was good at using troops and had a high prestige in Former Qin. Because his merits were too great, he was jealous of The Former Yan imperial family Murong Wei and Murong Jue, and had to flee west to Former Qin to avoid disaster. For Jian Jian, the acceptance of Murong Chui was also in line with his usual strategy of treating his leader well to reassure his people, so he decided to give Murong Chui the highest treatment and personally greet him.
When the two of them met Jian Jian, they said: "Born of a virtuous master, they will achieve great achievements together, and this natural number is also." When the world is determined with Qing, he will become Emperor Daizong, and then return qing to his own state, and seal Youzhou in the world, so that Qing will not lose the filial piety of his son when he goes to the country, and he will not lose the loyalty of the king, which is not beautiful! (Zizhi Tongjian)"
Murong Chui, who was desperate for Jian Jian's "great love", naturally swore allegiance to Former Qin, but how much of it was sincerely known to both of them. For Jian Jian, this move was a thousand gold to buy horse bones, just on the eve of the Yan Dynasty, qianyan's future investment was a good thing from both a political and military point of view, and it was obvious that the advantages of treating Murong Chui well outweighed the disadvantages.
However, not all people think so, and in Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian, it is recorded that Wang Meng of Xiangxiang thought it was inappropriate, and he thought that Jian Jian's move was to raise tigers. Murong Chui was now forced to defect to Former Qin and would certainly not be willing to be subordinated in the future, so he persuaded Jian Jian to secretly remove him. Jian Jian did not agree to Wang Meng's suggestion, so Wang Meng decided to set up a plan on his own to create conditions for Jian Jian to act.
First of all, Wang Meng used the excuse that Yan Yan needed a guide and asked Murong Chui's eldest son Murong Ling to be a counselor in the army. Subsequently, on the eve of the expedition to yan, Wang Meng personally visited Murong Chui, and Wang Meng was a close confidant of Murong Chui who naturally did not dare to neglect to set up a banquet. Both of them were the guests and hosts after a lavish drink in the Shihaojie Cup, and when they were sorry to say goodbye, Wang Meng asked Murong Chui for a souvenir to show his heroic sympathy, so that when he went out on a campaign, he could see the objects and think of people, and Murong Chui did not doubt that he gave the family heirloom golden sword to Wang Meng in order to show respect for Wang Meng.
Golden knife meter
When the army was sent out to Luoyang, Murong Chui's close associate Jin Xi (who had been bribed by Wang Meng) one night found Murong Ling with a golden sword, and falsely passed on Murong Chui's orders to murong Ling to quickly get rid of the army and return to Former Yan, on the grounds that Former Qin Jian wanted to murder Murong Chui's father and son. Murong Ling did not know whether it was true or false for a while, but when he saw that Jin Xi was a close confidant of his father and holding a golden sword, he hurriedly broke away from the army and fled back to the Yan state. Murong Ling had just left Wang Meng sent a letter to Chang'an saying that Murong Ling had defected to the enemy, and deliberately let Murong Chui know about it. Murong Chui was horrified to hear this, and he could not distinguish the matter, so in a hurry he also ran away, only to be intercepted and recovered by Wang Meng's troops.
Wang Meng captured Murong Chui and took him to the main hall, where Jian Jian personally untied him with a "benevolent heart" and said with relief: "Because of the failure of the battle at the imperial court of the Yan state, you have come to commit yourself to surrender. Your son still misses his homeland because he does not forget that he still misses his homeland, which is also a matter of ambition and is not worthy of deep blame. However, the imminent destruction of the Yan state was not something that Murong Ling could save, but unfortunately he only entered the tiger's mouth in vain. Besides, father and son, brothers and fathers, the sins are not intertwined, why are you so afraid and so embarrassed? After saying that, he released Murong Chui.
Murong Chui originally thought that he would not be able to escape death, but was acquitted, and after returning home, he lived in seclusion. From then on until the fierce defeat of Gong Jian at the Battle of Shuishui, Murong Chui did not dare to have two hearts any longer. This is the whole story of the Golden Knife Meter.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="14" > third, why is it said that the golden knife meter is a double reed drama between Jian Jian and Wang Meng</h1>
Can the failure of a counter-plot that caused Murong To flee to his birthplace show that it was Jian Jian's benevolence or that Wang Meng's strategy had loopholes, and missed Murong Jian's reaction?
In fact, nothing can be said. First of all, Gongjian is historically known as the most outstanding monarch of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In just a few decades, he refreshed the political unification of the north, created the most stable and powerful regime in the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and also let the people in the chaotic world see the dawn of reunification.
After he ascended the throne, he decided to kill and decide, in order to establish Wang Meng's prestige, he decisively killed Fan Shi, an old minister of the three dynasties of the disobedient Qi, and then successively killed more than a dozen disobedient Haoqiang of the Qi. Such a person can be considered benevolent and naïve to be such a person who is so cruel to the Yu clan himself? How can an indecisive king invite the wise king to assist him?
Secondly, for Wang Meng, in feudal society, Jian Jian appreciated and believed in him, and he was always only a minister of Former Qin. This kind of secretly framing ministers behind the king's backs has always been a taboo for the ministers, and it is unlikely that the wise man Wang Meng will frame Murong Chui's rebellion without The knowledge of Jian Jian. And It was impossible for Jian Jian not to understand that Murong Ling's surrender was designed by Wang Meng, and no king would tolerate such a thing, because it was a naked provocation to the king's authority. Unless Wang Meng had communicated with him in advance, Jian Jian knew about this matter, and afterwards, Jian Jian was still very fond of Wang Meng, which also showed that there was communication between the two of them so that they could cooperate with the tacit understanding without any suspicion because of this matter.
Now let's look at the relationship between Jian Jian and Wang Meng at that time, just like the relationship between the chairman and general manager of Hyundai Company. The company is a family business of Jian Jian, and Wang Meng is the general manager invited by the headhunting company to be responsible for daily operations. One day the chairman brought a person to arrange a high-paying position, but the general manager said that this person could not do it, and usually gave him small shoes to wear for a period of time and then prepared to fire him. What do you say the chairman would think? Definitely kill the general manager. But when this person is the chairman who wants the general manager to knock himself out and then come forward to be a good person, then it is another matter.
Therefore, the golden knife meter is a double reed play in which Jian Jian and Wang Meng cooperate with tacit understanding, in which Wang Meng sings white face and Jian Jian sings red face. There is only one purpose, that is, to warn Murong Chui, who has just surrendered to murong chui, whose heart is not attached, not to think about betrayal or other thoughts, because there is always a pair of eyes behind your back watching your every move.
After the calculation of the Golden Sword, Murong Chui had no choice in front of the carrot and the stick on the side, and put away his mind to serve Former Qin. After Wang violently attacked and destroyed Former Yan, he regained the hearts and minds of Murong Xianbei and quelled the local rebellion.
Facts have also proved that this strategy of sticking and carroting in one hand was successful, and Murong Chui, Yao Cang, and other foreign generals were loyal to Jian Jian for more than ten years, without their prestige and appeal, Former Qin was unlikely to quickly unify the north from a corner of Guanzhong. Under the suppression of the combination of Jian Jian and Wang Meng, these former tyrants who had divided the side all obeyed and became The Powerful Officials of Former Qin to expand their territory. If it were not for the great reduction in the solid strength of Murong after the Battle of Shuishui, Murong Chui and others might have always appeared as loyal generals of Former Qin.
More importantly, the preferential treatment of captives also used their prestige and influence in their own clan to appease the local people, expanding Former Qin's military and tax sources. Sima Guang pointed out in his compilation of the Zizhi Tongjian:
"Commentators all thought that the death of King Jian of Qin was not to kill Murong Chui and Yao Cang, but the subjects thought otherwise. Xu Shao was known as Emperor Wu of Wei (Cao Cao) who ruled the world and was a traitor to the chaotic world. If the (Zhi) Jian governs the country without losing its way, then the Chu and Cang are all Qin's capable subjects, and the Wu can be chaotic! ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="14" >4</h1>
Under the generous ethnic policy of Jian Jian, Former Qin had already accepted the high-ranking official Houlu for those who surrendered. This strategy was also immediately effective, and Former Qin quickly unified northern China and initially established a unified feudal regime with Hu and Han.
However, there must be a disadvantage in everything, and the rapid unification of the north and the successive submission of all ethnic groups have made Former Qin have some "indigestion", if the Qin dynasty absorbs the strengths of all ethnic groups based on Chinese civilization in time, just like the protagonist in the martial arts novel who opened the second vein of Ren Dou, then a vigorous and prosperous Former Qin will surely appear.
Unfortunately, in 375 AD, King Xiang was critically ill. Wang Meng's illness made Jian Jian anxious, and he visited Wang Meng's mansion several times. Before his death, Wang Meng said: "Although the Jin Dynasty is secluded and ugly, Wu and Yue are inherited by Zheng Shuo. Kindness and good neighborliness, the treasure of the country also. After the subject is gone, he is willing not to take jin as a picture. Humble and humble, my vendetta, will eventually be afflicted, and it is advisable to gradually get rid of it so that it can be community-oriented. ”
Before dying, Wang Meng was reminding Jian Jian that the strategy of one hand with a carrot and a stick in my hand after my death could not be used, because no one and no one could carry it out to the end, first stabilize the internal eradication of future troubles and then try to unify China, so that perhaps they could win a chance for Former Qin. However, Jian Jian did not listen and chose another path, passing on the internal contradictions outward, in an attempt to eliminate the Eastern Jin regime in Jiangnan and seize the position of Huaxia Zhengshuo and thus dispel the internal resistance (which is also the reason why Jian Jian insisted on going his own way to conquer the Jin Dynasty), but unfortunately, in the end, due to his pride and light enemy, he fell short. The dream of unifying China would not be fulfilled by the Sui Dynasty until more than 200 years later.
Reference: Zizhi Tongjian Vol. 12