A few days later, the minister Fei Yi was serving at the side, and the King of Wuling sighed again: "Those who have the only wisdom to worry about, let the people complain." Imago will ride and shoot at the people, and the world will discuss the widow, why not? ”
That is to say: "Those who have great wisdom will be subject to the complaints of the ignorant and arrogant people." Today, I want the people to wear Hu costumes and learn to ride horses and shoot arrows. But then the world will condemn me. What should I do? ”
Fei Yi replied, "I have heard that if you hesitate to do things, you will not succeed, and if you hesitate to act, you will not become famous." Now that you have decided to bear criticism and blame, what are your concerns? Those who pursue the highest morality do not agree with worldly opinions; those who have achieved worldly merits do not consult with ordinary people. Stupid people don't know why they succeed even if they get lucky; smart people can see clearly when there is no sign of things. So, what are you hesitating about? ”
Nowadays, reform or change has become a mantra on people's lips. In ancient times, reform or change was a slogan that only rebels dared to shout, a minefield, an abyss.
Therefore, the King of The Martial Spirits said, "The pleasure of the madman, the sorrow of the wise; the laughter of the fool, the observation of the wise." There are those who obey me in the world, and the merits of Hufu are unknown. Although the world will laugh at me, I will have it in the middle of the mountain. ”
Meaning: "The happiness of the ignorant is the sorrow of the wise; the things that the fools ridicule, but the wise men can see clearly." If I go along with my wishes, the effect of changing to a beard suit is immeasurable. Even if everyone in the world comes to see my jokes, I must occupy Hudi and Zhongshanguo. ”
The next day, after changing into hu costumes, the Wuling King summoned his courtiers. The elegance of the robe became the delicacy of the narrow sleeves of the short coat, and the crowd was stunned.
Mr. Zhai Bozan wrote in "Visiting ancient Inner Mongolia": "I said that King Wuling of Zhao was a hero, not only because he built a Great Wall, but more importantly because he dared to issue the order to "ride and shoot in Hufu". You know, when he issued this order at that time, he was essentially declaring war on the most stubborn traditional habits and conservative ideas. ”
Beacon Tower Ruins of the Great Wall of Northern Zhao of the Warring States (Shuijian Goukou, Baotou City)
Riding and shooting in hufu is a change in clothing, a change in military, and even more a great debate and great leap forward in ideology.
Of course, Zhao Yong, the King of Wuling, understood the difficulty of change, and also knew the strategy of "shooting people first to shoot horses, and catching thieves first to capture the king". Therefore, he sent Wang Yu as a special envoy to visit his uncle, Gongzi cheng, the core figure of the clan nobility, and gently asked him to take the lead in changing his costume.
Listening to the intentions, Gongzi Cheng first excused himself to be ill and could not take on such a heavy responsibility. Later, I finally couldn't hold back and sent a complaint: "I heard that China is the place where the wise and wise live, where the wealth of all things gathers, where the sages are indoctrinated, where benevolence and righteousness can be carried out, where people from afar make pilgrimages, and where barbarians are happy to follow suit." Today, the great king has abandoned these glories, put on the costumes of the Hu people, changed the indoctrination of the sages, changed the true path of yi ancient times, violated the will of the people, turned his back on the teachings of scholars, and turned away from Chinese customs. Therefore, I hope that the king should consider this matter carefully. ”
Isn't it a reversal of history for a big country in the Middle Plains to learn from the small country of Rong Di? Moreover, what makes Gongzicheng feel more anxious is that "Hufu" is just a pathfinder stone, and after that, there will definitely be greater changes. Nobles and officials who enjoyed the glory and wealth steadily feared any change that might touch their vested interests. Therefore, the biggest obstacles to change in China throughout the ages have been the officials who have been ordered to implement the policy of change. Their resistance, some bright, some dark, dark tide surging with terrifying waves, often let the central government's changes abort, and even bleed.
After listening to Wang Xuan's reply, the Wuling King understood what kind of illness his uncle was suffering from, and he decided to visit him personally. After some earnest words, earnest words, and resolute persuasion, Gongzi Cheng was forced to change his mind and accept the Hu costume given by prince Wuling.
The next day, the courtiers went to the court and saw the King of Wuling and the prince dressed in a bearded costume. The officials who had already taken off their robes naturally stood tall, and the few officials who were still wearing Han costumes were terrified and uneasy under the stern gaze of the Wuling King, and they were eager to change their clothes.
Sure enough, after the "Hu Costume", King Zhao Wuling promoted the "riding shooting".
The northern frontiers of the qin, Zhao, and Yan kingdoms were all adjacent to rongdi, and the customs of the steppe nomadic tribes of "Shangwu Chongyi" were also soaked in the blood of these farming peoples. Therefore, the history books call Qin the "country of tigers and wolves", and Yan Zhao is also more "generous and sad people".
However, even such a brave Central Plains group of heroes has repeatedly suffered losses when fighting against nomads. Slowly moving chariots and heavily armored Central Plains infantry faced the horseback cavalry that "came like a bird and went like a string", chasing or not being able to chase, retreating and repeatedly being harassed, and a rain of arrows like flying locusts, often losing soldiers and breaking generals.
Therefore, Zhao Yong, the king of Wuling, decided to "master Yi and control Yi", which could not only effectively attack the Hu cavalry, but also have its own unique advantages in the Battle for Hegemony in the Central Plains.
The implementation of "riding and shooting" pays attention to the selection of strong warriors from ordinary soldiers, and once selected, they can enjoy a more generous and noble status than chariots and infantry. Therefore, the commoners of the Zhao Kingdom have risen to raise horses, and strive to train their boys to become samurai in order to join the country's cavalry and shine in the court. The cavalry generals of the Zhao State no longer focused on whether they were from an aristocratic origin, as long as they had the ability, they would have a future.
The cavalry corps personally commanded by King Wuling of Zhao absorbed many generals from the north, enhanced their sense of belonging to the country, and stopped the trend of the division of the country between the north and the south. At the same time, many warriors of Zhongshanguo, Lin Hu, and Lou Fu, envious of the treatment of Zhao Guo's cavalry, came to surrender and repay the service, injecting fresh blood into the army of King Wuling of Zhao.
After large-scale reorganization and training, the Zhao cavalry already had the advantages of the steppe nation's "rapid action and fierce fighting". At the same time, it also eliminated their shortcomings of "being scattered and difficult to tame, running away in all directions when they encountered setbacks, and even abandoning their leaders."
The army was fierce, and king Wuling of Zhao was about to storm Zhongshanguo, Lin Hu, and Lou Fu.
(To be continued)
Author: Xu Maihan Daochang
![King Wuling of Zhao: The first monarch to actively embrace nomadic culture[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)