Sima Lun, the King of Zhao, was the younger son of Sima Yi. As an uncle, he snatched the throne of his nephew and grandson, and honored his nephew as the Emperor Taishang, which can be regarded as leaving a "heavy stroke" for China's 5,000-year history.
Lun has no learning, does not know books, and Xiu is also cunning and small, greedy and profitable.
The "Book of Jin" does not have any good words about Sima Lun and Sun Xiu, and it is not easy for us to judge how their character is. However, from the series of events after Sima Lun deposed Jia, ascended the throne as emperor, and perished, we can analyze the political power of these two people is extremely inferior. Let me analyze it slowly.
In the first year of Yongkang (300 AD), Sima Lun indirectly killed the crown prince Sima Song with Sun Xiu's divisive tactics, and launched a coup d'état on April 3 of that year, successfully deposing Jia and dominating the court from then on. The reason why Sima Lun was able to succeed was inseparable from Sun Xiu's planning. Of course, the reason for Sima Lun's defeat was that in addition to his own lack of strategy, Sun Xiu, as the mastermind, was very responsible.
First, birth
The Book of Jin records that "Xiu began from the small history of Lang evil, tired officials in the Zhao Kingdom, and flattered themselves. "Xiao Shi was the lowest position in the official government during the Wei and Jin dynasties. The history books refer to Sun Xiu as "small history", of which most of them are demeaning.
Sun Xiu came from a small clan of the Langya family. There is no explicit record in the Book of Jin, but we can infer a little from Sun En, as well as the Zizhi Tongjian.
The Wudou Rice Sect of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was called "Sun Xiu's Clan" by Sun En, the Book of Jin, and the Langya Sun Clan belonged to the inferior clan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Although it is not said whether Sun En is Sun Xiu's concubine or a collateral family, Sun Xiu's status as a scholar cannot be run away. In addition, after Sima Lun came to power, Sun Xiuli made Sima Zheng empress, because Yang's maternal grandfather, the Pingnan general Le An Sun Xu, was "with Sun Xiushan". Sun Xu was able to marry the Yang clan of the shi family, which shows that Sun Xu is not a small clan. Sun Xiu's ability to be "good" with Sun Xu also shows that Sun Xiu is not from a cold family.
Second, Sun Xiucai
Sun Xiu's "flattery" shows his ability. "Flattery" shows that Sun Xiu is good at reading people's hearts and can grasp the needs and preferences of his superior Sima Lun. Whether it is "ancient officialdom" or "today's workplace", where is there no need for "flattery"? But "flattery" is different from "deliberately stumping", and flattery needs to show real skills.
For example, pei zhi, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty, the four dynasties of Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang, sui and Tang dynasties, sui and Tang dynasties also interspersed with successively serving Yu Wenhua and Dou Jiande, but finally they could "live to sleep and enjoy their old age in peace". The reason why Pei Zhiruo was able to do so was that he adopted a different service strategy for each king, that is, "flattery", pretending to be a courtier to curry favor with the Sui Emperor, and when Li Shimin arrived, he took out the status of a capable subject to assist Li Shimin, and his "flattery" kung fu was absolutely pure. If Pei Zhi died with the Sui Emperor, he would definitely not be able to escape the insult of "flattering the lord".
Sun Xiu assisted the rebel Sima Lun, and finally failed to die, so he fell into a pejorative term such as flattery. "Flattery" can make itself reused by superiors, so that it can show talent faster, which is also of reference significance for the modern workplace. However, if you change "flattery" into "stubbornness" without real talent and practical learning, then you will not go far in your career no matter what!
People who can serve their superiors with "flattery" have an extraordinary understanding of the "human heart." Only by being able to fully grasp the wishes of the superiors can we do what they like. It's like patting a horse's ass, if you shoot a horse's leg, isn't it bad? Sun Xiu's divisive plan against Jia Hou and the deposed crown prince Sima Suo reflected Sun Xiu's grasp of Jia Hou's psychology - Jia Hou was afraid of being liquidated by the prince.
However, the divisive plan can be said to be the only plan that Sun Xiu has taken. Sun Xiu's series of measures after he came to power fully reflected his Achilles heel of only playing conspiracies and lacking a big picture view. It is not surprising that history has been written as a clown with power.
Sun Xiu was only suitable for "gaining power" and was not suitable for governing the country, which was the fundamental reason for Sima Lun's defeat.
Sun Xiu's removal of Sima Song was not only to "hope for the people", but also to sweep away the troubles after Sima Lun ascended the throne. After Sima Lun deposed Jia, he ascended the throne as emperor in just a few months, which could not have been hastily decided. When he decided to depose Jia, he had already begun to plan for the ascension to the throne.
Sima Lun ascended the throne to the pinnacle of power, and at the same time doomed his demise. Hastening its demise is also a series of governing measures for them.
There is nothing wrong with a new regime excluding dissidents, but it needs to be mastered. After Sima Yi launched the Gaopingling Rebellion, he only killed some people close to Cao Shuang, but only dismissed and demoted other personnel promoted and recruited by Cao Shuang, such as Pei Xiu and Wang Hun. In doing so, Sima Yi not only shocked the court, but also calmed people's hearts. As a result, Pei Xiu and Wang Hun turned to serve Sima Shi and made great contributions to the establishment of the Jin Dynasty. Sima Lun only learned the power desires of his father and brother, but did not learn the power techniques of his father and brother.
First, kill Zhang Hua and Pei Jun
Zhang Hua and Pei Feng held the Jin Dynasty Hall for nearly ten years, and their reputation was extremely high. Moreover, Zhang Hua and Pei Hu were not mandatory personnel, one was not a relative of the Jia clan, and the second did not have military power to threaten Sima Lun. Although they had no intention of assisting Sima Lun, Sima Lun should not easily kill them, but should instead serve up with a revered false position and show his open-mindedness and wisdom to the world, so as to win people's hearts. As a result, Sima Lun did the opposite, greatly disappointed.
Sun Xiu himself also said: "When killing Zhang and Pei has been injured, they must not kill Song again." Since Sun Xiu knew, he showed his narrow side without stopping it--afraid that they would seize their power.
Second, the political means were inferior, forcing the rebellion against Yizhou to assassinate Shi Zhao (pronounced "heart").
Zhao Liao was a relative of Jia Hou's in-laws, and he was also a feudal official with heavy power, and it was indeed an object that needed to be eradicated urgently. How does Sun Xiu do it? Zhao Liao was enlisted as the Great Changqiu. The main officials in charge of the Empress's palace in the Great Changqiu, although the scholars could also serve, but most of them were eunuchs. Is it an "insult" to appoint the chief executive of a state to the same as the eunuch? This is simply telling Zhao Liao: Hurry back and let me get rid of you. Zhao Liao was not strange.
For one side of the feudal officials, it is necessary to adopt a slow strategy, first granting them high positions and seizing their military power. Then recall it to the court, and what to do next, it is really at your own will. Sun Xiu's undisguised slashing of his power and insults shows that Sun Xiu's political strategy is indeed not good.
Note: Zhao Liao's rebellion provided an opportunity for the establishment of Chenghan.
After Sima Lun had just got rid of Jia, he gave a large reward to his son, Sun Xiu, and other close courtiers, which was beyond reproach, after all, people didn't rebel for you just to become an official. However, Sima Lun regarded state official titles and titles as playthings that could be rewarded at will, and he was a great vassal. As a result, the court was full of high-ranking officials and lords.
The Zizhi Tongjian records that "when it is the age, all the virtuous, talented, and filial piety in the world are not tested, and all the county planners and tai students who are sixteen years old or older are all officials; those who keep the order and forgive the day are all marquises; the county gang discipline is filial piety, and the county gang discipline is not a clean official." The treasury is not enough to provide for it. There are many who should be waited for, and the casting seal is not given, or it is sealed with a whiteboard. ”
Hundreds of marquises and knights were knighted. Sima Lun thought that as long as he used his titles and official positions to envelop his subjects, the subjects would support his throne and he would be able to become emperor in peace. However, he did not want to know that the reason why official titles and titles made people flock to them was that they were "not easy to obtain."
Arbitrary appointment of officials not only hurts the interests of the original ministers of the court and loses their support; it also does not play a role in co-opting those who are rewarded. There are high officials everywhere, and it seems that official positions and titles are very cheap. How can buying people's hearts with cheap things have a good effect?
The reason why Sima Lun and Sun Xiu did this also showed their lack of understanding of political affairs. He thought that the world was governed by the group of ministers, so I rewarded the group of ministers to help me govern the world. As everyone knows, the governance of the world depends on talents! Sima Lun was appointed an official without selection, causing faint-hearted people to fill the court.
For example, Sima Lun's General Annam and the military Meng Guan of the Northern Yuan, actually judged the war situation by celestial phenomena, rather than the advantages and disadvantages of each other. This example alone shows what kind of officials Sima Lun's court was.
This was also the root cause of Sima Lun's defeat. Sun Xiu knew the weight of the kings and posed a mortal threat to Sima Lun. But his narrow political vision did not take the correct approach to the kings, but gave them an excuse to unite their troops.
Sima Lun and Sima Ran, the King of Qi, jointly deposed Jia, and afterwards rewarded him for his meritorious deeds and made Sima Ran a guerrilla general. This was Sun Xiu's attempt to limit the power of king Qi. However, Sun Xiu then "went out of the town of Xu" and asked Sima Ran to leave Luoyang and leave the town of Xuchang. Isn't this letting the tiger go back to the mountains?
After noticing the threat of the Three Kings (Sima Ran, Sima Yuan, and Sima Ying), Sun Xiu only guarded against the Three Kings by "electing pro-party and Lun officials as the Three Kings and The Sheriff of the Three Kings". The Three Kings had military power in their hands, and they were far away from Luoyang, so how could they restrict the Three Kings by sending only some civilian officials?
At that time, Sima Ying, the king of Chengdu, was in the town of Yicheng, Sima Yong was between the Fengguo River, and with the addition of Sima Ran's town of Xuchang, the three kings surrounded Luoyang on three sides. Sun Xiu should adopt a strategy of dividing and co-opting the three kings, one can increase his own allies, and the other can prevent the kings from uniting.
However, Sun Xiu allowed Sima Lun to directly ascend the throne as emperor, making Sima Lun a common enemy of the three kings, causing the three kings to jointly crusade.
Sun Xiu's biggest failure was that he did not prevent Sima Lun from ascending the throne as emperor. Sun Xiu was deeply trusted by Sima Lun, and the Book of Jin stated that "Lun respected Yan." Emperor Xiuzhu lived in the inner mansion when he was in the Xiang Kingdom, and everything was no big or small, and he would consult and then go. Lun's edict, Xiu Yuan's reform, some and some take, from the book green paper as an edict. ”
Sun Xiu was able to write an edict on behalf of Sima Lun, and it was from this that it could be seen that if Sun Xiu prevented Sima Lun from ascending the throne, then Sima Lun would listen.
Before he could remove the threat of the Emperor, Sima Lun ascended the throne by telling the kings that as long as there were soldiers, anyone could become emperor.
The Hongwu Emperor had a famous strategy: to build walls high, accumulate grain, and slowly become king. Because Zhu Yuanzhang knew that he had no strength and vainly tried to enjoy a false name, he would only become the target of everyone and eventually be harmed by the false name. Sun Xiu didn't know Zhu Yuanzhang, but Dong Zhuo's fate should always be known. Dong Zhuo deposed the Han Emperor and established Liu Xie, becoming the common enemy of the late Han Dynasty, and eventually broke out the Eighteen-Way Princes' crusade against Dong Zhuo, causing great chaos in the world.
Sun Xiu did not see his own advantages and disadvantages, but only thought that sima Lun would be able to do everything according to his own ideas when he became emperor. Sima Lun had no wisdom and power of the king, but relied on Sun Xiu everywhere. Sun Xiu, on the other hand, has no political strategy, and will only have some conspiracies and tricks that cannot be put on the table. Their defeat was already doomed.
The ancients liked to say "virtue is not worthy". I think That Sima Lun and Sun Xiu belong to the "unworthy position". As a person in power, he does not have the wisdom and strategy of those in power. Occupy their position and seek their own government. On the other hand, it is better not to seek its own government, or not to occupy its position.
Being too greedy will eventually kill people!