Reading "Zi" has a feeling: the story of Li Chong and Li Biao

First of all, it must be said that this is a sad story with a lose-lose ending, a lamentable process, and a realistic reality.

The story takes place during the reign of Tuoba Hong, emperor Xiaowen of northern Wei in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, about 1500 years ago.

--------------------

At that time, Li Chong was already in a high position in the court. Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei revised the law at Eastern Mingguan and personally adjudicated the case in question, and he ordered Li Chong, who was then Shangshu, to determine the severity of the punishment, and after polishing the sentence, Emperor Xiaowen personally copied it. Li Chong was loyal and diligent, wise and decisive, and cautious and thoughtful, so he was deeply trusted and relied on by Tuoba Hong, and the two were in love with each other, without any estrangement. Whether it was a court official for many years or a prominent imperial relative, he was convinced of Li Chong's ability.

Li Chong should be strong, willing to work hard, diligent and intelligent, conscientious, scrupulously dutiful, leaning over day and night to handle official business, never tired of slacking off, and gray hair at the age of forty. The six Li Chong brothers were born to one father and four mothers, and they often fought when they were young, but when Li Chong became rich, he was able to share the money and rewards he received, so that the brothers were harmonious and the whole family was peaceful. However, he was criticized for promoting his family and relatives and conferring official titles in large numbers without public selection.

Li Biao's family is lonely and poor, with no foundation at the bottom and no help from above, no money for money, and no connections for people. Li Biao knew that Li Chong loved Cai, so he wholeheartedly turned to him. Li Chong greatly appreciated Li Biao's talents and learning, and treated him with great courtesy, not only recommending him to Emperor Xiaowen, but also widely publicizing him among his colleagues, establishing a reputation for Li Biao, introducing and promoting from both public and private aspects, and having the grace of knowing and promoting Li Biao.

After Li Biao served as a lieutenant, he did not shy away from the noble and powerful subjects. Emperor Xiaowen considered him loyal and compared him to the Han Dynasty.

Li Biao thought that he had been appreciated by Emperor Xiaowen and no longer needed to rely on Li Chong, so he began to gradually alienate Li Chong, for example, when he met Li Chong in public, he only sorted out his sleeves to show etiquette, and no longer had the intention of respecting and obeying. As a result, Li Chong also gradually developed a grudge against Li Biao.

By the time Emperor Xiaowen was in charge of the southern expedition, Li Biao, together with Li Chong and Yuancheng the Prince of Rencheng, was in charge of the remaining affairs. Li Biao's temperament was strong and arrogant, and he thought that as a judicial official, others could not impeach him, so he acted very arbitrarily, and when discussing things, he often disagreed with others, and argued with Li Chong several times, until he turned his face and fought.

Li Chong was overwhelmed with indignation, so he summed up Li Biao's mistakes and sins, imprisoned him in Shangshu Province, and impeached Li Biao for "arrogance and disobedience, arrogance, covetousness, perfunctory official affairs, taking a sedan and entering the forbidden province, taking the property of officials and families privately, driving the royal horse in the stable at every turn, doing whatever he wanted, and not being afraid." ”

Li Chong said in the above table: "I have known Li Biao for twenty years since we met. At first, I saw that he was brilliant, knowledgeable, talkative, and upright, and for a moment I thought he was an outstanding, impartial and honest man. Later, I gradually found that he was impatient and harsh, but he still thought that there were more benefits and fewer disadvantages. Since Shengshang drove south, Li Biao concurrently served as Shangshu, and I worked with him one morning and evening, only to know that he was arbitrary and arrogant, unscrupulous, and had no respect for himself, and there was no one else in sight. If you listen to his words, it seems that he is a wise man of ancient forgiveness, but in comparison with his behavior, he is really a thief. I bowed down to King Rencheng and treated him like a meek brother who served the cruel elder brother. Although what he wants to do is not taken seriously, we dare not disobey. The facts of the above are conclusive and cannot be verified. If what I listed was true, I should kill Li Biao in the northern wilderness in order to get rid of him, a traitor who was chaotic. If the things listed are false and undocumented, I can be exiled to a very far place in order to punish those who engage in slander. Li Chong personally wrote this table, and the family did not know anything.

After Emperor Xiaowen saw Li Chong's watch, he sighed for a long time: "Alas! I didn't expect that the few people who stayed in Luoyang would make such a fuss. Li Biao can be said to be proud, but why is Li Chong not complacent? ”

The Yellow Gate attendant Song Ben had always been unable to deal with Li Chong, and was also a Xiangzhou native with Li Biao, and had a good relationship, so he privately manipulated the matter, so in the end he only gave Li Biao a delisting.

Li Chong was originally elegant and leisurely, gentle and generous, but when he detained Li Biao, he was unusual, personally counting Li Biao's mistakes before and after, the more he talked, the more angry he became, he was furious, shouted and shouted, and even threw out a small table, knocked on the big table, and frightened the imperial historians to paint their faces with mud and tie their hands to apologize to Li Chong. Li Chong still scolded incessantly, so that he was insane, his speech was confused, his speech was upside down, and from time to time he strangled his wrist and scolded "Li Biao's villain", and it was useless to take medicine and needles, and he died more than ten days later. Everyone said that he died because of too much resentment that led to a split liver.

After Li Chong's death, Emperor Xiaowen was overwhelmed with grief, and when he passed Li Chong's tomb, although he could not get up due to illness, he still looked at the grave and wept. After returning to the palace, when he saw other officials who were staying in Luoyang with Li Chong at the time, when it came to Li Chong, Emperor Xiaowen couldn't help but burst into tears and miss him.

Emperor Xiaowen later went to Yecheng, and Li Biao paid homage to him in the south of the city to show his guilt. Emperor Xiaowen said to Li Biao, "Shuo originally wanted to use you again, but when he thought of Li Chong, he was not interested." At this time, Yu Shitai ordered Shi Longwenguan to report: "On the day prince Yuan Ke was detained, he wrote a handwritten letter to defend himself, but Li Biao privately detained him and did not report it. Shang Shu asked that Li Biao be detained in Luoyang for trial, but Emperor Xiaowen thought that Li Biao would not do that, so he let him come to Luoyang in an ox cart, and on the way, he encountered amnesty, and Li Biao was spared.