PFC Chapter 189 The beauties who brought disaster to the country and the people
Chapter 189 The beauties who brought disaster to the country and the people
The Zhou army, without cover, could not resist the Zheng army alone and could only retreat while fighting. King Huan of Zhou was also seriously wounded. Duke Zhuang of Zheng was afraid that he would be attacked by various princes if he killed the Zhou emperor, so he quickly stopped while he was ahead.
Since then, the emperor lost all his authority and was no longer able to stop the vassal states from attacking each other. During the reign of Duke Zhuang of Zheng, Zheng was also a small hegemon and a vassal. However, after the death of Duke Zhuang of Zheng, his two sons supported the civil strife in Zheng in order to compete for the throne, which greatly damaged the country's strength.
Before his death, King Zhuang of Zhou chose to form an alliance with the State of Qi through marriage. Since the establishment of the State of Qi by Jiang Taigong, it has reached the period of Duke Huan of Qi, who is the well-known Prince Xiaobai.
He pretended to be dead to escape Guan Zhong's pursuit, and eventually inherited the military power of Qi, and reused Guan Zhong who had tried to assassinate him. With the assistance of Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, he rose rapidly after years of hard work. Relying on his kinship with the Zhou emperor and adopting the strategy of respecting the king and expelling the barbarians, Qi became increasingly powerful and became the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period.
In 655 BC, in order to make his son Xiqi the crown prince, Jin Xian Gong's concubine Li Ji alienated the relationship between Duke Xian and his sons Shen Sheng and Chong'er, and designed to kill Crown Prince Shen Sheng.
Shen Sheng recorded in history that during the Li Ji Rebellion, Chong'er was afraid that he would be affected, so he fled. After the death of Duke Xian of Jin, Jin was no longer able to afford to cede the Hexi region of Jin to Qin. With the help of Duke Mu of Qin, Chong'er returned to Jin and became Duke Hui of Jin.
After Duke Hui of Jin ascended the throne, he broke his promise to cede land and even refused to sell a single grain of grain to Qin when the country was suffering from famine.
Duke Mu of Qin was furious and personally led a large army to attack Duke Hui of Jin. He captured Duke Hui of Jin alive and brought him to the Hui Palace. Duke Hui of Jin had no choice but to cede land and beg for mercy. He also sent his son, Prince Yu, to Qin as a hostage.
In order to control Prince Yu, Duke Mu of Qin married his daughter Huai Ying to him. But he did not expect that Prince Yu would become an ungrateful person again after he ascended the throne of Jin State and became enemies with Qin State.
Duke Mu of Qin brought Chong'er, who was exiled in Chu, to Qin, married his daughter Huaiying to Chong'er, and made Chong'er the king of Jin, Duke Wen of Jin. In order to seek its own development, Qin continued to make political marriages with Jin, which was later called the friendship between Qin and Jin.
After Duke Wen of Jin came to power, he appointed talented people to positions of power and established a military and political system of three armies and six nobles, which greatly increased the national strength of Jin. In 632 BC, the increasingly powerful Chu State intended to dominate the Central Plains, and the two countries fought their first battle for hegemony in the Chengpu area of Wei State.
When Duke Wen of Jin was exiled in the State of Chu, he was treated with courtesy by King Cheng of Chu, who once made an agreement with him that if there was a war between the two countries in the future, Jin would retreat to repay the kindness of Chu.
Duke Wen of Jin kept his promise and ordered his army to retreat 90 li during the Battle of Chengpu. The Chu army was unaware of the trick and became arrogant and underestimated the enemy. In the end, they were surrounded by the Jin army and were completely annihilated.
The Battle of Chengpu also became a classic example of retreating before winning in military history. After the war, Duke Wen of Jin, under the order of the Zhou emperor, convened Qi, Song, Lu, Cai and other countries to hold a meeting in Jiantu, which was known as the Jiantu Meeting in history. Since then, Duke Wen of Jin has become the second hegemon after Duke Huan of Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period.
In 628 BC, Duke Wen of Jin died. Duke Mu of Qin, who had always been seeking hegemony, wanted to take the opportunity to cross the border of Jin and attack Zheng. As a result, the Qin army, which was led by light cavalry, was surrounded and annihilated by the Jin army ambushed in Mount Xiao because they were alone and had to attack from a distance of thousands of miles.
After that, the friendship between Qin and Jin was completely broken, and the relationship between the two countries turned into a feud. After the Battle of Xiao, Qin's eastward advance into the Central Plains was blocked by Jin, so Duke Mu of Qin turned west and began a large-scale campaign against the Rong people.
In just one year, the Qin State eliminated 12 major tribes of the Rong people and expanded its territory. As a result, King Xiang of Zhou appointed Duke Mu of Qin as the Lord of the Western Princes. From then on, the Qin State dominated the Western Rong people and laid the foundation for the Qin State to unify China in the future.
Although Chu was badly defeated in the Battle of Chengpu, it did not stop its expansion into the Central Plains. After annexing several small countries in the east, it began to compete with Jin in the north.
In 598 BC, the two countries fought again in Bicheng. In this battle, Jin was defeated and the overlord Chu seized the hegemony of the Central Plains. After the victory, King Zhuang of Chu did not withdraw his troops, but led them directly north and held a military parade outside the city of Luoyang in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
King Ding of Zhou, who had just ascended the throne, was uneasy, so he sent his minister Gongsun Wan to find out the truth under the pretext of rewarding the troops. Unexpectedly, the complacent King Zhuang of Chu asked Gongsun Wan directly about the weight of the nine tripods of the Zhou emperor. The ambition of Chu to covet the throne of the emperor was obvious, and history called it the desire to conquer the Central Plains.
In 506 BC, King Ping of Chu ascended the throne. He favored the treacherous minister Fei Wuji, who not only took away the fiancée of Crown Prince Jian, but also believed in slander and killed the Crown Prince's tutor Wu She and wiped out his entire family. Later, Crown Prince Jian fled to Zheng State, and Wu She's son Wu Zixu fled to Wu State.
After Wu Zixu arrived in Wu, he ran out of money and became a beggar on the street. Fortunately, he was taken in by Prince Guang and gradually became Guang's confidant and aide. After Guang succeeded to the throne, he was regarded as King Helu of Wu. He appointed Wu Zixu as prime minister and later appointed Sun Wu from Qi as general at Wu Zixu's recommendation.
Sun Wu presented the "Art of War" to Helu, and won the trust of Helu. In 506 BC, Wu launched an unprecedented large-scale attack on Chu. From Gusu to Yingdu, a distance of more than 800 miles, the Wu army advanced by land and sea, winning victory after victory, and continued to attack Yingdu. From then on, Wu shocked China and became the overlord.
Wu Zixu, bent on revenge, failed to capture the escaped King Zhao of Chu, so he dug up the tomb of King Ping of Chu, dug out the corpse and whipped it 300 times before he stopped. This is the famous story of Wu Zixu whipping the corpse in history.
In 496 BC, Helü led his army to attack Yue. In the Battle of Li, the Wu army was defeated and Helü was seriously injured and died on the way back. Before his death, Helü appointed Prince Fuchai as the King of Wu and left a will, asking him not to forget the hatred of Yue.
When Gou Jian heard that Fu Chai was going to avenge his father, he decided to take the initiative and attack Wu first. As a result, he suffered a disastrous defeat. After being captured, Gou Jian was arranged by Fu Chai to live in a stone chamber next to Helu's tomb, specifically to feed Fu Chai's horses.
Two years later, Fuchai believed that Goujian was truly loyal and released him back to Yue despite Wu Zixu's dissuasion. After returning to his country, Goujian worked hard day and night to govern the country. He wore cloth and ate coarse grains, and shared the joys and sorrows with the people.
Therefore, under the leadership of Gou Jian, the whole country of Yue worked together and made great efforts to become stronger. Revenge became the wish of the people of the whole country. During Gou Jian's reign, Wu Zixu repeatedly advised Fu Chai to kill Gou Jian, so Gou Jian sent people to spread rumors to alienate the king and his ministers of Wu. Fu Chai really believed the slander and sentenced Wu Zixu to death.
Before his death, Wu Zixu left a will in anger, asking his family to dig out his eyes and hang them on the East Gate after his death, so that he could watch the Yue army destroy the Wu. In 476 BC, Gou Jian, the King of Yue who had been sleeping on straw and eating bitter food for 20 years, finally attacked the capital of Wu.
Fuchai regretted not listening to Wu Zixu's advice and committed suicide, which led to the demise of the Wu Kingdom. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, also became the last overlord of the Spring and Autumn Period.
As the saying goes, "Chinese civilization can be seen in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period can be seen in the State of Jin." Ever since Duke Wen of Jin adopted the hereditary rule of the Six Lords, who were a combination of military and political power, the people of Jin in successive generations have been defending the declining Zhou Dynasty under the banner of respecting the king and expelling the barbarians.
By the time of Duke Chu of Jin, after years of mutual annexation among the original six nobles, the territory and army of Jin had basically become the private property of the three relatives of Zhao, Wei, and Han, and the monarch of Jin had become a veritable puppet.
In 403 BC, Han, Zhao and Wei requested King Weilie of Zhou to be granted the title of vassal. Thus, Zhao, Han and Wei became new vassal states. The founding monarchs of Zhao, Han and Wei were called the Three Families Dividing Jin. The Spring and Autumn Period came to an end, and China was about to usher in the first golden age in history - the Warring States Period.
[A quick review of historical facts about people who brought disaster to their country and people]
"A beauty could cause a country to lose a war, a concubine could bring lawlessness to the court, and a queen could trigger the Eight Princes Rebellion, which lasted for 16 years."
The nights are short and the sun rises high. From now on, the king will not attend the court early. This poem that has been passed down to this day allows us to vaguely see the grace of the imperial concubines of all dynasties. Today, let us take a look at the imperial concubines who have made the list of the most famous imperial concubines in history.
First: Su Daji When talking about the demon concubines, we have to mention the ancestor of the demon concubines, Su Daji. She originally lived in the Yousu tribe. In 1047 BC, King Zhou of Shang led his troops to attack the Yousu tribe. The Yousu tribe had no choice but to raise the white flag. They also gave King Zhou a great gift, which was Su Daji.
As a true enchantress, Su Daji not only had a stunning appearance, but also a graceful figure. Even the book "Biographies of Heroic Women" praised her beauty. After getting Daji, King Zhou also began to move towards a tyrant.
Not only did he collect rare treasures to please beauties, he also believed in Daji's words. He would use important positions for those whom Daji praised, and would find ways to get rid of those whom Daji disliked.
Daji also had a hobby. She liked to watch the punishment of burning people with fire. The so-called burning people with fire was to place a copper pillar horizontally on red-hot charcoal fire and let the prisoner walk over it. If the prisoner could not stand steadily, he would fall off the pillar and step on the charcoal fire below.
But for Daji, paolao was not a torture, but a way for her to have fun. In this way, under the misdeeds of King Zhou and Daji, the Shang Dynasty fell in 1046 BC. King Zhou burned himself to death in Lutai, and the demon concubine Daji was also killed by King Wu of Zhou.
Second: Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede. Not only did the Shang Dynasty have evil concubines who brought disaster to the country, but the Han Dynasty also had such a pair of evil concubines and sisters. Not only were they extravagant, they also caused the emperor to die in his own bed. They were Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede, the concubines of Emperor Cheng of Han.
Zhao Feiyan can be said to be a typical example of inspiration in the harem. She was originally just a palace maid who performed singing and dancing in Princess Yang'e's mansion. But God not only gave her unparalleled beauty, but also made her as light as a swallow, so that she could dance on a jade plate or even on a person's palm.
In 18 BC, Emperor Cheng of Han came to Princess Yang'a's house and was immediately attracted by Zhao Feiyan's dancing. Zhao Feiyan also took the opportunity to cling to the emperor's thigh. Zhao Feiyan was taken back to the palace by Emperor Cheng of Han. Then she played hard to get and refused the emperor's favor three times. Emperor Cheng of Han visited her three times and began to take an interest in Zhao Feiyan.
After that, he visited Zhao Feiyan almost every night, and also took Zhao Feiyan's sister Zhao Hede into the palace as a concubine. After entering the palace, Zhao Hede quickly became the favorite concubine of Emperor Cheng of Han. She lived in an extremely luxurious place. The steps of the palace were made of white jade, the walls were inlaid with pearls and Lantian jade bi, and even the door threshold was painted with gold.
The two sisters both became favorite concubines, and the Queen's elder sister used witchcraft to bring down Queen Xu. In 16 BC, Zhao Feiyan finally got her wish and ascended to the throne, and the Zhao sisters also successfully reached the peak of their lives.
But the good times did not last long. In 7 BC, Emperor Cheng of Han suddenly suffered a stroke and died soon after in Zhao Hede's bed. This incident caused a stir in the court and the public, and Zhao Hede was forced to commit suicide. Six years later, Zhao Feiyan was also forced to commit suicide due to political struggles.
Third: The two sisters Jia Nanfeng, Feiyan and Hede did whatever they wanted by relying on the emperor's favor, while Jia Nanfeng was unscrupulous in order to seize power. Her power grab even triggered the Eight Kings Rebellion that lasted for 16 years, which led to the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty and plunged China into 300 years of turmoil.
Jia Nanfeng's road to power began in 271 AD, when she married Crown Prince Sima Zhong and became the Crown Princess. But Crown Prince Sima Zhong was mentally retarded and could not handle the important task, so Emperor Sima Yan wanted to test him to see if he could handle the position of Crown Prince.
After hearing the news, Jia Nanfeng secretly got the test questions, asked someone to answer them, and then asked the prince to memorize the answers. In this way, she got away with it and allowed Sima Yan to safely pass the throne to Sima Zhong.
In 290 AD, the intellectually retarded Crown Prince Sima Zhong gained control of the Western Jin Dynasty, and Jia Nanfeng became the empress as she wished. However, becoming the empress was not her ultimate goal, she wanted to monopolize power.
Therefore, Jia Nanfeng started a series of magical operations, which led to the Rebellion of the Eight Kings. In order to gain power, Jia Nanfeng promoted her relatives to serve as officials in the court and removed the regents left by the previous emperor.
In addition, she also set up an abortion team in the harem, and she would go to any concubine who was pregnant to develop the abortion business. In order to ensure that the next emperor was her own, Jia Nanfeng, who had no son, even took a boy and pretended that the child was born to Sima Yan's widowed wife.
Later, in order to let her fake son succeed to the throne, Jia Nanfeng got the prince drunk and made him write down words of treason. Then, she deposed the prince on the pretext of treason.
Her actions caused dissatisfaction among the royal family and gave those who intended to seize power an opportunity. After the death of the crown prince, Zhao Wang Sima Lun forged an imperial edict to get rid of Jia Nanfeng and killed her followers in the court. From then on, the era of Empress Jia Nanfeng was completely over.
Fourth: Feng Xiaolian was the initiator of the country's demise. Jia Nanfeng was blinded by power, but Feng Xiaolian was even more hateful than Jia Nanfeng.
When the country was at war, Feng Xiaolian asked Emperor Gao Wei to go hunting with her instead of leading troops to help. When the war was about to be won, Gao Wei even ordered his soldiers to stop attacking the city in order to let Feng Xiaolian come to witness the victory.
Feng Xiaolian was at least half responsible for the decline of Northern Qi. Feng Xiaolian's success can be traced back to the fall of the Queen of Northern Qi. At that time, Emperor Gao Wei of Northern Qi favored Cao Zhaoyi and neglected the Queen, so the Queen decided to give her maid Feng Xiaolian to Gao Wei. After Feng Xiaolian was presented to Gao Wei, she was soon named Shufei, and her favor was greater than that of Cao Zhaoyi in the past.