The great man will live forever

Chapter 305: The Half-Step Chosen Son

"Liaodong?"

If Jiangdong was a backward, barbaric, and desolate place in the eyes of the Yellow Turban Army, then Liaodong was even worse.

The Liaodong here does not refer to the Liaodong Peninsula, but refers to the area east of the stretch from Laoha River to Xiliao River, and all the way east to the Yalu River and the north of Yanshan Mountain surrounding the Bohai Sea.

The section from the Laoha River to the West Liaohe River was once part of the Liao River in ancient times. The east of this section of the river can also be called the east of the Liao River, or Liaodong for short. Including all of present-day Liaoning, part of Jilin, northeastern Hebei, and part of northern Korea.

It’s okay if others don’t understand, but Zhang Ning has a photographic memory and is from a later generation, so he knows the history of Liaodong very well.

The name "Liaodong" was first seen in the book "Guanzi". According to the chapter "Guan Zi Di Shu", in the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Guan Zhong offered advice to Duke Huan of Qi and said: "Qi has the salt from canals, and Yan has the cooking from Liaodong."

According to the records of "Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan", Guan Zhong died in the seventeenth year of Duke Xi of Lu, that is, 643 BC.

Based on this, it can be inferred that the appearance of place names in Liaodong should be earlier than 643 BC. In this case, Liaodong has a very long history.

The period of separatist rule in Liaodong is usually not very long, including the Yan State in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Yan State from the late Qin to the early Western Han Dynasty, Peng Chong in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, the Gongsun Du and Gongsun Yuan families in the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, and the Wu Huan Dynasty. The Qianyan and Beiyan, the Anlushan separatist regime in the Tang Dynasty, the Rulong Army Jiedushi in the Later Liang Dynasty in the Five Dynasties at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Houjin Dynasty in the late Ming Dynasty, and the Fengzhi warlords in Ningguo in the Qing Dynasty, etc.

Compared with the time of separatism, Liaodong has been the territory of Donghu for a long time. Donghu is not what we call Donghu today. In ancient times, Donghu refers to the Hu people east of the Xiongnu, that is, the Hu people in the Northeast.

Liaodong is the intersection of the Eastern Hu and the Central Plains. In the battles and exchanges between the Hu and the Central Plains dynasty, there were victories and defeats, and advancement and retreat for each other.

The Donghu who established political power in Liaodong included Guzhu, Khitan, Goguryeo, Jurchen, Manchu, etc.

During the Xia Dynasty, Dongyi ethnic groups such as Yuyi and Yi people lived in the Liaodong region. Strictly speaking, they were not nomadic peoples.

They are a nation that combines nomadism, farming, fishing and hunting, and they mainly focus on farming. These nations can also be regarded as early Donghu people.

During the Shang Dynasty, the territory of the Shang Dynasty expanded to the foot of Yanshan Mountain. At this time, the Dongyi people in Liaodong developed into the Donghu ethnic groups such as Guzhu and Shanrong.

In 1044 BC, after King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty, he granted Ji Xi the title of Duke Zhao of Yan in the land of Yan, which is now Beijing.

After the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period, due to the feudal system, the Zhou royal family declined. Each vassal state had independent administrative, financial and military powers, and each vassal state took the opportunity to segregate itself.

The Yan State was not willing to lag behind, and took the opportunity to separate its kingdoms and expand to the surrounding areas. At that time, Liaodong nominally belonged to the Yan State, but in the eyes of successive Yan kings, it was just a dispensable backyard.

Yan State is surrounded by the powerful Zhao State to the west and Qi State to the south. If it wants to expand, it can only develop in the northeast direction.

After King Zhao of Yan came to the throne, in order to meet the needs of development, the entire Yan Kingdom realized the importance of Liaodong - there was fertile land and vast strategic space;

As a result, the State of Yan prepared to attack Liaodong. This is also a touching story, with blood and tears, shame and determination, and it is worth remembering.

Among the seven heroes of the Warring States Period, Yan and South Korea were the weakest. Yan State was one of the earliest vassal states in the Zhou Dynasty. It was very senior, but its national power was limited. It was only because of its remote location that it was not annexed by other big countries.

South Korea once had the famous Shenbulai Reform. In addition, the mountain people were fierce and rich in strong bows and crossbows, so it was known as "Jin Korea".

As for the Yan State, in the early years of the Warring States Period, apart from showing off its seniority, there was basically nothing worth mentioning.

Not to mention the superpowers Qin and Qi, even the emerging Zhao State did not take Yan State seriously. At that time, Jicheng (today's Beijing), the capital of the Yan Kingdom, was not as prosperous and congested as Beijing is now. It was just a slightly larger border city.

In order to enrich the country and strengthen the army, King Kuai of Yan took the initiative to learn from Yao and Shun, and abdicated the throne to the smart and capable Xiang Guozi.

Zi Zhi is a very capable and expressive person. Before taking the throne, he was loyal and planned everything for the king...

However, when people's hearts were divided and he got the throne, he began to reveal his true nature and became arbitrary.

Isn't this just a proper Wang Mang and Sima Yi?

His rise to power directly aroused dissatisfaction among the old nobles of the Yan Kingdom, headed by Prince Ji Ping. Soon, the two groups got into a fight and started fighting.

As a result, Yan Wang Kuai, Ji Ping, and Zizhi all died in the civil strife. How can Qi stand by and watch when its neighbors are in trouble?

Although the Zhao State at that time was also powerful, it did not have the strength to annex the Yan State. He was promoted from three families. He was still busy consolidating his position and developing his strength, so he did not have the ability to attack the Yan Kingdom with all his strength.

Therefore, the ambitious King Xuan of Qi saw the opportunity and sent a large army to add insult to injury and take advantage of the situation. He directly captured Jicheng in one fell swoop and then stayed there, openly becoming the new master of the Yan Kingdom.

No matter how cowardly the Yan State is, they are still hundreds of years old princes. How can they allow you, the Qi State, to swallow up a piece of fat meat all by themselves?

And once you swallow it and your national power becomes stronger, then the surrounding countries of Zhao, Wei, and Chu will not be afraid?

Naturally, other countries could not get along with Qi, but Qi had already occupied Yan, so they had to use both soft and hard tactics, including diplomatic mediation and military threats.

In short, in one sentence, "You, the State of Qi, can either divide the State of Yan among everyone else, or withdraw from the State of Yan. If you don't, we will unite and kill you!"

Two fists are hard to beat with four hands. The Qin State was so powerful back then, but it was still frightened by the six-nation coalition for decades and did not dare to go eastward. King Xuan of Qi had no choice but to order the withdrawal of troops.

Even though he had come, he couldn't come in vain. With a wave of his hand, before leaving, he swept away all the goods of the Yan Kingdom and made a huge profit.

Since then, Qi State and Yan State have forged a feud.

But Qi is strong and Yan is weak. If it falls behind, it will be beaten. This has not changed since ancient times. What should we do now?

Just four words, make the country rich and the army strong.

But these four words are easy to say, who can’t say them? But the country can become strong without just opening its mouth and shouting a few slogans.

A country, a nation, or even a person often becomes stronger under external pressure and threats.

Born in sorrow and died in happiness, this is probably the case.

Pressure and suffering can often temper a person, but it can also overwhelm a person. If you survive, you will be reborn.

On the contrary, if you can't survive, you will be piled up with corpses and become a stepping stone for others. The reality is so cold and cruel.

The Yan State was lucky. It did become stronger under the threat of Qi State and Zhao State.

And its power is inseparable from four people - King Yan Zhao, Su Qin, Le Yi, and Qin Kai.

It was these four people who made the big plan to develop Liaodong.

Yan State had three purposes in developing Liaodong: to expel Donghu, to open up wasteland for farming, and to secretly train troops.

The purpose of expelling Donghu was to remove the threat from Donghu in the north to Yan's rear;

The purpose of opening up wasteland and farming was to allow the Yan State to obtain military rations and timber and reserve strategic materials;

The secret military training was to avoid the eyes and ears of the princes and prepare to defeat Qi in one fell swoop.

King Yan Zhao was exiled in South Korea for the first time. King Kuaichan of Yan was located in the prime minister's position, which caused civil strife in Yan. In the third year of Zi's reign (314 BC), Qi conquered Yan, and Yan kings Kuai and Zi were killed. He was sent back by King Wuling of Zhao.

After he came to the throne, he humbled himself and paid a lot of money to recruit wise men. He was tutored by Guo Wei, and the wise men rushed to him. Su Qin is used externally and Leyi is used internally. After a long period of recuperation, the country will be prosperous and the soldiers will serve.

In the twenty-eighth year of King Yan Zhao (284 BC), he sent Le Yi to lead an army to unite the divisions of the Three Jin and Qin Chu to attack Qi. He defeated the Qi army and occupied more than Qi cities. King Min of Qi was defeated and died. , Yan State entered its heyday.

Le Yi was an outstanding military strategist and strategist in the late Warring States Period. His ancestor Le Yang was a general under Wei Wenhou (Wei Si, the founding monarch of Wei). His ancestor Leyang once led troops to attack Zhongshan (see the battle of Wei to destroy Zhongshan), and was granted the title of Lingshou for his merits. After Leyang died, he was buried in Lingshou. From then on, the descendants of the Le family have settled here for generations.

After the restoration of Zhongshan, it was destroyed by King Wuling of Zhao (see the Battle of Zhao's Attack on Zhongshan), and Le Yi became a native of Zhao.

Le Yi could not be reused in the State of Zhao, so he left the State of Zhao and came to the State of Wei, and then to the State of Yan.

King Yan Zhao, who was thirsty for talents, naturally put him in high regard. He also knew how to repay his kindness and actively assisted King Yan Zhao to carry out drastic reforms of the Yan State. He also helped King Yan Zhao to formulate strict and meticulous laws for the State of Yan, so that all people in the State of Yan could benefit from it. The project is gradually on the right track.

He made King Yan Zhao's method of utilizing talents increasingly complete, and used a strict official review system to eliminate the incompetent and incompetent people.

He urged King Yan Zhao to abandon the old habits of employing nepotism and selecting people based on status, and create a clean and clear politics for the Yan State. In addition, he also did not forget to use generous rewards to strengthen the people's centripetal force, allowing King Yan Zhao to succeed. Establish prestige among the lower classes.

In short, with Le Yi's efforts, the ethics and legal system of Yan State that had been weakened by the war were restored one by one.

In 284 BC, he commanded the coalition forces of Yan and other five countries to attack Qi and captured more than cities. This created a famous example in the history of ancient Chinese wars in which the weak defeated the strong, and avenged Qi's defeat of Yan. Later, because of the suspicion of King Yan Hui, he had no choice but to defect to Zhao State. He was granted the title of Guanjin and was named Wang Zhujun.

Su Qin, needless to say, is the representative of the political strategist. In order to protect the Yan State and attack the Qi State, he was specially ordered by King Zhao of Yan to enter the Qi State and engage in counterinsurgent activities, which made Qi tired of foreign wars in order to attack Qi and take revenge.

Later Yan's general Le Yi united five countries to attack Qi. Su Qin's anti-insurgent activities were exposed. Su Qin, who had been appointed as the prime minister of Qi, was hated by the ministers of Qi. He was torn apart by a chariot and died. He was buried in Luzhuang, 5 kilometers southwest of Gongyi City, Songshan Mountain. South of Sujiazhuang Village.

Qin Kai, born in the Qin family of Lu State, was a general of Yan State during the Warring States Period. In his early years, he served as a hostage in Donghu. He was trusted by Donghu and knew the customs of the people. After Yan Zhao Wang Ji Zhi came to the throne, Qin Kai fled back to the Yan Kingdom.

In 300 BC, the State of Yan officially declared war on Donghu. When Qin Kai led his army to western Liaoning, he encountered the Donghu cavalry unexpectedly.

Relying on his familiarity with Donghu's tactics and environment, Qin Kai commanded the Yan army to defeat Donghu and pursue them all the way.

After several fierce battles, Donghu was defeated steadily and had to withdraw from Liaodong and return to the outside of the Great Wall.

With the remaining power of the victory over Donghu, Qin Kai led his army to cross the Liao River, repelled the army sent by Jizi North Korea, expanded the land for more than 2,000 miles, and incorporated all the vast land east of the Liao River, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the Changbai Mountains into the Yan Kingdom. Territory, the war continued until today's Yalu River before withdrawing troops.

Qin Kai drove away the Donghu and defeated Jishi Korea. This was the first large-scale confrontation between the Han army and the Hu forces in Liaodong. It also opened the prelude to the struggle between the Han regime and ethnic minority forces in Liaodong.

At Qin Kai's suggestion, the State of Yan set up five counties on the long northeastern border from west to east: Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaoxi, and Liaodong.

In order to prevent the invasion of Donghu and Jizi Korea, while establishing administrative agencies, the Yan State also spent ten years building a road from Zaoyang (near present-day Zhangjiakou, Hebei) to Xiangping, Liaodong (present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning), four to six meters wide. meters, no less than five meters high and about a thousand kilometers long.

The five counties of Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaoxi and Liaodong have become the five most important cities along the Great Wall.

Among them, the administrative seat of Liaodong County is Xiangping. Xiangping is now Liaoyang, Liaoning Province. Although Xiangping was just an inconspicuous small city at the time, it was the first city in Liaodong. Liaodong County was the earliest administrative agency established by the Han government in Liaodong.

After that, in the vast and desolate land of Liaodong, a vigorous production and military training movement was launched in full swing, and advanced production methods and cultural systems began to affect this region.

Don't underestimate Yan State's move to develop Liaodong. If it weren't for Qin Kai's suggestion, the development of Liaodong would probably have been delayed for decades or even hundreds of years.

The Great Wall built after the unification of Qin will probably not include Liaodong. The later Shenyang was built under the auspices of Qin Kai and was called Houcheng at that time. Houcheng was affiliated to Liaodong County at the time and was a small border town whose main function was to station troops and provide security.

Houcheng is the earliest record of Shenyang's establishment and the starting point of Shenyang. Qin Kai is the originator of Shenyang's city building.

Since then, Xiangping has been the capital of Liaodong region for nearly two thousand years.

With the development of Liaodong, the local economy and culture have made great progress. The local tribes in Liaodong have also gradually formed their own nation and way of life driven by Han immigrants.

The Yan State has become stronger, but its strength is also short-lived. New things will inevitably replace old things. If the corresponding system does not change with the times, it will inevitably go downhill.

At the end of the Warring States Period, the Qin army relied on Shang Yang's reforms and the hard work of the previous Qin kings to sweep across the Central Plains, attacking Han and Zhao. Jing Ke failed to assassinate Qin, and Yan Wang Xi and Prince Dan had to flee to Liaodong with their clan property.

Soon, King Xi of Yan actually sent people to kill Prince Dan, the mastermind of the assassination of Qin, on the banks of the Yanshui River in order to protect the Yan Kingdom. The people of Yan State lamented that Prince Dan was loyal and loyal, so they changed the name of Yanshui to Taizi River.

Five years later, Qin's general Wang Ben went on an expedition to Liaodong, wiped out the remnants of Yan, captured King Xi of Yan, and destroyed Yan.

With the demise of the Yan Kingdom, Liaodong became less prominent in history. Until the appearance of a person, he changed his appearance. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms were divided. In fact, there was a fourth force, and that was a man named Gongsun. degree of people.

Zhang Ning had seen this person's introduction in later generations and thought he was a time traveler.

Gongsun Du was from Xiangping, Liaodong. His family was ordinary and not prominent at all. His father, Gongsun Yan, fled to Xuantu County to escape pursuit by county officials. Gongsun Du later became an official of Xuantu County.

At that time, Gongsun Bao, the son of Gongsun Yu, the prefect of Xuantu, died at the age of eighteen. Gongsun Du was also called Gongsun Bao when he was young, and he was similar in age to Gongsun Yu's son. As soon as Gongsun Yu saw him, he loved him very much and gave him as a gift. Went to study and got him a wife.

It's such a familiar scene. The big boss values ​​him, gives him money, trains him, and marries him. This is raising him as his own son. He even gets a proper salary increase, marries a rich and beautiful woman, and reaches the pinnacle of his life.

What was even more powerful came later. In 169 AD, the imperial court organized a virtuous Fang Zhengke. Gongsun Du was nominated and elected as Shangshulang by various counties and counties, and officially entered the court as an official with excellent results.

At that time, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty was dissolute and immoral, and the government collapsed. Not long after Gongsun Du came to Beijing, he saw this scene and was horrified. But for the sake of his own future, he restrained himself and started serious investigation and research.

During his stay in Beijing, Gongsundu met many influential people. In order to gain people's support, Gongsundu often entertained guests and interacted with powerful people. With their support, he was promoted to the governor of Jizhou and his status rose rapidly.

The governor of Jizhou, he is the biggest in the whole Jizhou, what a powerful official position, but unfortunately not long after, he was dismissed because of rumors, most likely because of the Yuan family's encouragement. Jizhou is a big continent, will they let such a bastard from Liaodong become the governor? Obviously not.

In the sixth year of Zhongping (189), Dong Zhuo gained power in both the government and the public. Xu Rong, a fellow countryman, was Dong Zhuo's lieutenant general. Naturally, the tide also increased.

He found Xu Rong, and after some operations, Xu Rong recommended Gongsun Du to be the governor of Liaodong.

After this guy became the governor of Liaodong, he established his authority in Liaodong by killing people with bloody tactics. Then he built high walls, accumulated grain, and slowly became king.

Internally, we should recuperate, develop farming, and further develop Liaodong.

Externally, he conquered Gaoguli in the east and Wuwan in the west, which shocked overseas countries. At that time, the Central Plains was in chaos, and most people from the Central Plains took refuge in Liaodong. He actively attracted talents and refugees to expand his strength.

He divided Liaodong County into Liaoxi and Zhongliao counties, assigned the post of governor respectively, crossed the sea to collect counties in Donglai, and established Yingzhou governor; he named himself Marquis of Liaodong and Mu of Pingzhou, and posthumously named his father Gongsun Yan as Marquis of Jianyi.

A temple was built for the two ancestors of the Han Dynasty. An altar was set up in the south of Xiangping City according to the ancient system. He worshiped heaven and earth in the suburbs. He plowed the fields and managed the army. When traveling, he sat on a chariot that could only be used by emperors. Nine jade strings hung from his hat. The Yulin Army is composed of cavalrymen wearing hats.

Cao Cao conscripted Gongsun Du as a mighty general and granted him the title of Marquis of Yongning Township. Gongsun Du said, "I am king in Liaodong. What do I want from Yongning?" He hid the seal and ribbon in the weapons arsenal.

From then on, he was truly the king of Liaodong, sitting in Liaodong and watching the wars among the princes of the Central Plains.

If he continued to develop like this for a long time, he might not have the strength to aspire to the world. Unfortunately, he died too early. Gongsun Du ruled Liaodong for 14 years and died in 204 AD.

The descendants were not strong enough and were easily defeated by Sima Yi.

Throughout Gongsun Du's life, he had incredible luck at the beginning, and every step he made was basically the best answer at the time. He even took the lead in discovering the power of the navy and crossed the sea to collect the counties of Donglai...

If he hadn't died too early, Zhang Ning would have suspected that he was a time traveler.

(End of this chapter)