The most powerful emperor Liu Bang

Chapter 29
Since Liu Bang got to know Zhang Liang, it can be said that he is like a fish in water. During his journey from a farmer to an emperor, he can find Zhang Liang's shadow in almost every key decision-making.

When he arrived in Xianyang, Liu Bang was self-sufficient as a winner, but Zhang Liang refused to let him, so Liu Bang immediately restrained himself.

At the Hongmen banquet, Liu Bang's life was hanging by a thread, and Zhang Liang helped him resolve it.

Xiang Yu named Liu Bang the King of Han, but Liu Bang was not happy to do it. Zhang Liang advised him to go anyway, taking the opportunity to hide his strength and bide his time, and develop himself.After arriving, he was asked to burn the plank road to confuse the enemy, and supported him to use Han Xin, which laid the groundwork for the return of Sanqin.

The bad thing is that although Zhang Liang has done a lot for Liu Bang, all he wants is to avenge South Korea, which makes Liu Bang somewhat unhappy.After arriving in Hanzhong, Zhang Liang was a little unacceptable, but at this time the King of Han sent an envoy to invite him back. He only wanted to go to Hanzhong, so he came to bid farewell to Liu Bang.Although Liu Bang couldn't bear him to leave, he couldn't stop him, because he had agreed to borrow Zhang Liang from the king of Han for a period of time, so he gave Zhang Liang a sum of gold and jewels for him to go back.

But Zhang Liang didn't love money. After he returned to Korea, he used the money to manage Xiang Yu's subordinates, and took the opportunity to say to Xiang Yu: "Pei Gong has burned the plank road and expressed his determination not to leave Hanzhong. Your Majesty can rest assured of him." It's gone." After Xiang Yu heard this, he no longer guarded against Liu Bang to compete with him for the world.

After Liu Bang occupied Qin, Xiang Yu had some doubts about Liu Bang's ambitions. At this time Zhang Liang said again: "He just wants to get the title promised by the King of Chu at the beginning, and he has no other ideas." Xiang Yu also believed it.This bought time for Liu Bang to grow up step by step.

Although Zhang Liang left Liu Bang, he still worked for Liu Bang everywhere, and his support for Liu never stopped.It's a pity that such a loyalty did not get all of Liu Bang's sincerity.Politicians are like this, even if you die for him, he also thinks it should be.Or how can a Westerner say that the so-called politicians are the title of a group of the most shameless people.Of course, as a result of Zhang Liang's actions, Liu Bang treated him much better than others, and finally arranged for him a child.

Although Zhang Liang wholeheartedly wants to return to Han, but his King Han is not a hero at all, nor is he a bit treacherous. Well, so it didn't take long for Xiang Yu to dislike him, so he found an excuse to kill him.Zhang Liang's plan to revitalize South Korea failed, so he returned to Liu Bang.

At this time, Liu Bang had occupied Guanzhong, and was surrounded by Xiang Yu near Xingyang, and he was about to die.In an emergency, he asked his ministers what good strategy he had, and his counselor Li Shiqi offered him a plan, saying: "Your Majesty is in a predicament now, probably because after the Battle of Gucheng, the princes have turned their backs on the Han and attached themselves to Chu, and there is no help. At this time, if we can learn from some practices of the ancients, we will be able to turn defeat into victory."

"What did the ancients do, you might as well talk about it." Liu Bang said.

Li Shiqi said: "In the past Shang Tang crusade against Xia Jie, in order to buy people's hearts and isolate Xia Jie, he named Xia Jie's descendants King Qi. King Wu of Zhou defeated King Zhou, and in order to reduce opposition, he also named his descendants King Song. Now Relying on his mighty force, Qin Shihuang slashed at the world without respecting benevolence, righteousness and morality, and wiped out all the six countries, leaving his descendants with no land. All the princes hated him. If the king can do the opposite, he promises to help the six countries Restoring the national system and supporting the descendants of the monarchs of the six countries who were overthrown by the King of Qin, the monarchs and ministers of the six countries and their people will be grateful to you, and they will submit to your banner and wait for your dispatch. In this way, your prestige and influence will be seen among the princes You are the natural co-lord of the world, and then Xiang Yu can only bow down to you in a respectful manner."

As soon as Liu Bang heard that there was such a good thing, it didn't take much effort, he thought it was a good plan, and immediately decided: "Let's do it this way." He is used to being extravagant, especially giving away other people's things, and never winks. , not to mention that this is just a blank check.Then he ordered people to engrave the seal as soon as possible, and planned to send Li Shiqi to various places to implement the enfeoffment plan.

Zhang Liang waded through mountains and rivers, twists and turns, and finally came to Liu Bang's side.Liu Bangxin came up with a clever plan, thinking that the crisis would be resolved soon, he was very happy to see the person he had always wanted to see again, and immediately arranged to meet Zhang Liang at night.

During the meeting, Liu Bang naturally mentioned that he wanted to seal off the Six Kingdoms, and he really thought that victory was just around the corner.Zhang Liang was taken aback when he heard this, and quickly asked: "Who gave you this idea? He is sincerely trying to harm you!"

Seeing that Zhang Liang did not appreciate this move, Liu Bang hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?"

"If you do this, not only will you not be able to gain the support of the princes, but even the people who are working with you now will probably go to Xiang Yu." Zhang Liang said.

"How could there be such a result?" Liu Bang asked anxiously.

Zhang Liang replied: "First, in the past when Tang of Shang attacked Xia Jie and King Wu of Zhou crusade against King Yin Zhou, in order to win the hearts of the people, they gave their descendants separate feudal titles. It was because they had strong troops and the initiative was in their hands. If you want to destroy it, you will destroy it, but can the king's army be stronger than Xiang Yu today? If those princes don't listen to you, can you come and go as soon as you call them?
"Secondly, after King Wu of Zhou conquered Shang Yin, he hung a plaque on the gate of Shang Rong's house, rebuilt Bigan's tomb, and released Jizi from prison. He wanted the subjects of this dynasty to learn from these loyal officials. They are all subordinates of King Zhou, and they were punished for offending King Zhou by admonishing them directly. Does the king of Han want the subjects of the six kingdoms to be loyal to his original master, or to you? I think the result is very likely Eighty-nine are loyal to their original masters.

"Third, King Wu won people's hearts and distributed property to those poor people. He used the things seized from the enemy's warehouse. Now you have no military supplies, and you can't even guarantee the food for your own troops. What do you use to help others? Woolen cloth?
"Fourth, after King Wu eliminated King Zhou, he turned weapons upside down, turned swords into plows, changed military vehicles into civilian vehicles, and vigorously advocated releasing horses to the Nanshan Mountains and cattle plowing peach orchards. The world was at peace, and economic development should be the main focus. Now King Han He is fighting with the Chu army. If he does the same, wouldn't he have to give up the world by himself?

"Fifth, if all the lands and cities in the world are confiscated to the six kingdoms, then the heroes of the world will belong to their own masters. Who else will serve for the king? Instead of doing this, it is far better to confer these things to those who have been with you all the time. Heroes who fought bloody battles and went through life and death, this will make them work harder.

"Sixth, after the King of Han pacified the Three Qin Dynasties, the princes of the world saw that you were generous and benevolent, and there were many people who depended on you. After the Battle of Pengcheng, these people saw that you had lost power, and they turned their backs on the Han and attached themselves to Chu. This shows that these people are very snobbish. Whose If the power is strong, they will fall to whoever they are, and there is no friendship and reliability at all. Now Xiang Yu is obviously stronger than the Han army, and the Six Kingdoms are still relatively weak. The Chu army bullies them whenever they want, and the Six Kingdoms I am very afraid of it. If you enfeoff the six countries, the six countries will not only feel that there is not much practical significance, but they will neither dare nor be willing to surrender to you from the bottom of their hearts."

As Zhang Liang spoke, he dipped his chopsticks into the water and drew on the table. His words were lucid and incisive, which made Liu Bang wake up immediately, and made him realize that times have changed, and he can no longer copy the old-fashioned practices of "ancient sages and sages" .He didn't swallow his meal, and got up and scolded Li Shiqi: "This bastard old Confucian almost missed my important event!" Immediately, he ordered that the seals of the Six Kingdoms that had been engraved be destroyed immediately, and then Li Shiqi was executed. He yelled and cursed, and canceled the plan to let him tour the six countries.In history, this famous story is called "painting chopsticks and stopping seal".

Without sealing the six kingdoms, the crisis of the Han army is getting bigger and bigger.In order to change this situation, Liu Bang adopted Zhang Liang's suggestion and spent his time fighting for Yingbo, Peng Yue, and Han Xin. After this matter was done, it didn't take long for him to defeat Xiang Yu.It can be seen from a series of things that Liu Bang obeyed Zhang Liang's words, and Zhang Liang did play a key role in winning the world for him, and he is a well-deserved No. 1 hero.

But Liu Bang didn't think so. After becoming emperor as he wished, he evaluated the three figures who contributed the most, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin, before rewarding him for his merits. I am not as good as Zifang.” This gives people an illusion, but in fact Liu Bang has always had a view of Zhang Liang in his heart, thinking that he “is in the Han camp and his heart is in Han” and his loyalty is questionable.In addition, Liu Bang was more cautious towards people with greater credit, as it was with Han Xin, and it was the same with Zhang Liang.Also, Zhang Liang was not his buddy, Liu Bang really regarded as his own, it was the gang of fellows who rebelled with him and followed him from beginning to end. What he really felt at ease was Xiao He, Fan Kui and other "Peixian Gang".Although, when you become an emperor, the world is yours. In the whole world, it is possible that the princes and ministers should no longer engage in small circles and should engage in all corners of the country, but people at that time did not have this awareness. It can only be said that it is the limitation of the times. sex.So when it came time to discuss meritorious deeds and rewards, Liu Bang just didn't say who had the most meritorious deeds, he let everyone discuss.Once a person reaches a certain position, someone will help you do things that are difficult for you to do. After being an official for so many years, Liu Bang still knows this.At this time, a speculator, Mr. E, figured out what Liu Bang was thinking. When everyone was talking and blushing, he stood up and resisted all opinions, and said loudly: "If you are talking about merit, Xiao He is the first, and Cao Shen is the first!" Second."

These two people are both direct descendants of Liu Bang, and before others came to their senses, he immediately stated: "This evaluation is more fair, and I agree."

Fortunately, Zhang Liang has always been indifferent to fame and fortune, and he would never get sick on such occasions.When Liu Bang said this, Zhang Liang happened to be away, and Han Xin was still leading troops outside.People can't help but ask, you Liu Bang once said that you mainly rely on three people to conquer the world, namely Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin. Now you rank Xiao He first, which is justified, but Cao Shen is ranked second, and Zhang Liang and Han Xin are ranked second. How many?It can be seen that Liu Bang did a little bit of credit for this point.

This incident somewhat irritated Zhang Liang, and he was less likely to go to court since then.Liu Bang felt that Zhang Liang was really sorry for doing this, so he went to the place where Zhang Liang lived and said to him: "I know you are a person who has seen the world, and you have always looked down on fame. Form, who has the most credit, I am clear, there is no one but you. But you don’t want to participate in the deliberation, let them compete. It’s okay to not name, but I want to let you get the most benefits, please do it yourself Choose [-] households in the whole land, and I will seal it to you immediately."

Liu Bang first put a high hat on Zhang Liang, making Zhang Liang speechless, and then tried to block Zhang Liang's mouth with more fiefdoms. Unexpectedly, instead of thanking Zhang Liang, Zhang Liang said, "Your Majesty and I met at Liucheng in the southeast of Peixian County has always had a good impression of this place because of His Majesty's generosity and benevolence. I don't want so many food towns, so you can make me a Marquis of Liu, as a souvenir for me."

Liu Bang didn't expect Zhang Liang to say that. He thought that people came here for profit. Although I, Liu Bang, didn't give you Zhang Liang the honor you deserve, I won't let you suffer materially.This is Liu Bang's usual practice of calming the world and appeasing his subordinates. Unexpectedly, Zhang Liang failed here.He didn't believe that there was such a noble person in the world, so he insisted on saying to Zhang Liang: "Could it be that the ovary is not enough?"

"Your Majesty, where are you going? The fifth generation of my family was the prime minister in South Korea, and he used to have a lot of wealth. After Qin destroyed South Korea, I dispersed all my family wealth. All I wanted to do was to avenge South Korea and destroy Qin. After I met you, I went back and forth three times, not only to regard Your Majesty as a bosom friend, but also to realize my ambition of opposing Qin and Han. If I want to get rich, I don’t have to do this at all. Just guarding the original things in my house is enough Now that the world is unified, the old master of South Korea no longer exists, and it is impossible to restore South Korea, but my wish to oppose Qin has been fulfilled, which makes me very satisfied. I really have no other needs.” Zhang Liang Even though he said this, he was actually a little dissatisfied with Liu Bang's establishment of a small circle in terms of rewards for meritorious deeds, which means that I don't want anything from you, so you can't take me too seriously.

Liu Bang saw that Zhang Liang's words were very pertinent, so he couldn't say anything else.But he was still a little uneasy in his heart, so some things have not been settled for a long time.For example, the appointment of the prime minister has been on the sidelines.Let's use Zhang Liang, he is not at ease, thinking that he is too wise, if he wants to take power in the court, then why not make the emperor empty.But if you want to use Xiao He, you are afraid that Zhang Liang will not be convinced, and so many ministers in the court will not be convinced.Then let it go, anyway, I told you to do something and you still have to do it.

Zhang Liang rejected Liu Bang's idea of ​​making him Marquis of Qi, and Liu Bang really made him Marquis of Liu.After the Han Dynasty moved the capital to Chang'an, he basically didn't ask questions much, and excused his illness to avoid it.Liu Bang was so busy with affairs in the court that he couldn't care less about Zhang Liang's feelings.

In the process of starting a business, Liu Bang attracted some powerful warlords to join the ranks against Xiang Yu in order to build a united front, and sealed many kings with different surnames.After ascending to the throne, many kings surnamed Liu were named.In fact, this is not in line with the trend of the times.These vassal kings all had their own teams and their own armies, so not long after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, news came from time to time that one king wanted to rebel, and another king invaded other princes.When Liu Bang heard the news, he first thought that kings with different surnames were unreliable and should be eradicated as soon as possible.Then, in less than a few years, all the kings with different surnames who were most likely to threaten his rule were wiped out, including Peng Yue, Han Xin, and Ying Bu in turn.

These great heroes were killed one after another, making Zhang Liang shudder, and deeply felt how well Han Xin's words were in place when he encountered an accident.He chanted repeatedly: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the lackey cooks; when the high bird is exhausted, the good bow is hidden; the enemy's country is destroyed, and the counselor perishes." As he read, read, he broke out in a cold sweat, feeling that he could no longer stay in Chang'an. Like a tiger.All the kings in the past can only share the troubles with them, but not the happiness, and Liu Bang is no exception. Judging from his treatment of Han Xin and other heroes, there is no mercy!For the sake of their Liu family's world, these highly respected people would do anything.

Zhang Liang has already seen through Liu Bang's delay in becoming a prime minister. On the one hand, he does have some minor illnesses, and on the other hand, he also has the intention of embarrassing Liu Bang, and I will see what you do.Both of them refused to pierce the window paper, and the stalemate lasted for more than two years.After a long time, Zhang Liang felt a little embarrassed. First, he felt that Liu Bang was his good friend after all, and he had always respected him for many years. Second, he was afraid that others would think that he really wanted to be like this Po Cheng. don't want to do it.Instead of doing this, why don't I take the initiative to pierce this layer of paper, and look open-minded, so that I can continue to get along with Liu Bang in the future.Thinking of this, Zhang Liang took the initiative to have a heart-to-heart talk with Liu Bang, saying: "After South Korea was destroyed by the Qin State, I was just a commoner. With only a three-inch tongue, I was able to become the emperor's teacher and was named the Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. Therefore, I deeply appreciate Your Majesty's knowledge and kindness. The Han Dynasty has been established for several years, and the prime minister has been vacant, which makes Your Majesty very hard. I have always been in poor health, and it is difficult to take on this important task. Xiao He is good at government affairs. The most suitable candidate, I hope His Majesty will appoint him as soon as possible. With the Prime Minister, someone will handle the affairs of the court and the affairs of the people in detail, and His Majesty can relax."

"Zifang, you are really my good teacher and helpful friend. You consider everything for me, how can I thank you? I will follow your advice and let Xiao He be the prime minister." Liu Bang's long-standing big problem was instantly resolved in this way.

"It should be so. I congratulate Your Majesty on finally having a suitable candidate for the position of Prime Minister. Besides, I am here today to bid farewell to you. From now on, I will put aside human affairs and listen to the red pine nuts." Zhang Liang said.

"You are a person with a spirit of immortality, unlike ordinary people like me, who can't get rid of trivial matters in the world. Everyone has his own ambitions, and I wish you a fruitful cultivation as soon as possible." Liu Bang said.

Zhang Liang left the imperial court in this way, and went to cultivate immortals in the deep mountains and old forests. When he left, he felt a little sad and nostalgic.Before leaving, he also helped Lu Zhi with a big event, and made an idea for her to keep her son's crown prince.But it was precisely because he walked away that Zhang Liang got a good death, and lived six years longer after Liu Bang's death in a sick body.

(End of this chapter)