God of War through the ages: Han Xin

Chapter 53
This is the end of life that Han Xin never expected.

Eight years ago, the counselor Kuai Che said the words - "Doctor Zhong, Fan Li survived and died, and Ba Goujian, who made meritorious service and became famous, died. The wild beasts are exhausted, and the hunting dogs are cooked." At the moment Han Xin was killed, it was like Like a ghost passing through Han Xin's mind.

At that time, Han Xin was still immersed in Liu Bang's treatment of him as a national scholar and couldn't extricate himself. No matter how Kuai Che persuaded him, Han Xin could not persuade himself to betray Liu Bang.A poor boy from Huaiyin, everyone scolded him for his cowardice, and the whole world laughed at him for his cowardice, but Liu Bang finally insisted on worshiping Han Xin as a general, which made Han Xin tearful.

It was this mentality of repaying kindness that seriously constrained Han Xin's thinking, making it difficult for Han Xin to believe Kuai Che's advice, and even defended Liu Bang from Liu Bang's point of view.Han Xin didn't believe that Liu Bang would kill the donkey, but Han Xin was taken into Beijing by Liu Bangxie within a few days of sitting on the King of Chu, and he was put under house arrest from then on, which made Han Xin see through Liu Bang's selfishness.

From this time on, Han Xin regretted not listening to Wu She and Kuai Che's advice, but at that time Han Xin had been placed under house arrest by Liu Bang, so he could only sit and wait for death.Han Xin's words before his death were just a way of venting his grievances against Liu Bang in the past few years.

Although it was Lu Zhi and Xiao He who attacked Han Xin, Han Xin knew that without Liu Bang's acquiescence, Lu Xiao would not have dared to attack him.In Han Xin's eyes, Lu Zhi is just Liu Bang's political thug, and Han Xin may not resent Lu Zhi.

Yuan Chonghuan, a famous general in the late Ming Dynasty, once wrote a poem "Han Huai Yinhou Temple", which is as follows:
The king knows the news for a meal, and the high wind vibrates the vulgar ears.

How to solve the problem of repaying kindness, misfortune begins with receiving kindness.

What should a husband do? He can die if he succeeds.

There are changes in Linggu, let alone Chisongzi.

So expensive and innocent, the back is precocious.

If you listen to Kuai Tong's words, your name and your own name are exhausting.

If you die and become a king, you don't have to blame Lu Zhi.

Yuan Dushi can lead soldiers when he is on a horse, and he can interpret poems when he is off a horse. The sentence "If you die, you will become a king, and you don't have to blame Lu Zhi", which actually set Han Xin's legendary life very accurately.Since Han Xin was imprisoned, he was like a living dead. His life value was only in the flesh.

For Han Xin, being wronged may be a tragedy, but from a historical point of view, Han Xin's greatness is infinitely magnified by the shock brought about by this eternal unjust case.Han Xin's life burst into a dazzling light at the last moment, and at the same time set off the ugliness and meanness of Liu Bang, Xiao He, Lu Zhi and others.Such a life is actually very successful.

Militaryly, Han Xin was invincible in the world, defeated Qin, Wei, Zhao, Qi, and Chu, and kicked Xiang Yu off the altar.However, in politics, Han Xin is not an opponent of Liu Bang and others at all, and he is played by Liu Bang in the palm of his hand.And Han Xin's failure was mainly due to political reasons, and Xiang Yu was also planted in politics.Han Xin's political ability can even be described as mentally retarded. Even if he followed Kuai Che's suggestion to fight against Han, he might not be able to play against Liu Bang.

As early as when Han Xin continued to achieve major military victories, the god of death had quietly arrived behind Han Xin, ready to devour Han Xin at any time.This is easy to understand. The greater Han Xin's contribution, the more difficult it is for Liu Bang to rest assured. The high meritorious deeds have never ended well.

Han Xin has a little cleverness, but no great wisdom, especially the rules of survival in the officialdom, Han Xin is almost ignorant, which is almost fatal to people in the officialdom.Han Xin is familiar with the history of the country, but he has forgotten how Bai Qi, the God of War, died. Bai Qi died on the "master of high merit"!
As the master of the people, the most taboo is the great achievements of the generals. This is related to the inheritance of the family and the world, and it is the top political issue in feudal society.Although Han Xin had no ambition to rebel and seize power, his childish actions, such as forcing Liu Bang to make him king of Qi, made Liu Bang think that Han Xin was too difficult to control.A hero has no ambitions, but if his personality is too flamboyant and thorny, the owner will also find a way to get rid of it quickly, and Han Xin belongs to the latter.

As a hero through the ages, Liu Bang is so afraid of Han Xin, not to mention Lu Zhi, Xiao He and others whose military capabilities are almost zero.Half of the reason for Han Xin's death is that Han Xin himself did not understand the rules of survival in the officialdom.

Qian Ruoshui from the Song Dynasty mentioned this issue in the poem "Ti Hanxin Temple". The poem is as follows:
Although the kindness of the place where the altar is built to worship is generous, it is deeply thoughtful when you tiptoe to seal it.

If Longzhun knows the same bird beak, the general should have the heart of the five lakes.

Liu Bang endured Han Xin's arrogance for a long time, but because Han Xin was still needed at that time, Liu Bang held back. Unfortunately, Han Xin didn't feel the danger at all.When Han Xin forced Liu Bang to make him king of Qi, he should be able to detect Liu Bang's dislike for him.

It's a pity that Han Xin not only didn't have any reaction to this, but intensified it. When Liu Bang was about to launch a general attack on Xiang Yu, he threatened Liu Bang again, and finally Liu Bang couldn't bear it anymore and beat him hard.If Han Xin could follow Fan Li's wild clothes and ride a crane back home, he would not have ended up in such a miserable end.

However, Liu Bang's attitude towards Han Xin is also very complicated. What is certain is that Liu Bang is indeed afraid of Han Xin, but not to the point where he will kill Han Xin quickly.Han Xin's death was the result of various political forces playing games behind the scenes. Sometimes, Liu Bang couldn't make the decision. For example, Liu Bang had no choice but to deal with the rapid growth of Lu Zhi Group.Liu Bang should have expected that Han Xin would die in a conspiracy.

Shortly after Han Xin's death, Liu Bang returned to Chang'an from the northern front. When he saw Han Xin's blood-stained head, Liu Bang's reaction was "happy and pitiful".The death of Han Xin is good for Liu Bang himself, at least Liu Bang no longer has to face Han Xin with fear.As for why Liu Bang "pity" Han Xin, it is also easy to understand. One is that Han Xin died innocent, and the other is that Liu Bang is about to grow old, so it is inevitable to miss his old love.

From the point of view of the world, Han Xin must die; from a personal point of view, the death of Han Xin touched Liu Bang's sad path of "hero withering".Later, when Liu Bang attacked Yingbo and passed through Peixian County, he sang a big song, "Andre warriors guard the four directions", which probably refers to regretting that Han Xin was killed.

Liu Bang's idea of ​​"home world" is deeply rooted. When he learned that Han Xin's last words before his death were repentance for not listening to Kuai Che's plan, Liu Bang's expression was extremely angry.Liu Bang knew that Kuai Che had been Han Xin's adviser, and he even knew where Kuai Che was hiding. With an order, Kuai Che was quickly arrested and taken to Chang'an.

Liu Bang questioned Kuai Che face to face: "Han Xin's rebellion, you taught it!"

Kuai Che fell into the hands of Liu Bang. Knowing that there was more danger than good, he simply begged for death. He insulted Liu Bang: "Yes, it was the minister who taught Han Xin to oppose the Han. Han Xin did not listen to the minister's words, so he died. Zuyi, if Han Xin listens to the minister's plan, the one sitting in this seat is not His Majesty, but Han Xin."

One can imagine Liu Bang's anger at that time, it was nothing more than being humiliated by Han Xin, and now he was humiliated in public by Kuai Che, Liu Bang's old face suddenly turned pale and red.Han Xin had humiliated Liu Bang's military capabilities, and Kuai Che's humiliation actually directly proved Han Xin's innocence from another angle, which almost negated the "crime of treason" charged on Han Xin, which Liu Bang could not accept.Liu Bang wanted to use an oil cauldron to kill Kuai Che to relieve his hatred of humiliation. Fortunately, Kuai Che was smart enough to call for injustice on the spot, so Liu Bang spared Kuai Che.

Liu Bang's failure to kill Kuai Che does not mean that Liu Bang was kind. He was not so kind when he killed Ding Gong, but Han Xin's death made Liu Bang feel guilty.Liu Bang is not a ruthless character who does not show emotion. The picture of Han Xin's high spirits when he bowed to the general, and marching towards the rising sun on the winding Qinling trail is still vivid in my mind. It is impossible not to have emotional waves in Liu Bang's heart.

Another point is that if Kuai Che is killed, Liu Bang will admit that Han Xin did not rebel.If Kuai Che was not killed, Liu Bang was actually finding a way out for himself.By the way, Liu Bang poured the dirty water that killed Han Xin on the heads of Lv Zhi and Xiao He, but he himself fell clean.

For Liu Bang, Han Xin's death is a good thing after all, at least his Han Dynasty will be as stable as Mount Tai.The world's three heroes go to the second (Xiang Yu, Han Xin), and no one can pose a threat to Liu Bang's country since then. Yuan Baoheng of the Qing Dynasty wrote a poem "Crossing the Wall of Han Houling". and double pupils".

A hero is afraid of being alone, but a hero hopes to defeat all opponents rather than spend his life in a cruel struggle with other heroes.Sun Tzu's Art of War says that soldiers who have heard of clumsy victory have not heard of it for a long time.Both Xiang Yu and Han Xin are obsessed with the beauty of the process, while Liu Bang only wants the cold result, which is the reason for their success or failure.

Heroes often value love, but they are often planted on the word "love". Han Xin never learned to be ruthless. Yan Zhong, the magistrate of Xindu County in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, mentioned Han Xin when he persuaded the chariot general Huang Fusong, who had made great achievements. Empathy. "Kyushu Spring and Autumn" records this conversation in detail. Huangfusong couldn't bear to betray the Han. Yan Zhong advised Huangfusong not to follow Han Xin's foolishness. Suddenly the tripod is in motion, the sharp sword is already in his throat, he sighs and regrets, so he sees cooking in his children."

Yan Zhong's analysis of the reason for Han Xin's failure hit the nail on the head, but he didn't know how to advance or retreat, let alone Liu Bang, anyone who sat in Liu Bang's seat would take down Han Xin.From the Qin Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, there are countless examples of masters with high achievements.The means are milder, such as drinking a glass of wine to release military power;

Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, slaughtered the generals who founded the country for the sake of his family. Only Tang He was lucky enough to escape and enjoy his life in peace.The so-called humble words mean that the meritorious deeds are never judged. If the credits are all made by the generals, wouldn't the emperor become a "soy sauce"?The so-called surrender of power means that the army that could threaten the imperial power is completely withdrawn from the military system, and one's own life and death are handed over to the emperor, so that it is possible to survive.

Whether it's humble words or giving up power, Han Xin has done a mess, which makes everyone worried about him.The emperor could not trust him, the ministers could not trust him, the generals could not trust him, and Han Xin's tragic end was already doomed.

Regardless of whether Han Xin died unjustly or not, Han Xin's killing made all the people who had a strong sense of inferiority in front of him heave a long sigh of relief.Liu Bang was "happy and pitiful", and the element of "joy" was even greater, just like Liu Bang was smiling when he saw Xiang Yu's head.

Han Xin's death marked the complete end of a great heroic era.In fact, when Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, killed himself in Wujiang, this era was over. The killing of Han Xin only marked a tragic end to this great era.

The age of heroes is over, and what is left is only the hero's lonely sigh.

In July of the 11th year of the Han Dynasty (196 BC), King Yingbu of Huainan could no longer bear the strong fear in his heart and rebelled under the double stimulus of Han Xin being killed and Peng Yue being tricked into Chang'an by Empress Lu.It was only then that Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, found out sadly that no one was willing to stand up for him anymore, and everyone only wanted to protect themselves.In desperation, the 61-year-old Liu Bang endured the sadness in his heart under the cold eyes of the officials, and went to Huainan himself when he fell ill.

Yingbo didn't expect that Liu Bang would personally conquer. The reason why he dared to rebel was because Han Xin and Peng Yue were dead, and there were no heroes in the world.It's just that Yingbo forgot that there is still an old hero in the world, and that is Liu Bang himself.

In October of the 12th year of the Han Dynasty (195 BC), the new year began, but Liu Bang was getting older.Liu Bang already knew that his time was numbered, and he had to pay homage to the great era that was about to pass away with perhaps the last victory in his life, otherwise he would regret it forever.

Liu Bang asked Yingbo why he rebelled before the battle.Yingbo was a straightforward person, and said what was in his heart: "I want to be the emperor." The emperor was furious, swung his whip and pointed, and stepped on the enemy's battle line.Yingbo's emperor's dream hadn't started yet, but it was over. In the battle, "the cloth army was defeated" and hurriedly crossed the Huaihe River in an attempt to separatize Jiangdong.

Liu Bang is indeed old, he has no intention of chasing Yingbo anymore, he just sent his troops across the river to kill Bu, and he wants to go back to Chang'an to take care of his funeral.

On the way back to Chang'an, Liu Bang deliberately stopped in his hometown of Pei County for a period of time. He wanted to see every plant and tree here, and every villager and elder.Liu Bang knew that after this farewell, there would be no chance of seeing each other again.Liu Bang bought wine in Pei Palace, feasted on his elders, and talked about his childhood. Liu Bang brushed his beard and looked up to the sky and laughed.

Liu Bang is a man of temperament, and when he is sad when drinking, he tears like a hero.Liu Bang rises up with his sword and sings and dances with the strength of wine.A sword dances and sings, the song goes: "When the strong wind rises, the clouds fly, and the Vega rises to return to the hometown. Safeguard the warriors and guard the four directions?"

The elders in the audience sang the chorus with forgetfulness, and the emperor of the Han Dynasty with his hair full of hair was already in tears.

At this time, Liu Bang was an actor. He occupied a huge stage by himself, and everyone in the world was his audience, but Liu Bang was still overwhelmed by the fierce loneliness.When he sang "An De Warrior, Guard the Quartet", Liu Bang must have vaguely seen the figure of a person, and this person also burst into tears.

It's Han Xin!
The hero is most afraid of loneliness, and the elderly are always nostalgic.Liu Bang couldn't forget the scene when he worshiped in Hanzhong and the generals went north with their swords horizontally, laughing side by side on the majestic Qinling Mountains.When Han Xin was tricked into the palace by Lu Zhi and Xiao He to be executed, although Liu Bang was not there, Liu Bang could fully understand Han Xin's desolate mood at that time.

The world is decided, and the hero deserves to die!
Han Xin is no longer alive, leaving only a sad legend.Liu Bang knew that he was about to leave this nostalgic life stage and go to another world.Maybe there, Liu Bangneng met Han Xin.

More than ten days later, Liu Bang reluctantly left Pei County and drove back to Chang'an. Liu Bang was about to reach the end of his life.

In the battle to put down the Yingbo rebellion, Liu Bang was shot by Liu Ya in the rebellion army. After returning to Chang'an, his condition deteriorated day by day.Empress Lu Pheasant invited a famous doctor to treat Liu Bang's injuries, but Liu Bang flatly refused. Liu Bang endured the pain and scolded the unlucky doctor: "I take the world by lifting the commoner three feet. Isn't this the destiny? Fate is in the sky. Yi!" Liu Bang is already very tired, he needs to rest and never be disturbed by others.

On April 12th in the 195th year of the Han Dynasty (25 BC), Emperor Liu Bang of the Great Han Dynasty died in Chang'an Palace at the age of 62.

Before Liu Bang died, he had already arranged his funeral. The cowardly crown prince Liu Ying succeeded the emperor at the mercy of his powerful mother Lu Zhi, and all the officials bowed down and worshiped.

Outside the hall, the sky is high and the clouds are light.

(End of this chapter)