Legend of Famous Generals of China (Colloquial Version)

Author: He Dongren, Compiler/Nationality:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-08-01
Features: Wu Qi had a profound understanding and unique insights into the dialectical relationship between military and politics, as well as the decisive role of politics in military affairs. When he first met Wei Wenhou, he cited historical lessons from ancient times: "In the past, the ruler of Cheng Sang tribe (an ancient tribe) focused only on cultural virtue and abandoned military preparedness, resulting in their. The ruler of Youhu tribe (during the era of Xia Yu) relied on their large army and love of war, but also perished. Wise rulers, aware of this, must cultivate cultural virtue internally and strengthen military preparedness externally, combining the two to govern the state well."
Once, when Wei Wuhou went on a western tour and traveled down the Yellow River together with Wu Qi, Wuhou pointed to the magnificent mountains and rivers and said, "Look, how formidable these high mountains and rivers are—they are truly treasures of our Wei state!" Wu Qi immediately replied, "The safety or decline of a state depends on the quality of its governance, not on the strength of its natural defenses. In ancient times, the Southern tribe Sanmiao had the Dongting Lake on the left and the Poyang Lake on the right, with terrain. However, because they failed to govern with virtue and lost the people's support, they were conquered by Xia Yu. The last ruler of the Xia dynasty, Xia Jie, had the Yellow River and Jishui on the left, Taihua Mountain on the right, Longmen Mountain to the south, and Yangchang Pass to the north—all, but due to political corruption, he was driven out by Shang Tang. The last ruler of the Shang dynasty, Zhou Zhou, had Mengmen Mountain on the left, Taihang Mountain on the right, Hengshan Mountain to the north, and the Yellow River to the south. Because he was cruel and unjust, he was defeated by King Wu of Zhou and committed suicide. It is clear that the safety of a state lies in virtue, not in natural defenses. If Your Majesty does not govern with virtue, even the people on this very boat will become your enemies!" Wuhou was deeply inspired and highly praised Wu Qi.
On another occasion, Wei Wuhou asked him, "How can we ensure that the army's formation is stable during battle, its defense impenetrable, and its offense victorious?" Wu Qi replied, "If we place virtuous and talented people in high positions and less virtuous and talented ones in lower positions, the army's formation will naturally be stable. If we allow the people to live and work in peace and foster good relations with government officials at all levels, the army's defense will naturally be impenetrable. If we make the people praise their own ruler and dislike the ruler of neighboring states, victory in war will be certain." This was Wu Qi's emphasis on virtue and the people's support, which was rare and valuable under the historical conditions of his time and formed the ideological foundation for his remarkable achievements. Wu Qi governed the Western River for over twenty years and was highly valued by Wei Wuhou for his outstanding talent and glorious military exploits. Later, Gongshu, the son-in-law of Wei Wuhou, succeeded him as prime minister and became envious of Wu Qi. He often spoke ill of Wu Qi in front of Wuhou, accusing him of being disloyal to Wei. At first, Wuhou did not fully believe him, but over time, he grew suspicious and dismissed Wu Qi from his post as governor of the Western River. Fearing further persecution, Wu Qi left Wei in 383 BCE (the 19th year of King An of Zhou) and joined the state of Chu. As he bid farewell to the Western River, his eyes filled with tears, and he said with great sorrow, "If the king listens to slander and does not understand my loyal intentions to serve the country, the Western River region will soon be lost to the Qin state, and Wei will gradually weaken." As predicted by Wu Qi, after his departure, the Wei army suffered frequent defeats, and within less than two decades, the entire Western River region was occupied by Qin.
After arriving in Chu, Wu Qi was highly valued by King Dao of Chu and quickly became the Chanyu (a position equivalent to prime minister). At that time, although Chu was a large vassal state, it had not yet implemented reforms, suffered from political corruption, economic poverty, and weak military strength. Despite being past sixty, Wu Qi remained vigorous and full of ambition. He defied the strong opposition of the old aristocracy of Chu and vigorously promoted a policy of reform, enriching the state and strengthening the military. With the support of King Dao, Wu Qi adopted measures such as "clarifying laws and reviewing orders," abolishing hereditary fiefdoms, canceling noble privileges, rewarding farmers and warriors, and strictly disciplining the army. Within just over a year, he made Chu prosperous. He pacified the Baiyue tribes to the south, conquered Chen and Cai to the north (small vassal states located in southeastern Henan and northwestern Anhui), and repelled invasions from Wei, Zhao, and Han. He defeated Qin's army to the northwest and achieved consecutive victories, shaking the world with his prestige.
However, good times did not last. In 381 BCE (the 11th year of King An of Zhou), less than two years after Wu Qi joined Chu, King Dao died. The old aristocracy of Chu immediately launched a rebellion, surrounded the royal palace, and captured Wu Qi. In a desperate situation, Wu Qi rushed into King Dao's mausoleum and lay upon the king's body, where he was shot to death by arrows. He was approximately sixty-three years old. Those who killed him were also executed for the crime of shooting arrows at the king's corpse.
A legendary general, Han Xin, lived in Han Village, Huaiyin County, Jiangsu during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. A young man named Han Xin, whose father was a hardworking and wise man who spared no expense to educate him, grew up in modest circumstances. Han Xin was intelligent from a young age and lived up to expectations, memorizing everything he learned. His diligence and eagerness to learn earned him the respect of his teachers. Once, his teacher said to his students, "Among all the students I have taught, only Han Xin has the potential to become great and achieve something significant." Unfortunately, when Han Xin was twelve, his father died of exhaustion. His mother fell ill with various ailments, and the family gradually became impoverished. When Han Xin was fifteen, his mother passed away, and he had to drop out of school. From then on, he had no one to rely on and lived alone by the river, surviving by fishing.
Han Xin had a fondness for martial arts and learned some boxing, swordsmanship, and kung fu from a local martial arts master. The master, seeing his intelligence and dedication, gifted him his own sword, which Han Xin cherished and often wore. When Han Xin was sixteen, the Qin emperor ruled with tyranny, and the people suffered. Additionally, a drought in Huaiyin caused the river levels to drop, and fish became scarce. Han Xin often went hungry because he could not catch enough fish to exchange for silver. One day, he fainted by the river under the scorching sun, having no food and feeling the heat.
Not far downstream, a middle-aged woman with a beautiful face, accompanied by her fourteen-year-old daughter Zijuan, was washing clothes by the river. The woman, known as a "river washer" who earned a living by doing laundry, saw the unconscious Han Xin and quickly ran to his side with her daughter. She helped him up and noticed his pale complexion. "You must have fainted from hunger," she said. "Don't worry, if you drink some rice porridge, you'll be fine. Help me carry you to our home." The woman and Zijuan took Han Xin to their home. Lying in bed, the woman spooned rice porridge into Han Xin's mouth. Gradually, Han Xin regained consciousness and opened his eyes.
"You're Han, right? Where do you come from? Why are you starving?" the woman asked. Han Xin, feeling ashamed, recounted his story and current situation. The woman, moved by his plight and impressed by his youthful appearance and simplicity, said, "Since you have no one, if you don't mind my humble abode and simple meals, you can stay with me. This is Zijuan, and I have another daughter named Wenjuan. You can consider yourselves brothers!" Han Xin, though the hut was simple, found it tidy and saw the woman's kindness and warmth. He nodded and said, "Thank you, mother, for your kindness. If I achieve success in the future, I will surely repay your favor."
From then on, Han Xin lived with the woman, helping her with manual labor. She treated him as her own son. A year passed, and one winter, Han Xin went to the mountains to gather firewood. As small snowflakes began to fall under a gloomy sky, he finished his load and was about to return home when he suddenly saw an old man with white hair and a youthful appearance practicing martial arts on a small flat area. Without hesitation, Han Xin put down his firewood and walked over to watch. The old man's swordsmanship was at its peak, and the sharp sword blades danced above him, while snowflakes fell around him without touching him.
Overwhelmed, Han Xin exclaimed, "Excellent swordsmanship!" The old man immediately sheathed his sword and looked up to see a young man. Turning to leave, the old man was stopped by Han Xin, who knelt before him. "Please, master, take me as your disciple!" The old man examined Han Xin closely and saw his clear features and heroic aura. Impressed, he paused and asked, "Do you enjoy martial arts?"
Han Xin, eager to answer, replied, "I have always loved both literature and martial arts, but due to poverty, my skills are limited. Today, I am fortunate to meet a great master. Please, master, take me as your disciple. Otherwise, I will kneel here until dark." The old man smiled slightly. "Ah! You are truly sincere. Why do you wish to learn martial arts?"
Han Xin thought for a moment and said, "To serve the country in the future, to eliminate tyranny, and to assist a wise ruler in creating peace!" The old man, surprised by Han Xin's ambition at such a young age, thought, "He has such lofty aspirations and will surely become a pillar of the state." He then said, "Since you wish to learn, I will take you as my disciple and teach you both martial arts and strategy."
Overjoyed, Han Xin quickly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, master!" The old man added, "First, get up. Today, carry the firewood home and wait here for three days." With that, he turned and left. Han Xin watched the old man's figure disappear before standing up and carrying his firewood down the mountain.