Wisdom in History and Culture

Author: Gong Fei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Currying favor with Zhao Chuang, scheming to save Zhao Dun, currying favor, playing along for the sake of it, from the perspective of moral character, it is indeed the actions of a petty person. However, in hostile actions involving life and death, such petty acts are often quite effective. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the ruler of Jin, Lord Linggong, was a licentious and cruel sovereign. He indulged in wine and pleasure every day, extorted the people heavily, and Prime Minister Zhao Dun was deeply dissatisfied. He repeatedly advised Lord Linggong to govern well, treat wise men with respect, and avoid treacherous individuals. However, the licentious and cruel Lord Linggong paid no heed. Zhao Dun’s honest advice was like talking to a cow about music to him, and Lord Linggong even regarded Zhao Dun as a thorn in his side. At the instigation of the treacherous official Tu Anji, Lord Linggong sent someone to assassinate Zhao Dun. Fortunately, the assassin was a righteous person. He could not bear to kill a loyal minister like Zhao Dun but dared not defy Lord Linggong’s orders, so he committed suicide. Once the attempt failed, Tu Anji and Lord Linggong hatched another plot, determined to put Zhao Dun to death. Under the protection of his retainer Tie Mingming, Zhao Dun narrowly escaped a second time and fled in a hurry. As soon as Zhao Dun and his son escaped the city, they encountered Zhao Chuang, who had returned from hunting outside the city. Zhao Chuang was the brother-in-law of Lord Linggong and belonged to the same clan as Zhao Dun. He also detested Lord Linggong for neglecting state affairs and indulging in pleasure. After Zhao Dun told him the whole story, Zhao Chuang said to him, "You should find a place to hide for now, and I will handle things in the palace." How could he handle things in the palace properly? The only way was to eliminate Lord Linggong and his treacherous ministers. But how could he achieve this? After thinking for a while, Zhao Chuang finally came up with a plan. So he went to see Lord Linggong. After meeting Lord Linggong, Zhao Chuang sincerely said, "Someone in our Zhao clan has committed a crime. Please, Your Majesty, dismiss me and punish me." Seeing Zhao Chuang like this, Lord Linggong thought he was honest and loyal. He said to Zhao Chuang, "Zhao Dun has repeatedly wronged me, and I can no longer tolerate it. This has nothing to do with you. You may rest assured in your post." After Zhao Chuang’s success, he flattered Lord Linggong by saying, "A ruler of a country must enjoy pleasure in the present. Otherwise, what is the point of being a ruler? In the past, Duke Huan of Qi had countless beauties in his palace, besides his principal wife. He even took six more wives. Moreover, our former ruler Duke Wen, who was over sixty, still took concubines. You are at the prime of your life, in the best years of your life. You should select many beautiful women to bring into the palace for your enjoyment." After Zhao Chuang’s persuasion, Lord Linggong was eager to hear more and said to Zhao Chuang, "In your opinion, who is most suitable to select beautiful women for me?" Zhao Chuang replied immediately, "Does the king not have confidence in his own judgment? Besides Tu Anji, no one can do this well. Minister Tu Anji is loyal to the king and highly capable. No one is more suitable than him." So Lord Linggong sent Tu Anji to the people of Jin to select beautiful women. Once Tu Anji was diverted, the opportunity to eliminate Lord Linggong matured. One day, Zhao Chuang said to Lord Linggong, "Your Majesty often visits the Peach Garden for outings. For your safety, I will select some soldiers to guard you." Lord Linggong thought this was a sign of Zhao Chuang’s loyalty and readily agreed without hesitation. Zhao Chuang returned and selected two hundred of his trusted armored soldiers, arranged them, and then went to report to Lord Linggong, saying, "The guards are all selected for you. Please, Your Majesty, go to the Peach Garden for inspection." Seeing the guards Zhao Chuang had selected were all spirited and energetic, Lord Linggong was very pleased and specially asked Zhao Chuang to pour him wine. When Lord Linggong was in the midst of his revelry, Zhao Chuang gave a signal, and the two hundred armored soldiers shouted together. Before Lord Linggong could react, he was already dead. In this way, Zhao Chuang endured hardship and finally achieved his goal. After Lord Linggong was executed, Zhao Chuang invited Zhao Dun back to govern the country and made Duke Wen’s youngest son the ruler of Jin, who later became Duke Chenggong of Jin. P3-P4