Examples of the Past
Confucius
Confucius devoted his life to emphasizing virtue and moral values ??in order to restore social peace and harmony. His teachings are what we now refer to as Confucianism. This theory continues to exert a profound influence on Chinese societies around the world.
Confucius was born in the state of Lu in 551 BC, which is today's Qufu in Shandong. He was born into a noble family. His family valued knowledge more than gold and silver. Therefore, Confucius had the opportunity to read many poems and books at home since he was a child.
When Confucius was two years old, his father died. Since the family still enjoyed aristocratic status, Confucius and his mother lived reasonably well. When Confucius was 20 years old, he served as a minor official in the state of Lu, responsible for managing the granary, and later transferred to managing the pasture. As Confucius studied hard, his knowledge became more and more profound, and his interest in improving social order and harmony became more and more intense. But the king of Lu ignored his advice, so Confucius decided to spread his ideas through teaching.
When Confucius was 30 years old, he accepted his first three disciples. By the time he died at the age of 72, his students had increased to 3,000, 72 of whom later became famous scholars.
Before Confucius engaged in education, only children of aristocrats had the opportunity to study. Confucius founded the first private school, which accepted students from all walks of life across the country and implemented universal education without distinction. His teaching method is to first ask students questions and then spread his knowledge and ideas through the answers.
Confucius lived in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, society was in turmoil, and countries were attacking each other. The monarchs at that time were weak and incompetent and unable to control the overall situation. As a result, the people were lawless and did whatever they wanted.
Confucius believed that if people abide by the basic morals of life and pay attention to etiquette and benevolence, society will be peaceful. He especially taught that people should respect each other, honor their parents, and respect their king.
After the new king of Lu came to the throne, he appointed Confucius to serve as a court official. However, the weak-willed new monarch rarely listened to Confucius's opinions and indulged in wine, music, sensuality, and horses all day long, regardless of state affairs. Disappointed, Confucius decided to take his disciples away and travel around the country.
Between 497 and 484 BC, Confucius and his disciples traveled around the world. Although the monarchs of various countries admired his knowledge and wisdom, they did not dare to reuse him because they were concerned about his talent and feared that they would lose their power. Confucius returned to the state of Lu when he was 67 years old. While teaching, he also wrote books and theories, and compiled "Spring and Autumn", a book on the early history of China.
Confucius did not live a happy life in his later years (the last five years). He was often sick, and his only son and several beloved disciples died one after another, which made him even more sad. He finally died of illness in 479 BC.
After Confucius died, his disciples continued to promote his "gentleman" doctrine. There are many Confucian works about Confucius' theory. To this day, he is still one of the greatest educators in China. His views and thoughts on social behavior are still valuable today.
Su Wu
Su Wu died in 60 BC, but to this day, his steadfast sentiments and patriotic spirit are still respected by people. His enemies gave him money and status and asked him to betray the king and serve them. However, he refused to accept or surrender. As a result, he was forced to herd sheep in northeastern China and spent 19 years of loneliness and hardship.
Su Wu was born during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Like his father, he was an official in the court. When he was 41 years old, he was ordered to go to the Huns as the emperor's envoy. This is a neighboring country founded by the Turkic-speaking people of Central Asia.
In 101 BC, the new leader of the Xiongnu decided to seek peace with the Han Dynasty and send the detained Han people back home. In order to repay his kindness, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Su Wu to escort the detained Huns back to his country, and brought generous gifts to the new king of the Huns. Su Wu and his delegation of 100 people completed their mission.
However, on the way back, his deputy Zhang Sheng came to light for his plot to kidnap the Hun Queen Mother. As a result, Su Wu was arrested and brought to the King of the Hun for questioning.
Since the Hun King had a deep impression on Su Wu, he was willing to forgive Su Wu if Su Wu was willing to surrender. Su Wu did not accept his kindness. Instead, he explained to the King of the Huns that although he himself was not involved in the kidnapping conspiracy, he felt that he should be responsible for the actions of the deputy envoy. Because he had embarrassed the emperor of the Han Dynasty, he had no shame to return to his country. As he spoke, he drew his sword and committed suicide. However, Su Wu did not commit suicide but only injured himself. Later, after being treated by Xiongnu doctors, he finally recovered. Afterwards, the King of the Huns had a better impression of Su Wu, so he asked his close minister Wei Lu to persuade Su Wu to surrender.
Wei Lu first threatened Zhang Sheng with death, which frightened Zhang Sheng into surrendering, but Su Wu remained indifferent. Wei Lu then offered glory and wealth as inducements, but these were rejected by the upright Su Wu.
The King of the Huns thought that if Su Wu suffered a lot, he would change his mind, so he put him in a dungeon without giving him food or water. Su Wu was hungry and thirsty, so he had to eat ice and snow on the ground to satisfy his hunger and thirst, but he refused to betray his country.
Then, the King of the Huns ordered Su Wu to be exiled to the icy and snowy Northeast to herd sheep, and told him that he was not allowed to leave Lake Baikal there until the ram gave birth to lambs.
Life in the icy and snowy Northeastern wilderness was extremely difficult, but despite this, Su Wu remained steadfast and remained loyal to the king and country.
Later, the Xiongnu king sent Li Ling, an official of the Han Dynasty who had surrendered earlier, to persuade Su Wu to surrender. However, Li Ling failed to persuade Su Wu to surrender. Li Ling told Su Wu that two of his brothers committed suicide in the line of duty, his mother died of old age, his wife had apparently remarried, and his son seemed to be missing, so there was no point in going back.
However, Su Wu remained indifferent to all this. On the contrary, he told Li Ling that if he had to surrender, he would commit suicide immediately. Li Ling failed to persuade Su Wu to surrender and had to leave. However, he admired Su Wu's just behavior even more.
After 19 years of shepherding life, Su Wu finally got permission from the new king of the Huns to return to his country. By that time, Su Wu's hair was completely white, and his delegation members were dying and surrendering, leaving only nine people to accompany him back to his hometown.
At that time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had passed away, and Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne. In order to reward his steadfast patriotism, Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty awarded Su Wu generous gifts and granted him a fief. However, Su Wu still lived a simple life and gave most of his wealth to others. Su Wu died of illness at the age of 83.
During the Xiongnu period, Su Wuda could choose to be rich and powerful and defect to the enemy country, but he would rather be loyal to his king and motherland, even if he suffered all the hardships. For the sake of patriotism, he spent his prime years shepherding sheep in the wilderness. However, this also made him famous and respected forever.
Mazu
Mazu is people’s affectionate name for the goddess of the sea. Her surname is Lin Mo. She is a brave and fearless person, and she is also a legendary and deified person. According to historical records, Mazu was born on March 23, the first year of Jianlong in the Song Dynasty (AD 960). Because she did not cry from birth to the age of two months, her parents named her "Mo".
She was extremely smart at a young age. She entered school at the age of eight and could understand passages with deep sentences. She is kind-hearted, gentle, and enthusiastic about helping others. She became a Buddhist at the age of ten. When she grows up, she is determined not to get married. Determine to do good deeds and help others throughout your life. Concentrate on charity and public welfare undertakings. She studied medical science intensively, treated people's illnesses, and taught them how to prevent epidemics and eliminate disasters. When people encounter difficulties, they are willing to discuss them with her and ask her for help.
Lin Mo grew up in Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian, on the coast of the sea, and is familiar with water. At that time, fishing and merchant ships traveling between Meizhou Island and the mainland often ran aground on rocks at sea, and Lin Mo always rushed to the rescue in time; so people said that she could "cross the sea on a seat."
She is also familiar with astronomy and meteorology, can predict weather changes, and inform boat owners in advance whether they can sail. Therefore, people call her "Goddess" and "Dragon Girl".
When Lin Mo was sixteen, one day, her father and brother went to sea. The weather suddenly changed and there were strong winds and waves. She had a premonition that something unexpected would happen to her father and brother, and she cried bitterly. Soon, when the storm calmed down, she took a boat out to sea to look for her father and brother. She found her father and saved her life. She also picked up her brother's body and buried it. The villagers were deeply moved by Lin Mo's heroic act of saving her father and finding her brother, and her reputation as a "filial daughter" spread.
On September 9, 987 AD, Lin Mo passed away at the age of 27. On this day, there were many legends among the people on Meizhou Island. Some said they saw a colorful cloud rising slowly on the Meifeng Peak, and some said they heard bursts of sweet music in the air. ． ． ． ． ．
From then on, sailing people also said that Lin Mo was often seen flying on the sea wearing red colors and rescuing people in distress. Gradually, sailing people generally worship Mazu statues to pray for safe and smooth sailing.
Lin Mo, who often sacrificed her life to save others, was deeply respected and loved by the people. After her death, subsequent emperors (Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties) issued imperial edicts and conferred titles as many as 28 times. During the Qing Dynasty, there were honorific titles such as "Tianfei", "Tianhou" and "Heavenly Virgin". "Tian Hock Keng", a temple dedicated to Mazu, is located on Telok AYER Street. It was built in 1842, 23 years after Singapore opened its doors. It is one of the oldest temples in my country. It is also the temple most commonly visited by Chinese people to offer incense. After the Chinese who came from southern China to make a living safely arrived in Singapore, they would go to the temple to express their gratitude and pray for smooth sailing and safety on their next voyage.
As early as 1115 AD, Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty decreed that Lin Mo be named "Mrs. Chongfu". The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan founded the "Chong Fook Girls' School" next to the "Thin Hock Temple" in 1915. The school was named after this edict to commemorate the brave and fearless Lin Mo.
Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan passed away more than two thousand years ago, but his patriotism and his sympathy and concern for the sufferings of his compatriots are still remembered by people to this day, especially during the Dragon Boat Festival. Missed. The reason why Qu Yuan stands out among other patriots is that he left many beautiful poems. His works are permeated with his strong love and affection for his country and fellow citizens.
Qu Yuan was born around 340 BC. His era was the so-called Warring States Period in Chinese history. As its name suggests, this era is an era in which countries often attack each other and compete fiercely. The seven great powers at that time were Chu, Qin, Qi, Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei.
The patriotic poet Qu Yuan was born in a noble family of Chu State. His ancestors were related to the king of Chu. His father served as an official in the court. Due to these two factors, Qu Yuan lived a very happy childhood and enjoyed the privilege of education since he was a child.
He is smart, hard-working, and gifted with a strong memory. He was knowledgeable and talented. When King Huai of Chu heard of his name, he made him an official. He was only in his twenties at that time.
Although Qu Yuan was young, he had an in-depth understanding of the political situation at that time. He saw that among the seven major countries, Qin had the greatest ambition and was the biggest threat to Chu. Qu Yuan suggested to King Huai of Chu that the King of Chu should form an alliance with other countries to resist Qin.
Qu Yuan's strategy was accepted. He was first sent to Qi State. At first, King Qi had concerns about Qu Yuan's intentions. Later, Qu Yuan finally convinced King Qi with his sincerity and detailed analysis. The King of Qi not only signed a contract with Chu, but also agreed to form an alliance with Chu and other countries to fight against Qin. The relevant six-nation alliance was formally established in 318 BC. Because Qu Yuan has always played an important role, King Huai of Chu was recognized as the leader of the Six Nations.
After the Six-Nation Alliance eliminated the threat of Qin, Qu Yuan concentrated his efforts on strengthening domestic stability. Qu Yuan's diplomatic success left a good impression on King Chu Huai, who again asked him to formulate plans to manage the country's internal affairs.
Qu Yuan clearly saw that although the Chu State was relatively large, the people were poor and lived an unhappy life, mainly because the country's ruling power was in the hands of the nobles, and they only cared about their own promotion and wealth. That’s all. Capable loyal ministers are often framed by treacherous ministers in the court, and the king is also surrounded by opportunists. Although he knew that he would offend those treacherous nobles, Qu Yuan was still determined to suggest to King Huai of Chu: attract more talents to work in the court. However, when he made a proposal to King Huai of Chu, he fell into the trap of a traitor in the court.
Some senior officials in the court were worried that Qu Yuan's reform plan would make them lose power, and they spoke ill of Qu Yuan to King Huai of Chu. With the help of the Chu King's favorite concubine, these people convinced the Chu King that Qu Yuan was becoming more and more arrogant and no longer respected him that much. Therefore, the weak-willed King of Chu decided to remove his loyal minister Qu Yuan from his official position.
Qu Yuan dismissed his official position and returned home, feeling extremely sad. He was not sad because he had lost his official position, but because he believed that if reforms were not implemented, the Chu State would weaken. He expressed all the sadness in his heart in the poems he wrote at this time.
At this time, the scheming King of Qin pretended to agree to cede territory to Chu and persuaded King Huai of Chu to withdraw from the alliance with Qi. The King of Chu later realized that he had been tricked and sent troops to attack Qin. But his soldiers were poorly trained. How could he defeat the well-trained Qin soldiers? Han and Wei were angry at the breakdown of the alliance and took the opportunity to attack Chu's border.
King Huai of Chu was attacked by enemies from both sides. Only then did he realize that what Qu Yuan had said to him before was correct. Therefore, he summoned Qu Yuan back to serve in the court.
Qu Yuan was ordered to renegotiate the alliance with Qi. Because he was eloquent and argued hard, he finally completed his mission. However, King Huai of Chu was still influenced by other court officials, who still advocated maintaining closer relations with Qin.
The King of Chu did not listen to Qu Yuan's advice and was deceived into going to Qin to negotiate peace. As a result, he was captured and imprisoned in Qin's prison, where he died three years later.
The new king of Chu did not avenge his father, but instead married a princess of Qin. The consort who became his father’s enemy! When Qu Yuan tried to persuade the new king not to accept the match, he was instead exiled to the northern frontier. (The king of Chu did not dare to execute the upright Qu Yuan because he was widely loved by the people.) At that time, Qu Yuan was 47 years old.
In the next fifteen years, Qu Yuan lived in exile with no fixed residence. At this time, the Qin army intensified its rebellion and invaded the center of Chu State. Even the capital was looted and plundered after King Chu escaped from the palace.
Qin’s invasion brought great suffering to the people of Chu, causing their families to be destroyed and displaced. The dignified people of Chu State became homeless refugees.
The suffering of his compatriots made Qu Yuan so sad that he became as thin as a stick and his hair turned pale prematurely. He had no choice but to vent his grief, anger and dissatisfaction through poetry.
By 278 BC, Qu Yuan's wish to expel the invader Qin obviously could not be realized. He felt melancholy about this powerless situation and the demise of his country
so he devoted himself to Miluo Jiang committed suicide. The patriotic poet was 62 years old at the time.
As soon as the villagers along the Miluo River heard the news that he had committed suicide by throwing himself into the river, they immediately rowed boats to try to find his body. In order to prevent his body from being eaten by the fish, the villagers threw rice dumplings into the river to feed the fish after failing to find the body. This is the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
To this day, every fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Singaporean Chinese celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who cared about the country and the people.
Kong Rong
Kong Rong and Guan Gong (Guan Yu) were both people of the same era. Just like Guan Gong, he also lost his life to defend the Han Dynasty. Guan Gong was famous for his heroic deeds, while Kong Rong was famous for his knowledge and courtesy.
Kong Rong is the twentieth generation descendant of Confucius. He was born in AD 153. He once served as the governor of Beihai (now Shandong Province), so he was also called Kong Beihai.
He was knowledgeable and widely respected, and was one of the Seven Sons of Jian'an.
Although Kong Rong was famous for his politeness, he spoke his words directly, even if he offended others.
His outspokenness and loyalty to the Han emperor ultimately cost him his life. Although Cao Cao at that time admired his knowledge and talents, Kong Rong's reputation worried Cao Cao, who was cunning and ambitious in trying to overthrow the emperor. Worried that Kong Rong would sabotage his plans, Cao Cao killed him in 208 AD. Kong Rong was only 55 years old when he was killed. Although he did not live long, he established a reputation for himself as a patriotic scholar and a courteous person. There are two stories that illustrate his wit and courtesy.
When he was ten years old, Kong Rong followed his father to Luoyang to meet a well-known official Li Yuanli. He was very knowledgeable and many scholars wanted to get to know him. However, there were too many people to accommodate them, so Li Yuanli decided to only receive relatives and friends.
Kong Rong came to the door of Li Mansion and told the gatekeeper that he and his father were relatives of the owner of Li Mansion. The gatekeeper took them to their master. Of course Li Yuanli wanted to know if he was related to them.
Kong Rong explained generously: My ancestor Confucius once asked your ancestor Laozi (Li Laojun) for etiquette. Your ancestor was the teacher of my ancestor, so we should be family friends.
After listening to Kong Rong's reasoning, Li Yuanli and his guests were full of praise for his intelligence and wit. However, one of the guests said sarcastically: "You are young, so older may not be better." Kong Rong immediately retorted: "Then I think you must have been great when you were young." The guest was refuted by him and was embarrassed. My face turned red and I was speechless for a long time. Another famous story about Kong Rong happened when he was four years old. One day, his father bought some pears and asked Kong Rong to choose one to eat. He chose a small one, and his father asked him why he didn't choose a big one. Kong Rong replied: My brother is older than me (it is said that Kong Rong's family has seven brothers, and he ranks sixth), so I should keep the older one for my brother.
This story about Kong Rong giving up a pear is an example of his courtesy. Courtesy is a virtue. Kong Rong’s spirit of courtesy is worth learning.
Bao Gong
Bao Gong is a well-known "selfless" and honest official. He was born in 999 AD in the Song Dynasty. His original name was Bao Zheng. Because he was upright, not afraid of power, upheld justice, redressed grievances for the people, and protected the rights of poor people and innocent people, he was respected as "Gong".
According to historical records, Bao Zheng was born in a scholarly family. His father was a minor official in the Song Dynasty, and he himself passed the Jinshi examination at the age of 29.
According to regulations, Jinshi can also be officials, so he was appointed as the Jianchang County Magistrate. However, Bao Zheng believed that his parents were old and he had the responsibility to take care of them filially, so he resigned from his official position and served his parents at home. It was not until after the death of his parents that he left home and went to Tianchang County to serve as magistrate on the advice of his elders in his hometown. At that time, he was about 40 years old.
It can be seen that Bao Zheng is not a person who loves fame and fortune. On the contrary, he sacrificed his fame and fortune to stay with his parents and take care of them. After his parents died, he became an official and lived a frugal and simple life, which is really admirable.
He regarded his philosophy of life as a family motto and carved it on the wall of his home to instruct his descendants. He told his descendants not to deceive others, steal other people's property, or bully the people. Any descendant who commits such misconduct will not be allowed to return to his family after death and will be buried in the ancestral grave.
Bao Zheng's integrity and outstanding talent were finally appreciated by Emperor Renzong. From then on, he rose through the ranks and was sent to various places to hold important positions. He died in office at the age of 63, leaving behind a 5-year-old son, Bao Yan (BAO1 YAN2), who was born in his later years.
Bao Zheng’s impartiality, unafraid of power, determination to uphold justice selflessly and his ability to distinguish right from wrong are all well known to every household. These characteristics of his are clearly explained in many novels, stories and opera legends. The reason why Bao Gong was especially respected and loved by ordinary people was that he opened his yamen so that anyone could directly redress his grievances.
If you want to appeal an unjust case in the past, you must go through the junior Yamen level. This practice has led to widespread corruption in the government and made people think that only the rich can enjoy justice. The saying "If the Yamen is open, don't come in if you have reason but no money" is the best portrayal of this phenomenon.
There are many stories and operas that describe Bao Gong's fearless spirit and courage. Even if he is a relative of the emperor, once he is found guilty, he will give him the punishment he deserves.
However, what few people know is that when Bao Gong was a senior official in Kaifeng Prefecture, he took many measures to ensure political and social stability. For example, in order to ensure that only talented people could hold important national positions, he advocated that court officials must leave their jobs and retire when they reach the age of 70. He also further proposed that the descendants of court officials and royal nobles could not automatically serve as court officials, but must pass an examination.
In order to protect the interests of ordinary people, the impartial Bao Gong also suggested that purchasing materials from the private sector should be based on market prices.
Bao Gong upheld justice for the common people throughout his life and was widely worshiped by the people after his death. His stern face is instantly recognizable to theatergoers, but this appearance is more drama than reality.
The Chinese community regards him as a symbol of justice and integrity. Some people even worship Gong Bao as a god!
Tiying
Tiying was a person from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 8 AD). She lives in Shandong. Her perseverance and courage not only vindicated her father's injustice and avoided corporal punishment, but also deeply moved Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty. Therefore, this cruel corporal punishment was abolished.
Tiying is the youngest of Chunyu Yi’s five daughters. Chunyu Yi once served as an official, but later abandoned his official position to practice medicine, saving lives and healing the wounded, and was deeply respected by the people. People came from all over and traveled long distances to seek medical treatment from him. Chunyu Yi was good at medicine and could cure people's illnesses almost every time.
Once, a noble lady was seriously ill and asked Chunyu Yi to come to her home for diagnosis and treatment. After diagnosis, he found out that the lady was terminally ill and hopeless. However, the lady's family repeatedly begged, and Chunyu Yi had no choice but to give her a few doses of herbal medicine. Soon, as expected, the lady fell seriously ill and died. However, the lady's family took advantage of the situation and insisted that Chun Yuyi had mistakenly prescribed the medicine and killed the patient. The stupid officials indiscriminately convicted him and sentenced him to physical punishment. There are three types of corporal punishment: tattooing on the face, cutting off the nose, and cutting off the left or right foot. Because Chunyu Yi had served as an official, he was escorted to the capital Chang'an to be tortured.
On the day Chunyu Yi left home, he and his family burst into tears. He was filled with sorrow and lamented that he had no sons but only five daughters. When he encountered difficulties, none of them could help him.
Tiying, known as the fifth mother (because she was the fifth), cried even more miserably after hearing this. She said to herself: "Is my daughter really useless?" She knew that following her father to Beijing would be a hard and dangerous journey, but she cared about her father very much, so she decided to accompany him to Chang'an to redress his grievances.
After going through all kinds of hardships, Tiying finally arrived in Chang'an. She heard that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty had issued an edict allowing people to complain directly through memorials if they had any grievances. Therefore, Tiying asked someone to draft a memorial to state their grievances to the emperor. In addition to redressing her father's grievance, she also pointed out the inhumane nature of corporal punishment. She said: "After a person has suffered corporal punishment, the lost limbs cannot be resurrected, and even repentance will not help." For this reason, Tiying made a final statement and said that she was willing to work as a slave for the royal family to atone for her father's sins.
After reading the memorial, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty not only expressed sympathy for Tiying, but also summoned some close officials to study her opinions on corporal punishment. After some deliberation, the ministers agreed, and the emperor abolished the above three different types of corporal punishment. Because of Tiying's righteous speech, the prisoner did not have to suffer the pain of tattooing, cutting off his nose or having his limbs chopped off. More importantly, her filial piety in redressing her father's grievances without fear of hardships made her a model of filial piety.
Guan Gong
Guan Gong (Guan Yu) is widely admired for his bravery and loyalty. Loyalty has a broad meaning, including keeping promises and keeping faith, upholding justice, and supporting the weak and eliminating the strong.
Because of these virtues, Guan Gong was promoted to a god. Some people even built temples to worship him. In ordinary temples, there is often a statue of a red-faced and black-bearded god, which is Guan Gong.
This famous warrior was born in the late second century AD. His date of birth is unknown. He died in the early third century AD, at the age of more than fifty. The faithful men and women who worship him celebrate Guan Gong’s birthday on May 13th of the lunar calendar.
The era Guan Gong lived in was a very unstable Post-Han Dynasty in Chinese history. At that time, various armies fought against each other, trying to wrest power from the weak and incompetent rulers of the Later Han Dynasty. The turmoil of this era and Guan Gong's heroic achievements are vividly recorded in the classic Chinese literature "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
Because Guan Gong killed the toubob who bullied the villagers in his hometown, he had to leave his hometown and wander around. After five years of wandering, he met Liu Bei, a member of the Han royal family, and Zhang Fei, another warrior.
At that time, Liu Bei was planning to build an army to assist the Han Emperor, so Guan Gong and Zhang Fei decided to join his cause. The three of them helped each other, loved each other, and loved each other as brothers. They finally swore to be brothers in Taoyuan.
Although the three of them met by chance, they attached great importance to the three sworn brothers in Taoyuan. From that moment on, Guan Gong decided to dedicate his life to Liu Bei and serve him loyally. The scheming Cao Cao (the rival general who eventually succeeded in placing his son on the throne) tried to lure him with the offer of a high official and a generous salary, but Guan Gong flatly refused, retaining his allegiance to his sworn brother Liu Bei. According to the records of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", after Liu Bei's army was defeated, Guan Gong was forced to surrender to Cao Cao to ensure the safety of Liu Bei's family. He put forward three conditions for surrender: (1) he would continue to serve the Han emperor; (2) Liu Bei's family must receive preferential treatment in Cao Cao's camp; (3) if Liu Bei was still alive, he would be allowed to return to Liu Bei.
Cao Cao thought that he could bribe Guan Gong with valuable gifts and general status and persuade him to submit, so he accepted Guan Gong's conditions. One day, Cao Cao found that Guan Gong's robe was torn, so he asked someone to make a new one for him. Guan Gong wore the new robe on the outside and the old robe on the inside. He explained that he had to wear his old robe again because it was a gift from his adopted brother. He cannot let the new robe take away the glory of the old robe.
Guan Gong gave Cao Cao's other gifts to Liu Bei's family. He himself still lived a simple and plain life and took good care of Liu Bei's family. As soon as Guan Gong heard the news that Liu Bei was still alive, he immediately left Cao Cao to meet Liu Bei.
In addition to his loyalty to Liu Bei, people also respect Guan Gong because of his courage, courage and perseverance. Once, his right arm was injured by a poisonous arrow. The doctor explained that the only way to save his life was to cut the injured part with a knife and then dig out the poison from the bones. He suggested that Guan Gong cover his head with a quilt and tie his injured hand to a pillar. In this way, he could not see the doctor during the operation and would not break away from his hand due to pain.
However, Guan Gong refused to accept the doctor's advice. While he was drinking, he asked the doctor to operate on his arm and dig out the poison from the bone. Although it was painful, he did not change his expression.
Although Guan Gong was brave, he was finally defeated by Cao Cao's army and captured by Sun Quan. The enemy told Guan Gong and his son that as long as they surrendered, they would be spared death. However, Guan Gong believed that the oath of allegiance he made when the three were sworn brothers in Taoyuan was more important than life, and he was killed together with his son Guan Ping.
When Guan Gong died, he was estimated to be about 59 years old. He also left behind a second son and a daughter. More importantly, after his death, he was remembered for his loyalty and bravery.
At the sworn ceremony in Taoyuan, he made a promise to Liu Bei to be his adopted brother. He kept his promise throughout his life, refused to surrender to his adopted brother's enemies, and fulfilled his righteousness with death.
Yue Fei
Yue Fei devoted his whole life to resisting foreign enemies and defending the country and the emperor. His bravery and resourcefulness brought him many victories and glory.
However, Yue Fei's military achievements and his popularity among the people aroused the emperor's jealousy and uneasiness. Later, this heroic and patriotic general was finally sentenced to death in Dali Temple by the narrow-minded Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty.
Yue Fei was born in 1103 AD in what is now Henan Province. It is said that when Yue Fei was born, a big roc flew over the roof of Yue Fei's house. Yue Fei's father thought this was an auspicious sign, so he named him "Fei" with the Chinese character "Pengju", hoping that he would have a bright future.
Yue Fei's father is a farmer. When Yue Fei was not a full moon, the Yellow River overflowed, causing great floods and making the Yue family's life even more impoverished. Therefore, Yue Fei had to start working in the fields from the age of eight or nine.
Although the Yue family's life is difficult, it cannot affect Yue Fei's love for books. He worked hard in the fields during the day and studied hard at night until late at night. He has had a special fondness for military books since he was a child.
When Yue Fei was eleven years old, his grandfather invited a famous martial arts master to teach him martial arts. Yue Fei also learned archery from another teacher. The archery master thought highly of Yue Fei and gave him his two beloved bows as gifts.
According to the tradition at the time, Yue Fei got married when he was sixteen, and gave birth to his son Yue Yun the following year. Yue Yun later grew up to become a brave general and followed his father to fight on the battlefield.
When Yue Yun was four years old, Yue Fei responded to the government's call and joined the army to resist the invading Jin soldiers. It is said that before he left home, his mother used a needle to tattoo the words "Serve the country with loyalty" on his back.
In 1122 AD, not long after Yue Fei joined the army, his father died. As a dutiful son, he went home to mourn according to tradition, and did not return to the army until 1124.
Under the invasion of Jin soldiers, the Northern Song Dynasty court was at a loss and the country was in chaos. In 1127, the Emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, his father and his family were captured by Jin soldiers and escorted to the Jin capital in northern China.
Although the emperor was captured, the patriots of the Song Dynasty continued to fight against the enemy. Yue Fei joined the ranks of these patriots and jointly established the Southern Song Dynasty, with Song Gaozong as the emperor.
In the following years, Yue Fei emerged as a heroic warrior and shrewd strategist. He won many battles and drove the Jin soldiers out of the Song Dynasty and forced them to cross the Yangtze River.
Yue Fei, who served his country loyally, wanted to pursue the victory and drive the Jin soldiers back to their hometown, and also rescued the former emperor and his family back to Beijing. However, his good intentions were jealous of Emperor Gaozong.
It turned out that Gaozong was worried that he might lose the throne after his brother (former emperor) was rescued, so he rejected Yue Fei's request to attack the Kingdom of Jin. He instead decided to make peace with the Jin Kingdom, which had repeatedly violated the peace treaty.
Yue Fei was widely loved by the people, but also aroused the emperor's dissatisfaction. Therefore, Emperor Gaozong gave Yue Fei the death penalty in 1142 for attempting to rebel. His son Yue Yun was also implicated and executed.
Yue Fei, a patriot with noble personality, was only 39 years old when he died unjustly. Although he was born in a poor peasant family, he later became a national hero because he resisted the Jin soldiers and won many battles. He was separated from his family for most of his life because he believed it was his duty to defend the country and protect the emperor.
Yue Fei’s loyalty, bravery and patriotism remain a model for future generations of patriots to this day.
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi (WANG XI ZHI) was a famous Chinese calligrapher in the Jin Dynasty. His calligraphy was popular in the world and he was respected as the "Sage of Calligraphy" by future generations. He is not only famous for his innovative calligraphy, but also for his lifelong dedication to Chinese calligraphy and his epoch-making achievements.
Wang Xizhi was born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 303 AD and began learning calligraphy when he was seven years old. His first teacher was his uncle