People often describe the victory of the small with the small as the worm shaking the tree. It means that the weak forces can defeat the strong opponents when they unite. In fact, there is also an idiom that is not commonly used, "Three households will destroy the Qin Dynasty", which refers to the same. The allusion to this meaning is "Although Chu has three households, if Qin is destroyed, Chu will definitely die".
This sentence comes from Volume 7 of "Historical Records" written by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty. It can be seen that this sentence was not said by Sima Qian, but he quoted the words of Duke Nan of Chu. This also became a famous saying during the Qin Dynasty to resist the oppression of the violent Qin rule.
Who is Chu Nan Gong? He was a hermit in the Chu state during the Warring States Period, and he said this famous saying before the fall of Chu. At the same time, this sentence played a prophetic role, accurately predicting the trajectory of Qin's demise, turning this sentence into a prophecy, just like "The great Chu will rise and Chen Sheng will be king", so it was also cast a shadow in that era. A mysterious color.
"Although Chu has three households, Chu will definitely destroy Qin" literally means: Even if only three ethnic groups are left in the Chu State, it must be the Chu State that causes Qin to perish. Of course, the three here is an approximate number. It describes that weak energy can be successful when united, and expresses a firm belief.
So who do the three households in this sentence refer to? This is quite controversial in academic circles. There are five theories in detail. 1. Sanhu refers to the place name
In history, there was Sanhu City, located in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area of ??Shiyan City, Hubei Province today. It was the ancestral temple of the Chu people at that time. If put into the whole sentence, the meaning is: Even though there are only three dilapidated ancestral temples left in the city of Chu, the determination to overthrow Qin is still as strong as before. Er and Sanhu refer to the three major surnames of Chu State: Qu, Jing and Zhao.
The Mi surname in the popular drama "The Legend of Mi Yue" is the surname of the Chu State. Its main branch is the Xiong family, which is also divided into three surnames: Qu, Jing and Zhao, that is, three households. Wei Zhao is its representative.
These three clans are three forces that cannot be underestimated, and they have a pivotal position in Chu State. They are the political, military and economic pillars of Chu State. The implication is that as long as the connections between these three clans continue, the Chu State's determination to revive the country's hatred will not be extinguished. 3. Metaphor of small strength but great determination
The Chu people uttered such lamentations, which contained the unwillingness and anger of the losers, indicating that they were in a weak position at the moment. However, the Chu people who survived the disaster would not forget their original intention. They were not frightened by Qin's temporary power and tyranny. Instead, they became more courageous and more determined to destroy Qin. 4. Refers to Chen Sheng, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, the three anti-Qin representatives
The three households may also refer to Chen Sheng, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, who made great contributions to overthrowing the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty. Three people.
Chen Sheng's uprising claimed to be the "Zhang Chu regime", and his determination to destroy Qin was vividly demonstrated in the battle; Xiang Yu was a pure Chu man; Liu Bang was a Wei man before Qin unified the six kingdoms, but he did He was a general of Chu State, and among his ministers there were many Chu people. 5. Referring to Qu Yuan, the Sanlu doctor
Qu Yuan was a poet and politician from Chu State during the Warring States Period. He founded Chu Ci, and most of his poems had patriotic themes. After the Ying capital of the Chu State was captured by the Qin army, Qu Yuan desperately threw himself into the Miluo River and died for his country. If Sanhu refers to Qu Yuan, he is well-deserved for his patriotism.
When Qin destroyed the six kingdoms and unified China, why was it only the Chu people’s sorrow that attracted the most attention?
As the leader among the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, Chu State had the most vast territory, the largest population, extremely rich products, and the most powerful military during its heyday. It was truly the largest country in the world.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu State insisted on becoming stronger and bigger, but it had maintained peace with other great powers for generations and never thought of replacing them.
In the Warring States Period, Qin's ambition to unify all countries became more and more obvious, but King Huai of Chu still dreamed of the big dream of the Spring and Autumn Period, intending to live in harmony with it.
Unexpectedly, under the guidance of Shang Yang’s reforms, the Qin State had fearless tiger and wolf troops. They did not follow common sense in normal diplomatic and military activities, causing King Chu Huai to die in Qin State. These things They all made the Chu people hate the Qin State for not respecting the country's credit.
In summary, no matter who the "three households" people call are, it is not surprising that the people who destroyed Qin were Chu people. Sooner or later, the Qin State has given the Chu people unforgettable pain and lessons. It is reasonable for the Chu people to rise up one after another and eventually overthrow the tyrannical rule of Qin.