Article/ Qicaixiayi
01
I think of two historical figures, both young heroes and full of literary talent. He was dissatisfied with current affairs and resisted the power of the time.
Both failed and were arrested. In prison, he wrote a poem that was widely read. In the poem, he expressed his determination to die generously and calmly.
To this day, the first-class fragrance lasts through the ages and is praised by future generations. One will remain infamy for thousands of years and be abandoned by the world.
If history is a drama, both of their appearances were wonderful and won the audience's praise. At the end of the day, one person is still a hero, and the other is a traitor. Why is the difference so huge?
02
The first one is Xia Wanchun, a national hero in the late Ming Dynasty. He was reading scriptures at the age of five and could write poems at the age of seven. At the age of fourteen, he followed his father to fight against the Qing Dynasty. After his father was martyred, he continued to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Until he was defeated and captured, he died generously.
After being arrested and before being transported to Nanjing, he wrote "Farewell to the Clouds" when he was leaving Songjiang:
He recounted that he had been wandering for three years resisting the Qing Dynasty, but failed and was arrested. Lamenting that the mountains and rivers have fallen, the world is no longer broad. The road to Huangquan is close, and I don’t want to leave my hometown. The ending has an exciting tone and gives people hope.
Later, he died generously. Before his death, he also mocked Hong Chengchou, who had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. He was only seventeen years old. Three hundred years later, it is still embarrassing to think of that young man who proudly refused to kneel and died calmly!
03
The other one is the very familiar Wang Jingwei. In 1910, the 27-year-old Wang Jingwei attempted to assassinate the regent Zaifeng and was arrested and jailed and sentenced to death. In prison, he wrote a fatal poem "Being Caught", which said:
It can be said that he is extremely passionate and impassioned.
Later, Wang Jingwei was rescued by Prince Su Shanqi, and his sentence was commuted to life. Later, Wang was released from prison, and during the Anti-Japanese War, Wang established the puppet regime and became a traitor.
It’s really pity: How could you, a beautiful woman, become a thief? !
The artistic conception of Wang's ending is so different from that of that poem. Someone added a header to this poem and completely changed the meaning:
The difference between before and after is also reflected in the thought. It makes people lament the impermanence of the world.
04
They are both young heroes, living in an era of changing times and changing dynasties.
They are all revolutionaries who serve the country and the people. All have been prisoners. But because of one death and a lifetime, one is famous until now, and the other is infamy for thousands of years.
Who said it is better to die than live? ! Why is life worse than before?
I think it may be because the young man has a simple mind and a passion for serving the country and the people. But when I reach adulthood, I always worry about gains and losses, get caught up in calculations and utilitarianism, and forget the original intention back then!
05
Reminds me of Bai Juyi's poem:
At that time, King Cheng was young, and the Duke of Zhou was assisting him. There were many people around him who made irresponsible remarks. It was said that he had seized power and intended to usurp the throne. It was not until King Cheng came of age and returned to power that he became loyal.
Before Wang Mang usurped the throne, he was humble, thrifty, and courteous to virtuous officials. Those are also the five good middle-aged people that everyone praises and talks about as virtuous! Later, he usurped the Han Dynasty and established a new dynasty, and he became a traitor that everyone wanted to beat.
Think about it, if Wang Jingwei had also died in prison that year, would the evaluation of him be very different?
So many things in ancient and modern times are all made fun of! In the life of a historical figure, it seems that it is only at the end that he is determined what kind of person he is. It is really difficult to judge just half of it!
Nowadays, with the diversification of thinking, cognition has become very different.
We all say that the conclusion is final, but that may not be the case. The perspective on historical figures will also change with the changes of the times. For example, Wang Mang, many people now praise him for his avant-garde thinking, which is far ahead of his time. Some even suspected that he was a person who traveled through time in the 1980s.
Some people say: History is a little girl who can be dressed up by anyone. Views on historical figures are also benevolent and wise. We cannot be sure of other people's opinions. We can only determine whether we ourselves are benevolent or wise.
Sometimes we have to be both wise and benevolent. Understanding and looking at a character from multiple angles often yields very different results!