""Let their heads fall to the ground. This sentence may be repeated more frequently in history than "Let him live", at least in lewis carroll's Alice in Wonderland, the famous saying of the Queen of Hearts is this sentence. However, here, this sentence was not shouted by a grumpy and funny clown, but by a 7-year-old boy. This boy is not an ordinary person. He is the only son of King Henry VI of England and Princess Margaret of Anjou, known as the "Red Queen"-Prince Edward of England. Unfortunately, the troubled times made the boy unable to sit in Chu Jun's position, and he had to have some "qualities" that he should not have at this age, including indifference and cruelty to blood. When he said this, a cruel war had just ended. 146 16 February 16, the second battle broke out in St. Albans, which was one of the bloodiest massacres in wars of the roses, the most famous civil war in British history. The Lancaster Party led by the Red Queen led an army against her sworn enemy, the York Army led by Duke Warwick, the companion of the Duke of York who was executed by her not long ago. Her aim is to recapture her husband, Henry VI, who is under house arrest in these Yorkshire. More than 25,000 people fought fiercely on the battlefield. The 7-year-old boy witnessed the white snowflakes covering the blood-stained wasteland under the gray sky. More than 6,000 bodies lay across the frozen soil, and their limbs were thrown everywhere. Now, two escorted knights appeared in front of him. They are two enemy generals, Baron William Benville and Sir Thomas Kerry. The boy watched them kneel at his feet, and his mother's voice sounded in his ear: "My adopted son, how do you want to execute these two knights?" """Let their heads fall to the ground!" This is the answer of a 7-year-old boy. This answer obviously satisfied his mother. She achieved her goal and let the young children know the power of life and death that the king should control as soon as possible. However, one of the executed knights, Baron William Benville, who was called "noble and upright" at that time, cursed before being executed: "May God destroy those who instigated you to say this! Killing: Necessary technical means For readers who are familiar with the history of China, this post-war killing is not worth making a fuss about. After the war, it was a war principle that the enemy generals sacrificed their heads and beat drums with blood, which was respected and adhered to as early as Confucius' time. Although the old adage that "killing prisoners is ominous" has a long history, it does not prevent the killing behavior taken to destroy the enemy's effective forces from being carried out according to the rules. However, in English in wars of the roses, the execution of Benville and Kerry caused widespread anger and dissatisfaction. The two men didn't take part in the battle because they were both obeying orders to protect Henry VI from harm. Strictly speaking, they are not combatants, so they should be exempted. Henry VI also said that he would guarantee their life after victory. However, both the medieval war tradition and the king's gold promise were cut off by the axe waving in the air. This incident had such a profound influence that Churchill, a politician in the 20th century, devoted a space to the whole story in his concise and powerful History of English-speaking Countries, and finally commented: "People have no compassion, but they want to kill for revenge." Churchill in the book will be led to say, "Let their heads fall to the ground! 7-year-old boy, described as "furious, out of proportion to his age" (quite different from the historical facts. In fact, Prince Edward is a brave and fearless man, just by nature. This is the same as his evaluation of this incident, and he is a conservative politician who "thunders from the clouds". As an author who inherited the concept of "restraining evil and promoting good" from western classical historians, he obviously paid more attention to the moral exhortation of this incident. But for historians in the new century, technical analysis is needed before making moral and value judgments, and the most realistic judgment is often the most likely motivation of historical figures. At this point, we may have to agree with Duan Yu Hong's concise explanation of the motive of this event in his new work "The Crown of Blood: The Battle of the Roses": "The queen should cultivate a successor who is more ruthless than her husband". This statement obviously does not conform to the moral standards of later generations, but it is the most reasonable explanation from the historical background. Prince Edward's special position and the war environment in which he grew up require the future heir to the throne to learn how to stay at the top of the bloody food chain from an early age. According to medieval standards, 7-year-old boys should no longer be regarded as wet behind the ears. According to the research of J.C. Russell, a medieval historian, the average life span of British aristocrats in the Middle Ages was about 32 years old, while the life cycle of the bottom civilians was only about 2 1 year. This means that in this troubled times, complex life experiences have to be compressed in a very short life. Compared with now, a person 16 years old is barely an adult. At that time 12 years old, he had to learn to lead the troops to fight. The sons of the lords often inherited the title at the age of 20, and they have been able to skillfully compete with their brothers who covet power. It is true that although the most romantic knight legends and the most brilliant martial arts poems were born in the Middle Ages, they provided endless sources of inspiration for writers and poets in the following centuries, including the American drama Game of Thrones, whose real historical source is wars of the roses, from which almost every protagonist can find a historical prototype. Although this American drama adapted from George Raymond Richard Martin's novel of the same name is bloodthirsty enough for today's audience, compared with the real wars of the roses, the former's bloodthirsty is nothing more than staring at the blood clotted on the earth after the war, while the latter sticks out its tongue and licks the deep red liquid with warm smell on the blade. In a sense, if the book written by wars of the roses can't make readers feel that it was written with pig iron dipped in blood, then it is a failure to restore history. Duan Yuhong's book just shows the coldest, bloodiest, most realistic and perhaps the most immoral side of this power struggle. Treason and cannibalism have become the standards of the powerful, while loyalty and morality often serve as carpets covering the blood pool in the hall. There is still warm blood on the decapitated anvil that has just been carried out, and it will be carried in later. 147 1 On May 4th, 2008, in the Battle of tewkesbury in wars of the roses, Lancaster's army was destroyed and Prince Edward, heir to the throne, was killed and beheaded: the end of nobility. Only when the collar of his Red Velvet coat was torn by the executioner did Irving Tudor begin to believe that he was about to meet appointment with death on the guillotine. When he put his head on the anvil, he sighed, "This pillow is on the anvil, just like lying on Queen Catherine's lap." Before the execution, there was no lack of knight's sense of honor and beautiful words, which later became one of the poems sung by Welsh poets. However, what is exposed behind it is a devastating fact: the end of the nobility is coming with the fallen axe. Queen Catherine in Owen Tudor's mouth was the wife of former King Henry V and the mother of current King Henry VI. After Henry V's death, she married Owen Tudor (see "The Crown of Blood" on page 166- 168). In the Middle Ages, especially in Britain, women enjoyed more property rights and inherited titles and land than in Europe, and it was common to remarry with titles and land. It is not surprising that Empress Dowager Cixi remarried. He was not only the stepfather of the king, but also a respected aristocrat in China, and was related by marriage to the rebellious Welsh at that time. As Duan Yu Hong pointed out in his book, such a famous aristocrat, according to the laws of war at that time, was a considerable wealth, which could be exchanged for a huge ransom from the enemy. In an era when people can only recruit soldiers with wallets in their hands, ransom is one of the main sources of income for knights (looting is another important source). Therefore, from the economic point of view, it is not worthwhile to execute Owen Tudor. In addition, only after a proper judicial trial, it is proved that they have indeed committed treason, and the death penalty can be executed for the nobles. Although "treason" is a crime, according to the normal procedure, it takes a lot of trouble to execute a noble. However, Edward of Plantagenet, who issued the execution order, was willing to give up the huge ransom and ignored the rules and laws of war. The Battle of Mortimer's Cross, which captured Irving Tudor (took place in 146 1 February/January), was the first time that a young aristocrat aged 1 9 led the Jockton family to fight in Wang Jun, Lancaster. It stands to reason that this fledgling soldier should follow the laws of war, even if it was just a pose, but he was young. His father Richard, the Duke of Old York, was killed by Lancaster Wang Jun on the battlefield a month ago. Lancaster troops also violated the rules of respecting the bodies of nobles on the battlefield. Earl Clifford, the leader, not only deliberately killed Earl Rutland, the youngest son of the Duke of York and Edward's younger brother, but also found the body of the Duke of York, cut off his head, made it into a paper crown and put it on his head. He nailed the head wearing the paper crown to the wooden stake of the city gate together with the heads of two other Jockton people, laughing at the Duke of York's ambition to covet the throne: "Look, this!" Edward executed Irving Tudor, a Lancaster aristocrat, to get back at his father. On the other hand, Count Clifford killed Edward's younger brother and cut off and mocked his father's head. His revenge is that his father, Earl Clifford Sr, was killed by Richard, Duke of York, in the Battle of St. Albans five years ago 1455, and was humiliated in the street for a long time. When he stabbed Edward's younger brother, Count Rutland, excitedly, he shouted: "In the wrath of God, your father killed my father, and the bloody blood of the York family can go to hell!" At that time, he had inadvertently shouted out the only rule of this war: revenge and the elimination of hostile aristocratic lineage. Revenge: The chivalry in the Middle Ages must be pointed out that blood revenge is indeed one of the chivalry in the Middle Ages. There is nothing wrong with medieval morality as an heir to avenge his father. The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament specifies the method and place of revenge in detail. Although the Germanic legal system allows blood compensation to replace revenge, it still ranks homotopy revenge in the second place in law. In William the Conqueror's decree, it is allowed to kill father or son to collect blood debts. In medieval epics, revenge is often regarded as a chivalrous virtue. As described in detail in The Crown of Blood, we can find a chain of revenge from the war in wars of the roses: from 1455, the Earl of Clifford was killed by the Duke of York in the First World War of St. alban, and from 1460, during the siege of carl sandburg, the Earl of Clifford cut off the head of the Duke of York to avenge his father; 146 1 year, at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, earl of march Edward killed Owen Tudor to avenge his father, Duke of York. A month later, at the second battle of St. alban, Prince Edward, 7, ordered the execution of two York knights, which was another revenge against Owen Tudor. Ironically, every revenge killing of the nobility is a big cut to the aristocratic system, and all this is carried out in the name of the blood relatives' revenge honor that the nobility cherishes most. Edward, the son of the Duke of York, won a great victory in the war, so he became king. After the second battle of St. Albans, he marched into London. On March 4th, he was anointed in St Paul's Cathedral and crowned King Edward IV of England of England. Twenty-five days later, on the stormy battlefield of Downton, the Earl of Clifford died of an arrow in his throat. Edward IV of England of England got revenge for killing his brother and humiliating his father. However, revenge is no longer the theme of life for him. Edward IV of England, who has been crowned king, is more concerned with how to destroy the hostile aristocratic forces. When he was on the battlefield, he shouted to the soldiers chasing the enemies of the York Party: "Leave the ordinary people alone, leave the ordinary people alone! Kill the Lord! Kill the Lord! At that time, he not only forgot the established rules of war, but also showed his consideration of how to strengthen his power as a monarch who gained imperial power, as Duan Yu Hong wrote in his book: "Money is not important now, and the primary purpose is to destroy the enemy lords. "In the subsequent battle, Edward IV of England insisted on this harsh policy of exterminating local nobles. In the Battle of Hexham on 1464, six captured Lancaster nobles and knights were beheaded or 12. The Battle of Bennet and the Battle of tewkesbury in 147 1 were devastating battles against Lancaster nobles. In order to realize their cold slogan of "Kill the Lord", Edward IV of England of the English army even rushed into tewkesbury Abbey and hacked to death Lancaster who had taken refuge there. It is estimated that more than 2,000 Lancaster soldiers were killed in tewkesbury. The place where the fighting took place is called' Blood Meadow', which has been preserved to this day. Almost all Lancaster nobles were killed in this battle, and Prince Edward, the son of King Henry VI, who mentioned at the beginning of the article that he ordered them to "let their heads fall to the ground", was also killed in this battle. It is said that he was brought before Edward IV of England in England and solemnly declared, "I have come to restore my father's legal property, and his throne has been usurped. "This brave young man was beaten in the face, slit his throat and stabbed to death by angry English Edward IV of England and his brother. 1485 In the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, Richard III fought against the enemy on a white horse and finally died tragically. (1864, colored wood carving) This cruel plot was written by Shakespeare in his famous play Henry VI, and it is one of the most sighing plots. I said to you three, I am nobler than you, and you are all traitors. You usurped my father and my throne. In his plays, Shakespeare asked Prince Edward to denounce Edward IV of England and his brothers in England, and then died generously. There is only one shortcut to the upper floor. Step on the enemy, leaving a few chopped heads behind every step. Only the throne above the nobles is the most stable and safe. If you are not steady enough, you must have a restless head. Result: Cutting grass must be uprooted. 1485 On August 22nd, Richard III, who was endowed with the devil image by later generations, was killed in the battle of vilen in Bosworth. In 20 12, the remains unearthed in an underground parking lot in Leicester proved that he was the only monarch who suffered retribution, even though what he did before and after his death was no different from those cruel monarchs. " He has ten wounds all over his body, eight of which are in the head, and the back of his head has cracked. "The tragic death of Richard III not only declared the end of wars of the roses, but also restored the moral sense ravaged by war and troubled times. Created a perfect image of evil, all evil belongs to one person. At least on the surface, the Tudor monarch maintained the moral outlook of the upright side. However, they always have bloody genes in their veins, but they are not as unscrupulous as in wars of the roses. The new king will also use the guillotine to deal with the conspirators. Killing is still necessary, even to entertain Londoners. The heads of the nobles who were cut off were not necessarily more sinful than those in wars of the roses. Thomas Moore, who wrote The Biography of King Richard, welcomed the new dynasty and angered the old king. He was one of the murderers on the guillotine. The new monarchs are also familiar with power and blood. Although The Crown of Blood only wrote about henry vii's accession to the throne and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, the final victim of The Battle of the Roses was half a century after the end of the war. English brother Edward IV of England, Duke of Clarence, drowned in a barrel of wine for resisting the king, but his daughter Margaret was still alive. By 154 1, she was 69 years old and had already faded out of politics. However, the reigning King Henry VIII was afraid of her pure Yorkshire descent and ordered her to be beheaded. However, the last orphan of the York family did not wait quietly for death. She dodged the guillotine, but was finally caught up by an angry executioner, grabbed her hair and hacked her to death with an axe.