Zhang Liang was the founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty, a famous statesman and an outstanding adviser, and was known as the "Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty" together with Han Xin and Xiao He. As a famous minister of his generation, Zhang Liang can be said to have enjoyed a happy and prosperous life. If you advance, you will become a teacher of the emperor, rejuvenating the country; if you retreat, you will be transformed into a carefree person, ignoring worldly affairs and living a wealthy life. This kind of life is what many literati in the past and today have pursued and longed for. Zhang Liang's life is a pinnacle that future generations are destined to be unable to surpass. They can only fall behind and leave nothing to envy and regret.
History has mostly rated Zhang Liang as Liu Bang’s right-hand man and effective adviser. But I think only Wang Anshi's evaluation of Zhang Liang is the most to the point. Wang Anshi said that Zhang Liang was the real core and brains of Liu Bang's regime. The reason why Zhang Liang was willing to stand behind Liu Bang and make suggestions silently was actually because Zhang Liang was using Liu Bang's help to fulfill his lifelong wish, which was to overthrow the brutal Qin Dynasty and avenge his close friend Han.
The world only knows about Corporal Liu Bang's Li Xian, but they don't know that Liu Bang's Corporal Li Xian was more interested in Zhang Liang. As for other people, when Liu Bang couldn't stand it, he would not only curse them, but sometimes he would even beat them himself regardless of the image. Whenever he faced Zhang Liang, Liu Bang always called him "Zifang" affectionately. You know, it is not easy for Liu Bang, a rough man who speaks dirty words, to treat Zhang Liang with such respect.
When Liu Bang successfully ascended to the throne and became emperor, the wise Zhang Liang keenly realized that the era of promising scholars had passed, and the era of being the emperor's teacher had also passed. After all, there are lessons learned from the past. The "imperial system" of the Qin Dynasty turned the literati and wise men into slaves of the cruel and rude feudal dynasty, without any dignity at all as literati and intellectuals.
Historians have said: The storms of the Qin and Han Dynasties in the eight years were actually a competition between the two nobles Zhang Liang and Xiang Yu. The same thing is that both of them have the same goal, which is to overthrow the rule of the Qin Dynasty. As the third person here, Liu Bang's purpose is to fish in troubled waters and take advantage of the opportunity to gain power. As one of the main figures in the struggle for hegemony between the Qin and Han Dynasties, Zhang Liang has been quietly scheming and directing this historical drama behind the scenes, so much so that a generation of overlords had to commit suicide in Wujiang River. A beautiful and slightly sad ending.
As soon as Xiang Yu died, Zhang Liang became the last traditional nobleman in Chinese history. Where does this come from? Because China's aristocratic group has long been annihilated since the Qin Dynasty, and has declined in the long river of history. The few remaining people who still possess the aristocratic spirit are already rare and can no longer be regarded as a group.
Because the title of nobility does not value the amount of wealth or status, but a noble spirit, a good upbringing under the influence of culture, and a sense of responsibility in social development. The worship of freedom from the inside out. Only when the nobles of the past had these three points could they be called true nobles. Therefore, there were no nobles in Chinese history after Zhang Liang.
Speaking of Zhang Liang and Xiang Yu, not only do they have the same goals, but they also have many similarities in their origins. Both of them are nobles of the Six Nations, and both have a heart for revenge. Zhang Liang’s ancestors produced five generations of Korean generals. By the time of Zhang Liang’s generation, Korea was already sunset, but the king of Han still valued Zhang Liang’s family very highly. Then the domineering and powerful Qin State destroyed Korea. , the prosperous days of the Zhang Liang clan have come to an end.
In 230 BC, the Qin State completely eliminated and annexed South Korea. At this time, Zhang Liang was studying etiquette in Huaiyang to prepare for becoming an official in the court in the future. However, the Qin army not only broke through the city wall of South Korea, but also shattered Zhang Liang's dream. The Zhang family's wealth has been wiped out, and countless members of the clan have been killed and injured. It is difficult to regain the past glory. How can Zhang Liang not hate Qin in his prime? Once the seeds of hatred are planted, they will soon take root and sprout. Then, in order to take revenge, Zhang Liang spent all his family property just to offer a huge reward for the master who could assassinate Qin Shihuang.
Perhaps God was so moved by Zhang Liang’s will and determination that he found an excellent master. A super strong man threw a 120-pound ball at Qin Shihuang’s car. Unfortunately, the hammer only hit Qin Shihuang's passenger car, but Qin Shihuang luckily escaped. Qin Shihuang, who survived the disaster, was furious and started a nationwide search for Zhang Liang, implying that Zhang Liang, who failed, saw that he could not confront him head-on, so he began to plan to "outwit" him.