1. Sima Qian worked hard to write "Historical Records"

In the second year of the Tianhan Dynasty (99 BC), when Sima Qian was devoting himself to writing historical records, he encountered an unexpected disaster. Emperor Wu sent Li Guangli, the brother of his favorite concubine Mrs. Li and the general of the Second Division, led troops to attack the Huns. He also sent Li Guang's grandson Li Ling to follow Li Guangli to escort the baggage.

Li Guang led 5,000 infantrymen out of Juyan. The lone army went deep into Junji Mountain and encountered Shanyu. The Huns besieged Li Ling with 80,000 cavalry. After eight days and nights of fighting, Li Ling killed more than 10,000 Xiongnu. However, because he could not get the support of the main force, he ran out of ammunition and food and was unfortunately captured.

After Sima Qian was imprisoned, the case fell into the hands of Du Zhou, a notoriously cruel official at the time. Du Zhou interrogated Sima Qian harshly, and Sima Qian endured all kinds of physical and mental cruelty. In the face of cruel officials, he never yielded or confessed.

According to the criminal law of the Han Dynasty, there are two ways to reduce the death penalty: one is to pay 500,000 yuan for atonement, and the other is to suffer "corruption". Sima Qian's official family was poor, so of course he couldn't afford so much money to atone for his sins. Corruption not only cruelly destroys the human body and spirit, but also greatly humiliates the personality.

Sima Qian began to read, organize historical materials, and prepare for writing in the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC) after becoming the Taishi Order. By the fourth year of Taishi (93 BC), he basically completed all writing plans,* **After sixteen years. This is a great work that will always shine with brilliance, which he spent his whole life writing with his energy, hard work, and enduring great physical and mental pain.

2. Jack Ma founded Alibaba?

Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba in 1999, never gave up on his dreams. I once wanted to enter a key primary school, but failed. I also failed to get into key middle schools; it took me three years to get into college, and I didn't succeed in trying to get into Harvard University.

But Ma Yun has the spirit of perseverance and courage. As the saying goes: "The edge of a sword comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold." Through his own efforts, Ma Yun finally succeeded. Jack Ma said: Dreams must be down-to-earth and are closely related to tears.

Extended information:

Famous aphorisms about hope

1. We must always keep old memories and new hopes. —— Maugham

2. There is sunshine behind every dark cloud. ——Gilbert

3. Hope is the only cheap and universal cure for all human suffering; it is the captive's freedom, the patient's health, the lover's victory, and the beggar's wealth. ——Crowley

4. Excessive hope naturally produces extreme disappointment. —— Borges, "The Library of Babel"

5. Without despair, there is no hope, and without hope, there is no despair. ——Seneca's "Collected Letters to Lu Xiliu"

Baidu Encyclopedia - The Story of Sima Qian

Baidu Encyclopedia - Jack Ma