For this story, there are different comments in history, some are fully affirmed and some are questioned. In this episode, I will tell you these two views, and then put forward my opinion.
The first is Chen Shou, the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Chen Shou spoke highly of it. Chen shou said in the annotation of the biography of the three kingdoms and the ancients that Liu Bei "left Zhuge Liang alone in the whole country, and his heart was no different." Sincerely, the monarch and the minister are supreme, and the ancient and modern tracks are prosperous. " The so-called "no second thoughts" means no reservations and no taboos. In other words, the relationship between monarch and minister reached the most selfless here. This realm is the highest model of the relationship between monarch and minister through the ages, which is Chen Shou's evaluation. So why did Chen Shou make such an evaluation? I'm afraid the problem lies in the words "If you are incompetent, you can bear it yourself". So what do these eight words mean? Chen Shou didn't say that I can't guess at random, but the general understanding is that if my son is useless, please ask Mr. Wang to replace him and become the emperor himself. If so, it is not only commendable, but also great. Why? Because we know that before the Revolution of 1911, China's traditional political system was hereditary monarchy, which started at least in the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. After Qin dynasty, it was hereditary monarchy, and bureaucrats were not hereditary. Before the Qin Dynasty, monarchs and bureaucrats were hereditary. In such a long tradition of hereditary system, it is of course selfless for someone to break this tradition and give way to someone who can bring peace and stability to the country. Because it means that he puts the interests of the country and the people in the highest position. For the benefit of the country and the people, he did not hesitate to give up his royal interests and the divine right entrusted to him by God according to the traditional concept. Because we know that China's ancient political system was a theocracy, and I don't want either God or what God gave me. I gave it to a kind person. Well done!
The question is, is this possible? My conclusion is: impossible. Why is it impossible? First, it is unprecedented. In the history of China, no emperor is willing to give his throne which can be passed on to future generations to a person with a different surname. Never. All emperors want their families to rule for generations. Even if his son is an idiot, mentally retarded and disabled, he will not let him go. How can we make an exception? Second, even if Liu Bei is an exception, I don't know where his ideas came from. Because in ancient China, there was only regime change, and there was no democratic idea of taking turns to govern. If Liu Beiyou had this idea, wouldn't it be the ancient Washington of China? Third, even if Liu Bei was willing to be Washington, Zhuge Liang would not dare to be Adams. Think about it, what was the situation at that time? Cao Cao was called a Chinese thief just because he raised an emperor. If Zhuge Liang really replaced Liu Adou, what should he be scolded for? How is that possible?
Chen Shou, the author of the History of the Three Kingdoms, praised Liu Bei's act of entrusting orphans, and thought that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were the highest models of harmonious relationship between monarch and minister throughout the ages. As an emperor in a feudal society, it is really commendable that Liu Bei was able to cede the throne to people with different surnames when conditions permit. But Mr Yi Zhongtian thinks that Liu Bei's abdication is unreasonable. After all, even if Liu Beizhen let the emperor reign, Zhuge Liang, who upholds Confucianism, would not dare to reign. So, what is the mystery of Liu Bei's entrusting orphans?
Therefore, some people in history questioned this period of trusteeship. Sun Sheng was the first person to question. Sun Sheng's comments made it very clear that Liu Bei's statement of entrusting orphans was a "wrong word". "Deception" means deception, and "falsehood" means hypocrisy. It's a deceptive and hypocritical word, not a matter of entrusting orphans. This is not what an orphan should say. Sun Sheng said, what should I say when I entrust an orphan? You should be honest. Moreover, Sun Sheng said that the key to entrust an orphan is to choose the right person. You entrusted a person, and you chose the right person. Don't say that. Sun Sheng said that if "you are loyal and virtuous", it means that the person you choose is loyal and virtuous, needless to say; If the person you are looking for is the wrong person, let's make an analogy. For example, if you find a Sima Yi, aren't you inciting people to revolt? Sun Sheng said that thanks to good luck, Liu Bei was very lucky. This Liu Chan is a simpleton, and this Zhuge Liang has a high prestige and can live in the city. Otherwise, Manchu is full of gossip. This is Sun Sheng's point of view.
Today, Mr. Zhang Zuoyao's Biography of Liu Bei is even more impolite. Mr. Zhang's Biography of Liu Bei said that Liu Bei's word of entrust an orphan was "treacherous and its meaning was very clear". Mr. Zhang said that Liu Bei actually had great doubts about Zhuge Liang. It is precisely because Liu Bei doubted Zhuge Liang that he had to entrust himself to Zhuge Liang that he said such a thing, forcing Zhuge Liang to have no room for manoeuvre, forcing him to fall on his knees and say, "I dare to use all my strength to be faithful and die." It's called cheating, and it's not that you don't have any thoughts.
* It seems that Liu Bei entrusted orphans with different words in history, which involves the evaluation of Liu Bei. Some people say that this is an act of benevolence and righteousness, which reflects Liu Bei's trust in Zhuge Liang, and reads the harmonious relationship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang from Liu Bei's words entrusted to orphans. However, some people questioned this model of monarch and minister, thinking that how could Liu Bei give Zhuge Liang the land he had worked hard all his life? The so-called trust in orphans is a cunning and hypocritical trap to force Zhuge Liang to be loyal to Shu Han. Then, before he died, Liu Bei pointed to his son Liu Chan and personally said to Zhuge Liang, "If he is incompetent, you can do it yourself.". Is it true?/You don't say. How can we understand it? Is it true that Bei passed on the regime of Shu Han to Zhuge Liang?
After we explained these statements, we found the crux of the problem. What's the point? What do you mean by "if you don't have the ability, you can take it yourself"? In this regard, Fang Beichen, a professor of history at Sichuan University, has another saying. Mr. Fang said that "taking" is not a substitute, that is, this "taking" is not Zhuge Liang's seizure of the throne of Liu Chan; What is this? It is "optional", that is, this "taking" is not "changing" but "choosing". You can choose for yourself. What do you choose? Choose another emperor. Choose where? Choose from the other sons of Liu Bei. In other words, the sentence "If you are not qualified, you can take it yourself" means that if Liu Chan can't do it, you can choose another one among his younger brothers. In other words, Liu Bei gave Zhuge Liang the right to abolish legislation, not to let Zhuge Liang replace it.
Then this explanation makes sense. Why does it make sense? There are three reasons: First, Liu Bei has three sons, Liu Chan, Liu Yong and Liu Li. The boss can't have a second child, and the second child can't have a third child. This is the first point. Second, Liu Bei wrote two letters to his son, one to Liu Chan, asking Liu Chan to treat the Prime Minister like a father, and the other to Liu Yong, saying that your brothers should treat the Prime Minister like a father. Two letters show that Liu Bei is likely to regard Liu Yong as the second echelon. Third, the right to repeal legislation is already a great power. As the emperor of that era, it is already very heavy to say that he replaced him. I tend to agree with Mr. Fang Beichen's explanation, so in my previous statement, how should I translate "you can take it yourself"-Mr. Fang can do it himself.
* Liu Bei entrusted an orphan, which led to infinite speculation. It can be said that different people have different opinions, and even Emperor Kangxi once commented on it. Liu Bei is the king of a country and Kangxi is also the emperor, so Kangxi's evaluation of Liu Bei's orphan is particularly interesting. So can Emperor Kangxi guess Liu Bei's heart? How did Mr. Yi Zhongtian know what Liu Bei entrusted to orphans?
Did Liu Bei say this intentionally or unintentionally? Is it sincere trust or a preset trap? Only one person can answer this question, and that is Liu Bei. Only he clearly knows that any explanation of future generations is speculation, including Chen Shou, Sun Sheng, Wang Fuzhi, Zhang Zuoyao and others, including me, can only guess. So since they are all guesses, whose guess may be more accurate? Then we must find out who Liu Bei is. Liu Bei is the emperor. Who knows the emperor's mind best? And an emperor. Therefore, Emperor Kangxi's viewpoint deserves attention. What did Emperor Kangxi say about Liu Bei's entrusting orphans? Three words: "doubt", he said doubt. Emperor Kangxi said, why did Liu Bei say such doubts? Kangxi thought it was a bad habit during the Three Kingdoms period. He said that people in the Three Kingdoms period did not tell the truth, and they all liked to talk about suspicion and deception. Finally, he expressed his contempt in two words: "mean".
Then Kangxi's statement is just a family statement. I think Liu Bei's statement is not the bad habits of the Three Kingdoms, but the mind of an emperor. We must understand that the relationship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, no matter how good, is also a relationship between monarch and minister, which can not change the relationship between us modern people. An emperor trusts his prime minister again, and he is also a monarch. They all have a deep-rooted concept in their minds, that is, their own country, especially the founding emperor like Liu Bei. His country was shot down by himself, and I will never give it to anyone else. I must pass it on to my son and grandson. Including Liu Bei, including Sun Ce, who has not yet become an emperor, but is actually a monarch, all have this idea.
Unfortunately, when they both died, their children were still very young. Sun Quan 18 years old, Liu Chan 17 years old. According to the best view of the ancients in their twenties, they were called minors. Minors come out as masters at a young age, and those under them are veteran ministers and generals who have fought many battles. Can he live in the city? If he can't stop it, can their dying father and brother rest assured? I'm worried. I can't rest assured. I have no choice but to entrust an orphan. Then the person you choose must have three conditions: first, good relationship, second, high prestige and third, strong ability. If the relationship is not good, you dare not entrust it to him; Good relationship, insufficient prestige and weak ability, it is useless for you to entrust it to him. But when doing this thing, everyone will think, he has high prestige and strong ability, won't he replace him? Look at your heart, he is bound to have such doubts. I said in the last program that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are both unusual people. Liu Bei is a hidden dragon and Zhuge Liang is Wolong. These two dragons have been together for so many years. Who doesn't know who
There must be a knot in my heart at this time. When you entrust an orphan, you can't have any doubts, so the best way is to be open and clear. After making it clear, both sides were relieved and relieved. Liu Bei can die with confidence, and Zhuge Liang can do it with confidence. Isn't this the best of both worlds? Isn't this beneficial to the country and the people? Didn't this ensure the stability and unity of the Shu-Han regime for at least ten or twenty years?
* Mr. Yi Zhongtian thinks that Liu Bei's abdication is the emperor's intention, that is, Liu Bei, as the founding emperor, will never give up the throne to Zhuge Liang, a courtier. However, his son Liu Chan is incompetent. In order to make his career continue to develop, he had to openly entrust Zhuge Liang with prestige and ability, hoping that Zhuge Liang could devote himself to the cause of Shu Han. Before he died, Liu Bei said that "if he is incompetent, he can keep it for himself", which is probably a test for Zhuge Liang. So does Liu Bei's confusing statement really reassure Zhuge Liang? What position does Zhuge Liang occupy in Liu Bei's heart? What is the relationship between them?
Before entrusting an orphan, the relationship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang was not as intimate and comfortable as most people imagined and understood. The "honeymoon period" of the relationship between these two people is after three trips to Shanzhai and before Battle of Red Cliffs. After Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei had the conditions to realize Zhuge Liang's strategic planning, but we were surprised to see that Zhuge Liang was rarely seen in history books and his voice was rarely heard. Who did Liu Bei take into Shu? Pang Tong. Who attacked Hanzhong? What is Zhuge Liang's job? Adjust its taxes to enrich the army, guard Chengdu with enough soldiers and food, and translate it into modern Chinese, that is, the head of the General Logistics Department and the head of the General Armament Department. Of course, this does not mean that Liu Bei does not trust Zhuge Liang, nor does it mean that I should belittle Zhuge Liang and stop thinking there. Because who is Zhuge Liang undertaking at this time? Similar to Xiao He's works. After Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang laid the world, Xiao He was designated as the first hero. Although Zhuge Liang did such a job, he was the first hero of Shu Han.
But there is a problem that is not easy to explain, that is, after Zhuge Liang became the prime minister of Shu Han, Liu Bei refused to let him open the government, that is, he did not have his own independent office. We will talk about this problem later in the program, and the government was established in the era of Liu Chan. Of course, this can also explain. It can be said that Shu Han has just been founded at this time, and the system is still not perfect. Take your time. The most puzzling problem is that Guan Yu attacked Xiangfan and Liu Beizheng Sun Quan. These two wars proved to be wrong and were military adventures at the wrong time. Why didn't Zhuge Liang stop them? One explanation is that Zhuge Liang did not expect to fail. It doesn't make sense. Isn't he an outstanding strategist? Why didn't you think of that? Then he didn't say it, which is another reason. It's useless to know it. Is there any evidence? Yes, where is it? In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after the battle between Yiling and Xiaoting, Zhuge Liang said: "If there is filial piety in law, you can control the Lord, not the East." It is said that if he were still alive, he would stop our emperor from starting this war. So what does this mean? That is, firstly, Liu Bei will definitely listen to Fazheng; Second, Liu Bei only listens to the right path, but he doesn't listen to others, including Zhuge Liang. So Zhuge Liang didn't speak.
Why didn't Zhuge Liang discourage him? Then I have to guess. My guess is that Zhuge Liang has felt Liu Bei's incomplete trust in him. Please pay attention to what I said, not complete trust, not complete distrust, incomplete trust, limited trust, not unlimited trust, but discounted trust. Why not trust completely? Because at this time, their political ideas were divided. Zhuge Liang of Liu Bei Group is very similar to Yu Xun of Cao Cao Group. Their similarity is that they all have their own political ideas and ideals, and the ideals are the same, that is, to rehabilitate and restore the Han Dynasty. And the leaders of these two groups, Cao Cao and Liu Bei, are also very similar. What is this? Even in the early stage, I had this ideal, but it was gone in the later stage. Cao Cao had this idea, and Yu Xun would help him, but later it changed; Liu Bei may have had this ideal from the beginning, and then he forgot it. When did you forget? Wang Fuzhi's History as a Mirror tells us that Liu Bei forgot the ideal of restoring the Han Dynasty after sharing the benefits of Jing, Jingzhou and Yizhou. His idea at this time is to separate one side and be a local tyrant. As for "to outdo each other in China", it is a political slogan and a political means. The problem is that Liu Bei has forgotten Zhuge Liang, and this ideal still exists. Such changes are subtle, invisible and even unspeakable, so Zhuge Liang can't convince Liu Bei that you don't forget your ideals. Liu Bei said that I didn't forget, which is why the so-called "the first emperor was at odds with the Han thief" came into being. But in my heart, everyone knows. In the end, both sides can only tacitly understand. What is this? Zhuge Liang worked hard, did his job well and stopped meddling.
Well, I guess this is the relationship between monarch and minister before they entrusted orphans. Very subtle, trust and incomplete trust, there is something wrong. Then someone will ask, then why entrust an orphan to Zhuge Liang? Nobody can be trusted. Pang Tong died, Fa Zheng died, Guan Yu died, Zhang Fei died, Huang Zhong died, and Ma Chao died at this time. There are only three people to rely on, namely Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun and Wei Yan. Therefore, Zhao Yun has said that he is not trusted and has always been a general with a miscellaneous brand; Wei Yan is a person that Liu Bei trusts very much, but you can't leave Wei Yan behind. Besides, Zhuge Liang is now the prime minister, so we can only trust Zhuge Liang. However, due to incomplete trust, he has two reservations: the first is to get to the bottom of the matter and make it clear publicly; Second, set up a deputy. He set up a Li Yan as a deputy. When did Li Yan become a secretary? Six months before Liu Bei's death, people feel that this is Liu Bei's deliberate arrangement.
The above is my view on the incident of Yong 'an trusting an orphan. Again, it's just speculation. In any case, Liu Bei trusted Zhuge Liang. Since then, the Shu-Han regime has entered a new historical era, which we can call Zhuge Liang era. Zhuge Liang took over the burden left by Liu Bei, which is a very heavy burden. To shoulder this burden, Zhuge Liang has to deal with many relationships in all aspects, and it is in this series of processes that Zhuge Liang shows the genius of an outstanding politician. So what is Zhuge Liang's first relationship to deal with? I think it should be his relationship with Liu Chan, because although Liu Bei said that Liu Chan should regard the Prime Minister as his father, he is still a monarch and a subject. So what is the relationship between Zhuge Liang and Liu Chan? Please watch the next episode-very monarch and minister.