GBP Chapter 111 Three Great Men of the Early Han Dynasty: Xiao He
Chapter 111 Three Great Men of the Early Han Dynasty: Xiao He
Han Dynasty.
"Guess who will be the next one?" Liu Bang looked at the ministers below with a rather evil look in his eyes.
All the ministers couldn't help but roll their eyes.
Is there any need to think about this?
They are all said to be the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty. Now that Zhang Liang and Han Xin are finished, the next one must be Xiao He.
Sure enough, the sky screen began to play at this time.
[What kind of person is the man Liu Bang called a hunter? Xiao He, the Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty, History of the Han Dynasty]
[If the Han River had not risen overnight, how could the Han Dynasty have lasted for 400 years?]
[It is said that the reason why the Han Dynasty was able to unify the world was that Xiao He made the greatest contribution among all people. ]
[As the leader of the Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty, he once chased Han Xin under the moonlight and persuaded Liu Bang to build an altar to worship Han Xin as a general, thus helping him to accomplish the great cause of unifying the world.]
[After his achievements were so great that they shocked his master, he did not hesitate to destroy his own reputation in order to prevent the birds from being killed and the bow from being put away, and he finally had a good end.]
[In this video, let us walk into Xiao He's life and see what kind of person Xiao He was in the history books. ]
[Xiao He, a native of Fengyi, Pei County, and his immediate superior Liu Bang, were actually from the same hometown.]
[Born in 257 BC, he died in 193 BC due to long-term hard work for the Han Dynasty at the age of 65.]
[I once assisted Liu Bang, the Duke of Pei, in his uprising. During the Chu-Han War, I stayed in Guanzhong to stabilize the rear. No matter how many times you, Liu Bang, were destroyed by Xiang Yu, I, Xiao He, can make you stand up again.]
[After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, he assisted Liu Bang in eliminating Han Xin, Ying Bu and other foreign princes. Although he did not actually participate in the siege, he was considered by Liu Bang to be the first meritorious official in the founding of the Western Han Dynasty.]
[He even compared the ministers to hunting dogs, and Xiao He was the one who commanded the hunting dogs. If you want to fully understand Xiao He's life, you have to start from the beginning.]
[Xiao He was born in Pei County, XZ City, in today's Sujiang Province. When he was in his 30s, he entered the Qin Dynasty as an official with his political acumen. He was a minor official in Pei County, mainly responsible for personnel changes.]
【At that time, Liu Bang was just a younger brother. Because Xiao He had an easy-going personality, he made many friends, including Fan Kuai, who killed pigs, Xiahou Ying, who pulled carts, and Zhou Bo, who played drums. He got along well with them all.】
——"Isn't Fan Kuai a dog killer?"
——“They are all talented people.”
——"Xiao He is indeed a man of great ability. Although his family has no background, he is able to govern a county and a country in an orderly manner. This is truly a great ability."
[Nowadays, we call this approach "getting close to the masses". In 223 BC, Liu Bang became the head of Sishui Pavilion. The two people who had overlapping work relationships became closer.]
[Xiao He felt that Liu Bang was a man of noble bearing, character, and a noble appearance, so he decided to place his bet on Liu Bang.]
[He used his power many times to secretly help Liu Bang.]
——"The reputation of Liu's succubus is well-deserved."
——"First generation succubus, do you think I'm messing with you? Your personality charm is full of charm, okay?"
[In 222 BC, the magistrate of Pei County, whose good friend Lü Gong was inviting him to dinner, all the local heroes came with gifts to curry favor with him. Xiao He was invited to be the director of the banquet, responsible for receiving gifts and other matters.]
【According to the rules, only those who gave more than 1,000 yuan could sit in the hall. When Liu Bang came to the banquet, he shouted "Congratulations on the 10,000 yuan". In fact, he just wanted to eat and drink for free and had no intention of giving anything.】
——"Being shameless is a necessary quality for doing great things."
——"Throughout history, those who are too proud have never been able to go very far."
【Xiao He not only did not embarrass Liu Bang, but also said good things to him in front of Lu Gong. This led to the story of Liu Bang marrying Lu Zhi in the future. It can be said that Xiao He was half a matchmaker for Liu Bang.】
[When Xiao He was 48 years old, Liu Bang was ordered to escort a group of prisoners to Mount Li to build the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. He was drunk and caused the prisoners to escape. He was afraid that he would be punished when he returned.]
[Liu Bang had no choice but to flee to Mangdang Mountain with more than a dozen prisoners who were willing to follow him wholeheartedly. However, after Liu Bang escaped, his wife and children were arrested by the county magistrate.]
[As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Fortunately, thanks to Xiao He's continuous efforts, Liu Bang's family was able to be released on bail.]
[In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose up in Daze Township and raised the banner of resistance against the Qin Dynasty. Heroes from all over the country responded and the country was in chaos.]
[The magistrate of Pei County also sensed something was going on and wanted to take advantage of the situation, so he decided to rise up in rebellion.]
[But he didn't know where to start, so he asked the knowledgeable Xiao He to give him some advice. Xiao He said, "I'm a serious person. I don't know how to rebel. You have to find a gangster for this."]
[So he quickly notified Liu Bang who was on the run, but he didn't expect that after Liu Bang came back in high spirits, the county magistrate would go back on his word and not only refused to let Liu Bang out of the city, but also wanted to kill Xiao He and others.]
[In this way, Xiao He and Liu Bang wrote a letter to the elders of Pei County, inciting the elders of Pei County and taking the opportunity to kill the county magistrate, thus taking over Pei County and officially launching an uprising.]
[Liu Bang called himself Pei Gong, and the 49-year-old Xiao He was appointed as the chief minister, responsible for logistics. In 208 BC, Xiang Liang and his nephew killed Yin Tong, the governor of Kuaiji County, and raised the banner of anti-Qin.]
——"It's so funny. Yin Tong hid Xiang Yu's uncle and nephew because he thought that if the world was in chaos one day, these two people could help him. If the world was not in chaos, he could hand them over. But he didn't expect Xiang Mengnan to be so powerful that he killed him directly and took over his territory."
——"Yin Tong: I will help you start an uprising. Xiang Yu: We don't need you. Yin Tong: What will you do if you don't need me? Xiang Yu: We said we don't need you, not your help."
[Soon the army grew to more than 20 men, and they enthroned Xiong Xin as the King of Chu. The generals agreed that whoever entered the Qin capital Xianyang first would be the King of Guanzhong.]
[A year later, Liu Bang led his army to Xianyang City, and King Ziying of Qin surrendered. After entering Xianyang, all the soldiers were greedy for pleasure.]
[Only Xiao He, who was not greedy for gold and silver treasures, nor obsessed with beautiful women, just rushed to the Prime Minister's Office and checked the books and archives related to the Qin Dynasty's national household registration, topography, laws, etc., classified them, and kept them all. ]
【It was these Qin Dynasty books and archives that enabled Liu Bang to have a complete understanding of the world's checkpoints, population size, strengths and weaknesses, folk customs, etc., so that he could formulate correct policies and laws.】
[It played a very important role in the establishment and consolidation of the Western Han regime in the future, and it can be said that his contribution is indispensable, which also shows Xiao He's foresight. ]
——"Xiao He's decision this time is the key to the future situation. These things may seem insignificant, but they are crucial. Without this understanding of the whole country, no matter how capable Xiao He is, he would not be able to help Liu Bang make a comeback after every failure."
——"Indeed, logistics is the most important thing in a war. Liu Laosan failed so many times, but Xiao He was still able to gather another team and prepare sufficient food and fodder. This is really something."
[In 206 BC, Liu Bang was named King of Han. According to Zhang Liang's plan, he stopped fighting and led his army to the Bashu area. It was at this time that Han Xin escaped from the Chu camp and defected to Liu Bang.]
[Once by chance, Xiao He met Han Xin, and in the process of contact, he found that Han Xin was very courageous and seemed to see the shadow of Liu Bang at the beginning in Han Xin, so he recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang many times.]
[However, he was not valued by Liu Bang. Han Xin saw that he had been in the Han camp for a long time but still not being valued. In addition, Liu Bang was trapped in this mountain valley and had no way out, so he left the Han camp in anger. This is how the story of Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon came about.]
[Under Xiao He's persuasion, Liu Bang built an altar and appointed Han Xin as the general. He also adopted the plan proposed by Zhang Liang and Han Xin to openly repair the plank road and secretly cross Chencang, and marched eastward, starting the Chu-Han contention.]
【Xiao He stayed behind in Guanzhong and was responsible for the logistics of the army. The next year, Liu Bang took advantage of the Chu army's eastward expedition and attacked Pengcheng, Xiang Yu's old nest. However, due to his excessive expansion, he was defeated by Xiang Yu's 3 elite troops. He fled back to Xingyang with only dozens of cavalry.】
[At this time, most of the able-bodied men in Guanzhong who were able to fight had been conscripted, so Xiao He transferred the old and weak, as well as young men who were not of military age, to Xingyang for reinforcement, which enabled Liu Bang to confront Xiang Yu's army in Xingyang.]
【Liu Bang abandoned his army and fled in several battles with Xiang Yu. If Xiao He had any second thoughts, he could have put Liu Bang to death. However, Xiao He chose to send troops from Guanzhong to make up for the shortage of Han troops every time, which enabled Liu Bang to turn danger into safety many times. He played an indispensable role.】
[By 203 BC, the Chu army had run out of soldiers and food due to years of fighting, while the Han army, with Xiao He in charge of Guanzhong, was able to continuously obtain food and disease sources, which eventually forced Xiang Yu to be defeated at Gaixia and commit suicide by slashing his throat at the Wujiang River.]
[A year later, the princes jointly submitted a petition to recommend Liu Bang to be the emperor. The first thing Liu Bang did after ascending the throne was to reward people according to their merits.]
[At that time, Xiao He, who was already 56 years old, was recognized as the first meritorious official and was given the title of Marquis of Ling. This caused doubts among the generals who had followed Liu Bang through thick and thin. Could it be that those of us who fought on the front lines were not as meritorious as those who managed grain and grass? ]
——"In fact, no matter which dynasty or generation, when rewarding people for their contributions after the founding of the country, the civil officials always made the greatest contributions. Among the many bigwigs in Lingyan Pavilion, the ones who were at the forefront were Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui."
——"It was the same in the Ming Dynasty. Among the six founding dukes, Li Shanchang was the leader, and the others had to stand aside."
[I didn't expect Liu Bang to make a very crude analogy. When hunters are hunting, you who rush in front are like hunting dogs, and the hunter who commands the hunting dogs should be the one who has made the greatest contribution.]
[In this way, Xiao He eventually became the first among the nobles and was called the first marquis of the founding of the country, with a fief of 10,000 households.]
[Soon after, in order to consolidate the emerging Western Han regime, Liu Bang began to purge the kings of the opposite sex one by one. Han Xin, who held a large number of troops, was demoted to the Marquis of Huaiyin and placed under house arrest in the capital.]
[In 197 BC, Yang Xiahou Chen Xi and Han Xin conspired to rebel, and Liu Bang personally led the army to fight against them. Just when Han Xin was planning to cooperate with the outside forces to kill Empress Lü and Crown Prince Liu Ying, he was reported by his subordinates.]
[After discussing with Lü Zhi, the 61-year-old Xiao He devised a plan to trick Han Xin into the Changle Palace and kill him. His parents, wife and three clans were also killed in one go. This is the origin of the saying "Success and failure are all due to Xiao He".]
[But after getting rid of Han Xin, Xiao He, whose achievements were greater than his master's, became the object of Liu Bang's suspicion, so Xiao He had to donate all his property, and only then did he get through this difficult time.]
[A year later, the King of Huainan rebelled, and Liu Bang personally led his army to fight against him. Liu Bang was worried about Xiao He, so he sent people to find out what Xiao He was doing in Chang'an.]
[In order to eliminate Liu Bang's suspicion, Xiao He did not hesitate to destroy his own reputation, bought low and sold high, and forced people to buy land on credit. When Liu Bang heard that Xiao He forced people to buy land on credit and was unpopular, he did not blame Xiao He, but was relieved again. ]
[However, Xiao He, who was devoted to the people, was still detained after Liu Bang returned to the capital because he fought for more farmland on behalf of the people. It was not until a few days later that a guard named Wang made a suggestion to Liu Bang, and Xiao He was released.]
[In the end, Liu Bang accepted the fact that Xiao He was devoted to the people and was deeply loved by them.]
[In 195 BC, Liu Angna died at the age of 62, and Crown Prince Liu Ying succeeded him. Xiao He became prime minister. On the basis of the Three Chapters of Law, Xiao He also referred to the Qin Law and formulated the Nine Chapters of Law according to the specific conditions of the Western Han Dynasty.]
——"The Nine Chapters of Law should have been revised based on Li Kui's The Book of Law."
——"They are almost the same. Qin law also absorbed and borrowed from the Law Classic, so there is nothing wrong with borrowing from Qin law. In fact, any law in later feudal society is inextricably linked to the Law Classic."
[Two years later, the 65-year-old Xiao He finally became ill and died soon after due to years of hard work for the Han Dynasty.]
[Xiao He spent his whole life giving everything he could to the Western Han Dynasty, and was devoted to the people. Before his death, he recommended Cao Shen, who had conflicts with him, as the next prime minister, saying that if Cao Shen became the prime minister, he would die without regrets. This also shows the tolerance and generosity of a wise prime minister.]
——"Xiao rules and Cao follow, both are very generous. One recommended a conflicting opponent, and the other, after becoming prime minister, said that his ability was not as good as Xiao He's, so it would be better to follow his system, and I won't mess around."
[This is how the people of the early Han Dynasty were able to recuperate in an environment of laissez-faire and the national strength of the Western Han Dynasty flourished.]
[The people also made nursery rhymes and passed them on. Xiao He made laws, and his teachings were like paintings. Cao Shen took over and kept them. He kept them pure and the people kept them pure.]
——"Xiao He is a role model for all workers."
——"The three heroes of the early Han Dynasty correspond to the positions of housekeeper, military advisor, and thug respectively. (dog head)"
——"The fake wet nurse is Cai Wenji, and the real wet nurse is Xiao He. She nursed the dying Liu Bang back to life many times."
——"On the importance of excellent HR for a company."
——"Xiao He's story tells us that no matter how much money you are given, it is best not to work for others. Otherwise, no matter how loyal you are, they will kill you sooner or later."