Introduction to Xiao He’s life

Xiao He was the prime minister in the early years of the Han Dynasty. Posthumously named "Wen Zhonghou", he was the first of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty. Assisted Han Emperor Liu Bang in establishing the Han regime.

A native of Sishui Pei (now Peixian County, Jiangsu Province). He once served as the chief official of Peixian County and the official of Sishui County. He upheld the law and did not harm others in vain. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang rebelled against the Qin Dynasty, and Liu Bang entered Xianyang. Xiao He collected the laws, household registrations, geographical atlases, etc. of the Prime Minister's Office and the Censor's Office, so that Liu Bang could know the distribution of dangerous mountains and rivers, population, financial resources, and material resources in the world. After Xiang Yu became queen, Xiao He persuaded Liu Bang to accept the enfeoffment, base himself in Hanzhong, support the people, recruit talents, collect taxes from the two counties of Bashu, accumulate strength, and then compete with Xiang Yu for the world. For this reason, he won Liu Bang's trust and was appointed prime minister. He strongly recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang, believing that Liu Bang must use Han Xin to conquer the world. Later, Han Xin's talent in the Chu-Han War proved that Xiao He had a good eye for people. During the Chu-Han War, Xiao He stayed in Guanzhong, pacified the people, collected taxes, supplied military supplies, supported the battles ahead, and provided material guarantee for Liu Bang's final victory over Xiang Yu. After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang believed that Xiao He had the greatest contribution and made him a marquis. Later he was worshiped as Prime Minister. After Liu Bang's death, he continued to assist Emperor Hui. When Xiao He was critically ill, he recommended Cao Shen to succeed him, ensuring the continuity of policies in the early Han Dynasty. But he also helped Empress Lu and killed Han Xin by mistake. He left behind the allusion of Xiao He who succeeds and Xiao He who fails. This was obviously a failure in his glorious life~! But at the same time, it also tells us that no one is perfect, and gold is not perfect. The truth of pureness. In fact, celebrities are not much higher than our realm. They just do some things that ordinary people cannot do. And because of this, it is enough.

Xiao He's knowledge

Knowledge, that is, insight and vision. If you have knowledge and vision, you will be able to evaluate and appreciate. The Chinese people have a long tradition of admiring this talent. "Yu Boya dropped his zither to thank his bosom friend", "There is a Bole in the world, and then there is a thousand-mile horse", "The hero knows the hero with his giant eyes", etc., are typical examples of this tradition. The so-called "characters, articles and algae" trend that was once popular during the Wei and Jin Dynasties is nothing more than a legacy of this cultural tradition. The ancient Chinese believed that one of the most important things in life is to know how to appreciate. Appreciation, not judgment; enjoyment, not thinking—this is the deep-rooted outlook on life and values ??of the Chinese people. The objects of appreciation include nature, cultural relics, art, and various characters. As for a heroic man, the objects he appreciates are not ordinary people, but rare geniuses or heroes. For this kind of genius or hero, don't focus on his present, but look forward to his future; focus not on his reality, but on his possibility. If a woman also has this kind of vision and appreciation ability, we will call her a "hero among women." There are many such heroes among women in history, such as Zhuo Wenjun, Hongfu Nu, Wu Zetian, and Liu Bang's wife Lu Fei.

Speaking of the geniuses or heroes that Xiao He admired, of course we first think of Han Xin.

There is a couplet in Han Xin's tomb: "One confidant in life and death, two women in life and death." The "two women" refer to "Piao Mu" and Empress Lu. "Piao Mu" gave rice and preserved Han Xin. The life of Han Xin was ruined by Empress Lu's design, so it is said that "two women live and die". The "one confidant" is Xiao He. Han Xin said, "Success is Xiao He, failure is Xiao He", which means the same thing as "life and death are close friends". Because of Xiao He's great eye for talents and his strong recommendation, Han Xin was able to realize his ambition, so Xiao He can be called Han Xin's confidant. "Xiao He chases Han Xin under the moonlight" can be compared with "Bo Ya dropped his zither to thank his bosom friend", both of which are timeless stories.

After the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu claimed to be the Overlord of Western Chu and granted Liu Bang the title of King of Han. The fiefdoms were in Ba, Shu and Hanzhong areas. When Liu Bang returned to Bashu, Han Xin took the opportunity to abandon Chu and return to Han, and followed Liu Bang. Liu Bang was "unexpectedly surprised" and didn't think Han Xin was anything great, so he never reused Han Xin, but only "worshiped him as the captain of Zhisu". Han Xin, who was in charge of the supply of grain and grass, was still "a hero with no place to play." However, the position of "Captain of Grain Control" gave Han Xin the opportunity to contact Xiao He. After several conversations, "What a surprise", I realized that Han Xin was an overall military talent. Liu Bang returned to Bashu that day. In order to confuse Xiang Yu, he adopted Zhang Liang's advice and burned down the plank road. Although this move confused Xiang Yu, it also caused misunderstandings among Liu Bang's subordinates. Everyone thought that Liu Bang had no great ambitions and wanted to settle down in Bashu forever, so he wanted to leave. People kept deserting along the way. At that time, there were dozens of general-level escapees, but Xiao He didn't take them seriously. When he heard that Han Xin had also left with his seal, Xiao He was shocked and turned pale. Without even bothering to say hello to Liu Bang, he immediately rode his horse and chased him all night long.

This is the famous "Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon". Someone reported to Liu Bang that the prime minister had also fled. Liu Bang was shocked and angry, as if he had lost both his left and right hands. A day or two later, Xiao He came back to see Liu Bang. Liu Bang was happy and angry, and cursed: "Xiao He! Even you betrayed me!" Xiao He said: "How dare I betray the king? I went to chase the fugitives." Liu Bang asked: "Who are you chasing?" Xiao He replied : "Han Xin." Liu Bang was furious: "General, I ran away dozens of times, but I didn't even hear that you went to chase me back. You said you were going to chase Han Xin, who would believe it? Aren't you kidding me!" Xiao He said: "Those second-rate and third-rate generals can be easily caught in large numbers, and they are not worthy of Xiao He's pursuit. There is only Han Xin, the 'unparalleled national scholar'. If Your Majesty wants to end up among the old men, of course there is no need to reuse Han Xin; but if His Majesty wants to It is absolutely impossible to compete in the Central Plains without Han Xin!" Liu Bang was moved by his words. After a lot of fighting, Liu Bang finally worshiped Han Xin as "General".

Han Xin was able to display his talents and achieve fame, firstly, by Xiao He's knowledge and vision, and secondly, by Xiao He's words and comments. There is an ancient saying, "There are Bole in the world, and then there are thousand-mile horses. There are always thousand-mile horses, but there are not always Bole." Xiao Hezhi appreciated Han Xin, his vision was so keen, his judgment was so accurate, his retention was so sincere, and his recommendation was so Sparing no effort, it’s done, it’s done, no more can be added! As a "Bole" who "doesn't happen often" in the world, could he be inferior to Han Xin, a "thousand-mile horse"?

However, the biggest hero Xiao He knew was not Han Xin, but Liu Bang. It is not difficult to appreciate Han Xin - in addition to Xiao He, Xiang Yu also has a general named Zhong Lihuan who understands Han Xin's talents, but it is not easy to discover Liu Bang. As the Western proverb goes: There are no heroes in the eyes of servants. The hero's servant is too close and familiar with the hero, and feels that he is not much different from himself. How can he be heroic? Napoleon once said that his wife could never imagine that her husband, who had always obeyed her and dared not go east when told to go east, could actually do anything remarkable on the battlefield. Gods are too close to humans, and they themselves have to be assimilated into humans. From this point of view, there are no heroes in the eyes of fellow villagers. Xiao He and Liu Bang are fellow villagers, so it is difficult to identify Liu Bang. What's more, Liu Bang actually didn't have much "emperor atmosphere" in his early years. "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Emperor Gaozu" records that Qin Shihuang once believed that "there is an emperor's spirit in the southeast", so he traveled eastward with his imperial chariot, trying to use his majesty to suppress this "emperor's spirit" and strangle it in the cradle, but this trip failed. This shows that those shrewd and capable government officials of the Qin Dynasty did not understand the current situation clearly, let alone discovered that Liu Bang, who lived in a small place in Peixian County, was actually the "destined emperor" to replace Emperor Qin in the future.

However, Xiao He discovered and identified Liu Bang.

I think back then, Liu Bang came from a humble background. He didn’t even have a name. He was just a little hooligan in Peixian County who was "good at drinking and having sex". He relied on various improper relationships to become a "bute horse" for 15 years. The "warm" Sishui pavilion chief took advantage of his official position to eat and drink for free. Xiao He actually looked at Liu Bang with special eyes and favored him. Isn't this very intriguing? You must know that Xiao He at that time, although he was just a "little official", was not mediocre and "had no extraordinary achievements" as Sima Qian said. Instead, he was a very outstanding local government official, so much so that someone once recommended Xiao He Promoted to Xianyang. For a person like Xiao He, who is eye-catching and has an unlimited future, to think so highly of Liu Bang can only be explained by the fact that he had already had a premonition that Liu Ji was definitely not a "thing in the pool". Liu Bang privately indulged the prisoners and fled to Mangdang Mountain. Taking advantage of Chen Sheng's uprising, he returned to Peixian County. Xiao He responded to Liu Bang without hesitation, just as he rejected Xianyang without hesitation. Pei Ling was killed, and Xiao He was the expected heir. However, he strongly supported Liu Bang, turning a common man and desperado into the famous "Pei Gong" on the battlefield against Qin. Pei Gong later conquered the world and established an immortal foundation. I'm afraid Xiao He had expected it!

⒋ Xiao He’s Wisdom

Wisdom is intelligence and wisdom. As the saying goes, "A wise eye recognizes talents", vision is actually inseparable from wisdom. Eyesight or insight are only external manifestations of inner intelligence or wisdom. Only with intelligence can you have a clear vision, discern the current situation, and identify heroes; only with wisdom can you understand yourself, stay clear-headed, and have a well-founded basis for advancing and retreating. Being able to fight is of course a skill and a talent, but this skill or talent only belongs to the level of "skill"; if you have wisdom, you enter the level of "Tao". Only when you have both talent and brains can you "advance your skills to the Tao". Xiao He has always been very smart, which is very different from Han Xin.

Sometimes Han Xin is like a genius, sometimes like an idiot, depending on the specific situation; he can stay awake before success, but becomes confused when he is proud; he has neither "this is what a man should do" nor "he can replace him". And they don’t understand the way of life that “being modest will benefit you, but being humble will lead to losses”. Therefore, Han Xin is only "talented" at best, but cannot be said to be "wisdom." Xiao He can be said to be a man of extraordinary intelligence, but his talents are manifested in different fields.

For example. Liu Bang was ordered by King Huai of Chu to conquer Xianyang, the capital of Qin, in the west. He occupied Xianyang before Xiang Yu and moved into the Qin Palace. At that time, Liu Bang and a group of soldiers who came from remote areas and had been working hard for a long time were like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. They could not help but be dazzled and confused. The nature of gangsters and robbers could no longer be suppressed, and they broke out like an avalanche. Once out of control. All the soldiers "fighted to take away the gold, silk and property and divide them among the houses." Liu Bang, who was "good at wine and good at sex", at this time just buried his head in the Qin Palace with carved beams and painted buildings, leaning against the red and green trees, drinking wine and singing softly. What is Xiao He doing at this time? Xiao He was extremely intelligent, clear-headed, had clear goals, and acted quickly. As soon as he entered Xianyang, he immediately led people to rush into the official offices of the prime minister, censor, Taiwei and other "three princes", and swept away all the books, books, laws, documents, and everything. The carts were transported to the military camp stationed in Bashang for storage. This batch of books played a great role in Liu Bang's subsequent process of winning over the people's hearts with the "Three Chapters of the Covenant". It is said that there are also a number of military geography files in these books, which later came in handy in the Chu-Han War. Li Zhi of the Ming Dynasty commented that Xiao He's move was a sign that he was born to be a prime minister.

After the Hongmen Banquet, in order to restrict Liu Bang, Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng euphemistically called him the "King of Han" and sealed his place as "Guanzhong". In fact, they "sent" Liu Bang to a remote place with poor transportation and poor economy. The culturally backward Bashu region. He also divided Guanzhong into three parts and gave them to the three surrendered generals of the Qin Dynasty, locking Liu Bang's fortress in marching into the Central Plains, making Liu Bang unable to move and cramped like a horse under the shaft - this is what later generations described as most of today's Shaanxi Province. The origin of the area and eastern Gansu called "Three Qin". Xiang Yu's enfeoffment plan had just come out, which caused "injustice from the princes", and Liu Bang was even more furious. The Hongmen Banquet had already caused Liu Bang to lose face, and now Xiang Yu was openly bullying him. This is tolerable, but what is unbearable! Liu Bang immediately called a meeting with his men, preparing to fight Xiang Yu desperately. Fan Kuai, Zhou Bo, Guan Ying and other close associates believed that this move was tantamount to striking an egg with a stone and seeking death. They all advised Liu Bang not to act rashly. Liu Bang was so angry that he could not listen. Even Zhang Liang, who had always been able to make Liu Bangyan do what he wanted, was at his wits' end at this moment.

So Xiao He came. Xiao He held the sole objection and made a shocking statement. It turned out that Xiao He sorted out and studied the Qin Dynasty books he had robbed, and found that Bashu was not as bad as Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng and Liu Bang imagined. It is only natural to think that the Bashu region is a poor, isolated, and backward barbaric land, but it is actually a huge misunderstanding. After more than a hundred years of continuous immigration from the Qin State and the construction of Dujiangyan by Li Bing and his sons, Bashu has become the richest rear area of ??the Qin State, like a large warehouse with abundant accumulation. Furthermore, first Qin merged with the six kingdoms, and then the heroes rebelled against Qin. After years of wars and continuous wars, the Central Plains region was frequently ravaged, and there was not much money left to gain. The Bashu region is unique and has not suffered from turmoil for many years, and its development potential is truly immeasurable. Therefore, when managing Bashu, "the Three Qin Dynasties will be restored, and the world can be conquered." Xiao He also cited scriptures: "The Book of Zhou said: 'If you don't take what God gives, you will suffer the disaster'." God looks down on you so much, and has given you such a rich gift. If you don’t want the gift, be careful of causing disaster! This eloquent analysis of interests and strategic planning was like Zhuge Liang later pointing out the situation of the three-part world to Liu Bei in the thatched cottage. It was like clearing the sky from the mist and suddenly enlightening Liu Bang, so Liu Bang suddenly became enlightened and rejoiced in anger. I would like to ask, among the group of soldiers and advisers including Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, which one has Xiao He's great wisdom of foresight, foresight, taking advantage of the situation, and using retreat to advance? To regard Xiao He only as Liu Bang's logistics minister would be to underestimate Xiao He.

⒌ Xiao He’s Quantity

Quantity means measure and magnanimity. People who are rich in intelligence may not necessarily have wisdom. On the contrary, just because of talent, people often become arrogant and arrogant, and even do not know how high the sky is. Xiang Yu is this kind of person, and so is Han Xin. Han Xin was demoted to the title of Marquis of Huaiyin and was already in a state of despair. However, instead of taking the blame in time and restraining himself, Han Xin continued to talk and complain, openly venting his dissatisfaction with Liu Bang. When Liu Bang ranked the eighteen founding fathers of the People's Republic of China, others were afraid of failing, but Han Xin said he was ashamed to be ranked with the likes of Zhou Bo and Guan Ying.

Once, Han Xin went to see Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai was so flattered that he called him "King" and bowed down to greet him. Not only was Han Xin not grateful to Fan Kuai, but he didn't regard Fan Kuai as kind, but he sighed: "It seems that I can only associate with people like Fan Kuai in this life!" It was as if Fan Kuai sympathized with Han Xin and respected Han Xin, but he had insulted Han Xin! This is taking credit and being arrogant, having nothing to spare, being intolerant of others, and having no magnanimity. The ending of these "heroes" is already conceivable at this moment. They are expected to be regarded as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh. They are destined to die a violent death with no one to sympathize with, and may even be very happy.

Xiao He is thoughtful. As the saying goes, "The prime minister's belly can support the boat." Xiao He can fully afford this.

In the third year of the Han Dynasty, the armies of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu faced off between Jingxian and Suoting. While fighting on the front line, Liu Bang was worried about the situation in the rear and sent envoys many times to comfort Xiao He. Someone said to Xiao He: "Now your Majesty is on the battlefield, eating in the wind, and has no time to take care of himself. However, he has sent people to express his condolences many times. Doesn't this clearly indicate that he has doubts about you? Let me make an idea for you. Why don't you send someone from your clan to express your condolences?" Everyone in the battle will go to the front line, so that the king will trust your Excellency more." Xiao He followed the plan, and Liu Bang was indeed very happy.

In the eleventh year of the Han Dynasty, Chen Xi, a general of the Han Dynasty, rebelled against Liu Bang. During this period, Empress Lu used Xiao He's plan to kill Han Xin in the court. When Liu Bang heard that Han Xin had been executed, he sent people to worship Xiao He as the prime minister, granted 5,000 households in the city, and sent 500 soldiers and a captain as the bodyguard of the prime minister. All the civil and military officials in the dynasty came to congratulate Xiao He, but only one man named Zhao Ping came to report his worries. Zhaoping was originally the Marquis of Dongling in the Qin Dynasty. After the fall of Qin, he became a commoner and grew melons for a living. The melons he planted were very sweet and were known as "Donngling melons" by the world. Zhaoping named himself "Aventurine Melon". This "Aventurine" head is not "Papaya" at all. He said to Xiao He: "I'm afraid the trouble will begin from now on! The emperor is away fighting, while Your Excellency stays in the court. It is clear that there is no need to put oneself in danger, but you are given the title for no reason. , The reason for setting up an additional guard for Your Excellency is because Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, has just rebelled in the court, and the emperor has doubts about Your Excellency. It is actually not a favor for you to add a guard to protect Your Excellency. I hope that you will decline the reward and contribute all your property to support the army. Construction. The emperor will definitely be happy." Xiao He followed the plan, and Liu Bang was indeed very happy.

In the twelfth year of the Han Dynasty, King Yingbu of Huainan rebelled, and Liu Bang once again led a personal expedition. He sent envoys back to Beijing many times to find out what Xiao He was doing. The report said: "Xiao Xiangguo is in Beijing to appease the people and use his property to finance military supplies, just like he did when he put down Chen Xi's rebellion." Then someone came to Xiao He and said: "I'm afraid you are not far away from the disaster of annihilation! Your achievements are unparalleled and cannot be added to the list." . Your Excellency has won the hearts of the people when you first entered the customs. For more than ten years, the people have surrendered to you. It is not a good thing for you to work tirelessly to win the support of the people. This is why the emperor has sent people to ask you what you have done many times. The reason is that you are afraid that your Majesty will control Guanzhong and shake the Han Dynasty. Now you might as well do things like forcibly purchasing private land and lending money to ruin your good reputation, so that the emperor can feel at ease." , Liu Bang was indeed very happy.

In short, Liu Bang suspected Xiao He of having ulterior motives three times, and put Xiao He in extremely dangerous situations three times. However, Xiao He knew very well that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger, and one should be prepared for danger when one is in peace. The founding emperor inexplicably doubted the meritorious officials, which is what the title means, and there is nothing to make a fuss about! When dealing with this kind of thing, you can only swallow your anger, don't be angry, let alone rush to "defend and accuse" and tell you that you have suffered great grievances. Therefore, Xiao He managed to remain calm, calm, open-minded, and good-natured three times, until he eliminated Liu Bang's suspicions, calmly turned danger into safety, and survived. Comparing Han Xin's incompetent, nervous, and stingy behavior when Liu Bang suspected Han Xin, Xiao He's handling method is much better! Without great wisdom and magnanimity, such a result is simply unimaginable.

Xiao He's grandeur or generosity is not only reflected in his attitude towards Liu Bang, but also in his behavior towards Cao Shen. Cao Shen was Xiao He's colleague back then, and the two always worked together to assist Liu Bang. When Liu Bang commented on the "Eighteen Yuan Gong Men", the two elders had some conflicts. But this is only "contradictions among the people", not "class contradictions" or "contradictions between ourselves and the enemy", so it is harmless. The relationship between Xiao He and Cao Shen has never developed to the point where they vowed to be incompatible and disloyal to Dai Tian. On the contrary, Xiao He has always regarded Cao Shen very highly.

Xiao He was seriously ill in his later years. Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty went to visit Xiao He in person. At that time, he asked: "Your Excellency, who can take over your position in a hundred years?" Xiao He said: "There is no better minister than you." Emperor Hui asked: "How is Cao Shen? ?” Xiao He immediately kowtowed and said, “Your Majesty has found the best candidate. Now Xiao He can die without regrets!”

Xiao He has extraordinary knowledge and wisdom. Xiao He's words are reasonable after all, "There is no better minister than a master." Presumably Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, who was under Jiuquan, would also think that there was nothing regrettable in ranking Xiao He at the top of the founding fathers.