Zhu Chao accompanied me to watch short videos

Chapter 367: Chronicle of the Yellow Emperor

To repay the favor, she spent three years copying a copy of the Lotus Sutra with snake bile. After that, she lived in seclusion in Huishan, Wuxi, and died of illness more than ten years later and was buried at the foot of Huishan.

Among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, Gu Hengbo was the most prestigious and controversial one. Her original name was Gu Mei, and she was born in Shangyuan County, Yingtian Prefecture in 1619, from a poor family.

She has been a graceful girl since she was young, with a pair of big eyes that are charming and attractive. Sold to a brothel since she was young, Gu Hengbo is smart and willing to endure hardships. She learns music, chess, calligraphy and painting from various masters.

Gradually, she gained a place on the Qinhuai River and became famous in a few years, becoming one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. She also used her savings to open a restaurant, named "Meixianglou", which attracted countless guests every day.

Gu Hengbo fell in love with a talented man named Yu Huai, and she accompanied him wholeheartedly. However, Yu Huai was a man who fell in love with everyone he met, which was a big blow to Gu Hengbo. After finally getting out of the haze, she met a mama's boy again, and this relationship eventually ended.

In 1641, Gu Hengbo married Gong Jin as a concubine and changed her name to Xu Shanchi. When Li Zicheng captured the capital, Gong Jin and his wife tried to commit suicide by jumping into a well, but failed. They were then captured, tortured, and forced to take up a position to inspect the northern city. Gong Jin later surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and had a prosperous career since then. He served in three dynasties and was eventually promoted to the Minister of Rites.

Gu Hengbo tried to persuade her husband to remain loyal and sacrifice his life for the country, but Gong Jin was reluctant to give up her good life and bright future, and chose to serve as a minister for three dynasties. When Gu Hengbo expressed his willingness to die for the country, Gong Jin refused to commit suicide, but declared to the public, "I wanted to die, but my concubine refused to obey", which made Gu Hengbo furious and depressed.

In order to win over the people, the Qing court conferred the title of imperial consort to Gong Jin's family members. However, Gong Jin's original wife had been granted an imperial title by the Ming Dynasty, and she was very disgusted with his surrender to the Qing Dynasty. She was even unwilling to follow him to the capital, saying "I don't want to accept grace from two dynasties", so she gave the imperial title to Gu Hengbo.

Gu Hengbo gladly accepted the imperial decree of the Qing Dynasty and was named a first-rank lady. In the winter of 1664, Gu Hengbo died of illness at the age of 52 and was buried in the Gong family compound in Tieshizi Hutong, Beijing.

Although the Qinhuai prostitutes were of low status and were considered the first-class prostitutes, they were actually people of the highest character. They cared about state affairs, could distinguish right from wrong, and their national integrity was no less than that of many men.

They resisted feudal ethics, yearned for freedom of thought and liberation of personality, and their pursuit of their own ideals, social ideals and values ​​all demonstrated their noble sentiments.

They demonstrated their national integrity and personal charm with their unique feminine romantic feelings, and made the strongest voice of the times.

During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, they perfectly interpreted the Chinese humanistic spirit in their own way. Therefore, the talents of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai not only shine in Qinhuai culture and female culture, but also occupy an important position in the entire Chinese cultural field.

[Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of the Five Emperors, Yellow Emperor, read all the historical facts and historical figures of the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Chinese nation, in one go]

Sima Qian said that the purpose of "Records of the Grand Historian" is to "investigate the relationship between heaven and man, understand the changes of ancient and modern times, and form a unique opinion." As the first of the Twenty-Four Histories, "Records of the Grand Historian" opens a door to a thousand years of history for us.

Opening this book, we seem to be able to travel through time, to understand the ups and downs of emperors and generals, to experience the daily trivialities of ordinary people, and to explore the lives where the extraordinary and the ordinary coexist.

The masterpiece "Records of the Grand Historian" has a total of 130 chapters and more than 12 characters. Among them, 30 "Basic Annals" mainly record the achievements of emperors of successive dynasties; 70 "Family Histories" include the rise and fall of vassal states and various vassal nobles in the Han Dynasty; 10 "Biographies" record the deeds of important figures; 8 "Tables" are relatively simple, recording the chronology of major events; "Books" are more complex, involving sacrifices, rituals, music, and calendars. Its literary and historical value is immeasurable, but because the whole text is recorded in classical Chinese, it is quite obscure to read.

Therefore, I plan to use videos and plain language to explain it so that everyone can better understand this masterpiece, which is "the masterpiece of historians and the Li Sao without rhyme". So without further ado, let's take a look at the first episode: the Five Emperors in the 12 Annals.

The Wildness of China and the Rise of the Yellow Emperor

It is said that China was still a wild land at that time. The grain production was pitifully low. People spent all day thinking about how to get enough food, and the clothes they wore were the simplest cloth.

At that time, the social system had not yet developed, and people just lived together with their families. This is what we call a clan or tribe. In such a historical environment, a pioneering figure was born, the first emperor in Chinese history recorded by Sima Qian in "Records of the Grand Historian" - Huangdi.

As we all know, we call ourselves "descendants of Yan and Huang", where "Huang" refers to Huangdi. He is listed as the first among the emperors in "Records of the Grand Historian". We call Huangdi our ancestor, not only because he gave birth to the Chinese nation, but also because his contribution to Chinese civilization is the source of our Chinese national heritage.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Huangdi was the son of Shaodian, with a surname of Gongsun and a given name of Xuanyuan, also known as Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan was very smart and matured earlier than other children of the same age. He could speak when he was supposed to be drinking milk.

The "Historical Records" records: "Born with divine spirit, able to speak when weak, kind and sensitive when young, and smart when mature." They were gifted when young, and even more agile and knowledgeable when they grew up. With such ancestors, it is no wonder that we are so outstanding.

In Xuanyuan's time, although there was no real emperor to rule the land of China, there was actually a common ruler of the world, and he was called the Son of Heaven.

The emperor is not only the boss of a tribe, but also the leader of other tribes. His job is to maintain harmony among tribes and resolve disputes. The emperor is very busy every day. Sometimes he asks the Zhang family if they are short of food, and sometimes he persuades the Li and Wang families to stop the conflict. Of course, this is just an example.

If a war really broke out, the emperor would lead his troops to quell the war. The emperor at that time was a descendant of Shennong, the well-known Shennong who tasted hundreds of herbs.

He and Fuxi are known as the "Three Emperors". However, as time went by, Shennong gradually declined, and his descendants were less and less capable of controlling the power of the tribes. The leaders were weak and their subordinates naturally quarreled constantly, leading to attacks between the princes and the people living in dire straits.

These princes were actually the leaders of various tribes. They not only fought each other endlessly, but also killed many innocent people. Although he was the emperor, Shennong was unable to effectively solve this chaotic situation.

In this regard, the "Records of the Grand Historian" also records: "During the time of Xuanyuan, the Shennong clan was in decline. The princes invaded each other and oppressed the people, but the Shennong clan was unable to conquer them." When the old ruler declined, the new ruler would surely rise. It was at this time that Xuanyuan stepped forward and wanted to show his ambition and ability. He began to train his soldiers and martial arts and challenged those princes who refused to submit.

The Records of the Grand Historian records that "Xuanyuan used weapons to conquer those who refused to pay homage." "Gan" means shield, "Ge" means weapon, and "Buxiang" means those princes who ignored the royal power and did not come to pay homage. As the emperor, Xuanyuan took on the responsibility of quelling wars and mediating disputes with weapons in hand. With practical actions and powerful military force, Xuanyuan quickly resolved the disputes among the princes and consolidated his position.

As a result, various forces submitted to Xuanyuan. The "Historical Records" only used six simple words to describe it: "All the princes came to pay homage." This shows the strength of Xuanyuan at that time.

Huangdi's Challenge and Victory

However, being the common ruler of the world is not so easy. Even if the current obstacles are cleared, there will still be new challenges. Even the powerful Xuanyuan was still blocked by two powerful enemies, the famous Yan Emperor and Chi You.

So the question is, isn't Yan Emperor the legendary Shennong? His descendants were already emperors, so how come there was another Yan Emperor? In fact, there are many different opinions about the relationship between Yan Emperor and Shennong.

There is a saying that Shennong is Yan Emperor, while others believe that Yan Emperor is a general name for the leaders of the Shennong clan. Some even speculate that Yan Emperor has no connection with Shennong, and some even say that Yan Emperor is the younger brother of Huangdi. However, Sima Qian did not make it clear in "Records of the Grand Historian". But judging from the records in "Records of the Grand Historian", Yan Emperor may not be Shennong, but another leader.

Shennong was more like a person from the previous era, rather than from the same period as Yandi and Huangdi. This can more reasonably explain the fact that Shennong's family declined as recorded in the "Records of the Grand Historian".

Although Sima Qian did not say it explicitly, one thing is certain: the deeds of Yandi "harming the four directions and oppressing the princes" were recorded. Yandi wanted to visit the princes in person, but the princes surrendered to Xuanyuan one after another. Xuanyuan then "cultivated virtue and strengthened the army, controlled the five elements, cultivated the five kinds of food, comforted the people, measured the four directions, and trained bears, badgers, leopards, jackals and tigers." He and Yandi fought fiercely in the Banquan Plain.

The tribes were unwilling to surrender and all joined Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan knew that the enemy was not easy to deal with, so he reorganized the army, planted crops, comforted the people, and measured the land. To be on the safe side, he also specially trained a variety of beasts.

Although these beasts such as bears, badgers, pixiu, jackals and tigers may have become extinct, or the legends may be exaggerated, the text shows that the battle was quite fierce. It is said that Emperor Yan took the initiative and besieged them with fire, while Emperor Huang drove Yinglong to spit water to put out the fire. Of course, this passage is not written in the "Records of the Grand Historian".

As for where the two ancestors fought, there is no clear answer. Some say it was in Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng, Shanxi, because Jiezhou Town was called Zhuolu in ancient times; another theory is that it was southeast of Zhuolu, Hebei; and some say it was in the Yanqing area.

But no matter what, Xuanyuan finally won the victory after several fierce battles, and successfully conquered Yan Emperor with his firm belief and strong fighting power. Since then, Yan Emperor surrendered and joined the camp of Huangdi.

But don't forget that Xuanyuan has another powerful enemy - Chiyou. Chiyou must be familiar to everyone. He is the leader of the Jiuli tribe. He is known as one of the three ancestors of China together with Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang, and he is also one of our ancestors.

According to legend, he has horns on his head, a burly figure, and is the god of war. He has 81 brothers, all of whom are powerful fighters, and he rides a ferocious stone-iron beast (now the national treasure giant panda). But in "Records of the Grand Historian", he is just an ordinary human, the leader of a tribe, but he is famous for his cruelty and tyranny. He leads his tribe to fight everywhere all day long, ignoring the power of the emperor.

However, facing Chiyou's challenge, Xuanyuan did not back down. Xuanyuan had been cultivating the tribe for many years. In addition to his own explosive military strength, he also had a group of good brothers. His war was the war of the world.

When other tribes learned that their leader was going to go to war with Chiyou, they responded one after another, formed a coalition force, and engaged in a fierce battle with Chiyou in the Zhuolu Plain.

This battle was extremely dangerous. Chi You blew up thick fog from his mouth, which spread in all directions for three days and three nights. Xuanyuan then invented the compass chariot to break the deadlock.

Chi You asked Feng Bo and Yu Shi to help him fight, and Xuan Yuan sent Ba. In short, there are endless mythological characters, but these contents are not written in "Records of the Grand Historian", but come from other ancient books such as "Classic of Mountains and Seas".

"Records of the Grand Historian" only recorded: "Chiyou rebelled and disobeyed the emperor's orders. So the Yellow Emperor summoned the princes and fought with Chiyou in the wilderness of Zhuolu, and finally captured and killed Chiyou." Although "Records of the Grand Historian" did not describe in detail the course of those exciting battles, Sima Qian directly wrote the outcome of the battle in just a few sentences.

This should be due to considerations of historical rigor. As a historian, he must be familiar with the legends of the wars of his predecessors, but in his cognitive system, those illusory battle processes cannot be completely denied, but lack solid evidence, so they are not included in the history books. This is also one of the writing principles of "Records of the Grand Historian".

In addition, Sima Qian mentioned in the "Taishigong Preface" at the end of "Shiji" that the records of the Yellow Emperor by various philosophers were full of strange ideas and the writing was not elegant. Therefore, when he compiled "Shiji", he selected the most credible parts from the numerous historical materials, wrote concisely, and only recorded the most standardized and reliable information.

At that time, most tribes in the world either submitted directly to Xuanyuan or were conquered by him. In short, everyone recognized Xuanyuan and supported him as the Son of Heaven, replacing Shennong and establishing a new dynasty. At this point, Xuanyuan officially replaced Shennong and became the ruler of the world. The "Historical Records" recorded it like this: "The princes respected Xuanyuan and respected him as the Son of Heaven, replacing Shennong and becoming the Yellow Emperor."

The Origin of the Title of "Emperor"

So, some people may ask, why is Huangdi called "Emperor" instead of "Red Emperor" or "Black Emperor"? This actually stems from the ancients' concept of the five elements. They believed that each dynasty had its own unique attributes, and the rise and fall of dynasties restricted each other.

The Book of Fengshan mentions that after Qin Shihuang unified the world, some people believed that Huangdi belonged to the "earth virtue" in the five elements, because it is said that yellow dragons and giant earthworms appeared during Huangdi's time, which are symbols of earth virtue. Later dynasties corresponded to different virtues: Zhuanxu got the wood virtue because a blue dragon descended outside the capital; the Xia Dynasty got the gold virtue because white mists appeared like mountains; the Zhou Dynasty got the fire virtue because red crows appeared; and the Qin Dynasty got the water virtue because Duke Wen of Western Qin got a black dragon when he went hunting, which was also a sign of water virtue.

Translated, it means: When Qin Shi Huang unified the world, some people believed that Huangdi belonged to the "Earth Virtue" among the Five Elements, because according to legend, yellow dragons and giant earthworms appeared during Huangdi's period.

Zhuanxu belonged to the "wood virtue" because a blue dragon descended outside the capital. The Xia Dynasty belonged to the "metal virtue" because white mist rose like a mountain. The Zhou Dynasty belonged to the "fire virtue" because a red crow appeared. The Qin Dynasty belonged to the "water virtue" because Duke Wen of Western Qin obtained a black dragon while hunting, which was also an auspicious sign of the water virtue.

——"I remember that Daqin is also the water virtue, so it is black,"