Heroic rhetoric and stories

It's overdue when it rains, so we have to cut off the electricity. On the orders of my brother, we must not cut and defend ourselves. A strong man will die, and it is better for a vassal to die.

Bobby Chen (? ~ Qian 208) was a native of Yangcheng (now Fangcheng County, Henan Province) and worked as a servant in his early years. Bobby Chen was an ambitious man when he was young. Born in a farmhouse, I worked as a long-term laborer for the landlord since I was a child. He was deeply oppressed and exploited, and his heart was "disappointed for a long time". He gradually formed the idea of resisting oppression and changing reality. He once said that "the sparrow is small, but it has everything", and he was determined to do great things from an early age.

At that time, during the brutal rule of the Qin Dynasty, class oppression was extremely deep. He doesn't want to be enslaved and sympathizes with people who share his fate. One day, he said to his plowing partners, "Be rich and don't forget each other." In other words, if anyone is rich in the future, don't forget a poor brother who has suffered a lot. Everyone felt funny when they heard it: "We worked hard to farm for others. Where did we get the money?" Chen Sheng couldn't help feeling something and sighed: "Swallows know the ambition of swans!" ("Historical Records? Chen She family) The poor peasants deceived by the ruling class's preaching that "wealth is in the sky" can't understand the advanced thought that actually represents their own class to get rid of poverty and oppression. The outstanding feature of Bobby Chen is that he first saw this kind of poverty, wealth and injustice, and put forward simple and brave requirements to change this kind of injustice. The determination to resist fate is like a fire burning in Bobby Chen's chest. Soon, he proved his brave words to people with practical actions.

In July of the first year of Qin Ershi (209 BC), the court dispatched a large number of soldiers to defend Yuyang (now southwest of Miyun, Beijing), and Chen Sheng was also called up and appointed as the head of the team. He and 900 other poor farmers, escorted by two Qin officials, went to Yuyang day and night. When traveling to osawa Township, Qixian County (now Xisipo Township, Suzhou, Anhui Province), the road was blocked by floods due to continuous heavy rain. Seeing that the deadline to reach Yuyang is coming, everyone is anxious like ants on hot bricks, and I don't know what to do. Because according to Qin Liangfa, any soldier who is called to guard the border and fails to arrive at the designated place on time will be beheaded.

At the critical moment of life and death, Chen Sheng resolutely decided to plan an uprising. That night, Chen Sheng quietly consulted with another chariot captain Guangwu. Guangwu, a native of Yang Xia (now Taikang, Henan), was also born in poverty. Although they have known each other for a short time, they are already friends who talk about everything. Chen Sheng said to Guangwu, "There are still thousands of miles away from Yuyang, so we can't reach Yuyang on schedule. In our present situation, we will die if we go there, and we will die if we escape and get caught. It is better to choose to die for the country and do something bigger than death? " Chen Sheng then analyzed the current situation: "Everyone in the world has been ruled by the Qin Dynasty for a long time, and the common people's exorbitant taxes and levies on the Qin Dynasty have reached an unbearable level. It is said that Hu Hai, the second emperor, was the youngest son of Qin Shihuang. It was his eldest son, Fu Su, who should not have succeeded to the throne. Fu Su was virtuous, but he was killed by II for no reason. There is also a famous soldier named Xiang Yan, who used to be a famous soldier of Chu. He made outstanding achievements in military service, cared for soldiers and won the hearts of the people. Now people don't know whether these two people are alive or dead. Why not call on the whole world to rise up against the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty in their name? " Guangwu admired Chen Sheng's courage, felt that his ideas were in line with the people's hearts at that time, and fully supported Chen Sheng's decision to "subjugate the country" and "seek great things".

Ancient popular religious superstition activities predicted good or bad luck. After some planning, Bobby Chen and Guangwu specially found a fortune teller. Knowing their intentions, the wise men said, "Your career can be successful, and you can make great contributions to the people. But you should ask ghosts and gods about this. " Chen Sheng and Guangwu were very happy after hearing this. From their words, they realized the truth of "scaring the masses by ghosts and gods". So, they wrote "wàng" on the silk handkerchief with vermilion and stuffed it into the belly of the fish caught by fishermen. When the soldiers bought fish to eat, they were surprised to find the "Dan Shu" in the belly of the fish. At the same time, Chen Sheng let lurk in an abandoned temple near the camp, lit a bonfire in the middle of the night, imitated the fox's voice and shouted "Da Chu wàng, Chen (Qiang)" and so on! The sleeping soldier was awakened and very scared. The next day, the soldiers were whispering, and they all pointed the finger at Bobby Chen. In addition, Chen Sheng usually treats his subordinates warmly and kindly, and now he associates the image of Chen Sheng with the revival of Chu, so the prestige of Sheng-bing Chen is higher.

Seeing that the time was basically ripe, Chen Sheng let Guangwu deliberately threaten to escape to anger the generals who escorted them to the border. The two drunken commanders were really angry, scolding and flogging Guangwu, causing dissatisfaction among the soldiers, and they began to coax them. Guangwu rose up and killed Wei Peijian, a famous soldier. Chen Sheng also took advantage of the situation to kill another famous soldier.

Later, Chen Sheng called 900 soldiers together and said loudly, "When it rains, it's all overdue. If they are out of date, they should be cut off. If my brother tells me not to behead, the dead will watch, and the strong men will die, and the princes will be fine! " ("Historical Records? Chen She family) means: Ladies and gentlemen, we are caught in heavy rain here, and we can't get to Yuyang on time. If we miss the deadline, everyone will be beheaded. Even if we are lucky enough not to be beheaded, nine times out of ten we will still die. Besides, if a hero dies, he will achieve great fame when he dies! Will princes have natural noble species? Bobby Chen's forceful words spoke out everyone's heart. The soldiers' resentment and anger towards the Qin Dynasty poured out like a flood that burst its banks and shouted in unison, "We are willing to obey your orders!" " So everyone, under the guidance of Chen Sheng and, according to the plan in advance, exposed their right arms as a symbol, built an altar and vowed to declare an uprising in the name of Fu Su and Xiang Yan, sons of the King of Chu. Chen Sheng established himself as a general and took Guangwu as his surname. He captured osawa Township in one fell swoop, and then quickly captured Qixian County. In this way, the first large-scale peasant uprising war broke out in the history of China.

Chen Sheng and Guangwu's feat of "strategizing" has received positive response from the people who suffered from Qin nearby, and they have joined the uprising team by "chopping wood into soldiers and raising the banner". Under the leadership of Chen Sheng He, following the capture of Qixian County, in less than a month, five counties, including Keluo (now Suxian County, Anhui Province), Zan (now yongcheng city, Henan Province), Zhecheng County, Henan Province, and Qiaocheng County, Anhui Province, soon brought the flames of the uprising to their hometown-the Central Plains.

Bobby Chen is a farmer leader with strategic consciousness. After controlling a large area of the border between Anhui and Henan, he decided to attack the strategic location of Chen County (now Huaiyang, Henan Province). Chen County was the capital of Chen State in the two weeks and the Spring and Autumn Period. At the end of the Warring States period, it was once the capital of Chu. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Six Kingdoms, Chen County was designated as a county, which shows the importance of its status. If we can win Chen county, it will undoubtedly be a major blow to Qin. So, Chen Sheng led the insurgents disguised as Chen Cheng. At this time, the insurgents had six or seven hundred chariots, more than a thousand cavalry and tens of thousands of people. Abatti Giresse Concorde's county magistrate and county magistrate were frightened and fled early, leaving only Chengjun (acting as county magistrate) to retreat to the city and fight back. Qin Jun, the already trembling guarding city, quickly fell apart under the strong offensive of the insurgents. The insurgents killed and marched into Chen County.

After Chen Sheng laid Chen Jun, he called the local people (Qin set up officials in charge of education in the countryside) and heroes (prestigious people) to discuss business plans. Although these people did not come from the peasant class, they all witnessed and experienced the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty. In particular, they saw that Chen Sheng led the insurgents to count several counties in just one month, and they had great respect for Chen Sheng. They suggested that Chen Sheng should be king. They said, "The general is determined to win, so he can conquer Qin and rebuild Chu, and be king." ("Historical Records? Chen She aristocratic family), but there are several different opinions: thinking that Chen Sheng is his own king will make people feel that Chen Sheng is selfish and unwilling to follow suit. After much deliberation, Chen Sheng finally decided to claim the title of king and establish the country, with Chenjun as the capital, "Zhang Chu" as the title, and "Zhang Chu" (that is, the meaning of Zhang Chu and Zhang Chu as the slogan), and established the first peasant revolutionary regime in China history. Although Chen Sheng's banner is "Zhang Chu", it is not to restore the native land of Chu, but to overthrow the Qin Dynasty and save the world's poor. This is the practice of his thought of "ambitious ambition" and "what kind of vassal would rather have", and it is also his strategic consideration of unifying the command of the rebel army. Later, the practice of the peasant revolution strongly proved the necessity of Chen Sheng's decision to be king and establish the country.

The establishment of Zhang Chu regime promoted the climax of the national anti-Qin struggle, and the banner of "Zhang Chu" flew high, becoming the symbol of the peasant uprising center, showing great appeal. In the name of the "Zhang Chu" army, "thousands of people gathered in one place, which cannot be counted." ("Historical Records? The fire of peasant uprising has turned into a prairie fire. Driven by the torrent of peasant revolution, some aristocratic remnants also incorporated the old army and rose up against Qin. At that time, famous anti-Qin leaders around the country were Liu Bang, Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Ying Bu, Peng Yue and others.

In the face of the rising anti-Qin struggle, with the assistance of Chen Shengshen and other members of the peasant regime, the overall strategy of "focusing on the western expedition and neglecting the land" was further determined, and finally the rule of the Qin Dynasty was overthrown. He appointed Guangwu as the false king (deputy king), led the main force of the rebel army to attack Xingyang in the west, and took Hangu Pass to Xianyang and Qin Dou. At the same time, "make Luo Song stay in Nanyang and enter Wuguan", and then attack everywhere. Later, with Chen Wu, Deng Zong, Zhou Shi and Zhao Ping as generals, they crossed the Yellow River in the north, attacked the former Zhao area (now northwest Shanxi and southwest Hebei), took Jiujiang County in the south, and went deep into Huainan area; Attack Guangling (now north of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province) and the old land of Wei State (now northeast Henan is connected with southwest Shanxi), and capture the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the girders south of the Yellow River (now Kaifeng, Henan Province). For a time, the fire of the anti-Qin struggle burned all over the country. Insurgents from all walks of life fought bravely and were invincible, and the peasant revolution reached its climax.

But what Chen Sheng didn't expect was that Wu Guangjiu couldn't attack Xingyang, and the army's westward advance was blocked.

Xingyang is an important passage to Guanzhong, and it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. There is Aocang, and Qin hoarded a lot of food nearby. Take Xingyang and open the gate of Guanzhong. Taking Aocang again can not only cut off the supply of food and grass in Qin Jun, but also solve the problem of military supplies for the rebels. The strategic intention of Chen Sheng to send heavy troops to capture Xingyang is very clear. When Guangwu got the news that Xingyang was lost and returned to Chen County, Chen Sheng was very worried. In order to ensure the realization of his strategic intention, he decided to appoint Zhou as a general, explore the Qin Dynasty in the west, take advantage of the condition that the army contained the main force, bypass Xingyang and take Hanguguan directly.

Zhou Wen's army cut off the pass and seized it, sweeping, until it reached the scene only a hundred miles away from Xianyang, Qin Dou (now Lintong, Shaanxi). On the way to March, the people rose up and responded, and the team continued to expand. There were thousands of chariots and hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Qin Ershi, who was extravagant and extravagant, was surprised to hear that the rebels were approaching Xianyang. When the capital was empty and the soldiers could not be mobilized, Zhang Han, as a junior official, had to pardon hundreds of thousands of prisoners who served in Lishan, named Zhang Han as a general, and temporarily organized troops to stop the insurgents. The peasant rebels who were recovering were caught off guard by the sudden hundreds of thousands of Qin Jun and forced to withdraw from Guanzhong. In Caoyangting (now northeast of Lingbao, Henan), he fought with Qin Jun for dozens of days and then retreated to Mianchi. Zhou Wenzhai was strong and unyielding. After many twists and turns, he fought fiercely with the enemy for more than ten days without food and help, but he was outnumbered and finally drew his sword.

After the defeat of Zhou Wen's army, the arrogant Zhang Han army continued to advance eastward, and the peasant army besieged Xingyang was in danger of being caught between Scylla and Charybdis. Tian Cang, the general of the rebel army, disagreed with the opinion of the fake king, saying that "the fake king Jiao doesn't know the relieving power, so he can't be expected not to punish him" (Historical Records? Chen She family), actually killed Guangwu in the name of Chen Shengzhi, which led to the total annihilation of this rebel army.

The situation began to reverse. Weaknesses and contradictions within the rebels are gradually exposed. On the one hand, after Chen Sheng became king, his thoughts gradually evolved and his relationship with the masses became increasingly alienated. For example, a fellow villager who worked with Bobby Chen to farm the land for the landlord heard that he had become king, and he came to Chen County from his hometown in Yangcheng, Dengfeng, to find him, but no one answered after knocking at the door for a long time. It was not until Chen Sheng went out and called his nickname on the road that he was summoned and rode back to the palace together. Because I am an old friend of Bobby Chen, I can go in and out at will, and sometimes I can't help talking about some old things about Bobby Chen's hometown in Bobby Chen. Soon, someone said to Chen Sheng, "The guest officer is ignorant, arrogant and contemptuous." ("Historical Records? Chen She Family) Chen Sheng was so angry that he killed his "nonsense" partner. The words "rich as an enemy, can't forget each other" have long been forgotten. From then on, "Wang Chen's old friends are self-led, so it is the king without relatives" ("Historical Records? Chen She family "). On the other hand, with the development of the anti-Qin struggle, the centrifugal tendency within the revolutionary ranks is also breeding and spreading. The generals sent by Chen Sheng to various places fell apart, vying for the title of king, and the rebels fell apart openly. For example, Chen Wu of the Northern Expedition established himself as the king of Zhao and became the leader of the separatist regime. Its ministry, Hanbitsoft, became the prince of Yan after attacking Yan. Zhoucheng, who captured the old land of Wei, did not stand on his own feet as king, but let the descendants of Wei rather blame him for being king, and took over and ceded land to protect themselves. At the same time, local heroes no longer listened to Chen Sheng's containment, and directly isolated Chen Sheng's "Zhang Chu" regime as the main force against Qin, giving them a chance to fight back.

After Zhang Han, the general of Qin Dynasty, lifted the siege of Xingyang by rebels, he went all out to attack Chen County. In the first year of Qin Ershi (209 years ago), 65438+ February, Chen Sheng personally led the soldiers of the peasant army to wage a fierce battle with Qin Jun. Although they struggled hard, they failed to recover the defeat after all, and were forced to retreat to their father's place in the lower city (now northwest of Mengcheng, Anhui Province), ready to rally and fight against Qin. But I didn't expect that I was killed by Zhuang Jia, the driver who had been following me for several months, which became a permanent regret.

Chen Sheng's murder caused great grief and indignation of his old entourage and general Lv Chen. In Xinyang (now northern Anhui), the banner of "sense of honor" was raised again, and the "Cangtou Army" was formed to recapture Chen County, execute the surrendered traitors and raise the banner of "Zhang Chu" again. Originally, the Ministry that was ordered to develop in the east was called Ping. Under the guise of Chen Sheng, Xiang Liang, the son of Xiang Liang, a former Chu star, was worshipped as a pillar country, so that he could cross the Wujiang River and attack Qin in the west. The anti-Qin struggle has revived.

It took Chen Sheng only half a year to plan the uprising, to claim the title of king and establish the country, and then to be defeated and killed, but the anti-Qin fire he lit burned more than half of China. "Although Chen Sheng died, the princes and princes he left behind actually died in Qin, and the first one involved was also." ("Historical Records? Three years later, the peasant uprising army led by Liu Bang entered Xianyang, overthrew the rule of the Qin Dynasty, and finally won the first large-scale peasant war in China history.

Chen Sheng was buried in the southwest of Mangdang Mountain after his death. After Liu Bang proclaimed himself emperor, he made Chen Sheng a "hidden king", sent 30 servants to guard Chen Sheng's tomb, and offered sacrifices to Chen Sheng every year as a vassal.