The Qin State, which was so powerful in the Warring States Period, often acted "stupid"?

When reading "Historical Records" and "Qin Benji", it was very interesting to see the different responses of the people of Qin and the state of Jin in the face of disasters. After reading it carefully, I discovered that the Qin State at that time was actually a bit naive and "stupid". I felt that it was often played on by the Jin State, a developed country at the time. However, the "silly" Qin State finally unified the six countries. , but the colorful Jin State was divided into three families and eventually perished.

In the past, when I carefully read French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon's social psychology work "The Crowd: A Study in the Psychology of the Masses" first published in 1895, I was still sighing. There is a lack of such works in China.

But when I look at Ban Gu’s general summary of human nature in various parts of the country at that time in "Hanshu" "Geographical Notes", I wonder, isn't this the prototype of "The Crowd" more than 2,000 years ago? ?

Perhaps this description seems a bit far-fetched to some people, but "The Crowd" is also a work based on the French nation and studies modern popular psychology. Le Bon elaborated on the characteristics of French groups and group psychology in the book from a modern point of view, and then pointed out that when an individual is an isolated individual, he will have his own distinctive individual characteristics, and once this person integrates into the group, he will All individuality will be overwhelmed by the group, and thoughts will be immediately replaced by group thoughts. Therefore, it can be concluded that when a group exists, individuals show characteristics such as emotionality, no objection, and low IQ;

Similar to this method, Ban Gu also analyzed the personalized characteristics of the group from the regional dimension A general summary is made, but it is rather rough and does not have the sense of detail required by modern research. But what else can we demand from the advanced nature of summarizing national character on a regional basis more than 2,000 years ago?

1. The different attitudes of Qin and Jin when facing disasters

Although the summary in the subtitle may seem a bit idealistic, the development of history shows that if people's hearts are not kind, the consequences will be endless. In our history and culture, marriage is described as the eternal knot of "the good of Qin and Jin", which is enough to illustrate the close relationship between Qin and Jin.

But reality is often cruel. Based on rough and unscientific statistics from "Historical Records", I found that there were more wars between Qin and Jin than peaceful coexistence, although the royal families of the two countries have always had the habit of marrying each other. . Moreover, because the Jin State is one of the developed and advanced countries in Shandong, it feels like it often plays the Qin State into its hands.

Qin Guo’s behavior has always been a bit "silly".

For example, in 648 BC, the Jin State encountered a severe drought, so they sent people to the Qin State to ask for food aid. Pi Bao, who was born in the Jin State, was very familiar with the Jin State and persuaded Duke Mu of Qin not only not to provide food, but also to take advantage of the famine in the Jin State and the instability of the people's hearts to send troops to attack the Jin State.

Duke Mu of Qin always felt that something was wrong, so he went to ask Gongsun Zhi again. Gongsun Zhi said: "There will be bad and good harvests from time to time, and we should provide assistance." Duke Mu of Qin still hesitated, and then When I asked Baili Xi, Baili Xi said, "Yiwu has offended you, what's the crime of his people?" So Duke Mu of Qin adopted the opinions of Baili Xi and Gongsun Zhi and provided food aid to Jin. The scene at that time was grand. According to the description in "Historical Records" and "Qin Benji": grain was transported to the Jin State by waterway by ship and by land by vehicle. It started from Yongdu and continued to Jiangcheng.

Just two years later, in 646 BC, the Qin State suffered a famine, so the Qin State asked the Jin State for food assistance. The king of Jin asked his ministers for their opinions on this matter. Minister Guo She said: "We can take advantage of the famine in Qin to attack it, and we will achieve great success." The king of Jin actually listened to his advice.

In 645 BC, Jin sent troops to attack Qin. Duke Mu of Qin, who did not expect such a result, had no choice but to send troops. Although Duke Mu of Qin went on the expedition himself, he asked Pi Bao to lead the army to fight. After Duke Mu of Qin fought hard, he captured the king of Jin and returned to Qin.

Duke Mu of Qin issued an order to the whole country in Yongdu: "Everyone must fast and stay alone, and I will use Jin Jun to sacrifice to God." When the Emperor of Zhou heard about this, he said, "Jin Jun is my same surname. ", to plead for mercy to the king of Jin; Yiwu's sister was the wife of Duke Mu of Qin. When she heard about this, she put on mourning clothes and went barefoot, saying: "Not only can I not save my brother, but I have to let the king down. Ordering him to be killed is really humiliating to the king." Seeing this, Duke Mu of Qin complained: "I captured the king of Jin and thought it was a great achievement. But now that the emperor has come to intercede, my wife is also worried about it. "So he had no choice but to follow everyone's advice and made a covenant with the king of Jin, promising to let him return to his country, and gave him a high-quality house to stay in. He also gave him seven cattle, sheep and pigs, and treated him with the courtesy of a prince.

In November, Duke Mu of Qin sent Yiwu, the king of Jin, back to his country; Yiwu donated the land in Hexi of Jin and sent Prince Yu (yǔ, idiom) to Qin as a hostage. The state of Qin married the daughter of the same clan to Ziyu. At this time, Qin's territory had expanded eastward to the Yellow River.

In fact, if you read "Historical Records" carefully, you will find that "silly" people like the Qin State did many thankless things. Of course, the Qin State cannot be blamed for this. At that time, the Qin State, no matter how hard it tried, was regarded as a "barbarian, uncivilized" backward country by the six developed and advanced countries in the east. Even when the League of Nations was held, Qin State was not bothered to join.

Another time was the "Battle of Linghu" that took place during the reign of Duke Kang of Qin: Duke Xianggang of Jin's younger brother named Yong was born in the state of Qin, and he was also in the state of Qin at that time. Zhao Dun, the powerful official of the Jin State, planned to make Duke Xiang's younger brother the Duke of Jin, so he sent the capable ministers of the Jin State to greet him. How could Duke Kang of Qin stop such a good thing? It was beneficial to the State of Qin, so Qin sent an army to escort him to a place called Linghu, waiting for the State of Jin to pick him up. But what they didn't expect was an attack by the Jin army. Because the Qin army had no preparation for war, they were defeated and fled. Then they ran back to Yongcheng with the defeated army. It turns out that the Jin people went back on their word, and Zhao Dun's plan may not have been unanimously agreed by the courtiers. They finally made Duke Xiang's son the Duke of Jin. Linghu was beaten for no reason, Duke Kang of Qin was so angry!

From this, we can see that the ideal of "the good of Qin and Jin" is actually just a beautiful "hometown wish", and the reality is actually only the backbone of "Qin and Jin are difficult to use well". The trend of history has not spared any bad actors in the end.

Why do Qin people have such character traits? Maybe we can clear up the confusion by looking at Ban Gu’s analysis of more than 2,000 years ago.

2. Ban Gu commented on the overview of the folk customs of "Qin"

In fact, in the "Eight Chapters of Geography" in "Hanshu", Ban Gu based on the customs and folk sentiments of various places stated by Liu Xiang and Prime Minister Zhang Yuling's subordinates Yingchuan and Zhu Gan. A brief comment was made on the public sentiment and national character of various places at that time. So, what were the national character characteristics of people from various places during the Western Han Dynasty in history? Of course, this article is mainly aimed at the people of Qin, focusing on information related to Qin.

Ban Gu explained the word "custom" in the "Book of Han" this way: The common people follow the nature of the five constant elements, and their hardness, softness, urgency, and different sounds are related to the customs of water and soil, so they are called customs. Wind: the choice of likes and dislikes, constant movement and stillness, following the king's desires, so it is called custom. Confucius said: "To change customs, no one is good at music." If the sage king is at the top and governs human relations, he must remove the trees and change the ends. This will harmonize the world, and then the king's teaching will be completed. The end of the Han Dynasty's succession of hundreds of kings. The land changed and the people migrated. When Liu Xiang became emperor, he briefly mentioned the geographical divisions. Prime Minister Zhang Yu sent people to Yingchuan and Zhugantiao and their customs. However, they have not yet been published, so they are compiled and discussed. The whole story is finally written in this chapter.

If interpreted in modern Chinese, it means: everyone has the nature to abide by the five constant principles (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness), and people's personalities will show hardness, softness, urgency, and different voices. They are not the same. This is because the water, soil and customs are different, so it is called "wind"; the choice of likes and dislikes in daily behavior lacks normalcy and will cater to the king's preferences, so it is called "custom". Confucius said: "If you want to transform the social atmosphere and change the people's culture and customs, nothing is more effective than ritual and music." This means that when the sage king governs the country and controls the ethics of the world, he must correct the nature of the people and remove their bad deeds. If this can be done, the different opinions in the world can be unified into one to achieve neutralization, and the enlightenment the court hopes for will be successful. The Han Dynasty inherited the tradition of hundreds of kings. The territory of the country has also changed, and the people have moved around. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiangjian discussed the changes in the territory. Prime Minister Zhang Yu asked his subordinates Yingchuan and Zhu Gan to state the customs and sentiments of various places in detail, but they were unable to comprehensively summarize them. Therefore, I will try to summarize their unfinished works. All comments will be explained at the end of this article.

In order to facilitate everyone's interpretation, in addition to my translation, the original text is also quoted above. Under normal circumstances, I don't like to write articles like this, because this will affect the reading pleasure of netizens. However, I found that many ancient Chinese translations on the Internet have problems. Many of them are like robot translations, and I am just confused after reading them.

Returning to the topic, it can be seen that "changing customs" is to change the moral nature of the people. Our ancestors attached great importance to it more than 2,000 years ago. In Ban Gu's article, he did not divide administrative units into "Thirteen Regions" based on historical and traditional regions: Qin, Wei, Zhou, Han, Zhao, Yan, Qi, Lu, Song Di, Wei Di, Chu Di, Wu Di, Guangdong Di.

Before starting this topic, we must first understand that the historical division of the "Thirteen Prefectures" is different from the modern administrative divisions. We cannot use modern geographical and cultural thinking to understand history. Because I am worried that netizens will misunderstand me as creating regional discrimination, I will not explain in detail the corresponding modern places. I am mainly worried that I am not knowledgeable enough and will make a joke. However, "Qin Di" will be described in detail, because this article is just to write about "Qin Di".

According to the "Eight Parts of Geography" in Ban Gu's "Book of Han": "The land of Qin is located at the boundary between Tianguan Dongjing and Yugui.

Its boundaries are from the west of Hongnong Guguan, Jingzhao, Fufeng, Fengyi, Beidi, Shangjun, Xihe, Anding, Tianshui, Longxi; to the south are Ba, Shu, Guanghan, Qianwei, and Wudu; to the west are Jincheng, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Dunhuang, and Zangke, Yuexun, and Yizhou in the southwest are all suitable for Yan. ”

From Ban Gu’s division of Qin into the following four parts, it can be seen that the “Qin” in the Qin and Han Dynasties is very different from modern times. The ancient concept of Qin was much larger than that in modern times. Each part of “Qin” is due to Due to differences in geography, folk customs, and traditional habits, the habits of the residents are also very different.

Capital part: Since this place is an important part of the Qin State and the place where the Emperor of Zhou rose, Ban Gu believed that "therefore ( Ancient) The land of Qin spanned the two states of Yong and Liang during the time of "Yu Gong", and "Shi·Feng" covered both Qin and Bin states. In the past, Ji was granted the title of Ji, Gong Liu was in Bin, the king moved to Qi, King Wen made fermented rice, and King Wu managed pickaxes. The people followed the legacy of the previous kings and were good at farming and engaged in their own business. Therefore, "Bin Shi" said that farming and mulberry farming are well prepared for food and clothing. There are E, Du Zhulin and Nanshan Tanzhe, which are known as Luhai and Jiuzhou. In the early days of the First Emperor, Zheng Guo crossed canals and diverted Jing water to irrigate the fields, creating fertile fields thousands of miles away. The people are prosperous. ”

In other words, the residents here have inherited the legacy of the previous kings, like farming, and can stick to their own business. They are an important base and foundation for supplying the country’s food and clothing. Ban Gu spoke highly of the people in the old land of the Zhou Dynasty. .

However, with the rise of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang adopted the painful lesson of moving the dignitaries of various countries to Guanzhong to avoid the disintegration of Qin. After the influential dignitaries moved their families to the vicinity of Chang'an, they brought different customs and habits with them, which also changed the customs of Qin.

Ban Gu said:

"When the Han Dynasty was established, the capital was established in Chang'an, and all the fields were restored. The families of Chu Zhao, Qu, Jing and other meritorious officials were settled in Changling. In later generations, two thousand officials were moved to Zhuling, and the rich and powerful people of Gaozi (Zi) and Jie (Jie) merged and merged their homes in Zhuling. The cover is also composed of strong stems and weak branches, so it is not just the Fengshan Garden. Therefore, the five directions are mixed (wrong), and the customs are impure. The aristocratic family is fond of etiquette, the rich are merchants for profit, and the heroic Jie (jie) is a knight-errant and adulterer. It is close to Nanshan Mountain and Xia Yang. There are many obstacles and dangers, and it is easy for thieves and thieves. It is often a drama in the world. In addition, the counties and counties are clustered together, and there are many people who live on the streets. The people are poor. The princes and nobles have their cars and clothes arrogantly, and the common people imitate them, but they are ashamed and irrelevant. Marrying is particularly extravagant and extravagant, and they lead to death. "

According to Ban Gu, due to the immigration of rich and heroic people from various countries, the customs in Guanzhong became impure and therefore corrupted. He concluded: Hereditary families are generally good at etiquette; rich people are keen on making money; heroes are He is collaborating with the rangers. Moreover, it is particularly pointed out that Xia Yang, which is close to Zhongnan Mountain, has a dangerous geographical environment and is a place where bandits emerge from the poor mountains and rivers, which often brings troubles to the world. There are many people who don't do business to get rich. In addition, the people in the capital are ostentatious in their clothes and cars, and people follow the fashion and compare. Therefore, it is shameful to compare, and they are especially extravagant in weddings and funerals.

From Longxi to the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang in the west;

When it comes to Tianshui, Longxi, Anding, Beidi and other six counties close to Rong. When reading the folk customs of Di, Ban Gu commented that because these places were located on the border, the people liked to "practice war preparation, improve their strength, and put hunting first." That is to say, they respected strength and mainly engaged in hunting after the rise of the Han Dynasty. The children of good families in these six counties (their origins cannot be the children of doctors, merchants, or workers) were mostly selected to serve as the escort troops of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty - the Yulin Army and the Qimen. They mainly relied on their personal strength to become officials. Famous generals, such as the family of Li Guang, a famous general in the Western Han Dynasty. Ban Gu quoted Confucius' famous saying: "A gentleman who has courage but has no friendship (righteousness) will become a chaos; a villain who has courage but has no friendship (righteousness) will become a thief." "To sum up the people of these six counties: although the folk customs are simple, they have no shame in becoming bandits.

In the "Book of Han", Ban Gu included the four counties to the west of Wuwei County as part of the "Qin Dynasty" ". These places were originally the nomadic lands of King Kunxie and King Xiutu of the Xiongnu. During the reign of Emperor Wu, Huo Qubing sent out surprise troops to seize them from the Huns. Four counties were initially set up to connect the Western Regions and block the Southern Qiang and the Connection with the Huns. Most of the residents here migrated from the Guan area: some fled from the extreme poverty in Guandong, some committed crimes for revenge, and some were punished for rebellion. Their families were moved here due to their different origins. , customs are very different, and the Hexi Corridor has vast land, few people, and water and grass suitable for feeding livestock. Therefore, the livestock in Liangzhou area is the largest in the world. Because of the defense of the border fortress, it relies on two thousand stone officials to manage it, and the people often use it every day. Selling weapons and horses is a business; neighbors have banquets and ceremonial gatherings, everyone can get along equally, and the relationship between the government and the people is relatively harmonious.

Therefore, the custom here is that when the weather is good, the price of grain is very cheap. , there are fewer thieves, and the civil atmosphere is generally harmonious. Compared with the mainland, the officials and the people are more reasonable. The reason may be that the government is lenient and the officials are not as rigid in enforcing the law as in the mainland.

Bashu in the south is still today. The military capital of Longnan;

If according to the "Historical Records" Sima Cuo and Zhang Yi debated over the conquest of Shu, the guest Qing Sima Cuo won, and the Qin State took Bashu into his pocket. It can be seen that Ban Gu divided the "Qin Land" in this way There is no problem.

According to the concept at the time, Bajun, Shujun, and Guanghan County were originally Nanyi counties. They were governed by the counties after the Qin Dynasty annexed them. The land here is fertile, there are rivers to irrigate the fields, and there are mountains and forests. The abundance of bamboo, wood, vegetables, and fruits. To the south, Dian and Fen produced many child servants, while to the west, Qiong and Qian produced many horses and yaks.

The people eat rice and fish, and there is basically no worries like those in the north during the bad years. The folk customs are less worried and hard. Therefore, the folk customs show that it is easy to overindulge, and the petite body looks weak. Rather narrow-minded.

During the reigns of Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Wen Weng served as the governor of Shu County. He taught the people to read and abide by laws, but he did not achieve the integrity and morality expected. Instead, the people liked to use articles to satirize and admonish, advocating and admiring authority and envy. power. Especially after Sima Xiangru left home and became a high-ranking official in the capital and the princes, he became famous for his articles and rhetoric, and he became an object of admiration and imitation by local residents. It became a local trend to get ahead through reading and learning. Later, people like Wang Bao, Yan Zun, and Yang Xiong ranked first in the world in terms of articles. These results show that Wen Weng advocated that local people learn to manage their families and took Sima Xiangru as a model for learning, which led to the emergence of literary talents here in large numbers.

The situation in Wudu County is more complicated, because the land is inhabited by Di and Qiang people, as well as Jianwei County, Pangke County, and Yuelun County, all of which are Yi ethnic groups outside the southwest. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, counties began to be set up to govern. Its folk customs are roughly the same as those in Ba and Shu counties. In addition, Wudu County is close to Tianshui County, so the folk customs are quite close. Therefore Ban Gu has no further comments.

Ban Gu concluded at the end that the original land of Qin only accounted for one-third of the world at that time, and its population did not exceed three-tenths of the world, but its wealth accounted for more than one-third of the world. Six out of ten. It can be seen that the Qin State was able to unify the world not only because of its overwhelming combat power, but also because of its economic foundation.

Refer to Wu Qi’s analysis of the character of Qin’s people in the “Wu Zi’s Art of War” in the Seven Books of the Book of Martial Arts: “The people of Qin have strong characters, difficult terrain, strict government orders, clear rewards and punishments, and trustworthiness...” Ban Gu's overall evaluation of the "Qin Land" is summarized as follows: the folk customs are simple and naive, which seems to make sense.