Speaking of Zhuge Liang, it can be said that everyone knows it. He is a famous politician and strategist in the history of our country, "Zhuge Wei shocked the earth" (Du Fu's poems). People always regard him as the embodiment of wisdom and admire him. The reason why Zhuge Liang has such a great influence is inseparable from the admiration of the ruling class in previous dynasties and the description and rendering of him in novels and operas. However, the real Zhuge Liang in history is not exactly the same as Zhuge Liang portrayed in novels and plays. What is the real Zhuge Liang in history?
In the fourth year (18 1), Zhuge Liang was born into an official landlord family with a humble family background. His father Zhuge Xuan once worked as a county magistrate in Taishan, and his uncle Zhuge Xuan had contacts with the powerful aristocrats Yuan Shu and Liu Biao at that time. There are three brothers Zhuge Liang, an elder brother Zhu Gejin, a younger brother Zhuge Jun and two older sisters. Due to the early death of his father, Zhuge Liang and his brothers and sisters lived on his uncle Zhuge Xuan.
Zhuge Liang spent his childhood in the war. In the fourth year of his birth, that is, the first year of Zhong Ping, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (AD 184), the Yellow Scarf Uprising broke out, which was followed by the struggle and scuffle between the powerful landlords and armed forces who grew up in suppressing the Yellow Scarf Uprising for territory. Langya County belongs to Xuzhou, and it is a piece of fat in the minds of dignitaries. Tao Qian, Lu Bu and Cao Cao successively occupied and robbed this place. The battle of Xuzhou made it difficult for Zhuge Xuan's family to settle down. In order to escape the war, Zhuge Xuan led his troops to leave his hometown, first to Yuan Shu, then to Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and finally to Xiangyang.
Zhuge Liang 17 years old, his uncle Zhuge Xuan died. Zhuge Liang lost his dependence, so he took his younger brother Zhuge Jun to buy a little land in Longzhong Village, 20 miles west of Xiangyang City, built several straw houses, and began his seclusion life of "plowing Nanyang in troubled times, putting all your eggs in one basket, and not asking Wenda to be a vassal" 20 years later.
The life span in Longzhong is 10 years. During the period of 10, Zhuge Liang read a lot of classics and hundreds of works, especially the works of legalists such as Shen Zi and hundred schools of thought. Zhuge Liang was deeply impressed by the theory of legalist practice during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. He knows that in this turbulent era, the thoughts of legalists, including their experience in governing the country, are the most suitable and practical. Extensive reading, hard study and deep study have enabled him to acquire rich political, military and historical knowledge.
This 10 year is also the process of Zhuge Liang's learning, making friends, increasing his knowledge and learning. At that time, there were relatively few wars in Jingzhou, and scholars and celebrities from the Central Plains fled to this place. Older than Zhuge Liang, there are celebrities Pang Degong, known as "Mr. Water Mirror" and Miannan celebrity Huang (that is, Zhuge Liang's father-in-law). They all became friends of Zhuge Liang. These people are thoughtful, knowledgeable and insightful. Zhuge Liang humbly asked them for advice and learned a lot from them. Thanks to Si Mahui's introduction, Zhuge Liang once again worshipped a hermit, Tan Jiu, who was called "Tan Gong". Tan Jiu is well versed in military strategy and art of war. Tan Jiu was moved by Zhuge Liang's spirit and behavior of "serving sincerely" and taught him three art books. This will undoubtedly help Zhuge Liang to assist Liu Bei in leading the army in the future.
Among Zhuge Liang's friends, there are also some young scholars, including Pang Degong's nephew Pang Tong, Xu Shu of Yingchuan and Meng of Runan. They often study together, comment on world events and express their ambitions.
Zhuge Liang studied, studied and made friends while not forgetting the political situation at that time. Longzhong 10 years, the political situation was changeable. At this time, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao in Guandu and unified the North. Sun Quan followed his brother's foundation to lead Jiangdong, and Cao Cao dominated the Central Plains at that time. Liu Biao, who is in Jingzhou, is a man who stresses fame and doesn't want to achieve great things. It's only a matter of time before he is swallowed up by a strongman ... As a result of the heroic struggle, there will inevitably be a situation of parting ways. Because Zhuge Liang paid attention to the study of the political and military situation at that time, he gradually formed his own political views and coping strategies. When talking with friends about the real social situation, he knew the fire like the back of his hand and was very insightful, so he was called "Jie Jun" by Si Mahui.
It is Zhuge Liang's consistent academic thought to be determined to learn, to aim at learning and to apply what he has learned. So what is Zhuge Liang's ambition? From the following two examples, we can see his ideals and ambitions.
According to Wei Lue, one day, Zhuge Liang talked with three friends, Xu Shu and Meng. Zhuge Liang said to them calmly, "If you are officials, you can be a county magistrate and secretariat." The three men asked Zhuge Liang what he thought, but Zhuge Liang just "laughed without saying a word". This kind of "smiling without saying a word" has shown that Zhuge Liang is very ambitious.
According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang often compares himself with Guan Zhong and Le Yi, who are in high positions. He thinks that there is neither a wise man like Guan Zhong nor a superstar like Le Yi. Guan Zhong was a great statesman of Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period. He once helped Qi Huangong and the Nine Princes conquer the world and make Qi a powerful vassal state. Le Yi was a famous soldier of Yan State during the Warring States Period. He supported the weak Yan State and commanded Qiang Bing to capture more than 70 cities of Qi State in one fell swoop, making Yan State one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States.
It can be seen from these places that Zhuge Liang compares himself to Guan Zhong and Le Yi, and thinks that he has the strategy of governing the country as a prime minister and the way of leading troops as a famous general. In troubled times, he is determined to make amazing moves politically and militarily like Guan Zhong and Le Yi. His goal is to wipe out the wolves and end the division.
To govern troubled times, we must use wisdom and rely on the wise Lord to achieve it. The so-called "good birds choose wood to live in, and good ministers choose their masters and follow them" is to carefully select the "virtuous masters" who can assist them. What kind of person is Zhuge Liang's "wise master"? Before we met Liu Bei, it can be said that there was no specific object in Zhuge Liang's thoughts at this time, but if we contact his friends' comments on the powerful workshop at that time and later articles such as Longzhong Dui and On Guangwu, Zhuge Liang has his own standards for choosing a "wise master".
Influenced by feudal orthodoxy since childhood, Zhuge Liang systematically studied a subset of classics and history in Longzhong for ten years, and his thought of loyalty to the country was deeply rooted. At that time, the most powerful warlord in the north was Cao Cao, who was brilliant and influential, but from an orthodox point of view, his practice of "holding the emperor to make the princes" was disgusting. Pang Tong once talked with Zhuge Liang about Cao Cao, thinking that although he was a competent minister in charge of the world, he was also a traitor in troubled times. For people like Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang will think that he is the "wise Lord" and it is impossible to rely on him and assist him. In fact, in the book Longzhong Dui, which will be discussed below, Zhuge Liang also set the goal of eliminating Cao Shiqun.
Zhuge Liang is more familiar with Liu Biao's behavior quality. Even his in-laws Huang, an old gentleman, refused to come out to help him, and Zhuge Liang certainly wouldn't regard him as a "wise Lord."
What about Sun Quan of Soochow? Although he is a very accomplished man, he is ambitious to "build an emperor for the world", and he is also an ambitious man who is determined to save the nation and survive. Zhuge Liang's brother Zhu Gejin went to Jiangdong to assist him, but Zhuge Liang did not follow him to Jiangdong. It should be said that in Zhuge Liang's mind, Sun Quan is not a "democracy master" who can go through fire and water for it.
As for entrenched chuanchuan, with "(? N) Weak "Yizhou grazing Liu Zhang is not worth mentioning.
From the article "On Guangwu" written by Zhuge Liang, we can get a glimpse of Zhuge Liang's principle of choosing teachers. Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu, was the master of Zhongxing in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In his article, Zhuge Liang praised Liu Xiu's "foresight" and longed for the military attache and minister to "seek common ground" to revitalize the cause of the Han Dynasty. Nanyang County is the birthplace of Liu Xiuzhongxing. Will history repeat itself? Can there be a "holy king" and a "sage master" like Emperor Guangwu again in today's world? This problem can only be understood when Liu Bei appears in front of Zhuge Liang.
In a word, the ten years in Longzhong was a decade in which Zhuge Liang studied and grew his talents, and it was also a period in which he waited for time and the Lord. This fledgling young man, just like the nickname "Wolong" given to him by Pang Degong, will be able to walk around and show his talents once the storm breaks out.
Finally, this moment has arrived. Liu Bei, "Liu Huangshu", personally came to Longzhong to visit Zhuge Liang in Jian 'an 12 (AD 207) of the Han Dynasty.