Zhang Liangjie(zhāng liáng jiè zhù)

Zhang Liangjie

zhāngliángjièzhù

[explanation]: Zhang Liang was Liu Bang's adviser in the Western Han Dynasty. T: chopsticks. Zhang Liang borrows (Liu Bang's) chopsticks to plan for him. It is used as a metaphor to give advice.

Historical story

At that time, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were at loggerheads. A political strategist named Li Shiqi gave Liu Bang an idea to enfeoffment the descendants of the six states during the Warring States period. Liu Bang hesitated and asked Zhang Liang about the idea during the meal. Zhang Liang immediately expressed his firm opposition. He grabbed a chopstick from Liu Bang's food case and helped Liu Bang analyze it. He refuted the harm of this idea from eight aspects. He put forward a chopstick for each reason. This is the origin of the allusion "borrow bamboo to raise money on behalf of others", which is synonymous with "Zhang Liang borrow bamboo". Liu Bang accepted Zhang Liang's opinion, took back his life, avoided the appearance of separatist rule, and achieved the great cause of the unification of the Han Dynasty for 400 years.

Li Shiqi's suggestions

In the winter of 204 B.C. (the third year of emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty), Chu soldiers surrounded the king of the Han Dynasty in Xingyang. The Chu army tried to cut off the food supply and military aid channels of the Han army. The Han army was short of food and grass, and it was difficult to sustain the crisis. Liu Bang, the king of the Han Dynasty, was very anxious and asked the officials what good strategies they had. Li Shiqi, a counselor, offered his advice: "in the past, Shang Tang conquered Xia Jie and granted it to Qi; King Wu conquered Zhou and granted it to song. The king of Qin lost his virtue and righteousness, invaded the vassals, destroyed his country, and made them have no place to live. After your majesty is able to restore the six states, the monarchs, ministers and common people of the six states will all appreciate your Majesty's virtue and be willing to be concubines. When morality and justice have been done, your majesty will be able to seek hegemony in the south, and the Chu people will have to hold back their lapels and go to court. " In fact, this is a kind of exaggeration of "drinking poison to quench thirst". At that time, Liu Bang did not see its harmfulness, but clapped his hands and praised it. He quickly ordered people to carve seals and made Li Shiqi travel around and enfeoffment.

Zhang Liang's good strategy

At this critical time, Zhang Liang returned from his trip to meet Liu Bang. While eating, Liu Bang talked to Zhang Liang about the idea of enfeoffment, and asked him about the gains and losses of this plan. After hearing this, Zhang Liang was so surprised that he asked, "who gave this to your majesty?" He shook his head in pain and said, "in this way, your Majesty's affairs will be ruined." When Liu bangdun was in a panic, he said, "why?" Zhang Liang reached out to pick up a pair of chopsticks on the wine table and began to talk about it in a row. He said: "first, in the past, Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou conquered Xia Jie, Yin Zhou and granted his descendants the title because they could completely control and even kill him if necessary. But now can your majesty control Xiang Yu and kill him if necessary? Secondly, in the past, after King Wu of Zhou conquered Yin, he killed King Zhou of Shang and got his head. Now can his majesty get Xiang Yu's head? Thirdly, Shangrong's Lu (Lane gate), fengbigan's tomb and shijizi's prison were intended to reward and encourage the officials and people of this dynasty. Does the king of the Han Dynasty need a time of honoring and honoring the virtuous? Fourth, the king of Wu used the savings of the enemy country to distribute money and millet. Now the king of Han had no military supplies, so how could he help the poor? fifth, change the chariot into a vehicle and invert the weapons to show that you don't need to use them. Your majesty is fighting fiercely. How can you follow suit? sixth, in the past, when Ma Fangnan was on the sunny slope of the south mountain, cattle were resting in the shade of peach trees, it was because the world had entered the era of peace. How can we stop fighting now? seventh, if the land is enfeoffed to the descendants of the six countries, the generals, counsellors and ministers will belong to their masters, and no one will fight for the world with Liu Bang. Eighth, the Chu army is strong and the six states are weak. How can they submit to your majesty? " Zhang Liang's analysis is very precise and to the point. He saw that the past and the present were changing, so he came to the conclusion that we should never copy the method of "ancient sages and sages". What's more, Zhang Liang thought that the granting of land and nobility was an attractive means of reward, which was given to the meritorious officials in the war to encourage the world's officers and men to follow the king of the Han Dynasty, making enfeoffment an important measure to maintain the hearts of the officers and men. If we do the opposite, what else can we rely on to motivate our soldiers to win? Zhang Liang's penetrating analysis is obviously a leap forward compared with his previous thought of asking to establish the king of Han and deliberately "restoring Han", and occupies an important page in the history of ancient Chinese political thought. No wonder after 1700, Li Zhi, a man of Ming Dynasty, could not help but praise it as "Kuai Lun". Zhang Liangjie's admonition against enfeoffment made Liu Bang's life suddenly open, and he suddenly realized that he stopped eating and spitting, and scolded Li Shiqi: "stinking Confucian, it's almost bad for Laozi!" Then, he ordered the immediate destruction of the seals of the six countries that had been engraved, thus avoiding a major strategic mistake. It reduced a lot of trouble and resistance for the unification of the later Han Dynasty. It can not be denied that Zhang Liang is an insightful strategist and visionary politician.

Chinese PinYin : zhāng liáng jiè zhù