The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Chapter 339: Sima Qian, the Historian

As Su Chen announced the saints one by one, the common people of all dynasties admired him very much.

Mencius, Du Fu, Su Shi, Guan Yu, and Wang Xizhi are all well-known great figures.

They have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields and it is not an exaggeration to call them saints.

At this moment, some people from different eras suddenly became excited.

Naturally, they also hope to be on the list and become saints whose names will be passed down through the ages.

They also believe that with their own talents, they have the opportunity to become saints and be remembered forever in their fields.

"In 145 BC, during the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian was born in Hancheng County, Shaanxi Province."

"There is a Longmen Mountain not far to the north of Hancheng County. The Longmen in the saying 'carp jumps over the dragon's gate' refers to this place."

"Si Ma Qian liked Longmen Mountain since he was a child, so he often called himself a Longmen native."

"At that time, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, who was regarded as a man of great talent and strategy by later generations, was only a boy of twelve or thirteen years old."

"Later, he was in power for more than 50 years, and Sima Qian lived in his era all his life."

"Speaking of which, this era is extraordinary."

"First, the government is rich. There is so much money in the government warehouse that it cannot be used up. The ropes used to string the money together have all rotted."

"And the rice got moldy in the warehouse because it couldn't be eaten all."

"Second, it was strong. After the war with the Xiongnu and Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the Han Dynasty had become the most powerful country in the world."

"The third is civilization. The imperial court encouraged people to collect books and read them. Scholars emerged frequently and culture flourished."

"That was a great era, which fostered the broad-mindedness and far-sightedness of the people of this great country."

"Sima Qian was born at the right time, just right for accomplishing great achievements."

"Before he was ten years old, Sima Qian lived in his hometown."

"He has mowed grass, herded cattle, planted fields, run wildly with his friends in the mountains, and listened to the farmers' stories at the village entrance."

"If there is any difference between him and other country kids, it is that he received basic education passed down from his family."

"The most notable achievement was that he could recite ancient Chinese texts at the age of ten."

"When he was ten years old, Sima Qian went to the capital."

"His father Sima Tan was the Grand Historian at the time, a historian who was responsible for recording historical events."

"Since he was influenced by his father, Sima Qian fell in love with history at an early age and hoped to be a historian like his father."

"For this, he spent ten years studying hard and striving to enrich himself."

"As his knowledge increased and his horizons broadened, Sima Qian began to be dissatisfied with staying in the capital."

"When he was 20 years old, Sima Qian's father gave him a carriage and asked him to travel around."

"After leaving Chang'an, Sima Qian first headed east to the Jianghuai area."

"Here, he listened to the stories of the uprisings of Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Xiang Yu and others, and was moved by their heroism."

"Continuing south, he interviewed the story of Dayu's flood control and listened to Qu Yuan's struggle to resist the enemy despite his death."

"Then I went north to Qi and Lu to pay tribute to Confucius' relics and see that his descendants still lived in accordance with the etiquette he set."

"It was a long journey, hard walking, and starving."

"Most of the time, Sima Qian was accompanied only by a skinny horse, a cart of bamboo slips, the mountain breeze, and the stars in the sky."

"Sima Qian accepted it calmly, even with some interest."

"Because he knows that he is not going to travel."

"It is to use travel to complete the exploration of history and prepare for the great cause that is about to begin."

"In this way, over the course of several years, he gained more knowledge and accumulated a lot of valuable information, laying a solid foundation for writing the "Records of the Grand Historian" later."

Li Shimin: The reason why "Records of the Grand Historian" has such a high evaluation is not only because of its historical value, but also because of Sima Qian's noble sentiments in the process of writing history.

In "Records of the Grand Historian", Sima Qian not only sorted out the historical development context from Emperor Huangdi to the Western Han Dynasty, but also skillfully interspersed numerous biographies, the rise and fall of countries, and historical events.

Sima Qian's carefully designed chapter structure of twelve basic chronicles, thirty family histories, and seventy biographies has constructed a historical system that is both grand and detailed.

Such a layout enables future generations to grasp the overall structure of history while also delving into every corner of history to experience those vivid characters and events.

Just as Sima Qian himself said, he studied the relationship between heaven and man, understood the changes of ancient and modern times, and formed his own opinion.

Such pursuit makes "Records of the Grand Historian" not just a simple historical record, but also a philosophical masterpiece that profoundly reflects the relationship between man and history.

Sima Qian's purpose in writing "Records of the Grand Historian" was not only to fulfill his father's last wish, but also out of his love for history.

With a broad mind and lofty vision, he gave a comprehensive summary of the history of ancient China.

This masterpiece not only has extremely high historical value, but also has a profound impact on later generations.

Sima Qian's writings not only record the rise and fall of emperors and generals, but also the life scenes of ordinary people.

It not only contains a grand narrative of the change of dynasties, but also a delicate depiction of cultural ideas.

Every sentence and every story in "Records of the Grand Historian" embodies Sima Qian's profound understanding of history and deep insight into human nature.

What people read is not just the dusty history, but also the experiences and lessons of generations.

"Records of the Grand Historian" is not only a history book, but also Sima Qian's review of the history of human development over thousands of years in ancient times.

In "Records of the Grand Historian", he saw the virtue of abdication of Yao, Shun and Yu, the tyranny of King Jie of Xia and King Zhou of Shang, the disputes and chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and the great talents and strategies of the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor Wu.

From the tribal conflicts in ancient times to the struggle for supremacy among heroes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and then to the great cause of unification in the Qin and Han Dynasties.

The wheel of history rolls forward, and each era has its own unique features.

"Sima Qian became an official after returning from his travels, and soon became a doctor."

"A doctor is almost equivalent to an attendant to the emperor. Since he serves the emperor closely, he has a great chance of promotion."

"Young Sima Qian had so many possibilities in life and a bright future."

"However, Sima Qian obviously did not forget his original intention."

"At that time, Emperor Wu of Han hoped to become an immortal and pursue immortality, so he often went to various places to offer sacrifices to the gods."

"As a doctor, Sima Qian also had to follow him everywhere, which was exactly what Sima Qian wanted."

"Because he can use it to observe the local customs and collect local celebrity stories."

"For example, when he accompanied Emperor Wu of Han to the northwest, he also interviewed Emperor Xuanyuan about his deeds."

"Such simple and happy days did not last long. Sima Qian suffered the first major blow in his life. His father Sima Tan fell ill."

"The reason why Sima Jitan fell ill was because Emperor Wu of Han wanted to go to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the gods, but he did not take him with him."

"In Sima Tan's mind, Fengshan is a great historical ceremony."

"As the Grand Historian, I have the duty to record."

"If Emperor Wu of Han did not bring me along, not only would I be unable to fulfill my duties, but my dignity would also be insulted."

"In a fit of rage, he fell ill and never recovered."

"Sima Qian rushed to his father's bedside and burst into tears when he saw his dying father."

"My father trembled and held Sima Qian's hand, using his last bit of strength to urge him to continue his unfinished plan of writing history."

"If Sima Qian could fulfill his expectations and become famous in the future generations."

"From a personal perspective, it can be considered as fulfilling my filial duty."

"From a cultural perspective, it is the continuation of historical culture after Confucius."

"His father's last words planted a solid seed in Sima Qian's heart, that is, he must write a history book to continue the study of Confucian classics."

"This seed became the only strength that allowed him to survive when he encountered the greatest disaster of his life."

"After that, Sima Qian, who was extremely sad, wiped away his tears and rushed to Mount Tai to catch up with the large group of people offering sacrifices to the heaven."

"After the three-year mourning period for his father was over, Sima Qian inherited his father's career and became the Grand Historian."

"Sima Qian was delighted with this."

"Because it means that the national library is open to him, and it is more convenient for him to consult materials."

"So, apart from the necessary work, he declined all unnecessary social engagements and devoted himself to collecting and organizing information."

"His study was filled with various books. He kept sifting through the vast amount of old materials while sorting out the new materials he collected from all over the world."

"He kept reading and writing, day and night, moving towards his goal step by step."

"It took Sima Qian four years to sort out the vast amount of historical data, and he chose to start writing history books in the fifth year."

"This was the most important thing in his life, and he treated it with a religious devotion."

"Emperor Wu of Han still worshipped ghosts and gods as before, and often visited famous mountains and sacred places."

"Sima Qian also accompanied him, but this did not affect his writing."

"On the contrary, because he is close to various historical sites and can visit local elders, his writing is more substantial and lively."

Su Shi: If Sima Qian had not happened to become a Langzhongling that year, his life might have been completely different.

Looking back on Sima Qian's life, there were two people who had a crucial influence on him.

The first person was Li Gan, the son of General Li Guang, who happened to serve as the Imperial Doctor in that year.

In fact, just a year ago, Li Guang was the Imperial Physician Commander.

But this ill-fated veteran committed suicide because he was unwilling to face the jailer.

Li Gancai took over his father's position, but only served as Langzhongling for one year.

Li Gan hated General Wei Qing because of his father's death, so he injured Wei Qing.

Wei Qing did not want to make a big deal out of it, so he concealed the incident. But Wei Qing's nephew, the young and energetic Huo Qubing, reacted much more strongly.

During a hunting trip in Ganquan Palace, Li Gan was shot to death with one arrow.

Huo Qubing was the most popular figure in front of Emperor Wu of Han at that time, so of course the matter had to be left unresolved.

Emperor Wu of Han announced that Li Gan was killed by a deer horn.

One can imagine the kind of discussion this incident caused in the entire department of Langzhongling.

It was because of Li Gan’s death that Sima Qian was able to successfully take over the position of Langzhongling.

The second person is naturally Emperor Wu of Han.

Emperor Wu of Han fell seriously ill and tried various treatments and witchcraft, but to no avail.

Finally, I had no choice but to ask the gods for help.

The Goddess was a woman from Changling who died in childbirth and later became a god.

Because it is extremely effective in responding to people's prayers, its influence is growing.

Emperor Wu of Han sent someone to ask the god about the cause of his illness. The god replied that the emperor should not worry about his condition and that they could meet at Ganquan Palace when he felt a little better.

He learned something about this deity from a historical document written by a Han Dynasty alchemist.

Huo Qubing worshipped the God when he was young, so one day the God came to Huo Qubing on his own initiative.

Huo Qubing, who was a man of integrity, refused. Later, when Huo Qubing was critically ill, Emperor Wu of Han went to the god in person to plead for mercy.

The God replied that General Huo was born with congenital deficiencies and that the reason he had approached him before was to help him replenish his body. Since he had refused at that time, there was nothing he could do now.

This story is certainly not true, but it at least shows what kind of image the alchemists liked to describe the gods as.

Therefore, the fact that the God was going to meet Emperor Wu of Han at Ganquan Palace seemed to have some ambiguous meaning.

The meeting between Emperor Wu of Han and the Divine Lord was also an extremely secret matter, and it was impossible for the outside world to know about it.

However, Sima Qian gave a detailed description in his history books about how Emperor Wu of Han summoned the god in Ganquan Palace and how when the god appeared, only his voice was heard but not seen.

When Emperor Wu of Han was in extremely poor health and performed the most secretive witchcraft rituals, he brought Sima Qian with him.

It can be seen that Sima Qian was highly appreciated by Emperor Wu of Han as soon as he became the Langzhongling and became the emperor's most trusted Langguan.

"If things had continued along this path, Sima Qian would have had a quiet but not lonely middle age."

"But accidents can happen at any time."

"An incident that had nothing to do with him brought him devastating disaster and almost cost him his life."

"Emperor Wu of Han sent Li Guangli as general to fight against the Xiongnu, and Li Ling was in charge of logistics."

"Li Guangli is a fool, and the wise and brave Li Ling is unwilling to be his deputy."

"So, I asked to lead 5000 infantrymen to attack the Xiongnu Chanyu, disperse the Xiongnu's forces, and cooperate with Li Guangli's main force to achieve the goal of containing the Xiongnu."

"As a result, the memorial was misunderstood by Emperor Wu of Han because of the deputy he sent to Li Ling."

"Emperor Wu of Han acted impulsively and cancelled all the support arrangements, leaving Li Ling alone in deep territory."

"Li Ling led 5000 infantrymen to encounter the Xiongnu Chanyu's 3 cavalrymen. He fought for thousands of miles, fought desperately, and killed thousands of enemies."

"At the end of the battle, when all his arrows were used up and no soldiers came to rescue him, Li Ling had no choice but to surrender."

"When the news of Li Ling's surrender reached the capital, Emperor Wu of Han was furious."

"The ministers in the court also criticized Li Ling, saying that he had lost the integrity of the Han nation."

"When Emperor Wu of Han asked Sima Qian what he thought about this matter, as an upright historian, Sima Qian could not help but speak a few words for Li Ling."

"In fact, Sima Qian and Li Ling did not have much contact in private."

"The reason why he was willing to risk the world's disapproval to defend Li Ling was entirely to speak up for Li Ling."

"Sima Qian believed that Li Ling had been stationed at the border for many years and fought against the Xiongnu. He was an unparalleled archer and a brave warrior."

"He cares for his soldiers in peacetime and fights bravely in battle. This is what all famous generals in history did."

"Besides, Li Ling's surrender was completely helpless."

"He may not really want to surrender, but he must be waiting for a chance to make amends."

"Then again, even if they surrendered, they could have killed nearly 10,000 enemies with only 5,000 soldiers."

"The results of the battle are worthy of praise from the world, and will never bring disgrace to the Han Dynasty."

"Originally, Sima Qian's words were just to analyze the truth."

"On the one hand, it was to defend Li Ling, and on the other hand, it was to try to relieve the frustration in Emperor Wu of Han's heart."

"But, as the saying goes, different positions lead to different opinions."

"In the eyes of Emperor Wu of Han, Sima Qian's loyalty was just lobbying for surrendered generals and criminals."

"In a rage, before Sima Qian could finish his words, he threw him to the prison officer for trial."

"Sima Qian didn't expect that he would spend nearly three years in prison."

"During this period, he suffered from cruel torture by officials, and lived in fear every day, as if he was on the edge of an abyss. In the end, he was convicted of deceiving the emperor."

"There were three options before Sima Qian: one was to buy his life with money, the second was to accept the death penalty, and the third was to be castrated to avoid death."

"Sima Qian lived a clean life, and his family had no money saved to buy his life."

"I asked my relatives and friends for help, but no one dared to lend a helping hand to the criminal who had angered the emperor."

"So, Sima Qian was left with only two options: death or castration."

"Sima Qian has always considered himself a generous man and regarded castration as a great shame and humiliation."

"With his personality, he would have chosen to die calmly without hesitation."

"But he still hesitated."

"Death can preserve his dignity, but the ideals he has held for so long cannot end."

"He once swore in tears at his father's sickbed that he would finish writing the history book. He had spent countless days and nights reading historical materials."

"In the end, for the sake of his father's last wish and his own mission, he chose to live in humiliation."

"He depicts history stroke by stroke with a heart that has gone through many hardships but remains unyielding."

"In the end, a history book was written into a classic."

"Sima Qian used his lofty ideals to motivate himself to keep striving, and faced the hardships of life with his tenacious personality."

“Even in the most desperate situations, I never gave up my mission.”

"It ultimately shaped his brilliant life and gave birth to the immortality of the Records of the Grand Historian."

“Throughout history, the realization of dreams has never been an easy process.”

“Those who have achieved great success have almost all put a lot of thought and effort into their dreams.”

"And in this process, it is particularly important to have a firm goal."

"Because I have a goal, no matter how many hardships, grievances, or difficulties I encounter, I will be fine."

“They are able to persevere, find solutions to problems, and ultimately create lasting value.”

Zhu Di: Sima Qian can indeed be called a great man of his generation. Despite suffering such great humiliation both physically and mentally, he was able to devote himself to writing the "Records of the Grand Historian", a masterpiece that will be passed down through the ages.

The biggest change in Sima Qian's life was the castration caused by an unexpected disaster.

Li Ling, the grandson of Li Guang, led his troops to attack the Huns, but when his soldiers and food ran out, he had no choice but to dismount and surrender.

The defeat already made Emperor Wu of Han extremely angry, and he became even more furious when he learned that Li Ling had surrendered.

Emperor Wu of Han was very angry and found that Sima Qian did not say a word, so he asked him what he thought about Li Ling's surrender.

The upright Sima Qian interceded for Li Ling, and although his words were well-founded, he offended all the civil and military officials who denounced Li Ling.

After hearing this, Emperor Wu of Han temporarily suppressed his anger and sent generals to lead troops deep into the Xiongnu to find a way to rescue Li Ling.

The general led his troops around the border for several days but could not find Li Ling. He captured several prisoners and learned that Li Ling was helping the Huns train troops.

After the generals returned to the court and reported the matter to Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wu of Han's anger finally erupted.

Regardless of the numerous military achievements that Li Ling's grandfather Li Guang had made for the Han Dynasty, he ordered the execution of Li Ling's entire family.

At the same time, Sima Qian, who had defended Li Ling in the court, was also found guilty of deceiving the emperor and committing disrespect, and was sentenced to death according to the law.

At that time, the Han Dynasty had two policies to offset the death penalty: one was to pay a fine, and the other was to accept castration.

Sima Qian was just a small Grand Historian, and his family could not pay the huge fine to offset the death penalty.

Sima Qian originally wanted to die heroically, but he thought of his father's unfulfilled will, and he also thought of Sun Bin and Han Xin.

These celebrities all completed their life transformation after suffering tremendous danger and humiliation.

Sima Qian still decided to accept castration. He wanted to use his broken body to fulfill his father's unfulfilled ideal.

But surprisingly, after Sima Qian was castrated, he was not demoted to a commoner as per the law, but was even promoted.

After the execution, Emperor Wu of Han ordered Sima Qian to be promoted to the position of Zhongshu Ling, while continuing to serve as Taishi Ling concurrently.

In fact, although Emperor Wu of Han was violent, he was not stupid. After calming down, he also believed that Li Ling's surrender was a last resort.

But the matter was done, and Li Ling's entire family was slaughtered.

Perhaps it was because he valued Sima Qian's talent, or perhaps it was because he felt a little guilty towards Sima Qian.

In order to make up for it, Sima Qian was promoted instead.

It is hard to say whether Sima Qian turned a disaster into a blessing, but his position as the Minister of the Secretariat did give him more time to write books, which led to the eternal masterpiece "Records of the Grand Historian".

(End of this chapter)