The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Zhou Yafu was a descendant of a military family. His father, Zhou Bo, was a founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty. He served as Grand Marshal and Prime Minister, and was granted the title of Marquis of Jiang.

Zhou Yafu loved reading military books since he was young. He was humble, cautious, intelligent, honest and steady, and everyone around him praised him as a wise man.

In the 11th year before Emperor Wen of Han, Zhou Bo died of illness and his eldest son Zhou Shengzhi inherited the title.

Six years later, Zhou Shengzhi was stripped of his title for murder.

When Zhou Yafu was the governor of Henei, the famous female fortune teller Xu Fu once read Zhou Yafu's face.

It was said that Zhou Yafu would be granted a title of nobility in three years, and would become a general or prime minister in another eight years, and would starve to death in the next nine years. Zhou Yafu did not believe Xu Fu's statement.

Zhou Yafu changed the tactics that mainly relied on chariots and cavalry, laying the foundation for Emperor Wu of Han to completely wipe out the invading Huns and put down the Rebellion of the Seven Kings with a smaller force.

He knew how to appoint the right people to the right posts, and demonstrated his superb military command ability in the war to quell the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms.
He was an upright person who stuck to his principles and dared to speak out against his superiors, but he did not have a good ending, which is a pity.

"In the second year of Houyuan, Emperor Wen of Han, mindful of Zhou Bo's contributions to the country, decided to choose another of Zhou Bo's sons to inherit the title."

"Zhou Yafu, who enjoyed a good reputation, was chosen as the successor to Marquis Jiang, and was given the title of Marquis Tiao."

"In the winter of the sixth year of Hou Yuan, the Xiongnu sent out 60,000 troops to attack the Central Plains, and invaded Shangjun and Yunzhongjun areas on a large scale, killing and plundering many people along the way, and approached Chang'an."

"Zhou Yafu, who was then the governor of Henei, was appointed as a general by Emperor Wen of Han and stationed his troops at Xiliu to guard Chang'an together with Liu Li, who was stationed at Bashang, and Xu Li, who was stationed at Jimen."

"The three armies formed a tripod to guard Chang'an, waiting for the enemy to tire and attack the invading enemy."

"These three armies are related to the safety of the capital, so Emperor Wen of Han attaches great importance to them and personally led civil and military officials to inspect the camps and comfort them."

"When the emperor was in the military camps at Bashang and Jimen, he drove straight in and the generals dismounted to greet him."

"In Zhou Yafu's Xiliu Camp, the soldiers were all wearing armor, their swords drawn, on high alert and in strict discipline. Even the advance officers of Emperor Wen of Han could not enter the camp."

"The advance officer said the emperor was coming, and the captain at the gate replied that General Zhou had ordered that the barracks only obey General Zhou's orders and not the emperor's orders."

"When Emperor Wen of Han arrived at the gate of Xiuli Camp, his carriage was blocked. So Emperor Wen of Han sent someone with a seal to the camp to announce that the emperor was coming to visit the troops. Only then did Zhou Yafu order the camp gate to be opened."

"The military commander announced the military camp rules to the emperor's entourage, saying that they were not allowed to drive fast in the camp, so Emperor Wen ordered the carriage to move slowly."

"When they arrived at the military camp, Zhou Yafu, wearing armor and carrying a sword, bowed to Emperor Wen of Han."

"He explained that he was wearing armor and it was inconvenient for him to kneel down, so he asked for permission to salute the Emperor with a military salute. The Emperor was in awe."

"After the ceremony of honoring the troops, Emperor Wen of Han left the camp. Zhou Yafu did not see him off, but kept the camp gates closed, solemn and orderly as usual."

"The ministers were very surprised by Zhou Yafu's series of actions, and they were all worried for him."

"But Emperor Wen of Han not only did not blame Zhou Yafu, but also praised Zhou Yafu for his strict military discipline, saying that Zhou Yafu was a true general."

"As for the garrisons at Bashang and Jimen, their guards were relaxed, as if it were a child's play."

"If they encounter a surprise attack, they will be easily captured. With Zhou Yafu's strict discipline, how can the enemy dare to invade?"

"After more than a month, the Xiongnu army retreated back to the border, and Emperor Wen of Han also withdrew the three garrisons."

"He then appointed Zhou Yafu as lieutenant, responsible for the security of the capital and commanding the Northern Army. Zhou Yafu was highly appreciated by the emperor for his strict military discipline."

"In June of the seventh year of the Houyuan period, when Emperor Wen of Han was seriously ill and on his deathbed, he told Crown Prince Liu Qi that if the country was in danger in the future, he could appoint Zhou Yafu to lead the army."

"After Emperor Wen died, Crown Prince Liu Qi ascended the throne and became Emperor Jing of Han. He appointed Zhou Yafu as General of Chariots and Cavalry, a position that already entered the core layer of the national army."

"In the third year before Emperor Jingdi of the Han Dynasty, the princes of the seven kingdoms of Wu, Chu, Zhao, Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zibo and Jinan launched an armed rebellion, which is known in history as the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms."

"The trigger for this rebellion was the policy of reducing the power of the feudal lords proposed by the Imperial Censor Chao Cuo."

"Emperor Jing adopted this suggestion and ordered the reduction of some of the fiefs of the princes and their direct jurisdiction by the central government."

"So the seven states of Wu and Chu launched a rebellion in the name of killing Chao Cuo."

"King Liu Bi of Wu gathered more than 200,000 men, raised his army in Guangling, crossed the Huai River to the north, joined the Chu army, and besieged Liang State, which was loyal to the central government and controlled the strategic location in the Central Plains;"

"We will also send tens of thousands of troops to attack Xiapi and head north to Chengyang. The offensive will be sharp."

Su Shi: Emperor Jing of Han initially wanted to make concessions and compromise, execute Chao Cuo, and restore the original fiefdoms of the vassal states, thinking that the rebellion could be quelled without bloodshed.

But after Emperor Jing of Han killed Chao Cuo, the seven kingdoms not only did not withdraw their troops.

Moreover, King Liu Bi of Wu openly declared to the Han envoys that he had become the Eastern Emperor, so Emperor Jing of Han decided to suppress the rebellion by force.

Emperor Jing of Han therefore appointed Zhou Yafu as lieutenant to act as grand marshal, commanding thirty-six generals to march eastward to quell the rebellion.

Zhou Yafu was ordered to lead the army in times of crisis, and before leaving, he asked Emperor Jing of Han for advice on strategy.

Because Wu, Chu and other countries have been planning rebellion for a long time, they have raised many arrogant and powerful generals, and now the enemy is very arrogant.

If the Han army confronts them head-on, it is unlikely to win, as the rebels' goal is to invade the capital.

To do this, they must pass through the territory of King Liang, and they can use Liang to delay the actions of the rebels.

The rebels have come from afar, and the route for transporting food and wages is crucial. If we send elite troops to cut off their food supply, we can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.

Emperor Jing of Han agreed to Zhou Yafu's suggestion, and Zhou Yafu immediately led his troops to quell the rebellion.

Zhou Yafu did not march with the main army, but instead set out for Heluo with a small number of followers.

As soon as he arrived at Bashang, a scholar named Zhao She stopped him and asked to see him. Zhou Yafu personally met Zhao She.

Zhao She advised Zhou Yafu that the general had a heavy responsibility on this trip. If he won, the ancestral temple would be safe, but if he lost, the whole world would be in danger.

When Zhou Yafu saw that Zhao She was eloquent, he hurriedly got off the carriage and asked him for advice very respectfully.

When Zhao She saw that Zhou Yafu, despite his high status as Grand Marshal, could treat a commoner like him with such courtesy, he expressed his opinion without reservation.

The State of Wu has always been wealthy, and this time it has recruited many desperate criminals. Now that the King of Wu knows that Zhou Yafu is going to deal with him, he will definitely set up ambushes in dangerous places such as Xia and Mian that Zhou Yafu will pass through.

It was suggested that Zhou Yafu take a detour to the right, go through Lantian, exit Wuguan, reach Luoyang, and go straight into the armory.

Although it may take an extra day or two on the journey, it may surprise the enemy and produce miraculous results.

Zhou Yafu felt that what Zhao She said made sense. Xingyang was an important place in Guandong, controlling the traffic between the north and the south. It blocked Wu and Chu in the east, resisted Qi and Zhao in the north, and protected Guanzhong in the west. It was a place that military strategists must fight for.

By controlling Xingyang, they not only seized the weapons in the arsenal, but also the grain in Ao Cang, thus ensuring the supply of logistical materials for the army.

And blocked the gate to the capital. Zhou Yafu accepted Zhao She's suggestion.

After arriving safely in Luoyang, Zhou Yafu sent troops to search for the place where Zhao She mentioned the enemy might be ambushing, and indeed they found the ambush set by the King of Wu.

Zhou Yafu admired Zhao She's talents very much and immediately invited him to serve as a guard.

During the march, Zhou Yafu also recruited Ju Meng, a chivalrous man from Luoyang, who was famous among the princes for his chivalrous deeds.

Zhou Yafu believed that military conquest alone was not enough to defeat the rebels of the seven states.

They also have to compete with the rebels for talent, especially to win over people like Ju Meng who have a wide range of friends and great appeal.

Zhou Yafu gathered his troops in Xingyang, and the troops of thirty-six generals also arrived one after another. Zhou Yafu made it clear that he would first take a defensive position. He ordered the army to set up camp in Changyi, and required them to dig deep trenches and build high fortifications, and not to go out. He adopted the policy of waiting for the enemy to tire out, and quietly observed the situation of the battle between the Wu and Chu rebels and the Liang State.

At that time, the Wu-Chu coalition forces attacked the State of Liang, and the State of Liang was in danger. The King of Liang sent people to Zhou Yafu for help several times, but Zhou Yafu ignored them.

King Xiao of Liang was extremely worried, so he sent an envoy to the capital to ask Emperor Jing for help directly.

"Although Emperor Jing of Han had agreed to Zhou Yafu's strategy of entrusting Wu to Liang, he sent someone with his own imperial edict to order Zhou Yafu to send troops to rescue."

"However, Zhou Yafu knew that Liang was not at the end of its rope. For the sake of the overall situation of the war, Zhou Yafu insisted on not carrying out the imperial edict."

"While defending the camp, they secretly sent elite cavalry to the rear of the Wu-Chu coalition army according to the established policy, cutting off the route for the Wu-Chu coalition army to transport food."

"With no hope of rescue, Liang State had no choice but to rely on its own strength to put up a desperate resistance, led by two generals, Han Anguo and Zhang Yu, who were both good at attacking and defending."

"They actually resisted the powerful offensive of the Wu and Chu armies, preventing them from crossing Liang State and advancing westward."

"Liu Bi saw that he could not conquer Liang in the short term, and his own food supply was cut off, so he had no choice but to turn to a decisive battle with Zhou Yafu."

"Liu Bi's Wu-Chu coalition challenged Zhou Yafu several times and commanded his army to attack Zhou Yafu's camp."

"Zhou Yafu had been prepared for this, and he strictly ordered his men not to leave the camp to fight the enemy."

"We were only able to repel the enemy's attacks with our solid fortifications and powerful bows and crossbows, and the battle between the two sides entered a stalemate."

"While Zhou Yafu was defending the camp behind closed doors, one night a riot suddenly broke out in the Han army camp."

"The soldiers attacked each other, and the riot even reached Zhou Yafu's camp."

"Zhou Yafu didn't take it seriously and lay motionless on the bed. After a while, the commotion subsided."

"The two armies had been facing each other for more than a month. The Wu and Chu armies were unable to attack, and the transportation of food and wages became increasingly difficult. The morale of the army began to waver."

"Liu Bi decided to go all out and carefully planned a night raid on the Han camp."

"That night, a large number of rebels attacked the southeast of the Han army camp. Zhou Yafu ordered a large number of troops to ambush in the northwest of the camp."

"Soon after, the main force of the rebels attacked the northwest of the Han army camp. Thanks to Zhou Yafu's accurate judgment, the rebels' night raid on the camp failed."

"Liu Bi saw that there was no way to attack, his soldiers were tired, and they were short of food and fodder. He knew that the situation was hopeless, so he had to lead his troops to retreat."

"Zhou Yafu saw that the time was right and led his army in pursuit."

"The Wu and Chu armies had lost their morale and were no longer interested in fighting, so they were defeated by the Han army in one fell swoop."

"Liu Bi abandoned the main army and fled to Dantu in the south with only a few thousand followers. The Han army took advantage of the victory to pursue him, captured all the Wu troops, and recovered the counties occupied by Wu."

"King Liu Wu of Chu committed suicide after being defeated in the battle. Zhou Yafu offered a reward of a thousand gold coins to the King of Wu. One month later, Liu Wu was beheaded by the locals."

"The rebellions of the other vassal states were also quickly put down. It took Zhou Yafu only three months to put down the rebellion of the Seven States."

"Zhou Yafu's achievements made Emperor Jing of Han hold him in higher regard, and the princes and generals admired him greatly."

"After suppressing the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, Zhou Yafu led his army back to the capital and was officially appointed as the Grand Commandant by the court."

"In the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhou Yafu was appointed Prime Minister. Emperor Jingdi deposed Crown Prince Liu Rong as King of Linjiang and appointed Liu Che as Crown Prince instead."

"However, Zhou Yafu insisted that Prince Li had done nothing wrong and should not be deposed casually."

"Although Zhou Yafu was unsuccessful, he argued with Emperor Jing of Han many times. Emperor Jing of Han was very dissatisfied with Zhou Yafu and began to distance himself from him."

"Liu Wu, the Prince of Liang, was the younger brother of Emperor Jing of Han. They were both born to Empress Dowager Dou. They had a close relationship. When the emperor entered the palace, he would ride in the same chariot with him. When the emperor went out, he would go hunting with him in the same chariot."

"Empress Dowager Dou also loved Prince Xiao of Liang very much and rewarded him incalculably."

"King Xiao of Liang was always upset about Zhou Yafu's failure to send troops to rescue Liang during the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion. Every time he went to the capital to pay homage to the emperor, he would speak ill of Zhou Yafu in front of Empress Dowager Dou."

Wang Anshi: In March of the second year of Zhongyuan, Empress Dowager Dou suggested to Emperor Jing of Han that Queen Wang’s brother Wang Xin be granted the title of marquis.

Emperor Jing of Han asked the prime minister for his opinion, and Zhou Yafu disagreed, saying that Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang had already made an agreement.

Only those with the surname Liu can be crowned king, and only those who have made contributions can be crowned marquis. Wang Xin could not be crowned marquis if he had no merit.

Emperor Jingdi did not confer the title of Marquis on Wang Xin. However, after Zhou Yafu died, Emperor Jingdi conferred the title of Marquis of Gai on Wang Xin.

Later, five Xiongnu kings including Wei Xulu surrendered to the Han Dynasty. Emperor Jing of Han was prepared to confer them the title of marquis in order to recruit the Xiongnu to surrender.

Zhou Yafu objected, saying that they had betrayed their master and surrendered to Your Majesty, who had made them marquises. How could Your Majesty condemn your subjects for being disloyal and unfaithful in the future?

Liu Qi refused to accept Zhou Yafu's opinion, saying that the prime minister's suggestion was not applicable.

Therefore, Emperor Jing of Han conferred the title of marquis on Xu Lu, Lu Jiang and others.

What Emperor Jing of Han did not expect was that Zhou Yafu actually claimed to be ill and did not attend court.

In the third year of Zhongyuan, Zhou Yafu was removed from his position as prime minister.

In the first year of Houyuan, Emperor Jing of Han summoned Zhou Yafu and gave him food, but there was only a large piece of uncut meat on the table and no chopsticks.

Zhou Yafu asked the official in charge of the banquet to get chopsticks for him without the emperor's permission. Emperor Jing of Han asked Zhou Yafu with a smile if he was dissatisfied.

Zhou Yafu knew he was being rude, so he took off his hat, knelt down to apologize, and quickly left, looking unhappy.

Emperor Jing of Han believed that Zhou Yafu was unruly and was worried that his son Liu Che would find it difficult to control Zhou Yafu after his death, so he came up with the idea of ​​getting rid of Zhou Yafu.

Not long after, Zhou Yafu's son bought 500 sets of royal funeral armor and shields as burial items for his father, and hired people to move them, but did not pay them.

Because he treated the workers who were responsible for carrying the goods harshly, they reported him to the court for buying contraband and falsely accused Zhou Yafu's son of plotting a rebellion, implicating Zhou Yafu.

Liu Qi handed the case over to the relevant officials for investigation. The officials questioned Zhou Yafu, but Zhou Yafu felt aggrieved and refused to answer the questions. When Liu Qi found out, he scolded him.

What kind of confession was needed? He ordered people to arrest Zhou Yafu and escort him to the court.

The arresting officers rushed to Zhou Yafu's home. Zhou Yafu was about to commit suicide but was stopped by his wife. Zhou Yafu was arrested and sent to the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice questioned Zhou Yafu, asking why he wanted to rebel. Zhou Yafu replied that what he bought were funeral items, so how could that be considered a rebellion.

A minor official interrupted and said that even if they did not rebel above ground, they were ready to rebel underground.

In prison, petty officials constantly bullied Zhou Yafu. Zhou Yafu felt aggrieved and decided to commit suicide to show his determination. He refused to eat or drink and died of vomiting blood five days later.

After Zhou Yafu's death, Tiaohou's fiefdom was abolished and his title was discontinued.

In the second year, in order to continue Zhou Bo's title as Marquis of Jiang, Emperor Jing of Han changed the title of Zhou Bo's son Zhou Jian to Marquis of Pingqu.

Nineteen years later, Zhou Jian died and was posthumously named Gonghou.

Zhou Jian's son Zhou Jiande inherited the title of Marquis of Pingqu and served as the Prince's Tutor. Later, he was dismissed from office and stripped of his title for a crime, and his fiefdom was abolished.

In the second year of Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty re-enfeoffed Zhou Gong, the son of Zhou Bo's great-great-grandson, as Marquis of Jiang, with a fief of 1,000 households. (End of this chapter)