There are many anecdotes in the official history that seem amazing today. When death row inmates were paroled to their homes, they would automatically return to prison to serve their sentences as agreed, which is mind-boggling to modern people; when the two armies of Jin and Wu faced each other, it was clear that both sides were fierce enemies, but the commanders of both countries trusted each other and kept their agreement not to play treacherous tricks, thus keeping the peace between their borders. Let’s take a look at these two anecdotes!
The magistrate took pity on the prisoners on death row and released them temporarily to go Home for the New Year
Cao set forth the word Yan Yuan, the great-grandson of Cao Huo, the Grand Secretary of Cao Wei. Cao set forth that he loved the people as his son and was good at governing the place, and was respected as “the sage” during his tenure as the magistrate of Linzi.
At the end of one year, Cao set forth to inspect the prison and saw many condemned prisoners, so he felt compassion for them and said, “Now it is the New Year, but you are unfortunately locked up here, what should we do? The world attaches great importance to the New Year, don’t you want to go home and see?” Many prisoners cried and said, “If I can go home for a visit for a while, I have nothing to grudge even if I die!”
Cao set forth ordered the jailer to open the prison door, released the condemned prisoners, and set a date for their return, and they must come back then. The officials who managed the prison and Cao set forth quarreled and said, “No way!”
Cao set forth, “They are all the people at the bottom, I treat them with kindness and righteousness, they will not fail me. I will take up this responsibility for all of you.”
Awakening beneficence with grace and righteousness The prisoners returned to prison on schedule
When the date was set, none of these death row prisoners broke the agreement and all returned to the prison by themselves, and the people of Linzi City were greatly impressed.
From ancient times to the present, many officials have governed Linzi, but have never heard of such a strange story. Therefore, people respectfully call him “the sage”.
Later on, some people commented on this matter, Cao set forth only a county magistrate, not The Emperor, there is no power to pardon prisoners, and the prisoners certainly know it well. But why did all the prisoners on death row keep the promise and return to prison as scheduled, none of them escaped, weren’t they afraid of death?
That was because Cao set forth his sincerity for their sake, and awakened their conscience, so that these prisoners forgot all about the suffering of the prison. Because, righteousness had sprouted in their hearts. Cao’s faithfulness and sincerity thus made up for the lack in their hearts!
The “soldiers are not tired of deception” is invalid?
Ancient people said: “Soldiers are not tired of deception.” But in the Jin Dynasty, this saying seems to have lost its meaning.
In the Western Jin Dynasty, there was a famous general named Yang Hu who was ordered to lead an army to guard Xiangyang. Xiangyang was close to the territory of Wu’s commander Lu Anti.
Before each duel between Yang Hu’s army and Lu Anti’s army, a date would be agreed upon before the battle would begin. Although the generals of the two sides represented different countries and were each other’s strongest enemies, neither side used the tactic of sneaking in secretly.
Whenever a general of Yang Hu’s army wanted to offer a tricky plan, Yang Hu would give him a strong wine so that he would not be able to speak. Even though the two armies were hostile, Lu Anti would sometimes give Yang Hu wine. Every Time, Yang Hu drank it with pleasure and without the slightest doubt.
Strong enemy kept his word, Wu and Jin made good friends in both realms
If Lu Dou was sick, Yang Hu would send him some good Medicine. Lu Fu’s subordinates were afraid of the poison in the medicine and advised him not to take them, but Lu Fu had no doubts and took them without fail, saying, “How could Yang Shuzi poison people!” Yang Hu did not harm people with intrigue, and this was clear even to his opponents.
When Sun Hao, the ruler of Wu, heard of Lu Anti’s practice of befriending Yang Hu at the border, he sent a man to rebuke him. Lu Dou said, “A township cannot be without faith and righteousness among itself, let alone a great state. If I do not speak of faith and righteousness, I will not do the slightest harm to Yang Hu, but rather manifest his might.” When the king heard Lu Anti’s reply, he was actually speechless.
During the confrontation between Western Jin and Wu, the area around Jingzhou was at peace for a long time because of the mutual respect and trust between the two commanders.
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