Zhang Liang was a distinguished statesman of the early Western Han (207BC -25) period. Zhang was the descendant of a noble family of State of Han during the Warring States Period - his father, grandfather and great-grandfather (a total of five generations) were all royal officials of the state of Han. He later joined Liu Bang in 208 BC to rebel against the rule of Qin and helped him establish the Han Dynasty, after which he soon retired and became a practitioner of Daoism.
Zhang Liang was considered one of the Three Pillars of Liu Bang's victory, along with the Han Xin, the grand-general of Han forces and Xiao He, the first Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.
Here is a story about him recorded in the ‘Records of the Grant Historian’
One day when he was leisurely walking along a river near a bridge at Xia Pi, an elderly man in homespun approached, suddenly took off his shoe and dropped it under the bridge. He turned to Zhang and said, ‘Young man, go down and fetch it for me.’
Zhang was astonished, thinking of hitting the old man. However, he controlled himself on account of the other’s old age and went down to fetch the shoe. The old man then said, ‘Put it on for me.’ Since Zhang already fetched the shoe, When Zhang complied, the old man proceeded to lee knelt down to put it on. The old man just stretched out his foot for it and then going away with a laugh. Zhang looked at him in amazement. After going some distance, the old man turned back and said, ‘You can be taught, young man! Meet me here five days from now at dawn.’ Zhang’s curiosity was aroused, and he knelt down and answered, ‘I will.’
Five days later Zhang Liang went back to the place at dawn. However, the old man was there before him. The old man said angrily, ‘Why are coming late for appointment with an old man? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that he left.
This time Zhang Liang got up early, but still the old man beat him to the clock. The old man was angry again, ‘Late again. Why? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that again he left.
This time, Zhang got up in midnight and went to wait at the bridge. The old man came shortly. He said approvingly, ‘That’s right.’ He took out a book and said, ‘Read this book and you will become the teachers of kings. Ten years from now you will make it big. Thirteen years from now you will see me again as the yellow rock at the foot of Mount Gucheng, north of the River Ji.’ Without another word he left and did not appear again.
When the day broke, Zhang examined the book and found that it was The Grand Duke’s Art of War. Prizing the book, he read it again and again.
.
张良是西汉（公元前207年到公元25年）名臣。张良是战国时期韩国的贵族后代。他的父亲、祖父及曾祖五代都是韩国朝廷重臣。他后来加入刘邦的队伍，帮他成立汉朝。事成后退休，成为一个道学者。
张良是刘邦成事的‘汉家三杰’之一。另两名是汉军的大将军韩信与汉朝开国宰相萧何。
以下是《史记》记载有关张良的一个故事。
良尝从容步游于下邳圯上，有一老父，衣褐，至良所，直堕其履圯下，顾谓良曰：“孺子，下取履！”
良愕然，欲欧之，为其老，强忍，下取履。父曰：“履我！”良业为取履，因长跪履之。父以足受，笑而去。良殊大惊，随目之。
父去里所，复还，曰：“孺子可教矣。后五日平明，与我会此。”良因怪之，跪曰：“诺。”
五日平明，良往。父已先在，怒曰：“与老人期，后，何也？”去，曰：“后五日早会。”五日鸡鸣，良往。父又先在，复怒曰：“后，何也？” 去，曰：“后五日复早来。”
五日，良夜未半往。有顷，父亦来，喜曰：“当如是。”出一编书，曰：“读此则为王者师矣。后十年兴，十三年孺子见我济北，谷城山下黄石即我矣。”遂去，无他言，不复见。
旦日视其书，乃《太公兵法》也。良因异之，常习诵读之。
No comments:
Post a Comment