In ancient China, acts of kindness and compassion were seen as virtuous and were often believed to bring blessings and rewards to oneself and their family. On the contrary, misdeeds often brought terrible consequences. The following stories show how the misdeeds of two historical figures, Li Guang of the Han Dynasty and Qian Weicheng of the Qing Dynasty, brought poor outcomes to their families because of their misdeeds.
Li Guang of the Han Dynasty
Li Guang, a talented general of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D 229), was known as the Flying General. He was highly ranked at archery, fought against the Xiongnu more than 70 times, and won every battle. The Xiongnu were so afraid of him that they did not dare to attempt an invasion of the Han region again. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Changling wrote in his poem: “If the Flying General of the Dragon City is here, the Horses of the Xiongnu will not cross the Yin Mountain.” The flying general in the poem refers to Li Guang.
Li Guang had traveled with the emperor and often charged into battles against enemies. Under Emperor Wen, he was appointed the Standing Officer of Knights for his success in fighting against the Xiongnu, and under Emperor Wu, he served as the governor of Beiping City.
Although Li Guang’s achievements were numerous, many of his subordinates had been granted the title of marquis, while Li Guang had not, which made their status higher than that of Li Guang’s. Because of this, Emperor Wen once said to him: “It is such a pity! If you had been born during the reign of Gaozu, you would certainly have been awarded the title of marquis of over ten thousand households.”
Wang Shuo was well known for his face reading skills. One day, Li Guang asked him: “Ever since the Han Dynasty has been at war with the Xiongnu, I have taken part in each battle and defeated the enemy every time. Dozens of officers below the rank of lieutenant have been awarded the title of marquis for their military achievements, even though they are not as talented as the mid-level ones. Meanwhile, I am not inferior to any of them, but I have not received any fiefdom for my merit. Why don’t I deserve to be a marquis? Is it just my destiny?”
Wang Shuo then asked General Li Guang to reflect on his earlier life to see if he had committed any misdeeds that did not comply with his conscience. Li Guang thought for a moment and replied, “I was once the governor of Longxi, and when the Qiangs rebelled, I tricked more than 800 of the Qiangs into surrendering, and then I killed them all. This is something I have always regretted.” Wang Shuo said, “The greatest misfortune will be brought by killing those who have surrendered. You have planted the evil karma of killing those who surrendered, so you will not be able to get the title of marquis.”
Later, Li Guang’s fate became even worse. When he was ordered to go to war with the Xiongnu, he lost his way and thus failed to participate in the battle. Not wanting to be blamed by the emperor and other generals, Li Guang finally killed himself. What’s more, Li Guang’s grandson Li Ling had his mother and wife killed by the emperor because he surrendered to the Xiongnu.
Misdeeds of Qian Weicheng of the Qing Dynasty
In 1745, Qian Weicheng, a native of Changzhou, was awarded the first prize in the imperial examination during the Qianlong reign. He was appointed Scholar of the Hanlin Academy and served in the prestigious Southern Study Hall. Emperor Qianlong highly appreciated his works.
There were many prominent families in Changzhou, such as the family of Lu Gong, the family of Yang Tingyi, the family of Zhao Gongyi, and the family of Pan Siju, whose descendants were outstanding in successive imperial examinations. The inheritance of knowledge and education was unceasing. However, Qian Weicheng’s descendants have declined. Why?
It is said that during the war against the local Hmong people, Qian Weicheng was the chief of the army and the chief of the Ministry of Justice. After the leaders of the rebellion were arrested and killed, the commander asked Qian Weicheng for permission to execute all the young and strong Hmong people, leaving only the children and elderly.
Qian replied: “Do not save any bad seeds!” As a result, all the Hmong people, male and female, as well as the young and old, were killed, so the Hmong race in Nadong was nearly obliterated. Soon after the triumph of the army, Qian Weicheng and his son died. Later, many of his grandchildren were disabled. Thereafter, the lineage of the Qian family became extinct.
Translated by Audrey Wang
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