The Mystery of Zhuge Liangs Failure to Eliminate Huang Hao: Considerations Behind the Politics of Shu Han
2024-07-08 15:48:40 中文版

In the ancient history of China, the Shu Han Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period was an important political power. During this period, Huang Hao was a controversial figure. He was considered a traitorous official who caused turmoil in the Shu Han government, but it is puzzling why Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu Han, did not eliminate Huang Hao while he was still alive.

First, we need to understand the background of Huang Hao. He was an eunuch in the late Shu Han period and gradually gained control of the government after Liu Shan ascended to the throne. Due to Liu Shan's weak character, Huang Hao was able to abuse his power, leading to the increasing corruption of Shu Han's politics. However, when Zhuge Liang assisted Liu Shan, Huang Hao had not yet fully grasped power, and his crimes had not yet been exposed.

So, why didn't Zhuge Liang eliminate Huang Hao before his power grew? This may be related to Zhuge Liang's political philosophy. As a loyal politician to Shu Han, Zhuge Liang advocated governing the country with virtue, emphasizing benevolence and tolerance. In his view, eliminating such a petty person like Huang Hao might cause turmoil within the government, which was not conducive to the stability and development of the country. Therefore, Zhuge Liang may have believed that it was a better choice to educate and guide Huang Hao to reform himself.

In addition, while Zhuge Liang was alive, his main focus was on the Northern Expedition to restore the Han Dynasty. To achieve this goal, Zhuge Liang needed to maintain unity and stability within the government. In this context, he may have believed that eliminating Huang Hao would cause unnecessary disputes and affect the progress of the Northern Expedition. Therefore, he chose to temporarily tolerate Huang Hao's existence.

Of course, there is also the possibility that Zhuge Liang once tried to restrain or warn Huang Hao, but failed due to various reasons. For example, in Zhuge Liang's "Farewell Address," he mentioned "Shi Zhong, Shi Lang Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun, etc., they are all good and honest." These people may have been Zhuge Liang's trusted confidants placed around Liu Shan to balance the eunuch forces such as Huang Hao. However, due to Zhuge Liang's long-term campaign outside the capital, his influence in the court was limited, and he was unable to completely contain Huang Hao's power expansion.

In conclusion, there may be many reasons why Zhuge Liang did not eliminate Huang Hao during his lifetime. Factors such as political philosophy, national interests, and personal abilities all influenced Zhuge Liang's handling of the Huang Hao issue. However, with Zhuge Liang's death, Huang Hao ultimately became a major scourge of Shu Han's politics, which also became one of the important reasons for the demise of Shu Han.

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