From Zhang Xun's concubine to Wang Jiazhi
's moral crusade against Lust and Caution seems to have escalated. For example, "Sing Tao Daily" reported,
"Huang Jisu, the famous writer and director of Beijing's sensational experimental drama "Zheguhuala", criticized "Lust, Caution" for "using flesh tones to confuse the right and wrong of modern China, and to use flesh to show the favor of Western masters. Liu Jianping, a scholar at Communication University of China, even accused the director Ang Lee of using this film to "give plastic surgery for the traitors" and "sound the alarm for the mainstream culture that maintains the national spirit."
Regarding the arguments of these moralists, I have always felt that Can't discuss. Some people watch a movie just to watch a movie, but some people insist on seeing the three principles of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness. How to discuss this? Of course, I personally would prefer not to have these moralists make movies. Otherwise, each film will become an auxiliary teaching material for ideological and moral classes in primary and secondary schools, wouldn't it take away n points of the happiness that we have not had much in our lives?
However, from this topic of "big right and wrong", I think of another piece of history, a woman like Wang Jiazhi who was caught in the big right and wrong was the concubine of Zhang Xun in the Tang Dynasty. I even checked the old and new "Books of Tang", but I couldn't find the lady's last name, so I had to call her Concubine Zhang.
In 757 AD, Anshi rebels besieged Suiyang with 130,000 troops and went south to Jianghuai. The Tang army who defended the city had less than 7,000 people. Under the leadership of Zhang Xun, they resisted stubbornly for 10 months. They fought more than 400 times. In the end, because they ran out of ammunition and food, they were unable to fight again, and the city fell. After Zhang Xun and other guards were captured, they scolded the enemy and died heroically.
The Suiyang defense battle was extremely tragic, and it is estimated to be top-level in Chinese history. One of the details is that when the food and grass in the city were exhausted and the horses, sparrows, bark, grass roots and other things that could be eaten were all eaten up, Zhang Xun made an amazing move in order to calm people's hearts:
"The Xun is his concubine. He killed the three armies and ordered the sergeant. He said: "All the dukes worked hard to defend the city for the country. The patrol can't cut her own skin in order to eat the soldiers. It's a pity that this woman is sitting on the sidelines. "All the soldiers and soldiers cried, and could not bear to eat, so they ordered them to eat. They included the women in the city; when they were exhausted, they were followed by men, husbands, young and old, with a population of 20,000 to 30,000, and people's hearts never changed."
We don't know what this concubine's mood was before she was eaten by others - was she willing to die for the country, or was she struggling to survive in the end? But what is certain is that under the circumstances at the time, in her capacity, she had no choice. This is not only in terms of strength, but also in terms of morality and "big right and wrong". Until today, more than 1,000 years later, I believe that Chinese people will still generally believe that Zhang Concubine's death is reasonable.
Look at both ends of the scale. At one end is an anonymous woman; at the other end, the hero Zhang Xun and his soldiers, the fathers and elders of the whole city, and the safety of the entire Jianghuai----In view of the loss of the Central Plains, the Tang Dynasty had completely relied on Jianghuai at that time. Wealth to live, this is actually related to the safety of the entire Tang Dynasty. From another perspective, one end of the scale is the value of a woman's individual life, which is very little in our traditions; the other end is the value of righteousness and righteousness handed down from ancient sages and sages, and this value has inspired the past dynasties. Countless benevolent people.
Needless to say, in the Chinese context, the scale is seriously out of balance. Concubine Zhang was eaten as it should, although cruel, it was "right and wrong" and there was no way.
After more than 1,000 years, Wang Jiazhi also encountered such a big right and wrong situation as a woman. One end of the scale is the small emotions of a little woman; the other end is the righteousness of the country and the nation. For the sake of the nation in crisis, she was going to kill a man who "drilled into her heart". Unlike Concubine Zhang, at the last moment, she had a chance to choose.
Wang Jiazhi let go of the man who touched her heartstrings and sent herself and her comrades to hell. When she went to the execution ground, she was calm. Because it was her choice.
Luckily for Concubine Zhang, Wang Jiazhi's story was written into a novel and put on the screen. This situation of big right and big bad VS individual life, although some people appreciate it and some people slander it, it finally got more people's attention and discussion. In this sense, Chinese people all over the world should thank Eileen Chang and Ang Lee.
In today's Shangqiu, Henan, where Suiyang was in the past, stands Zhang Xunci and his tomb, which has become an important cultural tourist attraction. Concubine Zhang, who was eaten, thinks that there will be no tomb. I sometimes wonder, in the past 1,000 years, has anyone ever thought of putting a stick of incense on her?
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