Several businessmen’s political paths in Chinese history that are different from Musk’s 中国古代几条与马斯克不同的商人从政路径
微信公众号老子宸 李首之原创 中国古代几条与马斯克不同的商人从政路径
After the world’s richest man Musk founded Tesla, an electric car and energy company, SpaceX, and acquired social software giant Twitter (now renamed X), he spent a huge amount of money to support Trump’s second presidential campaign and won. He will lead a newly established government efficiency department, performing a legendary story of businessmen entering politics. In China, which has a long history, there are many examples of businessmen entering politics in history. The examples of some famous figures have both similarities and differences with Musk, and they are different paths in different times and different environments.
The most well-known businessman in politics is Lü Buwei. He was a big businessman in the late Warring States Period of China. At that time, there were many vassal states of all sizes in China. He supported the Qin prince Ying Zichu who was a hostage in Zhao State, helped him return to Qin State to become the heir and then successfully succeeded to the throne as the King of Qin, and Lü Buwei himself became the prime minister of Qin State, with a status of one person and above ten thousand people. Compared with Musk, who began to clearly support the powerful Trump after his assassination, Lü Buwei's risk, vision and courage may be much greater. He bet on a down-and-out prince who had no chance of succession according to common sense. If it is true that Ying Zheng (Qin Shi Huangdi), the son of Ying Zichu, as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, was actually the son of Lü Buwei, then Lü Buwei had actually destroyed the Qin State long before the Qin State destroyed other vassal states and unified China. Just like using the names of other companies to list on the stock exchange, he created a new short-lived dynasty. Even so, Lü Buwei died of drinking poisoned wine under the coercion of the grown-up Qin Shi Huangdi.
Another businessman not only engaged in politics, but was also posthumously honored as Emperor Taizu. He was Wu Shigui, the father of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. He got rich by doing timber business, and later joined the team of Li Yuan, the founder of the Tang Dynasty, participated in the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and transformed himself into a senior official. What is even more unexpected is that Wu Shigui's daughter became a concubine of low status to Li Shimin, the son of Li Yuan (the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty), and then became the empress of Li Shimin's son Li Zhi (the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty). Then Wu Zetian herself became the emperor, which made Wu Shigui's father noble because of his daughter, which was the ultimate honor that a businessman could achieve, and this was obviously due to a great deal of accidental factors.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao, a salt merchant, wanted to give up business and go into politics, but he failed in the imperial examinations many times, so he turned the table and led a vigorous anti-Tang cause until he attacked the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, slaughtered the Tang aristocracy and proclaimed himself emperor. But he was soon defeated and completely destroyed. Unlike Musk, Huang Chao wanted to jump out of the social class of merchants who were discriminated against at the time, but there was no peaceful way, and he could not compete in the existing system through normal procedures, so he chose the path of confronting the Tang Dynasty.
In ancient China, there were still a large number of merchants who publicly spent money to buy an official status, which was a behavior in compliance with regulations under the system at the time. Judging from many cases, merchants in ancient China had a low status. To change the social class, they could only do so through unconventional operations and enter politics, and this road was full of thorns and could be called a dangerous path. After reaching the desired position through various paths, the paradox that emerged was whether one could make further progress in career or whether one could protect one's life and property.
For this reason, we should look back at Fan Li, a pioneer of Taoism known as China's "business saint", or Tao Zhugong, the "God of Wealth" in some local folklore. As an important official of the vassal state of Yue in the late Spring and Autumn Period of China, he assisted King Goujian of Yue in his struggle to eliminate the enemy state of Wu, avenge his enemies, and dominate the Central Plains. However, after achieving success, he retired from office and wandered around the world, spending all his wealth several times and becoming a wealthy man several times. Fan Li inherited the past and ushered in the future. He was one of the bridges between Laozi's thoughts and the Huang-Lao Daoism of Qi, a vassal state during the Warring States Period. His many suggestions to assist the King of Yue were either originally from the Tao Te Ching or had connotations consistent with Laozi's thoughts. His retirement after success and his accumulation and distribution of wealth were also in practice of Laozi's thoughts. With the efforts of him and many other predecessors, the Taoist spirit of limiting power, respecting the market, resting and recuperating with the people, and stimulating social vitality was spread, which was conducive to creating a healthy environment for entrepreneurs to operate and for the public to get rich. This is exactly what ancient Chinese businessmen needed, and it is also what modern Musks should think deeply about.
世界首富马斯克在创立电动汽车及能源公司特斯拉(Tesl)、太空探索技术公司SpaceX等企业,收购社交软件巨头Twitter(已更名为X)后,又斥巨资支持特朗普第二次竞选总统取得胜利,并将要领导一个新成立的政府效率部,演绎了一出商人从政的拍案惊奇。
而在历史悠久的中国,古代商人从政的事例很多,一些著名人物的事例与马斯克既有相似点,也有不同之处,是在不同时代、不同环境下的不同路径。
最熟为人知的是吕不韦。作为战国末年的巨商大贾,他支持在赵国做人质的秦国王子嬴子楚,助他回秦国成了世子并成功即位为秦王,并成为秦国的相国,一人之人、万人之上。
与马斯克在实力强大的特朗普遇刺后开始明确支持相比,吕不韦的风险、眼光和魄力可能要大得多,他押注的是一个按常理来说毫无任何继位可能的落魄王子。
如果《史记》所载嬴子楚之子嬴政(秦始皇)实为吕不韦之子是真实的,那吕不韦早在六国灭亡之前就已经实质上先灭了秦国,借壳上市,开创了一个新的短命王朝。
即使这样,吕不韦在长大的秦始皇逼迫下饮毒酒而死。
另一名商人不仅从政,还在死后被追尊为太祖皇帝,他就是中国历史上唯一女皇帝武则天的父亲武士彟。
他通过做木材生意致富,后投身李渊集团,参与了唐朝开国事业,摇身一变成了高级官员。
更出人意料的是,武士彟的女儿给李世民做地位低下的妃嫔,再成为李世民儿子李治的皇后,进而称帝,使得武士彟父因女贵,是商人所能到达哀荣的极致,而这显然有极大的偶然因素。
到了唐末,作为盐贩子的黄巢想弃商从政,却屡试科举不第,于是他就掀了桌子,领导了轰轰烈烈的反唐事业,直至攻入长安,屠灭大唐贵族阶层并称帝。但他很快就兵败如山倒,直到彻底覆灭。
与马斯克不同的是,黄巢想跳出商人这个当时受人歧视的社会阶层,却没有和平的途径,不能通过正常程序在现有体制下去竞争,于是他选择了与唐王朝相对抗的路径。
在中国古代还有大量的商人通过捐纳,也就是公开花钱买一个官员身份,这在当时的制度下属于合规行为。
而从多个案例来看,中国古代商人地位低下,要改变社会阶层,只有通过非常规的操作来从政实现,而这条路充满荆棘,堪称险途。
通过各种路径到达期望的位置后,出现的悖论是,究竟能不能让事业更进一步,或者能不能维护身家性命,这都是一个问号。
为此,我们更要回顾有着中国“商圣”之称的道家先驱范蠡,也就是一些地方民俗所称的“财神”陶朱公。
作为春秋末年的越国重臣,他辅佐越王勾践卧薪尝胆,灭吴复仇,称霸中原,却于功成名就之后激流勇退,辞官不仕,逍遥游于江湖,数度散尽巨财又数度经营成巨富。
范蠡承先启后,是老子思想与战国时期齐国黄老道学说之间的桥梁之一,他在辅佐越王出谋划策的多次建言,或原句来自《道德经》,或内涵与老子思想相合,他的功成身退、聚财散财,也是在践行老子思想。
而在他和诸多先哲的努力下,道家思想的限制权力、尊重市场、与民休养生息、激发社会活力等精神得以传播,有利于为企业家经营和大众致富营造一个健康的环境。
而这,正是中国古代商人所需,也是现代马斯克们应该深思的。
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