Historical story

Alexander the Great is one of Europe's most renowned historical figures. The number of cities named "Alexandria" scattered across the world map attests to Alexander's immense influence and reveals the vast territories conquered by his army. Setting out from the mountainous kingdom of Macedonia in northern Greece, he first occupied Greece, then invaded Asia, conquered Egypt, swept through Persia, captured the so-called "King of Kings," the Persian Emperor, and finally crossed the Hindu Kush mountains, pushing all the way to the Indus River Valley. On this vast expanse of land, he established an unprecedented empire stretching from Greece and Macedonia in the west to the Indus River in the east, from the First Cataract of the Nile in the south to the Jaxartes River in the north, with its capital at Babylon. Alexander's achievements have had a more profound impact on the development of Western civilization than those of any other European in history. Napoleon once commented on him: "Alexander was the greatest military genius in history." Caesar said: "Alexander, still under thirty, had already pacified Greece, advanced into the interior of Asia and Africa, subjugated nearly a hundred kingdoms, captured tens of thousands of cities, and created a vast empire spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa—truly a king of the world." So, one cannot help but wonder: what exceptional qualities did Alexander himself possess?

Alexander the Great is the most renowned historical figure in Europe. Just look at how many cities named Alexandria are on the world map, and you will immediately grasp the extent of Alexander's might and realize how many lands his vast army once conquered. Starting from the mountainous kingdom of Macedon in northern Greece, he first seized Greece, then invaded Asia, occupied Egypt, advanced deep into Persia, captured the so-called "King of Kings," the Persian Emperor, alive, and finally crossed the Hindu Kush mountains, pushing all the way to the Indus River valley. He established an unprecedentedly vast empire across vast territories, stretching from Greece and Macedon in the west to the Indus River valley in the east, from the First Cataract of the Nile River in the south to the Jaxartes River in the north, with its capital in Babylon. Alexander the Great's achievements have had a deeper impact on the development of Western civilization than any other European in history. Napoleon once evaluated him: "Alexander is the greatest military genius in history." Caesar said: "Alexander, under the age of thirty, had already pacified Greece, marched into the interior of Asia and Africa, subdued nearly a hundred states, captured tens of thousands of cities, and founded a vast empire spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, truly deserving the title of 'King of the World.'" Then, one cannot help but ask: What exactly made Alexander himself so exceptionally outstanding?

Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of the ancient Greek city of Sparta, was abducted by Paris, prince of Troy. This incident enraged all the Greeks, and the Greek army, led by Menelaus's brother, King Agamemnon, prepared to launch an expedition to Troy to reclaim the beautiful Helen. Odysseus was king of Ithaca, one of the Greek city-states. Unwilling to get involved in this war, he feigned madness. He drove pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep onto the sandy beach, yoked them to plows, and tilled the barren land, then scattered salt as seed. Needless to say, such farming would yield no results.

Yu the Great was the founding emperor of the Xia Dynasty, which lasted for over 400 years. The last emperor of the Xia Dynasty was Jie of Xia, a tyrant infamous in history.

In 91 BC, the "Wugu Affair" (a witchcraft conspiracy) plotted by the ruthless official Jiang Chong and the scheming Li family closed in on the 45-year-old Crown Prince Liu Ju. Gentle and broad-minded by nature, and unskilled in political intrigue and power struggles, Liu Ju was soon driven to a dead end and committed suicide in August of that year (This shows that honest men are unsuited for politics.) Liu Ju's two sons died alongside their father. Liu Ju's mother, Empress Wei Zifu, died even earlier than her descendants, passing away with resentment on the Gengyin day of the seventh month.

For Zhao Ji, becoming the nation's supreme leader was indeed an unexpected windfall. His father (Emperor Shenzong of Song) had passed away, and his half-brother Zhao Xu ascended the throne (Emperor Zhezong of Song). Although this imperial brother had a short life, dying at the age of 25, the imperial crown seemed to have no chance of falling upon Zhao Ji's head.