King Lanling: Elegy of the Mask

In May of the fourth year of Wuping, in the Lanling Palace in Yecheng, 33-year-old Gao Changgong wore an iron mask and in front of him was the poisonous wine given by the emperor. He held half of the troops of the Northern Qi Dynasty and was supported by all the people. Both the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Southern Chen Dynasty were willing to welcome him with the courtesy of a national scholar, but he was willing to drink poison and die. Back in time twenty-five years ago, eight-year-old Gao Changgong witnessed the assassination of his father Gao Cheng, and overnight he was reduced from the son of a prince to an orphan caught in the imperial power. In the royal family of the Northern Qi Dynasty, which was transformed into Xianbei, he hid his talents and practiced martial arts. Following his mother's instructions that "softness can overcome strength, toughness can guard the heart", he kept the Confucian heart of benevolence to the people and love of things. He put on a mask and galloped on the battlefield. In the battle of Mangshan, he led 500 cavalry to defeat the 100,000 Northern Zhou army, broke the siege of Luoyang, and became a god in the first battle. "The Song of King Lanling Enters the Battle" resounded throughout the north and south. But what he gained for his military exploits was not a reward, but a deeper suspicion from the emperor. He fell into the dilemma of "if you fight, you die, if you don't fight, you die". He stigmatized himself and excused his illness to avoid the world, but in the end he could not avoid the butcher's knife. Hu Luguang died unjustly and the Great Wall of Northern Qi destroyed itself. He became the last barrier of Northern Qi and the biggest thorn in the side of the imperial power. In the end, he rejected all opportunities to rebel and escape, and kept his integrity and bottom line throughout his life with a glass of poisonous wine. Four years after his death, the Northern Qi Dynasty fell, Gao Wei was captured alive by the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and the dynasty that destroyed the Great Wall was finally destroyed. The story of King Lanling, accompanied by "The Song of King Lanling Entering the Battle", travels through 1,500 years of time and will remain famous throughout the ages.