韓信、林彪與扎盧日內 的宿命

——讀《史記·淮陰侯（韓信）列傳》

韓信的故事

在《史記》中，韓信從寒微之身崛起，憑藉驚世兵才助劉邦成就帝業。他背水一戰、暗渡陳倉、定三秦、滅楚軍，可謂“大漢軍功功第一人”。但大漢一統後，韓信功高震主，最終被呂后與蕭何誘殺於長樂宮，並誅三族，臨刑前悲嘆“悔不聽蒯通之言”。這樣的結局，未止步於古代.

林彪的故事

跨越兩千年，中國現代史上也有一位與韓信命運驚人相似的風雲人物——林彪。林彪，在解放戰爭中率領東北野戰軍連克錦州、瀋陽、天津，北京，解放戰爭的三大戰役，他打了兩個還多，為共產黨最終奪取全國政權，立下了赫赫戰功。1959年，他被確立為毛澤東的接班人。但1971年，出現“九一三事件”事件，林彪被指密謀政變，在出逃途中墜機身亡，身後被全盤否定。

·扎盧日內（Valerii Zaluzhnyi） 的故事

烏克蘭前總司令瓦列里·扎盧日內（Valerii Zaluzhnyi），在俄烏戰爭爆發初期領導烏軍成功抵抗入侵，被譽為民族英雄，其民望一度高於總統澤連斯基。2024年初，他被解除軍職，被授予很高了榮譽後， 被委任為駐英大使。他沒有被“政治清洗“

三人命運背後的故事

韓信與林彪，有很多相似之處：

• 皆為軍事奇才，打下半壁江山。

• 皆是開國功臣，不可或缺。

• ”功高蓋主“，皆被主上忌憚。

• 他們效忠的集團奪取國家權力後，都被他們所效忠的”主“ ”清洗致死“。

扎盧日內也在保衛國家中立了赫赫戰功，甚至”功高蓋主“。雖然由於各種原因（不排除政治鬥爭），他被解除了兵權，但沒有被”清洗“，而是給予了很高的榮譽，然後安排其它工作繼續為國家服務。

這三人命運結局背後的原因是什麼呢？社會制度！

韓信和林彪，雖然時間相距兩千年，但他們所效忠的政治體制，沒有本質的區別，而扎盧日內則生活在一個民主制度的國度里（雖然烏克蘭的民主制度不太完善）。在專制體制下，功臣往往是帝國穩固後的第一批犧牲者；而在民主制度中，即使功高，也有制度和社會輿論保護其生命與聲譽。

韓信與林彪的悲劇不是個人選擇的偶然，而是制度使然。而扎盧日內的平安過渡，則說明在現代制度下，即便有權力博弈，也不必以生命為代價。

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The Fates of Han Xin, Lin Biao, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi

— Reflections on Reading “The Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin (Han Xin)” 

Han Xin’s Story

In Records of the Grand Historian, Han Xin rose from humble beginnings to become a brilliant military commander who helped Liu Bang establish the Han Empire. His famed strategies—like “backing the army against the river,” “a covert march via Chencang,” and the conquest of the Three Qins and Chu forces—earned him the reputation as the greatest general of the early Han.

Yet once the empire was unified, Han Xin’s overwhelming achievements stirred the ruler’s suspicion. Ultimately, he was lured into the Changle Palace by Empress Lü and Chancellor Xiao He, executed, and his family exterminated. Before his death, he lamented: “I regret not taking Kuai Tong’s advice.” This tragic ending is not unique to ancient times.

Lin Biao’s Story

Across two millennia, China’s modern history produced another figure with an eerily similar fate: Lin Biao. During the Chinese Civil War, Lin commanded the Northeast Field Army, capturing Jinzhou, Shenyang, Tianjin, and finally Beijing. Of the three major campaigns of the war, Lin fought more than two of them, playing a decisive role in the Communist Party’s nationwide victory.

In 1959, Lin was officially named Mao Zedong’s successor. But in 1971, the infamous “September 13 Incident” occurred. Lin was accused of plotting a coup, fled China by air, and died in a plane crash. His legacy was completely erased in official history.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s Story

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, led the Ukrainian armed forces in successfully resisting the Russian invasion in the early stages of the war. He was hailed as a national hero and, for a time, was even more popular than President Zelenskyy.

In early 2024, he was relieved of his military command. However, he was granted high honors and appointed as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was not politically purged.

The Stories Behind the Fates

Han Xin and Lin Biao share much in common:

• Both were brilliant military commanders who secured vast territories.
  
  

• Both were indispensable founding figures in regime-building.
  
  

• Both “overshadowed their sovereigns”—and were feared for it.
  
  

• Both were eliminated by the very powers they served, once victory was achieved.

Zaluzhnyi, too, earned great national merit and arguably “outshone” his president in public support. Yet while he was dismissed from his position, he was not “cleansed.” Instead, he was honored and reassigned—continuing to serve the country.

What Explains the Difference? The political system!

Han Xin and Lin Biao lived in autocratic regimes—despite the vast span of time between them. Zaluzhnyi, however, served under a democratic (albeit imperfect) system. In autocracy, founding heroes often become the first victims of regime consolidation. In democracy, even if there is power struggle, there are institutions and public opinion to protect reputation and life.

The tragedies of Han Xin and Lin Biao were not merely the result of personal choices, but of the systems they served. Zaluzhnyi’s peaceful transition proves that in modern systems, political competition need not be paid for with one’s life.

Translated by ChatGPT