Sharing joys and sorrows, going through thick and thin together

     In life, we encounter many people. Not everyone can be swayed by gains and losses, not everyone can share joys and sorrows; not everyone can be a true friend, not everyone can share the benefits of a shared economy, and not everyone can become a confidant. Some people are suited to conquer the world together, some are suited to rule the world together, some can have both, and some can have neither, destined to remain strangers or passersby. Throughout history, countless strategists and wise ministers have met untimely deaths, perishing in flames; countless friends have turned against each other, exploding into dust without leaving a trace.

    In the Ming Dynasty, a commoner emperor emerged, who, through his own abilities and a group of loyal brothers, paved a prosperous road with blood and tears. After establishing his imperial power, many brothers died at his hands. Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes. How did he treat them? To ensure the consolidation of his empire, he ruthlessly slaughtered those who had rendered great service and risked their lives to help him conquer the land, indiscriminately implicating their relatives and friends. Historical records state that after becoming emperor, he "had no laws that remained unchanged for long, and no one who was without fault for even a day." In his quest for autocratic rule and the continuation of his empire, he became ruthless in killing his meritorious officials.
    After Liu Bang of the Han dynasty unified the country and established the Liu family dynasty, he began to eliminate the loyal ministers, strategists, and fierce generals who had fought alongside him to conquer the empire, such as Chen Ping, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin. This led the victims to lament, "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked." Cao Cao, whose grave was recently desecrated, is a prime example of how his children, after taking control of the Han Dynasty, could not share wealth and power, leading to infighting. This is further evidenced by Cao Zhi's "Seven Steps Poem": "Beans are boiled with beanstalks as fuel, the beans weep in the pot; we are born of the same root, why are you so eager to harm me!" After Hong Xiuquan of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took control of Nanjing, he began to live a secluded life, indulging in extravagance and debauchery in the palace, abandoning his brothers who had shared life and death with him to fight valiantly on the front lines. Ultimately, the Heavenly Kingdom was betrayed by the enemy.
    Fan Li assisted Goujian for over twenty years, finally enabling Goujian to destroy Wu. Having rendered meritorious service to the King of Yue, he could not remain in power for long. Knowing Goujian's "long neck and bird beak," he understood he could share hardship but not prosperity, so he sailed away with Xi Shi. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Liang helped Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu and then retired in time, "wishing to abandon worldly affairs and follow the immortal Chisongzi," thus avoiding death. Tao Yuanming, after distancing himself from politics, lived a carefree, idyllic life, "picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, gazing leisurely at the southern mountains."
    There are no permanent friends, nor permanent interests. In this ever-changing society, in an era of rampant self-interest and deceit, many can only share joys and sorrows, not hardships; many things can only last a moment, not a lifetime. Remember, those who will accompany you to the end are few and far between, almost nonexistent, because most of the time, so-called friends and so-called interests cannot withstand the test of time; they will be eroded by time, becoming unrecognizable and unbearable to behold. The invisible troubles we face are brought about by life and society. When you suffer with others, you are both weak, and you feel a need to rely on someone, supporting each other. There is little question of fairness or unfairness; there is joy even in hardship, and you feel at peace. But when you become wealthy and powerful, the need for each other is not so strong. Because of money and interests, fairness or unfairness arises, and everyone feels they deserve more for their suffering. This leads to intense jealousy, making it impossible to share hardships.
    In many situations, we can only cherish those who can share both joy and sorrow, those who can conquer the world and those who can share its hardships. We should invite them into our lives, to work together, share joys and sorrows, and win and lose together. These people are few and far between; they seem difficult to encounter in a lifetime, and once missed, they may never be found again.