Guan Yu wanted to enter Sichuan to challenge Ma Chao, and because he despised Huang Zhong, he refused to accept Liu Bei's appointment, and these two events were finally put to rest by Zhuge Liang and Fei Shi respectively, but only leveled out and not resolved- Guan Yu launched the Battle of Xiangfan without support from Xichuan, and finally was captured in Ma Chao's defense area Linfeng, which may be the aftermath of these two events.
Many readers who are familiar with the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are very strange: under Changsha City, Guan Yu and Huang Zhong feel sorry for each other, they should not fight or know each other, how can they turn their faces and not recognize people when they are sealed?
According to the description of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Huang Zhong's sword technique is comparable to Guan Yu's, the archery is far above Guan Yu, Guan Yu's dragging knife plan may not be able to kill Huang Zhong, but Huang Zhong's divine arrow must be able to shoot Guan Yu, in the face of such a respectable opponent, what reason does Guan Yu have to despise and despise?
To answer this question, we cannot just look at the interpretation and not look at the history. In the main history, Huang Zhong did not fight with Guan Yu under Changsha City, he first surrendered Cao Cao and then surrendered Liu Bei, and the soldiers of Changsha City changed hands twice without bloodshed: "First the lord marched south to the four counties, Wuling Taishou Jinxuan, Changsha Taishou Han Xuan, Guiyang Taishou Zhao Fan, and Lingling Taishou Liu Du all surrendered." Huang Zhongzi Hansheng, Nanyang Renye, Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao thought that he was a general in Zhonglang, and together with His cousin Zipan defended Changsha You County. and Cao Gongke Jingzhou, a general of the false Xingxi, still in his old post, under the jurisdiction of Changsha Shou Han Xuan, the first lord of the Southern Ding Counties, loyal to the commission, and his entourage into Shu. ”
Guan Yu did not fight with Huang Zhong, and even did not know Huang Zhong at all, so Zhuge Liang expressed concern about Huang Zhong's marquis: "The reputation of loyalty is not Guan, Ma Zhilun, and now he is in the same column." Ma and Zhang are close, and they can still refer to their merits with their own eyes; guan Yaoyao, when he hears about it, is afraid that he will not be pleased, and he will be indispensable! ”
From the twelfth year of Jian'an to the nineteenth year of Jian'an, Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu worked together for eight years, which can be said to know the roots, so when Guan Yu expressed his intention to compete with Ma Chaoyi (not necessarily a single head), Zhuge Liang reacted at the first time: "Liang Zhiyu defended the front, but the answer was: 'Meng Qi is both a scholar and a martial artist, a heroic and heroic person, a master of the world, a disciple of Tuo and Peng, when he competes with Yide and drives the first, he is not as good as the beard. 'Feathers and beards, so bright is called hair.' Yu Province Book Joy to show guests. ”
Readers, please note that Zhuge Liang knows that the fundamental reason why Guan Yu is not angry with Ma Chao and Huang Zhong is actually two words: "protect the front".
In the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms and the History of the Song Dynasty, it is also recorded that two famous generals who "defended the front", one of whom was zhu Heng, the former general of the Eastern Wu False Festival, who died in rage: "Huan sex protects the front, shame is under the people, every time the enemy fights, the moderation is not free, and the anger is indignant." ”
In the seventh year of Huang Wu, Poyang Taishou Zhou Bree broke his hair to earn Cao Xiu, Zhu Heng was the right governor who commanded 30,000 people, and he wanted to fight Cao Xiu to the death, but the commander-in-chief Lu Xun resolutely refused, and the two had a fierce dispute, which also laid the root of Zhu Heng's later onset of madness.
There is also the Southern Dynasty Song Dynasty's Yushi Zhongcheng, Situ Zuo Changshi, and Wuxing Taishou Liu Yu, whose deeds are found in the Book of Song And The Second Chronicle: "Yu Sex Tomb Objects Protect the Front, Do Not Want Others to Live on Their Own." ”
This Liu Yu's temper was not very good, and his heart was not very open-minded, he did not deal with he Yan in the service, and both of them were gangrene on their backs, "Yu Yu was already sick, smelling of Death, shouting with joy, so he also died." ”
Liu Yu's nickname, like Guan Yu's, seems to be a person who has never come after the ancients: Guan Yu's nickname is "Zhuang Miao", Liu Yu's nickname is "Gangzi" - anyone who has read the Book of Song knows that Liu Yu is a "bar head" who cannot be with anyone.
If we look closely at Zhu Heng and Liu Yu of the "guardian front", we will find that one of them died of rage, the other died of laughter, but there are many similarities with Guan Yu, such as Zhu Heng, just like Guan Yu, who is "kind to the pawns and proud of the scholars": "Love the guards, support the six relatives, and the property of Qilu, all of which are shared." ”
Looking at the records of these two famous generals in the historical materials, we know that the meaning of protecting the front is "shame for others, do not want others to live on their own", and the modern Chinese interpretation is "to be strong and competitive, and not to allow others to compete for the front".
Seeing this, readers will understand that Guan Yu is not angry with Ma Chao and despises Huang Zhong, all because of his personality - "Huqian" also has a synonym called "hushi", that is, not allowing others to touch their own cheese.
Guan Yu in Liu Bei's clique has always regarded himself as the second character, Zhuge Liang is only in a high position in the novel, in fact, after the Battle of Chibi, before Liu Bei captured Xichuan, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, like Pang Tong, were both military generals.
Before Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang had been engaged in logistical supply work, so he got along well with Guan Yu, and there was no problem of who was in front of whom, and Guan Yu would not clash with Zhuge Liang if he "protected the front".
The term "guarding the front" seems to be elegant, and we can use a not-so-elegant metaphor to make it clear: the head cow, the head horse, and the head sheep do not allow the cattle, horses, and sheep of the herd to walk in front of themselves, which is called "guarding the front" - this is an animal instinct, and it is also a character defect that is difficult for people to avoid and make up.
Guan Yu except Liu Bei Cao Cao, no one obeyed, and even thought that Zhang Fei Zhao Yun was also half a head lower than himself, which Zhang Fei did very well, never competing with Guan Yu and driving the first: "Less with Guan Yu in advance." Yu is a few years older, and Fei Brother is doing things. ”
Zhang Fei still respected Guan Yu as a brother, and now that there was suddenly more Ma Chao Huang Zhong sitting on an equal footing with himself, how could Guan Yu not be indignant?
Guan Yu held a high position of power in Liu Bei's clique, but because of his "protection of the front", he could not achieve internal unity, and his final defeat in the Battle of Jingxiang was also related to internal contradictions. Mi Fang Fu Shiren had a festival with Guan Yu, and Jingzhou Zhizhong, Dianliu Prefecture Affairs Pan Mao and Lingling Taishou Haopu were also "at odds" with Guan Yu.
As the second person in the Liu Bei Group, Guan Yu's "protective front" personality is very dangerous, and this point may be deeply appreciated by readers in the workplace officialdom: if the second-in-command of the group is jealous of Xianxian and afraid that others will surpass him, then excellent talents will definitely not be able to stay - there is such a thorny ceiling pressing, the more capable people are, the more difficult life will be.
The danger of Guan Yu's "protecting the front" is not limited to suppressing the rising stars, but also that Liu Bei is also walking in front of Guan Yu, Guan Yu's "guarding the front" at that time is still limited to the group and under Liu Bei, if this personality develops to the extreme, will Guan Yu still allow Liu Bei to block in front of him?
Guan Yu wants to compete with Ma Chaoyi, there is Zhuge Liang and Thin Mud; Guan Yu is ashamed to be with Huang Zhong, and Fei Shixiao is righteous; if Guan Yu does not want Liu Bei to walk in front of him, who can mediate?
We can say this: Guan Yu's strategy, martial courage, and loyalty may not be a problem, but "protecting the front" is a huge and very dangerous character flaw. The so-called character determines fate, and Guan Yu's defeat at Xiangfan and his death in the battle are all inevitable by chance - even if he wins the battle of Xiangfan, this "guarding the front" personality will also trigger irreconcilable contradictions within Liu Bei's clique.
Guan Yu was revered as a martial saint by later generations, but the saint is also a person, no one is perfect, and the saint Kong is inevitably moved to see Nanzi, and it is not surprising that the saint Guan is solipsistic.
Guan Yu is recognized as a ten thousand enemies of the Three Kingdoms, but in the Liu Bei clique, there are many high-ranking generals like Guan Yu, and it is really not a good thing, such as Wei Yan wei Wenchang, who is known as "Xiao Guan Yu", who seems to be quite "protective of the front" - like Guan Yu, Zhu Heng, Liu Yu, such as colleagues or superiors who "protect the front", everyone may have heard of it, as for whether this kind of personality is a good thing or a bad thing for a person and a group, then there is a high opinion of the readers Zhu Jun.