Marquis of Han Shouting, this is the title of Guan Yu, a famous general of the Shu Han dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, and it is also a title that he must mention every time he reports to his family. So, how noble is Han Shou Tinghou?
Why does Guan Yu cherish this title so much?
First of all, we must understand the concept that the Marquis of Han Shouting is not an official position, but a knighthood. Official positions refer to positions in government agencies, such as Shangshu, General Zuo, County Order, etc.; Knighthood refers to the court's rewards and honors for meritorious figures, such as duke, marquis, earl, son, and male. In ancient times, "office is awarded by ability, knighthood is rewarded with merit", that is, official positions can be appointed and removed according to ability and needs, while knighthoods can only be granted or deprived according to merit and contribution.
So, in the title system of the Three Kingdoms period, which level did the Marquis of Han Shou Ting belong to? According to historical records, the county marquis, the township marquis, and the pavilion marquis were the three official ranks during the Han Dynasty at that time. Among them, the county marquis is the most noble, second only to the prince and the king among non-royal members; The township marquis was second, ranking fourth among non-royals; Tinghou is the lowest, ranking fifth among non-royalty. Guan Yu was made Marquis of Han Shouting, which meant that he held the fifth highest title among non-royal members.
So, for what merit did Guan Yu get such a reward?
It turned out that in the period before Liu Bei entered Shu, Guan Yu had surrendered to Cao Cao and made many battle merits under Cao Cao. One of the most amazing was the killing of Yan Liang, a famous general under Yuan Shao. Yan Liang was a first-class military general in the world, and he threatened the enemy in the million-strong army. Guan Yu single-handedly entered the enemy position and beheaded Yan Liang's head. This battle greatly defeated Yuan Shao's army and greatly boosted the morale of Cao Cao's army.
Cao Cao appreciated this very much, and asked Emperor Xian of Han to give Guan Yu the title of Marquis of Shouting. However, Guan Yu declined the title, saying that he was "insignificant in receiving this title". Cao Cao was very surprised when he heard this, and recast a seal, the "Seal of the Marquis of Han Shou Pavilion", and gave it to Guan Yu again. This time, Guan Yu accepted it gladly, and said: "The prime minister knows my intentions."
Why would Guan Yu refuse the title of Marquis of Shouting?
It turned out that the reason why Guan Yu rejected the Marquis of Shouting and accepted the Marquis of Han Shouting was because he was loyal to the Han family. Shouting Marquis is just a place name, while Han Shouting Marquis added the character "Han" to indicate that Guan Yu was a courtier of the Han Dynasty, not a subordinate of Cao Cao. Although Guan Yu surrendered to Cao Cao, he did not forget his lord Liu Bei and brother Zhang Fei.
He had been waiting for the opportunity to reunite with Liu Bei, and had repeatedly expressed his thoughts and respect for Liu Bei in front of Cao Cao. Cao Cao also knew Guan Yu's intentions and respected his loyalty. Therefore, he added the character "Chinese" to Guan Yu to show respect and trust.
Later, after Guan Yu learned that Liu Bei had entered Shu and met Zhang Fei, he resolutely left Cao Cao and marched towards Shu with his troops and family. Along the way, he endured thousands of difficulties and dangers, carved out a bloody road, and finally reunited with Liu Bei. This magnificent escape journey is known as "passing five levels and killing six generals", and it is also one of the most legendary stories of the Three Kingdoms period.
In this process, Guan Yu never gave up his title, Marquis of Han Shouting. Whenever he encountered enemies or friendly troops, he would loudly report to his home: "Wu Nai Han Shouting Hou Guan Mou Ye." This had two purposes: one was to show himself as an orthodox courtier of the Han Dynasty, not a rebel; The second is to show that they have enough prestige and strength, so that the other party does not dare to despise or bully.
It can be said that the title of "Marquis of Han Shouting" has a special meaning for Guan Yu. It not only represents his exploits and honors on the battlefield; It also represents his adherence to and defense of values such as lord, brother, country, nation, and morality.
Because of this, when later generations deified and worshiped Guan Yu, they often regarded "Marquis of Han Shou Ting" as his most noble and symbolic title.