Preface
During the Three Kingdoms period, the five famous generals under Liu Bei had their own strengths and weaknesses, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei obviously declined in strength in the later period. The reason for this is that just as Cao Cao's general Cao Mei deliberately spread, Zhang Fei's combat strength is actually not strong, and Guan Yu is not invincible? Regarding the truth of this, perhaps we need to have a deeper understanding of the experience of the five tiger generals.
Guan Yu's combat power declined the most, and there was no one who could match him
As the head of the five famous generals of Shu Han, Guan Yu's combat power has declined most obviously. After Lu Bu's death, he got Chitu, and his strength soared, and he can be called the new number one master in the world. At that time, Guan Yu had the confidence to fight no matter who he faced, and he could take the top rank by planting the flag.
However, the good times did not last long, and Guan Yu performed extremely badly in the Battle of Xiangfan. He fought with Xiliang's pawn Pang De for 100 rounds without winning or losing, and was also teased by Xu Huang. This has already made people question Guan Yu's combat power. What's worse is that after being arrested after the failure to break through, Guan Yu was powerless to fight back in the face of small characters like Ma Zhong, which made people wonder if his strength was really as strong as the legend.
So, what is Guan Yu's combat power? Is it that the years are ruthless, and his martial arts are also unconsciously unfamiliar? Or was it overestimated from the beginning? Guan Yu's combat power plummeted in the later period is indeed unbelievable. We must admit that both the decline in physical condition and Cao Cao's spreading rumors have a certain impact on this.
However, the more essential reason is that Guan Yu's reputation for martial arts is already unstable. Although he was instrumental in many battles, he won only a handful of truly decisive victories.
Moreover, these achievements are mostly based on the help of Chitu. But once he loses the blessing of his mount, whether Guan Yu's strength can really be called a generation of heroes has always been up for debate. So why is Guan Yu's reputation so great? There is a reason for this. There are many fierce generals under Liu Bei, and there are very few who can compete with Guan Zhang.
As a result, Guan Yu became the benchmark and symbol of the military generals in Shuzhong, which invisibly accelerated his fame. Coupled with legendary deeds such as single-handedly fighting Wenzhi, cutting Yan Liang, and seizing Sichuan, it is enough to make him famous all over the world. It's too often that people only remember a few impressive victories and ignore a lot of not-so-stellar performances behind them. This exaggerates Guan Yu's strength to a certain extent.
So to sum up, it is not surprising that Guan Yu's combat power plummeted in his later years. Because its foundation is not so solid in the first place. The years and rumors may have accelerated this process, but the fundamental constraint is that among the many fierce generals of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu's strength is not outstanding. Once time passes and his martial arts are gone, this gap in strength is exposed. Therefore, Guan Yu's combat power has plummeted, which is really the inevitability of historical development.
Zhang Fei's strength fell by three percent in the later period, and he was no longer the match of Lu Bu
If Guan Yu makes people doubt the strength of the Shu Han Five Tigers, then Zhang Fei's performance is also a big surprise. There is a widely circulated story in Romance, which tells the story of Zhang Fei and Lu Bu going head-to-head outside Xiaopei City for 100 rounds without winning or losing. This vicious battle undoubtedly demonstrated Zhang Fei's amazing strength and made him famous.
However, in the slap battle before his death, Zhang Fei failed to annihilate the remnants of Zhang He. What's even more unexpected is that Zhang Fei was plotted to death by several pawns in his sleep. This has undoubtedly further undermined confidence in its strength.
So the question is, how much did Zhang Fei's combat power drop in the later period? As one of the Five Tigers, was his strength really as strong as the legend said? Or was it exaggerated from the beginning?
We have to admit that Zhang Fei's later performance was indeed greatly discolored. But that doesn't mean he's mediocre from the start. Because after Lu Bu's death, Zhang Fei did become an invincible god of war in Shu for a time. No one could have imagined that he would decline so quickly in such a short period of time.
Among them, Zhang Fei's slackness is an important reason. After all, it is not enough to blindly rely on past achievements, you must always be vigilant and practice martial arts. Otherwise, once you are unfamiliar, even if the pawn plots, there will be no return. However, we can't ignore other factors.
After Zhang Fei made great contributions, in order to reward his contributions, Liu Bei let him indulge in lust. This is undoubtedly a huge test for a martial artist. What's more, there are rumors that deliberately exaggerate Lu Bu's force and shake Zhang Fei's self-confidence. All these factors eventually led him to give up training, and his physical fitness and martial arts quickly declined.
Therefore, Zhang Fei's combat power fell sharply in the later period, and it did have its own reasons. But it is also indispensable to be beaten by luck. He could have continued to be the invincible god of war in Shu, but the various blows of Vanity Fair finally made the hero twilight. This is also an accident in the development of history. Otherwise, with Zhang Fei's qualifications, how could he let the little pawn succeed?
Ma Chao, who is known as Xiliang's horse, has a two-percent decline in combat power
Compared with Guan and Zhang, Ma Chao's decline in combat power is not so serious. But as a famous general of Xiliang in Shu, his later performance was also greatly inferior. Among them, his successful submission to Liu Bei was an important turning point.
Ma Chao was originally a fierce general on the Xiliang side, and later defected to Liu Bei and was pinned on high hopes. After the battle of Hanzhong, Ma Chao did not perform well. He was only responsible for some tasks of guarding the border gates, and no longer participated in large battles. This is in stark contrast to his reputation as "hard to chase".
The reason for this is that Ma Chao's successful submission to Liu Bei has become a turning point in the decline of his strength. Because he has no future to gain, and he has lost his goal in his heart. If Ma Chao had chosen to go north to Cao Cao, with his ambitions, he might have continued to make great contributions on the battlefield like Zhang Liao and Guo Yan. Who knew that once he became an official of Shu, Ma Chao no longer had a stage to display his ambitions, and gradually became satisfied with the status quo, and was no longer as diligent in cultivating martial arts as before.
Of course, the erosion of time and disease is also an important reason. But Ma Chao joined Shu Han, which was the pinnacle of his life, and he should have been complacent. However, without a goal, Ma Chao lost his fighting spirit and allowed his martial arts to decline. Here we see that success can also lead to a person's decline. This is too ironic for Ma Chao.
Huang Zhong's martial arts declined, and he was eventually seriously injured
Compared with several others, Huang Zhong can be described as a late bloomer. He only began to emerge after the age of sixties, and made great contributions in the Hanzhong War.
However, the good times did not last long, and in the Battle of Yiling, Huang Zhong went out to fight against the order to avenge Guan Yu. He first killed an enemy general, but soon fell into an ambush and was besieged by four Wu soldiers. Although Huang Zhong fought his way out of the encirclement, he was also severely injured and died soon after.
Through this battle of Yiling, we can clearly see that Huang Zhong's martial arts have been declining day by day. So, how much did his combat power weaken in the later stage, and why did he quickly step down from the altar after making great achievements?
It is true that Huang Zhong's martial arts did decline in his later years. But seeing his comrade-in-arms Guan Yu being captured, he didn't pay attention to it, this is not his style. Huang Zhong broke into the enemy formation despite dissuasion, just to prove that he was still good at martial arts. This spirit of fighting against the odds is worthy of admiration.
It's a pity that the hero is old and is no longer the tiger of the year. The four enemies besieged, and Huang Zhong was defeated. But the significance of this battle has gone beyond victory and defeat. It shows how a veteran sacrifices his life for righteousness, and never succumbs to old age.
Of course, we can also analyze from another angle, Liu Bei, the commander of Shu Han, misemployed people in the battle of Yiling, and should not have sent veterans to attack. If Zhao Yun leads the elite, he may be able to avenge Guan Yu. It's a pity that Liu Bei didn't listen to the advice, which led to the tragedy of Huang Zhong leading his troops to death. This is also where future generations need to reflect on it.
Therefore, although Huang Zhong died on the battlefield in his later years, his spirit is always worthy of praise. At the same time, Liu Bei's mistake also brought a profound warning to future generations - it is a good thing to be old and strong, but you can't abandon your roots. This is the most important historical revelation of Huang Zhong's death.
Zhao Yun, the one with the smallest decline in combat power among the five tigers of Shu Han
Compared with several others, Zhao Yun's martial arts have been prosperous for a long time. Even during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, this veteran was still terrifying. He fought five men in a row, killed four and captured one. This makes people have to admire Zhao Yun's ability to maintain his strength.
However, the performance of the other Five Tigers also makes us wonder if Zhao Yun's combat power has also weakened over time, or has he been overestimated in the first place?
Regarding this point, we have to make it clear that Zhao Yun's martial arts are indeed extraordinary. Otherwise, there would be no reputation as "Changshan Zhao Zilong". But even so, the erosion of time is inevitable. We must admit that Zhao Yun in his later years is no longer the god of war who took the lead in entering the enemy formation.
So why is his performance still strong? The reason is that Zhao Yun has a resolute personality and is not arrogant because of his high merits. He has always maintained a modest and cautious style, and even if he is alienated because of his advanced age, he does not complain. This positive and optimistic attitude has slowed down the decline of his martial arts to a certain extent.
However, we must also be aware that no one can completely escape the erosion of time. Even if he is as tenacious as Zhao Yun, it is inevitable that there will be a day of decay. When that moment comes, I'm afraid no one will be able to save him.
Therefore, although Zhao Yun's performance is temporarily stronger than that of several other Five Tigers, he can't resist the defeat brought by the years after all. This is the fixed number of historical developments, and no one can go against it. Our attitude towards Zhao Yun should not be blindly optimistic, nor should we be ruthlessly criticized. He should be cherished as he is now, and at the same time, he should be prepared for his old age.
epilogue
Through the above examples, we can clearly see that the combat power of the five tiger generals has decreased in the later stage, but to different degrees. The reason for this is probably due to two aspects:
First, time is merciless. In the era of cold weapons, the combat power of military generals relied heavily on physical strength. Therefore, with the increase of age, the decline of physical strength and martial arts is inevitable. This is an aging process that no martial artist can completely avoid. Even legendary generals such as the Five Tigers can't escape this law.
The second is the scenery of martial artists, but it is only temporary. After the Five Tigers became famous all over the world, they either indulged in their lust or were arrogant and extravagant, and gradually embarked on the track of decline. This also indicates the extreme of power and status, and often also means that the scenery is no longer good. We must no longer be sober about the scenery of the Five Tigers, which is the inevitable development of history.
Of course, there are other factors that have accelerated this move. But in the final analysis, the decline of the Five Tigers is due to the trend of history. It reminds us that no one is immune to aging, and we must face up to this fact.