In the era when the heroes of Liangshan were galloping and enthusiastic, there was such a character who was really different. He is not a bandit who likes force, but a beautiful poet and book with Han ink in his hand and polite literary quality - Xiao Rang.
Xiao Rang, as one of the one hundred and eight generals in Liangshanbo, can be called the most inconspicuous and introverted one. But why did this mild-mannered scholar get involved in this reckless rebellion, and how will his fate play out? Let us see the light of day.
Both civil and military, it is difficult to escape fate
Compared with those heroes with unique skills, Xiao Rang's skills are extraordinary. He is not only a holy hand scholar, but also a peerless martial artist with high martial arts. Among the many heroes in Liangshan, Xiao Rang can be described as both civil and military.
It is precisely because of this dual strength that Xiao Rang has attracted the attention of the witty and scheming Wu Yong. Wu Yong traveled thousands of miles to visit this scholar master of "human skills", trying to win him over to join the division of Liangshan.
But Xiao Rang is still an elegant intellectual after all, and he doesn't want to get involved in these disputes. So, the old fox Wu Yong used a plan to induce Xiao Rang to mistakenly kill the murderer in a street fight, forcing him to have no way out but to take refuge in the mountains.
In this way, a talented man who was supposed to wander in the elegant world of poetry, calligraphy and painting was forced to the road of no return to Liangshanbo. But God has eyes, Xiao Rang is highly valued by his brothers in Liangshanbo by virtue of his outstanding civil and military skills.
Hide your scheming and brew a plan for self-interest
After entering Liangshan, Xiao Rang did work hard for this brother group, but in the end he had bad intentions. He once proposed to Song Jiang that he planned to use the means of forging documents to raise military salaries for the Liangshan army.
But as smart as Song Jiang, he naturally saw Xiao Rang's ambition. He understood that Xiao Rang's purpose was nothing more than to profit from this uprising. Once he is really allowed to control the power of the government and the opposition, Liang Shanjun is afraid that he will have to maneuver between the court and the barbarians.
So, Song Jiang politely rejected the proposal. But Xiao Rang did not give up after all, and secretly brewed greater selfishness. He believes that both Liangshan and the imperial court are just a springboard for him to get rich.
After years of forbearance, the opportunity finally came
After Song Jiang led the brothers to accept Zhao'an and embarked on the road of officialdom promotion, the situation really changed fundamentally as Xiao Rang expected. In order to be promoted and make a fortune, Song Jiang regarded the Liangshan brothers as mustards, which really made everyone, including Xiao Rang, see the true face of the former "hero image" in front of him.
But Xiao Rang never got angry. He held back for a long time, waiting for the time to come. Sure enough, after Cai Jing killed Song Jiang, this holy hand scholar did not hesitate to be loyal to the traitorous minister Cai Jing and became his important minister. As a result, he finally had a place in the court.
It turned out that the life and death parting of the Liangshan brothers was just a catalyst for the change of government and opposition for Xiao Rang. He had already seen through the superficial short-sightedness of this group of heroes and heroes, and knew that the reckless foundation was unstable, so he naturally chose the path that was most conducive to his own development.
Taking a step back, even if Song Jiang is really iron-clad and regards his brothers as siblings, he is only a one-sided and superficial character after all. As the so-called Ye Gong is a good dragon, how can he be compared with a talented literati who reads a lot of books and thinks quickly? No wonder Xiao Rang completely ignores this so-called "brotherhood".
Tracing back to the source, politeness is not the appearance
We are often easily deceived by Xiao Rang's polite face, ignoring the cunning and calm city government in him. In fact, a literati with Han ink in his hand does not necessarily have a pure heart. Let's trace the experience of this scholar.
According to reports, Xiao Rang was originally a down-and-out scholar, so poor that he had to make a living by begging on the streets. Perhaps it was the helpless oppression of life that made him gradually indulge in the rogue deeds on the rivers and lakes. Later, with his peerless calligraphy and martial arts, he even fornicated with the wife of a fellow practitioner at night.
After being discovered, he had to go to Liangshan and live a life of outlaw. Judging from this anecdote, Xiao Rang has always had a cunning and slippery city government in his bones. It's just that this polite appearance makes his city even more hidden.
Therefore, it is not surprising that after Xiao Rang defected to the traitorous minister Cai Jing. It's just that he's chosen a path that is more in his own interest.
In fact, life is not simply black and white. Xiao Rang's character is more like a three-dimensional, complex group portrait full of dark sides. He certainly has superb literary talent, but at the same time, he also has a heart that suffers from gains and losses.
We should not be harsh on him, but we should not cast gold on him. Because literati are not elegant and pure, and rivers and lakes are not vulgar. It is the various aspects of life that make up the diversity of this world.
Therefore, it is not difficult for us to understand why Xiao Rang deigned and endured for many years under Cai Jingmen. He was not a sanctimonious scholar, much less a moral idealist. He has his own past experiences and secrets, and he deserves the freedom to choose his own path.
And what kind of chance did this scholar gain under Cai Jingmen? Did he give full play to his literary talent? Or did he wallow among the traitors and villains, and how far did he degenerate? But what does it matter with all this? After all, it is still his personal free choice.
Human beings are born unknown, and everyone has their own different encounters and choices. Just like Xiao Rang, should he be labeled as a "moral label"?
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