Among the heroic stories widely circulated among the people, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen are undoubtedly the most prestigious figures. Their images of being brave and good at fighting and fighting with their arms soaring to the sky have touched many descendants.
However, when we carefully study the true status of these figures in the military system of the Song Dynasty through the thick dust of history, we find that their military ranks and status are very different from the legends we are familiar with. This difference not only gives us a new understanding of these heroic figures, but also provokes us to think about the fusion of historical facts and folklore.
Lin Chong: A military officer, not an officer
Lin Chong, known as the "Leopard Head", is described as a brave and combative hero in "Water Margin". But when we dig deeper into his position in the military system of the Song Dynasty, we find that he is not a legendary high-ranking officer, but just an ordinary military official.
The military training system of the Song Dynasty created a special position, the head of the sect, which was filled by soldiers with high martial skills. As the head of the forbidden army, Lin Chong was mainly responsible for training soldiers and improving the combat skills of the army. However, this position is not included in the regular officer ranking, and only belongs to the category of military officers.
Lin Chong's living conditions also reflected his position in the military hierarchy. Unlike high-ranking officers, he has no retinue and guards, and his life is no different from that of ordinary people, which is in stark contrast to the description in "Water Margin".
The only thing consistent with his status is that the attire he wears seems to match that of military attachés above the sixth rank, but this may be due to his special requirements for ceremonial services for members of the royal family on certain occasions.
Lin Chong's true military status was not as noble as folklore, he was just an ordinary military trainer, and did not reach the rank of a regular officer in the military system of the Song Dynasty. This shows that there is an irreconcilable gap between history and the shaping of folk heroes.
Lu Zhishen: How low is the military rank?
In "Water Margin", Lu Zhishen is known for his uninhibited character and extraordinary martial arts. But when we look at the historical records, we find that his rank and status may be far less prominent than the legend suggests.
Lu Zhishen was known as the "Weizhou Soldier and Horse Commander", a title that was not a fixed official position in the military system of the Song Dynasty. The term "tie-gover" usually refers to an official in charge of a particular function, rather than to a high-ranking military officer in particular. Judging from the details of Lu Zhishen's daily life, his social status and living conditions are very different from those of senior officers.
For example, Lu Zhishen needs to personally buy minced meat for Jinglufu, and this ordinary detail of life is incompatible with the image of heroes in people's minds. In addition, the scope of his activities and social circle in Weizhou also revealed his actual status.
Lu Zhishen's life did not revolve entirely around military activities, but more with ordinary people, which also indicates that he did not occupy an important decision-making or command position in the military.
In addition, the story of Lu Zhishen and Zheng Tu further confirms that his status is not high. Under the strict bureaucratic hierarchy of the Song Dynasty, if Lu Zhishen was really a high-ranking officer, it would be impossible for Zheng Tu to ravage him so much without fear of consequences. It can be seen that Lu Zhishen's military rank may not be worthy of people's attention at that time.
Through a careful analysis of Lu Zhishen's military rank and life details, we conclude that he is not a high-ranking officer as described in "Water Margin", but more like a hero with extensive influence among the people, and his military status may not be high.
From heroes to "ordinary people": the gap between history and legend
The heroes of Liangshan were all endowed with extraordinary military ranks and status in folklore, but through an in-depth discussion of Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, we found that the real military status and historical records of these heroes were very different.
From the "leopard head" officer to the "forbidden army leader", from the "Weizhou Terrach" to the unknown how low the military rank is, these differences can't help but make us question the traditional image of these heroes.
On the one hand, this gap stems from the idealization and beautification of heroes by the people, and people yearn for heroes to appear, leading them to resist oppression and seek justice, so they are endowed with supreme glory; On the other hand, it also reflects the essential difference between historical records and folklore, with the former focusing more on facts and details, while the latter focuses more on the attractiveness and educational significance of the plot.
The eternal value of the heroic spirit
Although the rank and status of the heroes of Yangsan are very different from folklore, this does not hide their value as heroes. In fact, when we are freed from the shackles of rank and status, we can see the more precious spiritual qualities embodied in these heroes.
It is precisely because of their righteousness and bravery, as well as their unremitting pursuit of justice, that these heroes are still widely revered and remembered by people after thousands of years. Regardless of their rank and status, the spiritual values they represent are the most important and enduring ones.
In the real society, we are often too obsessed with official positions and status, ignoring the deeper personality charm and value pursuit. Through the re-examination of the real military ranks of the heroes of Liangshan, we not only see the misalignment between history and legend, but also discover the eternal significance of the heroic spirit that transcends time and space.
This shift in consciousness also makes us realize that the value of heroes lies not only in their achievements, but also in the ideals and beliefs they live by. As many heroes have shown, even if their status is ordinary, as long as they have a sense of justice, righteousness and courage, they are enough to become a generation of heroes.
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