Preface
In the troubled times of war, heroes have emerged. In that turbulent era, who could really sit on the unattainable dragon chair? Everything depends on personal wisdom and courage.
Although Liu Bei has a humble background, he has an outstanding eyesight. He not only discovered fierce generals such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, but also fell in love with the young Zhuge Liang at a glance.
And under his command, there is also an unknown veteran, who finally shines at a critical moment and becomes a leader in the Shu Han army. So, who is this that makes Guan Yu jealous and makes Zhang Fei regard him as an enemy?
Huang Zhong's early life
Huang Zhong came from a humble background, his family was poor, and he had to work hard to survive since he was a child. He never received formal military training, but relied on his innate courage and tenacious and unyielding character to fight his way through the military career step by step.
When he was young, Huang Zhong was just an ordinary soldier, stationed in Youxian County with Liu Biao's nephew Liu Pan, responsible for guarding this strategic location. Youxian and Sun Ce's spheres of influence were only one step away, and the two sides clashed from time to time. Although Huang Zhong was defeated repeatedly, he was never discouraged, but in these baptisms of war, he gradually exercised extraordinary courage and tactical literacy.
Whenever the enemy attacked, Huang Zhong always charged forward and personally took the lead in a bloody battle with the enemy. Sometimes, he will make a move on the spur of the moment and use some unexpected tactics to inflict heavy blows on the enemy. Although he was ultimately outnumbered by Tai Shici's superiority in strength, Huang Zhong had already established his reputation in these battles.
Meritorious service in Shu was awarded the title of "General of Capture"
In 211 AD, Liu Bei borrowed the Tao to enter Shu, and Huang Zhong was among his entourage. Along the way, Huang Zhong was always vigilant and cautious, for fear of any mistakes. He knew very well that this road was full of dangers, and once there was a mistake, the entire great cause of Shu Han would be in vain.
After entering Yizhou, Huang Zhong was still conscientious, trained his subordinates hard, and was always ready to compete with Liu Zhang. Two years later, Liu Bei's long-planned plan to seize Yizhou was discovered, and he was forced to cancel his disguise and directly send troops to attack Liu Zhang.
In this decisive battle, Huang Zhong served as the general of the vanguard army, personally charging forward, taking the lead and being invincible. Whenever he encountered danger, Huang Zhong would make a decision on the spot and adopt the most exquisite tactics. Sometimes it is a sound attack from the east to the west, sometimes it is a secret crossing of Chencang, and sometimes it is a feint and a real attack, and there are many means to make the enemy unable to defend against it.
With extraordinary courage and decisive command, Huang Zhong was invincible all the way, and finally conquered Chengdu, winning the land of Bashu for Liu Bei. Liu Bei praised Huang Zhong's performance and personally named him the "general of the captivity".
Battle of Dingjun Mountain Kill the famous general Cao Wei
If Huang Zhong said that the most shining moment in his life, it must be in the Battle of Dingjun Mountain. In 215, Cao Cao personally conquered Hanzhong, and Liu Bei decided to take the initiative in order to prevent trouble. However, after half a year of offensive, the Shu army was still unable to break through Yangping Pass, and the offensive fell into a stalemate.
At this critical juncture, Huang Zhong and others discovered a detour route that could enter Hanzhong from the south. They immediately reported to Liu Bei and formulated a detailed battle plan. Soon, the Shu army camped at the foot of Dingjun Mountain, preparing to break through the encirclement along this route.
In order to stop them from advancing, Xiahou Yuan, the commander-in-chief of Cao Wei's Western Front, personally led his army to come. Fa Zheng formulated the tactic of "striking the east and attacking the west", and Huang Zhong led a secret army to ambush halfway up Dingjun Mountain. Sure enough, Xiahou Yuan was fooled and came with the guards to repair the burned antlers, but he never thought that Huang Zhong's troops were watching in the dark.
At this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Huang Zhong suddenly attacked, and the men and horses attacked the Wei army like a storm. Although Xiahou Yuan had experienced a hundred battles, he was powerless in the face of Huang Zhong's sudden attack. In the end, he fought to the death in front of the battle, which brought a huge impact to Cao Wei's command system on the Western Front.
Xiahou Yuan's death was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Cao Wei. He was not only Cao Cao's confidant, but also the commander-in-chief of the Western Theater, and his death was equivalent to cutting off Cao Wei's command system in the west. Liu Bei praised Huang Zhong's exploits and personally canonized him as the "General of the Expedition to the West".
Zhang Fei's resentment stems from a relationship
This feat of Huang Zhong deserves to be cheered and praised by the whole army. However, there is one person who has a grudge against him, and that is Zhang Fei. The reason is actually very simple, because Xiahou Yuan is Zhang Fei's "father-in-law".
This starts with the fifth year of Jian'an. At that time, Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao and was homeless, so he could only seek refuge in Yuan Shao for a chance to survive. While on a guerrilla mission, Zhang Fei came across a girl who was only thirteen or fourteen years old and was working in the fields.
At that time, Zhang Fei was already a famous general, majestic, and when he saw this girl, he immediately felt pity. The girl is beautiful and slender, and she is in the prime of her life, but she works hard in this environment, and her fate is too tragic. So, without hesitation, Zhang Fei took her away and married her as a wife.
This girl is Xiahou Yuan's niece, and she has been regarded by Xiahou Yuan as her own since she was a child, and Xiahou Yuan loves her like her own daughter. Xiahou Yuan's family was poor, but he still gave up his biological son just to be able to raise this niece better.
Zhang Fei never discriminated against or hurt Mrs. Xiahou, but Huang Zhong killed her "father" Xiahou Yuan, and Zhang Fei naturally resented Huang Zhong. However, for the sake of Shu Han's overall interests, Zhang Fei could only hide this resentment deep in his heart.
epilogue
History is like a mirror, reflecting the figure of heroes. Although Huang Zhong came from an ordinary background, he stepped forward at a critical moment and won the important strategic place of Hanzhong for Shu Han. His life is the best footnote to Liu Bei's eyesight.
And Zhang Fei's resentment towards Huang Zhong also reflects the cruelty of the war from the side, as well as people's attention and cherishment of family affection. Although the heroes all have unique skills, they are also flesh and blood, with seven emotions and six desires. War is cruel, but the brilliance of humanity always shines through it.
Just like Huang Zhong and Zhang Fei, they fought for their ideals, but they never forgot their own human nature. This embodiment of human nature makes their heroic images more vivid and three-dimensional, more amiable and respectable.
We should remember history and cherish the memory of our ancestors, but we should also draw strength and wisdom from it, cherish the present peaceful time, and pursue the ideals and values of life. Only in this way can we truly inherit and carry forward the legacy of our ancestors and become heroes of the new era.