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——【Foreword·】 ——»
In the classic work of ancient Chinese literature "Water Margin", one hundred and eight heroes of Liangshan are like bright stars, all heroic and heroic, and their unique nicknames are unforgettable. However, in this seemingly swordsmanlike land of swords and heroes, there are several ironic characters hidden - they are those "kings" and "stars" who bluff people on the outside, but in fact they are "reckless heroes" in vain. What is the disparity between the deterrent power in these names and the real combat power? Next, let's lift the veil and reveal the four hilarious "silver pewter heads".
——【·Tiger General Li Zhong】——»
In the heroic epic of Liangshan in "Water Margin", there are many legendary stories about the conquest of fierce beasts. When it comes to the hero of fighting tigers, Wu Song came to the waves and suppressed a fierce white-fronted tiger on Jingyanggang with his bare hands, thus earning him the nickname "Walker" and becoming famous. Another fierce general, Li Kui, killed four tigers in one breath on Yiling Mountain, which can be called the creator of the personal tiger killing record among the heroes of Liangshan, known as the "Black Whirlwind".
Interestingly, these two heroes of martial prowess did not use Fighting Tiger as their nickname. On the contrary, a man named Li Zhong, although he had never conquered a tiger himself, was given the nickname "Tiger General". On closer inspection, this Li Zhong doesn't seem to be a real martial arts master.
Originally described in the book, Li Zhong was dressed in a filial piety robe made of burlap, with a white cloth scarf on his head and a hemp rope tied around his waist, which looked particularly simple and sad. Behind him, more than a dozen bamboo poles with various herbs and plasters hung on them, swaying gently in the wind, as if to show passers-by their healing powers. Between the bamboo poles, there are also several paper signs, which contain instructions for treating various ailments and Li Zhong's own secret recipe. The signs are neatly written, apparently well designed, enough to catch the eye of passers-by.
Li Zhong himself sat on a cloth stall with rows of small wooden boxes filled with various herbs and plasters. From time to time, he stood up and waved the long pole in his hand to demonstrate to the crowd how to use the herbs for first aid. His movements are vigorous and powerful, sometimes jumping, sometimes rolling, showing the demeanor of a martial artist. Although his performances are eye-catching, it is not difficult to see that his martial arts skills are not deep, and he relies more on hard performances to attract customers.
In fact, Li Zhong once taught some basic martial arts techniques in Huayin County, including fist techniques, leg techniques, and the use of sticks. Shi Jin admired the teacher's skills, but as time passed, Shi Jin gradually discovered that although the martial arts taught by Li Zhong looked gorgeous when performed, they were difficult to exert their true power in actual combat. Later, when Wang Jin in Tokyo commented on Shi Jin's martial arts, he directly pointed out that Shi Jin's fists and feet were just flower fists and embroidered legs, which had no practical use. This evaluation undoubtedly reflects the essence of Li Zhong's kung fu: it looks gorgeous on the outside, but it is actually unreliable.
Therefore, although Li Zhong made a living by selling his art in the rivers and lakes and won a certain reputation, his martial arts level was not recognized by real masters. His kung fu, like his signature, is only a superficial decoration and lacks inner substance. Gorgeous, but not reliable.
Li Zhong's defeat of the little overlord Zhou Tong may be regarded as one of his few achievements. But when he met Hu Yanzhuo, the "Tiger General", he only supported more than ten rounds before retreating, revealing that his martial arts level was far inferior to that of other heroes in Liangshan. Later, Lu Zhishen and others joined the battle group, mocking Hu Yanzhuo for having just beaten Li Zhong away but being suppressed by himself, and ruthlessly exposing Li Zhong's mediocrity. Compared with real tiger-fighting experts such as Wu Song and Li Kui, Li Zhong's nickname of "Tiger Fighter" is really difficult to convince the public.
The image of this hero is actually quite comic. The writer Shi Nai'an cleverly arranged this inconspicuous character, perhaps to highlight the heroism and extraordinary martial arts of the heroes of Liangshan through comparison. Li Zhong's various qualities reflect the true heroic nature of other heroes. For the regret that this "Tiger General" does not live up to its name, we also sincerely regret that a nickname that should be full of glory is overshadowed by the limited ability of the protagonist.
——【Shenxing Taibao·】——»
In the ancient martial arts rivers and lakes, there is a mysterious and special title - "Taibao". This was once a fictitious title in the Western Zhou Dynasty, but it was later given a new connotation in the Tang Dynasty and became an honorific title for chivalrous and martial arts people. In countless martial arts stories and heroic legends, such characters have appeared. Some of them are brave and warlike generals, like Li Cunxiao in the famous "Thirteen Taibao", and some are witty strategists, such as Liu Shijie, the "righteous Taibao" in "White Eyebrows". Among these many Taibao, Dai Zong in the Water Margin is undoubtedly a unique existence.
The name of "Shenxing Taibao", as its name suggests, originates from Dai Zong's mastery of a unique stunt "Shenxing Law". It is said that he can travel up to 800 miles in a day and 1,000 miles at night, which is indeed staggering. This miraculous skill made Dai Zong unmatched among the heroes of Liangshan, adding a mysterious temperament to him. However, apart from this miraculous skill, Dai Zong's skills in other aspects are not outstanding, and it is difficult to be classified as a martial or intellectual hero.
Recording the story of Dai Zong's only time of making a suggestion can show his lack of strategy. At that time, Song Jiang was arrested and imprisoned for writing anti-poems, and faced annihilation. Dai Zong, who learned the news, immediately went to prison to try to find a way for his comrades. His idea was really clumsy: let Song Jiang mess with his hair, splash and roll in the cell, make him filthy, and then pretend to be crazy and lose his mind, and deceive the guards and the county magistrate. Such a trick may be able to hide from the empty prefect of Cai Jiu, but it is really not clever enough, and in the end it was finally recognized by Huang Wenbing, Song Jiang not only ate a closed door, but also suffered a board in vain.
Dai Zong's performance in scouting is also not very good. When Liangshanbo attacked Zengtou City, Dai Zong was ordered to explore the way. Soon after he returned, he reported that Zengtou City had been defended in formation, and that there were Chinese military tents in Fahua Temple, and flags were planted all over a radius of 500 miles, and he did not know where to enter. From these words, I couldn't hear any useful information at all, and for the heroes of Liangshanbo, there was no way to start at all.
Although Dai Zong has a miraculous magic technique, but other than that, whether it is force or resourcefulness, there is really nothing outstanding about it. In Liang Shanbo's iron man group, he is just an agile herald and pioneer scout, and his contribution and role are very limited. However, Water Margin, as a highly inclusive folk art treasure, accepted such an ordinary person with an open mind and gave him a unique image of "Shenxing Taibao". Perhaps, it is to show the appreciation and tolerance of Liang Shanbo Group for all kinds of talents through the role of Dai Zong. This kind of broad inclusiveness is one of the unforgettable and unique charms of Water Margin.
——【·Sick Suo Yang Xiong·】——»
In the classic martial arts novels "Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the character of "Sick Guansuo" Yang Xiong appeared, which shows that he is indeed a person. In the Water Margin, Yang Xiong was praised for his strong martial arts and was listed as one of the 36 Tiangang of Liangshan, but in fact he was not worthy of the name and failed to show his due majesty.
Yang Xiong has a peculiar appearance and a pale yellow complexion, like a malnourished patient, which is quite appropriate for his nickname "Sick Rope". Once, he tried to deter Zhang Bao and other hooligans by force, but he was easily subdued by several gangsters, and if it wasn't for Shi Xiu's timely rescue, I am afraid that he would not be able to escape a beating. Lu Zhishen, who had a similar experience with Yang Xiong, was able to easily break free from the counterattack, and the difference in strength between the two was huge.
In the Water Margin, Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu can be described as inseparable brothers, and they have experienced many twists and turns and challenges together. Yang Xiongyuan was an executioner and prison warden in Jizhou, although his position was not high, but with his martial arts, he was also well-known in the local area. However, his martial arts are mediocre compared to the heroes of Liangshan, so in later stories, he gradually became Shi Xiu's foil.
Although Yang Xiong's profession was not noble, in order to make a living, he had to commit himself to the local wealthy Pei family and became a door-to-door son-in-law. Although this allowed him to make ends meet, it also made his position in the family quite awkward. His wife Pan Qiaoyun is beautiful and intelligent, but she has no true feelings for him, but has an affair with the monk Pei Ruhai behind his back. Although Yang Xiong was aware of this, he never dared to face the matter directly because of his cowardly personality, until his friend Shi Xiu appeared.
Shi Xiu is bold and righteous, and after learning what happened to Yang Xiong, he decided to help him solve this problem. After some investigation, Shi Xiu finally found evidence and persuaded Yang Xiong to take action. With Shi Xiu's encouragement, Yang Xiong finally mustered up the courage to catch Pan Qiaoyun and Pei Ruhai in bed. Yang Xiong, who was furious, lost his mind, he not only killed Pei Ruhai, but also brutally disemboweled Pan Qiaoyun to show the public. Although this act relieved his anger for a while, it also ruined his reputation, and he was finally forced to go to Liangshan.
Yang Xiong's life is full of tragedy, his career is humble, his marriage is unhappy, and he finally makes a big mistake because of a moment of anger. His tragic experience can be said to be self-inflicted step by step, which can be called self-inflicted.
Although he is among the Tiangang, it is really doubtful whether Yang Xiong's name of "sick pass" is true or false. He was busy with work and neglected to take care of his wife at home, so that Pan Qiaoyun had an affair and was betrayed. At that time, Qian told the truth, and Shi Xiu also tried his best to explain to Yang Xiong, but Yang Xiong was stubborn and insisted on driving Shi Xiu away, until the facts were revealed, and he knew that he was wrong.
In the battle of Fangla, Yang Xiong was reckless and impulsive, ignoring advice, resulting in unnecessary losses. It can be seen that he lacks leadership ability, and can only blindly follow and agree, which is really difficult to be regarded as a hero among the heroes of Liangshan. Despite this, Yang Xiong is still listed as one of Tiangang, which is really inconsistent, and can only be regarded as a straw bag.
——【Yum General Han Tao】——»
The famous general Han Tao, whose name is "General Baisheng", makes people expect that he will be a battle-hardened and invincible military general. However, the truth is a big surprise. In Song Jiang's "Water Margin", Han Tao has been defeated repeatedly, which is in stark contrast to his unruly nickname.
In his first appearance, Gao Yu was convinced of Han Tao's title, and sent him as a pioneer with great expectations, believing that with this "Yum General" in front of him, he would be able to successfully exterminate the heroes of Liangshan. But who would have thought that all this was just a big oolong. In the first battle with Qin Ming, Han Tao was defeated in just twenty rounds, shattering all of Gao Yu's illusions about him in an instant.
In this way, the infamous Han Tao was doomed to his tragic fate. In the second battle, he was captured by the heroes of Liangshan, and he was even unable to support more than ten rounds when he faced Zhang Qing. One defeat after another made this pretentious "Yum General" embarrassed and degenerated into a complete "big straw bag" in the book.
In fact, Han Tao once exalted his prestige in martial arts, and when he was reappointed by the imperial court as a group trainer, his martial arts are obvious to all. However, he was born in the years of heroes, and his martial arts are dwarfed by countless top warriors. In front of top masters like Qin Ming and Zhang Qing, he can only end up in defeat and retreat.
The title of "Yum General" comes from his past deeds of victory in martial arts, but on the stage of "Water Margin", this nickname is already quite ironic. The editor Shi Nai'an was particularly harsh on him, and arranged for him to play against masters whose combat power far exceeded his own, resulting in him not winning a game in the end. Although Han Tao did have martial arts, he never had the opportunity to use his skills in this turbulent era, and finally only tasted it in the book as an insignificant minor character.
The transformation from the unruly "Yum General" to the insignificant "big straw bag" shows that the hero's fame is not based on a resounding title alone. In order to stand out from the encirclement in an era of heroes, real strength is the key to victory. The contradictory dual image of Han Tao not only arouses our deep thinking about the character creation of "Water Margin", but also inspires us to be cautious about the vanity of vanity and vanity, and to cherish our inner talents and skills more.
Although Han Tao was eventually defeated in a hundred battles, he is still an unforgettable legend who witnessed the turbulent era of heroes. His ordeal reflects the high complexity of the historical figure, showing us the heroic tragedy of ill-fated but always conceited. After ups and downs, although he did not become the most outstanding general, he has become an immortal literary classic.
——【·Conclusion·】——»
When reading "Water Margin", it is not difficult for us to find that the names of the heroes of Liangshan are extremely loud, but their actual abilities often do not match their reputations. This makes us wonder: in real life, are we often deceived by appearances? Should we focus more on the essence of things than on the superficial?
In this era of information explosion, people tend to be attracted to various labels and titles, and ignore the real content behind them. Just like the heroes of Liangshan, some people may only be imaginary, but their real strength and wisdom are not satisfactory. Therefore, we should learn to see the essence through the phenomenon, not to be confused by the superficial magnificence, but to discover those things that are truly valuable and meaningful.
At the same time, we must also understand that the depiction in the novel is not reality, it is just an artistic device to shape the characters and highlight the theme ideas. We can't make judgments about the characters in reality because of the descriptions in the novel, but we have to understand and experience them ourselves in order to draw more accurate conclusions.
Finally, we can't help but ask: how can we not be deceived by appearances in this complex world, but also gain insight into the truth of things? This is a question worth pondering, and it is also a controversial topic. So, what do you think should be done?