Everyone knows the mighty and brave heroes in the Water Margin, but they don't know that there is a puzzling battle hidden in it. The battle took place during the conquest of Fang La by the heroes of Liangshan, and both sides of the war were highly skilled in martial arts. One side is Guan Sheng, who made the Glaive Knife, and the other side is Shi Bao, the general under Fang La. The two fought for twenty rounds, and seeing that the victory and defeat had been divided, Shi Bao fled in a hurry. It stands to reason that Guan Sheng should take advantage of the victory to pursue, but he stopped and said something incomprehensible.
What's so strange about this battle? Why is Guan Sheng reluctant to admit his victory? What kind of mystery is hidden in Shi Bao's escape? Let's unveil this strange battle and explore the historical truth and human wisdom in it.
Speaking of the battle scenes in the Water Margin, it can be described as wonderful and exciting. The heroes of Liangshan are all equipped with unique skills, and every time there is a war, there is always a dragon fight. One of the most common is the thrilling heads-up scene.
If you want to talk about the heads-up in the Water Margin, I have to mention the scene in the "Three Dozen Zhujiazhuang". I saw Lin Chong holding a spear and fighting against Zhu Biao in Zhujiazhuang. The two of you went back and forth, fighting for more than 30 times, and finally Lin Chong was superior in skills and stabbed Zhu Biao in the left arm with a shot. This scene can be described as meticulously depicted, revealing the subtlety of Lin Chong's marksmanship.
Besides, the scene of Lu Zhishen making trouble in the wild boar forest is even more amazing. Lu Zhishen fought dozens of minions alone, his fists and feet were added, and the sticks flew together, so that he killed those gangsters and didn't dare to come close. This description not only highlights Lu Zhishen's bravery, but also lays the groundwork for his future legends.
When it comes to the martial arts characteristics of the heroes of Liangshan, it can be said that they have their own merits. Wu Song's fist and foot kung fu, Li Kui's plate axe, Dai Zong's galloping, and Lu Junyi's marksmanship are all at the peak. These unique martial arts are not only the foundation of their foothold on the battlefield, but also an important element in shaping their heroic image.
However, the battlefield rules in Water Margin are different from ordinary rivers and lakes. Although the heroes of Liangshan are reckless heroes, they also pay attention to the morality of the rivers and lakes. For example, the story of "Three Lets of the High" is an example. Song Jiang could obviously take Gao Yu in one fell swoop, but he let him go again and again, which not only showed Song Jiang's benevolence and righteousness, but also reflected the unique battlefield principles of Liangshan heroes.
Another example is the duel between Hua Rong and Deng Fei in the battle against Tian Hu. The two were originally hostile, but because Deng Fei was unwilling to kill each other after discovering Hua Rong's identity, they finally returned to Liangshan. This scene not only reflects the theme of "walking for the sky" in the Water Margin, but also shows the unique rules of Liangshan heroes on the battlefield.
It is worth mentioning that the battle scenes in the Water Margin are often not only a competition of martial arts, but also a contest of wisdom. For example, Zhi Duoxing Wu used to use stratagems to break the enemy, so that the Liangshan army won in a disadvantage. This kind of depiction of wisdom and courage makes the battle scenes in the Water Margin more colorful.
Not to mention the battle of Zhengfangla, it is the culmination of the battle scenes in the Water Margin. The duel between the heroes of Liangshan and the army of Fang La not only had a thrilling heads-up, but also a large-scale army confrontation. Among them, the duel between Guan Sheng and Shi Bao is even more incomprehensible.
It is said that on that day, Guan Sheng led the army to fight and met Shi Bao, the general of Shangla. The two of them showed their weapons, and you went back and forth, fighting for more than 20 times. Seeing that Guan Sheng had the upper hand, Shi Bao suddenly turned his horse and fled. It stands to reason that Guan Sheng should take advantage of the victory to pursue, but he didn't want him to stop him, and he said something incomprehensible. The strangeness of this battle is really curious.
Speaking of Guan Sheng and Shi Bao, they can be said to be two important characters in the Water Margin, one is an important general among the heroes of Liangshan, and the other is a capable general under Fang La. Their duel is not only a contest of individual martial arts, but also a reflection of the strength of the two armies.
Let's talk about Guan Sheng first, this person is the descendant of Guan Yu, and is known as "Guan Sheng of the Big Knife". His weapon was a Qinglong Yanyue Knife weighing eighty-two catties, which was Guan Yu's famous weapon. Guan Sheng not only inherited the martial arts of his ancestors, but also had his own unique sword skills. He ranked fifth among the heroes of Liangshan, which shows his high status.
Guan Sheng's joining Liangshan is also a legendary story. At the beginning, Song Jiang and others attacked Zhujiazhuang, and it was Guan Sheng's help that allowed them to break through Dazhai. Afterwards, Song Jiang treated each other with sincerity, and Guan Sheng was moved by his righteousness, so he joined Liangshan. Since then, Guan Sheng has become the main general of Liangshan, and has made great achievements in the battles against Tian Hu and Wang Qing.
Guan Sheng's martial arts are strong, and when he was fighting against Tian Hu, he fought with Tian Hu's general Deng Fei for 30 rounds, and finally captured Deng Fei alive. This battle not only showed Guan Sheng's martial arts, but also won prestige for the Liangshan army. In the battle of Zhengfangla, Guan Sheng served as the vanguard, which shows Song Jiang's trust in him.
Speaking of Shi Bao, this person is one of the four generalissimos under Fang La. Shi Bao's weapons are quite special, wielding a meteor hammer in one hand and a cloak knife in the other, a unique combination of weapons that makes him extremely dangerous on the battlefield. The Meteor Hammer can attack from a distance, while the Cloak Knife is suitable for hand-to-hand combat, which allows Stone Treasure to have great flexibility in combat.
Shi Bao's origin was not explained in detail in the Water Margin, but it can be seen from his ability to be one of the four generalissimos of Fangla, this person must be outstanding. During the Fangla Uprising, Shi Bao led the army to attack Jiankang and defeated the imperial army, which shows that his military talent is good.
Shi Bao is not only strong in martial arts, but also good at using tricks. In the confrontation with the Liangshan army, he repeatedly used tactics such as luring the enemy into depth, setting up ambushes and raids, causing a lot of trouble to the Liangshan army. This kind of civil and military characteristics made Shi Bao an indispensable and important figure in the Fang La army.
In the campaign against Fangla, Guan Sheng and Shi Bao each played an important role. Guan Sheng, as the vanguard of the Liangshan army, shouldered the heavy task of attacking the city. As Fang La's general, Shi Bao was responsible for defending the city and blocking the attack of the Liangshan army.
The duel between the two can be said to be the epitome of the entire battle against Fangla. Guan Sheng represents the righteous army, while Shi Bao symbolizes the rebels. This duel is not only about personal honor and disgrace, but also about the direction of the entire battle situation.
It is worth mentioning that the duel between Guan Sheng and Shi Bao is not an isolated incident. In the whole process of conquering Fangla, the heroes of Liangshan had many confrontations with the Fangla army. For example, the battle between Li Kui and Fang La's Kou Kai and Kou Mei brothers, and the duel between Lin Chong and Pang Wanchun, one of the four generalissimos of Fang La, these battles together constitute a grand narrative of the conquest of Fang La.
This duel between Guan Sheng and Shi Bao occurred when the Liangshan army attacked Muzhou. At that time, Guan Sheng led the army in front of him, and he met Shi Bao leading his troops out of the city. In front of the two armies, the two generals showed their weapons and launched a fierce confrontation. The outcome of this battle is not only related to the personal honor and disgrace of the two, but also affects the trend of the entire battle.
It is said that the Liangshan army conquered Fang La and came to the city of Muzhou. It was early autumn and the sky was crisp, making it a good time to use soldiers. The Liangshan army lined up outside the city, waving flags and swords and guns. Song Jiang ordered the siege of the city, and Guan Sheng, as the vanguard, led an elite army to charge the city gate.
At this moment, the gates of the city opened, and a group of men and horses poured out like a tide. The first general, holding a meteor hammer and carrying a cloak knife at his waist, is Shi Bao, the general under Fang La. Shi Bao took the lead and went straight to Guan Sheng. In front of the two armies, the two generals showed their weapons, and a fierce confrontation began.
Guan Sheng danced the Green Dragon Glaive Knife, and the sword light flickered, like a green dragon soaring in the air. Shi Bao is dancing the meteor hammer in one hand and holding a cloak knife in the other, both offensive and defensive. The two of you come and go, and the fight is inseparable.
At first, Guan Sheng relied on the length advantage of the Qinglong Glaive to force Shi Bao back several times. But Shi Bao is not an idle person, he flexibly used the characteristics of the meteor hammer, and almost hit Zhongguan to win several times. The two of you attacked and defended, and fought for a full twenty rounds, but they were evenly matched.
In the twenty-first round, Guan Sheng seized the opportunity and swept thousands of troops with one blow, directly taking Shi Bao's throat. Although Shi Bao dodged in time, he was still cut by the blade. Seeing that Guan Sheng had the upper hand, who knew that Shi Bao suddenly turned his horse around and wanted to flee back to the city.
It stands to reason that Guan Sheng should take advantage of the victory to pursue at this time, but he stopped his horse and shouted loudly: "General Shi, go slowly, Guan did not win!" This scene is really incomprehensible, obviously the winner has been decided, but the winner says that he did not win.
The strangeness of this battle lies not only in Guan Sheng's abnormal performance, but also in Shi Bao's sudden escape. You must know that Shi Bao, as Fang La's right-hand man, has always been known for his bravery, how could he suddenly run away in the middle of the battle? There must be something strange in this.
To study the reasons for this, we may start with the battlefield situation. At that time, the Liangshan army was attacking the city, and Shi Bao led the army out of the city to meet the battle, originally to block the attack of the Liangshan army. But after twenty rounds of fighting Guan Sheng, there may have been a new change in the city, and Shi Bao needs to return to help quickly.
In addition, Shi Bao's weapon combination is also noteworthy. He wields a meteor hammer in one hand and a cape knife in the other, a unique combination of weapons that allows him to be extremely flexible in combat. Perhaps in the confrontation with Guan Sheng, Shi Bao found some kind of tactic that could be used, and he needed to temporarily retreat in order to plan for the future.
And Guan Sheng's reaction is even more intriguing. As an experienced general, Guan Sheng clearly sensed the deep meaning behind Shi Bao's actions. Not only did he not pursue, but instead claimed that he had not won, perhaps out of some kind of tacit understanding on the battlefield, or it may be to test Shi Bao's true intentions.
Although this battle is only a small episode in the process of conquering Fang La, it fully demonstrates the complexity of the battle scene in the Water Margin. It is not only a contest of martial arts, but also a game of wisdom. Every action and every sentence of Guan Sheng and Shi Bao may hide a mystery.
It is worth mentioning that the outcome of this battle did not directly affect the entire situation. The Liangshan army continued to attack the city, while the Fangla army was also putting up a stubborn resistance. But this strange battle laid the groundwork for subsequent development. It not only shows the superb martial arts of the generals on both sides, but also reflects their battlefield wisdom, and adds a mystery to the whole story of the conquest of Fang La.
Although this peculiar battle was not won or lost, it caused quite a stir among the Liangshan army and the Fangla army. Guan Sheng returned to the camp and reported the battle to Song Jiang in detail. After hearing this, Song Jiang couldn't help frowning and pondering. As a seasoned leader, Song Jiang realized that there might be a deeper mystery behind the battle.
Song Jiang immediately convened the generals to discuss. Wu Yong analyzed that Shi Bao's sudden retreat may have been due to an accident in Fang La's army. Gongsun Sheng believed that this might be a trick of the enemy army, intended to paralyze our army. Lin Chong proposed that no matter what the enemy's intentions were, our army should seize this opportunity and step up the siege of the city.
After some discussion, Song Jiang finally decided to divide his troops into two routes: one way to continue the siege, led by Guan Sheng, Lin Chong and others; The other way was led by Wu Yong and Gongsun Sheng, secretly observing the enemy's situation and preventing the plot. This decision not only maintains the momentum of the offense, but also increases the defense, which can be said to take into account the advance and retreat.
At the same time, there was no peace in the Fang La army. After Shi Bao returned to the city, he immediately reported to Fang La about the battle with Guan Sheng. Fang La listened and summoned the generals to discuss countermeasures. Some generals believed that Guan Sheng's failure to pursue showed that the Liangshan army had exhausted its strength and should take the opportunity to go out of the city to counterattack. Some generals also suggested that this might be a trick by the Liangshan army to lure the enemy, and our army should not act rashly.
After heated discussions, Fang La finally decided to adopt a strategy of focusing on the defensive and supplementing the offensive. On the one hand, the city defense was strengthened, and on the other hand, scouts were sent to pay close attention to the movements of the Yangsan army. This decision not only ensured the safety of the city, but also left room for a possible counterattack.
Although the outcome of this battle did not directly change the situation of the battle, it invisibly affected the strategic deployment of both sides. The Liangshan army originally planned to capture Muzhou in one go, but now it had to divide its forces to defend itself, which weakened the siege to a certain extent. The Fang La army originally planned to defend the city, but now they began to consider the possibility of counterattacking, which undoubtedly increased the variables of the war.
More importantly, the battle has changed the perception of each other. The Liangshan army originally thought that the Fangla army was nothing more than a rabble, but now they found that the other side not only had brave generals, but also might have clever strategists. Fang La's army was originally afraid of the prestige of the heroes of Liangshan, but now they found that they were not invincible.
This change in perception has had a subtle impact on morale. In the Liangshan army, some soldiers began to doubt the difficulty of the siege; In the Fangla army, there were people who had increased confidence in resisting to the end. This change in morale, although subtle, can change the tide of battle at a critical moment.
In addition to this, the battle has triggered some changes within both sides. In the Yangsan army, Guan Sheng's prestige was boosted by this battle. His decision not to pursue Shi Bao was considered a wise move by most generals. This made Guan Sheng's position in the army more stable, and his opinions were paid more attention in subsequent battles.
In Fang La's army, Shi Bao's performance caused some controversy. Some people think that his retreat is a sign of cowardice and a sign of military prestige; Some people also think that he understands current affairs and knows how to preserve strength. Although this controversy did not become public, it sowed the seeds of discord in the army, which could affect the unity of the army in future battles.
It is worth noting that the battle also had an impact on the intelligence efforts of both sides. The Yangshan army began to pay more attention to the reconnaissance of the enemy army, not only sending more scouts, but also trying to buy the people in the city to find out the enemy's situation. The Fangla army strengthened the investigation of suspicious people in the city to prevent the Liangshan army from mixing in.
Although the peculiar battle between Guan Sheng and Shi Bao seemed to be just a small episode, it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples and having a profound impact on the development of the subsequent war.
First, the battle changed the strategic deployment of both sides. The Yangsan army originally planned to fight a quick battle and capture Muzhou in one go. However, after this battle, Song Jiang had to reconsider his strategy. He ordered to intensify reconnaissance and at the same time adjusted the pace of the offensive. The timetable for the capture of Muju in three days, which had been planned, was forced to be extended. Song Jiang sent Li Kui, Lu Zhishen and other fierce generals to attack the city in turn, intending to consume the enemy's strength, and at the same time testing the true strength of the enemy army.
Fang La's side took this opportunity to strengthen the city's defenses. Shi Bao proposed to add defensive facilities such as horses and rolling logs on the city wall, and dug a number of trenches in the city to prevent street fighting after the city was broken. These measures greatly increased the difficulty of the siege of the Yangshan army. At the same time, Fang La also sent small elite troops to go out of the city from time to time to harass the Liangshan army and interfere with its siege process.
Secondly, the battle triggered some changes within both sides. Among the Liangshan army, Guan Sheng's prestige increased greatly because of the wisdom and courage he showed in this battle. Song Jiang relied on him even more, and in the follow-up operations, he was entrusted with important tasks many times. In Fang La's army, although Shi Bao was criticized for retreating halfway, the defensive strategy he proposed was approved by Fang La, and his position was more stable.
The battle also affected morale on both sides. Some of the soldiers in the Yangsan army began to doubt the difficulty of the siege. In order to boost morale, Song Jiang held several military meetings, emphasizing the importance of the capture of Muzhou to the entire campaign to conquer Fangla. He also set up a reward system in the army to encourage soldiers to fight bravely against the enemy. Fangla's army was greatly confident because of the draw with the heroes of Liangshan in this battle, and its determination to defend the city was even stronger.
In terms of intelligence warfare, after this battle, both sides increased their intelligence gathering. The Liangshan army sent more scouts, and even tried to buy the people in the city to find out the enemy's situation. With his superb light skills, Shi Qian infiltrated Muzhou City many times and brought back important information. Fang La's side strengthened the investigation of suspicious people in the city, and also sent spies to infiltrate the Liangshan army in an attempt to obtain the enemy's battle plan.
As the war entered its second month, the situation began to change. After many days of onslaught, the Yangsan army finally opened a gap in the city wall. However, when the Liangshan soldiers rushed into the city, they found that there was an ambush already there. Shi Bao led an elite army, using the trenches and lanes dug in advance, and launched a fierce street battle with the Liangshan soldiers who entered the city.
The street fighting lasted three days and three nights. Although the soldiers of Liangshan were brave, it was difficult to give full play to their advantages in the complex urban terrain. Shi Bao made full use of the terrain advantages and waited for work, causing a lot of casualties to the Liangshan army. In the end, Song Jiang had to order to withdraw from the city and start the siege again.
Just when the morale of the Liangshan army was low, Gongsun Sheng brought an important piece of information: the food and grass in the Fangla army were about to run out. It turned out that in the previous many harassment battles, although the Liangshan army failed to capture the city, it successfully cut off the supply line of Muzhou City. If it continues to insist, Fang La's army will inevitably collapse due to lack of food.
Upon learning of this information, Song Jiang immediately adjusted his strategy. He ordered the army to suspend the assault and instead impose a complete blockade of the city of Muzhou. At the same time, he sent several small detachments, led by Li Kui, Lu Zhishen and others, to attack everywhere and completely cut off all possible supply routes for Fang La.
Fang La quickly realized the crisis. In order to break the predicament, he decided to make a desperate gamble, personally led the elite troops, and took advantage of the night to break through the city. However, this action was detected in advance by Shi Qian, and the Liangshan army had already prepared. Ten miles outside the city, a fierce encounter ensued.
The battle lasted a whole day and a night. Although Fang La's army was brave, it was trapped in the city for a long time and its physical strength was exhausted, and it was finally defeated by the well-trained Liangshan army. Fang La was captured in the melee, and most of the rest of the soldiers were killed or surrendered. At this point, the battle of Muzhou finally came to an end, and the Liangshan army won the final victory.