Has the "Qinglong Yanyue Sword" used by Guan Yu been unearthed?

The Qinglong Yanyue Sword, also known as the "Lengyan Saw". The sword is nine feet five inches long and weighs eighty-two pounds. The blade is inlaid with a pattern of a dragon swallowing the moon, hence its name. It is the weapon of Guan Yu in the novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Therefore, the Qinglong Yanyue Sword is also called "Guan Dao" or "Guan Wang Dao" for short. Is the Qinglong Yanyue Sword a reference weapon used by Guan Yu? According to historical research, the Qinglong Yanyue Sword used by Guan Yu, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms mentioned in novels and legends, did not exist at the time. The real Qinglong Yanyue Sword was a weapon that only appeared in the Tang Dynasty. The name of Guan Yu's Yanyue Sword was originally called "Moon-covering Sword", which was first seen in "Wu Jing Zong Yao Qian Ji·Qi Tu". The "Wu Jing Zong Yao" was written in the fourth year of Renzong Qingli in the early Northern Song Dynasty (AD 1044). It is China's first encyclopedia of military and weapons edited under the official leadership. The "Eight Colors of Knife" chapter in the book *** draws eight types of knife shapes used in the army at that time. Except for the hand knife, which is a short-handled weapon, the other seven colors are long-handled knives, including the "Moon Covering Knife". According to the diagram, the "Moon-covering Sword" has a broad and long blade, shaped like a half-moon, with a split blade on the back, a perforated blade with hanging hooks, a dragon-shaped spit at the connection between the blade and the handle, and a spear at the end of the long pole. Among the "Eight Colors of Swords", the "Qu Dao", "Fengzui Dao" and "Moon-covering Dao" are similar in form. Although there were subdivisions at that time, in later generations, the "Yanyue Dao" was generally referred to as this type of long handle with a back blade. Big knife. As a heavy weapon, the Yanyue Sword has great power in slashing. However, it is too bulky and expensive to make, so it is not popular on the battlefield. It is more used to show military power during martial arts, formations and drills, or as a tool for palace guards and palace guards. Ceremonial weapons even became props for martial arts tests of physical strength in the early Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, it has always been a question whether Guan Yu fought with a sword. "Three Kingdoms" said: "Gong Cao sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu as the vanguard. When Yu saw Liang's command, he spurred Liang into the crowd and beheaded him." Chen Shou's "stab" has caused many questions. If it was a knife, it should be "chopping" or "cutting". At the end of the Han Dynasty, although there were warriors on horseback who fought with swords, they all used a short weapon - the Huanshou sword. When fighting on the battlefield, the "Huanshou Dao", a single-edged, thick-backed short weapon specially used for chopping, has great structural advantages. During the Three Kingdoms period, the armies of various countries produced Huanshou swords in large quantities, and used steel production technologies such as steel frying, steel making, and quenching since the Han Dynasty. "Taiping Yulan Pu Yuan Biography" records that Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period ordered "Pu Yuan" to make a man-made knife. Pu Yuan started work in Xiegu. In order to make a good knife, he also specifically designated the use of water from the Shu River to quench the blade. The three thousand knives made are so sophisticated that they are called "magic knives". Liang Tao Hongjing of the Southern Dynasty described in "The Record of Swords" that Sun Quan made ten swords and ten thousand swords in the fifth year of Huangwu (226). From this, it can be seen that swords have become weapons for appreciation at this time, while swords are for Weapons for soldiers to fight in actual combat, so once they are made, they are counted in tens of thousands. If Guan Yu had a sword, it should be a short weapon like this. In the novel, the image of Guan Yu wielding a green dragon sword and riding a red rabbit horse is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. There are articles in the market that presume that his sword is completely fictitious. I am reposting it here for everyone to see. The author has also attached an original article to explain each of the arguments. A rebuttal. I hope you can compare and give me more advice. 1. Did Guan Yu use a sword? This has been discussed most for hundreds of years. It is estimated that many people can recite it: the weapon used by Guan Yu in history was not a sword, and naturally it was not the so-called Qinglong Yanyue Sword. Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms" does not mention what weapons Guan Yu used. There is only one record in "Three Kingdoms? Biography of Guan Yu": "Shao sent General Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan, the prefect of Dongjun, on Baima. Duke Cao sent Zhang Liao and Yu as the vanguard to attack him. When Yu saw Liang's subordinate Gai, he spurred Liang on his horse. Among the thousands of people, he beheaded him and returned it, but none of the generals could do it, so he broke the siege of Baima. "Through the word "stab", many people think that the weapons Guan Yu used were straight-piercing weapons such as spears and halberds. "Three Kingdoms: Biography of Guan Yu" does not record that Guan Yu killed Wen Chou]. Some experts have verified that "halberds were the most popular in the Han Dynasty, followed by spears." During the Three Kingdoms period, there was no long-handled broadsword like the Qinglong Yanyue Sword. This kind of Yanyue Sword appeared in the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was mainly used for training to demonstrate martial prowess and was not used in actual combat. Through experts' explanation of doubts, the theory of Guandao's fabrication can finally be confirmed. Not only that, based on expert research on the origin and development and use of weapons in various periods, in the novel Huang Zhong and Wei Yan's broadswords, Xu Huang's axe, Huang Gai's iron whip, Wu Anguo's iron hammer, and Lu Bu's Fangtian painted halberd They are all fictitious. Such research is beneficial to restoring the historical origins, and also allows enthusiasts to learn more about ancient weapons.

However, recently some authors have been unconventional and tried to work on the eighty-two kilogram weight of the Qinglong Yanyue Sword described in the novel. They are actually testing how much strength it takes to play the eighty-two kilograms Qinglong Yanyue Sword on a horse, trying to prove it. The fabrication of the Qinglong Yanyue Sword turned out to be a big joke. Some authors simply did not understand that the weight and scale of the Eastern Han Dynasty were different from those of modern times. One kilogram at that time was only equivalent to 222.72 grams today. Based on this calculation, the Qinglong Yanyue Sword also added up to the current 36 kilograms. These people have a good direction, but they have made two mistakes: first, they do not have enough knowledge and make random guesses; second, even if they have a result, whether it is for the study of the history of the Three Kingdoms, the study of historical figures, the study of novel art, and the study of novel characters Image research and author research are of no use. This unconventional approach is time-consuming and futile, so it is better not to do it. But this mistake doesn't just happen to ordinary people. In the 1980s, after my father attended a classical literature conference, he brought back a real joke: at the conference, an expert presented his own paper, and the main content was to prove that Cao Xueqin, the author of "Dream of Red Mansions", was a fat man! More than twenty years have passed, but the author still remembers my father’s expression when he told this story. Readers of this article may wish to consider the implications of this. two. How did the Qinglong Yanyue Sword evolve? Since it has been mentioned above that the Guan Sword is fictional, how did it appear in the novel step by step? The author checked the relevant information, but it was not comprehensive. According to the "Three Kingdoms? Biography of Guan Yu", Guan Yu used a spear or a halberd. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, this Guandao seemed to be a sword (the author has little information on this aspect, so I may have omitted it. If any netizen has detailed information, please enlighten me, thank you very much!). There is this sentence in the poem "Farewell to Friends at Zhuangmiaohou Temple" by Lang Junzhou of the Tang Dynasty: "The general is as beautiful as the sky, and his righteousness and bravery are the best in the past and present. His horse travels on hundreds of battlefields, and one sword kills ten thousand enemies." Huang Maocai of the Song Dynasty said in "Praise to the King of Wu'an" : "The spirit is overwhelming, brave and strong. Among all the people, the assassin is good." "Wuchengwang Temple Ceremony Praise" written by an unknown person in the Song Dynasty said: "The sword spirit reaches the clouds, and it is actually called the tiger minister. When the bravery adds to a country, the enemy is called ten thousand people." By the Yuan Dynasty, the idea of ??Guan Yu using a sword began to appear in different works. Hao Jing of the Yuan Dynasty said in "The Reconstruction of the Temple": "The leaping horse killed thousands of people, and Hou Yin gave him gold to return the title. Hengdao worshiped the book to Cao Gong, which has been a noble scholar through the ages." Later, in Yuan dramas, Guan Yu also used a knife. In "Three Kingdoms Zhipinghua", which is recognized as the most important reference work for the completion of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Guan Yu also used a sword to participate in the "Three Heroes Battle against Lu Bu": "On the third day, Lu Bu challenged Lu Bu to fight again, and all the princes came out of the stronghold to confront Lu Bu. Zhang Fei came out with a spear. Zhang Fei fought with Lu Bu for twenty times. Guan Gong was angry and used his horse and sword to fight against Lu Bu. Defeated, he headed northwest to Hulao Pass." From the analysis of these data, the weapons used by Guan Yu ranged from spears (halberds) to swords, and finally the sword was officially finalized. It is unclear whether the theory of the Qinglong Yanyue Sword was originated in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", but through "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the Qinglong Yanyue Sword and Guan Yu have become one and inseparable. What is the use of this calculation? Everyone knows that there have been a lot of debates about the year when "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was written, and there are four views: the Song Dynasty or even before; the mid-Yuan Dynasty theory; the early Ming Dynasty theory; and the mid-Ming Dynasty theory. If the above calculations about Guandao are correct, it may be of some help in helping to resolve the debate on the year when "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was written. Why? Please see the next section. three. How did the Qinglong Yanyue Sword in the Guan Temple come from? As mentioned earlier, from the available data, it took a long time for the emergence and finalization of the theory of the Qinglong Yanyue Sword. Seeing this, we may have another guess: If the theory of Qinglong Yanyue Sword is not finalized, what will be the most affected? "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"? No, it's Guandi Temple. As we all know, in the thousands of years after Guan Yu's death, as the general public remembered Guan Yu as a "loyalty throughout the ages" and the political needs of rulers in the past, it became a trend to build temples for Guan Yu. Guandi temples are basically all over the country. . Just imagine: If the theory of the Qinglong Yanyue Sword had not been finalized, then there would be no Qinglong Yanyue Sword next to the statue of Guan Yu in the Guandi Temple. It is unlikely that the craftsmen who built the Guandi Temple would add a knife to Saint Guan for no reason because of their own whims, and they would also need to get the response of all the Guandi Temples to spread it all over the country and become Guan Yu's Special products. In order to get responses from all Guandi temples, we might as well make three assumptions: one is designated by the ruler, the other is folklore, and the third is literary works.

The first possibility does not exist; the second possibility is very small. Chinese folklore is numerous and messy, not widely circulated, and lacks unity, so it is unlikely to have such a great influence. The third type of literary work is most likely. Judging from the above analysis, poetry, Sanqu and Yuan dramas are not so influential, and there is no unified description of the weapons used by Guan Yu in these works, so the only possibility left is a great literary work Appear. This great literary work can only be "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and only the literary masterpiece "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" can achieve this. With the popularity of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the Qinglong Yanyue Sword was finalized and accepted by people, and the Qinglong Yanyue Sword appeared in Guandi Temple. This way it will be easier to handle. A general survey of Guandi temples across the country can be conducted, and local chronicles and related poems can be used. 4. Why is it a sword and not another weapon? Since the Qinglong Yanyue Sword is fictional, it will bring up another association: Why is it a Qinglong Yanyue Sword and not other weapons? A rough analysis can be made from "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms": First of all, the author has designed many wonderful plots around the Qinglong Yanyue Sword: the sword picks up a brocade robe, goes to a meeting alone, loses the sword and seizes the sword. When did the Qinglong Yanyue Sword appear in the novel? Longer than Guan Yu; secondly, as Mr. Qiu Zhensheng said: "In Chinese classical literature and art, the things in the hands of characters are very important. Don't look at it as a sword or a gun, they often become a distinctive symbol of the character's personality? This kind of harmony and harmony The traditional technique of harmonious unity of objects was gradually explored by outstanding writers and artists in ancient my country during long-term artistic practice, and it still has reference significance today.” (The reason why I want to talk about this small topic is that one day someone will come up with it. Writing a strange article such as "Why Guan Yu didn't use a mace" would be more terrifying than arguing that Cao Xueqin was a fat man.) Whether Guan Yu used a sword to fight has always been a question. "Three Kingdoms" said: "Mr. Cao envoys Zhang Liao and Guan Yu." As the vanguard, Yu saw Liang's subordinate Gai, spurred Liang into the crowd, and beheaded him. "Chen Shou's "stab" made people have many questions. If it was a knife, it should be "chopping" or "cutting". ” and other statements. 2. On Guan Yu’s strength using swords 1. To stab Yan Liang Some people think that Guan Yu used spears and other weapons. But in my opinion 1. Knives can also be used to stab. 2. Guan Yu is fast and Yan Liang was caught off guard, so he called him stab. There was no Qinglong Yanyue Sword at that time. , Guan Yu may have used a spear or halberd, and then wore a ring-headed sword or a horse-cutting sword. 2. As a general, he has strange weapons. He is not good at martial arts. He has personal habits when choosing weapons. These strong generals have been practicing martial arts since childhood, which is different from ordinary soldiers. 3. It is possible that Guan Yu used a spear or halberd to stab Yan Liang off guard, and then used a ring-shou knife or The horse-killing sword beheaded Yan Liang.

Regarding the weight of the broadsword, "The Biography of Guan Yu" does not mention it, but circumstantial evidence can be obtained from the "Biography of Dian Wei". "Wei Hao holds a pair of large halberds and a long sword, etc...., carrying a pair of halberds weighs eighty kilograms." The "equal to the long sword" here of course means "equal to the long sword", not "equal to the long sword". Because in the records, Dian Wei never used a long sword. It can be seen that not only did he have a long sword at that time, Knives, and generally weighed eighty kilograms. But how much did eighty kilograms weigh at that time? According to historians, one kilogram in the Han Dynasty was equivalent to about 300 grams today (I don’t know the source). If you believe this conversion ratio, Eighty kilograms is equivalent to about forty-eight kilograms. The equipment of an ordinary US Army soldier is 65 to 98 pounds, which is approximately 58 to 88 kilograms. In comparison, a forty-eight kilogram weapon is not so incredible. If you think about the previous The conversion ratio mentioned is doubtful and can be corroborated by other evidence. In 1964, a crossbow machine was unearthed in Taiping Township, Chengdu, with the inscription "...Ten stone machine...Fifteen people to open it..." The balance system at that time was : 1 stone = 4 jun = 120 kilograms. That is, 15 soldiers can fire 1,200 kilograms, and each person can fire 80 kilograms on average. Although it may not be possible for fifteen people to fire a crossbow at the same time, and there may be other crossbow firing mechanisms, but if a soldier can fire a crossbow If he can fire an 80-pound crossbow, then Guan Yu can't be worse than a small soldier. Besides, Dian Wei can wield an 80-pound halberd. Why can't Guan Yu alone use an 80-pound sword? 5. "Yanyue Sword" comes from " The "horse-cutting sword" was developed and popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. It mainly adds two metal discs on both sides of the broadsword, hence the name "Yanyue Sword". One is to increase the weight of the sword, and the other is to increase the protection of the blade. At this time, the "Yanyue Sword" was mostly used to deal with the attacks of armored cavalry. The basic tactic was to first use the broadsword to chop the legs of the horse with relatively weak defense. Then, aim at the chest of the cavalry and slash. According to this tactic, Yue Fei once ordered The soldier "ignore the man on the horse, just aim at the horse's legs!" and won a great victory. Luo Guanzhong probably used weapons that were available in the Han Dynasty and gave them names that were not available in the Han Dynasty to describe Guan Yu's weapons, which led to Misunderstanding. As for the "Qinglong" theory, it is probably Luo's artistic processing. The image created by Luo Guiguan is "good in Qingyi", so it is reasonable to give him a "Qinglong" sword. The Qinglong Yanyue Sword is the Mizong Fist One of the most important weapons, its sword technique is that of Guan Gong during the Three Kingdoms period. The Qinglong Yanyue Sword is simple and unpretentious, focusing on actual combat. The moves are both for attack and defense. The walking style, the knife style, the quick move, the powerful move, the hard block, the fierce advance, unstoppable. The practice of Qinglong Yanyue Sword requires good body skills, and the sword body can be integrated to reveal its charm. The main techniques of Qinglong Yanyue Sword include: lifting, splitting, chopping, throwing, cutting, wiping, chopping, picking, chopping, etc. In fact, the Qinglong Yanyue Sword was a weightlifting instrument used for martial arts examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Guan Gong's 1,700-year-old Qinglong Yanyue Sword, with its blade facing east, is now placed on the Shanhaiguan Gate Tower and has become a treasure of Zhenguan. However, the Qinglong Yanyue Sword used by Guan Yu is indeed fictional