The five generals and the main content of one of the stories in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The five generals are what we call the five tiger generals

The five tiger generals refer to the five generals owned by Liu Bei's army in Luo Guanzhong's long historical novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" The collective name of the fierce generals (Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun).

The popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms, commonly known as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, among which the most well-known generals are none other than the Five Tiger Generals Guan, Zhang, Zhao, Ma, and Huang. The literary value, artistic value and even entertainment value of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms are unquestionable, but the Romance is a novel after all. Although it probably does not violate historical facts, after all, most of the content is still fabricated by the author. However, later generations often mistake the plot of the novel for historical facts without paying attention.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei had neither the right time nor the right location. The important reason that ultimately ensured that he had one-third of the world was that he had a large number of shrewd and capable advisers and generals under his command. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world! The most representative of them are the famous Five Tiger Generals: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong. Each of them has outstanding characteristics. Their biographies and comments are introduced below:

[Edit this paragraph]■Guan Yu

Guan Yu ranks first among the Five Tigers, possessing both literary, Taoist and military skills. Of. The courtesy name is Yunchang, and the original character name is Changsheng. He was born in Jieliang, Hedong (now southwest of Linyi, Shanxi Province). Warming wine to kill Hua Xiong, riding thousands of miles alone, flooding seven armies, and going to a meeting alone show his extraordinary courage, but he was too aloof and arrogant in his treatment of others, and his arrogance sometimes made him lose his mind. In the end, he was defeated in Maicheng and died at the hands of a villain. After his death, he was highly praised by the people and praised by successive imperial courts. He was regarded as the Guan Sheng Emperor, and in Buddhism he was called Jialan Bodhisattva. A famous general of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was revered as the "Martial Saint" by later rulers, as famous as Confucius, who was also known as the "Literary Saint".

Guan Yu met the Eastern Han government in Zhuojun (now Zhuoxian, Hebei) and mobilized powerful landlords from all over the country to organize armed forces to suppress the Yellow Turban Uprising. Here he met Liu Bei (Liu Bei claimed to be a descendant of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, the son of Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty) and Zhang Fei, who were gathering local people to raise troops. The three of them had the same goals and fell in love at first sight. Their friendship was extraordinary and they were as close as brothers. It is said in later generations that Liu, Guan and Zhang once became sworn brothers in Taoyuan. Liu Bei raised troops and participated in suppressing the Yellow Turban Uprising. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei served as his bodyguards and were his powerful right-hand men. They stood by Liu Bei's side and protected him all day long.

Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei, but Bei was defeated and fled to rely on Yuan Shao. Guan Yu and Liu Bei's wife were surrounded in Xiapi. Yu surrendered to Cao Cao and was ordered to be a partial general in exchange for generous gifts. In July, Yu found out that Liu Bei was under Yuan Shao, so he put up a seal and sealed the gold, bowed to the letter and said goodbye. He left Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei. Then he and Liu Bei rushed to Runan (southeast of today's Runan County, Henan Province) to contact Liu Pi to attack Cao. In the twelfth year of Jian'an (207), brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang visited Zhuge Liang three times in Longzhong Thatched Cottage, and finally asked Kong Ming (Zhuge Liang's courtesy name) to help.

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao and occupied Hanzhong. He called himself the "King of Hanzhong" and worshiped Yu as a former general and a false yue, ranking first among the "Five Tiger Generals". In August, Yu took advantage of the battle between Sun Quan and Cao Cao, led his main force north to attack Fancheng and Xiangyang, released water to drown Cao's army, beheaded Cao's general Pang De, surrendered to Jin, and threatened China. Just when Guan Yu was satisfied, in October of the same year, Sun Quan sent Lu Meng to steal his retreat and attack Jingzhou. Yu was attacked from the front and back, his army was demoralized, and he was in a critical situation. In November, Yu withdrew his troops from Fancheng in an attempt to recapture Jingzhou. On the way, he was intercepted by the Wu army. His troops were lost and his combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. Seeing that there was no hope of recapturing Jingzhou, Yu retreated after fighting. He first arrived at Maicheng (southeast of today's Dangyang County, Hubei Province), intending to escape to Xichuan to join Liu Bei. In December, Yu retreated from Maicheng to Juzhang Township (now the north of Anyuan County, Hubei Province), and was captured by Sun Quan's ambush. He was killed at the same time as Ziping. He was 59 years old.

During his lifetime, except for Cao Cao's request to Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to confer Guan Yu the title of Marquis of Shouting of the Han Dynasty, Guan Yu's official official positions were as the governor of Xiangyang and the governor of Jingzhou affairs. The titles conferred by Liu Bei were first Dangkou General and then Former General, ranking first among the "Five Tiger Generals" of the Shu Han Dynasty. Forty-one years after his death, that is, the third year of Shu Jingyao in the Three Kingdoms (260, which happened to be the 100th anniversary of his birth), Liu Chan, the later master, was posthumously named Marquis Zhuangmu.

However, from the beginning of the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the end of the Qing Dynasty, Guan Yu received more and more titles from feudal emperors. "A lord is a king, a king is an emperor, an emperor is a saint, and a saint is heaven." There are endless praises and titles, and endless temple worship. Guan Yu became famous at home and abroad and became one of the most worshiped sacred idols in history. He was as famous as Confucius and was called the "Two Saints of Civilization and Military Affairs".

Guan Yu is famous for his loyalty, righteousness, bravery and martial arts. Feudal rulers of all dynasties needed such typical figures as patron saints to maintain their rule, so they exaggerated and exaggerated their character of loyalty, righteousness, courage, and martial arts. They hoped that more civil servants and generals could be as loyal as Guan Yu. To the king, to offer bravery to the country. But Guan Yu also had a flaw, that is, he was careless and lost Jingzhou.

Guan Yu did not kill Hua Xiong, that was made up by Luo Guanzhong. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms - Sun Jian's Biography: "Jianfu retreated his troops, joined forces with the Yang people, defeated Zhuo's army, and defeated his commander Hua Xiong and others." Therefore, Hua Xiong was killed by Sun Jian.

[Edit this paragraph]■Zhang Fei

The second among the Five Tigers, he is extremely brave but lacking in resourcefulness. He is a character who can be used but cannot be reused! But he is still rough and fine. When Yang suspects a soldier, Yan Yan shows his scheming side. Zhang Fei

During the Yellow Turban Uprising, Liu Bei organized a volunteer army in Zhuoxian County to participate in the war to exterminate the Yellow Turban Army. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were among them. The three of them were like brothers. When Liu Bei sat down, the two of them would always go out of their way to guard him. Sometimes they would stand there for most of the day. After Liu Bei held many official positions, he defected to his former classmate Gongsun Zan. Liu Bei was named Prime Minister of Pingyuan. At that time, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were appointed as commanders of other departments, and they were in charge of different departments.

Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu and was appointed Zhonglang General. Later, Liu Bei relied on Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, and finally stationed troops in Xinye. A few years later, Liu Biao died and Cao Cao went south. Liu Bei abandoned his new homeland and fled south by land. Cao Cao sent people to chase him for a day and a night. On Dangyang Bridge, Liu Bei abandoned his wife and fled first. Zhang Fei led 20 cavalry to resist, and Zhang Fei After the broken bridge, he stood by the river and shouted: "I am Zhang Yide, can I come to the capital to fight to the death?" After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei captured Jingnan, appointed Zhang Fei as the governor of Yidu, general of the conquest of prisoners, and granted him the title of Xin. Tinghou, and later transferred to Nanjun.

Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, Zhang Feiqian was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, led by Sili Xiaowei, and was granted the title of Marquis of Xixiang. In the same year, Liu Bei avenged Guan Yu and conquered Soochow. Zhang Fei was preparing to send troops to join Jiangzhou in Langzhong. When he was about to set off, he was murdered by his generals Zhang Da and Fan Qiang (written as Fan Jiang in the novel), and he took his head to Sun Quan. When Liu Bei heard that Commander Zhang Fei had made plans, he shouted: "Ah! Fei is dead." "The later master Liu Chan was posthumously named Huanhou. The torso of his body was buried in Langzhong and his head was buried in Yunyang. Zhang Huanhou Temple and Zhang Huanhou Temple were built respectively.

Zhang Fei was a brave man and once led 20 cavalry to scare off Cao's army at Changbanpo. He also had good calligraphy and was good at painting beauties. His calligraphy and portraits are still preserved today. Zhang Fei was very polite to knowledgeable people. For example, when Liu Ba first surrendered, Zhang Fei immediately visited his home, but Liu Ba did not say a word to him. Although Zhang Fei was angry, he did not complain. Zhang Fei also cherished heroes and valued heroes. If Yan Yan was captured, Yan Yan would rather die than surrender. Zhang Fei respected him as a person and accepted Yan Yan as a general.

But Zhang Fei had a bad temper and was very strict with the soldiers. Liu Bei often advised Zhang Fei: "You have done too much in punishing and killing, and you are also whipping healthy people every day, while your orders are on the left and right. This is the way to bring disaster." But Zhang Fei would not listen. Sure enough, Zhang Fei died at the hands of his subordinates.

Zhang Fei is cute, and he is the type of person who has revenge and grievances! He is more modest when dealing with civil servants, but maybe because of his relatively high strength, he looks down on soldiers and some generals (that’s why This is what led to his death) In addition to his physical strength, his drinking was also extraordinary. The person who makes him most obedient, besides Liu Bei, is Zhuge Liang, and then Guan Yu. He listens to Liu Bei because he is the boss. Don't all the younger brothers listen to the elder brother? This shows his loyalty! As for Zhuge Liang, because he I deeply understand this person’s wisdom and what he says is right, so I admire him from the bottom of my heart. Regarding personal shortcomings, Zhang Fei is "violent and ungrateful" to villains, and he also manipulates them. His character is too straightforward and lacks sophistication. Zhang Fei governed central Sichuan and was loved by everyone. After his death, the people immediately built a temple for him, and his reputation was very good.

In any case, compared to the deified Guan Yu, Zhang Fei's rough and straightforward image seems more approachable and closer to people's hearts. Just like the saying that "Zhang Fei was born a butcher" can't be found in historical biographies, but as the saying goes, "He is only a butcher of dogs when he is righteous, but he is a scholar when he is unfaithful." This kind of Zhang Fei is rather cute.

In fact, Zhang Fei has another well-known appearance in unofficial history. It is said that Zhang Fei was a versatile scholar, especially good at calligraphy and painting of ladies, and was highly praised by the calligraphy and painting circles of later generations. There are records in the Ming Dynasty's notes that Zhang Fei's paintings were popular at that time and people rushed to buy them.

There are also Zhang Fei’s copybooks handed down from the Qing Dynasty, including the inscriptions on the famous "Bameng Mountain Inscription": "General Zhang Fei of the Han Dynasty led ten thousand elite soldiers to defeat the first thief in the Bameng Lima Le "Inscription." It is said that this "Inscription on Bameng Mountain" was written in high spirits after Zhang Fei defeated Zhang He and hired craftsmen to carve a stone and erect a monument on the top of the mountain. Mr. Cha Liangyong, the giant of martial arts novels, quoted this allusion in his work "The Swordsman", turning this stone carving into a powerful martial arts of the character Bald Bi Weng in the book!

[Edit this paragraph] ■Zhao Yun

Zhao Yun, the third of the Five Tigers, is one of the few generals in the Three Kingdoms who is both civil and military. He is the number one in the Three Kingdoms after Lu Bu. A fierce general, riding the savior alone is a true reflection of his ability! But his strategy is also quite good, and he is Liu Bei's most valued general. Be cautious and prudent in your work, and you will be called a victorious general! In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei personally gave the title of Five Tiger Generals to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong. Zhao Yun ranked third after Guan and Zhang. However, in historical biographies, not only did Zhao Yun's rank remain much lower than Guan Zhang's throughout his life, he was even lower than Ma Chao and Huang Zhong. In fact, apart from Kong Ming, the character with the most praise in the novel is probably Zhao Yun.

Let’s take a closer look at Zhao Yun’s heroic deeds in the novel. He was superb in martial arts and faced countless powerful enemies without ever being defeated. He even defeated the famous Cao Wei general Zhang He several times. When he bravely rescued the old Huang Zhong by the Han River, "The gun was all over his body." "Up and down, like dancing pear blossoms, all over the body, like falling auspicious snow", Xu Huang and Zhang He were so frightened that they did not dare to resist, and allowed them to come and go freely among the thousands of troops, as if they were in an uninhabited land; Dangyang Changbanpo (note 1), Zhao Yun held Adou in the arms of Cao Cao's millions of soldiers, and was able to kill fifty-four famous generals in Cao's camp, cut down two flags symbolizing military power, seize the commander of the town army, and leave calmly. His power is unparalleled. Simply unmatched! There are so many enemy generals killed in the novel, but no one can surpass Zhao Yun.

However, almost all the enemy generals killed by Zhao Yun in the novel are fictional; among them, Dangyang Savior and Hanshui Retreating the Enemy (Note 2) are recorded in historical records, but they are not included in the novel. It's so exaggerated. Zhao Yun's military bravery is recognized in Liu Bei's camp. The Biography of Yang Xi in the Book of Shu records Yang Xi's evaluation of Zhao Yun, including the words "the fierceness of a fierce general". However, after leaving the Shu Han Dynasty, there may not be many people who know Zhao Yun. The novel describes the enemy's fear of Liu Bei's camp, and often lists "the wisdom of Zhuge Kongming, the courage of Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Yun." However, we have seen the letter written by Zhou Yu to Sun Quan after the Battle of Red Cliff, which only mentions the "heroes" Liu Bei and Guan Zhang. "Bear and Tiger".

Let’s compare it with the description in the earlier Three Kingdoms Zhiping story. According to Pinghua, Zhao Yun is already one of the Five Tiger Generals, but according to historical facts, he is still listed at the bottom of the five; and although the spear used by Zhao Yun in Pinghua has the reputation of a corner gun - it is said that he has no right to the end of the world, it is defeated. Yu Zhang Fei's Zhang Ba Snake Spear was ahead, but was defeated by the iron-armed general Zhang Yi behind. The plot of Zhang Fei "going to fight" Zhang Yi in anger after hearing the news that Zhao Yun was defeated by Zhang Yi also vaguely reveals the role played by Zhao Yun in the early Three Kingdoms story. Although Zhao Yun is not as brilliant as described in the novel, he is still a good general.

His advantages are:

First, he has a deep understanding of justice. In that turbulent era, who used a person's literary, Taoist and military strategies was the touchstone of his character. At that time, there were many people who followed others' influence for the sake of their own wealth, and there were many people who helped others to do harm, and there were even more people who ignorantly served others as envoys. What is Zhao Yun's choice? According to "Yunbie Zhuan", when Zhao Yun first followed Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao was called Jizhou Mu.

Zan was deeply worried about the people in Guizhou following Shao. Shan Yun came to follow him and mocked Yun, saying: "I heard that all the people in Guizhou want the Yuan family. How can you be so single-minded and confused that you can turn against me?" Yun replied: "The world is turbulent and unknown. What's more, the people have the evil intention of overthrowing the county (hanging), and when discussing in the state, we should follow the benevolent government and not ignore the generals for the sake of neglecting Yuan Gong." This passage can be regarded as Zhao Yun's political declaration. His principle - "benevolent government"; his goal - to relieve the people from hanging upside down. In feudal society, this should be said to be a rare ideal of life. He first surrendered to Gongsun Zan for this reason, and later to Liu Bei for this reason, rather than purely out of personal feelings. It is this that makes Zhao Yun much higher than ordinary warriors.

Second, be loyal and dare to give advice. There is a record in "Yunbie Zhuan": Yizhou was established, and it was discussed that the middle houses in Chengdu and the mulberry fields outside the city should be given to the generals. Yun refuted it and said: "Huo Qubing has not wiped out the Xiongnu, and there is no use for his family. Now the country's thieves are not only the Xiongnu, and there is no way to seek peace. It is necessary for the world to be settled, and everyone returns to his hometown and cultivates his land. This is the right thing for the people of Yizhou. In the event of a military revolution, all the land and houses can be returned, so that they can live in peace and return to work, and then they can be transferred to the military service to please them. "The former master will obey. Since then, the military and civilians have been in peace.

This incident tells us that Zhao Yun has a clearer mind than many people at the same time. He can not only consider issues from the long-term interests of the Liu Bei Group, but also pay attention to winning the hearts and minds of the people. No wonder Liu Bei immediately adopted his suggestion. When Liu Bei was going to attack Soochow to avenge his attack on Jingzhou and kill Guan Yu, Zhao Yun stepped forward again and tried his best to dissuade him, pointing out: "The national traitor is Cao Cao, not Sun Quan... fight Wu first." Because Liu Bei rejected Zhao Yun, Qin Mi and others insisted on going his own way, and finally suffered a defeat at Yiling, which greatly damaged the vitality of the Shu Han Dynasty. This proves that Zhao Yun's opinion is correct. Looking at the history of the Shuhan Group, among the many generals, no one else has ever spoken out and advised Liu Bei on the fundamental plan like Zhao Yun did. This is something Zhao Yun has seen before.

Third, be fair and selfless. Zhao Yun has followed Liu Bei for many years, and he has always been self-denial and devoted to public affairs, without favoritism. Before the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao's general Xiahou Dun at Bowangpo. During the battle, Zhao Yun captured his subordinate Xiahou Lan. He and Xiahoulan were originally from the same hometown and had known each other since they were young. In this case - the first Lord Yunbai lived it and recommended Lan Ming to be a law-abiding person and think the army was upright. The cloud does not need to be close to itself, it is cautious and similar. It's not about buying and selling privately, but it's reporting to Liu Bei; it's not about adding helpers to yourself, but it's about recommending talents to Liu Bei; it's really commendable to do business in an official manner! This excellent quality of Zhao Yun has long been appreciated by Liu Bei, so Liu Bei once appointed him as a retainer Sima, "in charge of internal affairs", and he has always been conscientious and impartial. In contrast, Yang Yi and his like, who like and dislike according to their own preferences and praise and criticize as they please, are far behind.

Fourth, be modest and prudent. Zhao Yun was second only to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in qualifications in the Shu Han Group, and he was responsible for rescuing Liu Chan; but he never took credit for himself, never fought for fame and fortune, and could get along well with those who came from behind. This point is beyond the reach of Guan Yu, who is "strong yet reserved", and Wei Yan, who is "highly reserved". In the sixth year of Jianxing (228 years), Zhuge Liang was defeated by Jieting as soon as he left Qishan. The suspected soldiers led by Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi were also defeated in Jigu. During the retreat, because Zhao Yun personally cut off the rear, the troops were not in chaos, and "no military supplies were discarded in kind." Zhuge Liang appreciated this very much and wanted to reward Zhao Yun's soldiers. At this time, Zhao Yun was not complacent, but said sincerely: "There is no military benefit, so what is a gift? Please take note of the things and put them in the Chi'an treasury. It must be a winter gift in October." Through these sincere words , his strict self-discipline and open-mindedness can be clearly seen. How can those who are shallow, conceited, and boastful be compared to us!

[Edit this paragraph]■Ma Chao

The fourth of the Five Tigers, the queen of a famous family, with a majestic appearance and strong martial arts, but a little less scheming and was exploited by others. It was Liu Bei who took over Xichuan of hero. Ma Chao

Ma Chao is the son of Ma Teng, the general who conquered the West at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208 years), the imperial court transferred Ma Teng back to the capital, appointed him as a guard, appointed Ma Chao as a partial general, made him the capital of Tinghou, and let him command Ma Teng's troops. After Ma Chao unified the army, he allied with Han Sui. Ma Chao moved to the Guanxi area and won the support of the local Qiang people.

Cao Cao was having a conversation with Han Sui and Ma Chao on his own. Ma Chao wanted to capture Cao Cao because of his bravery, but he saw Xu Chu looking forward with anger and did not dare to act rashly. Cao Cao then secretly sent Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to lead 4,000 elite troops to cross the Yellow River from Pubanjin (today's Yellow River ferry between Yongji, Shanxi and Dali, Shaanxi), and set up camp in Hexi to cut off Ma Chao's retreat. Then, Cao Cao arranged boats and rafts to lead his army across Hebei. Ma Chao said to Han Sui: "We should garrison troops on the north bank in advance to block Cao's troops so that they cannot cross the river. In twenty days, the east of the river will run out of food, and Cao Cao's men will definitely flee in chaos." Han Sui said, "We can let them cross the river. . The Art of War says: "We can attack when we are halfway across." When they are halfway across, wouldn't it be great to attack them from the south bank?" Ma Chao's plan was not implemented. Cao Cao later learned about this and sighed: "As long as the horse dies, I will have no place to bury him."

In the 18th year of Jian'an (213), Ma Chao captured all the troops in Longxi, and also obtained Zhang Lu's general. With the help of reinforcements led by Yang Ang, more than 10,000 people were gathered to attack Jicheng. Ma Chao's army besieged Jicheng heavily and attacked from the first month to August, but no reinforcements from the imperial court arrived. Wei Kang then sent Yan Wen out of the city to report to Xia Houyuan, who was stationed in Chang'an (now northwest of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Yan Wen dived out of the water at night. The next day, Ma Chao's soldiers found traces of the water and captured Yan Wen. And beheaded Yan Wen.

Yang Fu, a former official in Jicheng City, was dissatisfied with Ma Chao's cruelty. He took advantage of the opportunity to arrange a funeral for his wife and fled to his cousin, Fuyi General Jiang Xu, who was stationed in Licheng (today's West and North Gansu Province) to persuade him. He used his troops to eradicate Ma Chao and avenge Wei Kang and others. Jiang Xu also contacted Zhao Ang, Yin Feng, Li Jun and others to secretly discuss the strategy of attacking Ma Chao. They first sent people into Jicheng to secretly make friends with Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu, so that they could act as internal correspondents in the city. In September, Yang Fu and Jiang Xu led their troops to attack Lucheng (today's Li County, Gansu), and Zhao Ang and Yin Feng advanced to occupy Qishan City (today's west and northeast of Gansu). Ma Chao was furious after hearing the news, and Zhao Qu took the opportunity to deliberately encourage Ma Chao to go out of the city to attack in person. As soon as Ma Chao left the city, Zhao Qu and Liang Kuan immediately closed the city gates and massacred Ma Chao's wife, children, and children. Ma Chao was in a dilemma of advancing and retreating, so he attacked Licheng and kidnapped Jiang Xu's mother and Zhao Ang's son Zhao Yue. Yang Fu led his army to fight Ma Chao in a decisive battle. He was seriously injured in five places and finally defeated Ma Chao. Ma Chao went south to join Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. After this battle, Ma Chao's separatist forces were eliminated.

Seeing that Zhang Lu could not achieve great things, and being jealous of Zhang Lu's general Yang Ang, Ma Chao felt depressed and unfair. At that time, Liu Bei was besieging Chengdu (see the Battle of Yizhou) for a long time. After learning about Ma Chao's situation, he sent Li Hui, the governor of Jiangning, to persuade him. Ma Chao fled from Wudu to Dizhong and wrote a secret letter to Liu Bei asking for his surrender. Liu Bei was overjoyed to receive the letter, and sent people to greet Ma Chao, asking him to stop first, and secretly assigned him many soldiers to increase his military power. Then, he was ordered to lead his troops to the gates of Chengdu and garrison in the north of the city. The city was horrified. In less than ten days, frightened by Ma Chao's reputation, he opened the north gate and surrendered to Liu Bei. Liu Bei appointed Ma Chao as General Pingxi, superintendent of Linju, and asked him to follow Cao Cao's title of Dutinghou.

Liu Bei ascended the throne as King of Hanzhong, appointed Ma Chao as General Zuo, and awarded him Fu Jie. In the first year of Zhangwu (221), Ma Chao was promoted to General of Hussars, led the herdsman of Liangzhou, and was granted the title of Marquis of Manxiang. Zhao said: "I succeeded to the throne because of my bad behavior, and flattered the ancestral temple. The sins of Cao Cao and his son have been recorded in the world, and I have been miserable, and my head is as sick as a disease. There is resentment in the sea, I have returned to my original position, and I have surrendered to the Di and Qiang. Mao Huan admires his righteousness. He trusts the Northern Territory and is powerful and powerful. Therefore, he is appointed to fight against the fierce tigers, monitor the dangers of Dong Wanli, and seek the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. , To support Han Hu and deal with the world" ("Three Kingdoms·Shu Shu·Ma Chao Biography").

In the second year of Zhangwu (222), Ma Chao died at the age of forty-seven. Before his death, Ma Chao wrote to Liu Bei: "All the more than 200 members of my sect were executed by Meng De. Only my younger brother Dai should be the successor of our sect's bloody diet. I trust your majesty deeply. I have no further words." ("Three Kingdoms· Shu Shu·Ma Chao Biography"). Liu Bei posthumously named Ma Chao Weihou, and his son Ma Chengsi. Ma Dai was promoted to General Pingbei and became the Marquis of Chencang.

"General Shenwei Tian" is the evaluation given by the Qiang people to Ma Chao. Ma Chao is a 15-year-old young talent who followed his father on the battlefield. He is a well-known northwest man. His heroic deeds in his life have long been known to everyone. It's just that his longevity affected Ma Chao's existence in history. Although he died in his 40s, he rarely encountered opponents during his 30 years of campaign, and his reputation spread throughout the Central Plains.

[Edit this paragraph]■Huang Zhong

Huang Zhong ranks at the bottom of the Five Tigers. If you ask who Huang Zhong is, people who have a little knowledge of the story of the Three Kingdoms will probably immediately think of a sharpshooter who is always strong and able to pierce the enemy with a hundred steps. Little did they know that this image was actually given by the novelist. Although Huang Zhong is undoubtedly known as a brave general of the Three Kingdoms, his age is not forgiving, so he can only be ranked last. However, he was the only one of the five tiger generals to die on the battlefield. His death was tragic, which makes people even more admirable!

Huang Zhong in the novel can "shoot a bow with two stones and hit a hundred hits", and even Guan Gong almost died under his arrows. It can be said that he is one of the three great archers in the novel, along with Lu Bu and Taishi Ci. The story of Lu Bu shooting a halberd at the gate is well-founded in history books: "...(Lü) Bu ordered the gatekeepers to raise a halberd in the gate camp and announced: "Everyone looks at the cloth and shoots a small halberd, and one shot hits the target. The generals should be dismissed, and if they fail, they will be allowed to fight." Bu raised his bow and shot his halberd, and the generals were shocked and said, "The general is so powerful!" (Book of Wei, Lu Bu) Records can be found in historical biographies: "... I followed (Sun)'s plan to attack the Ma Bao thieves. The thieves were walking up the building to support the building in the village. They held the tower pole (the pillar of the pavilion) in their hands. They used their bows to shoot at them, and the arrows passed through their hands. Fen, all the ten thousand people outside the wall will praise him for his good deeds..." (Wu Shu Tai Shi Ci Biography) However, after reading through the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, I can't even find the words about Huang Zhong bending his bow and shooting arrows. It can be seen that Huang Zhong's magic arrow is just the novelist's clever pen, in order to give the five tiger generals who are equally invincible each their own characteristics and characteristics. In fact, it was indeed very successful. Today, Huang Zhong's reputation as a marksman is probably even higher than that of Lu Bu and Tai Shi Ci.

The story of Guan Yu leading five hundred swordsmen to attack Changsha and fighting Huang Zhong in a 100-round battle with no outcome is also a novelist's fiction. The only record in historical biographies about Liu Bei's acquisition of the four counties in Jingnan is: "...(Liu Bei) conquered the four counties in the south. Jin Xuan, the prefect of Wuling, Han Xuan, the prefect of Changsha, Zhao Fan, the prefect of Guiyang, and Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling, all surrendered. "(The First Master of Shu Shu) The Shu Shu Huang Zhong Biography: "The herdsman of Jingzhou, Liu Biao, took (Huang Zhong) as the Zhonglang General, and he and Biao followed Zipan to guard You County in Changsha. When Cao Gong conquered Jingzhou, he went to assist the general under false pretenses. As before, he was under the command of Han Xuan, the prefect of Changsha. The former lord (Liu Bei) ordered all the counties in the south, and Zhongsui entrusted them with hostages..." At that time, there was a custom of leaving hostages behind when surrendering to the enemy, and the generals who later surrendered to the enemy also praised it. The name is "commitment". Since there is no evidence that Huang Zhong and Guan Yu fought against each other in historical biographies, "Guan Yun Changyi released Huang Hansheng" is of course just a plot in a novel.

Huang Zhong's marksmanship may be fictional, but his bravery is real. After Huang Zhong joined Liu Bei's camp, Liu Bei valued Huang Zhong very much and made Huang Zhong the vanguard general when the war started with Liu Zhang. Huang Zhong did not disappoint Liu Bei. Every time he fought, "Zhong often took the vanguard to capture Chen (passing the "formation") and won the three armies with courage." He made a lot of contributions. So after Yizhou was pacified, Liu Bei made him the general to fight against the captives. Although his rank was not as high as that of Guan, Zhang, and Ma Chao, he was already among the top generals.

When the offensive and defensive battle in Hanzhong began, Huang Zhong made the most outstanding achievement in his life: killing Xia Houyuan, a famous general of Cao's army. Shu Shu Huang Zhong's Biography: "....(Huang Zhong) attacked Xiahou Yuan at Dingjun Mountain in Hanzhong. The people in Yuan were very capable. Zhong pushed forward and he was sure to advance. He persuaded the soldiers to lead the troops. The golden drums shook the sky and the sound of joy shook the valley. In one battle, Yuan was beheaded. The Yuan army was defeated." In this battle, Huang Zhong not only showed his incomparable bravery, dominated the victory or defeat of the battle, earned himself the position of General of the Conquest of the West, and almost determined the ownership of Hanzhong. After the death of the coach Xia Houyuan, deputy general Zhang He and others were forced to retreat, and Liu Beijun took control of the natural dangers of Hanzhong. Later, although Cao Cao came to Hanzhong in person, he was unable to save it, and Hanzhong finally fell into Liu Bei's hands. Liu Bei took the throne of Hanzhong, and appointed Huang Zhong as the rear general and the Marquis of Guan Nei, making him one of the four generals in Liu Bei's camp along with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Ma Chao.

Huang Zhong died a year after he was promoted to general. There is no record in historical biographies that Huang Zhong ever participated in Liu Bei's battle against Wu. Perhaps because he felt that Huang Zhong's death was not heroic enough, the novel rewrote Huang Zhong's death as a heroic sacrifice on the Eastern March. In this way, the heroism is heroic, but it is also a bit sad. Isn't it the best ending to die at the peak of your career? The main biography of Shu Shu: "In the autumn and September of the third year of (Jingyao's) year (260 AD), the posthumous names of the late generals Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Pang Tong and Huang Zhong were posthumous." Guan Yu was posthumously named Zhuang Miaohou, Zhang Fei was posthumously named Huanhou, Ma Chao was posthumously named Weihou, Pang Tong was posthumously named Jinghou, and Huang Zhong was posthumously named Ganghou. People at the time considered this a great honor.

When people call Huang Zhong, they often forget to add the word "veteran". In fact, this is quite worth pondering. The first time Huang Zhong's name appears in the novel is when Guan Yu asked Ying to lead his troops to attack Changsha. Kong Ming warned him: "The current governor of Changsha, Han Xuangu, is insignificant, but he has a general who is from Nanyang. His surname is Huang Mingzhong and his courtesy name is Hansheng. He is Liu Biao's lieutenant general, and he is guarding Changsha with Liu Biao's nephew Liu Pan. Han Xuan is responsible for his future affairs. Although he is nearly sixty years old, he is brave enough to be worthy of ten thousand men..." He was already 20 years old when he appeared on the scene. Nearly sixty years old, he is indeed a veteran. In the 70th chapter, when Huang Zhong and Yan Yan led the troops to capture the Tiandang Mountain guarded by Zhang He, Zhao Yun also said: "Why should the two veteran generals be regarded as this great enemy?" The novel really deliberately managed Huang Zhong's image as an old man.

Standards of the Five Tiger Generals

In summary, it is not difficult for us to summarize the standards of the Five Tiger Generals:

The first should be the martial arts standard. Throughout the Three Kingdoms, Guan, Zhang, Zhao and Mahuang's martial arts were first-rate. The modern battlefield no longer pays attention to the microscopic horse-stepping skills, but it still reflects its outstanding "martial arts" by participating in and commanding operations, fighting hard and vicious battles, killing famous generals and soldiers, and creating famous armies.

The second should be the standard of military merit. A general who often loses battles will definitely not be included in the Five Tiger Generals. Having more military exploits and records compared to others should be important indicators for joining the Five Tiger Generals.

Again it should be the function standard. Whether they are often reused, whether they have the ability to independently undertake one aspect of combat, and whether they can reflect their leading role in a specific area on complex battlefields are the criteria for evaluating the five tiger generals from the perspective of their functions.

The fourth should be qualifications or resume standards. Qualifications and resumes are a reflection of military exploits and achievements over a long period of time, in multiple stages, and in different scenarios. This is what is called a person who has experienced hundreds of battles and been tempered a hundred times.

The fifth should be the standard of literary talent and military strategy. The Five Tiger Generals should not be rough generals who can only show off their bravery, but should be wise men who are capable of both literary and military skills and are insightful and familiar with the laws of war.