Guan Yu is one of the most familiar historical figures among Chinese people. His influence and status among Chinese people is so great that he is rare to compare with him. Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" contributed a lot to Guan Yu's reputation.
However, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a novel and cannot be read as official history. Although Guan Yu's stories are wonderful, many of them are fabricated by the author. There is still a big gap between the image of Guan Yu in the official history and the novel.
(1)
Guan Yu's weapon in the Zhengshi is not the Qinglong Yanyue Sword that is known to later generations, because the Qinglong Yanyue Sword only appeared in the Song Dynasty, and it is a ceremonial and training tool. In the cold weapon era, the long weapons used by the cavalry in combat were spears and assassination weapons, and Guan Yu was no exception, as can be seen from the record of Guan Yu killing Yan Liang in the "Three Kingdoms".
Shaoqian general Yan Liang attacked Liu Yan, the prefect of East County, at Baima, and Minister Cao Zhang Liao and Yu were the vanguards. Seeing that the spurs and spurs are good in the crowd, Yu sees the horses and spurs, beheading them and returning them to others, so that the generals can't be the ones who can solve the white horse siege.
("Three Kingdoms: Guan Yu Biography")
According to this historical material, Guan Yu stabbed Yan Liang to death with a spear or a long weapon, and then used a saber or waist knife to chop off Yan Liang's head.
(2) in the romance of
, Guan Yu’s famous work is Wenjiu Zhan Huaxiong, and in history, Sun Quan’s father Sun Jian was the one who beat Huaxiong. Guan Yu’s riding a thousand miles alone is true, but he has not gone through five stages and cut six generals. Cao Cao admired Guan Yu's loyalty to Liu Bei, and fulfilled Guan Yu and allowed him to return to Liu Bei. The most affirmative thing in this history is Cao Cao's generosity.
At the beginning, Cao Gongzhuang Yu was a man, but he had no intention of staying in his mind for a long time. Zhang Liao said: "Qing tried to ask him with love." Then Liao asked Yu, Yu sighed and said: "I know that Cao treats me with great care. I received the kindness of General Liu, and vowed to die together, and not to recite it. I will not stay in the end, and I will act as an effective to report to Cao Gong." Liao replied to Cao Gong and Cao Gongyi. When Yu Yu killed Yan Liang, Cao Gong knew that he would go, and rewarded him again. Yu fully sealed his gift, worshipped the book and said goodbye, and rushed to Yuan Jun. To pursue it, Cao Gong said: “Everyone is the master, don’t chase after him.” ("Three Kingdoms: Guan Yu Biography")
(3)
The position of Guan Yu in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is in Zhuge Liangzhi Next, in the official history, Guan Yu was the number two person in the Liu Bei Group under one person and over ten thousand people. Guan Yu’s previous post was a former general and Jingzhou governor. At that time, Zhuge Liang’s post was a military general, which was a consultant and advisor. Guan Yu has the power of false festivals. Liu Bei Group is the only one. Generally speaking, false festivals are equivalent to the emperor's bestowed swords, with the supreme power of cutting first and then playing. Zhuge Liang had this power after Liu Bei's death, when he was in charge of the state of Shu. .
(4)
The military value of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei is weakened in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Battle of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu, is a novelist's words and a plot made up by Luo Guanzhong. In the real history, the martial arts of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are probably in Lu Bu. Above, Lu Bu did not have a record in the official history, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had both achieved the first rank among the generals in the army, so they were made enemies of 10,000, and later generations often used Guan Zhang Zhiyong. To praise the generals for their bravery and skillful battles, there is very little of Lu Bu's bravery.
Many literary writers write history especially unreliable. Romance is okay as a story. To understand the true history, you have to read the official history.
