Grassroots Explore Three Kingdoms - Revealing the Historical Truth Hidden in the Three Kingdoms: Revealing the Historical Truth Hidden in the Three Kingdoms

Author: Wang Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Zhang Fei flew into a rage and killed the prefect in the dead of night. The matter escalated, and the court dispatched Cui Lian, the Supervising Postmaster, to investigate. As a subordinate of the prefect, the Supervising Postmaster was originally responsible for supervising the counties and delivering imperial decrees. Upon his arrival in Anxi County, Cui Supervising Postmaster acted arrogantly, tyrannized, and demanded Zhang Fei's capture. Enraged, Zhang Fei seized the Supervising Postmaster, tied him to a horse post, and beat him with one hundred large whips, killing him. Zhang Fei still felt unsatisfied and then dismembered the Supervising Postmaster into six pieces, hanging his head at the northern gate. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language relocated this incident to Zhang Fei and added completely unhistorical details such as Zhang Fei beating Duan Qi and killing the prefect, merely to portray his merciless attitude toward evil forces. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms also depicts Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei returning to the capital after defeating the Yellow Turban Rebellion, encountering the Eunuch Cao Jun selling official positions on a scale, leaving Liu Bei "waiting for a long time without receiving an appointment." This means that after a long time, he had still not been granted an official position. However, the story omitted Zhang Fei's beating of Duan Qi and killing the prefect, as well as the beating and dismemberment of the Supervising Postmaster, focusing instead on Zhang Fei's whipping the Supervising Postmaster. Liu Bei ordered Zhang Fei to stop and resigned, returning his seal. Historically, after whipping the Supervising Postmaster, Liu Bei himself resigned. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms on one hand removed some of Zhang Fei's extreme actions, but on the other hand retained the main elements that highlighted his violent nature, emphasizing Liu Bei's image as a just and decisive emperor. This shows that historical Liu Bei was not as gentle and scholarly as depicted in the novel but was a brave and fierce person. From this, we can also see the nature of young Liu Bei—the arrogance of a warlord. When Cao Cao attacked Jing Province, Liu Bei knew the Emperor was in Cao Cao's hands, but to prove his legitimacy, he loudly read the secret imperial decree in the midst of the two armies facing each other. Wasn't he just roasting his master on the fire? Wasn't he afraid that the Emperor and the traitor would be furious and return to? But at that time, to achieve his goals and fulfill his ambitions, Liu Bei didn't care about his master's fate! Additionally, the names of Liu Bei's sons also revealed his ambition to become emperor. Liu Feng's original name was "Feng," which is correct, but Liu Shan's name was taken after Liu Bei received Jing Province. He wouldn't have been unaware of the meaning of "Feng" and "Shan," right? Moreover, "I am the emperor, I shall ride this chariot canopy" is also evidence. From serving Gongsun, joining Cao Cao, allying with Yuan Shao, relying on Liu Biao, and assisting Liu Zhang to serving Sun Quan, had he ever been content to be subservient? In his early life, he depended on so many people and could be considered a fickle character. No wonder people often say: Among the Three Kingdoms characters, Liu Bei is the one with the thickest face. Liu Bei survived his entire life of hardships and instability, which is a miracle. However, during this time, he bravely faced many difficulties, never retreating, and his resilience is truly worthy of admiration, respect, and learning.
Besides Zhou Yu's "Liu Bei with the demeanor of an 'xiao xiong'" and Lu Su's "Liu Bei, the xiao xiong of the world," Sun Quan also said something similar. This shows that the public opinion of the time considered Liu Bei an xiao xiong. During his time serving Cao Cao, another incident further demonstrated Liu Bei's xiao xiong nature. What was that incident? It was the one we