Marriage rules in Xiangyang, Hubei Province

On the Characters in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms-On the Image of Zhuge Liang

Author: Shen Bojun

Among the many characters portrayed in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang is undoubtedly the most successful and far-reaching one. It can be said that he is the real protagonist of the book and the soul that sustains it. We simply can't imagine that without Zhuge Liang's glorious artistic image, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is still worth seeing, and how can it become a classic literature handed down from generation to generation!

Zhuge Liang in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the artistic image that the author spends the most pen and ink on. Si Mahui, the "Mr. Water Mirror", first mentioned his road number "Fulong" (that is, "Wolong"), paving the way for his appearance (back to the sixty-ninth edition of Jiajing's first year "Liu Xuande meets Si Mahui" and back to Mao's thirty-fifth edition), and was buried in Dingjun Mountain in Hanzhong after his death (back to the 29th edition of Jiajing's first year "Wu Hou's plan to cut Wei Yan" and back to Mao's one hundred and fifty). Luo Guanzhong, full of love, devoted all his efforts and mobilized various artistic means to shape him into a shining artistic model.

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Zhuge Liang (181 ~ 234) in history was originally an outstanding politician and strategist in the late Han and Three Kingdoms periods. He was born in the troubled times at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At the age of fourteen, he left his hometown of Langya Yangdu (now Yinan, Shandong Province) with his uncle Zhuge Xuan and moved to Jingzhou controlled by Liu Biao. At the age of seventeen, Zhuge Xuan died of illness. Although Zhuge Liang was not weak at this time, and he was related to Liu Biao and his general Cai Mao in Jingzhou, he was ambitious and ambitious, and he didn't want to take refuge in the right gate. So he took his younger brother Zhuge Jun and resolutely lived in seclusion in Longzhong (Deng County, Nanyang County, Jingzhou, now Xiangfan City, Hubei Province). He devoted himself to farming for ten years, while paying attention to world events and studying the way of governing the country. In the twelfth year of Jian 'an (27), he struggled for half his life and suffered repeated setbacks. At that time, Liu Bei, who was attached to Liu Biao, stationed troops in a new field and was weak, visited the cottage and asked Zhuge Liang, who was only 27 years old. Zhuge Liang put forward the famous "Longzhong Dui", which incisively analyzed the general trend of the world, and formulated a strategic policy for Liu Bei to occupy Jing and Yi states first, form a tripartite confrontation, bind Sun Quan externally, repair politics internally, and when the time is ripe, divide his troops into two northern expeditions, capture the Central Plains, and become a hegemony. Under the earnest urging of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang came out of the mountain to assist him, and since then he has become the pillar of Liu Shu Group, making great achievements on the historical stage and creating extraordinary achievements.

in the autumn of 28, in the 13th year of Jian 'an, Cao Cao led a large army to the south, Liu Biao died of illness, and his second son, Liu Cong, succeeded to the throne. Liu Bei was defeated in Jiangxia. In this crisis, Zhuge Liang took the initiative to ask for an envoy to Jiangdong, persuaded Sun Quan to establish a Sun-Liu alliance, defeated Cao Jun in Battle of Red Cliffs, and made Liu Bei seize the opportunity to win four counties in the south of Jingzhou, and soon "borrowed" the south county occupied by Sun Quan. Since then, he has assisted Liu Bei to seize Yizhou, and successfully achieved the first strategic goal of crossing Jing and Yi, and making the Liu Shu Group reach its peak. In the twenty-fourth year of Jian 'an (219), Guan Yu lost Jingzhou, which reduced the territory of Liu Shu Group by nearly half. In the second year of Zhangwu (222), Liu Bei suffered another crushing defeat in the battle of Yiling. The following year, he left Zhuge Liang alone and died in shame and regret. In this critical autumn, Zhuge Liang, with great courage and superb wisdom, undertook the historical mission of maintaining the national luck of Shu and Han by himself. He is far-sighted, diligent and pragmatic, makes great efforts to govern, is honest and clean, and manages Shu Han in an orderly way; He adhered to the policy of "harmony" and "comfort" and the principle of "attacking the heart first", quickly pacified the southern and central regions and handled ethnic relations well; He braved hardships and repeated northern expeditions, and always maintained an offensive posture against the powerful Cao Wei; He was good at running the army, with strict rewards and punishments, attached importance to the innovation of equipment and the improvement of tactics, and created the amazing "Mu Niu Liu Ma" and "Eight Arrays"; He is loyal to his duties, self-denial and dedication to public service, and truly achieved "dedication to death." Chen Shou, an outstanding historian in the Western Jin Dynasty, wrote in The History of the Three Kingdoms? Shu Shu? At the end of Zhuge Liang's biography, he spoke highly:

Zhuge Liang is also a relative of the country, caressing the people, showing manners, making appointments with officials, obeying the power system, being sincere and fair; Although those who are loyal to the times will be rewarded, those who violate the law and neglect will be punished, those who plead guilty and lose their feelings will be released, and those who are eloquent will be slaughtered. Good without reward, evil without fiber without degradation; Ordinary things are concise, physics is the foundation, fame and responsibility are real, hypocrisy is contemptuous; At last, those who are afraid and love it within the territory of the state, although the punishment and politics are harsh and have no complaints, admonish Ming with their intentions. It can be said that he is a talented person who knows how to govern, and he is a horse of Xiao.

Zhuge Liang's noble character is respected not only by the people of Shu and Han, but also by the enemy. Among his many excellent characters, two are the most prominent: first, wisdom, which is embodied in Longzhong Dui; The second is loyalty, which is embodied in the model. In a word, he really deserves to be a generation of wise men, and his name will last forever.

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In the more than 1, years after Zhuge Liang's death, intellectuals with lofty aspirations and concern for state affairs in past dynasties fondly remembered and praised him, and the general public chanted his achievements from generation to generation, and various popular literature and art repeatedly sang and played up his stories. Luo Guanzhong inherited the social psychology of respecting Zhuge Liang, absorbed the beneficial elements of popular literature and art on the basis of historical facts, and combined with his own genius creation, successfully created an elegant, wise, idealistic and artistic image of Zhuge Liang, a well-known glorious image. Although such an image of Zhuge Liang is based on the historical figure Zhuge Liang, it has undergone great variation. It is taller and more beautiful than its historical prototype. It has become a lofty model of outstanding intellectuals in ancient times, an embodiment of the loyal character and incomparable wisdom of the Chinese nation, and an immortal image admired by Chinese and foreign people.

In order to create a good artistic image of Zhuge Liang, Luo Guanzhong spent a lot of pen and ink and mobilized various artistic means, mainly from the following aspects.

(1) Give full play to Zhuge Liang's key position and role in Liu Shu Group

Zhuge Liang in history, although he became intimate with Liu Bei as soon as he came out of the mountain, was fully trusted by Liu Bei; However, his position in Liu Shu Group has been gradually improved, which is natural according to the usual political mechanism. His identity when he first came out of the mountain, the reflection? Shu Shu? There is no record in Zhuge Liang's Biography. It is estimated that it is a screen guest or something. After Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei won four counties in the south of Jingzhou, and Zhuge Liang was appointed as a military commander. At this time, Guan Yu was the prefect and general of Xiangyang, and he had already sealed the Pavilion Hou of Hanshou. Zhang Fei should be the prefect and general of Lu, and seal the new Pavilion Hou. Zhuge Liang's position was slightly lower than that of Guan and Zhang. In the 19th year of Jian 'an (214), Liu Beiding was promoted to Yizhou, and Zhuge Liang was promoted to the position of general strategist, who was in charge of the affairs of the left general's office (at this time, Liu Bei's official title was "the left general led the Jing and benefited the second state animal husbandry"). His official rank was the same as that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, but his actual position in Liu Shu Group surpassed that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. It was not until Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor (221) and Zhuge Liang became prime minister that he officially became the number one minister of Shu Han. Moreover, before Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, although Zhuge Liang had participated in the deliberation, he spent most of his time in the rear, eating and drinking, and never took charge of the military.

However, in The Romance of Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong described Zhuge Liang as the commander-in-chief who was in power and commanded everything from the beginning, which greatly improved his position and role in Liu Shu Group. Soon after he came out of the mountain, Xiahou Chun led a hundred thousand troops to kill Xinye, which was his first test. At this moment-

Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang to discuss. Zhuge Liang said, "But Zhang and Guan Yu refused to listen to my orders. Master, if you want to show off your troops, beg for a fake sword seal. " Liu Bei paid Zhuge Liang with a sword seal. Kong Ming then gathered his generals to listen to the order. ..... "Master since led an army for backup. Each must follow the plan and don't make mistakes. " (back to the 39th)

In this fledgling first battle, Liu Bei handed over the command to Zhuge Liang at the beginning; Zhuge Liang has a well-thought-out plan, and dispatches all the generals one by one, even Liu Bei has to accept his arrangement. The victory of burning Bowang established Zhuge Liang's prestige and his position of commanding everything. Since then, his command in Liu Shu Group is unbreakable and has never been questioned. Every major event, Liu Bei always listens to him, and all the civil and military officials always carry out his orders wholeheartedly. During the Chibi War, he went to Dongwu for several months, and Liu Bei actively prepared for the war. After everything was ready, he still had to wait for him to rush back to command and dispatch:

Let's talk about Liu Xuande waiting for Kongming to come back at Xiakou ... The boat arrived in a short time, and Kongming and Zilong landed, which made Liu Bei happy. After greeting, Kong Ming said, "I have no time to tell you anything else. Have all the warships and horses agreed by the former been done? " Liu Bei said, "It's been a long time, just waiting for the strategist to call." Zhuge Liang, Liu Qi and Liu Bei raised their accounts and settled down ... (the 49th time)

No one can disobey Zhuge Liang's orders. Even Guan Yu, the number one general with a special status, ordered him to be beheaded because he violated military orders and released Cao Cao privately. Just because Liu Bei interceded, hoping to allow Guan Yu to atone for his sins, "Kong Ming just forgave < P >". (5th to 51st) These descriptions have greatly surpassed the historical records, making Zhuge Liang always at the core of Liu Shu Group, and his position is obviously higher than that of all civil and military officials, which makes readers feel credible. Before getting Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei suffered many setbacks, but after getting Zhuge Liang's assistance, he won one after another. In contrast, readers can't help but feel deeply that the success or failure of Liu Shu Group is not tied to Liu Bei, but to Zhuge Liang.

(2) trying to exaggerate Zhuge Liang's wisdom, especially his superb military strategy

As mentioned above, one of the outstanding qualities of Zhuge Liang, a historical figure, is wisdom, but that is mainly his political wisdom of being good at grasping the general trend of the world, being good at commanding the overall situation and formulating correct strategic policies, and Longzhong Dui is its concentrated expression. As for the military aspect, Chen Shou wrote in The Three Kingdoms? Shu Shu? Zhuge Liang's Biography said that he was "long in managing Rong, short in his ingenuity, and better in managing the people than in planning" and that "contingency planning is not his strong point". It means that Zhuge Liang is good at managing the army, and he is strict in running the army, but he is not good at using his clever tricks. His ability to govern the people is superior to the strategy of being a commander in chief; The ability to improvise is not his forte. Some people think that Chen Shou belittled Zhuge Liang; But the fact is that Zhuge Liang in history was not particularly good at winning by surprise. However, in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong not only fully demonstrated Zhuge Liang's political wisdom, but also focused on Zhuge Liang's ingenious calculation through a large number of fictional plots, shaping him into a master of strategy who used force like a god and became the embodiment of the incomparable wisdom of the Chinese nation.

in the romance of the three kingdoms, Zhuge Liang's first victory after coming out of the mountain-burning Bo Wang-has a great fictional element. Historically, Liu Bei and Cao Cao's general Xiahou? , in the forbidden phase refused to bo hope, "for a long time, Mr Ambush, once self-burning tuen pseudo dun? Waiting for it, it was broken by the ambush. " ("reflection? Shu Shu? Biography of the Ancestor) That was before three visits to the thatched cottage, and naturally it had nothing to do with Zhuge Liang. Luo Guanzhong took a substitute, arranged it after Zhuge Liang came out of the mountain, and made him a wise commander to defeat the enemy. First, write about Cao Jun's aggressiveness, and write about the disparity between 1, Cao Jun and Liu Bei's thousands of troops, thus creating a tense atmosphere of coping with Mount Tai. Then he wrote that Zhuge Liang dispatched troops, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were suspicious of his plan. "All the generals don't know Zhuge Liang's strategy. Although they listen to the order today, they are puzzled." "Liu Bei is also uncertain." As a result, the course of the battle developed completely according to Zhuge Liang's expectation, and Liu Beijun won a great victory, which convinced Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, two high-spirited generals, and praised them: "Kong Ming is really a hero!" (back to the 39th) Thus, Zhuge Liang's image as an unpredictable strategist was initially manifested.

the subsequent burning of a new field is a purely fictional plot. In this battle, Zhuge Liang used fire and water to ambush at different levels, so that 1, troops led by Coss and Cao Hong were first burned and then flooded, resulting in heavy losses (4th time). From then on, Zhuge Liang's infinite clever plan not only won the high trust of the whole Liu Shu Group, but also made Cao Jun very afraid and easily suspected: "It's also the plan of Kong Ming!"

In the Chibi War, which decided the fate of Liu Shu Group and the tripartite confrontation, Zhuge Liang's ingenious plan was even more brilliant. Originally, in the Chibi War in history, the most important hero should be Zhou Yu; There is no clear record in the history books about what Zhuge Liang did besides sending an envoy to Jiangdong and inspiring Sun Quanlian and Liu Kangcao. However, in Luo Guanzhong's works, Zhuge Liang became the most crucial figure in deciding the outcome of the war. Although he is a guest in the Wu army, he is the real protagonist of the plot unit of "Red Cliff War". The establishment of the Sun-Liu Alliance was facilitated by him. Sun Quan's determination to resist Cao Cao was strengthened by him; Zhou Yu's "Heroes' Club" and "Jiang Gan's Stealing Books", Huang Gai's risks plan and fraudulent surrender plan were seen through by him at a glance; The key decision of the campaign-fire attack plan, agreed by him and Zhou Yu * * *; And the decisive condition for the implementation of fire attack-Dongfeng, was cleverly "borrowed" by him. It can be said that every step forward of Sun-Liu Alliance on the road to victory is inseparable from his wisdom; Without him, it is almost impossible for Zhou Yu to defeat Cao Cao. In the whirlpool of contradictions between Sun Liu Alliance and Cao Jun and within Sun Liu Alliance, and in the battle of wits with two outstanding figures, Zhou Yu and Cao Cao, his foresight, magnanimity and sagacity made generate shine again and again. Zhou Yu respected and envied him, and tried to get rid of him many times. He was as calm as a mountain, which made Zhou Yu helpless, safeguarded the alliance between Sun and Liu, and guaranteed the victory of the campaign. The result of the battle of wits tells people that Cao Cao's wisdom is not as good as Zhou Yu's, and Zhou Yu's wisdom is not as good as Zhuge Liang's. Therefore, Zhuge Liang is the number one hero with great wisdom and courage.

in the plot units such as "Three Qi Zhou Yu", "Liu Bei captured the battle of Hanzhong", "Seven Capture Meng Huo" and "Six Exit Qishan", Luo Guanzhong also arranged many fictional plots, and made Zhuge Liang's wisdom and strategy exquisite from various angles. In the political struggle with his opponents, he is always good at grasping the overall situation, improvising, guiding the situation and firmly grasping the initiative to win. In military contests, he always knows himself and himself, attaches importance to mastering information, is good at mobilizing the other side, is good at psychological warfare, is good at "using strangeness", or ambushes, or smuggling, or disguises, or attacks, false and true, ever-changing, and wins again and again. "The Art of War" said: "Those who are good and amazing are infinite as heaven and earth, and inexhaustible as rivers." ("The Military Situation") "The soldiers have no constant potential, and the water is unpredictable. Those who can win because of the changes of the enemy are called gods." Zhuge Liang is proficient in these military principles, and he really uses his troops like a god. ? In order to highlight Zhuge Liang's strategy, works often use artistic techniques such as contrast and contrast. Zhou Yu, who is arrogant, lamented many times: "Kong Ming has a clever plan, I am not as good as it is!" Until the end of his life, he also lamented that "he was born with Yu, but he was born with Liang", which strongly expressed his feeling of trying to overwhelm Zhuge Liang but being helpless. Cao Cao, who is good at fighting, is always suspicious when fighting Zhuge Liang, and he loses again and again. The wily Sima Yi admitted many times: "I am not as good as Kong Ming!" Even after Zhuge Liang's death, the Shu army retreated, and Sima Yi led his troops to chase after him. He was also scared by Zhuge Liang's portrait and fled in a panic, leaving a pretext that "Zhuge Liang can leave Zhong Da after death". By comparing these first-rate talents with Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang's strategy of "infinite as heaven and earth" was shown to the extreme.

(3) Describe Zhuge Liang's loyalty in many ways.