What kind of person is Liu Bei?

Many people may find it hard to accept that Liu Bei is a hero. Because in the eyes of ordinary people, Liu Bei is very timid. His skill is that he can run and cry. This is the impression given to us by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Actually, this is a misunderstanding. First, Liu Bei can not only run, but also cry. He knows other things. Secondly, in those days, running and crying was not shameful, which did not prove that this person was timid and not a hero. Liu Bei can run, but Cao can't There are also many records of Cao Cao fleeing hastily. Liu Bei can cry, but can't Cao cry? The story of Cao Cao wailing is also a masterpiece. Why didn't anyone say Cao Cao was timid? It can be seen that we can't look at the problem so simply. Running depends on why you run. Fight if you win, and run if you don't win. Running is meaningful. Crying depends on why you cry. If you cry for your friend's friendship, you won't be ashamed to cry. Liu Bei's running and crying are mostly like this.

Of course, compared with Cao Cao, Liu Bei runs a little more and cries a little more because he is weaker. When Liu Bei debuted, he had nothing and no money except two loyal brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He doesn't have his own army, or if he does, it's sad. When Liu Beichu started his army, he was also funded by the consortium. Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, two big businessmen in Zhongshan (now Dingxian County, Hebei Province), "use them to make more money" and let him recruit people. But Liu Bei took part in the war against the yellow turban insurrectionary and finally got an official position of "An Xiwei". An Xiwei is a county commandant of Anxi County (so he is in the east of Dingxian County in Hebei Province today). He is the deputy county public security bureau chief, so there are not many people. So Liu Bei often borrows soldiers from others. His two generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, are no different from the length of an army, so they have to try to be brave themselves.

Liu Bei doesn't have his own base, so it's hard to lose one or two plots of land quickly. He can only run around, rely on others, change his master and lose his wife. Liu Bei has been wandering for half his life since he first traveled to Battle of Red Cliffs. According to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei once said bitterly after drinking: "If you have a basic preparation, people all over the world will be fearful." Although this is a romance, it is also reasonable and can be regarded as his heart.

Liu Bei hasn't made any decent exploits yet. Luo Guanzhong helped him fight "Hua Xiong with warm wine" and "Three British Wars against Lu Bu". In fact, before Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei often fled on the battlefield, and the record of "the defeat of his predecessor" was not uncommon. Reflection? Pei Songzhi quoted Shu Wei as saying that when Cao Cao conquered him in the fifth year of Jian 'an (AD 200), he thought that Cao Cao was beating Yuan Shao and would not beat him. When he saw Cao Cao's flag with his own eyes, he turned around in fear and ran away, completely ignoring the lives of his subordinates (he abandoned the crowd when he saw the news). What is a hero? Of course, it is not that Liu Bei has never won a battle. There are also records of "calculating the meritorious military service" in the history books, but they are all small battles. In fact, no warlord was destroyed by him during the warlord melee, and Liu Bei's meritorious military service was really lacking.

Such a person certainly won't have much fame. Yuan Shu once said with great disdain, "I have never heard of Liu Bei in the world since I was born." This is what Yuan Shu said to Lu Bu, which can be found in the History of the Three Kingdoms? Lu Bu Biography: Pei Songzhi speaks a hero, is Han Shu? Biography of Lu Bu. There is another thing that can also explain the problem. According to the later Han Dynasty? In Kong Rong Biography, when Kong Rong was in Beihai, he was surrounded by the Yellow Scarf Army. In desperation, he had to send Taishi Ci to find Liu Bei, who was quite an official in the plain at that time. Liu Bei said in surprise, "Does Kong Beihai know that there is Liu Bei in the world?" Send three thousand reinforcements immediately. Is this passage a reflection? In Taishi Ci Biography, it is "Ready to answer: Does Kong Beihai know that there is Liu?" The Romance of the Three Kingdoms also says so. But I think the "Jing" in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty is more accurate than the "astringent answer" in the History of the Three Kingdoms. Behind the "Jing" is "Xi", that is, "Jing". What does this mean? It shows that Liu Bei didn't have a name at that time, and he really wanted to be famous.

However, it is such a Liu Mouren who has no desire or desire, and a Liu Xuande who asks for help everywhere, but he is welcomed and entertained everywhere. Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Bu and took refuge in Cao Cao, who made him a shepherd in Yuzhou and instructed him to be a general left. "There will be the same seat when you go out." Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao and took refuge in Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao went out of the city to meet him, and his father and son "respected him wholeheartedly". Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were the best people at that time, but even so, what about the others? Only one Yuan Shu doesn't care about Liu Bei.

Then, why did Liu Bei receive such treatment?

There is only one explanation, that is, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and Tao Qian. They all think Liu Bei is a hero.

Cao Cao once said: "Today, the heroes in the world are only kings, but fuck their ears!" And said, "Liu Bei, I was taken aback" (Liu Bei, my opponent! It seems that Cao Cao regards Liu Bei as his opponent, a figure who can compete with himself.

Yi Zhongtian summed up "Liu Bei has heroic spirit, heroic spirit, heroic soul and heroic significance" in Pinsan Kingdom.

Reflection? Chen Dengchuan said that when Liu Bei was in Jingzhou, he once discussed the heroes of the world with Liu Biao and talked about Chen Deng. A man named Xu Nai said that Chen Yuanlong (Chen Dengzilong) had a big shelf and no manners. I went to visit Long Yuan in Xiapi. Long Yuan didn't talk to me for a long time, and then he slept in the big bed and let me sleep in the small bed. Liu Bei said that the first step is to know the national scholar, but unfortunately there is no national scholar. Now that the world is in chaos and the emperor has fallen, everyone hopes to "worry about the country and forget the family, and have the meaning of saving the world." But what about the first step? "I can't tell you what to ask," which is exactly what Longyuan despised. Why did he talk to Step One? This is to know Long Yuan, which is quite polite. If I were a villain, I would like to sleep in the building of 100 feet, and let my first step sleep on the ground, not to mention the big bed and small bed! This is the origin of Xin Qiji's ci "Begging for a field and asking for a home, fearing that you will be ashamed to see it, and Liu Lang is talented".

After reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I always thought that Liu Bei was a loser who broke his word, but he was not. In fact, Liu Bei is also a heroic middleman, and sometimes he gets angry and gets angry. For example, "Du You" was played by Liu Bei, not Zhang Fei. Of course, because of his small power, poor situation and frequent dependence on others, Liu Bei could not be the "the legendary swordsman" like Cao Cao. Similarly, due to personality reasons or the need of struggle, Liu Bei was taciturn (with little language), with a straight face (without emotion), unlike Cao Cao, who talked loudly and danced happily, and showed his heroic qualities without scruple. But this does not mean that Liu Bei is not a hero. Behind his reticence and even submit to humiliation, there is a wave of heroism. This heroism is not superficial, but in the bones.

Liu Bei's "hero" is manifested in his perseverance. Life has been hard since Liu Bei started his army. It can be said that "man is not timid", and he hardly leads a comfortable life. But have we seen him depressed? I've seen him lose and fight. First, he participated in the war against the Yellow Scarf Army, and became the deputy county-level public security chief An Xiwei. As a result, he was beaten by himself with a whip. Later, because of his "meritorious service" in the war with the Yellow Scarf Army, he finally got a county-level Gao Tangling (once lost his official position), and was defeated by the Yellow Scarf Army, so he had to take refuge in Gongsun Zan. It happened that Tao Qian died and entrusted him to represent Xuzhou, but was expelled by Lu Bu and had to take refuge in Cao Cao. Later, I took refuge in Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. It can be said that before Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei had always depended on others, and frequently changed the object of refuge, constantly juggling between friends and enemies. In others, especially those who claim to be heroes, I am afraid that they have long been impatient and even committed suicide. However, Liu Bei has been forbearing. He even once attached himself to Lu Bu. Reflection? Pei Songzhi quoted Shu Wei's words in the Biography of the Grandfather, saying that Lu Bu's men also saw that Liu Bei was not a fuel-efficient lamp, so he said to Lu Bu that Liu Bei was "hard to support, so it is advisable to think clearly before it is too late". Unfortunately, Lu Bu didn't listen, and later he really died at the hands of Liu Bei. However, from another point of view, the so-called "perseverance" does not mean that Liu Bei has heroic aspirations and heroic souls, so he will not be willing to stay in the family for a long time?

According to the reflection? Pei Songzhi quoted Xian Di's Spring and Autumn Annals, and Yuan Shao commented on Liu Bei: "Liu Xuande is Hongya and faithful." This evaluation should be said to be accurate. Whether Yuan Shao is Yuan Shao or not is not always unclear. But this evaluation is contradictory to the previous statement. Can a person who is "hard to support" be said to be "Hongya has faith"? Actually, it depends on who is right and who is wrong. For the asylum object, Liu Bei is indeed "difficult to support"; For the object of dependence, Liu Bei is "Hongya faithful". Why? Just because Liu Bei is a man with heroic aspirations. If you are ambitious, you will not be willing to live under others. You must constantly adjust your strategy and look for opportunities, so it is "difficult to support again and again". Similarly, if you have heroic aspirations, you must unite with comrades and gather strength, and you must also be "elegant and loyal." In fact, we only need to point out one fact: Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were first-class talents at that time. And Liu Bei? Not only did I have nothing, but I also lived a bumpy life for a long time, with almost no hope. However, these two men have been following him unswervingly and devoutly, and they will not regret it until they die. Guan Yu even came to "ride a thousand miles." Why? Just because Liu Bei "Hongya has faith". According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei share the same bed and are brothers. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, to Liu Bei, called things brothers, but actually things were kings. It can be seen that it is the meaning of heroism that maintains the friendship between the three people. It's just that we don't know where their wives were when these three people slept together.

It should be said that Liu Bei's ability is not as good as Cao Cao's, or even far from it. Cao Cao is a rare great strategist throughout the ages. Cao Cao's military strategy is comparable to that of Han Xin and Tian Lei. Therefore, there is a saying that "the soldier has nothing to do with Sun Wu, and the soldier has nothing to do with Han Xin and Zuo Gong", and he created the art of war, wrote Meng De's New Book and annotated Sun Tzu's Art of War, which can be described as both civil and military, combining theory with actual combat. Therefore, Zhuge Liang said that "Cao Cao's wisdom is unique to others, and he used soldiers like Sun and Wu", "The first emperor called Cao Cao capable" and "my heart is connected with Cao Cao", "He is magnificent, bold and sad, and he is a real man and bold".

In the "Three Kingdoms", Chen Shou commented on Liu Bei's "lack of mechanical strength, unable to catch Wei Wu, because of limited space." -Liu Bei's ability is not as good as that of Cao Cao, so his inheritance is even smaller. Zhuge Liang said that "the first emperor called Cao Cao capable", which also proved that Liu Bei knew that Cao Cao was too capable to compare with himself. In fact, Liu Bei was only afraid of one person in his life, and that was Cao Cao. As mentioned earlier, when Liu Bei was in Xuzhou, Cao Cao went to conquer him. He said that Cao Cao would not come. It doesn't matter. Everyone is sitting here. Later, people said that you saw Cao Cao coming and saw the flag. Liu Bei saw the flag of Cao Cao and turned around and ran, leaving his wife and children behind-he was afraid of Cao Cao.

However, can "fear" say that Liu Bei is not a hero? Of course not. The ancients said that "heroes are not judged by success or failure", and of course they are not judged by ability.