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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
In many stories in history, a name is often not only a logo, but also a password full of deep meaning. The names of the three village owners in Liangshan, if they can be read together, will reveal the truth that Song Jiang must go to death.
What kind of fatalism and historical outlook is hidden behind this seemingly coincidental naming? Perhaps these names contain profound symbolic meanings, revealing the irreversibility of the fate of the heroes of Yangsan.
In these words, is there a kind of doomed ending that makes us want to dig deeper?
1. Reckless Uprising: Wang Lun's Liangshan Ambition
In the world of "Water Margin", Liangshanbo is a place full of legends. The mountains and rivers here are beautiful, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it has been a good place to resist the imperial court since ancient times.
And Wang Lun, a seemingly ordinary white-clothed showman, became the first owner of Liangshan. Wang Lun was originally just a down-and-out scholar, with not much ink in his chest, and his ability and force were seriously insufficient.
However, the gears of fate began to turn, and a rich boy named Chai Jin took a fancy to him. Chai Jin not only donated generously, but also gave Wang Lun guidance and helped him occupy Liangshan.
In this way, Wang Lun sat on the top spot of Liangshan. However, his ambition is nowhere near what he is capable of. Wang Lun just wants to occupy the treasure land, and he is safe when he is rich, and he does not have too many ideals.
This is understandable, but he made a fatal mistake: he accepted Lin Chong, Chao Gai and other heroes whose abilities far exceeded him. These heroes are not reconciled to do nothing on Liangshan all their lives.
They have greater ambitions and want to make a difference. Since Wang Lun accepted them, he would inevitably face a conflict of ideas. It's a pity that Wang Lun has no clear understanding of his ability, and he begins to be jealous of his ability, especially Lin Chong.
Lin Chong was a strong martial artist, and he quickly won the respect of everyone on Liangshan. Wang Lun was worried that Lin Chong would threaten his position, so he tried every means to get rid of him. However, he underestimated Lin Chong's ability and popularity.
Under Wu Yong's planning, Lin Chong and other heroes launched a rebellion. Wang Lun eventually died and fell victim to the power struggle.
His ending teaches us that it's not enough to just occupy the favorable terrain, but that true leaders also need to have the ability and heart to match.
Second, the pride of the grass co., GRASS: the ephemeral glory of Chao Gai
With the fall of Wang Lun, Liangshan ushered in a new leader, Chao Gai. This hero, nicknamed "King Tota", is a typical reckless heroic image. He is bold and bold, glorious and bright, and has a lot of prestige in the rivers and lakes.
At the beginning of Chao Gai's ascension, the development of Liangshan was in full swing. Under his leadership, Liangshan has absorbed more talented people, and the scale far exceeds that of ordinary cottages. Chao Gai's pride and courage have injected new vitality into Liangshan.
However, as Yangsan continued to grow, problems also arose. Although Chao Gai is an excellent reckless hero, he lacks the experience and ability to manage large organizations.
Yangsan is no longer a simple cottage, but a huge rebel force that requires more refined management and more long-term planning.
At this time, a character named Song Jiang began to emerge. Song Jiang is the director of Yuncheng County, Shandong, although his official position is not high, but he has a lot of prestige in the rivers and lakes. He was shrewd and capable, good at scheming, and soon gained a firm foothold in Liangshan.
The arrival of Song Jiang made Chao Gai feel unprecedented pressure. The two men disagreed on the direction of Liangshan's development: Chao Gai wanted to continue to expand Liangshan's power, while Song Jiang advocated a return to the imperial court through Zhao'an.
This difference in philosophy eventually led to a split within Yangsan. What Chao Gai didn't expect was that even his most trusted military advisor, Wu Yong, began to fall to Song Jiang.
In Wu Yong's view, after the development and growth of Liangshan, it is no longer under Chao Gai's control, and only Song Jiang is the most suitable candidate for leadership.
3. The Road of Power Scheme: The Rise and Planning of Song Jiang
The rise of Song Jiang can be said to be the most exciting power transfer in "Water Margin". As a lowly official, Song Jiang climbed to the pinnacle of power in Liangshan step by step with his extraordinary wisdom and skill.
When Song Jiang first arrived in Liangshan, he behaved very humblely. He quietly won the hearts of the people, especially those who had been officials in the imperial court. Song Jiang knew that these people, like himself, still longed to return to the court deep down.
He skillfully took advantage of this and secretly formed his own forces. At the same time, Song Jiang did not ignore the local forces in Liangshan. He treated people with sincerity and soon won the trust of many heroes.
Even Chao Gai once regarded Song Jiang as his right-hand man. However, Song Jiang's ambitions go far beyond that. He orchestrated a series of subtle actions to gradually weaken Chaogai's authority. One of the most critical steps was to win the support of the military advisor Wu Yong.
Wu Yong was a shrewd strategist, and he was keenly aware that the situation in Liangshan was changing. In his opinion, Chao Gai was no longer able to control the growing Liangshan, and Song Jiang was more suitable to be the leader. So, Wu Yong chose to betray Chao Gai and support Song Jiang instead.
With Wu Yong's cooperation, Song Jiang finally found an opportunity to get rid of Chao Gai. During a campaign, Chao Gai was "unfortunately" hit by a poisoned arrow and died of serious injuries. Although it seems to be an accident on the surface, anyone with a discerning eye can see the strangeness.
In this way, Song Jiang successfully ascended to the pinnacle of power in Liangshan and became the third and last lord of the village. His rise shows the skill of a politician, but it also exposes his inner ambition and ruthlessness.
Fourth, the number of days is difficult to violate: the mystery of the name of the master of Sanzhai
In "Water Margin", Shi Nai'an cleverly arranged the names of the three village owners in Liangshan, hiding mysteries. When we read the names of Wang Lun, Chao Gai, and Song Jiang upside down, we found that the homonym was "the death of the Song Dynasty". This discovery amazed many readers.
This ingenious arrangement contains two meanings. First, it hints at the fate of the imminent demise of the Song dynasty. In the background of the story of "Water Margin", the Northern Song Dynasty did usher in the Jingkang Revolution soon after, and was finally destroyed by the Jin Dynasty.
Secondly, this homonym also foreshadows Song Jiang's ending. Although Song Jiang finally led the heroes of Liangshan to accept the imperial court's recruitment and made great achievements, his fate was inevitable. This seems to imply that no matter how hard Song Jiang tries, his end has been doomed by fate.
One might wonder, is this just a coincidence? However, when we delve into "Water Margin", we will find that Shi Nai'an did take a lot of pains in coming up with a name. For example, Wang Lun and Song Jiang both have historical prototypes, but Chao Gai is made up by the author.
Shi Nai'an chose the rare surname "Chao", and it is hard to believe that this is just a random act. This further confirms that the homonym "the fall of the Song Dynasty" is indeed deliberately arranged by the author.
This ingenious design not only adds to the interest of the novel, but also reflects the author's ingenuity. It allows readers to constantly discover new surprises in the process of reading, and at the same time lays the groundwork for the development of the whole story.
5. Leaving a name in history: the fate of the Song River and the rise and fall of the Northern Song Dynasty
The story of Song Jiang can be seen as a microcosm of the rise and fall of the Northern Song Dynasty to some extent. The two have striking similarities in their trajectories.
Song Jiang made great achievements through the southern and northern wars, especially the battle of Fangla. This made him highly commended by the imperial court, and he was named a martial arts doctor, and the official went to Chuzhou to pacify him. For a time, Song Jiang can be described as a spring breeze and unlimited scenery.
This experience is very similar to the fate of the late Northern Song Dynasty. After nearly a hundred years of tragic history of being suppressed by the Liao State and Western Xia, the Northern Song Dynasty finally ushered in the opportunity to counterattack.
Through the reform of the law, the Northern Song Dynasty gradually strengthened its national strength. Under the leadership of Song Zhezong, the Northern Song Dynasty continued to achieve military victories, and even recovered the important Hehuang region.
In the early period of the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, the national power of the Song Dynasty reached its peak. They even united with the newly rising Jin State to eliminate the imposing Liao State. This series of victories made the Song court complacent, as if the prosperous era had come.
However, like the fate of the Song River, the glory of the Northern Song Dynasty was short-lived. After Song Jiang made great achievements, he was soon framed by traitors in the court and China, and finally died under poisoned wine. And the Northern Song Dynasty also quickly perished under the seemingly powerful appearance.
The Jin people originally had no idea of attacking the Great Song Dynasty, but in the battle of Liao, they saw through the reality of the Song army. This gave the Jin people the ambition to seize the Central Plains. In the end, the Jin soldiers broke through Bianjing, and the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed.
The fate of Song Jiang and the Northern Song Dynasty has confirmed an ancient wisdom: prosperity must decline. Both individuals and dynasties, after reaching their peak, tend to ignore potential crises because of pride and complacency, and eventually go into decline.
epilogue
The mystery of the names of the three village owners in "Water Margin" is not only the ingenuity of literary creation, but also a deep insight into the law of the rise and fall of history.
It reminds us that when reading classic literature, we should not stop at the surface, but think deeply about the ingenuity of the author. Perhaps, we can learn more about human nature, power, and history.