Chapter 31 Postscript: When did you forget the Three Kingdoms

A friend said: I am looking forward to your volume of Chinese history "Three Kingdoms". Really? He is looking forward to it, but I am very sad. The Three Kingdoms should not be so eye-catching. In fact, this history is not important.Not only is it not as good as the abdication of Qi Fei, the feudalism of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the merger of the Qin Dynasty and the exclusive Confucianism, but it is also not as good as the chaos and chaos that followed, and it dare not be compared with the contention of a hundred schools of thought. However, the popularity of the Three Kingdoms on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and in Asia is much higher than in other historical periods.Of course, the stories that most people know are told, and few people read Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms" and Fan Ye's "Hou Hanshu".This is true in China, but also in Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

In fact, at the beginning of its publication, no one cared about it, and intellectuals even scoffed at it.It was not until Mao Shengshan and Mao Zonggang in the Qing Dynasty added, deleted, rewritten and rewritten comments that they became popular all over the world.Therefore, success or failure should not only be counted in Luo Guanzhong's account, but also Mao's father and son. So, what "additives" did Mao's father and son give? This can only be answered by versionists and literary historians, but their comments reveal a little bit of clues.For example, Cao Cao cried when Dian Wei was killed in the battle to levy Zhangxiu; after the defeat of Chibi, Cao Cao also said, "Guo Fengxiao (Guo Jia) is here, don't let the lonely come here", and wept bitterly, saying: Alas, Fengxiao !Painful and filial piety!Pity and filial piety!

But that's all. However, Mao's commentary was exaggerated and full of articles: Crying Dian Wei was in front of the soldiers, and crying Guo Jia was in front of the advisers.So Mao's father and son commented: Crying Dian Wei is to move the soldiers, crying Guo Jia is to shame the counselors, the first cry is better than the reward, and the second cry is better than the beating. Next, they said sarcastically: It turns out that the tears of a traitor can be used not only as money, but also as a stick.The traitorous traitor is really ridiculous! Excuse me, is this still history?

Of course not, but it can be seen, it is good-looking, and it makes people want to see it. Good-looking is necessary for literary works, so you don’t have to care so much about the authenticity of history, you can emulate flowers and plants, make things out of nothing, and confuse the real with the fake.For example, if Zhuge Liang's "Ziwu Valley Miracle" of not using Wei Yan is true, and if it is false to frighten Sima Yi away with an empty city plan, then he will accept it all. So Mao's father and son commented: The former shows Zhuge Liang's carefulness, while the latter shows his boldness.However, if he hadn't been careful on weekdays, he would never have dared to be bold for a while, and Sima Yi would not have been convinced that he was deceived.

Therefore, Mao and his son came to the conclusion: Only careful people will not do bold things, and only careful people can do bold things. This is very philosophical. The finishing touches like this are seen from time to time.For example, they say: honest people are obedient, and the most obedient is the most honest; the honest man has the heart, and the most honest is the most honest.Another example: what a hero is proud of is righteous ear; what a villain is proud of is wisdom ear.This not only has a philosophy of life, but also a value orientation. It's a pity that all these highlights are based on one premise: The Three Kingdoms is a history of struggle between loyalty and treachery.In order to defeat treachery and evil, Zhongyi had no choice but to fight evil with evil.This kind of confrontation is called a battle of wits and courage if it sounds good, and it is called intrigue if it is bad.

Intrigue runs through all the time, especially before and after the Battle of Chibi.Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, who were originally gentlemen, have also become despicable villains with ulterior motives. One is "jealous and sinister" and the other is "cunning and treacherous". But everyone says it looks good. This is really "the red and swollen place is as bright as a peach blossom; when it is festered, it is as beautiful as cheese".The so-called "Three Kingdoms fever" shows the national mentality, and even the spiritual pursuit and cultural psychology of the Greater China cultural circle, is it not suspicious?

In fact, there are only eight words that have lasted for a long time and attracted people to read them again and again: scheming, calculation, trickery, and strategy.They can be used in battlefields, officialdoms, shopping malls and even in love, who wouldn't want them? Play the banner of "rereading the classics", no need? Even the loyalty that the author and many readers think is "positive energy" is suspicious.What is loyalty?A minister is loyal to the ruler, a son is loyal to his father, and a wife is loyal to her husband.But, should the king be loyal to his subjects?Should the Father be faithful to the Son?Should a husband be faithful to his wife?No need to.Please think about it, isn't this an "unequal relationship"?

Righteousness is also a big problem.Morality, justice, benevolence, sympathy, faith, which one is the true meaning or righteousness?What should be done when these "righteousnesses" conflict?No one explained it, no one could explain it clearly, and they could only act according to circumstances or make their own decisions. You said I was unkind, and I said you were unrighteous. Loyalty has become a weapon to punish people. This is not surprising.In fact, this core value itself is very problematic.Loyalty is unilateral personal attachment, and righteousness is arbitrary interpretation from multiple perspectives.Loyalty is unchanging, righteousness is changeable.As a result, either he talked falsely, and Zhou Gong was afraid of the day of rumors; or he falsified, and Wang Mang was humble and not usurped.

In fact, all political struggles are, in the final analysis, conflicts of interests.Competing for profit is justified, it can only be bragging, lying and pretending.This is "hypocrisy".Making a set of methods and techniques by making a fake is a "strategy".It doesn't work if you don't engage in conspiracy.Because everyone is playing the moral card, they must occupy the moral high ground, and they must accuse the other party of "unrighteousness".This can only engage in conspiracy, not conspiracy. Obviously, scheming comes from hypocrisy, and hypocrisy comes from loyalty.The "flag of morality" that was held high is actually the culprit.

This is the "sexual disease". That is to say, the problem with the Mao-approved version is not so much a “facelift” to history, but a “gender change.”Plastic surgery is allowed, but sex change is not, unless it is clearly stated that what you are talking about is not history, and readers do not regard the novel as history.Unfortunately, this has never been made clear. So, what is the nature of the history of the Three Kingdoms? The first half is the line struggle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao; the second half is the power struggle between Cao Wei, Shu Han and Sun Wu.Later, the three points were unified, but it returned to the original direction of history.It is the task of history to point out this trend and find out the profound meaning and dominant force behind it.

So in this book, there isn't a lot of saber-rattling or cunning.This book is not, but "Three Kingdoms".You may not see something you particularly want to see, only as close to the real history as possible. Friends, will you be disappointed?