Characters in Water Margin —— Song Jiang's Short Stories

The most controversial figure in Water Margin is Song Jiang.

Song Jiang has many commendable advantages. He is filial to the old lady, good to his friends and loyal to his country. These are all in line with the virtues of life that we understand and believe in. It is precisely for this reason that almost all people in the water margin can accept him, so that on the day after Wang's death, he became the leader of all heroes more smoothly. This is not only the opportunity given to him by history, but also the result of his accumulated virtue and hard work. To put it mildly, it is called "conforming to public opinion."

However, Song Jiang also has many limitations. The previous criticism of Song Jiang once attributed the problem to his "surrender". I don't quite agree with this view. As far as political relations are concerned, his behavior is a kind of "surrender". Because he belongs to the camp of the peasant army, and the camp represented by the emperor belongs to the aristocratic landlord class. In particular, he led his brothers to attack Fang La and wiped out the strength of another peasant army with the strength of one peasant army, which really involved the issue of class stance. But judging from Song Jiang's consistent ideological characteristics, he doesn't seem to regard himself as a "peasant class". He has always paid attention to "upholding justice for heaven", in which "heaven" represents the continuation of "bloodline" More specifically, he cares about the "country" rather than the "regime". Supposedly, with his military strength, he could kill Kaifeng and "seize the bird seat", but in the end this concept of "bloodline" bound him and made him make the final decision. This "bloodline" here is actually the "country" in his eyes and heart.

Song Jiang's limitations are actually very obvious. He accepted the invitation on his own initiative. His starting point, as he has been chanting, is to find a bright way out for his brothers. In fact, how many of his brothers have such a bright future as "rarity"? Lin chong? Chai Jin? Lu Junyi? Huarong? Are there any Ruan brothers, jy and others who have already lived at the bottom? It can be said that almost no one wants this so-called "bright way out", and the most typical person who really needs this "bright way out" is only Song Jiang. But how did he end it? From the early company to the state official, it is just one thing, and it is not as high as his position as the leader of Liangshan. As for Song Jiang, who was born as an escort, from being an escort to a state official may be a "bright way out". Supposedly, Song Jiang felt at ease.

Song Jiang's feelings are not evaluated for the time being. Just say how much Song Jiang has paid for this so-called "bright way out". 108 will lose more than half and kill so many of his own brothers, which is one of them; It destroys the class brothers and deviates from the feelings as "class", which is the second kind. Maybe three or four. Judging from the comprehensive performance, Song Jiang's behavior is not worth the loss. Perhaps, by doing so, he safeguarded his deep-seated "country" and "lineage", but whether this belief is purely noble or purely selfish is really worth discussing in that particular story.

Song Jiang has his good side and his bad side. To judge a person is to look at it comprehensively. I also praised many advantages of Song Jiang, but while praising and praising him, I said that he was actually selfish in some things. And this selfishness is based on the premise of harming others and not benefiting themselves. This behavior is a bit disgusting.

Song Jiang, in his own words, said, "Black looks short, born in a small official, and his words can't be strong, his martial arts can't be taken, his chickens can't be bound, and his arrows can't be armed ..." But how can such a "coward" who is seen by others grow from a small official at the bottom of a state machine to a leader who competes with each other, gathers the achievements of one side, and inspires the world? In fact, all this is inseparable from Song Jiang's leadership style and personal charm.

Song Jiang is a smart, manipulative, broad-minded and polite corporal. I don't like women, and I'm generous with wealth. It is difficult to be anxious about what others are anxious about. Only these two have the demeanor of great leaders. Unfortunately, the thought of loyalty, filial piety and benevolence is strong, which is related to the national conditions at that time and the orthodox Confucian education he received. He didn't develop into a separatist regime and then change the dynasty, which really buried him a little.

"Timely rain" means that others are anxious and others are difficult. Money is very important. Song Jiang, with his abundant wealth, made his personal charm even more powerful, and it was expected that he would buy out Shandong heroes.

Sung River has a characteristic of making money, not only for heroes, but also for ordinary people, such as workers, geisha, hooligans, vendors, widowers, lonely old people, etc ... It is really a place to spend money. Cycas bloomed and nodded, which won unanimous praise from all walks of life. So money makes the mare go. How much more people!

As long as there is money, everyone knows how to spend it. But Song Jiang is different. He is superior to ordinary people in that he can spend money and is good at spending money. Good steel is on the blade. "

Song Jiang never adds icing on the cake when he makes money, but only gives timely help. In this way, even a little money is extremely valuable. "A penny is worth a penny", and Song Jiang is good at going all out on this "penny". And only focus on one word "love". Let the beneficiaries have the feeling of saving their lives, how can they not be grateful and never forget? Song Jiang is good at human business. He bought Song Wu for only twelve taels of silver; Also twelve sycees, Sung River will buy jy lifelong loyalty for Li Kui. Finally, he drank poisoned wine and died for Sung River. Jin Shengtan commented: "Twelve taels of silver to buy an iron cow is a pen that Song Jiang is proud of all his life!" Song Jiangzhi's money is also good at offering flowers and buddhas. Buying money with money gradually expanded social resources and tangible and intangible assets, and truly achieved "supporting wars with wars", which made him rich in financial resources and snowballed all the way to buy it.

It is true that even if you make money again, you will give generously. If you don't have charisma and leadership, you can't lead the crowd and sit on the side. Besides being good at making money, Song Jiang has another more important thing that makes people sit up and take notice. That is his great personality charm and leadership temperament. In the preface to The Water Margin, Tian Du, the foreign minister of the Ming Dynasty, said, "wu jun was a good strategist, and the Taoist priest Sun knew the divination, but Chai Wang accepted it. All three women can be female soldiers, and Lu Junyi is fierce and arrogant. And sung river is dominated by one person, as always. A husband can rule everyone with one person, and this person must be no ordinary person. " Well, of course, sung river is by no means mediocre!

"People are useless because of mediocrity", but Song Jiang is not like this. First of all, he has a broad mind, deep eyes and high aspirations. This is beyond the reach of those rough people who only know how to rob people and share the spoils. Heroes are down and out, stabbing Jiangzhou. On Xunyang Building, Song Jiangtuo was sad, and he was worried about the river. He generously wrote a poem entitled "Xijiang Moon" in the heat of wine: "I attacked history since I was a child, and I also had the power to grow up. Like a tiger lying on a barren hill, its hidden minions endure. It's a pity that tattooed cheeks deserve Jiangzhou! If he had taken revenge that year, he would have washed the mouth of Xunyang River with blood! " Its mind and bearing stand out from the paper, which is awe-inspiring and magnificent! That tone and mentality really caught up with Huang Chao and Zhu Yuanzhang. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao, a giant coach, wrote a poem about chrysanthemums, which is well known to all women and children: "When the flowers bloom in Qiu Lai on September 8th, I will kill them all. Tianxiang penetrates Chang' an, and the city is full of golden armor! "Coincidentally, Zhu Yuanzhang also wrote such a poem about chrysanthemums at the end of the Yuan Dynasty:" I don't send flowers when they bloom, and I will be scared to death. To resist the west wind, wear golden armor all over. " Sung river is such a tone, lean tone, it seems the same strain.

Song Jiang's drunken anti-poetry is his true colors. He is a very talented person. Although ambitious, Song Jiang is very low-key and steady in dealing with people, and he is not overbearing at all. Usually gentle, polite, modest and prudent, he must be the "next" and "small official", and he is always obedient. At the critical moment, he is also very good at improvisation. "Tears streaming down his face" invites people to buy people's hearts, which is a great biography of Liu Bei. Because the traitors were rampant and the court was corrupt, although he had the ambition to serve the country, he could not start. As a last resort, I accepted the heroes of the lake and the sea and wanted to take a "shortcut to fame and fortune is like a thief, and the prime minister only uses tricks." A shortcut to the south. Is Song Jiang the initiator of "curve saving the country"? It is no accident that Liangshan heroes only follow Song Jiang. He is eager for virtue, and he is a polite corporal. Whether he is a world-famous hero or a rascal, he can make the best use of his talents and things. This is similar to Meng Changjun, Xinlingjun and Chunshenjun in the Warring States Period.

Song Jiang is a man with great political skills and means of doing things. He is not only good at infighting, but also a master of infighting. Since Song Jiang went to Liangshan, Yiting was changed to Loyalty Hall, which changed the political line of Shuihu. Liangshan, headed by Chao Gai, has only the word "righteousness". In order to carry out his political opinions, Song Jiang quietly raised a classical style. As soon as he came to power, he put "loyalty" above "righteousness" and even erected an apricot yellow banner on the mountain to "do justice for heaven". When the flag was lowered, he also made a speech on the altar to express his intention to help the country and benefit the society. After all, no one can surpass history, and Song Jiang, who is deeply influenced by Confucianism, can't surpass ethics and orthodoxy. On the contrary, he regarded ethics as the standard of treating people all his life, which is his lovely and hateful place, which created the tragedy of his life.

What is "Tian" for "Tian"? It is "Zhao Guan" and "Imperial Court". Later, he finally accepted the imperial edict under this guiding ideology. "I stopped being a robber and went to fight other robbers for the emperor ..." He was far less attractive than jy: "The old son of the emperor was named Song, and so was my younger brother. He sits (in the world). Why can't my brother sit? ! "

In any case, Song Jiang's tactics and means are, after all, those of a gentleman, and he has made a difference. This is a great loss on the court where wolves are rampant and villains are ganging up. When a villain does things, "no principle is his greatest principle." As long as I am good to you, I will do whatever it takes, and there is no bondage of moral conscience and sense of responsibility. Therefore, Song Jiang, who helped the people with righteousness on the water margin, was soon defeated in front of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, and even lost his life.

This is Song Jiang in Water Margin, and it is also Song Jiang that Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong want to show to readers. As a scholar, the author of "Water Margin" is against the behavior of bandits stealing chickens and dogs, killing and setting fires, killing innocent people, and having no purpose and mission in the primary stage of Liangshan. With the help of Song Jiangzhi, the author put them on the right path in order to benefit the country and society more or less. In fact, this is also thousands of years of learning. "If you live in a temple, you will worry about the people, and if you are far away, you will worry about the king." The revelation of concept and sense of responsibility. The author hates the large-scale corruption and calluses of the superstructure, and fantasizes about saving the world with the enthusiasm of a scholar. Therefore, he portrayed the character Song Jiang to vent his chest and arms, and also let the bullied grassroots have a bad breath. This is the theme of the novel Water Margin. From this point of view, no matter from what angle, whether from Song Jiang himself, the society at that time or the author himself, Song Jiangdu is a tragic figure.