Yang Zhi is a character in China's classic novel Water Margin. His nickname is the Green Beast, and he is a descendant of Yang Jiajiang. He was born in Wuju. He used to be the commander-in-chief of the palace, but he lost his job because of the fall of Hua Shigang.
After failing to seek reinstatement in Tokyo, he sold knives in poverty and killed the villain Niu Er. He was stabbed in Daming Mansion and was appreciated by Liang Zhongshu. He was promoted to the governor of Guan Jun and escorted the delivery class. As a result, I was robbed and had to go to Erlong Mountain to become an outlaw. After gathering righteousness, Sanshan entered Liangshan, and Liangshan ranked seventeenth. It was a dark star in heaven and the pioneer of eight generals of ancient Ma Jun.. He died in Dantu County when he surrendered Fang La, and pursued Zhong Wulang.
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Yang Zhi, the blue-faced beast, is a real historical figure. He is descended from Yang Jiajiang?
The Water Margin is one of the four well-known classical novels, among which 108 Liangshan hero left a deep impression on us. But as a novel, it naturally has its artistic exaggeration. Many heroes are fictional characters, and only Song Jiang, Guan Sheng, Dong Ping, Shi Jin and others are real people in history. However, due to the low status, the relevant records are vague. Fortunately, one of the heroes left a cultural relic.
As for Yang Zhi, the Water Margin says that he is a descendant of Jin Daoyang. Therefore, whether Yang Zhi belongs to Water Margin has always been a controversial topic. A few years ago, an ancient tomb was discovered in Jiyuan, Henan. Although most of the precious cultural relics in the tomb were stolen, the epitaph recording the owner's life was left behind. Experts discovered the tomb by studying the epitaph.
The epitaph records Yang Zhi as a military commander in the Northern Song Dynasty, saying that he is strong-willed and brave in fighting. Even the emperor praised him for his bravery to his face, and he can act as a pioneer in every battle. At the same time, the epitaph also explained the ending of Yang Zhi, saying that he had fought with the nomadic people in Taiyuan with the Lord Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan was defeated in a battle, but he blamed Yang Zhi and killed Yang Zhi for no reason, which was distressing. Later, when the emperor knew the truth and killed Wang Yuan, it was revenge for Yang Zhi. So what is recorded in the epitaph is true?
Another book about the historical materials of the Northern Song Dynasty, The League of Three Dynasties to the North, also contains a record about Yang Zhi, saying that he was a giant bandit recruited by an army and was defeated and killed in the battle to defend Taiyuan, which proves from the side that the account of Yang Zhi's epitaph is credible. In addition, Liang Xi Ji, written by Li Gang, the minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, further recorded the process of Yang Zhi's wrongful death in detail. When Yang Zhi's army confronted the nomads from the Northern Song Dynasty, other generals in the Northern Song Dynasty were outnumbered and fled. Only Yang Zhi rallied his troops, retreated to pacify, and repelled the nomadic attacks many times.
It can be seen that Yang Zhi is a hero, and the jealousy of Wang Yuan and others killed him. By studying Yang Zhi's epitaph, we can know that Yang Zhi is really a real person, probably after Yang Jiajiang, but because there is no relevant record of Yang Zhi's ancestors in the epitaph, we can't take it as very conclusive evidence.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Yang Zhi