This painting depicts a war scene in one of the
four classics, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which recorded
the history of the Theree Kingdoms in the third century.
Ma Chao was the descendant of eminent general assisting Zhang
Lu in Hanzhong. When Liu Bei, king of Kingdom Shu, assaulted Yizhou,
the army stationed there turned to Zhang Lu, who then sent Ma
Chao to raid Jiameng Pass under Liu Bei's control.
After discussions with Zhu Geliang, Liu Bei marched toward Jiameng
Pass to meet the enemy head-on, with Zhang Fei as the avant-courier.
The next day, Zhang Fei, with a snake shaft, fought against Ma
Chao, with a long spear. Over 100 bouts passed, they ended in
a tie. Amazed by the vehement fight, LiuBei sighed, "The
two tiger-like generals rivaled diamond cut diamond."
After hundreds of bouts,they were still tied. Liu Bei advised
Zhang Fei to fight tomorrow, in view of the approach-ing night.
Zhangfei would not listen to him, insisting on continuing with
the fight. Having exchanged horses with the fight. Having exchanged
horses with Liu Bei, Zhang Fei rode to the front, shouting."I
will never return without capturing you." Ma Chao replied
alike. The soldiers all cheer for them, hundreds of torches lighting
the battelfield as bright as daytime. However, they eventually
ended up in a tie and both withdrew their troops back to the tents.
The next day, Zhu Geliang, the military counselor, got to the
pass and captured Ma Chao with tact.
The painting inside the pavilion presents us with a vivid account
of the fierce war.
| The Summer Palace |
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