Yue Fei (March 24, 1103 - January 27, 1142), courtesy name Pengju, was born in Tangyin, Xiangzhou (now Tangyin County, Henan Province). During the Southern Song Dynasty, he was a famous general, military strategist, strategist, national hero, calligrapher, and poet who fought against the Jin Dynasty. He ranked first among the "Four Generals of the ZTE" in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Gaozong of the Song Dynasty ordered Yue Fei to death on charges of treason. Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty vindicated him and gave him the posthumous title of Wu Mu. In the Ming Dynasty, he was conferred the title of Jingmo Great Emperor of the Three Realms and was enshrined in martial arts temples everywhere. Among the many statements about ZTE's four generals, he is the only one who appears in all lists.
Emperor Kangxi also granted Yue Fei, the 23rd descendant of Yue Fei and the official seal of the Ministry of Punishment, the Nine-Ban Chao Luan Jia and the Python Suit of Yue Zhen.
Emperor Qianlong visited Yue Fei's tomb in Hangzhou many times, and personally wrote "Yue Fei Mu Lun", in which he also wrote a couplet: "A minister with two words has taught me through the ages, and a hundred battles have shocked the world."
Extended information
Tattooing - the tattooing of mother-in-law is just a legend
"It is true that Yue Fei got tattooed, and it happened more than once." Wang Shanjun said. In the Song Dynasty, recruiting sergeants was called "recruiting assassins". Tattooing on the face, arms, back of hands, etc. of the sergeants to indicate the army number and military identity is intended to prevent the sergeants from escaping and facilitate pursuit after escape. Tattooing was a mark of shame, and only criminals, slaves, and certain government craftsmen were treated in this way.
Being a soldier in the Song Dynasty was a humble profession. A person would not join the army unless he had to. Yue Fei had no choice but to apply for the army in times of famine and became a "low-ranking slave". He refused to be humiliated on his face, and relied on his superior martial arts to strive to be elected as a "utility soldier" (a kind of senior sergeant), but he still had to get tattoos on the back of his hands.
As for the story of the mother-in-law's tattooing, there was no relevant record in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The original record of Yue Fei having the four characters "Serve the country with all his devotion" stabbed on his back can be found in "History of the Song Dynasty" Volume 380 "The Biography of He Zhu" and Volume 356 "The Biography of Yue Fei". It was during the interrogation of Yue Fei: "Fei showed his back, There are four characters on the back, "Serve the country with all my heart", which is deeply rooted in the skin. "The legend of Rushiguan" written in the 53rd year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1714) shows the plot of the mother-in-law's tattoo.
Qian Cai's "Shuo Yue Quan Zhuan" in the early Qing Dynasty also wrote the story of the mother-in-law's tattoo in the 22nd chapter "The Mother-in-law's Training of the Son". At this point, the story of the mother-in-law's tattoo has become finalized. , and the four words "Yue Fei's back tattoo" were also misinterpreted as "loyalty to serve the country", and for a long time, the misinformation was passed down, and it almost became true. "The reason why it was mistakenly called 'Serving the Country with Faith and Loyalty' may have been influenced by the 'loyalty with Yue Fei' written on the banner given to Yue Fei by Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty." Wang Shanjun added.
Although it cannot be confirmed that Yue Fei was stabbed by his mother-in-law with the words "Serve the country with all his devotion" on his back, it cannot be said that it has nothing to do with her. According to the biography of Liu An and the biography of Zou Hao in the "History of the Song Dynasty", "the two of them, apart from their official positions, both died of their mother's death, and both mothers encouraged them to serve the country with all their loyalty." It can be seen that serving the country with all loyalty was the proper meaning of the title of a virtuous mother teaching her children at that time.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Yue Fei
China News Network - The real Yue Fei is not a handsome man with a beard. His mother-in-law's tattoo is just a legend