Background
The Water Margin describes Suo Chao as seven chi tall, with a round face, big ears, a squarish mouth and a beard which overshadows his face. His physical appearance gives him an impressive bearing like a hero's. Suo Chao was originally a military officer from Daming Prefecture (in present-day Handan, Hebei) and he served under Grand Secretary Liang Shijie as a military general. Suo Chao is hot-headed and impatient by nature, and will always be the first to charge ahead of his men in battle, thus earning himself the nickname "Impatient Vanguard". His weapon of choice is a huge golden axe.
When Yang Zhi is exiled to Daming Prefecture, Liang Shijie recognises Yang's abilities and intends to let Yang serve under him. Yang Zhi defeats some of Liang Shijie's best officers in jousts. Suo Chao is dissatisfied and he challenges Yang Zhi to a contest. Neither of them emerges as the victor after several rounds of fighting. Liang Shijie is impressed with both of them and decides to promote them to the same rank.
Read more about this topic: Suo Chao
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“They were more than hostile. In the first place, I was a south Georgian and I was looked upon as a fiscal conservative, and the Atlanta newspapers quite erroneously, because they didn’t know anything about me or my background here in Plains, decided that I was also a racial conservative.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“I had many problems in my conduct of the office being contrasted with President Kennedy’s conduct in the office, with my manner of dealing with things and his manner, with my accent and his accent, with my background and his background. He was a great public hero, and anything I did that someone didn’t approve of, they would always feel that President Kennedy wouldn’t have done that.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)