In the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the peasant rebel army advances toward Youzhou. The governor of Youzhou, Liu Yan, fearing that his forces are outnumbered, issues a notice recruiting volunteers for a righteous militia.
It is this opportunity that brings Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei together, allowing them to meet, join the army, and embark on their journey to achieve greatness.
While reading the recruitment notice, Guan Yu remains silent, Liu Bei sighs, and Zhang Fei scolds Liu Bei, urging him to immediately enlist and serve the country rather than sigh passively. This scene is particularly intriguing, as readers can glean significant insights from it.
Contrasting Reactions to the Notice
Zhang Fei’s reaction to the recruitment notice appears somewhat impulsive and arrogant, as if he alone understands the situation. He fails to comprehend Liu Bei and Guan Yu, seeing only himself. He feels smug and even looks down on others, believing they are inferior to him.
Guan Yu’s emotions are complex. Because of his criminal past, he is wandering far from home, unable to return. His future seems bleak. He wants to enlist but worries about being rejected or even arrested and punished. Liu Bei, who has always had grand ambitions, lost his father at a young age and lives in poverty. At 28, he feels he has achieved nothing. As a descendant of the Han imperial family, he laments the state of the nation and desires to join the army but feels powerless.
Overall, each of the three has his own thoughts. Only Liu Bei sees the bigger picture, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are preoccupied with themselves. Zhang Fei even goes so far as to interfere with others. Although they later swear brotherhood based on shared goals, their differing personalities at this moment foreshadow their divergent paths.
Liu Bei: Benevolence and Forbearance
Liu Bei’s core traits are “benevolence” and “forbearance”, which together form the foundation of his image as the “legitimate heir to the Han Dynasty,” attracting talent and rallying public support. However, his “benevolence” sometimes devolves into “indecisiveness” or excessive emotionality.
After Liu Biao’s death, when Jingzhou (Jing Province) was leaderless, Zhuge Liang repeatedly advised Liu Bei to take Jingzhou as a base, but Liu Bei refused out of kinship loyalty. When Cao Cao’s army marched south and approached Xiangyang, Liu Cong (Liu Biao’s son) surrendered without resistance. Liu Bei, stationed in Fancheng at the time, was forced to flee south. Had it not been for the unlikely victory at the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Liu Bei’s cause might have ended prematurely.
After Guan Yu’s death, Liu Bei abandoned the core strategy of “allying with Wu to resist Cao” out of “brotherly loyalty” and insisted on attacking Wu state. This led to a devastating defeat at the Battle of Yiling, and the dream of “restoring the Han Dynasty” became distant. His obsession with “benevolence” transformed him from a “forbearing hero” into an “emotional avenger,” ultimately destroying the legacy he had built over half his life.
Guan Yu: Loyalty and Arrogance
Guan Yu’s personality is defined by “loyalty” and “arrogance”. His “loyalty” is exemplified by his refusal of Cao Cao’s offers and his unwavering devotion to Liu Bei, as well as his later decision to release Cao Cao. However, his “arrogance” is a double-edged sword: it makes him disdain compromise but also alienates allies and subordinates.
In 219 AD, Sun Quan sent a marriage proposal to Guan Yu, seeking to strengthen the Sun-Liu alliance by marrying his son to Guan Yu’s daughter. Guan Yu flatly rejected the offer.
Jingzhou was the “core point of contention” between the Wu and Shu alliance. Sun Quan always believed that Jingzhou rightfully belonged to Wu, as Wu had contributed the most to the Battle of Red Cliffs, and Jingzhou was the “western gateway” to Wu. Liu Bei, however, had long occupied it under the pretext of “temporary borrowing”.
Sun Quan’s marriage proposal was a probe to gauge Liu Bei and Guan Yu’s attitude toward Wu and their bottom line regarding control over Jingzhou. Guan Yu viewed Sun Quan’s “political marriage” as an “insult”, exacerbating tensions between Wu and Shu states and rapidly fracturing their alliance. Soon after, Lü Meng launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou, leading to Guan Yu’s defeat and death.
Zhang Fei: Ferocity and Impulsivity
Zhang Fei’s personality is characterized by “ferocity” and “impulsivity”. His “ferocity” allowed him to achieve repeated military successes on the battlefield. However, his temper and alcoholism often led to grave mistakes.
Early on, while defending Xuzhou, he drunkenly whipped Cao Bao, who then harbored resentment and secretly colluded with Lü Bu, resulting in the fall of Xuzhou and the capture of Liu Bei’s family. After Guan Yu’s death, Zhang Fei was grief-stricken and drank daily and whipped his soldiers, ultimately leading to his assassination by his subordinates, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da.
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