The life of Zhao Yun
「They say every inch of you is courage. In those few moments, had it been you, what would you have chosen?」
Zhao Yun, a Shu Han general, protected Liu Shan and Lady Gan at Changban and retreated in order at Jigu; the novel highlights his valor.
Zhao Yun's profile →One scene per chapter, and you are him. Underlined lines come from the books (green: Records of the Three Kingdoms, gold: the Romance); tap one to see the source. Lines without an underline connect the scenes or imagine them. At each fork you choose first, then see what he did.
Never Betray Your Kindness
You are a native of Zhending in Changshan, 8 feet tall, with a striking bearing. Your commandery recommends you, and you head north with its volunteer officers and soldiers to join Gongsun Zan.
Yuan Shao has only recently become governor of Jizhou. Word is that the people of Jizhou all favor him. Yet you come from Changshan in Jizhou, and you join his rival. Gongsun Zan fears most that the people of the province will side with Yuan Shao; seeing you come to him, he is delighted. His delight takes the form of a joke:
“I hear that all your province’s people favor the Yuan clan. Why alone have you changed your mind? Have you lost your way, only to find it again?”
The people in the tent laugh. You do not. You say: “The realm is in turmoil and no one yet knows who is in the right, while the people hang as if upside down. The counsel of my humble province is to follow wherever benevolent government lies. It is not that we slight Lord Yuan, or favor you, enlightened General, out of private feeling.”
From then on, you follow Gongsun Zan on campaign after campaign.
In the Romance, your arrival before him is much more dramatic. By the Pan River, Gongsun Zan is pursued by Wen Chou, his bow and arrows gone, his helmet fallen to the ground. His horse stumbles, and he tumbles down the slope. Wen Chou quickly levels his spear to strike. A young general rides out from the left side of the grassy slope, spear leveled, charging straight at Wen Chou. That is you. You fight Wen Chou for 50 or 60 bouts, with neither of you gaining the upper hand.
There is another guest in the camp. Liu Bei, too, has taken refuge with Gongsun Zan. He always receives you warmly, and so the two of you form a deep bond. Gongsun Zan sends him to help Tian Kai resist Yuan Shao; you go with him and become his chief horseman.
Then word comes from Changshan of a death: your elder brother has died.
The Romance has no such letter of bereavement. There, he is leaving to take up his post at Pingyuan, and the two of you must part. First you clasp hands, tears falling, unable to bear the parting, and then you sigh: “I once mistook Gongsun Zan for a hero; now I see that in his actions he is no different from Yuan Shao and the rest!” He says: “For now, bend your knee and serve him. There will be a day when we meet again.”
The letter of bereavement has arrived; in the Romance, he is also leaving to take up his post in Pingyuan. Where will you go?
Liu Bei knows that once you leave, you will not return to Gongsun Zan. He takes your hand and sees you off. You say: “I will never betray your kindness.”
In the Romance, after those words, you part in tears.
You swing into the saddle. You carry the warmth of that hand with you for a long way.
Sharing a Bed
In the years after you return to Changshan, the Records of the Three Kingdoms does not record what happens. In the Romance, you later say that Gongsun Zan would not heed advice, and so his army was defeated and he burned himself to death; Yuan Shao tried to recruit you several times, but you did not go.
In the 5th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao campaigns east, and Liu Bei is defeated; his wife is captured, and Guan Yu is taken prisoner too.
Liu Bei has gone over to Yuan Shao, and you meet him in Ye.
He is staying in another man’s city. His clothes are worn, and he has grown thin. You talk for a long time, until the lamp burns down.
That night, the two of you sleep in the same bed.
In the dark, he lowers his voice and asks you to recruit men quietly.
You go. You recruit several hundred men, all enrolled as the retainers of Liu, General of the Left. Liu, General of the Left, is he. Yuan Shao never finds out.
You know what would happen if you were discovered recruiting soldiers for another man on Yuan Shao’s territory. Yet that night he gives you his instructions so calmly, as though this is something you were always meant to do.
Eight or nine years ago, he held your hand and saw you off. Now you lie in the same bed, and neither of you mentions the words, “I will never betray your kindness.”
Later, you travel south with him all the way to Jing Province.
Zilong Would Never Abandon Me
Once in Jing Province, the Unofficial Biography of Zhao Yun records an incident: you fought Xiahou Dun at Bowang and captured Xiahou Lan. He was your fellow townsman, and you had known each other since childhood. You asked Liu Bei to spare him, recommended him as well versed in the law, and he became a military judge. Afterward, you never let him come near you.
Afraid that the military supplies at Jiangling would fall into Liu Bei’s hands, Cao Cao leaves his baggage behind and rides south with a light force. In the Romance, Liu Bei leads more than 100,000 people and over 3,000 soldiers, making their way toward Jiangling one stretch at a time, while you protect the women and children.
Cao Cao leads 5,000 elite cavalry himself, covering more than 300 li in a day and a night to catch up with you at Changban, Dangyang.
In the Romance, it is a night of late autumn, the beginning of winter, with a chill wind that cuts to the bone. At the fourth watch, cries rise from the northwest, shaking the earth.
You fight through the chaos until daybreak. Beneath the horses’ hooves lie carts, bundles, and people fallen on the ground. The people of the two counties wail, their cries shaking heaven and earth.
By daybreak, only 30 or 40 horsemen ride with you. Liu Bei abandons his wife and children and heads south. The carts and baggage are scattered. The people entrusted to you in the Romance, Lady Gan, Lady Mi, and the young master Adou, are nowhere near you.
South is your lord. North is Cao Cao’s army, its smoke not yet dispersed.
Only 30 or 40 horsemen remain behind you. Where do you go?
Among the fleeing people, Lady Gan sees you and bursts into tears. You dismount, plant your spear, and weep. You ask her to mount your horse, fight open a path, and escort her all the way to Changban Slope. Zhang Fei sits astride his horse on the bridge, spear held crosswise, and shouts: “Zilong! Why have you turned against my brother?” You say: “I could not find the lady and the young master, so I fell behind. How can you say I have turned against him?” Then you take a few riders back along the road you came.
On the road, you strike down a man carrying a sword and take that sword. At a household damaged by fire, beneath an earthen wall, beside a dry well, Lady Mi weeps, holding Adou, a spear wound in her left leg. She hands Adou to you: “This child’s life rests entirely in the general’s hands!” Again and again you ask her to mount your horse, but she will not. In the Romance, she throws herself into the dry well and dies.
You push down the earthen wall, covering the dry well; loosen your armor cords, lower your heart-protecting mirror, and cradle Adou in your arms, then take up your spear and mount your horse.
Beyond the slope, Liu Bei is waiting. In the Records of the Three Kingdoms, earlier, someone says you have already gone north, and he hurls his hand halberd at the man: “Zilong would never abandon me and run.” A little later, you arrive.
In the Romance, you open your armor and look: Adou is fast asleep and has not woken. You hand him over with both hands. He takes him and throws him to the ground: “For this brat, I nearly lost one of my great generals!”
The child in your arms is the future Later Sovereign, Liu Shan; the woman you protect is his mother, Lady Gan. Both escape harm. You are promoted to General of the Gate.
the man who flees south, leaving his wife and children behind → Read Liu Bei's story →
There Are Plenty of Women in the World
After Chibi, you follow Liu Bei in pacifying the south of the Yangtze, become a General of the Side, and take up the post of Administrator of Guiyang, succeeding Zhao Fan. In the Romance, you and Zhang Fei compete to go to Guiyang, and win the assignment by drawing lots; you write a formal pledge of military responsibility and take only 3,000 troops.
Zhao Fan comes out of the city bearing his seal and ribbons of office, and surrenders. In the Romance, he claims kinship with you: “The general’s surname is Zhao, and so is mine. Five hundred years ago, we must have been one family. The general is from Zhending, and so am I; we are fellow townsmen as well.” You become sworn brothers.
The next day, he invites you into the city. When the two of you are half-drunk, he invites you deep into the inner hall, where the cups are rinsed and filled again.
A woman comes out and pours you wine. She is dressed in white mourning clothes, and possesses a beauty that could topple a kingdom or a city. Your expression changes; you treat her with respect.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms puts it simply: Zhao Fan’s widowed sister-in-law, Lady Fan, is a beauty renowned throughout the land, and Zhao Fan wants to give her to you as a wife. In the Romance, he says: “If you do not find my sister-in-law’s looks too plain, I would provide her dowry and give her to you as a wife, joining our families for generations to come. What do you say?”
In the lamplight, her white mourning clothes are painfully bright. Zhao Fan waits for your answer.
Zhao Fan holds up his cup, waiting for your answer. What do you say?
In the Records of the Three Kingdoms, you say: “We share a surname, and your brother is as my brother.” You refuse firmly. When someone urges you, you say: “Fan was forced to surrender; his heart cannot be read. There are plenty of women in the world.” In the end, you do not marry her.
In the Romance, you speak more forcefully: “Since I have sworn brotherhood with you, your sister-in-law is my sister-in-law. How could I do a thing that violates the proper bonds of kinship!” Zhao Fan is covered in shame, and glances at those around him as if intending to harm you. You knock him down with one punch, stride out of the prefectural residence, mount your horse, and ride out of the city.
Later, Zhao Fan does indeed flee. You feel no resentment at all.
After telling this story, the Unofficial Biography of Zhao Yun recalls Xiahou Lan, captured at Bowang, and then says: Such was his caution and forethought.
Intercepting the River
Liu Bei goes west and enters Yi Province. You are left behind in Jing Province as commander of the camp guard.
Your lord’s wife, Lady Sun, relying on her status as Sun Quan’s younger sister, is arrogant and overbearing. She brings many officials and soldiers from Wu and acts without restraint. More than 100 of her maids stand by, each holding a sword, and Liu Bei feels a chill of dread whenever he goes in.
Liu Bei sees how steady you are and knows you can restore order, so he puts you in charge of the household.
Hearing that Liu Bei has set out west on campaign, Sun Quan sends a large fleet to bring his sister back. But she means to take Liu Shan back to Wu with her.
In the Romance, you have just returned from your patrol when you hear the news and are startled. You bring only four or five riders and race along the river like a whirlwind. The boat has left the shore, the wind is fair and the current swift. You shout from the bank: “Do not set sail yet! Let me see the lady off!”
You abandon your horse, take up your spear, and leap into a fishing boat. The Wu soldiers shoot arrows; you knock them aside one by one with your spear. Still more than 10 feet from the great ship, you draw the Qinggang Sword and launch yourself toward the Wu ship.
In the cabin, the lady holds Adou in her arms and cries, “How dare you be so rude!” You ask: “Where are you going, my lady? Why did you not inform the Military Adviser?” She says her mother is critically ill. You say: “If you are visiting your sick mother, why take the young lord with you?”
“My lord has only this one child of his blood. I, your humble general, rescued him from among a million troops at Changban Slope in Dangyang. By what right does my lady now carry him off?”
She says: “You are a mere soldier under his command. How dare you meddle in my family’s affairs!” You say: “The lady may go if she wishes. Leave the young lord behind.”
You wrench Adou from her arms and carry him to the bow of the boat. You hold Adou firmly in one arm and your sword in the other; no one dares come near. But the boat cannot reach the shore either; it rides the wind and current out toward midstream.
More than 10 boats line up across the harbor downstream, their banners flying and their drums beating. A general on the lead boat shouts: “Sister-in-law, leave your nephew behind!” It is Zhang Fei.
In the Records of the Three Kingdoms, there is only one sentence: you and Zhang Fei lead your troops to block the river, and only so is Liu Shan brought back.
The child in your arms is much heavier than he was at Changban.
Not Yet Time for Ease
Liu Bei turns his troops back from Jiameng to attack Liu Zhang, and summons Zhuge Liang into Yi Province. Zhuge Liang leads you and Zhang Fei west up the river, pacifying the commanderies and counties along the way. At Jiangzhou, he gives you a force and sends you up the outer river to Jiangyang, then you meet him at Chengdu.
Chengdu is secured, and you become General Who Assists the Army.
The court discusses rewards. Someone proposes distributing the houses within Chengdu and the gardens and mulberry fields outside the city among the generals. Those who have followed Liu Bei through hardship for half their lives finally have a city of their own. No one speaks.
You step forward.
“Huo Qubing would not make a home for himself while the Xiongnu remained unconquered. Now the enemies of the state are not only the Xiongnu; this is no time to seek our ease.”
“Only when the realm is wholly settled should each person return to their native place and till their own land. That is what is proper.”
“The people of Yi Province have only just suffered the ravages of war. Their fields and homes may all be returned to them. Once they are settled and have resumed their livelihoods, they can be called on for service and taxes, and we will win their goodwill.”
The court falls silent for a moment. You know several pairs of eyes have settled on your back.
Liu Bei heeds you at once.
What you refused for yourself that night in Guiyang, today you turn down on behalf of everyone.
Every Inch Courage
Xiahou Yuan is defeated and dies at Mount Dingjun; Cao Cao comes in person to contest Hanzhong, shipping rice below Mount Bei by the tens of millions of sacks.
Huang Zhong thinks the rice can be taken. Your soldiers go with him to take it. In the Romance, you set noon as the deadline.
The sun passes its height. Huang Zhong has not returned by the deadline.
You take only a few dozen lightly equipped horsemen out of camp to meet him, and run straight into Cao Cao’s troops advancing in force. His vanguard cuts you off; you have barely engaged when his main force arrives.
The odds press hard. Instead, you charge into his formation, fighting as you retreat. Cao Cao’s army is scattered, then closes ranks again, and you are trapped inside it, fighting your way back to camp. Your officer Zhang Zhu is wounded, so you turn your horse back and bring him to camp.
In the Romance, Cao Cao sees you from high ground and asks in alarm, “Who is that?” Someone who recognizes you says: “That is Zhao Zilong of Changshan.” He says: “The hero of Changban at Dangyang still lives!”
You fall back toward camp, dust rising behind you as the pursuers race after you. Cao Cao’s army pursues you to the camp. Zhang Yi, the chief of Mianyang, is in your camp; he wants to shut the gate and hold it against them.
Cao Cao’s army has reached the camp. Zhang Yi wants to shut the gate. What do you do?
You lower the flags and silence the drums. The gates stand wide open. Not a sound comes from inside. In the Romance, you stand outside the gate, alone with your horse and spear.
Cao Cao’s army suspects an ambush inside the camp and withdraws.
Just as they turn away, you beat the drums until the sky shakes and shoot at them from behind with crossbows. Cao Cao’s army is terrified; its men trample one another, and many fall into the Han River and drown.
Early the next morning, Liu Bei comes in person to your camp to see where the fighting took place the day before. He says: “Every inch of Zilong is courage.” Music and feasting continue until dark. From then on, the army calls you General Tiger Might.
Cao Cao Is the Enemy of the State
Sun Quan seizes Jing Province, and Guan Yu and his son are executed at Linju. Liu Bei is furious and means to attack Sun Quan.
In the Romance, the court is in session that day. He issues an edict: “I intend to raise the strength of the entire realm, attack Eastern Wu, seize the rebel alive, and avenge this hatred!”Before he can finish speaking, a man in the ranks bows low at the steps and remonstrates: “You must not.”
That man is you.
“Cao Cao is the enemy of the state, not Sun Quan. First destroy Wei, and Wu will submit of its own accord.”
“Though Cao Cao is dead, his son Pi has usurped the throne. We should follow the people’s will and move quickly against Guanzhong, taking position upstream on the Yellow and Wei Rivers to attack the rebels. The righteous men east of the passes will surely pack provisions and spur their horses to welcome the imperial army.”
“We must not leave Wei alone and fight Wu first. Once the armies clash, there will be no quick end to it.”
In the Romance, you say one more thing: “The feud with the traitors to Han is a public matter; the feud over a brother is a private one. I beg Your Majesty to put the realm first.” He replies: “If I do not avenge my younger brother, then what worth is there in possessing a realm stretching 10,000 li?”
You kneel and do not rise. Everyone in the hall waits for him.
He does not listen. He marches east, leaving you to command Jiangzhou. The troops heading east pass before your eyes, one company after another.
The next year, Liu Bei suffers a defeat at Zigui. You advance to Yong'an; the Wu army has already withdrawn.
In the Romance, you arrive sooner: Zhu Ran’s troops tumble into the ravines, a force bursts in, coming to the emperor’s rescue, and it is Zhao Zilong of Changshan. When Lu Xun hears it is you, he orders a retreat.
The Romance has you rescue yet another man surnamed Liu from the chaos of battle. This time, it is the man who once held your hand.
In the Romance, the next year he lies gravely ill at Baidicheng. He charges you too: “You and I have stood by each other through adversity, and have come this far together. I did not think we would part here. For the sake of our old friendship, please watch over my son at all times. Do not fail me in this.” You weep and bow: “How could I fail to give my utmost, like a dog or horse, in your service?”
the man determined to march east → Read Liu Bei's story →
The Generals and Soldiers Never Lose One Another
In the 1st year of Jianxing, you become Commandant of the Central Army and General Who Conquers the South, receive the title Marquis of Yongchang Village, and are then appointed General Who Guards the East. In the 5th year, you join Zhuge Liang in garrisoning Hanzhong.
In the Romance, on the day the army sets out, you advance with a fierce cry: “Though I am old, I still have Lian Po’s courage and Ma Yuan’s valor. Those two men of old would not admit to age. Why will you not use me?”
The following year, Zhuge Liang announces that he will take Mei by way of the Xie Valley Road, and has you and Deng Zhi serve as a decoy force, holding Jigu Valley, while he himself attacks Mount Qi.
Cao Zhen sends a great army to stop you. Outside the mouth of the valley, there are more flags each day.
Your force is weak, the enemy strong, and you suffer defeat at Jigu Valley.
Then news comes from the west: Ma Su disobeys his orders and is thoroughly defeated by Zhang He at Jieting. In the Romance, Kongming orders a retreat.
Behind you lies a narrow valley. The carts, supplies, and your soldiers must all retreat through it.
The army must retreat, and Cao Zhen is right behind you. How do you withdraw?
You hold the rear yourself, and scarcely a single piece of military equipment or supply is lost. The defeat is no rout.
In the Romance, you tell Deng Zhi to fly your banner and fall back slowly, while you yourself lead a force and lie in wait behind. The Wei general Wan Zheng recognizes you and dares not advance. You wait until dusk before turning your horse and retreating slowly.
Back in Hanzhong, Zhuge Liang asks: “The troops from Jieting retreated, and the soldiers and officers did not come back together. The troops from Jigu Valley retreated, and the soldiers and officers never lost one another. Why?” Deng Zhi replies: “Yun himself held the rear. Not a single piece of military equipment or supply was abandoned, so there was no way for the soldiers and officers to lose one another.”
Some silk remains in the army, and Zhuge Liang wants to distribute it to the officers and soldiers. You say: “The campaign has brought no gain. Why give rewards? Please put all of it into the storehouses at Chian, to be given as a winter allowance in the 10th month.” Zhuge Liang greatly approves. After the retreat, you are demoted to General Who Guards the Army.
That day at Changban, you lost those you were meant to protect in the chaos, and for all your desperate fighting you brought back only half of them. This time, not one of those behind you is lost.
The following year, you die. In the Romance, that day a great wind rises from the northeast and snaps the pine tree before the hall. Zhuge Liang throws his cup to the ground: “Zilong is gone!”
More than 30 years later, the Later Sovereign grants you a posthumous title. In his edict, he says: “I was young and inexperienced, and passed through hardship. I relied on your loyalty and devotion to make it through danger.” The ministers discussing your posthumous title speak of at the battle of Dangyang, a righteousness that pierced metal and stone. You are given the posthumous title Marquis Shunping.
The child who once slept in your arms is now more than 50 years old.
the man who assigns you to lead a decoy force → Read Zhuge Liang's story →
How Zhao Yun's story ends
Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun were powerful and valiant, and served as the claws and fangs [of the state]. Were they not like Guan Ying and Xiahou Ying?
Twice you rescued the young lord; with a single heart you repaid the late emperor.