Guan Yu

Historical Record

Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang, originally styled Changsheng, was a man of Xie County in Hedong Commandery. Having fled into exile to Zhuo Commandery to escape trouble, he later followed Liu Bei. When Liu Bei gathered a band of followers in his home district, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei together warded off threats on his behalf. When Liu Bei served as Chancellor of Pingyuan, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were appointed Majors of a Separate Division, each commanding his own troops. Liu Bei and the two were as close as brothers, sleeping on the same bed; and even in crowded assemblies, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would stand in attendance the whole day long, following Liu Bei through all his dealings, never shrinking from hardship or danger. ^c:629

In the fifth year of Jian'an (200 CE), Cao Cao campaigned eastward against Liu Bei, and Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao. After capturing Guan Yu, Cao Cao appointed him General of the Flanks and treated him most generously. ^c:632 That same year, Yuan Shao sent his great general Yan Liang to attack the Administrator of Dongjun, Liu Yan, at Baima. Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu as vanguard to strike the enemy. Guan Yu, spotting Yan Liang's canopy, spurred his horse and stabbed Yan Liang to death amid the host of ten thousand, took his head, and returned; none of Yuan Shao's generals could withstand him, and the siege of Baima was thereby lifted. ^c:618 Cao Cao memorialized to enfeoff Guan Yu as Marquis of Hanshou Precinct. Cao Cao had long known that Guan Yu had no intention of staying long, and once sent Zhang Liao to sound him out. Guan Yu frankly said that he had received Liu Bei's great kindness and had sworn to die alongside him; he would not betray him, but said that he would surely leave only after rendering a service to repay Cao Cao. ^c:632 On hearing this, Cao Cao knew he would certainly depart and rewarded him all the more heavily. Guan Yu sealed up all that he had been given, left a letter of farewell, and set out to rejoin Liu Bei at Yuan Shao's camp. Cao Cao's attendants wished to pursue him, but Cao Cao said, "Each serves his own lord; do not pursue him," ^c:632 thus honoring his sense of righteousness.

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219 CE), Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong and appointed Guan Yu General of the Vanguard, granting him the staff and battle-axe of authority. ^c:636 That same year, Guan Yu led his host to attack Cao Ren at Fancheng, and Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to reinforce the defense. It happened to be the season of heavy autumn rains; the Han River overflowed, and the seven armies under Yu Jin's command were all flooded. Yu Jin surrendered to Guan Yu, and Guan Yu also slew the general Pang De. ^c:636 Guan Yu's renown shook all China; bandit bands in Liang, Jia, Luhun, and other places received his seals and titles from afar and became his partisans. Cao Cao for a time considered moving the capital to avoid his sharp edge, but Sima Yi and Jiang Ji held that Sun Quan would surely be displeased to see Guan Yu have his way, and advised Cao Cao to persuade Sun Quan to attack Guan Yu from behind, promising to cede the lands south of the Yangtze to enfeoff Sun Quan, whereupon the siege of Fancheng would be lifted of itself. Cao Cao adopted this plan. ^c:636

Earlier, Sun Quan had sent an envoy to seek a marriage between his son and Guan Yu's daughter; Guan Yu reviled the envoy and refused the match, and Sun Quan was thereby greatly enraged. ^c:636 The Administrator of Nan Commandery, Mi Fang, and the general Shi Ren garrisoned Gong'an and had long resented Guan Yu's slighting of them. When Guan Yu marched out, Mi Fang and Shi Ren were lax in supplying provisions, and Guan Yu declared, "When I return I shall deal with them," leaving the two in fearful unease. Sun Quan thereupon secretly induced Mi Fang and Shi Ren to surrender, and the two welcomed Sun Quan. ^c:636 Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to relieve Cao Ren; Guan Yu, unable to prevail, withdrew his army. By this time Sun Quan had already seized Jiangling and captured all the families of Guan Yu's soldiers, so that Guan Yu's army then scattered. Sun Quan sent generals to intercept Guan Yu at Linju, and they slew Guan Yu together with his son Guan Ping. ^c:636 In the first month of the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an (220 CE), Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's head to Luoyang. ^c:620 Liu Shan posthumously honored Guan Yu as Marquis Zhuangmou. ^c:641

In the Novel

In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Guan Yu's image is endowed with even greater legendary color and a spirit of loyalty and righteousness. At his first appearance he is presented thus: "nine *chi* tall, with a beard two *chi* long; a face like the deep red of a jujube, lips as though daubed with rouge; phoenix eyes and silkworm brows—stately of countenance and awe-inspiring of bearing." ^c:750 He recounted that, having killed an overbearing local tyrant in his home district of Xie County in Hedong, he had fled into exile, and that on hearing of the recruitment of righteous troops to crush the bandits he had come expressly to enlist. ^c:750

He swore brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei in the Peach Garden, vowing, "We seek not to be born in the same year, the same month, the same day, but only to die in the same year, the same month, the same day," ^c:645 which laid the cornerstone of his loyalty and righteousness. In the campaign against the Yellow Turban Army, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei together aided Liu Bei and displayed extraordinary martial prowess. ^c:752 In the episode of "slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm," Guan Yu, with astonishing speed and might, cut down Hua Xiong before the wine had even cooled, winning the admiration of the eighteen lords of the alliance. ^c:942 This is an episode unique to the novel, with no record in history.

In the novel, Guan Yu's loyalty to Liu Bei is repeatedly stressed. When Cao Cao wished to kill the surrendered general Zhang Liao, Guan Yu, together with Liu Bei, pleaded for him and vouched with his own life for Zhang Liao's loyalty and righteousness. ^c:665 When Liu Bei was under Cao Cao's control, Guan Yu once wished to slay Cao Cao but was stopped by Liu Bei, showing his absolute obedience to his elder brother. ^c:666 In the episode of "riding alone a thousand li," Guan Yu, in search of Liu Bei, resolutely took leave of Cao Cao and passed five passes and slew six generals, displaying his firm conviction and surpassing might. (Novel only)

The novel also depicts Guan Yu's pride and self-regard. After Liu Bei was enthroned as King of Hanzhong, he sent Fei Shi to appoint Guan Yu as General of the Vanguard. When Guan Yu learned that Huang Zhong too had been appointed General of the Rear, he angrily declared, "A true man will never stand in the same rank as an old soldier!" and refused to accept the appointment. Only after Fei Shi's persuasion did Guan Yu come to a great realization and accept the post. ^c:642 This echoes his disdainful attitude toward Sun Quan in history and also sowed the seeds of his later downfall.

Key Relationships

* Liu Bei (serves): Guan Yu and Liu Bei were as close as brothers, sleeping on the same bed, their bond like that of brothers. ^c:629 He followed Liu Bei to the death, never leaving him; even under Cao Cao's generous treatment, his heart was set on Liu Bei, and in the end he took leave of Cao to return to Liu. ^c:632 Liu Bei too trusted Guan Yu greatly; when Liu Bei said, "For me to have Kongming is like a fish having water," he also thereby soothed the displeasure of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. ^c:627
* Zhang Fei (brother): Sworn brother to Liu Bei and Guan Yu in the Peach Garden, as close as kin. ^c:645 The three shared life and death and never shrank from hardship or danger. ^c:629 Zhang Fei once, having lost a city through drunkenness, wished to cut his own throat in atonement, but was dissuaded by Liu Bei and Guan Yu. ^c:656
* Cao Cao (serves, enemy_of): After Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao, Guan Yu once surrendered to Cao Cao, who treated him most generously, appointing him General of the Flanks and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Hanshou Precinct. ^c:632 Guan Yu also slew Yan Liang for Cao Cao and lifted the siege of Baima. ^c:618 Yet Guan Yu's heart was set on Liu Bei, and in the end he took leave of Cao to return to Liu. ^c:632 Later, in the Battle of Fancheng, Guan Yu's might shook all China, and Cao Cao for a time considered moving the capital to avoid his sharp edge. ^c:636
* Yan Liang (enemy_of): In the Battle of Baima, Guan Yu spurred his horse and stabbed Yan Liang to death amid the host of ten thousand, took his head, and returned. ^c:618
* Sun Quan (enemy_of): Guan Yu once reviled Sun Quan's envoy when Sun Quan sought a marriage for his son, refusing the match, and Sun Quan was thereby greatly enraged. ^c:636 In the end, Sun Quan seized the chance while Guan Yu was attacking Fancheng to take Jing Province, and sent generals to slay Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping at Linju. ^c:636
* Lü Bu (enemy_of): In the novel, Guan Yu clashed with Lü Bu several times. At the Battle of Hulao Pass, Guan Yu, together with Zhang Fei and Liu Bei, fought Lü Bu three against one. (Novel only) During the contest for Xu Province, Guan Yu followed Liu Bei in dealings with Lü Bu but harbored much resentment at Lü Bu's faithlessness. ^c:754
* Pang De (enemy_of): In the Battle of Fancheng, Pang De fought Guan Yu and once struck him in the forehead with an arrow. Later, when the seven armies were flooded, Pang De was captured; refusing to surrender even unto death, he was slain by Guan Yu. ^c:1042

Signature Scenes

* The Oath of the Peach Garden: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei burned incense and bowed in the Peach Garden, swearing brotherhood across surnames and vowing to join their hearts and strength, to rescue the imperiled and aid the endangered—seeking not to be born in the same year, the same month, the same day, but only to die in the same year, the same month, the same day. ^c:645 (Novel only)
* Slaying Hua Xiong While the Wine Was Still Warm: At the alliance of the eighteen lords to campaign against Dong Zhuo, Guan Yu volunteered before the tent, saying, "Pour the wine; I shall return forthwith," and after leaving the tent swiftly slew Hua Xiong and returned bearing his head—while the wine was still warm. ^c:942 (Novel only)
* The Siege of Baima, Slaying Yan Liang: Guan Yu, as Cao Cao's vanguard, slew Yuan Shao's great general Yan Liang amid the host of ten thousand and lifted the siege of Baima. ^c:618
* Riding Alone a Thousand Li: In search of Liu Bei, Guan Yu took leave of Cao Cao and passed five passes and slew six generals, in the end rejoining Liu Bei. (Novel only)
* Flooding the Seven Armies, Capturing Yu Jin and Slaying Pang De: Guan Yu led his army to attack Fancheng; with heavy rains and the overflowing of the Han River, he flooded Cao Cao's seven armies, captured Yu Jin, slew Pang De, and his might shook all China. ^c:636
* Carelessly Losing Jing Province: While Guan Yu attacked Fancheng, Sun Quan seized the chance to take Jing Province. Guan Yu withdrew to defend Maicheng and in the end was intercepted and killed by Sun Quan's generals at Linju. ^c:636
* Scraping the Bone to Cure the Poison: When Guan Yu's arm was struck by an arrow, Hua Tuo scraped the bone to cure the poison, while Guan Yu, his face unchanged, played weiqi with Ma Liang. (Novel only)
* Attending the Meeting Armed with a Single Blade: Invited to Lu Su's feast, Guan Yu attended the meeting armed with a single blade, utterly without fear. (Novel only)