The Three Kingdoms, Volume 1: The Sacred Oath: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation

by Luo Guanzhong

  Yu Jin—senior officer under Cao Cao

  Yuan Shang—youngest son of Yuan Shao

  Yuan Shao (Yuan Ben-chu, A.D. ?–202)—born into a family of high-ranking officials of Han; leader of a confederacy army against Dong Zhuo; rules four northern districts but is later destroyed by Cao Cao

  Yuan Shu (Yuan Gong-lu, A.D. ?–199)—brother of Yuan Shao, assumes the title of emperor at Shouchun but is soon destroyed by Cao Cao

  Yuan Tan—eldest son of Yuan Shao

  Yue Jin—senior officer under Cao Cao

  Zhang Ba—officer under Lu Bu

  Zhang Bao—son of Zhang Fei

  Zhang Fei (Zhang Yi-de, A.D. ?–221)—sworn brother of Liu Bei and Guan Yu; courageous warrior, fiery-tempered after drinking

  Zhang He—senior officer under Yuan Shao but later joins Cao Cao

  Zhang Liao (Zhang Wen-yuan)—formerly served under Lu Bu but later surrendered to Cao Cao; friend of Guan Yu

  Zhang Lu—ruler of Hanzhong; later defeated by Cao Cao

  Zhang Song—official of Shu, but secretly persuades Liu Bei to kill his old master and take his land

  Zhang Xiu—one of the feudal lords

  Zhang Zhao—chief counselor to Sun Quan

  Zhao Yun (Zhao Zi-long)—warrior of unusual strength and resourcefulness; loyal follower of Liu Bei

  Zhong Hui—commander of Wei

  Zhong Yao—senior official of Wei

  Zhou Tai—senior officer under Sun Quan

  Zhou Yu (Zhou Gong-jin)—commander-in-chief of the forces of Wu, who directs the Battle of the Red Cliff against Cao Cao; rival of Zhuge Liang

  Zhu Jun—Han general

  Zhuge Jin—elder brother of Zhuge Liang, advisor to Sun Quan

  Zhuge Ke—officer of Wu, son of Zhuge Jin

  Zhuge Liang (Kongming, or Sleeping Dragon, A.D. 181–234)—hermit of Nangyang, later chief counselor to Liu Bei; his ingenious policy of uniting Wu to oppose Wei leads to the emergence of the balance of power among the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu; his wisdom and military skill enable Liu Bei to set up his own rule

  Zhuge Zhan—son of Zhuge Liang

  CHAPTER ONE

  Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood at a Feast in the Peach Garden

  The Sworn Brothers Render Good Services in Fighting Against the Rebels

  Unity succeeds division and division follows unity. One is bound to be replaced by the other after a long span of time. This is the way with things in the world. At the end of the Zhou Dynasty* the empire was divided into seven competing principalities, warring against one another till finally they were united by Qin.† When Qin had fulfilled its destiny, there arose Chu‡ and Han§ to contend for the reign, and ultimately it was Han that united the country.

  The rise of the fortunes of the Hans began when Liu Bang, later its first emperor, slew the white serpent and staged an uprising against Qin. After seven years of fighting he succeeded in gaining control of the whole empire and the Han Dynasty ruled the land for more than two centuries. Then their power weakened and the empire was lost for a brief period of time to a usurper. Later, it was Emperor Guang Wu¶ that restored the line of Han—which continued for another century or more until the reign of Emperor Xian, when the empire was divided into three parts, known to history as The Three Kingdoms.**

  In fact, the trouble started in the reigns of the two previous emperors, Huan and Ling. The former prohibited many upright men from holding office, but trusted the palace eunuchs. When Emperor Ling inherited the throne, he was aided by General Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan. Disgusted with the way the eunuchs meddled in state affairs, these two men planned their destruction. Unfortunately, the secret leaked out and they fell victims instead. From that time the eunuchs became even more powerful.

  The signs of impending trouble were many. On the day of the full moon in the fourth month of the second year of the period of Jian Ning, Emperor Ling went to Wende Hall. As he drew near his seat, a strong gust of wind arose in the corner of the hall, and from the roof beams flew down a monstrous green serpent that coiled itself up on his seat. The Emperor fell in a swoon and his attendants hastily bore him to the palace, while all the officials in the hall fled away. In a moment, the serpent disappeared. However, there followed a mighty storm with torrential rain, thunder, and hail, lasting till midnight and destroying countless houses. During February two years later, an earthquake erupted in the capital Luoyang, while along the coast heavy flooding claimed the lives of all those who lived near the sea. Another evil omen was recorded seven years later when the reigning title was changed to Guang He: certain hens suddenly developed male characteristics. At the new moon of the sixth month that year, a long column of black vapor descended into Wende Hall, while in the following month a pale-colored rainbow was seen in the Jade Chamber. Far from the capital in the district of Wuyuan, mountains collapsed and riverbanks cracked.

  Such were some of the evil omens. The Emperor, greatly upset by these signs of the displeasure of Heaven, issued an edict asking his ministers for an explanation of the calamities and aberrations. Cai Yong, one of the ministers, presented a memorial in which he stated that the sight of the pale-colored rainbow in the palace and the change of fowls’ sexes were brought about by feminine interference in state affairs. The Emperor sighed when he read this. But, as he rose to change clothes, one of the chief eunuchs, from his place behind the throne, spied the document and later told his fellows of its contents. Before long a charge was trumped up against Cai Yong, who was driven from the court and forced to retire to the country. With this victory the eunuchs grew bolder. Ten of them, rivals in wickedness and associates in evil deeds, formed a powerful party known as The Ten. Their head, Zhang Rang, won such trust from his master that the Emperor even addressed him as Father. So the rule of the state deteriorated from day to day until the land was ripe for rebellion and swarmed with brigands.

  At this time there lived in Julu three brothers of a certain Zhang family named Jue, Bao, and Liang. Zhang Jue was a scholar who had failed in a court exam for the selection of officials. One day, while collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains, he met an old man with very bright eyes and a fresh complexion who had a cane in his hand to help him in walking. Beckoning Zhang Jue into a cave, the old man gave him three volumes of the Book of Heaven and said, “This book is the Way of Peace. Now that you have got it, you must act in the name of Heaven and rescue mankind. If you should have evil thoughts, you will surely suffer a terrible punishment.”

  Zhang Jue knelt down as he took the book and asked the old man his name.

  “I am the Immortal of the Southern Land of Glory,” said the old man as he disappeared into thin air.

  For days and nights Zhang Jue studied the book eagerly and strove to practice what it taught. Before long he could summon the wind and command the rain and came to be known as the Mystic of the Way of Peace.

  In the first month of the reign of Zhong Ping a serious epidemic swept the land. Zhang Jue, calling himself the Wise and Good Master, distributed charmed remedies to cure people. At the same time he developed a following of more than five hundred disciples, all of whom had been taught to write and recite charms. They were sent to various parts of the country to spread his ideas. Later, as his disciples increased, Zhang Jue began to organize them into units, the larger ones with 10,000 or more members and the smaller ones with about 6–7,000 members. Each unit had its own chief who was given the title of General. They spread the rumor that the blue heavens were dead and the yellow ones were to be established. They said that a new cycle was beginning which would bring universal good fortune, and told people to chalk on their gates the two characters of Jia Zi, meaning the first year of a cycle. And all at once every household in eight regions, including Qingzhou and Youzhou in northern China had a memorial tablet made bearing the name of the Wise and Good Master Zhang Jue.

  As his ambition for empire grew, Zhang Jue sent Ma Yuan-yi, one of his trusted supporters, to take gifts to the eunuch Feng X
u in order to plant allies in the palace. To his brothers Zhang Jue said: “The most difficult thing is to gain the popular support. Now that the people are already on our side, it’ll be a great pity if we don’t take this opportunity and establish our own empire.”

  So they began to make preparations. Many yellow flags were made in secret and a day was chosen to strike the first blow. They also sent the information by dispatch to Feng Xu through a disciple called Tang Zhou. However, Tang Zhou went straight to a government office and reported their plot. The Emperor summoned General He Jin and bade him look into it. He Jin immediately sent troops to capture Ma Yuan-yi and put him to death. Feng Xu and his accomplices were thrown into prison.

  When the news reached the Zhang family, they decided to set forth at once. Assuming the grandiose titles of General of Heaven, General of Earth, and General of Mankind, they called their followers together and declared: “The good fortunes of the Han will soon run out and the Wise Man has emerged. You people should submit yourselves to the will of Heaven and join in a righteous cause. Only thus can you gain final peace.”

  Support was not lacking. As many as half a million people from every side bound their heads with a yellow turban and took part in the rebellion led by Zhang Jue. Soon, his strength became so great that the official troops fled at the mere whisper of his coming.

  Back in the capital, General He Jin presented an urgent memorial to the Emperor, calling for all-out preparations against the rebels. An edict was issued immediately, asking every officer to exert himself in fighting against the rebels. In the meantime, three generals leading veteran soldiers were ordered to join forces in suppressing the rebels from three different directions.

  At this time, however, Zhang Jue’s army was marching toward Youzhou, whose prefect was Liu Yan, a descendant of the imperial house through a certain prince. On hearing of the approach of the rebels, he called in his chief officer Zou Jing for counsel.

  “They are many but we are few, sir,” said the officer. “You must enlist more men at once to oppose them.”

  The prefect saw this was true so he had notices put out, asking for volunteers to fight against the rebels. One of these notices was posted up in the district of Zhuo,* which caught the attention of a great man in that place. This man was not very studious but he was generous and kind. Being a man of few words, he controlled his feelings well, always maintaining a calm exterior. He was not reconciled to his fate but had always cherished high aspirations. Therefore, he liked nothing better than cultivating the friendship of men of substance. In appearance, he was tall of stature. He had exceptionally long ears, the lobes touching his shoulders so that his eyes could see his own ears. His arms were long, too, with his hands hanging down below his knees. He had a jade-like complexion and rich, red lips. His name was Liu Bei—or more commonly, Liu Xuan-de—a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan named Liu Sheng, whose father was Emperor Jing in West Han. Many years before, the prince’s son had been governor of that very district, but had lost his rank for failing to present enough gold in court offerings. Therefore, this branch of the imperial house was left to survive in this place.

  Liu Bei’s grandfather was Liu Xiong and his father, Liu Hong. Noted for his devotion to his parents and austerity of lifestyle, Liu Hong had been promoted to the rank of an official, but unfortunately he had died when Liu Bei was still very young. The widow and orphan were left alone and as a lad, Liu Bei won a reputation for filial piety. At this time the family had sunk deep into poverty and he had to make a living by selling straw sandals and weaving mats. The family house was in a village near the city of Zhuo. To the southeast of their house stood a huge mulberry tree of great height, and seen from afar, its luxuriant foliage resembled the shape of a chariot. A soothsayer once predicted that a man of distinction would come forth from this family. As a child, Liu Bei and the other village boys often played beneath this tree and he would say, “When I’m emperor, I’ll ride a chariot with such a canopy.” Struck by the uniqueness of his words, his uncle recognized that he was no ordinary boy and saw to it that the family did not fall into a state of want.

  When he was fifteen, his mother sent him traveling to different places for his education. For a time he served Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi as masters and became friends with Gongsun Zan. He was already twenty-eight when the outbreak of the rebellion called for soldiers.

  That day, after reading the notice, he sighed deeply. Suddenly a rasping voice behind him cried: “Noble sir, why do you only sigh but not do something for your country?” Turning around, he saw a man even taller than himself, with a bullet head like a leopard’s, large round eyes, a pointed chin, and a bristling mustache. He had a thunderous voice and an imposing manner as powerful as a galloping steed. Impressed by the man’s unusual appearance, Liu Bei asked him who he was.

  “Zhang Fei is my name and I am usually called Yi-de,” replied the man. “My family had always lived in this part of the country. We have a farm and some land here. I work as a wine seller and a butcher as well. I like to get acquainted with worthy men. Just now I heard you sigh as you read the notice, so I took the liberty to inquire.”

  To this Liu Bei said, “I am related to the imperial family. My name is Liu Bei. The country is now in great danger and I wish I could help wipe out these rebels and bring peace to the people. But as I am incapable of taking any action, I can only sigh.”

  “I am not without means,” said Fei. “Suppose you and I called together some local men of courage to serve in the cause against the rebels. What do you say to that?”

  This was really happy news to Liu Bei and the two went to the village inn to discuss the matter over drinks. After they had been drinking for some time they saw a big fellow pushing a cart to the gate of the inn. Then he came in and sat down by a table.

  “Waiter, bring me wine quickly,” he shouted. “I’m in a hurry to go to the city to offer myself to the army.”

  Liu Bei looked over the newcomer and noted his very tall stature, his long beard, his dark brown face, and his rich red lips. He had eyes like those of a phoenix and fine bushy eyebrows like sleeping silkworms. His whole appearance was dignified and awe-inspiring. Presently, Liu Bei went over to invite him to sit with them and asked him his name.

  “My name is Guan Yu,” he said, “I am also known as Yun-chang. I am a native of Xieliang, east of the river, but I have been a fugitive on the run for more than five years because I killed a ruffian. When I heard they needed soldiers to fight against the rebels here, I decided to offer myself to the army.”

  Guan Yu was overjoyed when Liu Bei told him of his intention. Then the three of them went together to Zhang Fei’s farm to talk over their grand project.

  “There is a peach garden at the back of my farm,” said Zhang Fei. “The flowers are in full bloom at the moment. Let us institute a sacrificial offering and swear brotherhood and unity of hearts and mind before Heaven and Earth. Only thus can we embark upon our great mission.”

  “That is just what we think,” agreed the other two.

  So the next day, an altar was set up in the garden and sacrifices including a black ox, a white horse, and other things were prepared. Beneath the smoke of the burning incense, they knelt down and declared a solemn oath.

  “We three, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, though of different families, swear brotherhood and mutual help to one end. From now on, we will aid each other in difficulty and rescue each other in danger. We will serve the country and protect the people. We ask not the same day of birth but we are willing to die at the same time. May Heaven, the all-powerful, and Earth, the ever bountiful, read our hearts! If we break our oath or betray each other’s trust, may Heaven and man smite us!”

  After they had made the oath, they asked each other’s ages. As Liu Bei was the oldest of the three, he became the respected eldest brother. Next came Guan Yu and Zhang Fei was the youngest of the trio. This solemn ceremony performed, they had more meat and wine prepared for a huge feast to which they inv
ited over three hundred young men in the village. All of them drank to their hearts’ content in the garden.

  The following day weapons were mustered. But there were no horses for them to ride. Just as they were grieving over this, news came of the arrival of two horse dealers who were seeking shelter in the house. They had a group of attendants and a drove of horses with them.

  “That surely is a blessing from Heaven!” cried Liu Bei. And the three brothers went forth to welcome the guests, who turned out to be big merchants from Zhongshan. Every year they went northwards to buy horses. They were now on their way home because of the rebellion. Liu Bei invited the two to the house and entertained them with food and drinks. Then he told them about the plan to defeat the rebels and protect the people. The two merchants were so pleased to hear it that they gave them 50 fine steeds, 500 taels of gold and silver, and 1,000 jin* of steel to be used for the forging of arms.

  After the merchants had taken their leave, Liu Bei immediately called in good armorers to make weapons for the three of them. They made Liu Bei double swords and Zhang Fei an eighteen-foot long steel spear. For Guan Yu they made a special sword called “Blue Dragon and Half Moon” or “Cold Beauty” with a long handle and a curved blade, weighing more than eighty catties. Each, too, had a helmet and full armor made to match. When all these were ready they led the troops, now five hundred strong, to the city to see Zou Jing, who presented them to Prefect Liu Yan. The three of them paid their respects to the prefect and told him their names. When Liu Bei mentioned his ancestry, Prefect Liu was very pleased and immediately accepted him as a relative.

  Several days later, a messenger came with the news that a rebel army of 50,000 men was marching toward the city. Zou Jing and the three brothers were ordered to oppose them with 500 soldiers. Liu Bei and the others gladly undertook to lead the vanguard. At the foot of the Daxing Mountains they saw the rebels, who all wore their hair flying about their shoulders and had yellow turbans wrapped around their foreheads.