The Thousand-Mile Journey of the Lord with the Beautiful Beard - Part Two

"Sisters-in-law, and my lady wife. Once we cross that mountain ahead, we shall arrive in Runan Commandery where my elder brother and Brother Yide await."

"Oh! Are we truly about to arrive?" Lady Mi’s eyes sparkled as she asked again and again, while Lady Gan breathed a deep sigh of relief and nodded.

"I deliberately took a winding route until now. It was to buy time, so that my elder brother’s party departing from Hebei could safely descend without being hounded by Cao Cao’s army."

Guan Yu explained the situation in clear, orderly fashion. Only then did the others finally accept why they had wandered through the pointless expeditions in Shuchun and Lujiang, braving bandits and local warlords at every turn.

"We are nearly there. We depart again at first light tomorrow."

They were gathering their baggage when Qiao Gong’s party arrived early that same morning.

"General Guan."

"Lord Qiao?"

Qiao Gong had loaded a cart high with grain sacks, jars of wine, and rolls of fine silk, all neatly stacked, and now offered them to Guan Yu.

"Use these as traveling funds on your journey."

"I did not fight for the sake of receiving gifts. Besides, I have already left Chancellor Cao. If you do this, you may invite grave suspicion upon yourself."

"Hehehe, my son-in-law is that very Chancellor’s adopted son, and my daughters are his wives. Consider this no more than a small token of thanks for driving off the enemies around Lujiang in your capacity as its governor. And please take these men as well."

"Hmm?"

The warriors who had declared they would follow Guan Yu approached, swords already at their waists.

"They refused to join the regular army and served only as my private retainers, yet now they insist on following General Guan instead."

"I cannot accept them. At any moment I may clash with Chancellor Cao again in open battle. Everything else aside, this could cause a serious incident."

"We understand the circumstances, yet…"

In the end it was they who had come seeking to follow him.

"General Guan, please accept us!"

"We care nothing for the wars between the feudal lords. We wish only to follow you after witnessing the might of your martial skill."

"No matter whom we face, we shall not fear death. Allow us to accompany you, we beg you."

"Haaa…"

Guan Yu wore a troubled expression, then turned to Qiao Gong.

"In that case, I shall write ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a letter to your son-in-law in the capital, who is also this one’s disciple."

On the spot he took up brush and ink and composed a letter to Cao Xiu, then ordered it sent to Xuchang. Its contents were as follows.

"Sent in this manner, they will understand. I despise nothing more than causing those around me to suffer on my account."

When Guan Yu left Lujiang, more than fifty knights—men who held no official military registration and had served only as the gentry’s private soldiers—followed him toward Runan.

The group finally crossed the last mountain and reached Runan Commandery, only to find the entire region in uproar.

"Halt!"

"!?"

Suddenly several hundred men blocked their path. The fifty knights following Guan Yu drew their swords at once.

"Who goes there?"

"We are warriors who support General Yuan of Runan and have gathered to destroy the traitor Cao Cao. Identify yourselves."

"Guan Yu."

"Wh-what? You claim to be General of the Side, Guan Yunchang?"

"I am he."

When the men who followed Yuan Shao looked on with suspicion, the knights drew their blades fully.

"You wretches! Will you not kneel at once before General Guan?"

"We cannot believe it. Is it truly Guan Yunchang?"

"Shall I prove it?"

Guan Yu waved the knights back and stepped forward alone. The moment he raised the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, the killing aura that poured from him made every man stagger backward in instinctive fear.

"Who among you will verify it?"

Crushed beneath that overwhelming presence, the hundreds of warriors dropped to their knees as one.

"It is truly General Guan. This one is called Liu Bi; I rose against Cao Cao’s forces in this region."

"Hmm."

"Does General Guan perhaps know of the knight active in the neighboring Yan lands?"

"What did you say?"

"A man who calls himself Zhang Fei of Yan and leads several hundred knights of his own."

"Is that true! Lead the way at once!"

At the mention of Zhang Fei, Guan Yu called out urgently. The warriors guided him forward, and there stood a giant whose physique rivaled even Guan Yu’s, gripping a serpent spear longer than his own height and radiating a chilling aura.

"Yide! Yide!"

"…"

Seeing Guan Yu rush forward in delight, Zhang Fei silently lifted his spear and charged straight at him.

Clang—

"What is the meaning of this?"

"A warrior speaks not with words, but with his weapon."

Clang— Clang— Clang!!!

Zhang Fei attacked with ferocious speed. Flustered, Guan Yu parried every strike with the Green Dragon Blade yet offered no counterblow of his own. After they had exchanged ten blows and stood facing each other, Zhang Fei finally spoke.

"Are you truly… the Brother Yunchang of Hedong that I remember?"

"I am! Why are you acting this way?"

"When we were defeated at Xiaopei and fled, you surrendered to Cao Cao and slaughtered Yuan Shao’s generals beneath his banner. Are you that same Brother Yunchang?"

"That was… an unavoidable act while I served as a guest general."

"Because your family was held hostage and you fought in their place?"

"Exactly so!"

"…"

The icy glare in Zhang Fei’s eyes thawed. He suddenly withdrew his spear and slammed its butt into the ground.

"You have truly brought our sisters-in-law and the children?"

"Of course!"

"Then… I acknowledge you! Brother, this worthless younger brother has committed a grave misunderstanding!"

"Ha, hahahahaha!"

Guan Yu burst into loud laughter as well. He planted the Green Dragon Blade in the earth and pulled his brother into a fierce embrace, savoring the joy of their reunion.

"Brother Yunchang, Big Brother will arrive tomorrow morning."

"Is that true? At last the three sworn brothers shall stand together again."

"Xianhe, Gongyou, and Zijian are all coming down after their reunion. And there is one more you should see with your own eyes, Brother."

"Hoo, who might that be?"

"Zilong. That friend is coming with Big Brother."

"Zhao Zilong, the one we met in Youzhou? Hoo, even he has come at last!"

In Yinchang County of Runan Commandery, the Yuan clan—descendants of the Four Generations and Three Excellencies—had once held sway. Now the powerful local Liu Tong had unified the region, formally become Administrator of Runan, and submitted to Cao Cao’s authority.

It was to this place that Liu Bei, who had sought refuge with Yuan Shao in Hebei, finally arrived.

"Elder Brother!"

"Yunchang! Yide! To meet again like this!"

Seated upon his horse, Liu Bei raised two swords high as the three sworn brothers of the Peach Garden celebrated their reunion. Several thousand soldiers gathered behind them.

Some were remnants of the Yellow Turbans. Some were local gentry persuaded by Yuan Shao to turn their blades. Some were scattered veterans of Liu Bei’s own army who had regrouped after defeat. Others were free knights who, moved by the virtue and martial prowess of the three brothers, had joined of their own accord.

All of them assembled inside the fortress and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠held a grand feast to celebrate their reunion.

"Zilong, how good it is to see you again here!"

"The honor is mine, Brother Yunchang!"

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠towering man of eight chi with broad shoulders and bold, handsome features—Zhao Yun, the general who had formed ties with the three brothers during their time as guests under Gongsun Zan in Youzhou. He had been unable to accept Liu Bei’s offer while serving Gongsun Zan, but after Gongsun Zan’s fall and Liu Bei’s refuge with Yuan Shao in Hebei, they had met once more.

"Our scattered brothers have traveled long roads to reunite on a day like this. Could there be any finer occasion?"

Liu Bei, face flushed with excitement, raised his cup high.

"Elder Brother, what will you do now?"

At Guan Yu’s question, Liu Bei smiled and pointed north.

"Mengde was once a man of magnificent spirit, yet he has become just another tyrannical minister drunk on power. Moreover, I am a descendant of the Han imperial line and carry a secret decree from His Majesty. In the end, it is my fate to fight Brother Mengde for the sake of the Han."

"This Guan Yunchang will simply follow Elder Brother’s will and sense of righteousness."

"When I took refuge in Hebei, General Yuan told me that—regardless of the outcome of the great battle there—he wished me to gather forces in his homeland of Runan and strike Cao Cao’s rear. That is what I intend to do."

"Can Yuan Benchu truly be trusted?"

"I trust him as much as the position of Grand General of Han requires. Nothing more."

Liu Bei’s trust in Yuan Shao was not based on fraternal duty but on the office of Grand General. Since they shared the common enemy of Cao Cao, they would first drive out Cao Cao’s faction, rescue the Emperor, and only then decide the next step.

"Even if Cao Cao retreats, can you withstand the forces that remain?"

At Zhao Yun’s question, Liu Bei gazed at the heavens and spoke softly.

"Who can say? Yet one thing is certain. If the Mandate of Heaven exists, the result is already decided."

"Elder Brother, you speak so vaguely of the Mandate of Heaven?"

Zhang Fei shook his head with a laugh, but Guan Yu’s eyes remained solemn. If Liu Bei chose to move according to Heaven’s will, he would follow without question. While the other warlords idly dreamed of ‘seizing the Central Plains once Cao Cao is gone,’ Liu Bei pointed to the sky and declared that, for the sake of the Han imperial house, the Mandate of Heaven would determine what followed. His sworn brothers who trusted him, the soldiers who had marched with him from the beginning, and even the thousands of newly joined troops all received those words with grave seriousness.

At that moment a messenger came running in panic.

"Left General! Left General! This is terrible!"

"Mm?"

"Left General, Cao Cao’s army is marching on Runan from all sides. Their numbers reach ten thousand, and their commander is Cai Yang."

"Elder Brother, it seems Cao Cao’s forces have finally come for us."

At Guan Yu’s words, Liu Bei rose, still holding his empty wine cup. He filled it from the jar, drained it in one gulp, then hurled the cup to the ground.

Crash—

"Guan Yu!"

"Here, Elder Brother!"

"Yide!"

"Here, Elder Brother!"

"Zilong!"

"Here, my lord!"

"And all of you who have followed me—Xianhe, Gongyou, Zijian, Liu Bi, Gongdu, and every brother here bound by righteousness!"

Liu Bei gripped his sword, ready for battle.

"Are you all prepared to stand together and face the army of a fierce warlord? This Liu Xuande will lead from the very front!"

At that instant Guan Yu and Zhang Fei lifted the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Serpent Spear, standing tall and ready to follow. In the sixth year of Jian’an, Liu Bei, having broken from Yuan Shao in Hebei, raised his army once more in Runan and met Cao Cao’s forces head-on. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun each took up their weapons and confronted Cao Cao’s army directly. The three sworn brothers of the Peach Garden stood united again, prepared to fight as one.