Guan Yu
Guan Yu (160 - 219), or Kouan Yu (EFEO; traditional: zh-Hant 關羽, simplified: Zh-Hans 关羽), who had taken as usual first name Yunchang (traditional: zh-Hant 雲長, simplified: Zh-Hans 云长), was a Chinese general of the end of the Dynastie Han and beginning of the period of the Three Kingdoms.
It was used under the orders as Liu EIB, the founder of the Royaume of Shu, and would have been one of the five “generals tigers”, although one is unaware of if it actually carried this title. Considered of invincible warlike alive sound, it was captured and carried out by the troops of Sun Quan at the time of the seat of Fan. It was divinisé a few centuries after its death under the name of Guanshengdijun (zh-Hant 關聖帝君) or Guandi, “Holy Guan emperor”. It is always révéré nowadays in China, as well by the taoists as by the Buddhists. It is particularly popular in Hong-Kong like god of the war, the business men and the police officers. One traditionally represents it like a giant with red face (symbolizing honesty and uprightness) with a very long beard and carrying a guandao (a arms with hast to average pole of the time of the Song) which weighed, according to the legend, more 80 jins (approximately 40 kg). It was immortalisé in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms where it east depicts like a honest and honourable warrior capable of superhuman exploits.
In Japan it is known under the name of Kan' U Unchō and in Korea under that of Gwanu Unjang .
Biography
The official biography of Guan Yu is in Sanguo zhi, chapter 36 (delivers of Shu, volume 6)
Youth
Guan Yu is native of Hedong in the district of Xie (zh-Hant 解, corresponding to the south-west of current the county of Linyi in the Shanxi). It carries at the time the usual first name of Changsheng (traditional: zh-Hant 長生, simplified: Zh-Hans 长生). For an unknown reason, it there becomes fugitive and takes refuge in the prefecture of Zhuo (called today Zhuozhou) and there meets Liu EIB, which then recruits men to face the revolts of the Yellow Turbans, and engages with Zhang Fei. Following its military successes, Liu EIB is named prefect of the district of Pingyuan. This one made of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei its commanders (zh-Hant 司馬) and gives to each one a private army.All three divide the same layer and behaved like brothers. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are held nevertheless always ready to be used Liu EIB at the long meetings while being held upright at its sides of the rising for laying down sun. They followed it in any place without worrying about the danger of the situation.
According to the Yearly of Shu and the Spring and Automnes of the clan Wei , when in 198, CAD CAD and Liu EIB besiege Lu Drunk with Xiapi, Guan Yu asks for CAD CAD the woman of Qin Yilu in marriage and CAD CAD condescends. But little before the final battle, Guan Yu reiterates its request on several occasions so that CAD CAD starts to wonder whether the lady were not to be of great beauty. After the victory, it does it mander and keeps it for itself, which causes in Guan Yu a sharp contrariety.
Later, Liu EIB launches an attack surprised against Che Zhou, the inspector of the province of Xu, and orders in Guan Yu to be established in garrison with Xiapi and to take the load of large administrator there. According to the Book of Wei, it also offers to him the direction of the province of Xu.
Later in the current of the year, Liu EIB is turned over against CAD CAD.
Under the orders of CAD CAD
In the 5th year of Jian' year (200), CAD CAD leaves to shift to the east and Liu EIB takes refuge near Yuan Shao. CAD CAD captures Guan Yu and decides to keep it with its service. It names it pian jiangjun (zh-Hans 偏将军 - kind of lieutenant-general) and treats it liberally.CAD CAD appreciates Guan Yu enormously, but feels well that this last hardly wants to remain a long time with its service. He thus asks Zhang Liao of going to speak with Guan Yu to probe his feelings. Guan Yu would have said to Zhang Liao: “I am perfectly conscious that Lord CAD showed me much respect and generosity, but the Liu Lord treated me also well and I swore to die for him. I thus do not hope to remain, but I will be able nevertheless to offer to lord CAD a brilliant deed before leaving”. Zhang Liao hesitated to bring back these words to CAD CAD because they could have meant death sentence for Guan Yu. Finally he sighed and says to CAD CAD: “You are my lord and thus like my father, whereas Guan Yu is only one brother. ” It thus brought back its interview to CAD CAD which concludes: “To serve its lord and not to forget his origins. Really what a right man among all those of the empire! When do you think that it will leave? ”. Zhang Liao answered: “Guan Yu received your preferential treatment. It will thus not leave before to have paid again it to you. ”.
Yuan Shao sends one of its generals, Yan Liang, to attack Liu Yan, the administrator of the prefecture of Dongjun. The confrontation takes place with Baima and CAD CAD sends Zhang Liao and Guan Yu in reinforcement. Guan Yu, in mélée, keep silent Yan Liang and brings back its head. CAD CAD, knowing that Guan Yu will leave it, rewards it liberally and the title of marquis of Hanshouting offers to him. But Guan Yu seals all its rewards, leaves a letter of good-bye, and leaves to join Liu EIB at Yuan Shao. In spite of its advisers, who has a presentiment of it to give him hunting, CAD CAD refuses there: “With each vassal its Lord. Let leave it. ”
The capture of Jingzhou
With died of Yuan Shao (202), Liu EIB takes refuge near Liu Biao and this last dies into 208 while CAD CAD pacifies the area of Jingzhou. Liu EIB wants to then cross Jiang to go to Fan, and entrusts to Guan Yu a fleet of a hundred ships to join it in Jiangling. From there, they go until Xiakou and Sun Quan lends troops to him to face CAD CAD. CAD CAD must beat a retreat while Liu EIB recovers a good part of Jiangnan, distributing rewards to more deserving. It appoints Guan Yu large administrator of Xiangyang, and dang kou jiangjun (zh-Hans 荡寇将军), “general who exterminates the criminals”) and orders to him poster in garrison with Jiangbei. Liu EIB conquers then the province of Yizhou and offers to Guan Yu the administration of the province of Jingzhou.
About this time, Guan Yu learns that My Chao, which forever be an ally, has just made its tender with Liu EIB. He writes with Zhuge Liang to know “with which one could compare My Chao”. Zhuge Liang answers him:
- “Mengqi (the nickname of My Chao) is particularly versed in the military and civil businesses. It is much braver and more extremely than the common run of people and could be compared with Ying or Peng old times. It could undoubtedly compete with the combat with Yide (nickname of Zhang Fei), but cannot absolutely equalize the “bearded one”. ”
Guan Yu is wounded by an arrow with the left arm (the event is not dated) and although the wound was cured, the bone still made it suffer. The doctor says to him:
- “the point of the arrow was poisoned, of the poison entered the bone. It will be necessary to open the arm and to scrape the bone before the problem does not worsen. ”
Fall
At the time of the 24e year of Jian' year (219), Liu EIB is proclaimed prince de Hanzhong and names Guan Yu qian jiangjun (前将军) “general of the avant-garde”. The same year, Guan Yu directs a forwarding against CAD Ren to Fan. CAD CAD dispatches Yu Jin to help CAD Ren but as it is the autumn, of many precipitations make overflow the Han river. Yu Jin loses its seven armies and is subjected to Guan Yu which makes carry out the Pang general Of. The gangsters Liang, Jia and Lu, agree to join in Guan Yu and its prestige extends to all China.
CAD CAD wonders then if it would be necessary to move the capital with Xudu to avoid the forces of Guan Yu and Sima Yi opine that Sun Quan could not be allowed to let Guan Yu know more victories. They thus send an emissary at Sun Quan for him to advise to tackle the backs of Guan Yu, thus leaving Jiangnan to Sun Quan as a tribute of war and thus dissolving the forces of Fan.
Initially, Sun Quan dispatch an emissary at Guan Yu to arrange a marriage between his/her son and the girl of Guan Yu. But Guan Yu insults the messenger and rejects the offer, which causes the fury of Sun Quan. Moreover, Mi Fang, the governor of Nanjun and the general Fu Shiren also have the impression that Guan Yu hardly estimates them. Those were in load of the rationing of the armies but had kept away from the battles and Guan Yu swears “to discipline them on its return”. They take fear and Sun Quan benefits from it to encourage them to subject itself to him, thus letting the army of Wu penetrate. CAD CAD sends Xu Huang then to assist CAD Ren. As of its arrival, Huang announces “That which will take the head of Guan Yu will receive a reward of: 1000 jins (books) of gold! ”. Guan Yu, extremely frightened requires of him: “Large-brother, whom do mean these words? ”. Huang answers him: “They are the businesses of the State! ”
Guan Yu cannot contain its adversaries and calls with the retirement, but the troops of Sun Quan on their side had already captured Jiangling and taken as an hostage the women and children of the troops of Guan Yu, which resulted in the dispersion of its army. Sun Quan makes capture Guan Yu and carries out it with his/her son, Guan Ping, in Lingju.
It would seem that Sun Quan wanted to keep it with its service, but its advisers opposed it:
- “To raise the wolf cub can only bring problems. Lord CAD had left it in life, thus bringing the disaster on itself so much so that it almost came from there to move his capital. How under these conditions can we let it live? ”.
Sun Quan sends to CAD CAD the head of Guan Yu while it prepares honourable funeral for the remainder of the body. Guan Yu is promoted on a purely posthumous basis with the rank of marquis de Zhuangmou and his/her surviving son, Guan Xing, inherit the title. This one was extremely estimated of Zhuge Liang and it was named intendant with the palate and accepted the load of zhong jian jun (zh-Hans 中监军) “supervisory of the army”. His/her son, Guan Tong, married a princess and were promoted with the row of hu Bi zhong Lang jiang (zh-Hans 虎贲中郎将) “general gentleman who with the speed of the tiger” and dies without male heir. It is thus the bastard son of Guan Xing, Guan Yi, which inherits the title. The clan of Guan Yu is entirely exterminated into 263, when Wei invades Shu, by Pang Hui, the son of Pang Of, because he wanted to avenge death for his father, carried out by Guan Yu.
Guan Yu in the novel of the Three Kingdoms
Guan Yu having been very early divinisé, the Chinese troubadours had often sung during centuries its exploits before the version on paper of the Three Kingdoms is not written. Its actions were thus very often amplified and its character had already reached a mythical dimension that the novel began again. So of many facts of the novel relating to Guan Yu have indeed a historical bottom, there are nevertheless notable differences.
Guan Yu is one of the first characters who appear in the novel because this one starts at the time of its meeting with Liu EIB and Zhang Fei, and their oath of fraternity. In historical reality, Guan Yu was one year old more than Liu EIB, and although the three behaved like brothers, they had not made a fraternal oath. However in the novel, Guan Yu becomes the 2nd brother of the band, yielding the place of elder to Liu EIB.
The novel very quickly underlines its direction of the honor: so historically, one is unaware of why Guan Yu was fugitive, for the author of the novel, it is parce quil had killed a local potentate of which it could not support tyranny. He becomes thus a hero who exterminates the tyrants, leaves to put on the back the authorities.
The novel presents Guan Yu like “built good, a long beard, the red face as an apple (the red symbolizes dignity). It had the eyes of the phoenix and the broussailleux eyebrows like worms with silk. Its total appearance was worthy and exciting. ” It is often faithful to this description that the representations of Guan Yu are made.
The novel allots to Guan Yu the victory against Hua Xiong (actually captured and carried out by Sun Jian): CAD CAD proposes a hot wine cut (the Chinese drink it heated with the bain-marie at temperature of the human body) with Guan Yu but this one the refusal at the time. It charges only the opposing army and time that it returns with the head of Hooted Xiong, the wine was still tepid.
In the novel, just like in historical reality, Guan Yu goes to CAD CAD. But in the novel, it is subjected only to three conditions, underlining its honesty towards Liu EIB:
-
if it must be subjected, it is with the emperor of Han and not with CAD CAD. This condition poses few problems with CAD CAD, for which it acts after only of the same thing;
- the two women of Liu EIB would not be dishonoured, but are not treated with all the respect which due and is nourished to them and placed suitably. There still CAD CAD accepts;
- the last condition was that if Guan Yu learned where was Liu EIB, it would freely leave to join it. In this last condition CAD CAD tick, then ends up accepting by hoping that Guan Yu would be moved by its generosity and would agree to remain under its orders.
Guan Yu receives Red CAD CAD Lièvre, the Lu horse Drunk, able to traverse: 1000 Li (miles) in only one day. Moreover, it is at the time of its stay at the court that it receives from the Emperor his nickname of mei ran gong (zh-Hans 美髯公) “lord beautiful beard”.
In the novel, CAD CAD and Guan Yu face Yan Liang in Baima (historically CAD CAD was not present). If it is true that Guan Yu had killed Yan Liang in the battle, the novel makes a rather epic scene of it: Guan Yu only sinks on the opposing army (of: 50000 men) and reverses all the soldiers on his passage until he arrives to height of Yan Liang, cuts down it, decapitates it and brings back the head to its camp without encumbers.
The novel also charges to Guan Yu the victory over Wen Chou, although historically one is unaware of who really killed it.
In the novel, Guan Yu, learning where Liu EIB had taken refuge, leaves CAD CAD and kills in turn five generals come to interpose and traverses: 1000 miles to find his/her brother, while trailing his two wives with him. In historical reality, Guan Yu is free to turn over at Liu EIB without encumbers.
Another the famous of novel, however purely fictitious passage, is the scene where CAD CAD, which has just undergone the greatest military defeat of its career to the Bataille of red Cliff beats a retreat and is made stop in way by Guan Yu. Guan Yu, remembering the generosity of CAD CAD in its connection, decides to let it flee without fighting, underlining still more its nobility.
Another scene, resting on historical facts, is that where Guan Yu is made scrape the bone of the right-hand man (historically it left) by the famous doctor Hua Tuo (historically one is unaware of the name of the doctor). In the novel, Guan Yu accepted the operation immediately, not wanting to beat a retreat to be made look after and refuses moreover any form of anesthesia or garrot. During the operation, it quietly disputes part of go with its adviser, My Liang and joke and discusses without feeling the pain while the assistance supports the spectacle with difficulty.
Lastly, the death of Guan Yu presents a succession of scenes of esoteric nature, illustrating that the heart of Guan Yu had reached the illumination. Thus, just after its decapitation, its heart went to wander with the Yuquan mount, a little apart from the old province of Dangyang, and howled: “Return to me my head! ”. A monk asked the heart of Guan Yu why this one would claim its head whereas itself killed many people in the achievement owe them, like the generals of CAD CAD that Guan Yu had fué in its escape. Including/understanding the words of the monk, Guan Yu reaches the illumination and became Bodhisattva.
Its heart nevertheless will be avenged for Lu Meng, the strategist who had caused his loss. It takes possession of its body and attacks Sun Quan by swearing revenge on Lu Meng. Then Lu Meng disappears and dies. Frightened, Sun Quan sends the head of Guan Yu to CAD CAD, thus hoping to attract the lightnings of the kingdom of Shu on Wei. At the time when CAD CAD looks at the head, the mouth of Guan Yu and its eyelids open. CAD CAD, disappears and when it awakes proclaims:
- “the Guan general really became a god! ”.
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