Chapter 203: Joy and Anger Show on One's Face (Part 1)

The night stretched far and deep.

Perhaps because it showed only half its face, the moonlight was not very bright, making it hard to tell whether the night was clear or dim.

On a certain official road within Xiangguo, several riders galloped south from the north, vanishing with the sound of hoofbeats in an instant. A long while later, a two-wheeled cart was finally pushed out from the trees beside the road with a creaking sound, then continued north along the official road.

The man pushing the cart was extraordinarily tall; upon closer inspection, he stood nearly nine chi, perhaps even a bit taller than Lu Bu. Though the cart was piled with quite a load, he moved as if strolling through a courtyard, proving his height was no empty frame... Indeed, this man was from Jie County in Hedong, now a fugitive from the law — Guan Yu, Guan Changsheng. As for the one who struck down that assassin with a single blow of his staff on the river embankment earlier, it was none other than him.

There was no helping it. Guan Changsheng, though a fugitive killer, was a man of integrity. He would rather die than commit theft or robbery, nor would he serve as a retainer or guest for the powerful. Occasionally, some wandering knight leader, valuing his martial prowess, would try to recruit him, but he looked down on them... So, after getting into trouble in Hedong this spring and fleeing all the way here, he could only survive by selling his strength and working as a peddler.

He had carried sacks on the docks, poled boats on the Yellow River, hunted bears in the mountain hollows, and peddled dates in the autumn... Now that winter had come and there was truly no other way out, he happened to pass through Boren to the north and heard they were digging canals here. So he simply bought a large cart and joined the locals in hauling stone, planning to earn some money to get through the winter.

Yet he never imagined that just hauling a load of stone would lead him to encounter the assassination of a Provincial Governor — and that he would save the man in passing!

For an ordinary person, this would of course be a tremendous deed of merit.

But how to put it? Guan Changsheng was no ordinary man. He was a serious criminal; abandoning his home and career to flee across the land was no empty phrase. Moreover, his stature and appearance were exceptionally striking. When the time came and those powerful men summoned him before the crowd to ask his background, how was he, Guan Yu, supposed to answer? If he truly gave his real name and history, even with such a deed to his name, under the eyes of all, the Governor might not necessarily be able to do much for him, right?

Of course, if Guan Yu were a so-called man of expedience, he could give a false name and false background, muddling through. Then even if everyone understood in their hearts, they would surely pretend not to know. He, Guan Changsheng, could naturally halt his flight across the land, settle down in Zhao, and perhaps even enjoy some wealth and rank!

Yet the crux of the matter was... was he the kind of man to assume a false name to seek safety? If he were, how could he have killed a man in a fit of rage on the very day of his capping ceremony?

A true man does not change his name when traveling or his surname when sitting. If he truly had not managed to slip away earlier and the Governor questioned him before the assembly, he, Guan Yu, would surely raise his head and answer:

"Guan Yu of Jie County in Hedong, currently a fugitive for murder!"

And then force the Governor to arrest him on the spot, only to exhaust every effort to clear his name... making it seem as if he, Guan Changsheng, were leveraging a favor to demand repayment!

In truth, it was precisely to avoid such a situation that Guan Yu had taken his leave in haste. And that Assistant County Magistrate who distributed the reward money was clearly a man of discernment; he saw Guan Yu's predicament at a glance and likely guessed his identity, which was why he straightforwardly gave a large sum of cash and let him go.

In all fairness, had it ended there, it would have been a good outcome for both sides! But for some reason, though the matter could have been settled, someone still came pursuing from behind afterward, leaving Guan Changsheng both suspicious and uncertain, repeatedly dodging on his own initiative to avoid further complications.

Returning to the present, however, as the moon climbed to mid-sky, this group of pursuers had no choice but to turn back in frustration. Guan Yu could take the chance to travel through the night and leave this place... until he reached a crossroads.

"Why did the stalwart hero leave without a word?" A man suddenly stepped out from beneath a withered tree at the crossroads, standing with hands clasped behind his back, clearly having waited there for a long time. "You've given me quite a search."

Guan Yu halted his cart. His first reaction was to look back down the road behind him — and then he understood in a flash: the other man had sent his attendants riding back, feigning abandonment, to trick him onto the road, then waited here to catch him like a rabbit!

"You have gone to great pains!" Guan Yu recovered his wits and shook his head helplessly. "I saved your Governor once and received a full reward. We could have parted ways here. Why must you press me so relentlessly? Could it be that you are under strict orders from your Governor, and if I do not return, you will be punished?"

The man stood beneath the withered tree, his features hard to make out for the moment, but his reply was exceptionally intriguing: "The term 'zuxia' has obscure origins, but since ancient times it has been passed down according to the lore of the Cold Food Festival... Long ago, Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, out of pity for Jie Zitui, cut wood to make clogs, and thus called him 'zuxia' to show respect... How is it? Could it be that you, zuxia, are a man of Jin? Have you also read some books?"

Jie Zitui was a meritorious official during Chong'er's exile, but when Chong'er returned to his state and lavishly rewarded others, he forgot him. Disheartened, Jie Zitui went straight up the mountain to live in seclusion... After Chong'er remembered him, he summoned him repeatedly, but Jie Zitui would not come. In a fit of anger, Chong'er set the mountain ablaze, hoping to force him out. Who would have thought that Jie Zitui was so stubborn that he would rather carry his aged mother and cling to a tree, burning to death, than bow his head to Chong'er.

In the end, overcome with remorse, Chong'er could only cut wood to make clogs, wear them on his feet, and day and night use the thing beneath his feet — 'zuxia' — to remind himself that he had once wronged such a man.

Guan Yu was utterly speechless: "Whether I have read books or not, whether I am a man of Jin — what business is it of yours?"

"Then I shall be more direct." The man beneath the withered tree — Gongsun Xun — suddenly realized his own words had been somewhat baffling. "Are you, zuxia, Guan Yunchang of Hedong?!"

"A true man does not change his name when traveling or his surname when sitting," Guan Yu frowned and said. "I am Guan Yu, Guan Changsheng of Hedong. Why speak of Guan Yunchang?!"

Gongsun Xun was momentarily stunned, then broke into laughter... After all, whether Yunchang or Changsheng, it matched in the end. Besides, compared to Yunchang, Changsheng carried a bit more rustic flavor; changing his courtesy name later must have been a common thing after his learning advanced.

"Why do you laugh?" Guan Yu grew even more impatient at this. "There is only you and me here. I will speak plainly... Go back and check the wanted notices, and you will know. I am a fugitive for murder; I killed quite a few people in Hedong, and so I fled abroad. Passing through here today, I happened to encounter your Governor and lent a hand in passing — not out of greed for reward. If I go back with you, I fear it will put both your Governor and me in a difficult position! Now clear the road and let me leave..."

"You misunderstand, zuxia." Gongsun Xun shook his head in reply. "What sort of thing is Governor Liu, that he could order me about? That I have waited here so long today is my own stubborn doing — I came specifically to meet you."

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes slightly: "You do look somewhat familiar. It seems you were the one leading alongside the Governor today. I took you for a junior relative of the Governor... Who exactly are you, sir?"

"You ask who I am." Gongsun Xun shook his head and laughed even more. "You make your living hauling stone here at the Xia Embankment, and you truly do not know me?"

Guan Yu's face immediately fell: "Why should I know you?"

"I am Gongsun Xun of Liaoxi, courtesy name Wenqi." Gongsun Xun stood tall with hands behind his back and answered proudly. "I am the one who rode beyond the border to burn Mount Danhan in the Xiping era, the one who executed Wang Fu in Luoyang, the one who annihilated Goguryeo in Liaodong last year, and moreover, the Magistrate of Handan here, the one who led the people of Zhao to build the Xia Embankment behind you! You, zuxia... truly do not know me?"

Guan Yu stood rooted to the spot, one hand on the cart, silent. Gongsun Xun still stood proudly with hands behind his back, quietly awaiting the other's reply.

The two stared at each other for a long while, and sure enough, it was the former who spoke first: "A man of such stature as you, my lord — why would you ride out lightly to meet a fugitive like me?"

"It is precisely because you are a fugitive that I had to come and meet you." Gongsun Xun stepped forward with hands behind his back, arriving before the cart.

"Has my lord come to arrest me and bring me to justice?" Guan Yu still stood solemnly behind the cart, unmoving, but his eyes narrowed once more.

"Such words belittle me, zuxia." Gongsun Xun immediately halted. "What I mean is... a mere fugitive saves the Governor of Jizhou. He could have leveraged the favor to demand repayment, changed his name, and enjoyed wealth and rank — yet he merely accepted a reward and took his leave straightaway... Is that something an ordinary man would do? Such conduct is worthy of being called a righteous hero. Not to mention, in a moment of crisis, subduing an enemy in a single move — that is also valor and martial prowess of the highest order..."

"Does my lord wish to recruit me?" Guan Yu suddenly understood and asked in return. "A mere fugitive?!"

"If I let you leave just like this, would it not be like Chong'er forgetting Jie Zitui... regretting it for the rest of my life?" Gongsun Xun faced him with solemn dignity. "I will not hide it from you, zuxia. I do indeed wish to recruit you into my service!"

Gongsun Xun was not merely speaking pleasantries... He truly felt that if he let Guan Yu go today, he would surely regret it for the rest of his life!

As it happened, regarding this Guan Changsheng before them, Lady Gongsun and her son Gongsun Xun held somewhat differing views.

In Lady Gongsun's telling, this man's pride was as if some heaven-sent fault. Yet Gongsun Xun found it somewhat hard to understand his mother's attitude... Because in Gongsun Xun's view, even if this man was somewhat arrogant, judging by his performance in those stories, he absolutely ranked among the finest of those heroes of the Three Kingdoms.

First of all, his unwavering loyalty was beyond question, was it not? Cao Cao treated him so well, yet the moment he heard word of Liu Bei, he abandoned high office and rich salary to follow the latter in wandering across the land. Could there be any dispute about that?

Secondly, in terms of battle, he slew Yan Liang and cut down Wen Chou, taking the heads of top generals amidst ten thousand troops... Even if he only cut down one, that would still be the ultimate feat a warrior could achieve, would it not?

Lastly, in terms of command, later he flooded seven armies and awed all of Huaxia, nearly shaking the realm of Emperor Wu of Wei... That too was the ultimate achievement of a general commanding a front, was it not?

So, as a general, this man was absolutely a renowned commander of his era! In fact, the reason Gongsun Xun had always regarded Liu Bei highly, even faintly feeling that the fellow truly possessed some mandate of heaven... was largely because a man who was little more than a wandering knight leader, the moment he decided to go and establish his deeds, could actually recruit two men of such caliber to follow him.

What heaven-defying luck was that?!

Yet for some reason, regarding such an outstanding figure, Lady Gongsun kept going on about how proud this man was, as if he were not a general but an immortal, and thus should not be proud... Even if he were an immortal, who says he cannot be proud? He is no sage! Gongsun Xun found this utterly incomprehensible.

Not to mention, of the two assassins today, one was killed by Lu Bu and one was slain by Guan Yu — both with a single fatal blow! Yet the more this was so, the more it highlighted Guan Yu's value! Gongsun Xun could keep Lu Bu at arm's length, maintaining ties and observing him out of regard for his talent — so why not make use of a talent like Guan Yu?

Judging by his age and courtesy name, he should have already undergone his capping ceremony and be considered an adult. Even if a military man was still a half-finished product, he was probably eight-tenths set, was he not?

Moreover, from another angle, Gongsun Xun truly seemed to need a talent like Guan Yu. This was not just about ability, but because after truly serving as an official and experiencing more, he had gradually come to sense another kind of rarity in talent... Often, some people are not without ability, but are constrained by various entanglements and cannot be used.

Take Shen Pei, for example. In terms of ability, he might be the most outstanding civil official under Gongsun Xun's command, and his earlier performance had been excellent. Yet when he arrived in Zhao, where he should have held the advantage of local knowledge and performed even better, he was easily outshone by Wang Xiu. This was not only the result of Wang Xiu's tempering through experience, but also because Shen Pei, hindered by the fact that this was near his hometown, could not act freely!

Shen Pei came from a great clan in Wei Commandery, renowned throughout Hebei — how could he possibly have no ties to the powerful families of Zhao? It was precisely because of this that in Zhao, he unconsciously sheathed his edge and contented himself with peripheral matters. Only after the local powerful families had been largely mediated did he faintly reveal some sharpness, yet he could not help but grow too close to Ju Zong, faintly giving the sense that they were mutually supporting each other.

Of course, Shen Pei was only one example. If one were to investigate carefully... everyone around him seemed to have certain directions they had to avoid.

But Guan Yu was one of the rare few who had no such entanglements... Hailing from Hedong, he had fled after killing a man — unattached and unencumbered! From Gongsun Xun's perspective, would he not be far too convenient to employ?

"I, Guan Yu, will not be a swordsman for hire!" Just as Gongsun Xun was about to continue, the towering Guan Yu spoke words that left one quite speechless. "I respect you, my lord, as a heroic figure, and for your clear-sighted governance and compassion for the farmers. I do not wish to offend you. Please clear the way and allow me to leave on my own."

"I treat you as a scholar of the state, pursuing you through the night — that is clear proof!" Gongsun Xun was not angered but rather delighted. "How could I ever make you a mere swordsman for hire?!"

That the other man could regard him as a hero was already a good thing. If that kid Liu Bei, as a mere wandering knight, could recruit this man, what did he have to worry about now?

Guan Yu fell silent again. He stared at Gongsun Xun for a long time before continuing: "But with your current status and wings, my lord, why would you need to treat a mere man of brawn like me as a scholar of the state?"

How many men in this world are there with nothing but brute courage like you?!

Gongsun Xun felt this frantic inwardly, but on his lips he merely sighed softly: "The mountain never tires of height, the sea never tires of depth; the Duke of Zhou spat out his meal, and all under Heaven turned their hearts to him. When I see the strong in this world unchecked and the weak with nothing to lean on, I set my will to drive the world forward and set right the age — how could I ever think I have too many righteous and valiant men beside me? Besides, in my view, you, sir, possess one thing that no one else at my side has."

"I would hear the details." Guan Yu narrowed his eyes once more.

"You, sir, do not fear the powerful and noble!" Gongsun Xun said with a solemn expression. "The Inspector is the regional governor of a province, exalted beyond words, yet Changsheng cast him aside like a worn-out broom... Those around me may also curb the strong and aid the weak, but most do so on orders. The only one who does so of his own will is Wang Shuzhi, who serves as my Assistant County Magistrate of Handan — yet he is but a frail scholar..."

Guan Yu nodded slightly, as if recalling this man.

"Changsheng, after the new year I will be twenty-five, and it is time I take up a post at two thousand piculs and govern a region of my own." Gongsun Xun stepped forward and directly grasped the other man's wrist. "It is precisely a man of talent like you I need to root out the strong and aid the weak! Whatever the case, stay with me for a time — if I ever do anything unrighteous, what is to stop you from abandoning me then?"

Guan Yu was extremely tall; he lowered his head and looked straight at the other man. Only after a long while did he slowly say: "Yu is, after all, a fugitive..."

Gongsun Xun felt an indescribable joy in his heart, but he forced it down and then asked seriously: "What crime did you commit?"

"In my home district there was a powerful and unrestrained magnate who seized and plundered the poor..."

"Then killing him was the right thing to do!" Gongsun Xun gritted his teeth and laughed coldly. "In employing you, sir, it is precisely your courage I wish to borrow to suppress such wretches! When I return, I shall write a letter to Dong Zhuo, the Grand Administrator of Hedong, and demand to know why he allowed such a man to run rampant, forcing you, Changsheng, to take matters into your own hands?"

"Grand Administrator Dong had only just taken up his post when I committed the offense." Guan Yu was, after all, one who distinguished clearly between kindness and grievance. "It had nothing to do with him..."

"No matter!" Gongsun Xun laughed in spite of himself. "For now, let us return to the river embankment camp. We can talk it all through there."

Guan Yu pondered for a moment, then stepped back half a pace, simply bowed with a cupped-hand salute, and addressed him as Lord Marquis.

Seeing this, Gongsun Xun could no longer conceal the joy in his heart... He had never imagined such luck would come his way today. So he burst out laughing on the spot, then fetched the two horses tethered in the distant grove. Paying no heed at all to the flatbed cart left on the road, he simply led the young Guan Yu straight back beneath the moonlight.

———————I am the dividing line of finally having some luck———————

"When Xun was Prefect of Handan, he was ambushed by the riverbank. At that time, Guan Yu was a fugitive, bearing stones upon the embankment. He hurled a stone and instantly killed one of the brigands, aiding Xun in his moment of peril. That done, he departed. When Xun rose and searched all around to no avail, he rode through the night, pursuing along the road, and found him upon the way. Pressed for an answer, Yu then replied: 'You, sir, are a hero. Yu is a fugitive. If I remained, you, sir, would surely cross provinces to seek my pardon, and I feared it would tarnish your reputation.' Xun laughed heartily: 'In that case, you, sir, are a hero as well!' He then took him by the hand and brought him back, drawing him into his innermost confidence." — *Records of Heroes at the End of Han*, by Wang Can

PS: Regarding Guan Yu's age, the historical record only says he was older than Zhang Fei; his actual age is entirely unrecorded... But to respect everyone's common understanding, let's treat him as roughly the same age as Liu Bei.

Also, new book group 684558115 — everyone can join.

(End of Chapter)