Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

An unexpected scene unfolded before our eyes as we returned straight to the city of Xu County from Mount Daxing.

“Sister Xuande, Brother Yunchang. What on earth is that?”

Zhang Fei said, pointing to the army lined up ahead, holding spears and swords.

“The soldiers are outside the city gates with the Yu Province Governor’s flags and weapons. Could it be they’ve come out to welcome us for our great victory?”

Although Zhang Fei tends to be a bit hot-blooded, even he wouldn’t fail to realize that over a thousand Han imperial soldiers waiting outside the city gates were there to welcome us.

It’s just that he probably can’t believe that the Yu Province Governor would welcome them, mere volunteer soldiers, so earnestly.

I’m also honestly feeling a bit flustered by such a grand welcome, though I’m not showing it outwardly.

Liu Bei patted Zhang Fei’s head to calm his surprise.

“I’m a bit surprised too, but seeing so many soldiers lined up outside the city gates, it seems they’re doing this to welcome us.”
“Then do you think we’ll receive a big reward from the Yu Province Governor?”

Although the Han Dynasty is corrupt, it still maintains the semblance of a functioning state.

Moreover, Liu Yan was on the verge of losing the entire Yu Province, so he essentially owes us his life.

Unless he’s an utter scoundrel like Dong Zhuo, he’ll surely reward us generously.

I patted Zhang Fei’s back as well.

“Of course. He’ll probably give us a reward beyond our imagination.”

Hearing my and Liu Bei’s words, Zhang Fei turned to the soldiers following us and shouted in his booming voice.

“Soon, the Yu Province Governor will bestow great rewards upon us!”

At those words, all the soldiers under Liu Bei’s command, though they must have been exhausted, responded by striking the ground with their spears.

“Long live Lord Xuande!”
“Now we’re proper soldiers too!”
“Let’s keep fighting and winning like this!”

To think that after fighting a fierce battle where 1,000 men held off over 30,000 enemy troops, instead of saying they don’t want to fight anymore, they’re saying they want to achieve even more next time.

Indeed, praise seems to make whales dance, and rewards have the power to make people go to war again.

“I hope things continue to go well like this, Lord Xuande.”
“Indeed, Yunchang. If things keep going this well, I might even receive a position as a county magistrate by the time this rebellion ends.”

In the original history, it was only after suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion and struggling for a few more years, then quelling the rebellion of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, that he barely managed to secure a position as a district commander.

In a way, it was certainly a human triumph for Liu Bei, a man with no background, to rise to the position of district commander after just a few years of struggle.

But considering how history will unfold from now on, he should at least obtain the position of county magistrate from this rebellion.

“I, Guan Yunchang, will certainly lay the foundation for Lord Xuande to make his name known throughout the world by the end of this rebellion.”
“Is that so? I’ll look forward to it, Yunchang.”

Liu Bei grabbed my hand with a smile so bright it was almost dazzling.

“Although we haven’t known each other for long, Yunchang has always kept his word so far. I believe you’ll keep this promise too.”

Having never experienced romance in my previous life in Korea or in this life, it’s quite troubling when someone approaches me like this.

I’ve never even properly held a woman’s hand in my entire life, so when someone comes at me like this, it makes me feel a little hopeful.

Both Cao Cao and Liu Bei have a strange sense of closeness when approaching me, a man.

Liu Bei says I’m his family and that he won’t let anyone take me away, while Cao Cao claims that Guan Yu is his possession and tries to snatch me away. Really.

Lost in these thoughts, we soon arrived right in front of the city gates.

As the gates opened, Liu Yan and his entourage, dressed in silk ceremonial robes, came out to greet us.

As someone who completed his military service as a sergeant in the Korean army, it’s incredibly awkward to have someone equivalent to a three-star general coming out like this.

Glancing at Liu Bei and Zhang Fei beside me, I could see their faces weren’t much different.

They all wore stiff, awkward smiles, too shocked by the situation.

Regardless, Liu Yan came towards us and immediately gave Zhu Jing a warm embrace.

“Commander Zhu! Yes, I knew my Commander Zhu could easily catch those ragtag Yellow Turbans. But to think you’d not only hold back over 30,000 Yellow Turbans but also return with Zhang Yan’s head! What an incredible feat!”

I couldn’t see Zhu Jing’s face from where I was standing, so I’m not sure what he was thinking.

But if it were me, I would have felt incredibly bewildered and dumbfounded.

Not long ago, this man had sent him off with a straight face and an order so reckless it was practically telling him to go die there. Now that he’s returned victorious, he claims he believed Zhu Jing could do it all along.

I doubt there’s any sincerity in those words.

“I will never forget your meritorious deeds, my Commander Zhu.”

Zhu Jing bowed his head as if overwhelmed by the praise.

“Thank you, Governor. However, the 5,000 imperial troops I led at Mount Daxing didn’t accomplish much.”

Liu Yan tilted his head at those words.

“Is that so?”
“In this battle, General Liu lured Zhang Yan into the gorge with just 1,000 troops and defeated all 30,000 of their soldiers. In the process, two of General Liu’s subordinates, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, each beheaded Deng Wu and Zhang Yan… What I did was merely ambush the fleeing remnants.”

Liu Yan let out an admiring sigh upon hearing Zhu Jing’s words.

“I thought my General Liu, though not from a noble family, could accomplish great things with such an elite army. But to think he would achieve so much. It seems I’ve met a hero of these troubled times.”

Then Liu Yan looked at Liu Bei with interest and asked.

“Seeing that you’ve gathered over 1,000 elite soldiers in these chaotic times, it seems you’re aiming for advancement through this rebellion. Am I right?”
“I merely hope to be of some help to the Emperor in setting this unstable world right.”

From what I’ve seen so far, Liu Bei didn’t seem to have such extreme loyalty to the Emperor.

Rather, he’s an ambitious man who might even try to seize the Emperor’s position depending on how situations unfold.

Still, his love for the people is genuine, making him a kind-hearted person nonetheless.

“To set this unstable world right, one needs to obtain an official position. And from what I can see, General Liu hasn’t been able to rise to an official position because you lack the power of a prestigious family or recommendations from renowned individuals. That’s why you’ve staked everything on suppressing this rebellion, isn’t it?”

In this era, to rise to an official position, one needs to be recommended as a talented scholar or a filial and incorrupt individual.

And to receive such recommendations, evaluations from renowned scholars and famous individuals are crucial.

That’s why Cao Cao, in his youth, spent the Cao family’s fortune flattering all sorts of famous scholars, begging for just one line of positive evaluation.

‘A hero in chaos, a capable minister in peace’

He succeeded in obtaining such an evaluation and used his family’s influence to secure an official position.

But Liu Bei has neither a proper family background nor close relationships with famous individuals, so he ended up struggling hard just to obtain a low-ranking position like district commander…

Liu Bei couldn’t deny those words.

“That’s true.”
“I, Liu Yan, cannot allow someone like General Liu to be buried just because you couldn’t ride on the back of a good family. So, let me make a proposal that will benefit us both.”

Liu Yan deliberately paused before asking.

“Before becoming the Governor of Yu Province, I held the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, one of the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers. After suppressing this rebellion, I will leave Yu Province for Yi Province. I’ll need good subordinate generals to stabilize that place. What do you say? How about serving under me for a while to build your reputation?”

It’s certainly not a bad proposal.

After all, even Cao Cao briefly acted as a general under Yuan Shao’s command after the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition fell apart.

The Sun family of Wu, Sun Jian and Sun Ce, even had a period where they were mere generals serving under Yuan Shu.

So, for Liu Bei, who has ability but lacks fame, entering Liu Yan’s service could be a good choice in the short term.

‘Though in the long run, it’s 100% a path to ruin.’

Liu Bei shook his head at those words.

“I have no intention of serving anyone right now. I only wish to contribute even a little for the sake of the country.”

A wise decision. Following someone like Liu Yan would be madness.

“Is that so? It’s truly regrettable that you’re rejecting such a good opportunity. I’ll make sure to leave a good evaluation of you later and bestow a great reward. For today, rest well, and tomorrow I’ll hold a banquet for you to enjoy with your soldiers.”