Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

“Now then, let’s raise a toast, hoping for the realization of the great cause that my lord Liu Bei harbors!”

At those words, all the residents of Xu County gathered in the peach blossom-filled garden raised their cups and echoed the toast.

Although Xu County is said to be such a small town that it could be called a backwater even among China’s countryside, perhaps because this feast was hosted by the two big shots of Xu County, Liu Bei and Zhang Shiping?

There were over a thousand people gathered here.

Even in Korea, it’s rare to see a thousand people gather at once without a political rally or major event, but a thousand people in this countryside with such inconvenient transportation…

It really hits home just how much reputation and virtue these two have built up.

“At this rate, instead of making the Peach Garden Oath, we’re setting our sights on unifying the world in a peach garden. Well, that’s not bad either…”

Come to think of it, the Peach Garden Oath in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also a fictional creation, and in reality, it was only mentioned that the relationship between Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei was like family…

So I guess it’s possible there might not be a Peach Garden Oath, huh.

As someone who has read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms for a long time, I don’t want to miss the Peach Garden Oath, but what’s important isn’t the form of the Peach Garden Oath, but the bond between us three, right?

Thinking that while gulping down alcohol, Gan Ning, Liu Bei’s close friend, appeared with a bottle of alcohol in one hand.

“Yunchang, why are you drinking alone so gloomily and setting the mood?”

Gan Ning, the master of friendliness in the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei’s close friend and early strategist.

Although she looks like the very embodiment of a beautiful young girl, it’s a bit odd to say this, but she doesn’t give off any sexy or sexually attractive vibes at all.

Rather, she’s so much like an old man that I’m confident that even if we stayed up all night drinking together, absolutely nothing would happen.

Thanks to that, I was able to speak casually and become close friends with her in less than a week of meeting, so I guess that’s a good thing.

“What about you, Gan Ning? You seem to be getting along well with the Xu County residents too, why aren’t you drinking with them?”

At those words, Gan Ning smirked.

“No matter how much I love alcohol, as Liu Bei’s advisor and Xingzhunsima (Marching Quartermaster), I need to take care of supplies and resources before eating and drinking. So I just finished checking on those.”

In the Three Kingdoms, some people think Gan Ning rose to success by chance, but in reality, she’s a veteran of the same caliber as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Moreover, she’s a talented person who assisted Liu Bei until the end from the time when there was a shortage of staff to handle administrative work.

No matter how good-natured Liu Bei was, he would have eliminated or distanced incompetent people, so naturally, one would have to be diligent to survive until the end.

“How much resources do we have?”

Gan Ning shrugged her shoulders.

“Thanks to Lord Zhang giving up all his wealth, we have 100 war horses, 400 pack horses, 300 oxen, 1,000 sets of armor, 300 taels of gold, 3,000 taels of silver. Enough provisions to feed 1,000 soldiers for two years and 10 million coins. It’s such an enormous amount of resources that I wonder if it’s not too much for our Liu Bei who’s just starting to raise an army.”

In the original history, although he provided substantial support, Liu Bei was only given enough money to barely scrape together about 500 volunteer soldiers by squeezing out every last bit…

With Zhang Shiping betting all his wealth, we can now leap forward as if we’ve received a luxurious startup package in an online game…

Moreover, in this era, 10 million coins, which are used as currency, is enough to just buy the position of county magistrate outright.

If we sell all the other assets too, it seems like we could even buy the position of governor, which is above the county magistrate…

Gan Ning pulled me up and, leading me towards where Liu Bei was, said:

“How can you not join that group when you’re the number one contributor who made it possible for Liu Bei to pursue his ambition? Everyone’s probably looking for you, you know?”
“But only people who have lived their whole lives in Xu County are gathered there…”
“Ah, you’re an exception, Yunchang, an exception. What are you doing? Let’s go already!”

As I was forcibly dragged along by Gan Ning, even though it wouldn’t be strange if a drinking party had already gotten into full swing…

Everyone looked as if they hadn’t had a single drink, waiting for me to arrive.

“Yunchang, aren’t you too late? You weren’t drinking alone and setting the mood, were you?”

Gan Ning answered with a giggle.

“That’s exactly what he was doing, so I brought him here, Yide.”
“As expected of Gan Ning. Well done. We can’t let the number one contributor who made the biggest contribution to Sister Xuande’s cause drink alone in this joyous occasion. Right, Lord Zhang?”
“You’re right, Yide. He’s the savior of my life and the one who made me decide to follow Lord Liu Bei, so he needs to take responsibility. This calls for a penalty drink.”

As soon as Zhang Fei heard that, she brought over a cup as big as a human torso, poured an enormous amount of alcohol into it, and handed it to me.

“It’s a penalty drink, drink up!”

It’s not like I’m being pressured to drink by a company president or some high-ranking person, and in such a good atmosphere… I guess I should drink.

As I grabbed the huge cup and gulped it down, everyone around clapped their hands.

“Amazing as expected! Great, one more!!”

As Zhang Fei was about to pour another cup like that, she was stopped by Liu Bei.

“Yunchang will collapse if he drinks like you, Yide. What if something happens to him and he leaves me behind?”

Then Liu Bei tightly grasped my hand in this place and said with his face turning as red as an apple:

“Although we haven’t known each other for long, Yunchang, who has laid the foundation for realizing my dream, is like family to me. So Yunchang needs to stay by my side for life.”

At those words, Gan Ning smiled somewhat suspiciously, and Zhang Shiping stroked his beard with a subtle smile.

I don’t know what they’re thinking, but just looking at Liu Bei’s expression and words, it’s clear that he’s never had a man who cherished him this much in his life.

He’s just embarrassed about opening his heart for the first time, but there’s clearly no emotion like the love you guys are fond of.

Then this time, Zhang Fei came and hugged Liu Bei and me tightly, saying:

“The three of us have long since united our wills to create the world that Sister Xuande desires, so we’re like family as sister said. Right, Yunchang?”

“As you say, I too will dedicate my life to working for Lord Liu Bei’s world as long as I have breath in my body.”
“Then let’s take this opportunity to swear in front of everyone, Yunchang. That from now on, the three of us will live regarding each other as family.”

Liu Bei seemed to like that idea and immediately led us to the foot of the largest peach tree.

As we suddenly moved, the eyes of everyone in Xu County gathered around us, and the quick-witted Gan Ning laid out mats and dishes, setting up a simple altar.

Liu Bei immediately recited a hastily composed prayer and declared:

“Oh Heaven, we, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, wish to die on the same day and at the same hour, harboring the single will to pacify the world. So if any of these three should abandon this will, may Heaven punish them, and please ensure that our wish is surely fulfilled.”

With our agreement to those words, the ceremony was now complete.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Peach Garden Oath is portrayed as something grand, but in fact, even in modern China, sworn brotherhood is something that can be formed while drinking.

“Sister Xuande is first, so then next is…”

I spoke as if imitating Guan Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

“Yide, I’m a bit older than you, so I suppose I should be second. Call me big brother.”

Zhang Fei’s face turned as red as heated steel and she stammered:

“Brother Yunchang.”

Seeing a girl who usually acts like a man without hesitation blushing at just uttering the word “brother”…

I can’t help but think it’s cute.

Almost to the point where I want to pat her head.

“That’s right, Yide.”

Just as Zhang Fei was about to protest, seemingly unsatisfied with being called like this…

My ears caught the sound of horses’ hooves pounding the ground.

Everyone started trembling, unable to hide their surprise at the sudden appearance of cavalry.

“Why are we suddenly hearing the sound of horse hooves?”
“Aren’t we in big trouble?”

However, the sudden anxiety soon subsided.

“Those are Han Dynasty flags! Whatever it is, it’s government troops!”

In this era, government troops were both bad guys who extorted people and also protectors of the common people.

So they’re much safer than Yellow Turban rebels or unknown warlords.

And then Cao Cao’s voice was heard.

“Cavalry Commander Cao Cao has come to take Lord Guan! How about it? If you come with me now, I’ll give you the position of Junhou (military officer at the rank of battalion commander) with generous pay, not just a mere Dun Zhang. Won’t you become mine?”

At those words, Liu Bei turned his head towards the source of that voice with an even sharper and fiercer gaze than when facing the Yellow Turbans.

Then, with a determination not to let go of what’s his, he pulled me towards his body.

“Yunchang is already mine! We’ve already formed family bonds!”

…… Shit, what kind of chaos is this?