The Peach Garden Oath of Brotherhood among Heroes (part 3)

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The proclamation reached Zhuo County, where it caught the attention of a local hero. This man was not fond of reading, was broad-minded, spoke little, and did not show his emotions. He had great ambitions and loved to make friends with heroes from all over the world. He was seven feet five inches tall, with ears that reached his shoulders, arms that extended past his knees, eyes that could see his ears, a face like jade, and lips like vermilion. He was a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan and a great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han. His name was Liu Bei, styled Xuande. His ancestor, Liu Zhen, was granted the title of Marquis of Zhuolu during Emperor Wu's reign but lost the title due to a crime. Xuande's grandfather, Liu Xiong, and his father, Liu Hong, both held minor official positions. Hong died early, leaving Xuande an orphan. He was filial to his mother and made a living by weaving mats and selling sandals. He lived in the village of Lou Sang in Zhuo County. To the southeast of his house was a large mulberry tree, over five feet tall, resembling a carriage cover. A fortune-teller once said, "This family will produce a nobleman." When Xuande was young, he played under the tree with other children, saying, "I will be the emperor and ride this carriage cover." His uncle, Liu Yuanqi, was amazed by his words and often helped the poor family. At fifteen, his mother sent him to study. He was a student of Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi and befriended Gongsun Zan. When Liu Yan issued the proclamation, Xuande was already twenty-eight years old.

Upon seeing the proclamation, Xuande sighed deeply. A man nearby said loudly, "A real man should serve the country. Why do you sigh?" Xuande turned to see a man eight feet tall, with a leopard head, round eyes, a tiger beard, a voice like thunder, and a stance like a charging horse. Xuande, seeing his extraordinary appearance, asked his name. The man replied, "I am Zhang Fei, styled Yide. I live in Zhuo County, own some land, and sell wine and butcher pigs. I love to make friends with heroes from all over the world. I saw you reading the proclamation and sighing, so I asked." Xuande said, "I am a descendant of the Han royal family, named Liu Bei. I heard about the Yellow Turban rebellion and wish to quell the rebels and bring peace to the people, but I lack the strength, so I sighed." Zhang Fei said, "I have some wealth and can recruit local warriors to join you in this great cause. What do you think?" Xuande was delighted and went with him to a village inn to drink.

While they were drinking, a large man pushed a cart to the inn door, rested, and called for wine. He said, "Quickly pour me some wine. I need to rush to the city to join the army." Xuande looked at him. He was nine feet tall, with a two-foot-long beard, a face like a red date, lips like vermilion, phoenix eyes, and thick eyebrows. His appearance was imposing and majestic. Xuande invited him to sit and asked his name. The man said, "I am Guan Yu, styled Changsheng, later changed to Yunchang. I am from Xieliang in Hedong. I killed a local bully and fled, wandering for five or six years. I heard about the recruitment here and came to join the army." Xuande told him his intentions, and Guan Yu was delighted. They went to Zhang Fei's house to discuss the great cause. Zhang Fei said, "There is a peach orchard behind my house, with flowers in full bloom. Tomorrow, we should swear an oath of brotherhood in the orchard, and then we can work together to achieve great things." Xuande and Guan Yu agreed.

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