Chapter 30

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Guanyu, known as Guan Yunchang, was said to have a face as dark as a jujube, with silkworm eyebrows and phoenix eyes. These were all folk legends and novelists' tales. In historical records, there was only one description of Guanyu's appearance: "beautiful beard," meaning he had a well-groomed beard on his chin and around his ears. Initially, Shixun had only glanced at him briefly, not paying much attention to his beard. Now, upon closer inspection, it was indeed well-groomed, but it wasn't as long as described in the novels, reaching down to his abdomen.

Guanyu was quite tall, almost as tall as Taishi Ci, but his face had no distinctive features. If he shaved off his rather imposing beard, he would look like an ordinary vendor selling fruit from a cart in the outskirts of the city—no wonder folk legends and storytelling often had him selling jujubes. Moreover, his beard was not the five-branched beard commonly seen in statues, but a full beard about a foot long, similar to Li Jing, the commander of Chentang Pass in the animated film "Nezha."

Guanyu accepted the order and took the military token from Liu Bei, leading Taishi Ci, Shixun, and two others to the parade ground to muster the troops. Shixun casually inquired and learned that Liu Pingyuan had two top generals: one named Guan Yunchang and the other named Zhang Yide. He wondered where Zhang Yide was. Guanyu, without turning his head, coldly replied, "He has been ordered to garrison another county." Shixun felt a bit disappointed and asked if there was a young general under Gongsun Zan named Zhao Yun, whose courtesy name was Zilong, and if he was close to Liu Pingyuan. Guanyu, still with a cold expression, only said, "I don't know."

Soon, they mustered three thousand soldiers. Guanyu led them, traveling day and night, and after five days, they entered the territory of Duchang, setting up camp thirty miles from the city. Guanyu believed the soldiers were tired and it was not advisable to advance immediately. Therefore, he only took Taishi Ci and seven or eight personal guards to scout the enemy camp. Shixun, who did not intend to leave Taishi Ci's side, followed on horseback.

Under Taishi Ci's guidance, they ascended a high hill, the same place where he had observed the enemy before his previous attack on Duchang. From a distance, Duchang still appeared intact, with a few red flags sparsely planted on the city walls, indicating it had not yet fallen. It was mid-afternoon, and the Yellow Turbans did not seem to be launching any attacks, merely surrounding the city in a lackluster manner.

Taishi Ci pointed out the enemy's positions to Guanyu and said, "To save Duchang, I have two plans. I wonder if you, Commander Guan, are willing to listen?" At that time, Guanyu's official position was a subordinate commander under the Governor of Pingyuan.

Guanyu did not answer but slightly tilted his head, indicating he was listening. Taishi Ci said, "The first plan is to let the troops rest for a night and then attack from the weak northern side of the city tomorrow. Once inside, we can break out through the west gate and directly attack Guan Hai's main camp. If we defeat Guan Hai, even if the enemy has a million troops, they will be defeated in one battle. The second plan is for me to return to the city tonight and have Lord Kong open the gate to attack from both inside and outside, ensuring victory."

After presenting his plans, Taishi Ci turned to look at Guanyu, waiting for his decision. However, Guanyu did not say whether he would adopt either plan or reject both. He just stood there, looking into the distance. Taishi Ci urged him twice, and finally, Guanyu raised his spear and pointed far away, saying, "Look."

Taishi Ci and Shixun followed his gaze and saw a camp with a large pot set up outside, steaming with something being cooked. Under the protection of armored warriors, a long line of people was queuing to receive food. Most of the people in the queue were elderly, women, and children, all dressed in tattered clothes and looking emaciated. Some women were even holding infants... This was not an army of bandits but a group of refugees.

Guanyu suddenly said in a deep voice, "Among the million Yellow Turbans, many are women and children, forced to join. How can they have any intention to rebel? If we attack now, without distinguishing between the good and the bad, they will all be slaughtered. Is that not pitiful? In my opinion, I should ride alone into the camp, take Guan Hai's head, and thus lift the siege, saving lives. Isn't that a better solution?"

Taishi Ci shook his head lightly, "Though there are many old and weak, there are still tens of thousands who can fight. Even if Commander Guan is brave, can you really kill Guan Hai alone? If something goes wrong, not only will Duchang not be saved, but these three thousand Pingyuan soldiers will also be destroyed. Please think carefully."

Guanyu said proudly, "Do not worry, watch me take the enemy general's head in the midst of a million troops!" As he spoke, he pulled the reins, ready to charge forward.

Shixun shouted in alarm, "General Guan, wait!"

Guanyu gave him a strange look, "I am not the second son, nor am I a general."

"Oh, this... Commander Guan, wait, listen to me..."

Shixun's first impression of Guanyu was not good. In his previous life, among the famous generals of the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, he did not particularly like Guanyu. Online, people often argued about Guanyu, with the anti-Guan and pro-Guan factions clashing fiercely. However, Shixun's views were different from both. Most people evaluated Guanyu based on his combat ability, which was undeniable. But was Guanyu really a great general? Was the victory at the Battle of Fancheng due to a natural disaster or his strategic planning? Was the defeat by Xu Huang a temporary mistake or a poor deployment? Was his ultimate defeat and death due to Lu Meng's cunning or Guanyu's incompetence?

Shixun found these debates meaningless because the historical records were too brief to reconstruct the details of many battles. Whether a victory or a defeat, whether it was due to the tide of events or poor command, was a matter of interpretation. However, he strongly disliked Guanyu's arrogant character in his later years, believing that his downfall was largely due to his unwillingness to form a united front, which provoked the Eastern Wu.

If his conflict with Eastern Wu before the single-boat meeting could be excused as a duty to defend his territory and follow orders, by the time of the Battle of Fancheng, even with Cao Cao's sowing of discord, there was no immediate need for Sun and Liu to turn against each other. What did Guanyu do in this situation? He refused to marry his daughter to Sun Quan's son, calling him a "dog's son." Sun Quan was his boss's brother-in-law, and if his boss's brother-in-law was a dog, what could he be? (Shixun got this mixed up; although Guanyu did insult Sun Quan, the phrase "a tiger's daughter cannot marry a dog's son" was from the novel.)

Moreover, Guanyu had plundered his allies' supplies and threatened to attack Sun Quan once Fan Cheng fell. How could Sun Quan not consider eliminating him first?

The Battle of Fancheng was a turning point when the Liu Bei group had reached the peak of their power after decades of struggle. However, this great opportunity was squandered by Guanyu's arrogance.

When Shixun met Guanyu in this life, he realized that this arrogance was not something that developed with his rank but was ingrained in him from a young age. On the journey, he hardly spoke to Taishi Ci and Shixun, always looking down and speaking dismissively, as if they were just ordinary messengers. No wonder the historical records described him as "kind to his soldiers but arrogant towards scholars."

However, at this moment, Shixun saw another side of Guanyu, a compassionate side. Guanyu, who likely came from a humble background and had lived as an outlaw, had seen the suffering of the common people. This might explain his arrogance towards scholars. Faced with the Yellow Turbans, he noticed the large number of old and weak among them, feeling pity and not wanting to attack recklessly, which could result in a massacre. Instead, he was willing to risk his life to take Guan Hai's head. If this were a typical scholar of the time, they would not find Guanyu's actions admirable, perhaps even considering him overly sentimental. However, Shixun, with his modern soul, found this rough-bearded man more likable than most scholars of the time.

Therefore, Shixun spoke up to stop Guanyu from taking the risk. "Commander, you are brave and can kill Guan Hai, but if Guan Hai dies, the enemy will collapse, and the women and children will be trampled. How many will survive? Their families are among the Yellow Turbans. If they die or are scattered, even if they survive, they will have no food or clothing. Isn't it better to save them rather than harm them?"

Guanyu was taken aback, looking at him askance, "Do you have a better plan?"

Shixun puffed out his chest and said loudly, "Wait until tomorrow morning. When the army arrives, we will threaten the enemy. I will enter their camp and use my eloquence to persuade Guan Hai to lift the siege. This is a better solution."

Guanyu looked skeptical, "What skills do you have to persuade Guan Hai to retreat?"

Taishi Ci also urged, "Hongfu, do not take the risk. Guan Hai did not kill you last time, but he might this time!"

Shixun laughed coldly, "A true man will not fear death to alleviate the people's suffering. If I fail to persuade Guan Hai and am killed, then Commander Guan can ride alone into the camp. Is it easier to attack during their mealtime or in a formal battle tomorrow?"

Guanyu was furious, "What do I have to fear? Fine, let's see your eloquence tomorrow!"

The next morning, the three thousand Pingyuan soldiers, led by Guanyu, charged to the enemy's front. The Yellow Turbans had not sent many scouts, and upon seeing the government troops, they were thrown into chaos. It took them a while to muster a few thousand soldiers to face them. Shixun was about to ride out when Taishi Ci grabbed his reins, "I will go with you, Hongfu?"

Shixun forced a calm smile, "Zi Yi, do not worry. I believe Guan Hai will not kill me." He gently pushed Taishi Ci's hand away and rode toward the enemy camp, shouting from a distance, "In a war between two countries, messengers are not to be harmed!"

As he approached, several Yellow Turban soldiers raised their spears at his chest. Shixun raised his hands, "I am unarmed. I only wish to see your commander, Guan Hai." A dark-faced Yellow Turban soldier sneered, "Who are you? Do you think you can see our commander just like that?" He thrust his spear at Shixun's face...

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