Guan Yu 关羽
Guan Yu had the chance to remain in the service of Cao Cao, who valued him and rewarded him generously. But he returned to Liu Bei, and even in the chronicle his act is cited as an example of loyalty. Later, new legends grew up around this journey, the commander himself came to be venerated in temples, and in Cantonese opera he was recognized by his red face, long beard and heavy blade.
Guan Yu (關羽), also known by his courtesy name Yunchang, served Liu Bei from the time the latter began raising troops. Chen Shou writes that Liu Bei treated him and Zhang Fei as brothers. They commanded his men and accompanied him on campaigns. The oath the three swear in the peach garden appears only in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
In 200, after Liu Bei's defeat, Guan Yu found himself with Cao Cao. Cao Cao received him with honour. At the battle of Baima Guan Yu killed the commander Yan Liang and helped break the siege, after which he left Cao Cao's gifts sealed, wrote a farewell letter and went back to Liu Bei. Cao Cao forbade his pursuit. When a few years later Cao Cao's troops again caught up with the retreating Liu Bei at Changban, Guan Yu brought up the boats on which Liu Bei was able to escape to Xiakou.
In 219 Guan Yu laid siege to Fancheng. Autumn rains made the Han River overflow and flood the troops sent to relieve the besieged. One of their commanders, Yu Jin, surrendered, and the other, Pang De, Guan Yu had executed. But he could not hold on to his advantage. Xu Huang came to Fancheng with reinforcements, while Sun Quan's men struck at Guan Yu's rear and took Jiangling. His army began to desert, and Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping were captured and executed.
In time Guan Yu came to be venerated in temples as Lord Guan, and later as Emperor Guan. His name was associated with faithfulness to one's word, and merchants, among others, sought his protection. In Cantonese cinema Kwan Tak-Hing played him in General Guan Escorts His Brother's Wife on a 1,000 Mile Journey (1957), based on the legend of his return to Liu Bei. In Romance of Three Kingdoms (1994) the commander was played by Luk Shu-Ming, and in John Woo's two-part Red Cliff (2008–2009) by Basenzhabu.
