Guan Yu, styled as Yun Chang, originally named Changsheng, was from Jie County in Hedong. Later, for certain reasons, he fled to Zhuo County. At that time, Liu Bei was rallying troops in his hometown, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed him to ensure his safety. When Liu Bei became the Prefect of Pingyuan, he appointed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as separate military commanders to lead troops. Liu Bei had a particularly good relationship with them, sharing a bed and treating them like brothers. In front of many people, they always served by Liu Bei's side, standing by his side all day and following him fearlessly. Later, after Liu Bei defeated Che Zhou, the Inspector of Xu Province, he let Guan Yu defend Xiapi City and appointed him as the Prefect, while he himself returned to Xiaopei.
In the fifth year of the Jian'an era, Cao Cao launched an expedition to the east, and Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao's camp. Cao Cao captured Guan Yu and brought him back to his camp, appointing him as a deputy general and treating him with great favor. Yuan Shao sent the renowned general Yan Liang to attack the Eastern County Prefect Liu Yan at Bai Ma. Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu to lead the charge against Yan Liang. Guan Yu saw Yan Liang's flag from afar, charged into the enemy's formation, slayed Yan Liang amidst the enemy ranks, and brought back his head. None of Yuan Shao's generals could withstand Guan Yu. The siege at Bai Ma was lifted. Cao Cao immediately appointed Guan Yu as the Marquis of Hanshou Pavilion. At first, Cao Cao held Guan Yu in high regard, but he realized that Guan Yu did not intend to stay for long. Cao Cao then asked Zhang Liao to gauge his intentions. Zhang Liao asked Guan Yu, who let out a sigh and replied, "I truly appreciate Cao Cao's generosity, but I once pledged my loyalty to General Liu Bei, promising to live and die together with him, and cannot betray him. I won’t be staying in the long run. I will first accomplish great deeds for Cao Cao before leaving." Zhang Liao told Cao Cao about Guan Yu's words, and Cao Cao admired Guan Yu's character. After Guan Yu killed Yan Liang, Cao Cao knew that Guan Yu would leave, so he rewarded him handsomely once more. Guan Yu gathered all the gifts from Cao Cao, wrote a letter of farewell, and then ran to join Liu Bei in Yuan Shao's army. Cao Cao's subordinates wanted to chase after him, but Cao Cao replied, "Everyone has their own loyalties; let him go!"
Liu Bei initially defected to Liu Biao. After Liu Biao's death, Cao Cao took Jingzhou. Liu Bei led his troops south from Fancheng across the Yangtze River, while also sending Zhuge Liang by boat with hundreds of ships to meet at Jiangling. Cao Cao pursued them to Dangyang Changban, but Liu Bei took a diagonal route towards Han River, where he coincidentally met Zhuge Liang's ships, and they arrived together at Xiakou. Sun Quan sent troops to help Liu Bei resist Cao Cao, who then retreated. Liu Bei regained control of several counties in Jiangnan and began rewarding the meritorious soldiers, appointing Zhuge Liang as the Governor of Xiangyang and General who Pacifies the North, stationed in the north of the Yangtze River.
Later, Liu Bei pacified Yizhou in the west and appointed Zhuge Liang to handle affairs in Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang learned of Ma Chao's surrender, and since he didn't know Ma Chao before, he wrote to inquire about Ma Chao's talents and how he compared to others. Zhuge Liang, aware of Ma Chao's pride in his past achievements, replied in a letter saying, "Ma Chao excels in both civil and military skills, his bravery is unparalleled; he is a hero of his time, like the heroes Ying Bu and Peng Yue, who can be compared to Zhang Fei, but still falls short of the unique and exceptional Guan Yu!" Guan Yu, known for his striking beard, was referred to as "Ran" by Zhuge Liang. Guan Yu was very pleased after reading the letter and even showed it to his guests.
Guan Yu was once hit by a stray arrow that pierced through his left arm. Though the wound healed, he frequently suffered from bone pain on rainy days. The doctor said, "The arrow was poisoned, and the poison has penetrated deep into the bone. The arm must be cut open to scrape off the poison from the bone in order to cure the disease." Guan Yu extended his arm for the doctor to perform the surgery. At that time, Guan Yu was hosting a dinner for his generals, and blood from his arm flowed onto the plates, yet he carried on eating and drinking, chatting and laughing as if nothing was amiss.
In the year 219 AD, Liu Bei became Hanzhong's King and appointed Guan Yu as the Front General, granting him significant power. That year, Guan Yu led troops to attack Cao Ren and was stationed at Fancheng. Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to support Cao Ren. In the autumn, there was heavy rain, causing the Han River to flood. All seven armies under Yu Jin were submerged, and Yu Jin surrendered to Guan Yu. Guan Yu also killed the general Pang De of the Cao army. For a time, bandits and outlaws in Liangzhou, Jiexian, and Luhun obeyed Guan Yu's orders, becoming his accomplices. Guan Yu's reputation intimidated the entire Central Plains region.
Cao Cao even considered moving the capital to Xuchang to escape Guan Yu's threat! Sima Yi and Jiang Ji thought that Guan Yu's arrogance would surely annoy Sun Quan, so they advised Cao Cao to persuade Sun Quan to attack Guan Yu from behind, promising to give Sun Quan control of the Jiangnan region in return, which would naturally lift the siege of Fancheng. Cao Cao accepted this suggestion. Before this, Sun Quan had even sent a marriage proposal to Guan Yu, wanting to marry his daughter to Guan Yu's son. However, Guan Yu not only turned him down but also humiliated Sun Quan's envoy, angering Sun Quan.
Meanwhile, the Prefect of Nanjun, Mi Fang, stationed in Jiangling, and the General Shi Ren stationed in Gong'an, both looked down on Guan Yu, believing he underestimated them. When Guan Yu led his troops, Mi Fang and Shi Ren failed to adequately supply the troops or support him. Guan Yu even said he would "deal with them later" upon his return, leaving Mi Fang and Shi Ren extremely anxious and on edge.
Therefore, Sun Quan secretly teamed up with Mi Fang and Shi Ren, and they even sent people to welcome Sun Quan. At the same time, Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to rescue Cao Ren. Guan Yu couldn't take Fancheng and had to pull back his troops. Sun Quan had taken Jiangling and captured many soldiers and families from Guan Yu's forces, causing his forces to fall apart. Sun Quan sent troops to chase down Guan Yu and ultimately killed him and his son Guan Ping in Linju.
Later, people posthumously honored Guan Yu with the title of Zhuangmiao Marquis. The title "Zhuangmiao Marquis" is his posthumous title. His son Guan Xing inherited the title. Guan Xing, styled Anguo, was exceptionally bright from a young age, and Zhuge Liang thought highly of him. Guan Xing became a Privy Councilor and a commander of the central army at a young age, but sadly passed away a few years later. His son Guan Tong inherited the title, married a princess, and rose to the rank of General of the Household. As Guan Tong had no sons after his death, the title then passed to Guan Yi, Guan Xing's illegitimate son.
Zhang Fei, styled Yide, was from Zhuojun County. When he was young, he followed Liu Bei together with Guan Yu. Guan Yu was a few years older than Zhang Fei, who looked up to him as an older brother. Later, after Liu Bei, with Cao Cao's help, defeated Lu Bu and returned to Xuchang, Cao Cao appointed Zhang Fei as a general. However, after Liu Bei betrayed Cao Cao and sought refuge with Yuan Shao, then with Liu Biao, he fled to Jiangnan after Liu Biao's passing. Cao Cao relentlessly pursued him, chasing him day and night until they reached Changban Slope in Dangyang. Hearing that Cao Cao's army was closing in, Liu Bei, in fear, abandoned his wife and children and took off, leaving Zhang Fei and twenty cavalrymen to hold them off.
Zhang Fei occupied a favorable position at the bridgehead, blocking the way, glaring, holding a long spear horizontally, and roaring loudly: "I am Zhang Yide! Come and fight me to the death if you dare!" Frightened, the enemy dared not approach, allowing Liu Bei to escape. After Liu Bei established himself in Jiangnan, he appointed Zhang Fei as the Prefect of Yidu, General Who Conquers the Enemies, and also granted him the title of Marquis of Xinting. Later, Zhang Fei was transferred to Nanchun for his official post. When Liu Bei invaded Yizhou and attacked Liu Zhang, Zhang Fei, along with Zhuge Liang and others, went upstream and attacked various counties separately. In Jiangzhou, Zhang Fei defeated Yan Yan, the Prefect of Bajun, and even captured him alive. Zhang Fei berated Yan Yan, saying: "The main army has arrived, why don't you surrender and dare to resist?" Yan Yan replied: "You’re unreasonable for invading our territories! In our province, we only have fearless generals, not surrendering ones!" Zhang Fei was furious upon hearing this and ordered that Yan Yan be beheaded. However, Yan Yan was completely unafraid and remained calm, saying: "Go ahead and chop my head off; why get mad?" Zhang Fei was impressed by Yan Yan's courage, let him go, treating him as an honored guest. Zhang Fei was victorious in every battle and finally reunited with Liu Bei in Chengdu. After bringing peace to Yizhou, Liu Bei rewarded Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu each receiving 500 pounds of gold, 1,000 pounds of silver, 50 million coins, and 1,000 bolts of brocade; other generals were also rewarded accordingly. Zhang Fei was appointed Prefect of Baxi.
After defeating Zhang Lu, Cao Cao left Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He to defend Hanchuan. Zhang He led various troops to attack Baxi, intending to relocate the people of Baxi to Hanzhong, and then attacked Dangqu, Mengtou, and Dangshi, in a standoff against Huang Zhong for over fifty days. Huang Zhong led over ten thousand elite soldiers to flank Zhang He's army from another route. As a result, on the narrow mountain paths, the front and rear units were unable to support one another, and Zhang He's army was defeated by Huang Zhong. Zhang He abandoned his horses, retreated along the mountain path with just a dozen followers, and withdrew the army back to Nanzheng, bringing stability back to the Bashu region. Liu Bei declared himself King of Hanzhong, appointed Huang Zhong as the Right General, and granted him the authority of a temporary title. In the first year of Zhangwu, Huang Zhong was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, concurrently serving as Colonel-Director, and was granted the title of Marquis of Xixiang. Liu Bei also issued a decree saying, "I have inherited the Mandate of Heaven and the great cause; pacifying rebellions and eliminating disasters have not been fully achieved. Now the enemy is causing chaos, and the people longing for the Han dynasty are eagerly looking to me. I am deeply troubled by this, restless day and night, unable to eat properly, organizing the army, swearing to go to war, to execute divine punishment. You are loyal and brave, like summoning a tiger for glory, your reputation is far and wide, so I am promoting your official rank and conferring titles, allowing you to concurrently hold official positions in the capital. I hope you can use the might of heaven to win over the people with virtue and punish traitors accordingly, fulfilling my wishes. Isn't it said in the Book of Songs, 'Without illness and disaster, the kingdom can thrive? You have achieved military success first, so I reward you.' Shouldn't you strive harder?"
Huang Zhong was robust and valiant, second only to Guan Yu. The strategists of Wei, such as Cheng Yu, believed that Guan Yu and Huang Zhong were both fierce warriors. Guan Yu treated his soldiers well but was disdainful towards the gentry, while Huang Zhong respected gentlemen but ignored commoners. Liu Bei often warned Huang Zhong, saying, "You've killed too many, and you often lash your warriors to make them serve you. This is a path to your own ruin!" However, Huang Zhong did not change his ways. Later, when Liu Bei attacked Wu, Huang Zhong was to lead ten thousand troops from Langzhong to Jiangzhou for the battle. Before he left, his subordinates Zhang Da and Fan Qiang killed Huang Zhong, took his head and defected to Sun Quan. The commander of Huang Zhong's camp informed Liu Bei of the situation, who lamented, "Alas! Huang Zhong is dead." Later, Liu Bei posthumously honored Huang Zhong as Marquis Huan. Huang Zhong's eldest son, Huang Bao, died young. His second son, Huang Shao, inherited the title and rose to the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Huang Bao's son, Huang Zun, became a Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, fought alongside Zhuge Zhan against Deng Ai at Mianzhu, and ultimately fell in battle.
Ma Chao, styled Mengqi, was a native of Maoling in Fufeng. His father, Ma Teng, rebelled against the Han dynasty with Bian Zhang, Han Sui, and others in the late reign of Emperor Ling of Han. In the third year of Chuping, Han Sui and Ma Teng led their troops to Chang'an. The Han court appointed Han Sui as General Who Guards the West and ordered him to return to Jincheng; Ma Teng was appointed General Who Conquers the West and stationed in Meixian. Later, Ma Teng attacked Chang'an but failed and fled back to Liangzhou. The Colonel of the Capital Command, Zhong Yao, stationed in Guanzhong, wrote letters to Han Sui and Ma Teng analyzing the situation. Ma Teng sent Ma Chao to follow Zhong Yao to Pingyang to attack Guo Yuan and Gao Gan, and Ma Chao's subordinate, Pang De, personally killed Guo Yuan. Later, Ma Teng and Han Sui's relationship deteriorated, and he requested to return to the capital. The court then summoned Ma Teng as Guard Officer and appointed Ma Chao as Deputy General, enfeoffing him as Marquis of Duting and allowing him to command Ma Teng's army.
After Ma Chao took over the army, he teamed up with Han Sui and colluded with Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi, and others, advancing the army to Tongguan. Cao Cao, Han Sui, and Ma Chao met alone on horseback for a conversation. Ma Chao, confident in his strength, secretly thought of rushing forward to seize Cao Cao, but Cao Cao's general, Xu Chu, glared at him, so Ma Chao dared not act rashly. Cao Cao employed Jia Xu's strategy, sowing discord between Ma Chao and Han Sui, which led to mutual distrust and ultimately a major defeat for their forces. Ma Chao fled to the Zhumeng region, and Cao Cao pursued him to Anding. Just as battles broke out in the north, Cao Cao led his troops back. Yang Fu advised Cao Cao, saying, "Ma Chao is as brave as Xin and Bu, and is highly supported by the Qiang and Hu people. If the army withdraws without being on high alert, the counties in Long will no longer belong to the country." Ma Chao indeed led the Zhumeng forces to attack the counties in Long, and all the counties in Long responded to him, killing the Inspector of Liangzhou, Wei Kang, occupying Jicheng, and amassing a large army. Ma Chao declared himself General Who Pacifies the West, concurrently the Governor of Bingzhou, overseeing military affairs in Liangzhou. Former officials and commoners under Wei Kang, such as Yang Fu, Jiang Xu, Liang Kuan, and Zhao Qu, held discussions to launch an attack against Ma Chao. Yang Fu and Jiang Xu rebelled from Lucheng, and Ma Chao went to attack them but failed to capture them; Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu closed the gates of Jicheng, blocking Ma Chao from entering. Ma Chao found himself in a difficult position and felt quite embarrassed, fleeing to Hanzhong to seek refuge with Zhang Lu. Zhang Lu was untrustworthy when it came to discussing important matters and harbored ulterior motives. Upon hearing that Liu Bei was besieging Liu Zhang in Chengdu, Zhang Lu secretly wrote a surrender letter to Liu Bei. Liu Bei sent someone to invite Ma Chao, and Ma Chao directly led his troops to the city. The people in the city were frightened, and Zhang Lu quickly pleaded for mercy, appointing Ma Chao as General Who Conquers the West, putting him in charge of the Linju region, and granting him the title of Marquis of Qian Du.
Later, Liu Bei became the King of Hanzhong and promoted Ma Chao to General of the Left, granting him the authority of a ceremonial token. In the first year of the Zhangwu year, Ma Chao was once again promoted to General of Cavalry, concurrently serving as Governor of Liangzhou, and was granted the title of Marquis of Liangxiang. Liu Bei issued a decree to him, stating: "Due to my lack of virtue, I have fortunately inherited the imperial throne, upholding the ancestral legacy. The crimes of Cao Cao and his son have committed crimes for generations, and I feel saddened by this, as if afflicted by an illness. The people resent Cao Cao and yearn for a return to righteousness; even the minority tribes such as the Di and Qiang have submitted, longing for the benevolence of the Han dynasty. You, Ma Chao, enjoy great fame in the north; therefore, I have entrusted you with significant responsibilities, hoping that you, like a fierce tiger, will lead the vast territories and alleviate the suffering of the people. You must diligently promote the teachings of the court, pacify the people near and far, rigorously uphold the system of rewards and punishments, and consolidate the foundation of the Han dynasty, to honor the expectations of the people." The following year, Ma Chao died at the age of forty-seven. Before his death, he submitted a memorial saying: "Over two hundred members of my family have been killed by Cao Cao, with only my younger brother Ma Dai surviving. I humbly request Your Majesty to look after him; I have no further requests." Later, the court posthumously bestowed the title of Marquis of Wei upon Ma Chao, and his son inherited his title. Ma Dai later held the position of General Who Pacifies the North and was granted the title of Marquis of Chencang. Ma Chao's daughter married Liu Li, the Prince of Anping.
Huang Zhong, courtesy name Hansheng, was from Nanyang. When Liu Biao was the Governor of Jingzhou, he appointed Huang Zhong as a Colonel, along with Liu Pan, Liu Biao's cousin, to defend Changsha and You County. After Cao Cao captured Jingzhou, Huang Zhong was temporarily appointed as a general officer, continuing his previous duties under the command of Han Xuan, the Governor of Changsha. After Liu Bei pacified the various counties in the south, Huang Zhong joined Liu Bei and followed him to Shu. From the time he received his orders in Jiameng to the attack on Liu Zhang, Huang Zhong consistently led the charge, displaying unmatched bravery and ranking among the best of the troops. After the pacification of Yizhou, he was appointed as General Who Conquers the Enemy.
In the 24th year of Jian'an, he engaged Xiahou Yuan at Dingjun Mountain in Hanzhong. Xiahou Yuan's army was highly skilled, but Huang Zhong always led the charge, boosting morale, drums beating in unison, shaking the ground, and battle cries echoing in the valleys. In a single engagement, he killed Xiahou Yuan, leading to a decisive defeat for his army. After that, Huang Zhong was promoted to General Who Conquers the West. In the same year, Liu Bei was appointed as King of Han and wanted Huang Zhong to be the Rear General, but Zhuge Liang advised Liu Bei, saying, "Huang Zhong's reputation does not match that of Guan Yu and Ma Chao. Placing him on equal footing with them might displease Guan Yu, who only heard about Huang Zhong's achievements and might not be pleased. Is this appropriate?" Liu Bei said, "I will handle it myself." So, Huang Zhong was granted the title of Marquis Within the Passes, along with Guan Yu and the others. The following year, Huang Zhong passed away and was posthumously honored with the title Marquis Gang. His son, Huang Xu, died early and left no descendants.
Zhao Yun, styled Zilong, was from Changshan Zhending. Originally under Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Zan sent Liu Bei to confront Yuan Shao in support of Tian Kai, and Zhao Yun followed Liu Bei, serving as the commander of cavalry. Later, when Liu Bei was pursued by Cao Cao to Changban at Dangyang, he had to leave his wife and children to flee south. Zhao Yun carried the young Liu Chan (the later emperor) and protected Lady Gan (the mother of the later emperor), ensuring their safe getaway. Afterward, Zhao Yun was promoted to General of the Vanguard. After Liu Bei entered Shu, Zhao Yun remained in Jingzhou.
When Liu Bei returned from Jiameng, he continued to attack Liu Zhang and then sent someone to invite Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang, along with Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, traveled upstream along the Yangtze River, pacifying the counties along the way. In Jiangzhou, Zhuge Liang arranged for Zhao Yun to take the waterway from Outer Jiang to Jiangyang, then meet with Zhuge Liang in Chengdu. After capturing Chengdu, Liu Bei appointed Zhao Yun as General of the Righteous Army. In the first year of Jianxing, Zhao Yun was promoted to Middle Guard, General of the Southern Conquest, and was titled the Marquis of Yongchang Pavilion, later promoted to General Who Guards the East. In the fifth year of Jianxing, Zhao Yun was stationed in Hanzhong with Zhuge Liang.
The following year, Zhuge Liang led troops on an expedition, deliberately spreading rumors about taking the diagonal valley route, causing Cao Zhen to send a large army to intercept. Zhuge Liang then sent Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi to resist Cao Zhen while he himself attacked Qishan. Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi were outnumbered and faced a strong enemy, resulting in their defeat at Jigu. However, they managed to regroup and hold their position in time, preventing the enemy from annihilating them. After the battle, Zhao Yun was demoted to General Who Guards the Army. In the seventh year of Jianxing, Zhao Yun passed away and was posthumously honored as Marquis of Shunping.
Initially, only Liu Bei was alive when Fa Zheng was posthumously honored. Later, when Liu Shan became emperor, Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, and Fei Yi all made significant contributions to the country and were subsequently posthumously honored. Chen Zhi received special honors due to his favored status. Xiahou Ba, who had surrendered from the Wei kingdom, was also posthumously honored. Consequently, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Pang Tong, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun were all posthumously honored, which was regarded as a great honor by people of that time. Zhao Yun's son, Zhao Tong, inherited his father's title, became a Colonel in the Tiger Elite, and commanded military campaigns. Zhao Yun's other son, Zhao Guang, served as a gatekeeper general and fought alongside Jiang Wei in Tazhong, ultimately dying in battle.
In the final assessment, it was noted that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were fierce generals capable of taking on tens of thousands alone, loyal subjects likened to fierce tigers. Guan Yu once sought refuge with Cao Cao, and Zhang Fei once released Yan Yan out of righteousness; both of them had the demeanor of pillars of the country. However, Guan Yu was overly stubborn, while Zhang Fei was impulsive and ruthless; it was precisely these shortcomings that led to their failures, which is a common principle. Ma Chao was brave and skilled in battle, but his excessive fierceness ultimately led to the downfall of his family, which is truly a pity! If he had been able to temper his fierceness and accomplish something, wouldn’t that have been better? Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun were both brave and strong, serving as Liu Bei's capable generals; were they figures akin to Guan Ying and Teng Gong from ancient times?
