Guan Yu
A famed general whose might shook the land; he flooded the Seven Armies, but later lost Jingzhou and was killed.
Life
Followed Liu Bei
Guan Yu fled into exile in Zhuo Commandery as a young man, followed Liu Bei, and was as close as a brother to Zhang Fei. Captured by Cao Cao in 200, he was treated with great courtesy; he killed Yuan Shao's grand general Yan Liang at the Battle of Baima, then returned Cao Cao's gifts and went back to Liu Bei.
Flooded the Seven Armies
When Liu Bei entered Shu, Guan Yu stayed behind to hold Jingzhou. In 219 he attacked Fancheng to the north; autumn rains swelled the Han River and the seven armies under Yu Jin were flooded. Yu Jin surrendered and Pang De was beheaded, and for a time Guan Yu's "might shook all of China"; Cao Cao even discussed moving the capital to avoid him.
Defeated and fled to Maicheng
But his relations with Sun Quan were tense, and he looked down on the commanders guarding his rear. Lü Meng crossed the river in white robes and took Jiangling and Gong'an by surprise. Attacked from front and rear, Guan Yu withdrew to Maicheng and was captured and killed by the Wu army while trying to break out. Later generations revered him as the "Martial Saint," and temples to Lord Guan spread across the land.
Legacy
In life Guan Yu was a brave but arrogant general; after death he was granted ever higher titles by dynasty after dynasty, becoming the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness and one of the most worshipped historical figures in Chinese folk religion.
Major works & achievements
- Slew Yan Liang at Baima
- Flooded the Seven Armies, captured Yu Jin and beheaded Pang De
Did you know? "Flooding the Seven Armies" really happened, while "crossing five passes and slaying six generals" comes from the novel.
Key dates
- 200Slew Yan Liang at the Battle of Baima
- 208Led the navy to join forces at Xiakou
- 219Flooded the Seven Armies; his might shook all of China
- 220Lost Jingzhou and was killed