Luoyang

Around the time Zhang Ran was quickly advancing north after leaving Jiangling Castle, Guan Yu was also racing towards the north.

Following along the Yu River, clearing a path through the Zhin Ling Mountains, he just advanced along the road stretching before his eyes.

Even amidst the thick dust clouds rising from the horses’ hooves striking the earth, Guan Yu’s eyes held a certain path that was clearly emerging.

Luoyang County in Nanyang, Jingzhou. He passes by the first flat ground after leaving the Zhin Ling Mountains.

Guan Yu and the army following him just moved their feet north, northward.

From Jingzhou to Sili Prefecture, from Nanyang to Henan Commandery, from Luoyang County to Yang County.

Perhaps because Sima Yi had mobilized troops from the area, there were no enemy troops to block Guan Yu. The gates of Yang County opened wide upon seeing Guan Yu’s Grand General flag, and at Guangcheng Pass, one of the two passes that must be crossed to enter Luoyang, a white flag was raised.

Even counties outside his route sent envoys to avoid offending Guan Yu. Liuhun County in the west, Yunzhi County in the east, and Xincheng County in the north responded to Guan Yu after he passed Guangcheng Pass.

A rumor began to circulate in Henan Commandery.

Guan Yu has returned.

Guan Yu has returned to conquer Luoyang.

Guan Yu’s shocking might that had flooded Fancheng and captured Yu Jin was revived with each of his steps.

In the days when Guan Yu had captured Fancheng and shaken Huaxia. Just as Xie County, Yang County, Liuhun County and others had submitted to Guan Yu.

Even with Sima Yi alive and well with his eyes wide open, the people of Henan Commandery not only failed to stop Guan Yu’s advance, but showed signs of welcoming him.

There were various reasons for this.

The fact that Cao Pi’s grip on the country was weaker than Cao Cao’s, despite the passage of time.

The fact that the world had been shaken just by flooding Fancheng, but now Han controlled even Chang’an.

The belief that Sima Yi must have failed since Guan Yu was here now, even though he had mobilized Cao Biao and Xu Huang to try to capture Guan Yu.

There would be no end if we listed all the reasons, but do those reasons matter?

It had only been 4 years since Later Han fell and Wei was founded. It was too short a time to erase the shadow of Han from the people’s hearts.

Although Sima Yi was following closely behind Guan Yu, the distance to Guan Yu was not easily narrowed.

Unstoppable momentum. The original owner of this idiom was too young and not yet in the world, but there was no other phrase more fitting to describe Guan Yu’s rapid advance.

The first place where Guan Yu’s advance, which had only repeated advancing upon advancing, came to a stop was Yijue Pass, the last pass before entering Luoyang. Once past Yijue Pass, it was open country all the way to Luoyang’s walls.

Guan Yu pulled the reins to calm his excited horse.

On top of the firmly closed gates of Yijue Pass stood archers with their bows tightly drawn, ready to shoot at any moment.

Guan Yu slowly drove his horse forward towards the walls. Guan Ping tried to stop him, but Guan Yu stretched out his arm to halt him.

Advancing to a distance precariously within arrow range, Guan Yu looked at the face of the gate commander guarding Yijue Pass. A familiar face. Although changed by the passage of time, the features remained the same.

Feeling a slight sense of fondness, Guan Yu spoke:

“It’s been a long time, Lord Feng Hai.”

“…What do you mean it’s been a long time?”

“Though it was a short time, we have the old friendship of having been under the same command.”

During the time Guan Yu was under Cao Cao, Feng Hai was also following Cao Cao.

Although he had been a subordinate officer unlike Guan Yu who was walking the smooth road of high office with Cao Cao’s favor, Feng Hai felt a strange satisfaction that Guan Yu remembered him.

“You remember me?”

“Of course. So in consideration of our old friendship, I urge you. Open the gates and submit to Han. I will write a letter of recommendation for you to His Majesty.”

“…Have you defeated the Governor of Henan?”

Governor of Henan was an official title before being a regional name under Sili Prefecture. Originally it would have been Prefect of Henan, but when Luoyang was chosen as the capital during Later Han, the Prefect of Henan governing the Henan region including Luoyang County was elevated to Governor of Henan.

That had continued tacitly even until now when the capital had moved to Ye. And the Governor of Henan appointed by Wei was Sima Yi.

Guan Yu answered honestly:

“I have not.”

“Then isn’t it right that I defend this place and repel you along with the Governor of Henan?”

At Feng Hai’s negative response, Guan Yu instead smiled.

Because he realized that it was not to reject Guan Yu’s invitation, but rather a heart hoping to be persuaded.

As time passed, Guan Yu’s arrogance deepened, but his stubbornness gradually weakened. Guan Yu, who had learned to recognize others even within his arrogance, was now ready to accept others’ words as they were.

Looking back on the trajectory of Guan Yu’s life, it did not deviate greatly from Confucius’ flow of life.

Around thirty, when one is said to establish oneself firmly, Guan Yu engraved his name on the world as the God of War That All Fear.

Around forty, when one is said to no longer be perplexed, Guan Yu rejected the wealth and glory offered by Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei.

Around fifty, when one is said to know the mandate of heaven, Guan Yu shook the world by occupying Fancheng.

And now, at sixty.

The age when one’s ears become attuned and can comfortably accept any words.

So Guan Yu just smiled and said:

“Do you not feel that the Supreme Emperor and the Earth God have placed their will on Han’s mandate of heaven? If you open Yijue Pass to welcome our country, how could Luoyang remain idle? If our Emperor takes Luoyang, the world will naturally fall into his embrace, and at that time you will become a meritorious minister recorded in the Qilin Pavilion registers.”

As he added persuasion that he would treat him as a meritorious official if he opened the pass, while also flaunting the power of Han which had greatly expanded its national strength, Feng Hai instead showed a relieved expression.

“I once fought against your country’s General of the Guards.”

“That must be when Xu Gongming lost.”

“That’s right. I saw it. The valor of the female general who beheaded General Zhou Ling. And I thought: She is not a person of this world. How can a woman be like that? So that must be either a bewitching demon or, if not, a divine woman sent down by Heaven who favors your country.”

Feng Hai calmly spoke of the shock from that time. As he recalled that day which made him harbor fundamental doubts about Wei, Feng Hai’s heart gradually became unshaken.

“And now I know. She is a divine woman.”

At Feng Hai’s words accepting Han’s legitimacy, Guan Yu watched him with a pleased expression. Soon the pass would open. Once past Yijue Pass, there were no more passes to stop Guan Yu until Luoyang.

Only the river flowed alone, crossing in front of Luoyang.

“Open the…”

Just as Feng Hai was about to give the order to open the gates, a blade protruded from his chest.

Feng Hai lost focus in his eyes with an expression as if he hadn’t even realized what had happened to him.

The one who had suddenly attacked Feng Hai from behind pulled out the blade and shouted:

“Look! This is the end of a traitor! It’s been nearly 10 years since the former emperor founded Wei! Have you forgotten that everything we wear, eat, and sleep in is due to the former emperor’s grace!”

He was still a young man. Judging by the style of his armor, he looked to be about the rank of Feng Hai’s lieutenant.

“Shoot arrows! I swear by the name of Guan Qushou that whoever hits Guan Yu will be rewarded with 100 gold!”

Guan Qushou. Only upon hearing that name did Guan Yu understand the young officer’s fierce desire for revenge.

His father, Guan Quxing, had lost his life to the Han army in the last northern expedition. The grief of losing a father. How could it not be deep? While Guan Yu accepted Guan Qushou’s desire for revenge, he also felt a desire for revenge against killing Feng Hai who had tried to submit to Han.

They say if you seek revenge, dig two graves. Seeking revenge against someone always had to keep in mind that one could also be subjected to revenge.

While Guan Yu was deflecting the incoming arrows, his army charged fiercely with fire in their eyes. Guan Ping took the lead, while Zhao Lei and Xi Zhen led the two wings.

How could it be possible for an army with shaken discipline after witnessing the murder of their superior right before their eyes, when they should have had their morale sharply raised to block Guan Yu and the elite soldiers he had trained?

Guan Qushou’s desire for revenge, not hesitating even in front of Guan Yu, was admirable, but the skill to back it up was lacking.

Angered by the sneak attack that cowardly interfered in the talks between commanders, Guan Yu’s soldiers climbed Yijue Pass without sparing their lives.

Guan Yu, who was harsh to the gentry but benevolent to the common people. Though strict in training soldiers, he knew how to cherish them like his own children. The soldiers sincerely believed in and followed such a Guan Yu.

In contrast, the soldiers of Yijue Pass were busy panicking after Feng Hai died and Guan Qushou seized command. The Wei army, confused about whether they should really attack, was no match for stopping the Han army.

The gates of Yijue Pass were opened without even holding out for a single day.

Unlike Guangcheng Pass which opened from the inside, Yijue Pass was opened from the outside, but the time it took for the two passes to open was not much different.

After personally beheading Guan Qushou who was captured, Guan Yu continued to rush towards Luoyang.

Now his eyes were not just following the road. His gaze was chasing time.

Guan Yu had visited Luoyang 3 times in his life.

The first was when he stopped by while fleeing his hometown of Hedong. But at that time, Guan Yu was too busy escaping to properly look around Luoyang. Luoyang was just a stopover, not a destination.

The second time he came to Luoyang, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei were with him. Liu Bei, who had grand ambitions, felt limited in his position as Magistrate of Gaotang County and resigned, heading to the capital Luoyang. And there, the three sworn brothers met Cao Cao for the first time and followed him to Beihai, so Luoyang was just a brief stop.

The last time he saw Luoyang was its miserable state reduced to ashes. Luoyang, burned down by Dong Zhuo as he left, had lost all the glory Guan Yu had seen and fallen into ruin. Luoyang, which was initially the destination, lost its meaning and only brought emptiness.

And now, once again Luoyang had become Guan Yu’s destination.

Guan Yu’s eyes, which had passed through the past and surpassed the present, now chased the future.

What he wanted to see, the scene he desired, the wish he held in his heart.

It was not the glory of becoming the conqueror of Luoyang, nor the honor of being Han’s greatest general surpassing Zhang Ran who had occupied Chang’an, nor the fame of being the great general who fired the starting signal for unifying the world.

What Guan Yu was chasing now was the figure of his beloved sworn elder brother.

Wearing imperial robes and a crown, building a round mound altar south of the Luo River in Luoyang, and performing the suburban sacrifice to Heaven.

The back view of Liu Bei holding a sacrificial ceremony to proclaim to the world that Han’s lifeline continued here shimmered in Guan Yu’s vision.

‘The oath to present the world to Elder Brother. This younger brother has not forgotten.’

Ascending the throne in Chang’an like Han Gaozu.

Offering the suburban sacrifice in Luoyang like Guangwu Emperor.

What better way is there to prove Han’s legitimacy and mandate of heaven?

Holding this earnest wish, Guan Yu arrived.

The sound of flowing water brought Guan Yu’s gaze back to reality once again.

The Luo River flowing leisurely.

Even Jing Ke’s feelings before crossing the Yi River could not compare to the emotions Guan Yu felt at this moment.

Beyond the Luo River.

There, Luoyang stood.