Brothers

The feast was over. What followed was a time of mourning, grieving for the empty space left by the departed.

Without anyone telling them to, the people of Xie County brought out white mourning clothes to wear and made a coffin. It was a coffin for Guan Yu.

Though they knew it wouldn’t enter Guan Yu’s tomb with him, it was their expression of condolence for the great hero born in Xie County.

Father, who held the highest official position and was also the most senior elder among them, waited as the chief mourner until the people of Xie County finished making the coffin.

To be honest, Father wasn’t one with a kind personality towards the common people, but he wasn’t so heartless as to trample on the sincerity of people voluntarily coming forward to honor Guan Yu.

While the coffin was being made, Wei Yan returned to Xie County grinning and saying he had captured Cao Yan, but seeing the somber atmosphere, his expression stiffened.

Even Wei Yan, who lacked social awareness contrary to his strong stubbornness, immediately noticed – the weight of Guan Yu’s death and the solemnity it brought was immense.

By the time Wei Yan returned, the coffin was completely made.

Everyone gathered to watch Guan Yu’s body, which had been laid out in state to prevent decay, enter the coffin. It was a moment that made us realize we truly had to send Guan Yu away from our side.

The pallbearer was his son, Guan Ping. It’s said there were no separate words about pallbearers or funerals in Guan Yu’s last words left to Guan Ping while enjoying the feast.

So I thought perhaps Father, as the younger brother, might do it. But I suppose the son takes precedence no matter what.

Guan Ping took off his armor and changed into mourning clothes to be the pallbearer. Seeing Guan Ping in mourning clothes coming towards me, I sent Jiang Wei away, who had been discussing future matters with me, and faced Guan Ping.

As I was thinking he might be coming to tell me the time of departure, Guan Ping suddenly held out something he had brought.

“You said you lost your spear in the last battle. Father said to give this to you, Ran.”

What Guan Yu said to give me. What Guan Ping handed to me was none other than the spear Guan Yu had used.

It’s true that I lost the spear I mainly used while throwing it trying to catch Sima Yi. However, it was somewhat bewildering to me that Guan Yu would pass down the spear he used in life to me.

Guan Yu had two sons, and among them, Guan Ping had stayed by Guan Yu’s side to the end. So why give it to me?

I tilted my head and asked Guan Ping to confirm:

“That, to me?”

His father’s keepsake. Moreover, passing on a weapon, which is most important for a warrior, to someone else – yet Guan Ping’s face didn’t look particularly dark.

He spoke in a somewhat weak, but calm voice:

“Yes. It was Father’s last wish.”

Guan Ping using informal speech. It was a conversation as family, not in military positions.

“Why give that to me…”

“Well. It might be an entreaty to capture Luoyang, which was Father’s long-cherished wish, or perhaps he marked you as his successor.”

“…Are you alright with that, elder brother?”

It was a question loaded with many meanings in various ways.

Perhaps I might be touching Guan Ping’s fuse, but I couldn’t help but voice it even while knowing. However, contrary to the courage I mustered for this question, Guan Ping was composed.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Saying that, there was nothing more to say.

As I couldn’t refute and just mumbled, Guan Ping placed Guan Yu’s spear in my hand with a faint smile.

“Don’t think too hard about it. Just think of it as an uncle leaving a gift for his niece.”

Receiving Guan Yu’s spear in my hand, a noticeably heavier weight than the spear I had been using pressed down on my hand.

Seeing me grasp the spear, Guan Ping let go and stepped back.

“And I inherited his horse. He left a share for Xing as well. So there’s no need to feel guilty.”

As he left, Guan Ping conveyed a final request:

“In exchange, please refrain from throwing spears a bit.”

To this, even I could answer immediately.

§

All preparations were complete. Before leaving Xie County to return to Guanzhong, only the final task remained.

It was the question of who to leave in Hedong Commandery, which we had captured after catching Cao Yan.

Father, who held the decision-making authority, announced the personnel selection he had decided in his mind:

“I will place Cheng Bo in Hedong Commandery.”

Cheng Bo was Ma Zhi’s courtesy name.

Though not a very famous name, he was known even to later generations as Father’s confidant. If Zhou Cang and Guan Ping were at Guan Yu’s tomb, Zhang Bo and this Ma Zhi were at Father’s tomb.

Ma Zhi had been Father’s subordinate officer since around the time I obtained Ma Chong in Basha Commandery, and Father highly evaluated his abilities, personally writing a letter of recommendation to send him to the central government.

Afterwards, he served as Attendant Officer in the Prime Minister’s Office, which was said to be a gathering place for Han’s young talents, then moved to Chang’an Castle as Guanzhong was recovered, and returned to being Father’s subordinate.

In any case, Ma Zhi was a suitable person to entrust with the governor position. However, what I was worried about wasn’t the administrative aspect, but the military aspect.

“I know Master Ma Cheng Bo’s abilities too, but Hedong Commandery is connected not only to Luoyang but also to Bingzhou, so don’t we need someone well-versed in military affairs and tactics?”

“That’s right too. But the people you lead must all be tired, so it would be good to place my adjutant Zhang Lin.”

The combination of Ma Zhi and Zhang Lin. It was a measure of placing both Father’s left and right arms.

Perhaps it’s similar in that the frontline of Tong Pass that Father had been in charge of until now has expanded to Hedong, so they play the role of commanders guarding the border.

Anyway, we decided to entrust Hedong Commandery to the two of them and finally began our return march.

The procession stretched out long as we marched slowly to match the steps of Guan Ping in mourning clothes moving the coffin.

Passing through Puban County, we finally crossed the Yellow River and entered Guanzhong. Though Hedong Commandery had also essentially become our territory and was close to a safe zone, the feeling and comfort of stepping on Guanzhong soil was special.

On the way back to Chang’an. News about Pang Tong who had advanced to Hongnong and Zhao Yun who had set out for Wuguan also came in one after another.

It’s said that though Zhao Yun failed to break through Xu Huang’s defense line, thanks to his movement from Wuguan, those who remained in Nanyang Commandery – the infantry I had left behind entrusting to Wu Fan – were able to safely return.

Wu Fan, Xue Zhi, Liu Min, Ma Su, Fu Qian. I’m sorry to them, but it’s true there were some ups and downs in facing Xu Huang, so I had told them to avoid battle as much as possible and just check the enemy, but thanks to Zhao Yun it was wrapped up without major problems.

From my perspective, Zhao Yun’s achievement was considerable, but the real deal was Pang Tong. Unbelievably, Pang Tong succeeded in advancing not only past Hongnong County, the administrative center of Hongnong Commandery which Cao Zhen was guarding, but even to Shan County a bit further west.

If we secured up to Shan County, there was no need to worry about crossing from Hongnong to Hedong, and furthermore, if we cross Quyanggu, next is Hangu Pass. It truly meant securing a bridgehead for occupying Luoyang.

“No, the forces the Imperial Uncle took and the forces Cao Zhen was leading shouldn’t have been much different, how did he do that?”

“I don’t know the details, but it’s famous that the Imperial Uncle laid a wager of separated generals against Cao Zhen.”

In fact, it was widespread even in Guanzhong that Pang Tong had mocked Cao Zhen, who was originally fat, saying that pig had only grown fatter and dared not chase us.

‘I’ll have to find out the inside story later when Pang Tong returns.’

Securing Hongnong is big. Very big.

Luoyang had already once allowed a route coming up from the south, from Jingzhou. If we also firmly grasp the route to attack Luoyang from Guanzhong on top of this, the next Luoyang offensive would make it possible to use feints with main and auxiliary attacks from two directions, like the past Jing-Yi Parallel Advance.

The walls of Luoyang that Guan Yu ultimately couldn’t overcome, we will face again before long.

Just as in the original history when Liu Bei rushed out leading all his forces to Yiling upon Guan Yu’s death, Luoyang – the land Guan Yu attempted but ultimately failed to achieve and perished – became for Liu Bei not simply land for the great enterprise of restoring the Han imperial family, but land of revenge to console Guan Yu’s spirit.

Even if Liu Bei, unlike at Yiling, maintains his reason and doesn’t immediately start a war of annihilation, Luoyang was set as the place Liu Bei would aim for first in the next war.

At that time, this surprising achievement Pang Tong gained would serve as a very important foothold.

The reason everyone was amazed at Pang Tong’s feat of repelling Cao Zhen and securing Hongnong County and Shan County was because they all shared the same thoughts as me. Though it was just two counties, not a commandery, the value of the land Pang Tong secured was that considerable.

Thus, pondering what we gained and lost in this war, the repercussions this war would bring, and what we should do in the next war to come, we walked and finally arrived at Chang’an.

There, someone who was unbelievable to be in Chang’an was waiting for us.

“Have my younger brothers come?”

The Emperor Liu Bei, who should have been in Chengdu originally. He was there.

Coming out to the gates of Chang’an Castle, Liu Bei welcomed his younger brothers.