In the first chapter of the main text, the three heroes of the Peach Garden sworn brotherhood and the first hero of the Yellow Turban Rebellion achieved great merit

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• The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away heroes. Right or wrong, success or failure, all turn to nothing in the end. The green mountains remain, and the setting sun has turned red several times. On the riverbank, white-haired fishermen and woodcutters are accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine brings joy to the meeting. How many things throughout history have been left to laugh and talk about. -- Forwarding "Linjiang Xian"

  

• It is said that the general trend of the world is that after a long period of division, there will be unity, and after a long period of unity, there will be division. At the end of the weekend, the seven states were vying for power and were incorporated into Qin. After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the Chu and Han states fought for power, and the Chu was incorporated into the Han. The Han Dynasty rose in rebellion when Emperor Gaozu killed the White Snake and unified the country. Later, when Emperor Guangwu revived the dynasty and passed the throne to Emperor Xian, it was divided into The Three Kingdoms. The cause of the chaos might have originated from Emperors Huan and Ling. Emperor Huan restricted the virtuous and trusted eunuchs. When Emperor Huan passed away and Emperor Ling ascended the throne, General Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan jointly assisted each other. From time to time, eunuchs like Cao Jie abused their power. Dou Wu and Chen Fan plotted to eliminate them. However, due to their lack of secret planning, they were instead harmed. From then on, Zhongjuan became increasingly arrogant.

• On the full moon day of the fourth month in the second year of Jianning, the emperor presided over the Wende Hall. Just as he ascended the throne, a sudden gust of wind rose from the corner of the hall. A huge green snake flew down from the beam and coiled up on the chair. The emperor collapsed in shock. He was rushed into the palace by first aid from both sides. All the officials fled. In a moment, the snake vanished. Suddenly, there was a heavy thunderstorm and hail, which didn't stop until midnight, destroying countless houses. In February of the fourth year of Jianning, an earthquake struck Luoyang. Again, the sea overflowed, and the coastal residents were all swept into the sea by the huge waves. In the first year of Guanghe, the female chicken transformed into a male. On the first day of the sixth lunar month, a black mist of over ten zhang flew into the Wen De Hall. In the seventh month of autumn, a rainbow appeared in Yutang. The banks of Wuyuan Mountain have all collapsed. All kinds of misfortunes do not end there. The emperor issued an edict asking his ministers about the cause of the disaster. CAI Yong, the minister, submitted a memorial, believing that 蜺 had fallen into chaos and was caused by the interference of the women temple in governance. His words were quite straightforward. Emperor LAN sighed and changed his clothes. Cao Jie stole a glance from behind and announced to both sides. So he convicted Yong of his crime and released him back into the field. Later, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Feng 谞, Duan GUI, Cao Jie, Hou LAN, Jian Shuo, Cheng kuang, Xia Yun and Guo Sheng formed a clique and were known as the "Ten Eunuchs". The emperor trusted Zhang Rang and called him "Father". The state affairs of the country were deteriorating day by day, causing the people's minds to be in turmoil and bandits to rise up in droves.

• At that time, there were three brothers in Julu Commandery, one named Zhang Jiao, one named Zhang Bao and one named Zhang Liang. That horn was originally an unsuccessful scholar. When he went into the mountains to gather herbs, he met an old man with blue eyes and a childlike face, holding a cane. He called the horn to a cave and gave it three volumes of celestial calligraphy, saying, "This is called 'Taiping Yao Shu'. If you obtain it, you will be able to promote the prosperity of the world and save all people." If one harbors evil intentions, one will surely be punished. Jiao Bai asked for the name. The old man said, "I am the Immortal of Nanhua." Having said that, he transformed into a gentle breeze and left. After obtaining this book, he studied it day and night and was able to control the wind and rain. He was called "Taiping Daoist". In the first month of the Zhongping era, an epidemic broke out. Zhang Jiao distributed talisman water to cure people and called himself a "Great virtuous teacher". Jiao had over five hundred disciples who traveled far and wide, all of whom were capable of writing talismans and reciting mantras. After that, the number of his followers increased day by day. The horns stood in thirty-six directions, with over ten thousand men in the large ones and six or seven thousand in the small ones. Each of them appointed a commander, who was called a general. False claim: "The blue sky is dead, but the yellow sky should rise." In the year of Jiazi, the world will be blessed with good fortune. Each person wrote the two characters "Jiazi" on white clay on the front door of their home. In the eight states of Qing, You, Xu, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan and Yu, every household served the name of the great virtuous teacher Zhang Jiao. Jiao sent his followers Ma Yuanyi, secretly 赍 jin bo, and made friends with Zhong Juanfeng 谞 as an insider. Jiao discussed with his second younger brother and said, "The most precious thing is the people's hearts." Now that the people's hearts are in harmony, it would be a pity not to take advantage of the situation to seize the throne. So he secretly made a yellow flag and appointed a time to report the incident. He sent his disciple Tang Zhou to write a letter to 谞. Tang Zhou then went directly to the provincial government to report the rebellion. The emperor summoned General He Jin to dispatch troops to capture Ma Yuanyi and execute him. This time, a group of people including 谞 were imprisoned. When Zhang Jiao heard the news, he raised an army at night and called himself "General of Heaven", Zhang Bao called himself "General of Earth", and Zhang Liang called himself "General of Man". Shen Yan said to the assembly, "The Han Dynasty is coming to an end now, and a great sage will emerge." All of you should follow the will of heaven and be upright, and enjoy peace and tranquility. Four to five hundred thousand people from all directions, wrapped in yellow scarves, rebelled against Zhang Jiao. The bandits were so powerful that the official troops were all defeated at the sight of them. He Jin reported to the emperor that he should promptly issue an edict, ordering all regions to be on guard and perform meritorious deeds against the rebels. On the one hand, he dispatched the commander Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song.

• Now let's talk about Zhang Jiao's army, which invaded the territory of Youzhou. Liu Yan, the governor of Youzhou, was from Jingling, Jiangxia. He was a descendant of King Gong of Han. At that time, upon hearing that the enemy troops were approaching, he summoned the commander Zou Jing to deliberate. Jing said, "The enemy troops are numerous while ours are few. Lord Ming should quickly summon troops to confront the enemy." Liu Yanran said and immediately sent out the list to recruit volunteer soldiers.

• When the inscription reached Zhuo County, it brought out a hero from there. That person is not very fond of reading. He is kind-hearted, taciturn and never shows his emotions on his face. He has always had great aspirations and is fond of making friends with heroes from all over the world. He was seven feet and five inches long, with ears reaching his shoulders, hands above his knees, eyes capable of looking at his own ears, a face as fair as jade, and lips as if smeared with fat. He was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Sheng, and a great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han. His surname was Liu Bei and his given name was Xuan De. Liu Zhen, the son of Liu Sheng in the past, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhuolu Ting during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Later, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of 酎金, and thus this branch was left in Zhuo County. Xuan De's ancestor was Liu Xiong and his father was Liu Hong. Hong once promoted filial piety and integrity, but also served as an official and passed away early. Xuan De was young and lonely, and was extremely filial to his mother. Poor family, they made a living by selling shoes and weaving MATS. I live in Lousang Village of this county. To the southeast of his home, there is a large mulberry tree, over five zhang tall. Looking from afar, it looks like a car canopy. The prime minister said, "This family is bound to produce a noble person." When Xuan De was young, he played with the children in the village under a tree and said, "As the emperor, I should ride on this carriage cover." Uncle Liu Yuanqi was astonished and said, "This son is an extraordinary person!" Seeing that Xuan De's family was poor, he often provided him with financial support. At the age of fifteen, his mother was sent to study abroad. He studied under Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi and became friends with Gongsun Zan and others.

• By the time Liu Yan issued the military recruitment notice, Xuan De was already twenty-eight years old. When I saw the notice that day, I couldn't help but sigh deeply. Then one person sternly said, "If a true man does not contribute to the country, why does he lament so long?" Xuan De looked back at the man. He was eight feet tall, with a leopard's head and ring-shaped eyes, a swallow's jaw and a tiger's beard. His voice was like a thunderclap and his posture was like a galloping horse. Xuan De noticed that his appearance was abnormal and asked for his name. The person said, "There is a man surnamed Zhang, given name Fei, and courtesy name Yide." Having lived in Zhuojun for generations, he owned considerable farmland, sold wine and slaughtered pigs, and was particularly fond of making friends with heroes from all over the world. Just then, I saw you looking at the list and sighing, so I asked you." Xuan De said, "I am a relative of the Han imperial family. My surname is Liu and my given name is Bei." Today, I have heard that the Yellow Turban rebels are in rebellion. I am determined to defeat the bandits and pacify the people, but I regret that I am unable to do so. Therefore, I heave a long sigh. Fei said, "I have considerable wealth. I should recruit local soldiers to work with you on great undertakings. How about that?" Xuan De was very pleased and then went into the village inn with him to drink.

• While drinking, he saw a big man pushing a cart and stopping at the entrance of the shop. After entering the shop and sitting down, he called the bartender, "Quickly pour some wine to eat. I'm about to rush into the city to join the army." Xuan De observed the person: He was nine feet long and had a beard two feet long. The face is as thick as jujubes, and the lips are as if smeared with fat. With phoenix-shaped eyes and broad eyebrows, he looks handsome and imposing. Xuan De invited him to sit down together and asked for his name. The person said, "My surname is Guan, my given name is Yu, my courtesy name is Changsheng, and later it was changed to Yunchang. I'm from Jieliang, Hedong." Because of his powerful and domineering presence, he was killed by me and fled the world for five or six years. I've heard that this place is recruiting troops to defeat the bandits, so I've come to apply." Xuan De then informed him with his own will, and Yun Chang was overjoyed. We went to Zhang Feizhuang together to discuss major matters. Fei said, "Behind my village, there is a peach garden in full bloom." Tomorrow we will offer sacrifices to heaven and earth in the garden. The three of us will become brothers and work together with one heart. Then we can achieve great things. Xuan De and Yun Chang responded in unison, "That's very good."

• The next day, in the peach garden, they prepared offerings such as the black ox and white horse. The three of them burned incense and bowed again, vowing: "In memory of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although we have different surnames, once we become brothers, we will work together to help those in need and those in distress." Report to the state and ensure the well-being of the people. I don't seek to be born on the same day, month or year, but only wish to die on the same day, month or year. Heaven and Earth have truly witnessed this heart. It has betrayed righteousness and forgotten kindness, and will be punished by both heaven and man! After the oath, Xuan De was sworn as his elder brother, followed by Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei as his younger brother. After the sacrifice to heaven and earth, they slaughtered an ox and held a banquet. They gathered the brave warriors from the village and got over three hundred of them. They drank heartily in the Peach garden. In the future, I'll pack up my military equipment, but I regret having no horses to ride. Just as he was lost in thought, it was reported that two guests, accompanied by a group of companions and a herd of horses, had come to the village. Xuan De said, "This is a blessing from heaven!" " Three people came out of the manor to greet them. It turned out that the two guests were prominent merchants from Zhongshan: one was Zhang Shiping and the other was Su Shuang. Every year, they would go north to trade horses and had recently returned due to Kou Fa. Xuan De invited the two to the manor, set up wine and waited for them, expressing his intention to suppress the bandits and pacify the people. The two guests were overjoyed and were willing to present fifty fine horses. He also gave five hundred taels of gold and silver, 镔铁 a thousand jin, for utensils.

• Xuan De bade farewell to his two guests and then ordered a skilled craftsman to forge a double-edged sword. Yun Chang crafted the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, also known as the "Cold Beauty Saw", weighing eighty-two jin. Zhang Fei made a steel spear that was eight feet long. Each put on full armor. More than five hundred local brave men gathered to see Zou Jing. Zou Jing introduced Governor Liu Yan. After the three of them had seen each other, they each came up with their own names. When Xuan De mentioned the sect, Liu Yan was overjoyed and thus adopted Xuan De as his nephew. Not long after, it was reported that Cheng Yuanzhi, a general of the Yellow Turban Rebels, led 50,000 troops to attack Zhuo Commandery. Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to lead Xuan De and two others, commanding five hundred troops to defeat the enemy. Xuan De and the others happily led their troops forward until they reached the foot of Daxing Mountain, where they met the bandits. All the bandits had their hair loose and their foreheads smeared with yellow scarves. At present, the two armies were facing each other. Xuan De stepped forward, with Yun Chang on his left and Yi De on his right. He whipped his whip and shouted loudly, "You rebel against the country and the traitor! Why don't you surrender earlier?" Cheng Yuanzhi was furious and sent his deputy general Deng MAO into battle. Zhang Fei raised his eight-foot-long spear straight out and, as he raised his hand, stabbed Deng MAO in the heart, causing him to fall off his horse. When Cheng Yuanzhi saw that Deng MAO had been defeated, he steed his horse and brandished his sword, and went straight for Zhang Fei. Yun Chang brandished his broadsword and galloped his horse to meet him. When Cheng Yuanzhi saw this, he was already taken aback and caught off guard. At the point where Yun Changdao rose, he swung it into two pieces. Later generations wrote a poem praising the two: "Heroes show their talents today; one tests the spear, the other the sword." From the very beginning, show your power and mark your name with three parts of precision.

• When the bandits saw Cheng Yuanzhi being executed, they all defected and left. Xuan De led his troops in pursuit. Countless surrendered soldiers returned victorious. Liu Yan personally welcomed them and rewarded the soldiers. The next day, he received a letter from Gong Jing, the governor of Qingzhou, stating that the city was about to fall under the siege of the Yellow Turban Bandits and requesting rescue. Liu Yan discussed with Xuan De. Xuan De said, "I am willing to go and save him." Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to lead five thousand troops and join forces with Xuan De, Guan and Zhang to defect to Qingzhou. When the bandits saw the rescue troops arrive, they divided their forces and engaged in a fierce battle. Xuan De's troops were too small to win and retreated thirty li to set up camp.

Xuan De said to Guan and Zhang, "The bandits are numerous while I am few." "Only by launching a surprise attack can we win." Then Guan Gong led a thousand troops to the left of the mountain, and Zhang Fei led another thousand troops to the right. They sounded the golden horn and both went out to meet them. The next day, Xuan De and Zou Jing led their troops in a noisy advance. The bandits faced off, and Xuan De led his troops to retreat. The bandits took advantage of the situation to pursue them. Just as they crossed the mountain ridge, a chorus of gold rang out in the army of Xuan De. Both the left and right armies charged out simultaneously. Xuan De's Mo army turned around and killed again. The bandits were completely defeated as they attacked from three sides. They rushed straight to the foot of Qingzhou City. Governor Gong Jing also led the militia out of the city to assist in the battle. The bandits suffered a crushing defeat and killed a large number of people, thus lifting the siege of Qingzhou. Later generations wrote a poem praising Xuan De, saying: "He has divine skills in planning and making final accounts. Two tigers are still inferior to one dragon." Having achieved great things at the very beginning, he should naturally be placed in a lonely and poor position

• Gong jing 犒 the army is finished, Zou jing wants to return. Xuan De said, "Recently, I heard that General Lu Zhi fought against the bandit leader Zhang Jiao in Guangzong. I have studied under Lu Zhi before and wish to go and assist him." So Zou Jing led his troops back on his own, while Xuan De, Guan and Zhang led five hundred men from their headquarters to join Guangzong. He went to Lu Zhi's army, entered the tent and paid his respects, with the intention of coming. Lu Zhi was overjoyed and stayed in front of the tent to listen.

• At that time, Zhang Jiao led 150,000 bandits and planted 50,000 troops to reject Guangzong, and no victory or defeat was achieved. Zhi said to Xuan De, "I am now besiege the bandits here. The bandits' brothers, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, are in Yingchuan, facing off against Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun." You can lead your own troops, and I will assist you with a thousand official troops to go to Yingchuan to gather information and set an appointment for the suppression and capture. Xuan De accepted the order and led his troops to join Yingchuan at night.

• At that time, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun led their troops to resist the bandits. The bandits failed in the battle and retreated to Changshe, where they set up camp on grass. Song and Jun devised a plan, saying, "The bandits have set up camp on grass. We should attack them with fire." So he ordered each soldier to bundle a handful of grass and lie in ambush secretly. A strong wind suddenly rose that night. After the second watch, they set fire together. Song and Jun each led their troops to attack the bandits' camp. Flames spread like wildfire, and the bandits were in a panic. Their horses were not in time to be saddled or their armor to be covered, and they scattered in all directions.

• They fought until dawn. Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao defeated the remaining soldiers and fled in a panic. Suddenly, a troop of horses, all brandishing red flags, came head-on and blocked the way. At the forefront, a general emerged. He was seven feet tall, with slender eyes and a long beard. He held the position of Cavalry Commander and was from Qiao Prefecture, Pei State. His surname was Cao, given name was Cao, and courtesy name was Mengde. Cao Song, the father of Cao, originally had the surname Xiahou. As the adopted son of Cao Teng, the Central Attendant, he took on the surname Cao. Cao Song, whose childhood name was Aman, was also known as Jili. When Cao was young, he was fond of hunting, singing and dancing, resourceful and resourceful. Cao had an uncle who, upon seeing Cao's unrestrained wandering, was once furious and spoke to Cao Song. Song Zecao. Cao suddenly came up with a plan. Seeing his uncle approaching, he feigned collapse on the ground, pretending to have suffered a stroke. Uncle was shocked to inform Song, and Song looked at him anxiously. Cao Gu is fine. Song said, "Uncle said you had a stroke. Have you recovered now?" Cao said, "My son has never had this disease since he was born." Because I lost my love for my uncle, I saw Wang Er. Song believed his words. Later, his uncle's words were too harsh, but Song didn't listen. Therefore, he indulged in wild and unrestrained behavior. At that time, there was a scholar named Qiao Xuan who said to Cao, "The world is about to fall into chaos, and only those with the talent to save the world cannot help it." Is it the ruler who can keep it at ease?" He 颙 of nanyang saw cao and said, "When the Han dynasty is about to fall, the one who will stabilize the world must be this person." Xu Shao of Runan was known for his knowledge. Cao went to see him and asked, "How am I like a human being?" Shao did not answer. When asked again, Shao said, "You are a capable minister in times of peace and a treacherous hero in times of chaos." Cao was overjoyed upon hearing this. At the age of twenty, he was recommended for filial piety and integrity, appointed as a lang, and was removed from the position of Northern Commander of Luoyang. Upon taking office, he immediately set up more than ten five-colored sticks at the four gates of the county. Anyone who broke the ban was punished regardless of whether they were wealthy or powerful. The uncle of Jian Shuo, the attendant of the imperial guard, was walking at night with a sword. The night inspector caught him and scolded him with a stick. As a result, those who dared not invade either internally or externally enjoyed a great reputation. Later, he was appointed as the magistrate of Dunqiu. Due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was appointed as the Cavalry Commander and led five thousand horses and infantry to Yingchuan to assist in the battle. Just as Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were fleeing in defeat, Cao Cao stopped them and launched a fierce attack, beheading over ten thousand people and seizing a large number of flags, golden drums and horses. Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao fought to the death and managed to escape. After meeting Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, Cao immediately led his troops to pursue and attack Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao

• It is said that when Xuan De Yin Guan and Zhang Lai came to Yingchuan, they heard the cries of death and saw the flames and candles. When they hurriedly led their troops, the bandits had already dispersed. When Xuan De met Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, he had the intention of following Lu Zhi's teachings. Song said, "Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao are both exhausted and weak. They will surely join Guangzong to seek refuge under Zhang Jiao." Xuan De can go and offer assistance at night." Xuan De accepted the order and led his troops back. Halfway there, a cluster of military horses was seen escorting a cart. The prisoner in the cart was Lu Zhi. Xuan De was greatly alarmed. He rolled off his saddle and asked him the reason. Zhi said, "I'll encircle a corner. It can be broken by a general." Because of the use of sorcery, they failed to win immediately. The imperial court sent Huang Men Zuo Feng to investigate and ask me for bribes. I replied, "The military provisions are still in short supply. How could there be extra money to flatter the angels?" Zuo Feng, filled with resentment, reported back to the imperial court, saying that I had piled high and not fought, which had dampened the morale of the troops. Therefore, the imperial court was furious and sent the commander Dong Zhuo to replace my troops and take me back to the capital to be punished. When Zhang Fei heard this, he was furious and wanted to cut off the escorting soldiers to save Lu Zhi. Xuan De hurriedly stopped and said, "The court will make its own judgment. How can you be so presumptuous?" The soldiers surrounded Lu Zhi and went away. Guan Gong said, "Lu Zhonglang has been captured. Others are leading the troops. We have no one to rely on if we go. It's better to return to Zhuo Commandery for now." Xuan De followed his words and led his troops northward. After walking for two days, I suddenly heard a loud shout from behind the mountain. Xuan De led Guan and Zhang Zong on horseback to Gao Gang to look around. He saw that the Han army had suffered a crushing defeat. Behind them, the mountains and fields were blocked, and the yellow turban covered the ground as they came. The banner was inscribed with the words "General Tian Gong" in large letters. Xuan De said, "This is a horn!" "Quick battle!" " The three men led their troops out on horseback. Zhang Jiaozheng defeated Dong Zhuo and took advantage of the situation to charge forward. Suddenly, three men charged at him, causing the Jiaojun army to fall into chaos and retreat for more than fifty li.

The three rescued Dong Zhuo and brought him back to the camp. Zhuo asked the three people what their current positions were. Xuan De said, "White body." Zhuo was very casual about it and did not show any courtesy. Xuan De came out. Zhang Fei was furious and said, "We personally went to the bloody battle and saved this fellow, but he was so rude." "If I don't kill him, I won't be able to calm down!" " He was about to draw his sword and enter the tent to kill Dong Zhuo. Exactly: Human nature and snobbishness have always existed since ancient times. Who knows if a hero is in vain? How could one be as virtuous as a wing to slay all the faithless souls in the world! After all, what happened to Dong Zhuo's life? Let's listen to the following analysis.

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