Paripi Kongming tells the story of Zhuge Liang, a famous military strategist from the Three Kingdoms period, who is transported to the present day, where he develops an interest in music culture and becomes the strategist for aspiring singer-songwriter Tsukimi Eiko, guiding her to become a world-famous artist. Zhuge Liang is famous for serving Liu Bei Xuande and serving as his right-hand man. While Liu Bei does not appear in this work, many episodes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms are featured, so you will enjoy the story more if you are familiar with characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, such as Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. In this article, we would like to briefly introduce Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others!
Where was Liu Bei Yuande born? Liu Bei was poor at the time.
Liu Bei was born in Lousangli, Zhuo County, Zhuo County (present-day Zhuozhou City, Baoding City, Hebei Province). He was a local lord, but his father died early, leading to poverty. He and his mother made a living by weaving straw mats. He is said to have studied under the Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, but his studies were not serious and were short-lived.
What kind of person was Liu Bei Xuande?
Liu Bei Xuande is generally portrayed as a saintly gentleman, with a strong sense of duty and humanity, who attracted many talented people to his side, and who possessed generosity and strong will. However, this image is dramatized by the fictional novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," which features Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang as the main characters. While it is true that he was a man of great duty and humanity, with a strong will and great charisma, he also swung between the forces of his enemies, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan, and, after being betrayed and betrayed himself, became the ruler of a country and rose to the rank of emperor. His journey may have made him a trickster of the Three Kingdoms period.
Liu Bei Xuande Raises the Flag During the Yellow Turban Rebellion
At the time, the world was in turmoil due to a corrupt government. Cult leader Zhang Jue incited disgruntled people and led armed uprisings across the country. The uprising was called the Yellow Turban Rebellion because of the yellow hoods worn by the people. Liu Bei, along with his allies, including Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, formed a volunteer army and achieved great success.
Liu Bei Moves Between Camps
Liu Bei's military achievements earned him the position of police chief at the time, but after beating up a patrol officer, he sought refuge with his old acquaintance, Gongsun Zan. He rescued Tao Qian of Xuzhou, which was under attack by Cao Cao's forces, and after Tao Qian's death, entrusted Xuzhou to Liu Bei. However, he was betrayed by the famous warrior Lü Bu Fengxian and lost Xuzhou, so he sought refuge with Cao Cao. Liu Bei and Cao Cao subsequently defeated Lü Bu, and Cao Cao highly praised Liu Bei, even appointing him to an important position. However, Liu Bei then plotted to assassinate Cao Cao. When Cao Cao discovered his plot, Liu Bei sought refuge with Yuan Shao, who had defeated Gongsun Zan and become the ruler of Hebei.
Meeting with Master Kongming
After Yuan Shao was beaten to a pulp by Cao Cao's Hige during the Battle of Guandu, Liu Bei left Yuan Shao and sought refuge with Liu Biao in Jingzhou. Having repeatedly suffered setbacks up to this point, Liu Bei believed that the reason for this was the lack of a military strategist capable of formulating a strategy. Liu Bei and his men were a group of mercenaries who had achieved great success, but they lacked intelligent subordinates capable of formulating a strategy. So Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times before finally being able to gain him as his subordinate. This is the famous Three Visits.
Battle of Changban to Battle of Red Cliffs
In 208, Cao Cao's forces invaded Jingzhou. Liu Cong, who had succeeded Liu Biao as ruler, surrendered. Liu Bei was isolated and fled south with his people. Abandoning his wife and children, Liu Bei fled to Wu thanks to the efforts of Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun. The Battle of Red Cliffs took place in 208, where the combined forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao's forces. Afterward, Wu kindly granted Liu Bei southern Jingzhou, a territory he likely intended to retain for the rest of his life.
The Death of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei...The Battle of Yiling
Although Liu Bei pacified southern Jingzhou and took Yizhou, his relationship with Sun Quan had deteriorated. This was because he had treated Jingzhou as if it were his own, even though he had originally lent it to Sun Quan as a favor. It seemed as though a plan to divide the world into three parts had been put into place, but Guan Yu, who was guarding Jingzhou, was defeated in the Battle of Fancheng, and Zhang Fei was assassinated during the preparations for a funeral battle and the recapture of the important stronghold of Jingzhou. In despair, he sought the Battle of Yiling, but suffered a historic defeat when he was burned at the stake by the Wu general Lu Xun.
Farewell Liu Bei... Zhuge Liang and Kongming Carry On His Will
After suffering a historic defeat at the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei somehow made it to Shu. However, after losing his sworn brother and suffering a devastating defeat that nearly toppled his country, he fell ill and entrusted Zhuge Liang with his future. He urged his children to obey Zhuge Liang, and before his death, he promised that if his children were not talented, Zhuge Liang should become emperor. From this point on, Kongming would play a central role in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Bei's loyal sworn brother! Introducing Guan Yu!!
Guan Yu was a renowned warrior of the Three Kingdoms period, highly praised not only by Liu Bei but also by Cao Cao. He joined Liu Bei and his allies as volunteers during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and achieved great success alongside Zhang Fei. At this time, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei swore an oath of brotherhood. This is the famous Oath of the Peach Garden, but it seems that this did not actually occur in real life. The Oath of the Peach Garden is an adaptation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Famous Anecdotes About Guan Yu
One of the most famous anecdotes about Guan Yu is the Battle of Guandu. In fact, Guan Yu had once surrendered to Cao Cao and served as a military commander under him. It all began when Liu Bei's plan to assassinate Cao Cao was discovered, Cao Cao lost his temper and attacked Liu Bei, causing Liu Bei to flee to Yuan Shao. This may seem like Liu Bei's abandonment of Guan Yu, leading some to suggest that there was actually a rift between Liu Bei and Guan Yu. However, Cao Cao held Guan Yu in such high esteem that he desperately wanted to recruit him as an ally and treated him well. Cao Cao used Guan Yu in his battle against Yuan Shao's army, and Guan Yu thoroughly defeated Yuan Shao's forces, further increasing Cao Cao's appreciation for Guan Yu. Cao Cao tried every trick in the book to recruit Guan Yu, but his loyalty to Liu Bei remained unwavering. His loyalty was so highly praised that Cao Cao eventually gave up on Guan Yu and refused to stop him from returning to Liu Bei.
An introduction to Zhang Fei, the boar-brained warrior who loves alcohol!
Zhang Fei was Liu Bei's sworn brother and a highly valued general, famous for his unparalleled military prowess and his love of alcohol. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Fei is portrayed as a brave warrior with a lack of intelligence, but somehow lovable, like a giant, and often committing crimes while drunk. However, there are also episodes in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms where Zhang Fei is credited with committing crimes that were actually Liu Bei's. When Liu Bei was the police chief at the time, Zhang Fei beat up an inspector from the central government, but it was actually Liu Bei who did it. The government at the time was deeply corrupt and the world was in chaos, so perhaps Zhang Fei couldn't tolerate such crappy officials.
Famous Stories About Zhang Fei
One of Zhang Fei's most famous stories is his exploits at the Battle of Changban. Liu Bei, who was in Jingzhou, was isolated when Liu Cong, the local ruler, surrendered to Cao Cao. Given his history of betraying and attempting to assassinate Cao Cao, it was obvious that he would be killed by Cao Cao if he remained in Jingzhou. Liu Bei attempted to flee south with his people. However, he was unable to advance at a reasonable pace with the people and was caught up by Cao Cao's vanguard. Zhang Fei stepped in to help, serving as rearguard for Liu Bei and his men despite his small army, and halting Cao Cao's pursuit. At this point, Liu Bei fled, leaving his wife and children behind, only to be saved by the famous general Zhao Yun.
The Final Fate and Personalities of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei
Guan Yu lost his life in the Battle of Fancheng, but his death was due to the betrayal of his comrades and those who held a grudge against him. While Guan Yu was a saint to those he respected, he was quite harsh toward his colleagues, especially intellectuals. His reputation was poor due to a complex about his academic background, which became a major weakness for him. Zhang Fei, meanwhile, was kind to his superiors but quite harsh toward his subordinates, regularly engaging in power harassment, including punching and kicking, which sometimes led to major blunders. In fact, Zhang Fei was assassinated by his subordinates before the Battle of Yiling.
[Party Kongming] A Summary of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei
Zhuge Liang, the protagonist of Party Kongming, was a famous military strategist who served Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period. Kongming, who has become interested in music in modern times, is not exactly like the Kongming of the Three Kingdoms period, but this work becomes even more interesting if you know at least a little about the historical facts. The anime is scheduled to start airing in April 2022, so be sure to check it out!
