桃园结义

English (for the teacher)

A notice had been put up at the gate of Zhuo County, and a crowd stood in front of it, reading. It said that the Yellow Turbans were rising in revolt everywhere, the authorities were looking for men to fight them, and anyone willing could come and sign up.

In the crowd was a man of twenty-eight who read it to the end, said nothing, and let out a long sigh. His name was Liu Bei; his ears were so big they almost touched his shoulders, and his arms were so long his hands reached his knees. He made his living selling straw sandals and mats, yet in fact he was descended from the emperors of the Han. The country was sinking deeper into chaos every day, and what could a sandal seller like him do about it?

"A real man should be serving his country, not standing here moaning and sighing!" A voice suddenly boomed behind him, as loud as thunder. Liu Bei turned around and saw a tall, big man with round, wide eyes and a face covered in stiff whiskers, like a tiger. This was Zhang Fei, who sold wine and pork in town and had a fair bit of money.

Liu Bei didn't take offence and told him what was on his mind: he badly wanted to do something for his country, beat the Yellow Turbans and give ordinary people a decent life, but sadly he had neither money nor men. Zhang Fei slapped his thigh: "What's so hard about that? I've got money! We'll find men together and do great things together!"

The more the two of them talked, the happier they were, and they went into a little tavern in the village for a drink. They were in the middle of drinking when a big fellow pushing a cart came in, sat down and shouted: "Bring me wine, quick! When I've drunk it I've got to hurry into town and sign up!"

Liu Bei looked up: the man was even taller than Zhang Fei, with a long beard and a face as red as a ripe date, and he looked truly imposing. Liu Bei quickly invited him over to sit with them and asked his name.

The man said: "My name is Guan Yu. Back home there was a bad man who leaned on his money to do all kinds of evil, and I killed him. Since then I've been in hiding for five or six years. I heard they're looking for men to fight the Yellow Turbans here, so I came."

Guan Yu was delighted to hear what Liu Bei had in mind, and the three of them went back together to Zhang Fei's home to talk over their plans. Behind Zhang Fei's house was a peach garden, and the peach trees were in full bloom. Zhang Fei said: "Tomorrow let's bow to heaven and earth in the Peach Garden and become brothers, and from then on do great things together. What do you say?" Liu Bei and Guan Yu said together: "Yes!"

The next day, incense was lit in the Peach Garden. The three men knelt under the peach blossoms and swore aloud: "Though the three of us do not share a surname, from today we are brothers, and together we will serve our country and give the people a good life. We do not ask to be born in the same year, the same month, on the same day; we only wish to die in the same year, the same month, on the same day. If any of us forgets today's words, may heaven punish him!"

After the oath they ranked themselves by age: Liu Bei was the eldest brother, Guan Yu the second, and Zhang Fei the third.

Next they gathered more than three hundred young men from the village and treated them all to wine in the Peach Garden. But you can't go to war without horses. Just as they were worrying about it, two horse dealers heard what they were doing and brought them fifty good horses, plenty of money and a thousand jin of iron.

The three brothers had weapons forged from the iron. Guan Yu asked for a huge blade weighing eighty-two jin, called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Zhang Fei asked for a long spear called the Serpent Spear. Liu Bei asked for a pair of fine swords.

And so the three brothers set off on horseback with a few hundred men. But by now the country was in utter chaos, and there was no shortage of men with troops and money who wanted to be heroes. How far could three brothers with only a few hundred men really go?