The Oath in the Peach-orchard

Another account represents Liu Pei and Chang Fei as having entered a village inn to drink wine, when a man of gigantic stature pushing a wheelbarrow stopped at the door to rest.  As he seated himself, he hailed the waiter, saying:  “Bring me some wine quickly, because I have to hasten to reach the town to enlist in the army.”

Liu Pei looked at this man, nine feet in height, with a beard two feet long.  His face was the colour of the fruit of the jujube-tree, and his lips carmine.  Eyebrows like sleeping silkworms shaded his phoenix eyes, which were a scarlet red.  Terrible indeed was his bearing.

“What is your name?” asked Liu Pei.  “My family name is Kuan, my own name is Yue, my surname Yuen Chang,” he replied.  “I am from the Ho Tung country.  For the last five or six years I have been wandering about the world as a fugitive, to escape from my pursuers, because I killed a powerful man of my country who was oppressing the poor people.  I hear that they are collecting a body of troops to crush the brigands, and I should like to join the expedition.”

Chang Fei, also named Chang I Te, is described as eight feet in height, with round shining eyes in a panther’s head, and a pointed chin bristling with a tiger’s beard.  His voice resembled the rumbling of thunder.  His ardour was like that of a fiery steed.  He was a native of Cho Chuen, where he possessed some fertile farms, and was a butcher and wine-merchant.

Liu Pei, surnamed Hsuean Te, otherwise Hsien Chu, was the third member of the group.

The three men went to Chang Fei’s farm, and on the morrow met together in his peach-orchard, and sealed their friendship with an oath.  Having procured a black ox and a white horse, with the various accessories to a sacrifice, they immolated the victims, burnt the incense of friendship, and after twice prostrating themselves took this oath: 

“We three, Liu Pei, Kuan Yu, and Chang Fei, already united by mutual friendship, although belonging to different clans, now bind ourselves by the union of our hearts, and join our forces in order to help each other in times of danger.

“We wish to pay to the State our debt of loyal citizens and give peace to our black-haired compatriots.  We do not inquire if we were born in the same year, the same month, or on the same day, but we desire only that the same year, the same month, and the same day may find us united in death.  May Heaven our King and Earth our Queen see clearly our hearts!  If any one of us violate justice or forget benefits, may Heaven and Man unite to punish him!”