The Story of Guan Yu

For a thousand years, he has sat upright on an altar, his face a deep red and his brows like silkworms at rest, receiving incense from countless worshippers. But did you know that before he became the “Holy Emperor Guan,” he was once a living, breathing man? The Things About Guan Yu takes you through the mists of history and back to an age of endless warfare, where you will meet the real Guan Yu. He would risk his life and flee across the land for the sake of loyalty, hesitate over career choices, and pay the price for his pride and underestimating his enemies. Here you will find the brotherhood sworn in the Peach Garden and the lonely resolve of riding alone for a thousand miles; the crowning triumph of flooding the seven armies, and the tragic desolation of his retreat to Maicheng. Drawing lessons from history, this book uses a light, witty style to strip away the myth and restore the truth. You will see how Guan Yu grew from a fugitive from Hedong into a celebrated general, and how he rose from flesh and blood to become a cultural icon. Alongside legendary battles of flashing blades, the book offers thought-provoking insight into human nature. This is not merely the biography of a great general, but a mirror reflecting the ages. Questions of loyalty and betrayal, glory and loneliness, ideals and reality: all the answers lie within this journey that brings both laughter and tears. Let us step down from the altar together and enter the inner world of a hero. Open this book and meet a Guan Yu who is warm and alive.