Liu Bei and Guan Yu hastily restrained Zhang Fei. “We can’t kill a government officer!” said Liu Bei.

“I don’t ever want to see his ugly mug again!” Zhang Fei said.

“Then let’s go somewhere else,” Liu Bei suggested.

Then the three brothers set out and lost no time in traveling until they came to Zhu Jun. He received them well and accepted their aid in attacking Zhang Bao, who was commanding some eighty thousand troops

Liu Bei had been appointed the leader of the vanguard. Zhang Bao sent out his champion, Gao Sheng, to challenge the official army. Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei to smite him. Zhang Fei rode out at full speed and speared him off the horse after only a few thrusts.

Then Liu Bei signaled the army to charge. But Zhang Bao waved his sword and uttered some incantations on his horse. A wind began to howl, thunder cracked overhead, and a black cloud seemingly swarming with horses and soldiers descended from the heavens.

The official army was dumbstruck. Liu Bei led his men off hurriedly and returned defeated.

“I’ll slaughter some pigs and goats and gather up the blood,” Zhu Jun said to Liu Bei. “You have some men hide on top of the hills with the blood. When they come near, you splash the blood on the black cloud, and that will nullify his magic.”

Liu Bei did as he said. The next day, when the rebels with fluttering banners and rolling drums came out to challenge, Liu Bei rode forth to meet them. Zhang Bao began his magic again. Sand flew in clouds, gravel was swept along the ground, black masses of smoke filled the sky, and rolling masses of soldiers and horses descended from on high.

Liu Bei turned to flee, and the rebels rushed on. When they reached the hills, a trumpet blasted, and the hidden soldiers threw down the blood. Suddenly, the masses of soldiers and horses in the air fluttered down like fragments of paper, the wind ceased to blow, the thunder subsided, the sand settled down, and the gravel lay still on the ground.

Seeing that his magic had been countered, Zhang Bao quickly turned to retreat. Then he was attacked on the flanks by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and in the rear by Liu Bei and Zhu Jun. The rebels were routed.

Liu Bei, seeing from afar the banner of Zhang Bao, galloped toward it at full speed, but only succeeded in wounding him with an arrow in the left arm.

Wounded though he was, Zhang Bao managed to get away into the city of Yangcheng. He fortified the city and hid behind the strong walls.

Zhu Jun laid siege to the city and sent out scouts to get news of Huangfu Song. Several days later, the scouts returned and reported, “Huangfu Song had won great victories and was given the command of Dong Zhuo’s army because the latter had suffered too many defeats. Zhang Jiao had already died before Huangfu Song’s arrival. His brother, Zhang Liang, had added his army to his own in a vain attempt to confront the official troops. Huangfu Song had won seven successive victories and Zhang Liang was slain at Quyang. Zhang Jiao's coffin was exhumed, the corpse got beheaded, and the head was sent to the capital. Huangfu Song had been promoted to the governor of Jizhou, and he reported to the emperor the truth concerning the case of Lu Zhi, who was then restored to his former rank. Cao Cao also received advancement for his services and is preparing to go to Jinan to his new post.”

Hearing this, Zhu Jun pressed even harder on Yangcheng. In desperation, one of Zhang Bao’s officers killed him and brought his head to Zhu Jun as a token of submission. Thus rebellion in that part of the country was stamped out, and Zhu Jun sent his report to the emperor.

However, the embers of the Yellow Turbaners still smoldered. Three other rebels, Zhao Hong, Han Zhong, and Sun Zhong, gathered tens of thousands of rebels and burnt and looted as they went, calling themselves the avengers of Zhang Jiao.

Zhu Jun was commanded to destroy them. He encamped three miles from Wancheng and prepared to attack. Just then there arrived a large body of soldiers and horses from the east. At the lead was a man with a broad open face, huge and strong. His name was Sun Jian, a descendant of the famous Sun Tzu.

Zhu Jun welcomed Sun Jian gladly and ordered him to attack the south gate of Wancheng. The north and the west gates were simultaneously attacked by Liu Bei and Zhu Jun, but the east gate was left free to give the rebels a chance of exit.

Sun Jian was the first to mount the wall and cut down more than twenty rebels single-handedly. The rebels ran, but their leader Zhao Hong rode directly at Sun Jian with his spear ready to thrust. Sun Jian leaped down from the wall, snatched the spear from Zhao Hong’s hand, and with it killed him. Then Sun Jian, mounting Zhao Hong's horse, rode hither and thither, slaying as he went.

Sun Zhong led his men to try to escape by the north gate, where they met Liu Bei. By then the rebels wanted nothing so much as to get away; they scattered like scared mice. Liu Bei drew his bow, fitted an arrow, and shot Sun Zhong, who fell to the ground.

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Then the main army led by Zhu Jun came up, and after tremendous slaughter, the rebels surrendered. Thus peace was restored to the region around Nanyang.

Zhu Jun was promoted to the governor of Henan; Sun Jian, having influential friends and connections to support him, quickly got an appointment to a high position. But Liu Bei only received the post of magistrate of a small county called Anxi, to which he proceeded without delay after disbanding his army and sending them home to their villages. He retained two dozen men as escort.

The three brothers reached Anxi, and soon the administration of the county was so reformed and the rule so wise that in a month there was no law-breaking. The three brothers lived in harmony, eating at the same table and sleeping on the same couch. But when Liu Bei was in company of others, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would stand in attendance, even if it were for a whole day.

Four months after their arrival, there came out an order for the reduction of the number of military officers holding civil posts, and Liu Bei began to fear that he would be among those thrown out.

A few days later, an inspecting official arrived and Liu Bei went outside to welcome him. But to the polite obeisance of Liu Bei, the inspector made no return save a wave of his whip as he sat on his horse. This made Guan Yu and Zhang Fei furious.

When the inspector arrived at his lodging, he took his seat on the dais, leaving Liu Bei standing below. It was only after a long time that he addressed Liu Bei. “What was your origin?” he asked.

“I am descended from Prince Jing of Zhongshan,” replied Liu Bei. “Since my first fight with the Yellow Turban rebels at Zhuo County, I have been in some thirty battles, in which I gained some trifling merit. My reward was this office.”

"You lie about your descent, and your statement of services is false!" roared the inspector. "Now the emperor has ordered the reduction of your sort of corrupt officials."

Liu Bei dared not retort and withdrew. On returning to his office, he took council with his subordinates.

"That pompous attitude only means the inspector wants a bribe," they said.

“I’ve never even taken a coin from the people. Where am I to find a bribe for him?”

The next day, the inspector had Liu Bei’s subordinates before him and forced them to bear witness to Liu Bei’s corruption. Liu Bei went to save them but the doorkeepers drove him away and he could not enter.

Zhang Fei had been drowning his sorrow in wine and had drunk far too much. Calling for his horse he rode out past the lodging of the inspector, and at the gate saw a small crowd of white-haired people weeping bitterly. He asked why.

“The inspector is forcing Magistrate Liu’s men to bear false witness against him,” they replied. “We came to beg him for mercy, but he sent the doorkeepers to beat us.”

This provoked the irascible and half intoxicated Zhang Fei to fury. He gritted his teeth, his eyes wide open. In a moment he was off his steed, had forced his way past the scared doorkeepers into the building, and was in the rear hall. There he saw the inspector sitting on high with Liu Bei’s subordinates in bonds at his feet.

"Oppressor of the people," roared Zhang Fei. "Do you know me?"

But before the inspector could reply, Zhang Fei had had him by the hair and dragged him out to the hitching post in front of the building.

Lashing him firmly to the post, Zhang Fei broke off a switch from a willow tree and started thrashing his legs very hard. Soon a dozen switches were broken, but his anger was still not appeased.

Liu Bei was sitting alone, communing with his sorrow, when he heard a shouting before his door. He asked what the matter was.

“Zhang Fei bound someone to a post and is thrashing him,” they told him.

Hastily going outside, Liu Bei saw who the victim was and asked Zhang Fei the reason.

“I’m doing the world a favor,” said Zhang Fei.

"Noble Sir, save me!" cried the inspector.

Liu Bei was by nature a benevolent man, so he told his brother to stop.

Then Guan Yu came up, saying, "Brother, after your magnificent services you only got this petty post, and even here you have been insulted by this fellow. A thorn bush is no place for a phoenix. Let’s slay this fellow, leave here, and go home till we can come up with a bigger scheme.”

Liu Bei hung the official seal about the inspector's neck, saying, "You oppress the people so much that you deserve to be killed. But I spare your life and return the seal to you. We’re leaving for good.”

The inspector went to the governor of Dingzhou and complained, and orders were issued for the arrest of the three brothers, but they got away to Daizhou and sought refuge with Liu Hui, who sheltered them because of Liu Bei's noble birth.

A rebellion broke out in Yuyang led by Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun. Liu Yu was made the governor of Youzhou and ordered to move against Yuyang and suppress Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun. Liu Hui recommended Liu Bei to Liu Yu. Liu Yu welcomed Liu Bei, gave him the command of an army, and sent him against the rebels.

The three brothers fought with and worsted rebels and entirely broke their spirit. Zhang Chun was too cruel, and his officers turned against him. One of his officers slew him and brought in his head, after which the others submitted. The other leader Zhang Ju saw that all was lost and killed himself.

Yuyang being now tranquil, Liu Bei's services were reported to the emperor, and he received full pardon for whipping the inspector and was restored as an official. Then his former superior Gongsun Zan reported Liu Bei's former services, and he was promoted to Magistrate of Pingyuan, a prosperous place.

In the year Ad 189, Emperor Ling became seriously ill and died. In the hall where lay the coffin of the late emperor, his son, Liu Bian, was installed as the new emperor.

Yuan Shao went one day to see He Jin, the General, saying, "The two eunuchs, Zhang Rang and Duan Gui, are spreading the rumor outside that you are aiming at the throne. This is an excuse for you to destroy them. Now you have many commanders and officers behind, so that the destruction of the eunuchs can be but an ease. It is a heaven-sent opportunity. Delay no further!"

“I’ll call in warriors from all sides and ask them to lead their forces to the capital to slay the eunuchs. It’s safer this way,” He Jin said.

But Chen Lin objected. “To summon forces to the capital, to gather many bold warriors into one spot, each with different schemes, will place ourselves in danger. Nothing but failure can come of it.”

"The view of a mere book-worm," said He Jin with a sneer.

Then one of those beside He Jin suddenly clapped his hands and laughed. "Solving this issue is as easy as turning over one's hand! Why so much talk?"

The speaker was Cao Cao.