Gucheng

Gucheng is the city where Zhang Fei has established himself as a formidable local ruler and where Guan Yu’s difficult journey to reunite with Xuande brings the brothers back together. Its most consequential episode turns an anticipated welcome into an armed accusation, then makes the city a temporary refuge for the reunited companions and the two women traveling with Guan Yu.

Zhang Fei’s Stronghold

By the time Guan Yu and his party approach, Zhang Fei has expelled the local governor, taken control of the city, recruited a large army, and secured provisions. The surrounding area has been made to fear him. Gucheng is thus not merely a place on the route: it is the base Zhang Fei has built while separated from his brothers.

Guan Yu learns that the fierce warrior in control is Zhang Fei. Expecting a warm reception, he sends Sun Qian ahead to announce his arrival and explain that the two women are with him. The announcement does not prevent suspicion from overwhelming the reunion.

The Confrontation at the City

Zhang Fei rides out of Gucheng at the head of a thousand horsemen. Guan Yu sets aside his great sword and rides forward to greet him, but Zhang Fei instead charges with his spear aimed at his brother. The opposing gestures make the misunderstanding plain: Guan Yu approaches in confidence and welcome, while Zhang Fei treats him as an apparent enemy.

Zhang Fei’s doubt persists even after Guan Yu explains himself. He demands proof, setting the time it takes for three rolls of the war drums as the test. When Cai Yang arrives with troops, he calls Guan Yu a murderer and claims that the prime minister has ordered his arrest. Zhang Fei takes up the drumsticks; Guan Yu says nothing, rides forward, and kills Cai Yang before Zhang Fei can complete a single roll.

The decisive confirmation comes from a captured junior officer. Questioned by Zhang Fei, he reveals that Cao Cao had ordered an attack on Runan, not Guan Yu’s arrest; Cai Yang had seized the accidental encounter as a chance to attack Guan Yu. Zhang Fei interrogates the prisoner thoroughly and is finally convinced that Guan Yu has told the truth. The episode makes the brothers’ reunion depend not on a declaration alone but on evidence Zhang Fei accepts.

A Place of Reunion

After the misunderstanding is resolved, the group enters Gucheng. They spend the day celebrating and recounting what has happened to them since their separation. The city briefly gathers people whose journeys have repeatedly taken them apart: Guan Yu and Sun Qian are to continue on to find Xuande, while Zhang Fei remains in Gucheng to guard the two women.

That reunion is not immediately complete. Guan Yu and Sun Qian reach Runan only to learn that Xuande has already left to consult with Yuan Shao, so they return disappointed to Gucheng. They again agree on the division of responsibilities: Guan Yu and Sun Qian will seek Xuande, and Zhang Fei will protect the women and hold the city. Because Yuan Shao’s territory makes Guan Yu a wanted man after the deaths of two of Yuan Shao’s leading commanders, the search requires secrecy. At the river border, Sun Qian persuades Guan Yu to shelter at a nearby farm while he rides ahead into Yuan Shao’s territory.

The brothers are eventually reunited there with Xuande and his companions, including Zhao Zilong and Guan Ping. On Xuande’s return to Gucheng, Zhang Fei greets him joyfully, and each brother tells the story of his adventures. They sacrifice an ox and a horse to Heaven and Earth and celebrate; the arrival of Zhao Zilong and Guan Ping adds to the occasion.

Narrative Significance

Gucheng’s role in the story is concentrated in a sequence of reversals: a stronghold built during separation becomes the setting for a threatened fratricidal encounter, and the accusation gives way to proof, reconciliation, and celebration. The city also marks the difference between finding one another and being fully reunited with Xuande: Guan Yu reaches Zhang Fei there first, but the search for their absent lord continues before the larger company gathers again. Its brief importance comes from this human geography of separation and return, rather than from any later account of the city’s fate.