Chang Fei as the youngest. Their
sacrifice to Heaven and earth ended, they killed an ox and served
a feast, to which the soldiers of the district were invited to the
number of three hundred or more. They all drank copiously until they
were intoxicated. Liu Pei enrolled the peasants; Chang Fei procured
for them horses and arms; and then they set out to make war on the
Yellow Turbans (Huang Chin Tsei). Kuan Yue proved himself worthy
of the affection which Liu Pei showed him; brave and generous, he
never turned aside from danger. His fidelity was shown especially
on one occasion when, having been taken prisoner by Ts'ao Ts'ao,
together with two of Liu Pei's wives, and having been allotted a common
sleeping-apartment with his fellow-captives, he preserved the ladies'
reputation and his own trustworthiness by standing all night at the
door of the room with a lighted lantern in his hand.

Into details of the various exploits of the three Brothers of the
Peach-orchard we need not enter here. They are written in full in the
book of the _Story of the Three Kingdoms_, a romance in which every
Chinese who can read takes keen delight. Kuan Yue remained faithful to
his oath, even though tempted with a marquisate by the great Ts'ao
Ts'ao, but he was at length captured by Sun Ch'uean and put to death
(A.D. 219). Long celebrated as the most renowned of China's military
heroes, he was ennobled in A.D. 1120 as Faithful and Loyal Duke. Eight
years later he had conferred on him by letters patent the still more
glorious title of Magnificent Prince and Pacificator. The Emperor Wen
(A.D. 1330-3) of the Yuean dynasty added the appellation Warrior Prince
and Civilizer, and, finally, the Emperor Wan Li of the Ming dynasty,
in 1594, conferred on him the title of Faithful and Loyal Great _Ti_,
Supporter of Heaven and Protector of the Kingdom. He thus became a god,
a _ti_, and has ever since received worship as Kuan Ti or Wu Ti, the
God of War. Temples (1600 State temples and thousands of smaller ones)
erected in his honour are to be seen in all parts of the country. He
is one of the most popular gods of China. During the last half-century
of the Manchu Period his fame greatly increased. In 1856 he is said
to have appeared in the heavens and successfully turned the tide of
battle in favour of the Imperialists. His portrait hangs in every tent,
but his worship is not confined to the officials and the army, for
many trades and professions have electe