Chapter 26: To lash the brave and keep them by one's side is a path to ruin.

"Strategist?"

"So soon!"

Though unexpected, it was within reason. Zhang Fei had always held intellectuals in high regard, and it was rare for him to encounter one like Li Yi who so "respected and recognized" him. He immediately bowed to Li Yi:

"Zhang Fei pays his respects to the strategist!"

Li Yi reached out to help him up. "Brother Yide, there is no need for such formalities. In the army, we shall address each other by our titles. In private, you and I may simply address one another as brothers and friends."

Zhang Fei was overjoyed and bowed again. "Sir, your demeanor is elegant and unrestrained, quite unlike the usual scholars. I admire you greatly!"

Noticing what appeared to be bloodstains on Zhang Fei’s person, Li Yi asked, "General, why are there bloodstains upon you?"

Before Zhang Fei could answer, Liu Bei, standing to the side, could not help but scold: "It must be that you were drunk again and whipped your subordinates, is that not so!?"

Liu Bei was angry, yet his tone betrayed a sense of helplessness. This was an old vice of Zhang Fei’s, one that he seemed unable to break. After all, his temperament was such that he revered the virtuous but held no sympathy for the lowly; in his eyes, the lives of servants were of no account.

Zhang Fei admitted it quite candidly. "...Ha, those subordinates of mine were ignorant, so I gave them a few lashes. But do not worry, elder brother, I didn't kill them; it was merely a lesson."

Liu Bei sighed and softly recited:

"If you are not at fault, if you are not reckless, the kingdom will look to you as a model. Quickly exert your martial merit, and you shall be rewarded with blessings. Must you not be diligent?"

The verses Liu Bei recited were from the *Classic of Poetry*, specifically the "Jiang Han" ode. It was a passage he often used to encourage Zhang Fei. Its core message was simple: do not harass the common people, do not be impetuous in your dealings, act strictly according to ritual and law, and constantly urge yourself toward self-improvement. The protagonist of that poem was Zhao Hu, and Liu Bei often compared Zhang Fei to him—a gesture that both affirmed Zhang Fei’s martial prowess and tactical command and expressed the hope that he would become a pillar of the state, capable of securing the nation both in peace and in war.

Regrettably, Zhang Fei never did manage to overcome his shortcomings, failing to live up to Liu Bei's fervent expectations and ultimately meeting his end at the hands of vile men, just as Liu Bei had feared.

"General Zhang, you must remember the earnest expectations the Governor has for you." Li Yi understood Liu Bei’s intent; he wanted him to help persuade Zhang Fei to correct his foul habits. Li Yi seized the opportunity to point it out plainly.

Zhang Fei scratched his head and bowed. "Sir, you speak in riddles. You might as well be direct. If you have sound advice to offer, I shall always humbly listen to your instruction."

This was Zhang Fei’s unique way of learning. He loved visiting scholars and asking for their guidance. He believed that the teachings of intellectuals were superior, possessing a unique insight that others lacked. Although, he was usually met with closed doors. After all, in the eyes of most scholars, no matter how brave Zhang Fei was, he was ultimately nothing more than a soldier.

Li Yi mused to himself that Zhang Fei was not a man of high moral standing, but neither was he a villain beyond redemption. At the very least, he was deeply loyal to his brothers. Even as his social status rose, those old, foul habits remained unchanged. Moreover, Zhang Fei’s death was not merely a chain reaction to the loss of Guan Yu; his own personality was such that it was bound to invite disaster. Even had Guan Yu lived, Zhang Fei would have faced calamity sooner or later.

With this in mind, Li Yi advised, "General Zhang, your habit of whipping subordinates when drunk is not the way a man of stature should conduct himself."

Before he could finish, Zhang Fei grew impatient. "...Bah, I expected you to say that, sir. I am accustomed to it; whenever I see those subordinates, I want to give them a few lashes. I truly cannot break this habit."

...Hmm. A dog cannot stop eating filth, and a wolf cannot stop eating meat. Expecting Zhang Fei to sympathize with the downtrodden was as difficult as expecting him to despise scholars. Li Yi had no intention of asking Zhang Fei to stop the whipping, as he knew it was impossible.

"I am not asking you to stop whipping your subordinates, General, but rather to dismiss them and send them home."

Hearing this, Liu Bei quickly chimed in from the side: "Indeed. Yide, you frequently whip your men, yet you keep them by your side. That is a path to disaster."

One must admit, Liu Bei’s insight was truly sharp. Historically, he had said similar words to Zhang Fei. If one pondered these words carefully, it became clear that Liu Bei understood everything. He was not just advising Zhang Fei to stop whipping his men, but specifically not to keep them close after the act.

The historical verdict on Zhang Fei’s death was: "Cruel and without grace, he brought it upon himself."

Looking across the Three Kingdoms, there were many brutal generals. Men like Gan Ning or Pan Zhang also enjoyed abusing their subordinates. Yet, why were they not assassinated by their own men? Because they punished their subordinates by killing them outright, leaving no opportunity for revenge. In this respect, Zhang Fei was not ruthless enough; he was too "merciful."

Take Gan Ning, for example. One of his servants fled to Lu Meng, who advised Gan Ning to forgive the man. Gan Ning agreed, but once he brought the servant home, he hung him from a tree and shot him dead. It was brutal, but he denied the victim the chance for vengeance. Even more chillingly, that servant was merely a child—that shows just how cold-blooded Gan Ning was.

Zhang Fei clearly never learned this. He was somewhat thick-headed; once he finished beating a soldier, he would turn his face and forget about it. He assumed the matter was settled. But the person who received the beating could not forget. Thus, Liu Bei had long foreseen Zhang Fei’s death; when he received the news, he could only sigh in resignation: "Alas! Fei is dead!"

Facing the combined pressure from Liu Bei and Li Yi, Zhang Fei finally waved his hand and said: "Fine, fine, fine. Since both my brother and the strategist advise me to dismiss them, I shall send them all home when I return."

Although Zhang Fei could not break the habit of whipping subordinates, sending them away was a simple task.

Li Yi nodded. "A man who can be taught. General Zhang, you must always remember: after whipping your men, you must never keep them by your side, otherwise you will surely invite a fatal calamity upon yourself."

Zhang Fei agreed wholeheartedly. Liu Bei looked at Li Yi with a helpless expression, as if to say, he always agrees so readily, but I wonder if he ever truly takes it to heart?

Li Yi signaled for Liu Bei to be at ease. No habit could be changed overnight. Since they wanted to help Zhang Fei overcome his flaws, they had to take it slow. One must not be overly hasty.

Having settled the matter with Zhang Fei, Liu Bei asked: "...Yide, you came to find me so early today, is there some urgent business?"

"...Ha, if you hadn't mentioned it, brother, I would have nearly forgotten." Zhang Fei sat down boldly and said, "Brother, you may not know this, but Yuan Shu of Huainan has learned that you have taken Xuzhou. He is inciting rebellion in Guangling, intending to threaten your rule over the province."

Oh...? Liu Bei furrowed his brows. Since the death of the former governor, Zhao Yu, Guangling had gradually leaned toward Yuan Shu. Now that he had just taken office as the Governor of Xuzhou, Yuan Shu was already stirring up trouble in Guangling. He truly had malicious intent!