Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

As usual after completing a day’s training, I wearily followed Zhang Fei back to our shared quarters. Already inside, Zhang Fei called me over before I could sit.

Facing him, he inquired:
“Well? How goes your training these days?”
“It fares well. I’ve grown closer with the soldiers too.”
“Hmm, befriending the soldiers is fine, but mind the boundaries.”
“I will keep that in mind.”

This ‘boundary’ he spoke of likely stemmed from his disdain for the petty, but carried an added weight relating to my gender. The reason I shared quarters with Zhang Fei was precisely that distinction. Though he claimed no special treatment, he still drew a clear line by having his daughter under his watch.

“Tomorrow, you’ll be accompanying me.”
“You’ll be observing me directly, Father?”
The anticipation raised my voice slightly. Zhang Fei had agreed to personally oversee me, but he was hardly idle enough to focus solely on that. Amid the ongoing three-way clash for supremacy, Zhang Fei’s hands were more than full.

That was why my direct tutelage under Zhang Fei lasted only those first few days. While he did impart theoretical lessons during downtime like now, it couldn’t compare to actual practical training.
However, contrary to my expectations, Zhang Fei shook his head firmly.

“Then…”
“The Elder Brother wishes to see you.”
“By Elder Brother, you mean…”
Liu Bei! And Guan Yu!
To witness the trio who were the protagonists of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the generation’s heroes who indelibly etched their names into the annals – despite preferring Western over Chinese history, my heart pounded with excitement at the prospect.

“Hah, so you’re eager to meet your two revered uncles too, are you not? Your eyes shine brighter than when pleading for my teachings.”
“It’s just…nerves, is all.”
“Yes, be nervous.”
No, the sudden sternness was jarring as Zhang Fei’s tone abruptly dropped:
“Even if I have acknowledged you, should the Elder Brother reject you, I can only defer to his judgment. This is no simple military matter. You are betrothed to his own son Adu. This occasion will encompass that marital tie as well.”

So failure to impress could nullify not just my martial path, but my predetermined destiny as the Empress Huangxian.
Was this not too cruel a trial for a 9-year-old? I had not even received my formal style name yet.

“I understand.”
“Do not fret overmuch. I shall support you. And the Elder Brothers will make allowances for your youth.”
“Yes, Father.”

As instructed to retire, lying in bed, I recounted what I knew of Liu Bei and Guan Yu.
Historical appraisals of Liu Bei were divided – one viewed him as a benevolent, humane ruler adept at virtues like compassion, while the opposing judgment deemed him a sanctimonious hypocrite concerned only with upholding pretexts.
In contrast, Guan Yu’s reputation was consistent – supremely capable yet arrogant to a fault due to his peerless skills, he nonetheless showed leniency towards soldiers and the commonfolk. Directly contrasting Zhang Fei’s reverence for the noble and contempt for the ignoble.

Yet one fact applied to them both – their profound love for their sworn brothers.
Upon Guan Yu and Zhang Fei’s deaths, Liu Bei discarded all his gains to wage war. And arrogant as he was, Guan Yu considered Zhang Fei an equal, even praising him as superior at times.

Hoping their brotherly affection extended towards their descendants as well, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke with an unusually refreshed vigor, doing my stretches in a buoyant mood. Unlike my past life where I only experienced stretching, exercise, or yoga through videos except for brief interludes during longsword training, as Zhang Ran I made a habit of it whenever possible.
No longer a stiff adult body, but a lithe young form that stretched and contorted however I wished – stretching had never been such an enjoyable experience.

“Up and at it already, I see.”
Rising slightly later, Zhang Fei ruffled my hair in an approving manner. Not having tidied up after sleep, being treated like a child felt rather odd.
In any case, unlike usual, after breaking my fast with Zhang Fei, I followed him towards the main camp.

With every stride, my heart pounded harder.
Not far ahead awaited Liu Bei and Guan Yu – the protagonists of the grand epical Romance spanning millennia, generation-defining heroes whose names were writ large across history.
Was this how fans felt meeting their idols? A reincarnated historian more immersed in the West than China, I still felt giddy with nervous excitement as I trailed Zhang Fei to the large central tent.

Liu Bei and Guan Yu were inside, possibly even Zhuge Liang. Or could Zhao Yun be present too?
My exhilaration stemmed not just from their renown, but my own allegiances within the Three Kingdoms fandom – I had been a Shu-Han loyalist, or a ‘Shu-pa’ as we called it.
The saying ‘Return to stock after too many mods’ rang true – I started out Shu-pa after the Romance, then became a Wei-pa thanks to Cao Cao, even dabbled as a Wu-pa due to Zhou Yu, before ultimately returning to Shu-pa.
That was during my middle and high school years obsessed with Three Kingdoms games and novels, of course. I had since matured into broader Western historical interests as an academic.

“Phew…”
“Nervous?” Zhang Fei asked.
“Yes.”
“Have no fear. This is strictly an uncle and niece affair, not an official matter. Even should the Elder Brothers disapprove of you, I shall stand by your side.”

Oh…Zhang Fei revealed an entirely new side. He was indeed exceedingly deferential towards those he acknowledged. It seemed I fell into that category.
Inwardly, I had lamented his lack of proper guidance, but from now on I would follow obediently, Father.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Shwak.
Zhang Fei swept open the tent flap with a bold gesture, all eyes within instantly converging on us.
Following Zhang Fei inside, I swiftly scanned those assembled.

In the central seat was Liu Bei – his benevolent visage living up to his reputation, with prominent ears and long arms. Not tall, but not giving a diminutive impression either.
Flanking him were two towering figures even taller than Liu Bei. One, in armor, was a solidly robust build, while the other in a scholar’s white robe cut a slightly leaner frame. Guan Yu exuded an overwhelming presence beyond my imagination, while Zhuge Liang’s appearance prompted doubts that he truly belonged to this era with his extraordinary handsomeness.

Those three were the only ones present in the tent. No veteran commanders like Zhao Yun or Huang Zhong in sight. This was likely a minor consultation rather than a pivotal council of war – not worth convening all the senior officials just to discuss my circumstances, a lone individual.
Guan Yu may not have even attended were I not his niece.

“You’ve come,” Liu Bei greeted us in his dulcet tones.
After we paid our respects, Liu Bei turned his gaze towards me.
Not mere observation, but the tender, affectionate look an uncle bestows a beloved niece.

“It has been ages since I last saw you. I wonder if you still recall from your childhood days.”
A timeless conversational opening, it seems.

“Yes, vaguely, I do remember. I trust you and Martial Uncle have been well all this time?”
“Though the realm remains in turmoil, taxing body and spirit, seeing you grown into such a lovely flower brings me some comfort. Yide sang such praises of your lustrous tresses, I can’t help feeling a touch of regret.”
“Elder Brother!”
Who else but Liu Bei could so readily tease Zhang Fei like this? Guan Yu did not seem the type for such playful intimacy.

Lightly chuckling at Zhang Fei’s flustered demeanor, Liu Bei returned his attention to me.
“Yet I hear you wish to join the military?”
Finally, the crux of the matter.

“Yes, that is correct.”
“May I ask your reasons?”
I made to say I wished to lend my strength towards restoring the Han dynasty, but stopped myself abruptly.
Would they truly accept such words from me?

To be frank, I had no firm conviction towards the cause Liu Bei championed. While sympathizing with Shu-Han and feeling obliged as Zhang Fei’s daughter to contribute on their side, the grand talk of reviving Han or toppling the traitorous Cao clan held little personal resonance.
Would Liu Bei, famed for his unparalleled perspicacity exceeding even Zhuge Liang’s, not perceive my lack of sincerity?

I worried my lip, forcing clarity of mind. What I intended to convey was not some hollow pretext cloaked in self-righteous rhetoric, but a direct collision of true feelings.
The stinging pain from my slightly torn lip helped re-focus me as I slowly opened my mouth:

“Because I am the daughter of the peerless Zhang Yidao.”
“Oh?”
Though fleeting, I clearly noticed Liu Bei’s brows furrow slightly, and sensed the shift in the atmosphere around us.
Where Guan Yu had initially regarded me with tender indulgence befitting a beloved niece just as Zhang Fei had, he now seemed to listen with greater seriousness. Even Zhuge Liang stilled the casual swaying of his ornate fan.

Now was my moment to speak.
“My father will undoubtedly etch his name in the histories as a figure of this era. Yet not just my father – you, Martial Uncle and Uncle, as his brothers will leave behind even greater renown. But I am different.”
“Different?”
“Yes. My name too shall be recorded in the histories. Zhang Yidao had two daughters – the firstborn wed to your son Liu Shan. Should the Han dynasty be revived with you ascending to greater heights, my sister-in-law would bear the title Lady Zhang as your daughter-in-law. But that would only sadden both myself and my father.”

“And why is that?”
“It is said a child exists to carry on their parent’s legacy. Just as you adopted Adu before siring your own son, all fathers wish to pass on their life’s work to their offspring. My father is a martial icon – Cao Cao’s Guofu clan and Zhou Yu serving the Sun family both lauded him and Martial Uncle as the peerless brothers-in-arms. Yet while you have Guan Ping to inherit your martial legacy, Martial Uncle, neither of my two elder brothers could succeed my father’s prowess. How regrettable it would be for the martial arts of the peerless Zhang Yidao to come to an end. I wish to leave my name not as ‘Lady Zhang’ but Zhang Ran – not as someone’s wife, but a warrior deserving the name ‘daughter of Zhang Yidao.'”

In essence – while Guan Yu had Guan Ping as a successor, Zhang Fei did not, so support me instead. I too wished to leave a martial legacy behind. Zhang Fei was praised as a formidable tiger of a commander, so befitting that even his daughter be extolled as an exceptional beauty!
Not some grand cause of reviving Han or ending chaotic times, but one individual’s pursuit of glory and a child’s filial piety.
Yet this too constituted a moral imperative.

Loyalty and filiality – of the two prime Confucian virtues governing this era, filiality took greater precedence.
Sima Rì’s defecting to Wei to care for his mother was not censured, yet the inverse case of Guan Yu prioritizing loyalty over filial obligation drew criticism.
Thus, my willingness as a woman to take up arms and tread the battlefield to uphold my father’s martial legacy could be considered its own moral justification.

“How admirable.”
Liu Bei smiled warmly as he stroked my hair, much like Zhang Fei. Why did they insist on petting me? Was my hair truly so lustrous as Zhang Fei claimed?
Relieved to have spoken my piece, and buoyed by Liu Bei’s positive response, I relaxed – until his next words snapped my focus taut once more:

“Your heart in considering your father is noble, but the battlefield is no place to stake fame and glory on determination alone. Thus, I shall test you – whether your womanly form is indeed fit for battle. If not, this uncle who dotes on his niece as much as you cherish filiality shall send you back home.”

As expected, however well-reasoned, war carried a heavier weight than words alone.

“I accept the test.”
“Your spirit is admirable. Very well then, Wenchang.”
“Yes, Elder Brother. I have made preparations.”

So it was already arranged. Had I failed to properly convey my resolve, I likely would have been rejected outright and sent home immediately.
Following Guan Yu’s lead, we emerged to find a man waiting to assess my abilities. Recognizing me, he paid his respects to Liu Bei as I murmured:

“So it’s him…”
A face from Zhang Ran’s memories – Guan Ping.