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WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!
In this, the second chapter of the mighty Sanguo Yanyi, Zhang Fei once again displays that trademark temper of his. He may be a mighty warrior (one of the mightiest in Chinese history), and absolutely loyal, but he has some anger-management issues, and in the opening lines of this chapter, those anger-management issues would very well have led to the early demise of Dong Zhuo, the primary villain of the early chapters, if not for the intervention of Zhang Fei's two sworn brothers, Liu Bei and Guan Yu. Think how many lives would have been saved if Zhang Fei were allowed to take that fat, disgusting sleazebucket out. Dong Zhuo was kinda like the Chinese Hitler, wiping out large numbers of people with impunity. Think about this: a census taken in the late Han (early story) claims a total population in the Empire of 50 million. A census taken 90 or so years later, after the Sanguo period came to an end and the land was reunified under the Jin Dynasty, claimed a total population of like 16 million. That means that some 34 million people either died or migrated out of the country during the chaos of the Three Kingdoms period. How many of those deaths could Zhang Fei have averted by offing Dong Zhuo? I guess the world will never know...
In Chapter 2, the three Brothers continue to build their reputations, by aiding famous Imperial General, Zhu Jun, in quelling a Yellow Turban uprising in Wan, on the western edge of the Central Plains (or extreme northern Jing Bei, whichever you prefer). At this time, the novel introduces the great founder of the third and final kingdom of the "Three" Kingdoms: Sun Jian, descendant of the great Sun Tzu, and founder of the great state of Wu in the lands south of the Great Yangtze. Now, each of the three Empire-founders of the time has a guiding genius, if it were...some shining quality about them that brings people of quality to their banner. Liu Bei, though poor and without a real land of his own, possesses great charisma (evidenced in much greater detail later in the novel), and Cao Cao possesses great cunning and ambition, a sharp and devious mind which allows him to swallow up his neighbors, and unify the Central Plains (more on that later). But Sun Jian was undoubtedly the greatest warrior of the three. The Sun Clan posesses great valor, and though that valor will one day be Sun Jian's undoing, in the early stages of the novel, Sun Jian makes quite a showing for himself.
The other central theme of this chapter is the ongoing struggle between the military officers of the Imperial Government, and the Ten Eunuchs, ten slimy, serpentine servants, Stewards of the Imperial Household, who hold way more power than anyone in the empire should, excepting, of course, the Emperor and possibly the Prime Minister. Sadly, the struggle against the Ten Eunuchs is being, at this stage, led by one totally unqualified to lead much of anything. He Jin is weak willed and indecisive, though his sister, Empress He, mother of short-reigning Emperor-elect, Liu Bian, seems to be far more intelligent. If she had led the struggle against the Eunuchs, things might have gone much differently, though at this point in the story, she seems to support those fawning bootlickers.
He Jin ignores the advice of his ministers and top military leaders to end the Eunuch threat once and for all. Yuan Shao, even this early in the story a Commander of some importance, and Cao Cao, who would one day become THE most powerful man in China, tell him to wipe the damn snakes out. But He Jin passes up several opportunities to do so, which is very foolish, since it eventually leads to him getting offed himself. Ahhhhh...I just LOVE ancient Chinese intrigue. Don't you?