The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 42
Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 1:46PM The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 42:
Screaming Zhang Fei Triumphs At Long Slope Bridge;
Defeated Liu Bei Marches To Hanjin.
Listen:
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WARNING, I PUT A LOT OF SOUND EFFECTS IN THIS ONE...
That's right, I did. Chang Ban is, in my humble opinion, one of the most entertaining chapters in the entire novel, as it showcases the talents of not only Zhao Yun (Zilong) but Zhang Fei in their fullest glory. I have tried to use sound effects very sparingly in this audiobook, because I didn't really want sensationalism to take away from the actual words. The words in which this story, any story is told are what are really important. However, I feel that in this case, sound effects help to add an epic quality to the great deeds being performed in Chapter 42. The result, as you will hear, is truly an audible treat. An audiobook chapter that listens like a radioplay. :p
Obviously, Liu Bei got his ass kicked at Chang Ban. There is no doubt of that. But I think that many readers of the novel might tend to underestimate the true value of Chang Ban. Chang Ban is, indeed, the turning point, the crucible, indeed, the catalyst for the rest of the novel. As such, it represents the end of the first stage of the story, as well as the beginning of the next stage, the Age of the Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao had the far larger army at Chang Ban, and could easily have wiped out Liu Bei forever, thus putting an end to the man who would turn out to be his main rival for the Empire in the decades to come. But for the tremendous courage of Zhao Zilong and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei would have perished at Chang Ban, and all that was his and all that he had ever striven to accomplish would have perished with him. The very fact that he survived Chang Ban was a shining victory, and allowed the entire rest of the book to happen.
One thing that I absolutely love about this chapter is that Cao Cao, who for most of the novel has conducted himself with a whole mountain of towering self confidence, seeming at times to be quite the smug fellow, gets scared into a mindless panic by the shouting of Zhang Fei. One has to wonder if this is exactly the result Guan Yu, whose affinity for strategy has sort of been forgotten by many in the shadow of his tremendous martial prowess, had hoped to accomplish several chapters back when he described the exploits of Zhang Fei during the Yellow Turban Rebellion to Cao Cao. Certainly, I doubt Guan Yu envisioned the specifics of Chang Ban, but I would think that the notion of Liu Bei being forced to flee from Cao Cao might have occurred to Guan Yu at some point. At any rate, it is indeed fortuitous for Liu Bei that Guan Yu had instilled such a fear of Zhang Fei in Cao Cao, because it was that and that alone which saved Liu Bei from certain death at Chang Ban.
And Cao Cao would never again have such an opportunity to kill Liu Bei...
Anyway, enjoy this, Chapter 42 of the ongoing ancient Chinese Epic, the Sanguo Yanyi, the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", here at Brookhavenchronicles.com. Thanks for listening.
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