Early life = Guan Yu was born in Xie (解), Hedong (河東), which is in present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi . He fled from his hometown after committing a serious crime and he arrived in Zhuo Commandery present-day Zhuozhou , Hebei ) . He met Liu Bei , who was recruiting volunteers to form a civilian army to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion . Together with Zhang Fei , Guan Yu joined Liu Bei and participated actively in fighting the Yellow Turban rebels in northern China . When Liu Bei was appointed as the governor of Pingyuan County , Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were made " Senior Major " (别部司马) under Liu and each of them commanded detachments . The relationship of the three men was described to be "as close as brothers", to the point of sharing the same room. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei most of the time wherever he went and protected him from danger regardless of how perilous the situation was ................
During the Battle of Xiapi in late 198 , fought between the allied forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei against Lü Bu , Guan Yu made a request to Cao Cao , asking to marry Qin Yilu's wife Lady Du (杜氏) after they had achieved victory , to which Cao agreed . Before the battle was won , Guan Yu repeatedly reminded Cao Cao about his promise . After Lü Bu's defeat and death , Cao Cao was curious about why Guan Yu wanted Lady Du so badly and he guessed that she must be very beautiful , so he had her brought to him . Cao Cao broke his promise to Guan Yu , as he took Lady Du as his concubine and adopted her son Qin Lang ( whom she had with Qin Yilu ). In 199 , Liu Bei attacked Xu Province with an army after gaining independence from Cao Cao . He killed Che Zhou , the governor of Xu Province , and placed Guan Yu in charge of the regional capital of Xiapi . Liu Bei returned to the city of Xiaopei . Shortly after , Cao Cao personally led a campaign to reclaim Xu Province from Liu Bei and defeated him in battle . Liu Bei fled to Hebei and joined the warlord Yuan Shao . Xiapi fell and Guan Yu was captured by Cao Cao's men and brought back to the capital Xuchang . Cao Cao treated Guan Yu respectfully and recommended to Emperor Xian to appoint Guan as a Lieutenant General ( 偏將軍 )
