Quotes from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" #1 Quiz

Answer: All three of them

In Chapter 1, they said this to swear brotherhood.

Guan Yu was beheaded by Sun Quan, Wu's king in 220AD. A year later, Zhang Fei was killed by his subordinates because he whipped them when drunk. (Zhang owned a quick temper and was grieved very much by Guan's death so he drank a lot of wine.) Another two years later, Liu Bei died after being defeated by Wu in a revenge battle. So they did fulfill their sworn oath.

Answer: Cao Cao

In Chapter 4, Cao Cao said this to Chen Gong after silencing Lu Boshe by killing him.

Cao and Chen ran away past Lu's farm. Lu entertained them very well, but Cao killed his household by mistake. In order to prevent Lu from informing against him, Cao killed Lu delibrately later. Shocked, Chen questioned Cao about why he did so and Cao said this. This line is considered as Cao's personal philosophy. If Liu Bei were allowed to utter his philosophy, it would be: "Rather the world let us down than we let down the world." In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Liu and Cao are two opposite characters.

Answer: Cao Cao

In Chapter 21, Cao Cao said this to Liu Bei when discussing heroes in a plum garden.

In Xuchang, Liu Bei was involved in a plot against Cao Cao. In order to cover his real intention, he planted vegetables at home. One day, Cao suggested they drink wine together in a plum garden. At the table, Cao asked him to name some contemporary heroes. Liu listed Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Ma Teng and Han Sui but all were denied by Cao. Finally Cao pointed out that the only heroes in the world were Liu and himself. Cao said this to test Liu about his ambition.

Answer: Sun Ce

In Chapter 29, Sun Ce said this to Lady Wu as he was dying.

Sun Ce was badly wounded by his enemies. Before dying, he named his younger brother, Sun Quan, rather than his own son, as his successor. At that time, Sun Quan was only 18. When Lady Wu, their stepmother, was afraid that Sun Quan was too young to rule Wu, Sun Ce recommended his two chief advisors, Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu, as assistants for Sun Quan. It turned out that Sun Quan was very great and developed Wu successfully.

Answer: Sima Hui

In Chapter 35, Sima Hui said this to Liu Bei when discussing able people.

Liu Bei fled to Sima Hui's farm and dined with him there. At the table, Sima Hui remarked that none of Liu's surbordinates was capable enough. When Liu asked him to name a few able people then, he suggested Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix. (Sleeping Dragon was Zhuge Liang and Young Phoenix was Pang Tong.) In fact, this is not a saying "invented" by Sima Hui. It is only a saying popular in the Jing prefecture at that time.

Answer: Liu Bei

In Chapter 42, Liu Bei said this when Zhao Yun rescued his only son with much effort.

In Changban Slope, Zhao Yun fought hard against Cao Cao's troops to save Liu Shan, Liu Bei's only son. At last, he successfully fled to Liu Bei and handed the sleeping Liu Shan to his master. But Liu Bei just threw the baby aside and said this line. In fact, Liu Bei wanted to buy popular support in this way.

Answer: Soldiers of Liu Bei

In Chapter 55, soldiers of Liu Bei shouted this to Zhou Yu after saving Liu Bei and his wife successfully.

General Zhou Yu designed the strategem of confining Liu Bei to Wu by marrying Sun Quan's younger sister to him in order to get the Jing prefecture back. But Zhuge Liang defied his plans and took Liu Bei and his wife back successfully. When Liu Bei boarded the ship, sound and safe, which was sent by Zhege Liang to meet him, all soldiers on board shouted this aloud to Zhou Yu in pursuit. Zhou Yu was angered by this very much and threw blood up again.

Answer: Zhou Yu

In Chapter 57, Zhou Yu said this right before his death.

Zhuge Liang provoked Zhou Yu thrice. Every time his old arrow wound split open because he was enraged. The third time it killed him. This line shows that Zhou Yu was a very envious man. In China it is generally thought that Zhou Yu died not of Zhuge Liang's provocations but of his own envy.

Answer: Zhuge Liang

In Chapter 103, Zhuge Liang said this when failing to kill Sima Yi in Gourd Valley.

Zhuge Liang led six northern expeditions but failed in all of them. In the last expedition, he succeeded in trapping Sima Yi, his long-time rival, in Gourd Valley at last. He nearly killed him by setting a fire, but an unexpected rain put the fire out. Zhuge Liang said this to show his disappointment with the outcome. What interests me is that Chinese and English have this similar expression in meaning that nature does overwhelm human sometimes.

Answer: Yang Hu

In Chapter 120, Yang Hu said this when Sima Yan refused his appeal to invade Wu kingdom.

After the Shu kingdom was destroyed, Sima Yan, the Jin emperor, ordered Yang Hu to mass troops along the border with Wu. When Lu Kang, the Wu capable general, was dismissed, Yang Hu appealed to Sima Yan to invade Wu. But Sima Yan rejected his appeal because of Jia Cong's dissuasion. So Yang Hu said this line to show his disappointment.

This is a very famous saying in China. (Even Chairman Mao said it once.) But I guess very few people know it ever appeared in "The Three Kingdoms", so this question is the most difficult among the ten questions.