The History of the Three Kingdoms does not record why Shu Han did not send reinforcements in Jingzhou Campaign. Most people think it is too late to save them. However, in modern times, Zhang Taiyan put forward an amazing view that Guan Yu undermined Zhuge Liang's policy of "uniting with Wu to resist Cao", so Zhuge Liang decided to use Wu people to get rid of Guan Yu.
Fang Shiming, an expert in the history of the Three Kingdoms, agrees with Zhang Taiyan, but Mr. Fang also has his own views. He thinks that it is not Zhuge Liang who wants to kill Guan Yu with a knife, but Liu Bei who wants to kill Guan Yu with a knife. Liu Bei and Guan Yu also have contradictions. This is a huge impact on the story of "Three Sisters in Taoyuan" which has been circulated for thousands of years.
Teacher Fang thinks Guan Yu has always been arrogant. In the battle of Dingjun Mountain, Huang Zhong beheaded Xia, a general under Cao Cao, and made great contributions to Liu Bei's capture of Hanzhong. Liu Bei called Hanzhong King, named Guan Yu a former general and Huang Zhong a post-general. They are equal. But when Liu Bei sent someone to chase Guan Yu, Guan Yu swore: "How can a gentleman associate with a veteran?" Not for Huang Zhong, but for Liu Bei. Finally, the messenger said a good word, and Guan Yu reluctantly accepted the title of Liu Bei. Also, because Liu Bei didn't trust Guan Yu, he asked his brother-in-law Mi Fang to guard Jingzhou with Guan Yu.
Guan Yu is too overbearing, while Liu Bei's son Liu Adou is too incompetent. Liu Bei probably thought that Liu Adou could not control Guan Yu after his death, so he had to solve this problem before he died.
After hearing the death of Guan Yu, Liu Bei "let out a cry and fainted", which was completely invented by Luo Guanzhong. There is no record in historical materials that Liu Bei cried after Guan Yu died. Instead, it is recorded that after Pang Tong's death, "the ancestors regretted it, and the words were in tears"; After the death of Buddhism, "those who shed tears for it are tired." Isn't that strange?
It stands to reason that Guan Yu died a heroic death for his country. Liu Bei should chase him and give him posthumous title. However, Guan Yu's posthumous title Zhuang Miaohou was chased by Liu Chan. After the death of Fazheng, Liu Bei immediately made him a wing man. It is said that Liu Bei and Guan Yu are "brothers in bed", but after Guan Yu's death, their treatment is not as good as that of Fa Zheng.
Chen Shou, a native of Shu, should be familiar with the situation of Shu, but his description of Shu in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is very simple. This is because there are historians in Wei and Wu, but there are no historians in Shu, so it is quite difficult for Chen Shou to write the annals of Shu. There is no official file in Shu, and folk rumors are unreliable. However, Chen Shou is very cautious in writing and will never write anything unreliable. When he was born, it was more than ten years since Guan Yu was killed.
Why doesn't Shu make history? Is it because of the lack of excellent historians? Absolutely not. Chen's teacher Qiao Zhou is an excellent historian. Why didn't Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang set up historians? If we speculate boldly, it may be because Guan Yu's murder is a top secret of the highest ruling class in Shu and Han dynasties and must not be made public.