The Oath of the Peach Garden Was Fake! Historical Experts Reveal the True Relationship: 'The Eldest Brother Wasn't Liu Bei' — Only One Sworn Brother Actually Existed

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by the late Yuan and early Ming novelist Luo Guanzhong, is a classic read for many during childhood. However, many of its celebrated scenes are actually fictional legends created by Luo Guanzhong. The most shocking revelation is that the 'Oath of the Peach Garden' among Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei never existed in official historical records. Even more surprising, historical evidence shows that Guan Yu was actually one year older than Liu Bei. So, did Liu Bei truly have a sworn brother? The answer is yes — and that person later became a key general under Cao Cao, Liu Bei’s ultimate rival.

Was the 'Oath of the Peach Garden' fake? Historical research confirms: Guan Yu was the real 'eldest brother'

Han Tianlu, a professor at the College of Liberal Arts, Hebei University, analyzed on the program 'Baijia Jiangtan' that the official history 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' contains no mention of the 'Oath of the Peach Garden.' Not only is the oath fictional, but the age order of the three men differs significantly from the novel. According to historical sources such as the 'Temple Field Stele Inscription,' Guan Yu was born in 160 AD, one year before Liu Bei, who was born in 161 AD. If they had truly sworn brotherhood based on age, Guan Yu would have been the eldest.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei never formally swore brotherhood, yet their bond was deeper than blood

Although there was no formal swearing ceremony, the relationship among Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei far surpassed that of ordinary ruler and subjects. According to a report by Sohu News, the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Guan Yu' states: 'The former lord (Liu Bei) shared the same bed with the two men, treating them as brothers. In public gatherings, they stood by his side all day, following him through trials and dangers without hesitation.' This confirms that Liu Bei treated Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as true brothers, even sharing sleeping quarters (especially during military campaigns). Meanwhile, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei maintained proper decorum, standing loyally by Liu Bei’s side and following him through hardships without fear. When Guan Yu was later killed by the Eastern Wu, Liu Bei launched a war of vengeance despite the risk of losing his entire kingdom — a testament to their lifelong, life-and-death bond.

Why was 'sworn brotherhood' so popular in ancient times? Experts reveal 3 key reasons

Why did Luo Guanzhong specifically create the 'Oath of the Peach Garden' episode? Professor Han Tianlu explains that this reflects ancient folk culture and social development. In ancient society, relationships were structured around the self, ranked by closeness of blood ties. Through the ritual of 'sworn brotherhood,' friends without blood relations could quickly deepen emotional bonds and assume heavier responsibilities and obligations than ordinary friendships.

Historical sworn alliances — such as those between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, or Emperor Wen of Han and the Xiongnu chieftain — were often political alliances formed by leaders for strategic interests. However, after the Song Dynasty, rulers strictly banned such practices, fearing that civilian brotherhoods could threaten state authority.

Although the upper classes suppressed sworn brotherhoods after the Song Dynasty, urbanization led many farmers to leave their hometowns and work in cities, where they felt isolated. This drove the popularity of sworn brotherhoods as a means of mutual support, eventually leading to the formation of urban groups and secret societies.

Liu Bei’s only historically recorded sworn brother: Cao Cao’s general Qian Zhao

Since Liu Bei never formally swore brotherhood with Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, who was his only sworn brother in historical records? This is documented in the 'Sun Chu Qian Zhao Stele': 'You (Qian Zhao) grew up with Liu Bei in Heshuo during your youth. As heroes, you shared the same ideals and formed a life-and-death bond. Fearing it might be frowned upon by the times, you always exercised restraint, maintaining a balanced position between extremes.'

The man who formed this 'life-and-death bond' with Liu Bei was named Qian Zhao. In their youth, they admired each other as heroes and became inseparable friends willing to die for one another. However, after completing their studies, they parted ways due to differing ambitions.

Why didn’t Qian Zhao join Liu Bei, who later became emperor?

When Qian Zhao joined Cao Cao, Cao was already the most powerful warlord in northern China, while Liu Bei was still wandering, dependent on others. For the safety of his family, Qian Zhao chose to serve the state of Wei, where he defended the frontiers and achieved great military accomplishments until his death during the reign of Emperor Ming of Wei. Even after Liu Bei founded the Shu Han kingdom and declared himself emperor, Qian Zhao never leveraged their past brotherhood to rejoin his old friend, remaining loyal to Wei throughout his life.