What if Zhang Fei didn't get drunk?

[X-Zero]

What if Zhang Fei didn't get drunk and killed by his own bodyguards? would Shu had a better fate? Or would it just have been the same?
I think he could have doen sometihng if he didnt die cause he was SOO POWERFUL!!!!

[Carp's Tail]

What if Zhang Fei didn't get drunk and killed by his own bodyguards? would Shu had a better fate? Or would it just have been the same?
I think he could have doen sometihng if he didnt die cause he was SOO POWERFUL!!!!

I don't think that Zhang Fei was that pivotal of a general that his contribution alone would have turned the tide of Shu. Shu was suffering from the poor fate of having too few generals to grow and take the place of their elder predecessors. About the only general worth mentioning in the latter days of Shu was Jiang Wei, and he was one man alone. The others were aging or already dead. Wu was also suffering from this age attrition. Wei, for the most part, survived since it was generating new worthy generals, thanks to its vast territory of Northern China.

[TheGreatNads]

That's not true. Jiang Wei wasn't the only good general. Shu still had capable generals such as Liao Hua, Zhang Yi, Ma Dai etc. On the subject, Zhang Fei would of made a huge difference if he were alive considering he was possibly their best general.

[Jiang Zhi]

Think of this: Zhang Fei, Guan Xing, Zhang Bao all at Yiling.....but on the other hand, if Zhuge Liang ain't there, Lu Xun would still have burnt their camps in full retreat ^_^

[Mega Zarak]

In SGYY, Zhang Fei was not all that stupid too. He managed to beat Zhang He and capture Yan Yan. It showed that Zhang Fei had in some ways, "matured with age", just like wine! Moroever, do not forget that Zhang Fei was the most powerful warrior in SGYY after Lu Bu's death. Hence, if Zhang Fei was available in the battle of Yi Ling, the outcome might have been different. Liu Bei might be able to push further into Wu before coming to a stalemate and Sun Quan might be forced to come up with better deals on the negotiation table. Too many ifs!

[Zhanghe_of_Wei]

I think Zhang Fei would be seen as a threat and formidable warrior, sober or otherwise, by the other kingdoms as long as he's alive. If Huang Zhong can be reputably strong despite his age, I believe Zhang Fei can too. I wouldn't know how much that might have changed Shu's fate though.

[Carp's Tail]

I just don't think that Zhang Fei would have been much of an "X factor" that could have changed the outcome of the battle of Yiling. I don't question his intellect (as Great Deer correctly pointed out, he tricked Yan Yan, and Yan Yan was supposedly no slouch himself).

As for Jiang Wei being the only "good general" left in Shu, I'm saying that in the latter stages of Shu's existence, the other generals like Guan Xing and Zhang Bao did not live too long. Zhang Yi and Ma Dai were in their 40's and 50's, but my principle point is that Shu had a serious talent vacuum at the time that Jiang Wei was rising in prominence.

[jyang_99]

I agree with Carp's Tail... however, it should be pointed out that while Shu is declining in power, so is Wei and Wu... many of their former generals died as well, the young ones that take over their places do not have that much of a talent to replace the loss of these old generals... Besides Sima Yi and his sons, Deng Ai and Zhong Hui, none of the others in Wei is worth mentioning... Wu's even more pathetic, the number of generals who are capable to fight has been decreased dramatically.... if it isn't Sima, Wei will probably face the same fate as Shu

[James]

I would say that if getting drunk was the cause of his abusive nature to his subordinates, him not getting drunk would have made him a much more valuable officer (and should have saved his life as well). If this was all simply because of a violent temper, it wouldn’t have done him as much good. Either way it is safe to say that he would have been better off if not an alcoholic.

[Chu Liu Xiang]

I agree with Carp's Tail... however, it should be pointed out that while Shu is declining in power, so is Wei and Wu... many of their former generals died as well, the young ones that take over their places do not have that much of a talent to replace the loss of these old generals... Besides Sima Yi and his sons, Deng Ai and Zhong Hui, none of the others in Wei is worth mentioning... Wu's even more pathetic, the number of generals who are capable to fight has been decreased dramatically.... if it isn't Sima, Wei will probably face the same fate as Shu

How bout Xiahou Ba for Shu?
Chen Tai, Jia Chong for Wei. Ding Feng, Lu Kang for Wu. And then there's Wang Jun, Yang Hu, Du Yu for Wei/Jin.

Btw, if Zhang Fei hadn't been assassinated, would there have been a Yi Ling?