Shu is my favourite. I can't stand Cao Cao and not a fan of Sun Quan either. Really like Sun Jian and Sun Ce though. I particularly admire the shu officers Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun for choosing to support a guy who had very little to offer them in those early days. Serving Liu Bei (prior to occupying Jing) inevitably meant suffering defeat more often than not. I am a firm believer that those three could have done well fighting in the north under Cao Cao.
However its a different situation when the likes of Huang Zhong and Wei Yan sign up. At this point Liu Bei seems to have recovered and has a pretty decent army as well as a defendable piece of land. Easier to defend than Xu according to Lu Meng.
Liu Bei had to be very patient but although he had many defeats early on (mostly due to a weak army I think) he led successful campaigns himself proving himself a good commander. I think he made some critical mistakes during the Yi campaign and afterwards though. I think he took much away from Guan Yu (in terms of manpower and military talent- i.e. keeping Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun for himself. Possibly selfish.
Sun Quan was an average general. Zhou Yu and Lu Meng led the successful expansion campaigns. Cao Cao was awesome but went too far in his brutality. Xu massacre was unforgivable. I also feel there were more opportunists in the Wei camp since they were the strongest.
They definitely would have done well. The first thing Guan Yu did was to slay a general. Cao Cao was so happy that he petition to give Guan Yu a title of nobility less than 3 months entering his service. Only warlords who surrendered were given such treatment. And thats not particularly because of their ability, but more to keep them happy.
Agreed.
He was a good commander. There was zero mistakes he made in his Yi campaign.
Liu Bei Sanguozhi
The First Sovereign personally arrived at Guanzhong, leading the troops and their families, and attacked Fucheng. Liu Zhang sent Liu Gui, Ling Bao, Zhang Ren, and Deng Xiang to defend Fucheng. (31) The First Sovereign defeated these four generals who all retreated to Mianzhu. Liu Zhang sent Li Yan to attack. But Li Yan submitted to the First Sovereign. The First Sovereign was therefore growing very strong and sent troops to attack many places.
Its absolutely bullshit. What Liu Bei did to Guan Yu. No decent general other than a young Liao Hua. No reinforcements. Etc etc. But not really selfish but more of lacking foresight.
Sun Quan was a good defensive general but a poor offensive one. Cao Cao brutality was unmatched in terms of sheer numbers. The Xu massacres, the gentry purges the strangling of a pregnant woman, giving captured women to his surbodinatesm. Etc etc
Liu Bei did nothing wrong.