关羽很受人们推崇，不是因为他异乎寻常的英勇和超人的刚毅，而是因为他有忠义的优秀品质。从下列事例我们可以看出他是多么地忠诚和富有义气！“屯土山关公约三事”：
“公战至日晚，无路可归，只得到一座土山，引兵屯于山头，权且少歇……捱到天晓，再欲整顿下山冲突，忽见一人跑马上山来，视之乃张辽也……辽曰：‘玄德不知存亡，翼德未知生死。昨夜曹公已破下邳，军民尽无伤害，差人护卫玄德家眷，不许惊扰。如此相待，弟特来报兄。’关公怒曰：‘此言特说我也 。吾今虽处绝地，视死如归。汝当速去，吾即下山迎战。’张辽大笑曰：‘兄此言岂不为天下笑乎？’公曰：‘吾仗忠义而死，安得为天下笑？’辽曰：‘兄今即死，其罪有三：当初刘使君与兄结义之时，誓同生死；今使君方败，而兄即战死，倘使君复出，欲求兄相助，而不可复得，岂不负当年之盟誓乎？其罪一也。刘使君以家眷付托于兄，兄今战死，二夫人无所依赖，负却使君依托之重。其罪二也。兄武艺超群，兼通经史，不思共使君匡扶汉室，徒欲赴汤蹈火，以成匹夫之勇，安得为义？其罪三也。兄有此三罪，弟不得不告。’公沉吟曰：‘汝说我有三罪，欲我如何？’辽曰：‘今四面皆曹公之兵，兄若不降，则必死；徒死无益，不若且降曹公；却打听刘使君音信，如知何处，即往投之。一者可以保二夫人，二者不背桃园之约，三者可留有用之身：有此三便，兄宜详之。’公曰：‘兄言三便，吾有三约：一者，吾与皇叔设誓，共扶汉室，吾今只降汉帝，不降曹操；二者，二嫂处请给皇叔俸禄养赡，一应上下人等，皆不许到门；三者，但知刘皇叔去向，不管千里万里，便当辞去：三者缺一，断不肯降。望文远急急回报。’……关公引数十骑来见曹操。操曰：‘素慕云长忠义，今日幸得相见，足慰平生之望。’关公曰：
‘文远代禀三事，蒙丞相应允，谅不食言。’操曰‘吾言既出，安敢失信。’关公曰：‘关某若知皇叔所在，虽蹈水火，必往从之。此时恐不及拜辞，伏乞见原。’操曰：‘玄德若在，必从公去；但恐乱军中亡矣。’……操设宴相待。次日班师还许昌。关公收拾车仗，请二嫂上车，亲自护车而行。于路安歇馆驿，操欲乱其君臣之礼，使关公与二嫂共处一室。关公乃秉烛立于户外，自夜达旦，毫无倦色。操见公如此，愈加敬服。既到许昌，操拨一府与关公居住。关公分一宅为两院，内门拨老军十人把守，关公自居外宅。操引关公朝见献帝，帝命为偏将军。公谢恩归宅。操次日设大宴，会众谋臣武士，以客礼待关公，延之上座；又备绫锦及金银器皿相送。关公都送与二嫂收贮。关公自到许昌，操待之甚厚：小宴三日，大宴五日；又送美女十人，使侍关公。关公尽送入内门，令伏侍二嫂……操闻之，又叹服关公不已。一日，操见关公所穿绿锦战袍已旧，即度其身品，取异锦作战袍一领相赠。关公受之，穿于衣底，上仍用旧袍罩之。操笑曰：‘云长何如此之俭乎？’公曰：‘某非俭也。旧袍乃刘皇叔所赐，某穿之如见兄面，不敢以丞相之新赐而忘兄长之旧赐，故穿于上。’操叹曰：‘真义士也！’然口虽称羡，心实不悦……忽一日，操请关公宴。临散，送公出府，见公马瘦，操曰：‘公马因何而瘦？’关公曰：‘贱躯颇重，马不能载，因此常瘦。’操令左右备一马来。操指曰：‘公识此马否？’公曰：‘莫非吕布所骑赤兔马乎？’操曰：‘然也。’遂并鞍辔送与关公。关公再拜称谢。操不悦曰：‘吾累送美女金帛，公未尝下拜；今吾赠马，乃喜而再拜：何贱人而贵畜耶？’关公曰：‘吾知此马日行千里，今幸得之，若知兄长下落，可一日而见面矣。’操愕然而悔。”（第二十五回）关羽一收到刘备的信，即写书一封，辞谢曹操：‘前者下邳失守，所请三事，已蒙恩诺。今探知故主现在袁绍军中，回思昔日之盟，岂容违背？新恩虽厚，旧义难忘。兹特奉书告辞，伏惟照察。其有余恩未报，愿以俟之异日。写毕，封固，差人去相府投递；一面将累次所受金银，一一封置库中，悬汉寿亭侯印于堂上，请二夫人上车。关公上赤兔马，手提青龙刀，率领旧日跟随人役，护送车仗，径出北门。门吏挡之。关公怒目横刀，大喝一声，门吏皆退避。”（第二十六回）这就是为什么“美髯公千里走单骑 汉寿侯五关斩六将”（第二十七回）。这也是为什么“关云长义释曹操”于华容。正因为“拚将一死酬知己，致令千秋仰义名”（第五十回）。由此可见，关羽忠、义、仁、智、勇的美德。这些美德集中反映了我们传统的道德价值观，这也是为什么关公值得我们大家尊敬的原因。
Guan Yu is highly esteemed not for his extraordinary courage and superhuman fortitude but for hisexcellent quality of loyalty and righteousness. From the following examples we can see how loyal andrighteous he is.“The battle raged into the night. Finding no way home， Lord Guan struggled to a hilltop withhis followers. There he rested... At dawn he marshaled his men for a breakthrough when he saw a singlerider—as if from nowhere—racing toward him. He recognized Zhang Liao…‘Xuande’s survival is indoubt，’Zhang Liao said，‘as is Zhang Fei’s. Last night Lord Cao took Xiapi， without injury to soldier orcivilian. A special detail guards Xuande’s family for their safety and peace of mind. I come first of all to tellyou this.’‘You will not succeed in influencing me，’Lord Guan said angrily.‘Bad as things look， deathmeans no more to me than a welcome homecoming. You’d better leave at once. I will be riding down to dobattle.’Zhang Liao laughed loudly.‘Brother，’he said，‘do you want to be the laughingstock of theempire？’‘I shall die，’Lord Guan said，‘devoted to my duty. I don’t think the world will take it as ajoke.’‘Dying here，’Zhang Liao said，‘you commit three offenses. In the beginning when you， brother，and Protector Liu bound yourselves in fraternal allegiance， you swore to share life or death. Now your brotherhas been defeated， and you are about to die in combat. If Xuande survives and seeks your aid in vain， won’tyou have betrayed your oath？ That is your first offense. Protector Liu’s immediate family was placed in yourcare. If you die now， his two wives will have no one to defend them， and you will have betrayed his trust. Thatis your second offense. And third， not only is your martial skill incomparable， you are learned in the classicsand the histories. You joined with the protector to uphold the house of Han. If you lapse in your determinationand achieve a fool’s valor instead by vainly rushing to certain death， how have you fulfilled your duty？ This isthe statement， brother， I felt obliged to make.’Lord Guan pondered.‘Well，’he said at last，‘you haveexplained the three offenses. What would you have me do？’“Lord Cao’s troops，’Zhang Liao replied，‘areon four sides. If you refuse to submit， you will die. To die in vain avails nothing. It makes more sense tosubmit， for now， while you seek news of the protector. When you learn where he is， you may go to himimmediately. That way you will ensure the safety of the two ladies， you will remain true to the peachgarden oath， and you will preserve your own most useful life. These， brother， are the advantages for you toweigh.’‘Brother，’Lord Guan replied.‘you speak of three advantages. I have three conditions： First， theimperial uncle， Liu Xuande， and I have sworn to uphold the house of Han. I shall surrender to the Emperor，not to Cao Cao. Second， I request for my two sisters-in-law the consideration befitting an imperial uncle’swives. No one， however high his station， is to approach their gate. And third， the moment we learn of ImperialUncle Liu’s whereabouts， no matter how far away he may be， I shall depart forthwith. Denied any of theseconditions， I shall not surrender. Please return to Cao Cao with my terms.’... Lord Guan rode to Cao Cao’scamp with a few dozen horsemen.‘Having long esteemed your loyalty and sense of honor，’Cao said，‘I amfavored today with a meeting which fulfills a lifelong desire.’Lord Guan said，‘Zhang Liao has conveyed toyou on my behalf the three conditions of my surrender. I am honored by your consent and trust there will beno retraction.’‘My word， once given， is honored，’was Cao’s reply.‘Should I learn of the imperialuncle’s whereabouts，’Lord Guan went on，‘I must go to join him， whatever the dangers or obstacles. In thatevent， I may not have time even to take formal leave， so I humbly beg your pardon against that time.’‘IfLiu Xuande still lives，’Cao Cao said，‘you are free to join him. But he may have perished unnoticed in theconfusion of battle.’... Cao Cao held a banquet in his honor. The following day Cao Cao began withdrawingthe imperial army from the newly conquered Xiapi for the march back to the capital. Lord Guan prepared forthe journey， provided the carriage guard， and bade his sisters-in-law ascend. En route he rode alongside inattendance. They broke their trip at a hostel， where Cao Cao， aiming to disrupt the proprieties between lordand liege man， assigned Lord Guan and his sisters-in-law to a single chamber. But Lord Guan never enteredthe chamber； he remained at attention outside the door， holding a candle that burned through the night untildawn. His eyes showed no trace of fatigue. Cao Cao’s respect for him grew. In the capital Cao Cao providedofficial quarters for Lord Guan and Xuande’s wives. Lord Guan had the dwelling divided into two compounds.
At the inner gate he posted ten elderly guards. He occupied the outer compound himself. Cao Cao conductedLord Guan into the presence of the Emperor， who conferred on him the title Adjutant General. Lord Guangave thanks for the sovereign’s grace and returned to his quarters. The next day Cao Cao held a grandbanquet， assembling his entire corps of advisers and officers and treating Lord Guan as an honored guest. Caoinvited him to take the seat of honor and presented him with brocade silks as well as gold and silverutensils—all of which Lord Guan gave over to his sisters-in-law for safekeeping， Cao Cao showed unusualgenerosity， giving him small banquets every third day， large ones every fifth. Ten handsome women weregiven to Lord Guan， but he sent them on to serve his two sisters-in-law... Learning of this high courtesy， CaoCao inwardly honored Lord Guan more than ever. One day Cao Cao noticed that Lord Guan’s greenembroidered combat garb was badly worn. He had the warrior’s measure taken and presented him with battledress of the rarest brocade. Lord Guan accepted it， but he wore it underneath the old one. Cao Cao teased himfor being frugal， and Lord Guan said，‘It is not frugality. The old dress was a gift from Imperial Uncle Liu. Ifeel near him when I wear it. I could never forget my elder brother’s gift on account of Your Excellency’s newone. That is why I wear it underneath.’‘Truly， a man of honor，’Cao Cao exclaimed. But inwardly he wastroubled... One day after a banquet Cao Cao was escorting Lord Guan from the ministerial residence when henoticed that his mount was emaciated.‘Why is your horse so skinny？’Cao inquired.‘My worthlesscarcass has grown heavy，’Lord Guan replied.‘The horse is worn out from bearing me.’Cao had his aidesbring in a horse. Pointing to it， Cao asked，‘Do you recognize this horse？’‘Isn’t it Red Hare，’Lord Guananswered，‘the horse Lü Bu once rode？’Cao Cao nodded and presented the mount， completely equipped，to Lord Guan， who bowed repeatedly and declared his gratitude. Piqued， Cao Cao asked，‘I have sent youbeautiful women， gold， rolls of silk， one after the other， and never did you condescend to bow. Now for thishorse you keep bowing and bowing. Do you value a beast above humans？’‘I admire this horse，’LordGuan said.‘It can cover a thousand li in a single day. It is a gift that will enable me to reach my brother in asingle day should his whereabouts become unknown.’Cao Cao swallowed his astonishment and regrettedthe gift... (Chapter 25)“As soon as Guan Yu received reliable information about Liu Bei， he wrote Cao Cao afarewell message：“When I lost my command at Xiapi， I received your gracious consent to my threedemands. Now I have discovered that my first liege is in the army of Yuan Shao. Our covenant is ever in mythoughts； to betray it is unthinkable. Despite the great favor you have bestowed on me of late， this originalbond must be honored. I hereby deliver this letter to announce my departure， presuming to hope that you mayconsider it. For whatever benefaction I may yet remain in your debt， kindly defer the accounting until somefuture day.’Transcribed and sealed， the letter was taken to the prime minster’s residence. Lord Guan lockedaway all valuables received during his stay and left his seal of office， lord of Hanshou precinct， hanging in thehall. Next he had his sisters-in-law mount the carriage readied for them. Astride Red Hare， the Sword GreenDragon in hand， and ringed by his original followers， Lord Guan， with menacing eye and leveled blade，pushed straight out of the north city gate， past the objecting gate warden.”(Chapter 26) This is why“TheMan of the Magnificent Beard Rides Alone a Thousand Li / The Lord of Hanshou Slays Six Generals andBreaches Five Passes”(Chapter 27). This is also why“Lord Guan releases， and obligates， Cao Cao”atHuarong. Just because“Lord Guan risked his life to thank a benefactor； And men forever after held his namein honor.”(Chapter 50) From here we can also see Lord Guan has the excellent qualities of loyalty， honor，wisdom， benevolence and courage which concentratedly reflect our traditional moral values. That’s why LordGuan deserves all our reverence.
吕蒙如何袭得荆州？关公为何被害？孔明一针见血地指出：“关公平日刚而自矜，故今日有此祸。”（第七十八回）曹操闻知玄德自立汉中王，即修书令满宠为使，星夜投江东来见孙权。宠呈上操书，曰：“吴、魏自来无仇，皆因刘备之故，致生衅隙。魏王差某到此，约将军攻取荆州，魏王以兵临汉川，首尾夹击。破刘之后，共分疆土，誓不相侵。”孙权一面送满宠回，约会曹操，首尾相击；一面遣诸葛瑾为使，投荆州来探云长动静，方可行事。
诸葛瑾对关羽说：“特来求结两家之好：吾主吴侯有一子，甚聪明；闻将军有一女，特来求亲。两家结好，并力破曹。此诚美事，请君侯思之。”云长勃然大怒曰：“吾虎女安肯嫁犬子乎！不看汝弟之面，立斩汝首！再休多言！”遂唤左右逐出，完全不顾诸葛亮要维护与东吴友好的忠告（第七十三回）。陆逊对吕蒙说：“云长倚恃英雄，自料无敌，所虑者惟将军耳。将军乘此机会，托疾辞职，以陆口之任让之他人，使他人卑辞赞美关公，以骄其心，彼必尽撤荆之兵，以向樊城。若荆州无备，用一族之师，别出奇计以袭之，则荆州在掌握之中矣”。关羽果撤荆州之兵以攻樊城，吕蒙突袭得了荆州。（第七十五回）结果，正如关羽自己所说：“我今误中奸计，有死而已，何必多言！”“于是关公父子皆遇害。时建安二十四年（公元220年）冬十二月也。关公亡年五十八岁。
How has Lü Meng of the Southland surprised Jingzhou？ Why has Lord Guan been killed？ Kongminghas pointed out sharply：“Lord Guan’s willful arrogance caused this catastrophe”(Chapter 78). When CaoCao learned that Xuande had installed himself as king of Hanzhong， he ordered Man Chong to visit SunQuan as his representative. Submitting Cao Cao’s letter， Man Chong said，“The Southland and Wei have noquarrel； Liu Bei has been the cause of the hostilities between us. The king of Wei has sent me here to workout an agreement whereby you， General， will attack and take over Jingzhou while he brings his army up toHanzhong so that we can attack Liu Bei on two fronts. Once he is destroyed， we can divide his territories，pledging to respect the boundary between.”Sun Quan sent Man Chong back with their agreement tocoordinate against Liu Bei； but sent Zhuge Jin to Jingzhou， too， to probe the activities of Lord Guan. That isthe way to proceed.“I come for one particular purpose，”Zhuge Jin said to Guanyu，“to bind the amity ofour two houses. My master has a son， a youth of high intelligence. And， I understand， you have a daughter； itis her hand I come to seek. If our two houses form this union and combine to destroy Cao Cao， it will be trulysplendid. I beg you to consider it， my lord.”Lord Guan’s answer came in a burst of anger：“My tiger-lassmarried off to a mongrel？ I’d have your head if you weren’t Kongming’s brother！ Speak of it no more！”LordGuan， completely ignoring Zhuge Liang’s advice to maintain amity with the Southland， called for his aides，who drove Zhuge Jin scurrying off (Chapter 73).“Lord Guan counts too much on his heroic valor，”Lu Xuexplained to Lü Meng，“and assumes he has no equal. You alone cause him concern. General， take thisopportunity to resign your office， pleading ill health. Yield your command here at Lukou to someone else，someone whom we will instruct to acclaim and exalt Lord Guan with self-deprecatory phrases in order to feedhis arrogance. Then he will be sure to pull back from Jingzhou and concentrate on Fan. If he leaves Jingzhouunprepared， a surprise attack by one of our contingents will yield control of it with a minimum of effort.”Asexpected， Lord Guan has pulled troops out of Jingzhou in order to attack Fan and Lü Meng has successfullysurprised Jingzhou (Chapter 75). Consequently， just as Lord Guan said，“Now that I have blundered intoyour treacherous devices， death alone remains. There is no more to say.”“And so Lord Guan and his son，Ping， were beheaded in the twelfth month of the twenty-fourth year of Jian An (A.D. 220). Lord Guan wasfifty-eight years of age”(Chapter 77).
张飞：字翼德。身长八尺，豹头环眼，燕颔虎须，声若巨雷，势如奔马。世居涿郡，颇有庄田，卖酒屠猪，专好结交天下豪杰。当他得知刘备有志欲破贼安民时，他说：“吾颇有资财，当招募乡勇，与公同举大事，如何？”刘备甚喜，遂与同入村店中饮酒并遇到关羽。
三人离店同到张飞庄上，祭告天地，结拜为兄弟，协力同心，然后可图大事。
Zhang Fei： His style is Yide. He is a man eight spans tall， with a blunt head like a panther’s， huge roundeyes， a swallow’s heavy jowls， a tiger’s whiskers， a thunderous voice， and a stance like a dashing horse. Hehas lived in Zhuo County for generations， farming his piece of land， selling wine， and slaughtering pigs. Heseeks to befriend men of bold spirit. When he learned that Liu Bei had decided to help destroy the banditsand protect the people， he said，“I have resources that could be used to recruit in this area. Let’s worktogether for the cause. What about it？”Liu Bei was elated， and the two went to a tavern and met with GuanYu there. Together the three left the tavern and went to Zhang Fei’s farm to offer sacrifice there to Heaven andEarth， and pledge to combine their strength and purpose as sworn brothers. Then they’ll plan their course ofaction.
张飞看起来凶神恶煞的，给人的印象是鲁莽勇猛的粗人。但他敬重有学问的人，敬重英雄；他向军师诸葛亮学到了很多，他从战斗实践中学到了更多。因而，他把自己变成了一个智勇双全的人。例如，“张翼德怒鞭督邮”（第二回），“破关兵三英战吕布”（第五回），“关张共擒王刘二将”（第二十二回），“张翼德大闹长坂桥”（第四十二回），“张翼德义释严颜”（第六十三回），“猛张飞智取瓦口隘”（第七十回），等等。
Zhang Fei looks very fierce and gives people the impression that he is a boor， crude and rash， boldand powerful. But he has great respect for learned men and heroes. He has learned a lot from his directorgeneral Zhuge Liang. He has learned even more from his practice of battles. Consequently， he has turnedhimself into a man who has both wisdom and courage. For instance，“Zhang Fei Whips the GovernmentInspector”(Chapter 2).“The Three Brothers Engage Lü Bu in Battle”(Chapter 5)，“Lord Guanand Zhang Fei Capture Two Generals”(Chapter 22)，“Zhang Fei Makes an Uproar at Steep slopeBridge”(Chapter 42)，“Zhang Fei Obliges Yan Yan”(Chapter 63)，“Fierce Zhang Fei Takes WakouPass”(Chapter 70)， etc.
张飞对部下非常厉害，动辄鞭笞。刘备常常告诫他：“朕素知卿酒后暴怒，鞭挞健儿，而复令在左右：此取祸之道也。今后务宜宽容，不可如前。”“却说张飞回到阆中，下令军中：限三日内制办白旗白甲，三军挂孝伐吴。次日，帐下两员末将范疆、张达，入帐告曰：
‘白旗白甲，一时无措，须宽限方可。’飞大怒曰：‘吾急欲报仇，恨不明日便到逆贼之境，汝安敢违我将令！’叱武士缚于树上，各鞭背五十。鞭毕，以手指之曰：‘来日俱要完备！若违了限，即杀汝二人示众！’打得二人满口出血。回到营中商议，范疆曰：‘今日受了刑责，着我等如何办得？其人性暴如火，倘来日不完，你我皆被杀矣！’张达曰：‘比如他杀我，不如我杀他。’二人商议停当。……原来张飞每睡不合眼；当夜寝于帐中，范、张二贼见他须竖目张，本不敢动手。因闻鼻息如雷，方敢近前，以短刀刺入飞腹。飞大叫一声而亡。时年五十五岁。
Zhang Fei is very severe with his subordinates， whipping them frequently. Liu Bei often warnshim，“You have often turned violent after wine， beaten your stalwarts， and then reassigned them in yourpersonal guard. That is a good way to destroy yourself. Hereafter change your ways； make an effort to betolerant and understanding.”“Zhang Fei returned to his camp in Langzhong， where he allotted but threedays to prepare white banners and white armor so that his armies might set forth against the Southlandunder the color of mourning. The next day two minor commanders， Fan Jiang and Zhang Da， entered histent and announced，‘The allotted period will have to be extended if we are to arrange for white bannersand white armor.”Violently angered by these words， Zhang Fei shouted，‘My vengeance will brook nodelay. The shame is that we can’t reach the traitor’s borders tomorrow！ And yet you dare contravene mycommand！’He shrieked for them to be bound to a tree and lashed on the back fifty times. Then he pointedat them menacingly and cried，‘Everything is to be ready tomorrow！ If you fail， I will make a public examplewith your heads！’And he beat them until blood ran from their mouths. The two returned to camp to think ofa way to save themselves. Fan Jiang said，‘After a beating like this， how are we going to carry out our orders？
The man’s as violent as fire. And unless everything’s ready tomorrow， we both will die！’‘Better him thanus，’Zhang Da answered. The two men prepared themselves to act... Now， Zhang Fei always slept with openlids， Fan and Zhang watching the sleeping man’s bristling beard and staring eyes， stood paralyzed. Then，hearing the loud drone of breath in his nostrils， they stepped up and plunged their daggers into Zhang Fei’sbelly. Zhang Fei gave a single cry and died. He was fifty-five years of age.”
孙权：字仲谋，是孙坚和吴夫人所生的第二个儿子。“孙权生得方颐大口，碧眼紫髯。
昔汉使刘琬入吴，见孙家诸昆仲，因语人曰：‘吾遍观孙氏兄弟，虽各才气秀达，然皆禄祚不终。惟仲谋形貌奇伟，骨格非常，乃大贵之表，又享高寿：众皆不及也。”（第二十九回）
Sun Quan： His style is Zhongmou， the second son of Sun Jian and Lady Wu.“Sun Quan had a squarejaw and a broad mouth， jade green eyes and a purplish beard. Many years ago Liu Wan， a Han envoy on amission to the south， had met all the sons of the house of Sun.‘In my view，’he had remarked，‘thoughthese brothers have splendid talent， none is fated to live long—with the exception of Sun Quan. His strikingand heroic looks and massive frame betoken great nobility as well as long life.’(Chapter 29)”
孙权的父亲孙坚只三十七岁就被刘表的健将吕公所杀害。（第七回）他的大哥孙策临死时，“自叹曰：‘吾不能复生矣！’随召张昭等诸人，及第孙权，至卧榻前，嘱付曰：
‘天下方乱，以吴越之众，三江之固，大可有为。子布等幸善相吾弟。’乃取印绶与孙权曰：‘若举江东之众，决机于两阵之间，与天下争衡，卿不如我；举贤任能，使各尽力以保江东，我不如卿。卿宜念父兄创业之艰难，善自图之！’权大哭，拜受印绶。”那时他只有十八岁，并承担了管理江东的责任。（第二十九回）
Sun Quan’s father Sun Jian was killed at the age of only thirty-seven years old by Liu Biao’s ablestgeneral Lü Gong. At his elder brother Sun Ce’s dying hour，“Ce said，‘I cannot live on，’and summonedto his bedside the adviser Zhang Zhao， his brother Sun Quan， and others.‘In this period of upheaval theSouthland has great possibilities. We have a substantial population and the natural defense of the rivers. Inow ask Zhang Zhao and all of you to aid my younger brother.’So saying， Sun Ce conferred his seal andcord on Sun Quan， adding，‘For mobilizing our people， for the instantaneous decision on the battlefield， forcontending with puissant adversaries for dominion， you are not my equal. But for selecting and employingworthy and capable men who will give their all to protect the south， I am not your equal. Always bear in mindthe hardships and difficulties that our father and your elder brother suffered in founding this heritage， andbe vigilant in guarding it.’Sun Quan wept and bowed as he accepted the seal.”At that time he was onlyeighteen years old and undertook the responsibility of governing the Southland. (Chapter 29)
孙权不仅对父兄旧人绝无轻怠而且对人才非常尊重。孙权问周瑜：“‘今承父兄之业，将何策以守之？’瑜曰：‘自古得人者昌，失人者亡。为今之计，须求高明远见之人为辅，然后江东可定也。’权曰：‘先兄遗言：内事托子布，外事全赖公瑾。’瑜曰：‘子布贤达之士，足当大任。瑜不才，恐负倚托之重，愿荐一人以辅将军。’权问何人。瑜曰：‘姓鲁，名肃，字子敬，临淮东川人也。此人胸怀韬略，腹隐机谋。今主公可速召之。’权大喜，即命周瑜往聘……肃从其言，遂同周瑜来见孙权。权甚敬之，与之谈论，终日不倦。一日，众官皆散，权留鲁肃共饮，至晚同榻抵足而卧。夜半，权问肃曰：‘方今汉室倾危，四方纷扰；孤承父兄余业，思为桓、文之事，君将何以教我？’肃曰：‘肃窃料汉室不可复兴，曹操不可卒除。为将军计，惟有鼎足江东以观天下之衅。今乘北方多务，剿除黄祖，进伐刘表，竟长江所极而据守之；然后建号帝王，以图天下。’肃又荐一人见孙权：此人博学多才，事母至孝；覆姓诸葛，名瑾，字子瑜，琅琊南阳人也。权拜之为上宾。瑾劝权勿通袁绍，且顺曹操，然后乘便图之。权依言……”（第二十九回）由此可见，孙权真是独具慧眼并能慧眼识人；他不仅能知人善任，而且能纳谏如流。因而，孙权有“文武诸人，共相辅佐，由此江东称得人之盛。”（第三十八回）
Sun Quan not only never neglects those who have served his father and elder brother but also respectstalented people very much. When Zhou Yu hurried to the funeral， Quan asked Yu：“Now that I havetaken possession of this patrimony， what strategy shall I use to preserve it？”“One enduring rule，”ZhouYu began，“is that he who finds good men will prosper， and he who does not will perish. To shape plansfor the present and to consolidate the Southland you must seek the support of high-minded， farseeingintellects.”Sun Quan said，“My brother’s last words were，‘Trust internal matters to Zhang Zhao，external ones to Zhou Yu.’”Zhou Yu replied，“Zhang Zhao is a worthy and accomplished scholar， fitfor great tasks. But I am not， and I hesitate to shoulder the burden consigned to me. Let me recommend aman to assist you， General—Lu Su (styled Zijing) from Dongchuan in Linhuai. He is a mine of strategies， astorehouse of machinations. My lord， call him to you without delay.”Sun Quan was pleased with Zhou Yu’srecommendation and sent Zhou Yu to engage Lu Su’s services... Lu Su accepted Zhou Yu’s invitation. SunQuan received Lu Su with the greatest respect， and they held daylong discussions. One day， after court hadadjourned， Sun Quan kept Lu Su behind to share a simple repast； then they went to bed at opposite ends ofthe same couch. In the middle of the night Sun Quan asked，“Now the house of Han totters precariously，and the four quarters of the empire are in turmoil. I have taken up an unfinished task left to me by my latefather and elder brother. I yearn to emulate those ancient hegemony， patriarchs Huan and Wen， who took theSon of Heaven under their protection. How should I proceed？”Lu Su began，“In my judgment， the Han ispast recovery； and Cao Cao cannot be finally removed. Therefore the best plan for you， General， is to makethe Southland the firm foot of the tripod， consolidate your region， and look for opportunities to take action.
You can exploit the many preoccupations of the north： knock out Huang Zu’s position， attack Liu Biao inJingzhou， and take control of the Great River in its entirety. This done， establish your imperial title and turnyour ambitions toward the rest of the realm.”At this time Lu Su recommended to Sun Quan another manof great learning， talent， and filial devotion， Zhuge Jin (Ziyu) from Nanyang in Langye. Sun Quan treatedZhuge Jin too as an honored guest. On Zhuge Jin’s advice Sun Quan decided not to associate himself withYuan Shao， but rather to follow Cao Cao’s lead for the time being until he could maneuver against him moreeasily. (Chapter 29) From here we can see Sun Quan can really see what others cannot and develop a sharpeye for discovering able people. He can not only discover able people and put them at suitable posts but alsocondescend to listen to advice from his subordinates. Consequently，“Sun Quan’s civil and military officialsworked in close cooperation， and the Southland gained a reputation as a land that fostered talent.”(Chapter38)