Zhang Liao Offers the Robe

[Tainan Mantis]

Within Luohan Gong is the round of maneuvers called Zhang Liao Xian Pao 張遼獻袍 - Zhang Liao Offers the Robe. Zhang Liao is a historical figure from Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–280) and a character in the oral stories, plays and novels on the subject. One well known English title being Romance of the Three Kingdoms (San Guo Yanyi). This is also the version accessible to Chinese since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and is the version read almost exclusively today.

To understand Luohan Gong and thus one of the oldest roots of Praying Mantis kung fu it is worth taking a look at the history of Zhang Liao and how he appeared to the listener of old stories in ancient China. For this reason I have been searching for a story of Zhang Liao and a robe.

The story where Zhang Liao and a brocade robe come together is at the conclusion of the story where he manages to convince Guan Yunchang to surrender to Cao Cao. Guan is best known to us as Guan Gong, the long bearded warrior who carries a one hundred catty halberd.

The story of Guan's surrender demonstrates the ideal characteristics of loyalty and righteousness in a compromised situation. It begins when Guan's sworn brother and lord Liu Bei entrusts Guan with the safekeeping of Liu Bei's wives. During the heat of battle their armies became separated and Guan is left on a hilltop surrounded by Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao does not wish to see Guan killed and sends a messenger to Guan offering conditions of surrender. Guan replies that he will charge down the mountain in a final battle to the death.

Within Cao Cao's camp is a friend of Guan's named Zhang Liao who works out conditions of surrender acceptable to both Guan and Cao Cao. One of the conditions is that Guan leaves Cao Cao when he discovers the whereabouts of his lord Liu Bei.

The most well known version of the story is the version recorded in San Guo Yanyi. The climax of the story is where Lord Guan has suddenly departed and Cao Cao and a small retinue catch up to Guan and Liu Bei's wives and offers a robe.

Cao Cao exclaimed, "I only regret that destiny deprives me of the opportunity to keep you. This damask robe is an expression of my good will."

One of Cao Cao's captains dismounted, carried the robe to Lord Guan, and offered it up to him with two hands. Cautiously, Lord Guan leaned down, lifted the garment on the tip of his sword, and draped it over his body. "I am much indebted for your Excellency's gift. Another day we may meet again." Turning, Lord Guan rode off the bridge and headed north.

"Insolent Barbarian!" Nine Bulls cried. "Why not seize him?"

As you can see, this version, the most well known of all, does not mention the name of the captain who offered the robe to Guan. Several years ago I theorized that there must be another version where the robe is offered by Zhang Liao. Digging through the early versions of Three Kingdoms dating to before the Ming Dynasty I was surprised to find another version where Cao Cao has planned to capture Guan when Guan accepts the robe. The personality of Cao Cao and Zhang Liao are more treacherous and crafty in the Yuan era version.

One of his advisors, Zhang Liao, a real bag of tricks, said, "First set out troops in ambush on both sides of the bridge. If Lord Guan reaches there, you offer him a cup of wine. Lord Guan has but to dismount and you can have Nine Bulls take Lord Guan into custody. If he doesn't get off his horse then, minister give him a brocade robe. He has to get off his horse to thank you properly for the robe. Then Nine Bulls can seize him."

Lord Guan soon arrived, and the minister offered him a cup of wine. Lord Guan said, "Please do not take offense, minister, but I am not going to drink."

Nor did he get off his horse. Then the brocade robe was brought out, and Nine Bulls was ordered to present it. Again, he did not get off his horse, but used the tip of his blade to pluck it up, and then he left, saying, "Thanks for the robe! Thanks for the robe!"

Although there were less than a hundred men in Guan's retinue, it frightened Lord Cao so much that he dared not strike.

So, now, looking at two versions we see that Zhang Liao still does not offer the robe. This is where it gets interesting. There is but a single version, an extremely rare play, and inaccessible to Chinese during the Qing Dynasty. It was written at the very beginning of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Youdun (1379-1439). His father was a son of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty and we have solid confirmation that his plays were performed at the palace during his lifetime. It is Zhu Youdun's version which includes the story of Zhang Liao personally offering the robe to Lord Guan. Since this play was presented to the royal court and the emperor, the depicting of Cao Cao in a bad light would probably not pass the court censors. Youdun's version shows Cao Cao as an honorable man, but assigns the task of presenting the robe to Zhang Liao.

"General, upon learning that you left today, Lord Cao has ordered us to bring you this banquet and these clothes as farewell presents."

(Guan Gong sings) "It will be my honor to keep this set of clothes....

As a scene acted on stage, we can only imagine that there was some sort of action that has a similarity to the movement from Luohan Gong and would be known to royalty and those in the palace who were privileged to witness this play.

The implications of a rare play from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty being part of Luohan Gong's imagery are vast and I invite you to offer up conjecture.

[Tainan Mantis]

So, in a nutshell, we are presented with an interesting situation. This is what I call the so called smoking gun.
We have rock solid proof that Luohan Gong is influenced not by one of the most famous Chinese novels of all time San Guo Yan Yi But from a play written for the palace during the early part of the Ming Dynasty. Having the term 'Zhang Liao Xian Bao' (Zhang Liao offers the robe) in Luohan Gong proves that the author was not taking the story line from the novel, but from this play.

an extremely rare play, and inaccessible to Chinese during the Qing Dynasty. It was written at the very beginning of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Youdun (1379-1439).

Actually, I should rephrase that. I do not for a fact know that the play was inaccessible during the Qing dynasty. It may have existed in acting troops of different cities or it may have been part of the repertoire of traveling acting troops.

I draw several possible conclusions.
1. Luohan Gong is written by a person who lived during the Ming.
2. Luohan Gong could have been written long after the Ming by an author trying to make a book seem as though it was from the Ming.
This would explain its constant reference to Ming era material and what appears to be its total lack of representation of anything from the Qing.
THe only thing I find from the Qing in Luohan Gong is the 'Golden Bell Cover' of Mantis Boxing. Something that I have failed to find existing in the Ming.