[Hauser]

Does anybody know exactly when this guy was born?
I'm really surprised by the longevity of this fellow, especially when he is constantly fighting battles.

[Yun]

Are you referring to 廖化?

He was Guan Yu's staff officer and was captured when Jingzhou fell to the Wu. He then faked his death and escaped west with his aged mother, only to bump into Liu Bei who was leading his army east to invade Wu and avenge Guan Yu. He held a number of positions after that and was distinguished for courage and decisiveness. In 264, after the fall of Shu-Han, he was transported with other Shu-Han officials to Luoyang, but died of illness on the way. His age at the time of his death is unknown.

If we take it that his mother was already old in 220, then he was probably in his 40's by then. That means he lived for another 44 years, into his 80's or even early 90's.

[Hauser]

I think he is one of the mysteries of the novel. Probably an anomaly.

I'd suggest he's older than even Yun say. I remember that he's involved in the Yellow Turban uprising. That was in 184(?). Let's say he joined the YTs at age 15, he will still be in his mid-nineties by 263, which is real longevity especially during that time. And considering he participated in Jiang Wei's northern campaigns, means he was still fighting out there in his nineties? Even more admirable than Lian Po! That's why I think he is an enigma.

Oh, he may have joined the YTs when they were dying out, which reduces his age by a few years at most...

[Yun]

Where did you read that he was with the Yellow Turbans? That wasn't in his Sanguo Zhi biography, which only begins with him as Guan Yu's staff officer.

[RollingWave]

It's noted in the romance of the 3 kingdom which is not a incrediablly reliable source of history, however Hauser, the yellow turban rebellion still had sparatic pockets left for quiet a long time after it offically ended.

In the ROTK he first met Guan Yu during he's flight from Cao Cao to Yuan Shao, (a well known highly fantasy part of the novel.. so this meeting is very questionable) as the leader of a group of yellow turban bandits and wanted to join Guan Yu, Guan Yu refused, the next meantion of him is probably more alined with real history as he join Liu Bei a short time after the red cliff battle.

Though even if he was only in he's 20-30s when he joined Liu Bei in Jin Zhou, he would still be very old by the time he died.

He was said to be reliable general though not a particularly outstanding one, hence the saying, "There isn't any great generals in Shu, thus Liao Hua leads the way"

[Hauser]

You are quite right there.
Nevertheless, don't you all amaze at his durability?
80+ years old still fighting.

[lobster]

He's one of my favourite in this period because of his preserverence.

[handynas]

LadyK, on Apr 3 2005, 05:25 AM, said:

Actually the saying is: "Within Shu there are no great generals, such that even Liao Hua (a mediocre general) is at the front lines,"

Hehe. But I salute him for his durability and his ability to stay alive. He outlived the 5 tiger generals dont u think so? Long lasting!

I believe this phrase was also used by Sima yi to mock Zhuge liang's autocratic ways such that no great talents have surfaced under zhuge liang

[Kenshinng]

handynas, on Apr 12 2005, 04:50 PM, said:

I believe this phrase was also used by Sima yi to mock Zhuge liang's autocratic ways such that no great talents have surfaced under zhuge liang

Haha Sima Yi tried a lot of ji jiang fa last time...

[Anshao]

RollingWave, on Feb 19 2005, 05:14 PM, said:

It's noted in the romance of the 3 kingdom which is not a incrediablly reliable source of history, however Hauser, the yellow turban rebellion still had sparatic pockets left for quiet a long time after it offically ended.

In the ROTK he first met Guan Yu during he's flight from Cao Cao to Yuan Shao, (a well known highly fantasy part of the novel.. so this meeting is very questionable) as the leader of a group of yellow turban bandits and wanted to join Guan Yu, Guan Yu refused, the next meantion of him is probably more alined with real history as he join Liu Bei a short time after the red cliff battle.

Though even if he was only in he's 20-30s when he joined Liu Bei in Jin Zhou, he would still be very old by the time he died.

He was said to be reliable general though not a particularly outstanding one, hence the saying, "There isn't any great generals in Shu, thus Liao Hua leads the way"

i think u refering to this pharse,
shu zhong wu da jiang, lian hua tang xian feng~~

truely amazing about his life pan.. wonder how long he really live how many battle he fought.. does he have any son ?

[Liu Bei]

Liao Hua is cool, I like him