In Runan, within Pingyu City, after Liu Bei and Cao Cao exchanged cities that day, Guan Yu had been stationed in Pingyu.
This Pingyu differed from the Pingyu of later generations; it lay amid the northern plains.
Located upstream of the Lü River, this place held considerable strategic importance.
Thus, after Guan Yu arrived, he began training troops and horses, hunting down bandits in every direction.
To guard against a western invasion by Cao's army, he built lodging houses on a grand scale, established dozens of postal stations, forged large quantities of weapons, stockpiled grain and fodder, and repaired the city walls.
Luo Jun and Yan Xiang served under him as well. The two governed the people, while he commanded the army.
The three divided their duties and worked together, suppressing bandits everywhere, registering households and organizing the populace, and recruiting worthy talent.
While Liu Bei led Zhang Fei and Qin Tian through campaigns north and south, Guan Yu recruited Hao Pu, Yuan Ba, Yuan Min, and others.
Together with Fu Tong, recommended by Qin Tian, as well as Wen Ji, Liu Pi, Gong Du, and the others already under his command, he had civil and military talent in full array and had grown quite formidable.
Though Guan Yu had rarely gone into battle due to Qin Tian's deliberate arrangements, his current position suited him well.
For Guan Yu was no ordinary battlefield general; he also possessed the makings of a commander, suited to holding a region in command.
It was only because Liu Bei's territory had previously been too small that he had lacked room to display his abilities.
Now that he was stationed in Runan, though there were no great battles to fight, he was still guarding a region and could fully employ his talents.
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