Three Kingdoms

by Luo Guanzhong (Moss Roberts trans. )

  Zhang Zhao said, "Cao Cao has come a long way. Our first act must be to blunt his thrust." Quan put the matter to his commanders. "Cao Cao," he said, "is coming a long way. Who dares to strike first and blunt his thrust?" Ling Tong stepped forward and volunteered. "How many troops will you need?" Quan asked. "Three thousand will do," was the reply. But Gan Ning said, "Give me a hundred riders and I can do the job. Why use three thousand?" Angered, Ling Tong began wrangling with Gan Ning. "Cao Cao's power is enormous. Do not underestimate the enemy," Sun Quan said and sent Ling Tong with three thousand to scout the mouth of the Ruxu and to engage Cao's forces should they appear. As assigned, Ling Tong took his force near the Ruxu barrier. Soon dust filled the air and Cao's troops arrived. In the van Zhang Liao crossed spears with Ling Tong. They fought fifty bouts, but neither prevailed. Sun Quan, fearing for Ling Tong, ordered Lü Meng to bring him back to camp.

  Gan Ning, seeing Ling Tong return, appealed to Sun Quan, "Tonight I want one hundred men to raid Cao's camp. If I lose a single one, count it no achievement." Impressed by Ning's courage, Sun Quan assigned him one hundred crack horsemen from his own command and in addition gave him fifty jars of wine and fifty catties of lamb to feast his men. Back at camp Gan Ning had the hundred seated in rows before him. Pouring himself two silver cups of wine, he addressed the warriors: "Tonight we have orders to raid their position. Drink deeply and advance boldly." At these words the warriors stared at one another. Seeing the men's reluctance, Gan Ning drew his sword and cried angrily, "I, a general, give no thought for my own life. How can you hesitate?" Before Gan Ning's wrathful look the men touched their heads to the ground and said, "We are with you to the death."

  Gan Ning and the men consumed the wine and meat and set the action for the second watch. Each was identified by a white goosefeather in his helmet. They donned their armor and mounted; then they raced to the side of Cao Cao's stockade. They broke down the defensive staves, plunged inside with tremendous shouts, and headed for the site of the central army to kill Cao Cao. But Cao's command headquarters was sealed tight as a iron barrel by an impenetrable circle of chariots and wagons. Gan Ning and his hundred horsemen thrust to the left and charged to the right, throwing Cao's troops, uncertain of the attackers' number, into great confusion. Gan Ning's hundred crossed the camp at full tilt, slaying anyone they encountered. All the camp was in an uproar as torches were raised, numerous as the stars overhead. The ground trembled from the shouting. Gan Ning cut his way out of the southern entrance of the camp. No one could withstand him. Sun Quan ordered Zhou Tai to bring up a detachment as Gan Ning and his hundred pulled back to Ruxu. Cao's men, fearing ambush, did not pursue. A poet of later time expressed his admiration for Gan Ning's charge:

  Army drums a-beating shook the ground;

  Southland soldiers struck; ghosts and spirits howled.

  Those hundred goose-plumes deep behind Cao's line

  Testified to Gan Ning's martial power.

  Gan Ning returned to camp. Not a man nor a mount had been lost. Reaching the entrance to his camp, he ordered the hundred to beat their drums, blow their flutes, and give their battle cry. The southerners cheered wildly. Sun Quan welcomed the force in person. Gan Ning dismounted and prostrated himself. Quan helped him up and, taking Ning's hand, said, "Your raid should strike fear into the old traitor. I let you go only to witness your display of valor; it was not because I could spare you." He presented Ning with a thousand rolls of silk and one hundred fine swords, which Ning received respectfully and shared with his men. Sun Quan said to his commanders, "My Gan Ning is the equal of Cao Cao's Zhang Liao!"

  The next day Zhang Liao came out to challenge the southerners. Ling Tong, having witnessed Gan's exploits, cried, "Let me face him." Quan granted his permission and Tong led five thousand out of Ruxu. Quan invited Gan Ning to observe the field. As the lines formed, Zhang Liao rode out, Li Dian to his left, Yue Jin to his right. Ling Tong dashed forth, flourishing his sword, and confronted them. Liao sent Yue Jin forth. They fought fifty bouts in a drawn battle. Cao Cao was told of the great conflict and rode to the beflagged entrance of his camp to watch. Seeing the antagonists absorbed in combat, Cao ordered Cao Xiu to shoot from hiding. Xiu ducked behind Zhang Liao and shot Ling Tong's horse, which reared and threw its rider. Yue Jin raced forward, spear poised for the kill, when an arrow struck him full in the face and he toppled from his mount. Soldiers on both sides came out to rescue their generals. Gongs sounded, and combat ceased. Ling Tong returned to camp and touched the ground in apology to Sun Quan. "It was Gan Ning whose arrow saved you," Quan said, and Ling Tong pressed his forehead to the ground to show his respect to Gan Ning, saying, "I never expected such kindness from you, sir." From that time forward the two men became sworn friends and buried their grudge.

  Cao Cao sent Yue Jin to have his wound treated in his tent. The next day he detailed five armies to strike Ruxu: Cao led the central force; to his left, Zhang Liao and Li Dian; to his right, Xu Huang and Pang De. Each army had ten thousand men. They moved toward the riverbank to attack. On the southern side Dong Xi and Xu Sheng watched the enemy approach from their multistoried boats. Their soldiers wore worried expressions. Xu Sheng said, "The lord feeds you; you serve the lord. What are the frightened looks for?" Then he took several hundred of his fiercest warriors across the river on small boats. They struck deep into Li Dian's camp, taking a heavy toll. Dong Xi ordered those still on their ships to beat their drums and shout, thereby to heighten the fears of Dian's men. Suddenly a strong wind began blowing on the river. White waves leaped heavenward. Breakers churned and tumbled. Sensing that the boats might capsize, the soldiers struggled toward the lifeboats, but Dong Xi drew his sword and shouted, "We are under our lord's command, defending against the rebels. How dare you abandon ship!" He struck down a dozen of his own men. Moments later the ship went over, and Dong Xi perished in the river. Xu Sheng meanwhile continued slaughtering Li Dian's men.

  By this time Southland commander Chen Wu had heard the cries of mayhem and brought his troops up. He was confronted by Cao's commander Pang De. A wild melee ensued. Sun Quan, at the Ruxu barrier, heard Cao's troops nearing shore and, together with Zhou Tai, came to help. Quan saw Xu Sheng wreaking havoc in Li Dian's camp and signaled his men to support Sheng, but Zhang Liao and Xu Huang trapped Quan between them. From an elevation Cao Cao saw Sun Quan surrounded and immediately ordered Xu Chu to fall upon the southern force. The shock of Xu Chu's attack caused the southern army to split; and neither part could help the other.

  From the thick of the fighting, Zhou Tai reached the river but could not find Sun Quan. Wheeling round, he plunged back into the lines. "Where is our lord?" he asked his men. They pointed to the converging soldiers. "His Lordship is surrounded," they said. "It's serious." Zhou Tai broke through and found Sun Quan. "Follow me out of here, my lord," Tai said. By dint of hard fighting, Zhou Tai reached the shore but again lost Sun Quan.

  He turned back into the fray and again found his lord. "We can't get out," Quan said. "Shafts and bolts are flying everywhere." "This time," Zhou Tai said, "you go first, and I'll follow." Quan raced forward as Zhou Tai fended off attacks left and right. He took several wounds and an arrow had pierced his armor; but he brought Sun Quan out. At the shore Lü Meng's detachment of sailors got Sun Quan safely on board. "I only made it thanks to Zhou Tai; he plunged three times into the thick of the fighting. But Xu Sheng is still trapped. How will he escape?" "I will go back," Zhou Tai said. He turned around, charged into the midst of the encirclement, and brought Xu Sheng to safety. The two commanders, severely wounded, climbed down to the boat as Lü Meng's archers raked the shoreline to cover them.

  At this time Chen Wu, with no support, was battling Pang De. Pang De had chased him into the mouth of a gorge where trees grew dense. Time and again Chen Wu tried to turn and fight, but bushes snagged his sleeves and Pang De cut him down before he could defend himself.

  Cao Cao, seeing that Sun Quan had fled, urged his soldiers to the shore; from th
ere they shot their arrows to the opposite side. Lü Meng, his arrows spent, began to panic. But a boat came from the opposite bank, a general at its prow. It was Sun Ce's son-in-law, Lu Xun. He had brought one hundred thousand men, who, in a short spell, drove Cao's troops back with volleys of arrows. Seizing the advantage, Xun's troops climbed ashore and made off with thousands of war-horses. Cao Cao's army suffered countless casualties and went back to camp badly beaten. Chen Wu's corpse was found later in the carnage.

  Sun Quan grieved bitterly over the loss of Chen Wu and Dong Xi. He had the river searched, and Dong Xi's body was found; it was buried together with Chen Wu's. Sun Quan then held a feast to thank Zhou Tai for his heroic rescues. Lifting the cup, Sun Quan rested his arm on Zhou Tai's shoulders and, face wet with tears, said, "Twice you brought me to safety, each time risking your own life, suffering so many wounds that they have patterned your flesh. What else can I do but show you a kinsman's kindness; what else but place in your hands a high command? You are my most deserving vassal, with whom I shall share every glory and success."

  He ordered Zhou Tai to remove his coat and display his wounds: his entire body was carved with crosswise slashes. Sun Quan pointed to each and asked the occasion of infliction. Zhou Tai answered in full detail. For every wound he was ordered to quaff a flagon of wine; Zhou Tai became thoroughly drunk that day. Sun granted him the blue-green silk umbrella of chief command, ordering him to leave the feast and reenter with it raised to enhance his dignity.1

  At Ruxu, Sun Quan held off Cao Cao for more than a month but could not gain the upper hand. Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong put forth a proposal: "Cao Cao's strength is too great for us to overcome. In a protracted war we stand to lose many men. It is better to seek a truce and give the people peace." Sun Quan approved. He sent Bu Zhi to Cao's camp for that purpose and promised to send tribute annually. Cao Cao, too, realized that no quick decision was possible and agreed to the truce. "Sun Quan is to remove his forces first," he stipulated. "Then I will withdraw to the capital." Bu Zhi returned this answer to Sun Quan, who shipped his entire army back to Moling, leaving only Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai guarding Ruxu.2

  Cao Cao withdrew to the capital, leaving Cao Ren and Zhang Liao stationed at Hefei. The entire court, civil as well as military branches, proposed establishing Cao Cao as king of Wei. The only strong opposition came from the chief of the Secretariat, Cui Yan, to whom the assembly said, "Have you forgotten the fate of Xun Wenruo?"3 Cui Yan, in a fury, replied "Oh, what times, what times! The thing will come, but you will have to do it without me!" Those opposing Cui Yan reported his words to Cao Cao, who had him jailed and interrogated. But the prisoner—a man of tiger-round eyes and curling whiskers—simply denounced Cao Cao for treachery and treason against the throne. The security chief informed Cao Cao, who had Cui Yan beaten to death in jail. These verses of a later poet express his admiration for the secretary:

  Cui Yan of Qinghe,

  By nature hard and strong,

  Had curly beard and tiger eyes

  And insides hard as iron.

  Treachery must back away

  Before his high integrity.

  For loyalty to the lord of Han

  His name will live eternally.

  In the fifth month of Jian An 21 (a.d. 216) the college of courtiers collectively petitioned Emperor Xian, lauding the merits and virtue of Cao Cao, lord patriarch of Wei: "To the ends of Heaven and earth he surpasses even Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou; he should be advanced in rank to king." Emperor Xian commanded Zhong Yao to draft the edict confirming Cao Cao's elevation to king of Wei. Cao Cao unctuously made the three ritual refusals; but after three repetitions of the imperial will, Cao respectfully accepted the order making him king of Wei and at once assumed the appropriate trappings: imperial headdress with twelve strings of jade beads, a gilt chariot with a team of six horses, an imperial carriage with regalia.4 Wherever he went, heralds cleared the way as if for th Emperor. In the city of Ye he built the palace of the king of Wei and initiated discussions on establishing his heir.5

  Cao Cao's principal wife, Lady Ding, had had no issue. His concubine, Lady Liu, was the mother of Cao Ang, who had died in Wancheng during the campaign against Zhang Xiu. Lady Bian had four sons: the eldest was Pi; the second, Zhang; the third, Zhi; the fourth, Xiong. Consequently, Cao Cao displaced Lady Ding and made Lady Bian queen of Wei.6 Cao Zhi (Zijian), her third son, a brilliant scholar who could produce polished compositions in a single writing, was the heir apparent of choice.

  The eldest son, Pi, who had been discouraged, asked Imperial Mentor7 Jia Xu for a plan to improve his prospects. Jia Xu gave him certain advice. From that day forward, whenever Cao Cao went on a campaign and his sons saw him off, Cao Zhi would celebrate his achievements and his virtue in long rhapsodies. Cao Pi alone would bid his father good-bye, prostrate and weeping.8 Cao Cao's attendants were deeply moved by this, and soon Cao Cao began to compare his favorite, Zhi, to his son Pi and to suspect Zhi of cunning and insincerity. Cao Pi reinforced his father's inclination by bribing Cao's close attendants to sing Pi's praises. As a result, Cao became torn over whom to name as heir. He took the matter to Jia Xu. "I want to establish my successor," he said. "Who should it be?" Jia Xu did not answer. Cao Cao asked why. "I am thinking," replied Jia Xu. "I cannot answer right away." "What are you thinking?" Cao asked. "I am thinking of Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and of their sons," said Xu.9 Cao Cao laughed and subsequently named Cao Pi, his eldest son, heir apparent.10

  The palace of the king of Wei was completed in winter, during the tenth month. Men were sent all over the realm to gather exotic flowers and fruit to plant in the royal gardens. One of Cao's messengers came to the Southland and was received by Sun Quan. After communicating the wishes of the king of Wei, he proceeded to Wenzhou where he acquired sweet oranges. At this time Sun Quan wanted to show his respect for the king of Wei, so he ordered someone in that city to select forty loads of large oranges and dispatch them to Ye. On the way, however, the porters had to stop and rest at the foot of a hill. There they were approached by an older man, blind in one eye and crippled in one leg. He wore a bonnet of white vine-stems and an informal grey Taoist robe. The man greeted the carriers, saying, "You have much to carry. Do you want this poor priest to lend a shoulder?" The workmen were delighted. And so the priest carried the entire load five li ahead. But to the workmen's surprise the loads he had carried suddenly became lighter. When he was about to leave, the priest said to the officer in charge of the shipment, "This poor priest, Zuo Ci, styled Yuanfang, with the Taoist name of Master Black Horn, is an old acquaintance of the king of Wei—from his native village. If you reach Ye, convey my best wishes to him." And with a flick of his sleeves, the priest was gone.

  When the shipment reached Ye, the officer in charge presented it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao split a fruit and found an empty peel.11 Astonished, Cao questioned the officer, who recounted his meeting with Zuo Ci. Cao Cao was incredulous. Suddenly a gateman announced, "An elderly man calling himself Zuo Ci seeks audience with the great king." Cao summoned the priest, and the officer identified him as the one they had met en route. Cao rebuked him sharply. "What black art did you use," he asked, "to draw the pulp from my precious fruit?" With a smile Zuo Ci replied, "How ridiculous!" and opened a fruit, showing him the succulent flesh inside. But the ones Cao opened were all dried out.

  Beside himself, Cao bade the priest sit and explain it. Zuo Ci asked for wine and meat, which Cao saw to. Five measures later, Ci was still sober; after eating a whole sheep, he was still hungry. "What is your method?" Cao asked. "This poor priest," he replied, "has studied the Tao for thirty years on Emei Mountain12 in Jialing of the Riverlands. One day I heard someone calling my name from within a stone wall on the mountain. I went to look but saw nothing. Suddenly a peal of thunder split the wall and I found three scrolls of divine text entitled Avoidance Days, Text of Heaven. The first was Avoidances, Heaven; the second, Avoidances, Earth; the third, Avoidances, Men. The first teaches how to spring into the c
louds and straddle the winds in order to soar through middle space; the second, how to pass through hills and stone; the third, how to move freely within the realm hiding one's shape, changing one's form, taking an enemy's head with a flying a sword or a well-thrown knife. Your Highness has reached the highest ministerial office. Why don't you retire and come with this poor priest to Emei Mountain and practice the disciplines of the Tao? I will hand the three scrolls over to you."13

  To this invitation Cao Cao responded, "I have long thought of retiring, having ridden the crest of success. The only thing stopping me is that we have yet to find the right man to assist the court." Zuo Ci smiled and said, "Liu Xuande of the Riverlands is a scion of the royal house. Why not yield this position to him? Otherwise, this poor priest will send a sword for your head!" Rage seized Cao Cao. "He is an agent of Liu Bei!" he cried, and ordered his guards to arrest the man. Zuo Ci only continued laughing. Cao Cao ordered a dozen of the jailers to take hold of Zuo Ci and beat him. They used all their might, but Zuo Ci remained as if deeply asleep, snoring away, showing no sign of discomfort. Next, Cao ordered a cangue fixed tightly on Zuo Ci's neck and wrists and had him imprisoned under close guard. Later the guards found the cangue and lock on the ground and Zuo Ci sleeping, unscathed. They kept him in prison for seven days with neither food nor drink. When next they looked, he was sitting erect on the floor, his face ruddy. The jailers informed Cao Cao, who had the prisoner brought forth for questioning again. "I can go for decades without eating—or I can consume a thousand sheep in one day!" he declared. Cao Cao was powerless to deal with him.