Sun Quan reflected upon this advice for some time.
“You are right,” he said at last and gave the order for execution.
So Guan Yu and his son were both killed. It was the winter of the last month of the twenty-fourth year of Jian An (A.D. 219). Guan Yu was fifty-eight when he met his death.
A poem says:
Peerless indeed was Guan Yu of the latter days of Han,
Head and shoulders stood he out among the best;
Godlike and terrible he was in the arts of war,
Elegant and refined he was also well-versed in learning.
Resplendent as the noonday sun in the heavens,
Haloed as are the noblest of those early days,
He stands, the brightest model for all ages,
And not only for the strenuous days of his time.
And another poem says:
To seek a true hero, go to the ancient town of Jieliang,
See how all men revere Yun-chang.
By the Peach Garden oath he swore brotherhood with his prince,
And they enjoy offerings through all ages.
Incomparable, their aura spreads across the land;
Resplendent as the great lights of the firmament.
Temples to the noble warrior abound even today,
How many sunsets their venerable trees and birds have seen!
So the great warrior ended his life. His famous steed, also captured with his master, was sent to Sun Quan, who gave it as a reward to its captor, Ma Zhong. But Red Hare survived its master only a short time. The faithful steed refused to feed and died a few days later.
Foreboding of misfortune came to Wang Fu in Maicheng. His bones felt cold; his flesh crept; and nightmares visited him in his sleep. He told Zhou Cang of a terrible dream he had in the night. “I saw our lord standing before me, drenched in blood. I hastened to question him, but suddenly I woke up in fright. What could it mean?”
Just then soldiers came to report the horrible news that the men of Wu had come to the city wall with the heads of their general and his son to call them to surrender. Wang Fu and Zhou Cang, terrified, hurried up to the wall to see for themselves. Alas! what they beheld left them with no doubt. With a despairing cry Wang Fu threw himself over the wall and perished, while Zhou Cang killed himself with his own sword. Thus the city also fell to Wu.
Now the spirit of Guan Yu did not dissipate into air, but wandered through the void till it came to the Jade Spring Hill in Dangyang. There lived a venerable Buddhist priest whose religious name was Pujing. He was originally an abbot of a temple, called Guardian of the State, at Sishui Pass. Later he left the temple because he helped Guan Yu escape from the pass (See Chapter Twenty-Seven) and during his travel around the country he had reached this place. Entranced with its natural beauty, he had built himself a shelter of boughs and grass, where he sat meditating on Buddhist teachings. He had a novice with him to beg food and to attend to his simple wants.
That night the moon was bright and the air serene. Just after midnight Pujing was meditating in the stillness of the mountains when he suddenly heard a voice calling loudly in the sky: “Give me back my head, give me back my head.”
Gazing upward, he saw the shape of a man mounted on a steed known as Red Hare and holding in his hand a shining blade, the Blue Dragon. On his left was a general of fair complexion while on his right, a warrior of swarthy countenance and a curly beard. The three of them floated along on a cloud, which came to rest on top of the hill.
The recluse recognized the figure as that of Guan Yu, so with his flagellum he hit the lintel of his hut and cried, “Where is Yun-chang?”
The spirit, suddenly alerted, dismounted, sailed down with the wind, and came to a stop in front of the hut. Interlacing his fingers, he stood reverently and inquired, “Who are you, my teacher, and what is your religious name?”
“My name is Pujing,” replied the monk. “We met in the Guardian of the State temple at Sishui Pass. Have you forgotten that?”
“I am deeply grateful for the help you gave me then. Misfortune has befallen me, and I have ceased to live. I would like you to enlighten me with your instruction, to help me recover my bearings.”
“Let us say nothing about past wrongs or present rights, nor about causes or consequences. I know that Lu Meng has killed you and you call aloud for the return of your head. But who will return the heads of your victims, such as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and the six officers of the five passes?”
A realization came over Guan Yu, who bowed in acceptance of the Buddhist teaching and disappeared. Later his spirit often visited the hill, manifesting its sacred power to protect the people. Grateful for his virtue, the local people built a temple on top of the Jade Spring Hill to honor him and sacrificial offerings were given at the four seasons. Later a poet wrote a couplet for the temple, which reads:
Ruddy face foretold an honest heart; he rode the wind on the Red
Hare, mindful of the Red Emperor;
By the blue-shaded lamp he read the histories; he held his Blue
Dragon blade, heart pure as the azure heaven.
The execution of Guan Yu gave Sun Quan undisputed possession of the whole of the Jingzhou area. He rewarded his soldiers and spread a great feast, at which Lu Meng held the seat of honor. At the banquet he said, “Thanks to the magnificent service of General Lu my long-cherished desire to possess this area has been finally satisfied.”
Lu Meng again and again declined the honor, but Sun Quan continued, “In the past Zhou Yu was superior to most men, and he defeated Cao Cao at the Red Cliff. Alas! he died too soon. Then Lu Su succeeded him. In his first meeting with me he outlined to me the general policy of creating a kingdom. That was the first instance of his keen insight. When Cao Cao descended upon my country, and when everyone advised me to yield, he advised me to summon Zhou Yu to oppose him. That was the second instance of his keen insight. But he blundered when he advised me to lend Jingzhou to Liu Bei. Now Lu Meng has succeeded in seizing the city and in that he far surpasses both his predecessors.”
Then he filled a goblet and presented it to his general. Lu Meng took the cup, but just as he raised it to his lips to drink a sudden change possessed him. Dashing the cup to the ground, he seized Sun Quan, cursing fiercely: “You blue-eyed brat! Red-bearded rat! Don’t you recognize me?”
Consternation seized the whole assembly. Some rushed to the rescue of their lord, but Lu Meng threw Sun Quan to the ground, strode forward, and sat down in his chair. Then, with his eyebrows knitted and his eyes glaring, he cried: “After I quelled the Yellow Turbans, I was the man to fear in the whole country for more than thirty years. But you victimized me with your wicked schemes. Alive I was not able to gorge upon your flesh; dead I will pursue the spirit of your being. I am Guan Yun-chang, the Marquis of Hanshou.”
Terror-stricken, Sun Quan led all his officers to kneel down and bow. Then they saw Lu Meng drop dead, with blood gushing from the seven orifices of his body.
In due time Lu Meng was honorably buried. He was posthumously given the title, “Prefect of Nanjun and Marquis of Chuanling.” His son inherited his noble rank.
Sun Quan, unable to get over the shock of this strange and terrible event, was preoccupied with the thought of Guan Yu. One day it was announced that Zhang Zhao had come from Jianyie to see him. Sun Quan called him in.
Zhang Zhao said, “My lord, by slaying Guan Yu and his son you have brought imminent danger to your state. You know that by the oath of the Peach Garden, Liu Bei vowed to live and die together with his two brothers. Now Liu Bei not only has the force of the whole of Shu at his calling, but also Zhuge Liang as his chief advisor, and valiant fighters like the other four Tiger Generals to carry out his behest. When Liu Bei hears of the death of Guan Yu and his son, he will surely send forth his entire army to avenge them, and I fear you cannot stand such an onslaught.”
Sun Quan started up in fright. “I have made a grave error,” he cried. “What is to be done now?”
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br /> “Have no fear,” replied Zhang Zhao. “I have a plan to fend off the army of Shu from our borders and keep Jingzhou quite safe.”
“What is your plan?” asked Sun Quan.
“Cao Cao, with his huge force, covets the whole country. Liu Bei, eager for revenge, will ally himself with him; should these two combine forces against us, we would be in serious danger. Therefore I advise you to send Guan Yu’s head to Cao Cao to make it appear that Cao Cao was the prime cause of his destruction. This should divert Liu Bei’s desire for revenge against Cao Cao instead of us. Then we can take advantage of their fight to develop our own designs. I think this is the best course of action.”
Sun Quan thought the move worth making, and so the head of the great warrior was placed in a box and sent off that very day to Cao Cao.
At this time Cao Cao’s army had marched back to Luoyang. When he heard of the coming of the gruesome gift he said joyfully, “So Yun-chang is dead—now I can sleep soundly at night.”
But Sima Yi saw through the ruse and said, “This is a trick to divert evil against us.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cao Cao.
“When they swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, Liu Bei and his two brothers vowed to live and die together. Now Sun Quan is fearful of Liu Bei’s revenge for the execution of Guan Yu, and so he sends the head to divert Liu Bei’s wrath toward you. He wishes Liu Bei to attack you instead of himself. Then he will try to accomplish his ends while you two are engaged in war.”
“You are right,” said Cao Cao. “And now what should I do?”
“That is easy. You can make a wooden image of Guan Yu’s body and bury it with his head in a funeral befitting a minister of the state. When Liu Bei hears of this he will turn his hate toward Sun Quan and raise all his forces to attack him. Then we will wait and see the result of their battle and attack whoever emerges the weaker. And if we can destroy either of the two, the other will perish before very long.”
Cao Cao was very pleased with the advice. He called in the messenger from Wu. When the box was presented to him he opened it and looked into the face of the dead general. The features had not changed and the face looked exactly the same as of old. Cao Cao smiled.
“I hope you have been well since our last meeting, Yun-chang,” said Cao Cao.
To his horror, Guan Yu’s mouth opened, his eyes rolled, and his long beard and hair moved. Cao Cao collapsed to the ground in a swoon.
His officials rushed to his rescue, but it was a long time before he recovered consciousness.
“General Guan is indeed more than human,” he said.
The messenger from Wu then told him how Lu Meng had been possessed and killed by Guan Yu’s spirit, and how he fell to cursing and reviling his master, Sun Quan.
After hearing this story Cao Cao, even more horrified, prepared sacrifices to offer to the spirit of the dead warrior. An effigy was carved out of eaglewood and buried outside the south gate, with all the rites of a prince. Officials of all levels were ordered to take part in the funeral procession and Cao Cao himself bowed before the coffin and poured a libation. He also conferred on the dead warrior the posthumous title of “Prince of Jing,” and appointed wardens to look after the tomb. The messenger was sent back to Wu.
The sad tidings, however, had not yet reached the land of Shu. At that time Liu Bei was in his capital, Chengdu. One day Fa Zheng went in to see him with a petition: “Your Highness, your consort has passed away and Lady Sun has returned to her maiden home, perhaps never to come back. The correct conduct of human relations should not be set at nought. Therefore a second consort should be sought, so that all affairs may be appropriately handled within the palace.”
As Liu Bei voiced no objection, Fa Zheng continued: “There is the sister of Wu Yi, comely and virtuous, and declared by a prophet as destined to high honor. She was betrothed to Liu Mao, son of Liu Yan, but he died in youth, and she has remained unmarried. Your Highness can take her as your consort.”
“But Liu Mao and I are of the same house. This marriage will be against propriety.”
“Well, there is a precedent in history. The case is similar to the marriage of Duke Wen of Jin and Huai Ying.”*
Upon this Liu Bei gave his consent and wedded the lady, who later bore him two sons, the elder of whom was named Yong and the younger Li.
Meanwhile, the whole land of Shu was prospering, the people enjoying peace and the state becoming affluent. The crops were doing well and the fields yielded bountiful harvests. Just as everything looked perfect there suddenly came someone from Jingzhou with the news of Guan Yu’s angry rejection of Sun Quan’s marriage proposal.
“Jingzhou will be in danger!” said Zhuge Liang. “We must send someone to replace Guan Yu.”
But this alarming news was followed by a series of happy tidings from Jingzhou of the victories Guan Yu had won in battle. Then Guan Xing came to see his uncle and reported his father’s great success in destroying Cao Cao’s seven forces by drowning. Some time later scouts brought yet another piece of good news, which said that Guan Yu had installed beacon towers along the riverbank and had taken every precaution against Wu. Thus Liu Bei’s anxiety ceased.
But evil tidings were on the way. One day Liu Bei was strangely disturbed. He was restless either in walking or sitting and he felt a creepiness of the skin that seemed to portend evil. By night, finding himself unable to sleep, he rose to read by candlelight when drowsiness overcame him and he fell asleep by the table. A cold gust of wind suddenly swept across the chamber, putting out the candle flame. When it brightened again he glanced up and saw a figure standing near the light.
“Who are you? Why do you come by night to my chamber?” he asked.
The figure made no reply, and Liu Bei got up to see who it was. Then he discovered it was his brother Guan Yu. But the figure avoided him, retreating as he advanced.
“How are you, brother? This must be something of great importance to bring you here in the dead of the night. But why do you avoid me? You’re like my own flesh and blood.”
Then the figure wept and said, “Brother, I hope you will send your army to avenge me.”
As Guan Yu said that, a chilly blast went through the room, and he disappeared. At that moment Liu Bei awoke and then he realized he had been dreaming. Outside he could hear the watchman beating the gong for midnight. Greatly disturbed, he went out to the front hall and sent for Zhuge Liang. Soon the advisor came, and Liu Bei told him of the vision.
“That is because you have been thinking too deeply of Yun-chang lately, my lord,” said Zhuge Liang. “There is no need to be distressed.”
But Liu Bei was still worried, and Zhuge Liang was long in calming him down and explaining away his anxiety.
As Zhuge Liang was leaving the palace he met Xu Jing, who said, “I just now went to your residence to report a secret piece of news but I was told you had been summoned by our lord. So I followed you here.”
“What is it?”
“There is a report that Lu Meng has seized Jingzhou and Guan Yu is dead.”
“I saw a large star fall over the land above Jingzhou, and I knew some evil had befallen Yun-chang. But I dared not mention it to our lord lest he would be worried.”
As the two were talking there suddenly emerged a man from inside the hall, who seized Zhuge Liang by the sleeve and cried, “Why did you conceal such terrible news from me?”
Zhuge Liang turned to see who the speaker was. It was Liu Bei.
The two of them tried their best to console him. “What we said just now is only a rumor and cannot be regarded as truth,” they said. “Pray do not be distressed.”
“Yun-chang and I pledge to live and die together—how can I go on living if he is no more?”
The two men soothed their lord as best they could, but even as they spoke one of the attendants came to say that Ma Liang and Yi Ji had arrived from Jingzhou. Liu Bei at once called them in and questioned them. They said Jingzhou was indeed lost, and Guan Yu begge
d for instant help. Then they presented Guan Yu’s letter, but before there was time to read it Liao Hua’s arrival was announced. He was immediately summoned. Liao Hua prostrated himself and, weeping, related in detail how Liu Feng and Meng Da refused to send help to Guan Yu.
“Then my brother is lost!” cried Liu Bei in anguish.
“How very impudent these two were! Even death is not enough to punish them for their crime!” said Zhuge Liang. “But do not worry, my lord. I myself will lead an army to the rescue.”
“If Yun-chang is gone, I cannot live,” moaned Liu Bei. “Tomorrow I will set out with an army to rescue him.”
Without a moment’s delay Liu Bei sent a messenger to inform Zhang Fei of all this and at the same time muster an army for instant departure.
Before dawn, one-by-one several messengers arrived, relating by degrees the heartrending tragedy of Guan Yu’s night journey to Lingju, his capture by men of Wu, his dauntless refusal to submit, and the heroic death of the father and son. When he heard the terrible news, Liu Bei uttered a great cry and fell unconscious to the ground.
His mind went back to the pledge of days gone by;
How could he live still while his brother died?
What happened to Liu Bei will be told in the next chapter.
Footnote
* This happened during the days of the period of Spring and Autumn. Huai Ying, daughter of the ruler of Qin, first married the son of Duke Huai of Jin and later married Duke Wen of Jin, who was the granduncle of her first husband.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
Treating Cao Cao, Hua Tuo Dies in Prison
On His Deathbed Cao Cao Leaves His Last Words
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: An Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Page 5