Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

  “But we are now in other times. Since there is not the state of confusion that waited on the end of Qin, but a state of things more nearly like that of the period of the Warring States, in which six kingdoms contended for the mastery, therefore one may play the part of King Wen. If one would found a dynasty, then must that one wait upon time and favorable destiny. With these in his favor, the consummation will follow forthwith, as the armies of Kings Tang and Wu fought but one battle. Therefore have real compassion for the people and wait on opportunity. If wars are constant, and a mishap come, even the wisest will be unable to show the way of safety.”

  “An effusion from the pen of a rotten pedant?” cried Jiang Wei wrathfully as he finished reading, and he dashed the essay on the ground in contempt.

  The protest was disregarded, and the army marched.

  “In your opinion where should we begin?” asked he of Fu Qian.

  Fu Qian replied, “The great storehouse of Wei is at Changcheng, and we ought to burn their grain and forage. Let us go out by the Luo Valley and cross the Shen Ridge. After the capture of Changcheng, we can go on to Qinchuan, and the conquest of the Middle Land will be near.”

  “What you say just fits in with my secret plans,” replied Jiang Wei.

  So the army marched to the Luo Valley and crossed the Shen Ridge.

  The Commander in Changcheng was Sima Wang, a cousin of Sima Zhao. Huge stores of grain were in the city, but its defenses were weak. So when Sima Wang heard of the approach of the Shu army, he and his two leaders, Wang Zhen and Li Peng, made a camp seven miles from the walls to keep any attack at a distance.

  When the enemy came up, Sima Wang and his two generals went forth from the ranks to meet them.

  Jiang Wei stood in the front of his army and said, “Sima Zhao has forced his prince to go with him to war, which plainly indicates that he intends to emulate the deeds of Li Jue and Guo Si. My government has commanded me to punish this fault. Wherefore I say to you yield at once; for if you persist in the way of error, you and yours shall all be put to death.”

  Sima Wang shouted back, “You and yours are wholly strangers to any feeling of rectitude. You have repeatedly invaded a superior state's territory; and if you do not at once retire, I will see to it that not even a breastplate returns.”

  With these words General Wang Zhen rode out, his spear set ready to thrust. From the host of Shu came Fu Qian to take the challenge, and the two champions engaged. After a few encounters Fu Qian tempted his opponent by feigning weakness. Wang Zhen thrust at the opening he gave. Fu Qian evaded the blow, snatched Wang Zhen out of the saddle, and bore him off.

  Seeing this, his colleague, Li Peng whirled up his sword and went pounding down toward the captor. Fu Qian went but slowly, thus luring Li Peng into rash pursuit. When Li Peng was near enough, Fu Qian dashed his prisoner with all his strength to the earth, took a firm grip on his four-edged brand, and smote Li Peng full in the face. The blow knocked out an eye, and Li Peng fell dead. Wang Zhen had been already killed by the Shu troops as he lay on the ground. Both generals being dead, the troops of Wei fled into the city and barred the gates.

  Jiang Wei gave orders for the army to rest that night and take the city on the morrow with all vigor.

  Next day, at dawn, the assault began. The soldiers, fresh from their rest, vied with each other who should be first on the wall. They shot over the ramparts fire-arrows and firebombs and burned all the buildings on the wall. They next brought up brushwood and piled it against the rampart and set it alight, so that the flames rose high.

  When the city seemed about to fall, the defenders set up a howling and a lamentation that could be heard all around. But suddenly a great rolling of drums diverted the attention of the assailants from the city, and they turned their faces to see a great host of Wei soldiers marching up in all the glory of waving banners. Jiang Wei faced about to meet this attack and took his place beneath the great standard.

  Presently Jiang Wei made out a youthful-looking leader riding in advance with his spear ready to thrust. He looked scarcely more than twenty years of age, his face was smooth as if powdered, and his lips were

  crimson. But from them came fierce words.

  “Do you recognize General Deng?” cried he.

  “So this is Deng Ai,” thought Jiang Wei.

  Thereupon Jiang Wei set his spear and rode out. Both were adepts in arms and neither gave the other an opening, so that at the end of near half a hundred bouts neither could claim advantage. The youth wielded his spear with perfect skill.

  “If I cannot gain the advantage by some ruse, how shall I win?” thought Jiang Wei.

  So he turned aside his steed and dashed along a certain road that led to the hills. The youth followed. Presently Jiang Wei slung his spear, laid hands upon his bow, chose with care a feathered arrow, and laid it on the string. But the youth was quick of eye, and as the bowstring sang, he bent his head over the saddle and the arrow passed harmlessly by.

  The next time Jiang Wei turned, he saw his pursuer close upon him, and already the spear was threatening his life. But as the youth thrust, Jiang Wei evaded the blow and caught the shaft under his arm. Thus deprived of his weapon, the young man made for his own array.

  “What a pity! What a great pity!” cried Jiang Wei, turning to pursue.

  He followed the young general close up to the standard; but just as he came near, a warrior came to the front, shouting, “Jiang Wei, you fool, do not pursue my son when I, Deng Ai, am here!”

  Jiang Wei was taken aback; so he had only been contending with Deng Zhong, the son of his real opponent. Although he was astonished at the skill and vigor of the youth, he now knew that a heavier task lay before him and feared lest his steed was then too far spent for the contest.

  So he said to Deng Ai, “Seeing things are so, let us both hold off our troops till the morrow, when we will fight.”

  Deng Ai, glancing around, saw that the place was ill-suited for him, so he agreed to wait, saying “Let us lead off our armies then, and whoever shall take any secret advantage is a base fellow.”

  Both sides retired into camp, Deng Ai on the bank of River Wei, and Jiang Wei on the hills.

  Deng Ai saw that the army of Shu had the advantage of position, so he wrote off at once to Sima Wang, saying, “General, we should not give battle, but wait for reinforcements. Meanwhile the soldiers of Shu will be consuming their supply of grain, and we will attack on three sides when they begin to be hungry. I send my son Deng Zhong to you for further help in the defense of the city.”

  Jiang Wei sent a messenger to the Wei camp to deliver a letter of battle, the contest to take place the next day. Deng Ai openly accepted. But when morning came and Jiang Wei had arrayed his troops, his enemy had not appeared on the field. Nor was there any sign of giving battle, no display of flags or rolling of drums all day.

  At nightfall the army of Shu returned to camp, and Jiang Wei sent a letter reproaching his opponent with his failure to keep his word. Deng Ai treated the bearer of the letter with great courtesy and explained that he had been indisposed that day, but would certainly fight on the morrow.

  But the next day passed also without any move on the part of Wei; and the same thing went on for five days.

  Then said Fu Qian to his chief, “There is some knavery afoot, and we must be on our guard.”

  “They must be waiting for reinforcements that they may attack on three sides,” said Jiang Wei. “But now will I send into Wu and get Sun Chen to strike at the same time as I.”

  Just then scouts came to give the news of the rout of the army of Wu: “Sima Zhao has defeated Shouchun and killed Zhuge Dan. Many in the Wu army have gone over to Wei. Sima Zhao has gone to Luoyang and is planning to march an army to attack Changcheng.”

  “So our attack on Wei is but a sham!” said Jiang Wei, bitterly. “It is only a picture of a cake.”

  Four times he missed! He hailed

  The fifth occasion joyfully, and failed.

 
The next chapter will tell the story of the retreat.

  CHAPTER 113. Ding Feng Makes A Plan To Slay Sun Chen; Jiang Wei Arrays A Battle To Defeat Deng Ai.

  Fearing lest reinforcements would strengthen his enemy beyond his own power of resistance, Jiang Wei decided to retreat while he could. He sent all his stores and baggage away first with the footmen, and kept the cavalry to cover the retirement.

  The spies reported his movements to Deng Ai, who said, “He has gone because he knew that the main army would soon be upon him. Let him go, and do not follow. If we pursue, he will play us some evil trick.”

  Scouts were sent to keep in touch with the retreating army, and when they returned they reported that preparations of dry woods and straws had been made in the Luo Valley to check any pursuit with fire.

  The officers praised the prescience of Deng Ai, “General, your calculation is superhuman!”

  When Deng Ai reported these matters to the capital, Sima Zhao was very pleased and confer more rewards.

  The Prime Minister of Wu, Sun Chen, was greatly angered by the desertion of so many of his soldiers and officers to Wei, and revenged himself by putting their families to death. The Ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, disapproved of these acts of cruelty, but he was powerless.

  The young Emperor was of an ingenious turn of mind. One day he went to the West Park to eat of the newly ripened plums. He bade one of the eunuchs bring some honey. It was brought, but there were mouse droppings in it. The Ruler of Wu called the storekeeper and blamed him for carelessness.

  The storekeeper said, “We are very careful to keep the stores in good order, and the honey cannot not possibly have been fouled in the storehouse.”

  “Has any one asked you for honey lately?” asked the Ruler of Wu.

  “One of the eunuchs asked for some a few days ago. I refused him.”

  The Ruler of Wu called the named eunuch and said, “You defiled the honey out of spite.”

  The man denied it.

  “It is very easy to tell,” said the Ruler of Wu. “If the dirt has been lying in the honey for some time it will be wet all through.”

  Then the Ruler of Wu ordered them to cut one of the lumps, and it was quite dry inside. The eunuch then confessed.

  This shows the Ruler of Wu was quick-witted. But clever as he was, he could not control his Prime Minister, whose relatives were in command of all the garrisons and armies, so that he was unassailable. His

  four brothers all had high offices: Sun Jun was General Who Terrifies Distant Regions and Commander of Imperial Guards; Sun En, General Who Shows Prowess; Sun Gan, Imperial Commander; and Sun Kai, Commander of Changshui.

  One day the Ruler of Wu, musing over his sorrows and feeling very miserable, began to weep. The officer in charge of the eunuchs, who was an Imperial Brother-in-Law, stood by.

  “Sun Chen holds all real power and does as he wishes, while I am despised,” said the Ruler of Wu. “Something must be done.”

  Quan Ji said, “I would think no sacrifice too great if Your Majesty would make use of me.”

  “If you could muster the Palace Guards and help General Liu Cheng to keep the gates, I would go and murder that ruffian. But you must not let anyone know; for if you tell your noble mother, who is a sister of Sun Chen, she will tell her brother, and that would be very serious for me.”

  “Will Your Majesty give me a command that I may have authority to act when the time comes?” said Quan Ji. “At the critical moment I could show the edict and hold back Sun Chen's supporters.”

  The command was given, and Quan Ji went home. But he could not keep his secret, and confided the plan to his father, Quan Shang. His father told his wife, “Sun Chen will be got rid of in three days.”

  “Oh, he deserves that,” said she.

  Although she seemed to approve with her tongue, she sent a secret messenger with a letter to the proposed victim.

  That same night Sun Chen called in his four leader brothers, and the Palace was surrounded. The conspirators were seized, with Liu Cheng and Quan Shang and all their families.

  About dawn the Ruler of Wu was disturbed by a commotion at the gates, and a servant told him, “Sun Chen with his army has surrounded the Inner Palace.”

  Sun Liang knew that he had been betrayed. He turned on Empress Quan, who was of the Quan house, and reproached her.

  “Your father and brother have upset all my plans.”

  Drawing his sword, he was dashing out when his Consort and her people clung to his clothing and held him back.

  After putting to death Liu Cheng's and Quan Shang's parties, Sun Chen assembled the officers in the court and addressed them thus: “The Emperor is vicious and weak, depraved and foolish and unfit for his high office. Wherefore he must be deposed. Any of you who oppose will be punished as for conspiracy.”

  Only one of those present dared to say a word of protest.

  It was High Minister Huan Yi, who said, “How dare you utter such words? Our Emperor is very intelligent, and I will not support you. I would rather die.”

  Sun Chen wrathfully drew his sword and slew Huan Yi.

  Then Sun Chen went into the Palace and said to Sun Liang, “O unrighteous and unenlightened Highness, your death would be the only fitting reparation to make to the empire, but out of consideration for your ancestors you are only deposed and degraded to princely rank as Prince of Kuaiji. I will select a worthy successor.”

  Minister Li Zong was ordered to bring in the royal seal, which was delivered to Deng Cheng. The deposed ruler retired weeping.

  The sage example of the wise Yi Yin

  Perverted now to traitor's use we see;

  And Huo Guang's faithful services are made

  A cloak to cover vilest treachery.

  Even able princes are but toys of fate,

  And need our pity, fallen from high estate.

  Sun Chen then sent two ministers of the court, Sun Kai and Dong Chao, went as envoys to Hulin to request Sun Xiu, Prince of Langye, the sixth son of Sun Quan, to ascend the throne.

  The Emperor-elect had had some premonition of the high honor to which he was now called, for in a dream he saw he ascended into the skies seated on a dragon. Only the dragon seemed to have no tail. He woke up in a fright, and the next day brought the Imperial Envoys, Sun Kai and Dong Chao.

  Sun Xiu set out. At Que his carriage was stopped by a venerable old man who claimed to be Gan Xiu and offered felicitations.

  “Your Majesty should move faster, for things may change swiftly,” said the aged one.

  Sun Xiu thanked the old man.

  At Busai Pavilion awaited Sun En with a chariot, but Sun Xiu's modesty would not allow him to mount it. He remained in his own simple carriage and therein traveled to the Palace. Officials lined the road to salute him, and he dismounted to return their salutations. Then Sun Chen stood forth and bade them take the newly-elected Emperor by the arm and lead him into the Great Hall, where, after thrice refusing the honor, he at last took his seat in the Dragon Throne and received the jade seal passed from one ruler to another.

  When all the officers had made obeisance, there were the usual amnesties, promotions, and honors, and Eternal Tranquillity, the first year (AD 258), was the name of the new reign. Sun Chen was confirmed as Prime Minister, with the Protectorship of Jingzhou. Moreover, Sun Hao, the son of his elder brother, was created Lord of Wucheng.

  Sun Chen, with five persons in his family holding lordships and the whole army under their command, was immensely powerful, able to set up and pull down at will. The new Ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, secretly feared him; and although outwardly he showed Sun Chen great favor, yet he kept careful watch over Sun Chen, whose arrogance knew no bounds.

  In the winter Sun Chen sent into the Palace presents of oxen and wine as birthday gifts. The Ruler of Wu declined them. Sun Chen was very annoyed and took the presents to Zhang Bu's residence, where they two dined together. Zhang Bu was the General of the Left Army.

  When warmed with wine, Sun Chen said, �
��When I deposed the present Prince of Kuaiji, many people urged me to take the throne myself. But I acted magnanimously and set up this present Emperor. Now I suffer the mortification of seeing my presents rejected. You will see what will come of this slight.”

  Zhang Bu showed sympathy, but the next day he secretly told the Ruler of Wu, and Sun Xiu's fears increased so that he could not rest. Shortly after this, Sun Chen sent a large body of troops under the command of Minister Meng Zong into camp at Wuchang, and Sun Chen armed them from the state arsenals.

  Whereupon General Wei Miao and Imperial Guard Shi Shuo secretly memorialized the Ruler of Wu: “Sun Chen has moved the troops outside and provided them with state arms. This action points to rebellion.”

  Sun Xiu was shocked, and called in Zhang Bu to consult, and he said, “The Veteran General Ding Feng is an able and trustworthy officer. He should be consulted.”

  So Ding Feng was called and taken into the Emperor's confidence.

  “Have no anxiety,” said Ding Feng. “I will find some way of ridding the state of this evil.”

  “What do you propose?”

  “When the winter court is held, and all the officers are assembled, spread a great banquet and invite Sun Chen. I shall be ready to act.”

  Wei Miao and Shi Shuo were taken into the plot and were to do what was possible outside the palace, and Zhang Bu saw to arrangements within.

  One night a heavy storm came on to blow, which tore up great trees by the roots. However, by daylight it had abated, and that morning an Emperor's messenger arrived bearing an invitation to a banquet in the royal palace. Sun Chen rose from his couch, and, as he did so, fell flat on the ground as though he had been pushed from behind. This accident troubled him, and he felt apprehensive, so he called half a score of his trusty guards to act as his escort to the palace.

  As he was leaving home, his family besought him not to go out, saying, “The storm last night and the fall this morning are fearful omens. You should not go to that banquet.”