Xu Shu smiled. “And what of the fate of these 830,000 northern men here?” he challenged.
“Do you really intend to wreck my scheme?”
“I’ve never forgotten the kindness of Liu Bei, nor my oath to avenge the death of my mother on Cao Cao. I’ve pledged never to plan anything for him. Am I likely to wreck yours now? But I’m here with the army and after its defeat, everyone, good or bad, will suffer alike. How can I escape? Tell me how I can secure safety and I’ll seal my lips and go away.”
Pang Tong smiled, “That shouldn’t be a problem for a man of your genius.”
“Please instruct me what to do.”
So Pang Tong whispered something in his ear, which seemed to please Xu Shu greatly, for he thanked him most cordially. Then Pang Tong took his leave and went back to the southern shore in his boat.
That night, Xu Shu sent his men to spread certain rumors in the various camps. The next day, men in small groups were seen everywhere, whispering to each other till the camps were abuzz. Some of the men went to Cao Cao and told him that a rumor was going around that Han Sui and Ma Teng were going to attack the capital. This troubled Cao Cao, who called his advisors to a council. He said, “The only anxiety I have about this expedition is what mischief Han Sui and Ma Teng might be up to. Now there is a rumor running among the men, and though this may not be true, it is necessary to be on our guard.”
At this point Xu Shu said, “You have been kind enough to give me a post, sir, and I have really done nothing in return. Give me 3,000 men and I will leave at once to guard San Pass. If any pressing matter occurs I will report to you at once.”
“If you can go I will have no worries. There are already some troops at the pass, who will be under your command, and now I will give you 3,000 more cavalry and foot soldiers. Let Zhang Ba be the leader of the van. You must set out at once.”
Xu Shu took his leave and left, in company with Zhang Ba. This was the very scheme that Pang Tong had told his friend to secure his safety.
Cao Cao marched south, but at his back
There was the fear of rear attack.
Pang Tong’s good counsel Xu Shu took,
And thus the fish escaped the hook.
Cao Cao’s anxiety diminished after he had sent away Xu Shu. Then he mounted and went down to inspect his troops—first the land forces and then the naval. He boarded a large ship on whose tall mast fluttered the standard bearing the large character for commander. The naval camps were arranged on the two sides and on the ships were deployed a thousand bows and crossbows.
It was the full moon of the eleventh month of the thirteenth year of Jian An. The sky was clear. There was no wind and the river lay calm. Cao Cao ordered his men to prepare a great banquet with music and he invited all his advisors and officers. As evening drew on the moon rose over the eastern hills in its immaculate splendor and beneath it lay the broad belt of the river, like a band of pure white silk. It was a great assembly—all the guests were clad in gorgeous silks and embroidered robes and the weapons of the fighting men glittered in the moonlight. The officials, civil and military, were seated in order of precedence.
The setting, too, was exquisite. The Nanping hills were outlined as in a picture. In the east lay the boundaries of Caisang; in the west the river stretched as far as Xiakou; in the south lay the Hills of Fan; while in the north was the Forest of Wulin. There was wide open space on every side.
Thrilled by the enchanting scenery, Cao Cao addressed the assembly: “My one aim since I enlisted my first band of volunteers has been the removal of evil from the state and I have sworn to cleanse the country and restore tranquillity. Now there is only this land of Wu that I have not conquered. But, with my army of one million men and the great effort of you gentlemen, I have no doubt of my final success. After I have subdued Wu there will be no trouble in all the country. Then we will live in peace, enjoying wealth and honor together.”
They rose in a body to express their appreciation. “May Your Lordship soon win complete victory, and for all our lives we will repose in the shade of your good fortune.”
In his elation Cao Cao told the servants to serve the wine and the guests drank till late. Mellow with drink, he pointed to the south bank and said, “Zhou Yu and Lu Su, you know nothing about the will of Heaven. Now you have the misfortune of the desertion of your own officers. Heaven is indeed on my side.”
“Say nothing about these,” warned Xun You, “lest they become known to the enemy.”
But Cao Cao only laughed. “All of you present here are my trusted men, officers, or attendants. There is nothing to fear.”
Pointing to Xiakou he continued, “Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, how foolish of you to attempt to shake Mount Tai with your puny force of ants!”
Then turning to his followers, he said, “I am now fifty-four. If I gain Wu, I have one special wish. In the past, Lord Qiao and I were great friends and I know his two daughters are lovely beyond words. I wasn’t aware that they were later married to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. But now I have built the Bronze Bird Tower on the Zhang River and if I conquer the south I will get the two fair ladies and keep them in the tower to comfort my declining years. My desires will then be complete.”
He laughed heartily at the prospect.
Du Mu, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, once wrote,
A broken halberd buried in the sand,
With deep rust eaten,
Loud tells of ancient battles on the strand,
When Cao was beaten.
Had eastern winds Zhou’s plan refused to aid
And fan the flame,
Two captives fair, locked in the Bronze Bird’s shade,
Would’ve gone to shame.
But suddenly amid the merriment was heard the hoarse cry of a raven flying toward the south.
“Why does that raven cry like this in the night?” asked Cao Cao.
“The moon is so bright that he thinks it is day,” they said, “and so he cries and leaves his tree.”
Cao Cao burst into more hearty laughter. By this time he was quite intoxicated. He set up his spear in the prow of the ship and poured a libation into the river and then drank three brimming goblets. Holding the spear, he said, “With this spear I have broken up the Yellow Turbans, captured Lu Bu, destroyed Yuan Shu, subdued Yuan Shao, penetrated into the far north, and reached Liaodong. I have fought throughout the empire as a true hero does. This scene before me moves me to the depths and I will sing a song. I want you all to accompany me.”
And so he sang:
Songs are to go with wine,
For brief indeed is life.
Like the dew drops at dawn
How time has passed beyond recall!
Man’s life may be spent in the noblest enterprise,
But sorrowful thoughts in his heart oft arise.
Let us wash away our lament that intrude,
With bumpers of wine such as Du Kang once brewed.
Gone are my days of youthful fire
And still ungained is my desire.
I wait and ponder till now
For my thoughts are to you bound.
The deer feed on the level plain
And joyful call, then feed again.
My noble guests are gathered round,
The air is trilled with joyful sound.
Splendid is the moonlight
That forever is bright.
Sadness rises in my heart
Never will it cease to hurt.
Crossing fields and paths,
Friends come to greet me.
Merrily we talk and feast,
Our hearts warm with friendships past.
The stars are paled by the full moon’s light,
The raven wings his southward flight,
And thrice he circles round a tree,
No place thereon to rest finds he.
The mountains can never be too high,
Nor can the waters be too deep.
Duke Zhou welcomed the valiant and
the wise,
And men gathered around him from all sides.
When he had finished they sang it with him and were all exceedingly merry. However, one guest suddenly said, “When the great army is on the point of battle and officers and men are about to risk their lives, why do you, sir, speak such words of ill fortune?”
Cao Cao turned quickly toward the speaker, who was Liu Fu, Governor of Yangzhou. This Liu started his career from Hefei. When first appointed to his post, he had quelled the runaway people and restored order. He had founded schools and encouraged the people to farm the land. In his many years of employment with Cao Cao he had rendered valuable services.
Holding his spear crosswise Cao Cao asked, “What ill-omened words have I used?”
“You spoke of the moon diming the stars and the raven flying southward without finding a resting place after circling round the trees for three times. These are ill-omened words.”
“How dare you blight my joy?” cried Cao Cao in wrath. With that he raised his spear and slew Liu Fu.
The assembly broke up and the guests dispersed in fear and confusion. The next day, when he had recovered from his drunkeness, Cao Cao grieved at what he had done. When the victim’s son came to beg for the body of his father for burial, Cao Cao wept and expressed his sorrow.
“I killed your father by mistake, for I was drunk yesterday. I am exceedingly sorry for that. Your father shall be interred with the honors of a minister of the highest rank.”
He sent a band of soldiers to escort the body home for burial without delay.
On the following day the two leaders of the naval force came to report that the ships, large or small, had been connected together by chains and all the other war preparations were complete. They told him that the navy was ready to receive his orders to begin the attack.
Therefore Cao Cao took his seat on board a large ship in the center of the naval camp, while all the officers of both land and naval forces assembled on his two sides to receive orders. The various armies and squadrons under the command of ten veteran officers were distinguished by flags of five different colors: the central naval squadron, yellow; the leading squadron, red; the rear squadron, black; the left, blue; and the right, white. For the horse soldiers on shore the vanguard had a red flag; for the rearguard, black; and blue and white for the two wings respectively. Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong were in charge of reserve forces and Xu Chu and Zhang Liao were responsible for directing troop movements and general inspection. The other officers were also given command of various units.
All being ready, there sounded three rolls of drums and the ships sailed out of the twenty-four gates under a strong northwest wind. When they got among the surging waves they were found to be as steady as on dry land. The northern men on the ships displayed their bravery by flourishing their swords and spears. The different squadrons with their distinctive flags kept to their places in the front or rear, right or left, while fifty light craft sailed to and fro keeping order and directing progress.
Cao Cao, watching the maneuvers of his navy from the commander’s platform, rejoiced greatly at heart, thinking that this surely meant the way to victory. He recalled the ships and the squadrons returned in perfect order to their base.
Back in his tent, Cao Cao said to his advisors, “If Heaven had not been on my side, how could I have got this excellent plan from Pang Tong? Now that the ships are attached firmly to each other, we can cross the river as easily as walking on level land.”
“This is quite true,” said Cheng Yu, “but what if the enemy should use fire? It will be impossible for the ships to scatter to avoid it. We must guard against this danger.”
Cao Cao laughed. “You look a long way ahead,” he said, “but there is something you have missed.”
“He is right,” said Xun Yu. “Why do you laugh at him?”
“The use of fire in an attack depends upon the wind. Here we are in the middle of winter and only west and north winds blow. How can there be winds from the east or south? We are to the northwest, whereas our enemy is on the south bank. If they use fire they will destroy themselves. We have nothing to fear. If it were the tenth moon when the weather may be as warm as spring, I would have long taken precautions.”
“Your superior foresight has no match,” said the others in chorus, now fully convinced.
“With northern men unused to ships I could never have crossed the river but for this plan,” said Cao Cao.
At this, two minor officers stepped forward and cried, “We are from the north, but we are also sailors. Give us twenty boats and we will sail across and seize some of the enemy’s flags and drums for you, so that we may prove ourselves adepts on the water as well.”
The speakers were two men who had formerly served under Yuan Shao, named Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan.
“I do not think this would suit you two, born and brought up in the north,” said Cao Cao. “The southern men are thoroughly accustomed to ships. This is no child’s game and you should not risk your lives.”
Still they persisted. “If we fail, we are willing to be punished according to army laws.”
“The fighting ships are all chained together,” said Cao Cao. “There are only small twenty-man boats left. They are unsuitable for fighting.”
Jiao Chu said, “If we took large ships, would there be anything remarkable? We beg you to give us a score of the small boats—we will go straight to the enemy’s camp today, seize a flag, slay an officer, and return.”
Cao Cao was persuaded and said, “I will let you have twenty boats and 500 good, valiant men armed with long spears and strong crossbows. Early tomorrow I will order the main fleet to make a demonstration on the river and I will also tell Wen Ping to support you on your withdrawal with thirty ships.”
The two men went off, greatly elated. The next morning, the troops had an early meal and at the fifth watch all was ready for the action. Then from the naval camp drums rolled and gongs clanged as the ships moved out and took up their positions on the water, their flags fluttering in the morning wind, displaying alternating colors of red and green. And the two intrepid leaders with their squadron of small boats went down the lines and out into the stream toward the southern shore.
Now the sound of drums at Cao Cao’s camp the previous day had been heard on the southern bank and scouts had seen his fleet maneuvering in the open river. Zhou Yu, who was immediately informed about this, went to the top of a hill to watch but the fleet had already withdrawn. So when the sound of drums was again heard, scouts hastened to climb up and watch. They saw coming toward them a squadron of small boats bounding over the waves. In great haste, they reported this to Zhou Yu, who called for volunteers to repel them. Han Dang and Zhou Tai offered themselves. Zhou Yu was pleased. Then he ordered his officers to guard their camps closely and not to go rashly into action.
Han Dang and Zhou Tai sailed out from right and left, each with five scout boats.
Meanwhile, the two braggarts from the north, driven by a desire to seem brave, came down swiftly under the powerful strokes of the oars. As they neared, Han Dang, wearing armor to protect his heart, stood in the prow of his boat, gripping a spear. Jiao Chu, who was ahead of his friend, ordered his men to shoot at Han Dang, who fended off the arrows with his shield. Jiao Chu twirled his long spear as he engaged his opponent. But, at the first thrust, he was killed.
His friend Zhang Nan was coming up with great shouts when Zhou Tai arrived from the side and intercepted him and these two squadrons began shooting arrows at each other in clouds. When his boat was still some seven or eight feet away from his opponent’s, Zhou Tai, with his shield in one hand and his sword in the other, leaped across and cut down Zhang Nan, who fell into the water. Then he started killing the soldiers on the boat. All the other northern boats rowed hard to get away. The southerners pursued but soon came in sight of Wen Ping’s supporting squadron. Once more fighting broke out between the opposing forces.
Zhou Yu stood on a hill with his officers and
looked over to the other shore where the northern vessels ranged, their flags and ensigns in perfect order. Then he looked back at Han Dang and Zhou Tai engaged in battle with Wen Ping. It soon became evident that the latter was no match for his own officers. Wen Ping turned about to flee, and Zhou Tai and Han Dang pursued. Zhou Yu, fearing lest they should go too far into the enemy’s area, hoisted a white flag and sounded the gongs of recall. The northern vessels also returned to their camps.
To his officers Zhou Yu said, “The masts of the northern ships stand thick as reeds and Cao Cao himself is full of wiles. What is the best plan to destroy him?”
Before anyone could reply, something happened that grabbed their attention. The pole of the great yellow flag in the center of Cao Cao’s fleet suddenly snapped in the wind, sending the flag right into the river.
Zhou Yu laughed. “That’s a bad omen for them,” he said.
Just then, a violent blast of wind swept up and the high waves beat upon the shore. A corner of his own flag brushed Zhou Yu on the cheek and suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. He uttered a loud cry and fell backward, while blood oozed out of his mouth. The others hastened to pick him up but he had already lost consciousness.
At one time he laughed, at another he cried,
To ensure a triumph over the north is quite hard.
Whether Zhou Yu would live or die will be revealed in the next chapter.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
On the Altar of Seven Stars Zhuge Liang Prays for an Easterly Wind
At the Junction of Three Rivers Zhou Yu Sets Fire to Cao Cao’s Fleet
At the end of the last chapter Zhou Yu was seized by a sudden illness as he was watching the fleet of his enemy. He was carried into his tent and all his officers came to inquire after him. They said to each other in dismay, “What a disaster that our commander should be taken ill when Cao Cao with his million men threatens to devour us! What if he should attack now?”
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 2: The Sleeping Dragon: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Page 19