The Three Kingdoms, Volume 2: The Sleeping Dragon: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation

by Luo Guanzhong

  “You are really a man after my own heart.”

  So he summoned the emissary from Wu and overwhelmed him with gifts. That day was the last of the feasting and merry-making and Cao Cao, with all the company, returned to the capital, where he at once presented a memorial to the Emperor assigning Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu to the posts mentioned above, while retaining Hua Xin at the capital.

  A messenger bearing the commissions for their new offices was sent down to Wu and both Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu accepted the appointments. This move of Cao Cao’s made Zhou Yu all the more anxious to have his revenge on Liu Bei. He wrote to Sun Quan, asking him to send Lu Su to Liu Bei to renew the demand for returning Jingzhou.

  So Lu Su was summoned and his master said to him, “You are the guarantor in the loan of Jingzhou to Liu Bei, but he still delays in returning it. How long am I to wait?”

  “The writing said plainly that it would be handed over to us after his occupation of West Chuan.”

  “What is the use of such an empty promise?” Sun Quan retorted. “So far, they have not moved a single soldier to capture it. Am I supposed to wait until I grow old?”

  “I will go and inquire,” said Lu Su. So he took a boat and sailed to Jingzhou.

  Meanwhile, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were at Jingzhou gathering in supplies in large quantities, and drilling their men. From all quarters men of learning flocked to their side. In the midst of this they heard of Lu Su’s coming and Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang what he thought of it.

  Zhuge Liang replied, “Only lately has Sun Quan concerned himself with getting you appointed governor of Jingzhou, which was intended to implant fear in Cao Cao. In his turn, Cao Cao obtained for Zhou Yu the prefectship of Nanjun, which was designed to stir up strife between our two sides and set us fighting so that he might accomplish his own ends. This visit of Lu Su means that Zhou Yu, having been assigned this new office, wishes to force us out of this place.”

  “Then how are we to reply?”

  “If he mentions the subject, you should just start wailing loudly. When your lamentation is at its saddest I will appear to deal with him.”

  Having decided on their plan Liu Bei received Lu Su at his residence. When greetings were exchanged the guest was asked to take a seat.

  “Sir, as the husband of a daughter of Wu you have become my master,” said Lu Su. “And I dare not sit in your presence.”

  Liu Bei laughed. “You are an old friend,” he said. “Why this excessive politeness?”

  So Lu Su took his seat. And when tea had been served the guest said, “I have come at the order of my master to discuss the subject of Jingzhou. You have had the use of the place for a long time. Now that our two houses are allied by marriage, I hope you will hand it back to my master for family’s sake.”

  At this Liu Bei covered his face and began to cry.

  “What is the matter?” asked the guest.

  Liu Bei only wept the more bitterly.

  Then Zhuge Liang came in from behind a screen and said, “I have been listening. Do you know why my lord weeps so bitterly?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “But it’s easy to see. When my lord sought temporary occupation of Jingzhou, he promised to return it when he had obtained the western region. But when he comes to consider it there are grave difficulties. Now Liu Zhang of Yizhou is a brother of my lord, both being blood relations of the ruling family. If my lord were to move an army to attack Liu Zhang’s cities, he fears he would be blamed by the world. And if he doesn’t, after he has yielded Jingzhou to your master, where can he stay? Yet, if he retained this place he would offend the brother of his bride. This is indeed a complicated matter and that is why he weeps so bitterly.”

  Zhuge Liang’s words touched Liu Bei to the heart and he beat his breast and stamped his feet, weeping even more bitterly.

  Lu Su attempted to console him by saying, “Do not be distressed, sir. Let us hear what Zhuge Liang proposes.”

  “I would beg you to return to your master and tell him all. Tell him of this great dilemma and entreat him to let us stay here a little longer.”

  “But suppose he refuses—what then?” asked Lu Su.

  “How can he refuse now that he is related by marriage to my master?” asked Zhuge Liang. “I hope you will use your eloquence to persuade him.”

  Lu Su was by nature a kindly man and, seeing Liu Bei in such distress, he could not but consent. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang both thanked him most cordially, and after a banquet the emissary took his boat to return. However, he went straight to Caisang to see Zhou Yu and tell him what had happened.

  Zhou Yu stamped his feet and cried, “My friend, you’ve been fooled again. In the days when Liu Bei was still dependent on Liu Biao, he had often cherished the intention to supplant the latter. Do you think he’ll pity Liu Zhang in the least? As I see it, this will mean much trouble for you. However, I have a scheme which I think can beat Zhuge Liang. Only you’ll have to make another journey.”

  “I should be pleased to hear your fine scheme,” said Lu Su.

  “Don’t go to see our master now. Return to Jingzhou and say to Liu Bei that since his family and the Suns are related by marriage, they really form but one house, and since he has apprehensions about attacking the west we will do it for him. Once we acquire the region we will exchange it for Jingzhou.”

  “But West Chuan is far away and not easy to reach. Can your scheme work?”

  “You really are the most honest man!” Zhou Yu laughed. “We’ll move our army out under this pretext, but actually we will go to Jingzhou, and we’ll catch him unprepared. The road to the west runs through his city and we’ll call upon him for supplies. He’ll certainly come out to thank the army and we’ll take the opportunity to slay him and seize Jingzhou. In this way we can have our revenge and at the same time resolve your predicament.”

  This seemed an excellent plan to Lu Su and he returned once more to Jingzhou. Before receiving him, Liu Bei against sought advice from Zhuge Liang.

  Zhuge Liang said, “I do not think he has been to see his master—instead, he has called on Zhou Yu at Caisang. They must have decided upon some scheme, which he is to talk you into accepting. However, let him talk— only watch me and when you see me nod, agree to whatever he may propose.”

  Lu Su was then admitted. “My master admires your noble virtue, sir,” he said to Liu Bei. “And after consultations with his officers he has decided to take West Chuan on your behalf and, when that place is subdued, it will be given to you as a dowry for his sister, while Jingzhou can be exchanged for it without further delay. However, when the army passes here he expects you to contribute some necessary supplies.”

  Here Zhuge Liang at once nodded, at the same time saying, “We could hardly have hoped for such kindness.”

  At this signal Liu Bei thanked Lu Su with joined hands and said, “This is due to your efforts on our behalf.”

  “When your mighty army arrives we’ll certainly come out to meet it and entertain the soldiers,” said Zhuge Liang.

  Lu Su rejoiced in secret and soon took his leave and went homeward.

  But Liu Bei as yet could not figure out what all this was about and he asked his advisor of Lu Su’s real intention.

  Zhuge Liang laughed. “Zhou Yu’s days are numbered. That ruse of his cannot even deceive a child.”

  Liu Bei again asked him for an explanation.

  “This ruse is known as ‘Borrowing a passageway to exterminate the kingdom of Guo.’* Under the pretense of going to attack the west they intend to capture this place, and when you go out to greet their army you will be seized; then they will dash into the city, which they hope to find unprepared.”

  “And what are we to do?”

  “Have no fear—all we have to do is ‘to prepare a hidden bow to get the fierce tiger; to spread the enticing bait to hook the big fish.’ When Zhou Yu comes this time, he will be nine-tenths a corpse, if not completely dead.”

  Then he called in Zhao Yun and gave
him secret instructions. Liu Bei was overjoyed.

  Let Zhou Yu lay what plans he will,

  His rival anticipated his skill;

  Fair his bait did seem to look,

  But he forgot the hidden hook.

  Lu Su hastened back to Zhou Yu to tell him that all was going as he desired and Liu Bei would come out to welcome the army. Zhou Yu laughed gleefully, saying, “At last! This time they will fall into my trap!”

  He asked Lu Su to submit a report to their master and ordered Cheng Pu to bring up reinforcements. By then, he had nearly recovered from the arrow wound and felt quite himself again. The army, totaling 50,000 men, was divided into three sections and Zhou Yu was with the second division. While voyaging in his ship he could not contain himself with joy to think how he was to trap Zhuge Liang at last.

  At Xiakou he inquired if there was anyone to welcome him. His men told him that Liu Bei had sent Mi Zhu to meet him.

  “What about the rewards for the army?” asked Zhou Yu as soon as Mi Zhu came.

  “My master has seen to that—all is prepared,” said Mi Zhu.

  “Where is Liu Bei?” asked Zhou Yu.

  “He is at Jingzhou, waiting outside the city walls to offer you some wine before you set off.”

  “This long expedition is for your benefit,” said Zhou Yu. “The rewards for our army must be very substantial.”

  Having listened to what Zhou Yu had to say, Mi Zhu returned to his own city, while the battleships of Wu sailed in close order up the river and took their places along the bank. As they approached the town of Gongan, quietness seemed to reign on all sides. Not a ship was visible anywhere, nor was anyone waiting to greet them. Zhou Yu pressed forward till he came quite near Jingzhou, and still the wide river lay calm. Scouts came back to report that two white flags were flying on the city walls, but there was no one in sight.

  Zhou Yu began to feel suspicious. He ordered his fleet to anchor along the bank and he went ashore, from where he rode toward Jingzhou, together with his officers and 3,000 veteran soldiers.

  Presently he came to the city wall. There was no sign of life. Reining in his steed, he bade his soldiers call at the gate. Then a guard posted on the wall asked who they were. The men of Wu replied that it was their commander in person. Immediately, the clang of a clapper was heard and the wall became alive with armed men. And from the tower came out Zhao Yun who demanded, “Why are you here, General?”

  “I am going to take the west for you,” replied Zhou Yu. “Have you not been told?”

  “Our advisor knows that you want to try the ruse of ‘borrowing a passageway to destroy the kingdom of Guo’ and so he stationed me here. And my master said that as he and the ruler of the west country are both members of the reigning family, he could not think of such baseness as attacking West Chuan. If you people of Wu do so, he would be forced to go away into the mountains and become a recluse. He could not bear to betray the confidence of the people.”

  At this Zhou Yu turned his horse to return but just then his scouts came up to say that an unknown number of armed troops had come up from all four sides, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei leading two of them. Soon the sound of their tramping shook the very heavens. They all shouted they wanted to capture Zhou Yu.

  At this Zhou Yu’s anger was so intense that his old wound burst open again and with a great cry, he collapsed to the ground.

  Too deep for him his rival is; in vain he sought

  Moves after moves; his efforts came to nought.

  The fate of Zhou Yu will be related in the next chapter.

  Footnote

  * An allusion to an incident from the days of the Spring and Autumn period. The ruler of Jin borrowed a passageway from the state of Yu to attack the state of Guo, but returning from his victory in subduing Kuo he also wiped out Yu.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  Zhuge Liang Mourns at Caisang

  Pang Tong Governs at Leiyang

  In the last chapter it was narrated that a sudden rage filled the bosom of Zhou Yu and he fell to the ground. Then he was carried to his boat. It only added to his rage and mortification to be told that his rivals could be seen on the top of a hill drinking and enjoying themselves. He cried, grinding his teeth: “They think I will never be able to gain West Chuan. But I will! I swear I will!”

  As he lay vowing to avenge himself, his master’s brother, Sun Yu, arrived and Zhou Yu told him everything that had happened.

  “My brother sent me to assist you,” said Sun Yu.

  So orders were given for the army to press forward. When they got to Baqiu, however, their advance stopped, for scouts reported large forces under Liu Feng and Guan Ping barring the river route. This failure added fuel to the flames of Zhou Yu’s anger.

  About this time a letter from Zhuge Liang arrived, which ran as follows:

  “Since our parting at Caisang I have thought of you often. Now I hear that you desire to take West Chuan, which I deem an unwise course of action. The people there are strong and the country is precipitous and difficult to occupy. Weak as its governor is, he is able to defend himself. Now you exhaust your army with this arduous expedition that covers 10,000 li in distance in order to render a great service, yet can anyone foretell the final result? No, not even the great ancient general Wu Qi could say for certain, nor could Sun Wu be sure of a success. Furthermore, Cao Cao suffered a severe defeat at the Red Cliff—do you think he will ever cease to seek revenge? Now if you undertake a long expedition, will he not seize the occasion to fall upon Wu and grind it to dust? Such an outcome is more than I could bear and I venture to warn you of the possible danger. I wish you may condescend to consider this.”

  As he finished reading the letter Zhou Yu heaved a deep sigh of sorrow. He called for paper and brush to write to his lord and, having done this, he said to his officers assembled around him: “It is not that I don’t want to do my best for my country, but my end is at hand. You must continue to aid our master till his great design is achieved.”

  Here he fainted. Slowly he regained consciousness and as he looked up to Heaven he sighed pensively, “Oh God, since you made me; why did you also create Zhuge Liang?”

  Soon after he passed away; he was only thirty-six.

  At the battle of the Red Cliff he made his name;

  Though young in years a veteran’s renown he gained.

  In songs his lofty aspirations are unveiled;

  With hospitality he entertained his friends.

  Persuasive, he once obtained a large gift of grain;

  Capable, he led an army of tens of thousands.

  Baqiu was his deathbed, there his fate found him.

  Sadly, indeed, people mourned him.

  After his death his officers dispatched his dying message to Sun Quan, who burst into loud wailing at the sad tiding. When he opened the letter he saw that the deceased general had recommended Lu Su as his successor. This is the letter:

  Possessing but ordinary abilities, there was no reason why I should have been the recipient of your confidence and high office, but I have spared no efforts in the leadership of your great army in order that I might prove my gratitude. Yet none can measure life and the number of our days is ordained by fate. Before I could attain my desires my feeble body has failed me. How I regret this! At present Cao Cao is threatening us in the north and our battle with him is not yet over, while Liu Bei lives on our land, ready to fall on us like a fierce tiger. None can foretell the fate of the empire in these weary days of stress for the officers and of particular anxiety for you, my lord.

  Lu Su is most loyal, careful in all matters and a suitable man to succeed to my office. When a man is near death his words are sincere. If you would give it a favorable consideration I would die contented.

  “He had talents worthy to be a king’s counselor,” cried Sun Quan, amid his tears. “He has left me, alas! too soon, and whom can I depend upon? But he recommended Lu Su and I can do nothing better than take that advice.”

  Thus he appo
inted Lu Su commander-in-chief. In the meantime, he also saw to it that the coffin of his beloved general was sent back to Caisang for the funeral.

  On the night of Zhou Yu’s death, Zhuge Liang was gazing up at the heavens when he saw a bright star fall to the earth. “Zhou Yu is dead,” he said to himself with a smile. At dawn he told this to Liu Bei, who sent men to find out, and they soon came back to confirm his death.

  “Now that he is dead, what will happen?” asked Liu Bei.

  “Lu Su is sure to succeed him,” said Zhuge Liang. “I see in the heavens signs of an assembly of capable men in the east so I will go there under the pretext of mourning for Zhou Yu. I will find some able scholars there to help you.”

  “But the officers of Wu might harm you,” said Liu Bei.

  “While Zhou Yu was alive I had no fear—is there anything to dread now that he is gone?”

  However, he took Zhao Yun as commander of his escort of five hundred soldiers when he embarked for Baqiu, and on the way he heard of Lu Su’s succession to the late general’s post. As the coffin of Zhou Yu had been sent to Caisang, Zhuge Liang continued his journey there and, on landing, was kindly received by Lu Su. The officers of Wu did not conceal their enmity but the sight of the redoubtable Zhao Yun, always close at hand, kept them from trying to hurt Zhuge Liang.

  The sacrificial offerings brought by Zhuge Liang were arranged in order before the bier and he himself poured the libation. Then he knelt and read this chant of lamentation:

  Alas, Gong-Jin (Zhou Yu)! How tragic it is for you to die in your prime! One’s length of life is in the hands of God, yet do men suffer and my heart is deeply grieved for you. I pour this libation that your spirit may enjoy its fragrance.

  How I lament for you! I recall your younger days passed in the companionship of Sun Ce, when, generous in your care for the needy, you gave up your abode for him.