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

by Luo Guanzhong

  Zhang Fei thanked him again and again, and the march to implement this plan began. Whenever the army arrived at a garrison, the old general summoned the commanding officer to submit and there it ended. Occasionally, one would hesitate, and Yan Yan would say, “You see, even I have submitted—what can you do?”

  These bloodless victories followed each other, day after day. The officers of Shu simply came at Yan Yan’s bidding. Not a single battle was fought.

  In the meantime, Liu Bei had received Zhuge Liang’s letter in which he informed him of the date of departure and of the forthcoming meeting at Luocheng. So he assembled his officers and said, “Our advisor and my brother left Jingzhou on the twenty-second day of the seventh month, one by water and the other by land. They will meet us here at Luocheng and then move on to Chengdu. They will be here any moment now. We must prepare for our offensive.”

  Huang Zhong said, “Day after day Zhang Ren has come to challenge us, but day after day we have refused. This has worn down their fighting spirit and they will be off their guard. I propose we engineer a raid on their camp tonight. We will catch them unprepared and score a victory.”

  Liu Bei agreed to try. That night they set out at the second watch in three divisions, with Huang Zhong on the right, Wei Yan on the left, and Liu Bei in command of the center force. They found their opponents unprepared as they had expected, so it was possible for them to force their way into the camp and set it on fire. The mounting flames sent the men of Shu fleeing to seek shelter in Luocheng, where they were admitted. After pursuing them for some distance Liu Bei made a temporary camp on the road.

  The next day Liu Bei led his men right up to the city to besiege it. Zhang Ren kept quiet within and made no attempt to beat off the besiegers. On the fourth day Liu Bei led an attack on the west gate, sending his two warriors to attack the east. The south and north gates were left to give the besieged a chance to escape, if they would.

  Now, outside the south gate of Luocheng the country was rough and hilly, while the swift Fu River ran past the north. For this reason the city could not be surrounded. From the city wall Zhang Ren watched the progress of the attack and saw Liu Bei the whole day riding to and fro, directing the assault at the west gate. As the day waned he noticed that the attacking force showed signs of fatigue. Therefore he asked his two colleagues, Wu Lan and Lei Tong, to go out through the north gate and then turn to the east gate to attack Liu Bei’s two officers, while he himself would go out by the south gate and steal round to attack Liu Bei at the west. Lest the withdrawal of men from the ramparts should be noticed by his enemy, he sent the militia up on the walls and told them to shout loudly to reinforce the rolling of the drums.

  At sundown Liu Bei ordered the retreat of his army. But as the rearmost company turned about to march back to camp, there arose loud shouting from inside the city, and out at the south gate burst Zhang Ren and his force. Zhang Ren made straight for Liu Bei, who was in the middle of his army. His men were thrown into confusion. As his two officers on the east side were also attacked, they could render no help, and Liu Bei, being no match for his opponent, fled to the hills. Zhang Ren followed with a few of his men and soon got very near. It was a chase of several against one solitary rider, and as Liu Bei plied his whip he felt that the odds were much against him. Just then he saw another company of soldiers ahead, emerging from a hill path.

  “An ambush in front, pursuers in rear! Surely Heaven wishes to destroy me!” he cried.

  But all was not lost. As the force facing him drew near he recognized his own men, and the leader who dashed to meet him was his brother Zhang Fei.

  Zhang Fei and Yan Yan had happened to take that road and, seeing the dust of battle, Zhang Fei had hastened forward by himself.

  The two Zhangs soon came up with each other and they fought more than ten bouts. By this time, Yan Yan with the main body also came up, and Zhang Ren turned and fled. Zhang Fei followed and chased him as far as the city wall. The gate was opened to allow Zhang Ren to enter and at once the drawbridge was raised.

  Then Zhang Fei returned to his brother. Hearing that Zhuge Liang had not yet arrived, he rejoiced, saying, “So I have the credit of earlier arrival, although he’s traveling by river.”

  Liu Bei said, “But how is it you’ve come so quickly? The roads you have to travel are so precipitous that there’s bound to be opposition.”

  Zhang Fei replied, “Well, thanks to General Yan I’ve taken the forty-five cities or passes on the way without the least effort. It was not by my own merit at all.”

  Then he related the story of the old general Yan Yan from beginning to end, and then presented the man himself.

  Liu Bei said gratefully, “Without your help, General, my brother was certainly unable to come so soon.” He took off the golden chain armor he was wearing and gave it to his new ally.

  A banquet was being prepared when scouts came to say that Huang Zhong and Wei Yan had been fighting with the two officers of Shu, who were later reinforced by Liu Gui and Wu Yi from the city. Unable to resist four opponents, they had fled eastward. Zhang Fei at once asked his brother to go with him to rescue them. Both went. When Liu Gui and Wu Yi saw them coming they hastened to return into the city. The other two, Wu Lan and Lei Tong, who had been following Liu Bei’s men, were not aware of this new development. Soon, however, they found their way of retreat cut off by the arrival of Liu Bei and his brother and their front was attacked by Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, who had turned back and rejoined the battle. Caught between two fires and helpless, they had to surrender. Liu Bei accepted their submission and returned to his own camp near the city.

  The loss of his two officers grieved Zhang Ren sorely. His remaining two colleagues proposed risking all in one desperate battle while also sending an urgent message to Chengdu to tell their master of their plight.

  Zhang Ren agreed. He said, “Tomorrow I will go and challenge them. If they accept and come out to fight, I will feign retreat and lure them round to the north side of the city. As they follow me, a sortie must be made when they pass the gate, so as to cut their army in two. We ought to overcome them in this way.”

  “Let me lead the sortie,” said Wu Yi. “General Liu can stay to help our lord’s son guard the city.”

  This also was agreed to. The next morning, Zhang Ren went out to challenge, his men waving flags and shouting furiously. At once Zhang Fei took up the challenge and rode out. Without a word he galloped up to Zhang Ren and engaged him. After half a score of bouts Zhang Ren, pretending to be worsted, turned and fled around to the north of the city. Zhang Fei pursued him with all speed. Then, as he passed the gate, Wu Yi rushed out to fight—instantly Zhang Ren turned back to attack, so that Zhang Fei was between two forces and unable to get clear.

  Zhang Fei seemed to be in a perilous state. But at this very moment a body of soldiers came up from the riverside and a fierce warrior rode straight for Wu Yi, and in the first bout made him prisoner. His men were then easily forced back and Zhang Fei was free. It was Zhao Yun who had so opportunely appeared.

  “Where is our chief advisor?” asked Zhang Fei.

  “He’s arrived—I think he’s already seen our lord,” replied Zhao Yun.

  The prisoner was taken to the camp, where Zhuge Liang and the others were already seated. Zhang Fei dismounted and went in to greet him.

  Greatly surprised, Zhuge Liang asked, “How come you arrived before me?”

  This time it was Liu Bei who told the whole story of Zhang Fei’s prudence and sagacity in securing the friendship of Yan Yan. Zhuge Liang congratulated him and said, “It is really your good fortune that General Zhang has now become such a good strategist.”

  When the prisoner was taken in, Liu Bei asked him if he would surrender.

  He replied, “There is no reason why I should not, now that I am a prisoner.”

  Pleased, Liu Bei himself loosened his bonds. Zhuge Liang began to question him about the defense force in the city. Wu Yi told him the names of the office
rs in the city, adding, “Liu Gui does not count for much, but Zhang Ren is a man of immense talent and courage and must not be treated lightly.”

  “We will capture Zhang Ren first before we get the city,” said Zhuge Liang.

  “There is a bridge in the east—what is it called?”

  “The Golden Goose.”

  Zhuge Liang rode over to the bridge and scrutinized the neighborhood.

  After his return to camp, he summoned Huang Zhong and Wei Yan to whom he said, “To the east of the city is a bridge called the Golden Goose, and about five li south of this there is a dense growth of reed and sedge, which will afford excellent shelter for an ambush. Wei Yan, you are to place a thousand spearmen on the left. When the enemy comes, attack only the riders. Huang Zhong, you are to lay an ambush on the right with a thousand swordsmen and attack only the horses.”

  Then turning to Zhang Fei he said, “When Zhang Ren has lost most of his men and horses, he will flee by the byroad east of the hills. You are to lie in wait for him there and capture him.”

  Next, Zhao Yun was called and sent to lie in ambush to the north of the bridge, which he was to destroy as soon as the enemy had crossed. He added, “Then you are to take up a position in the north to prevent Zhang Ren from getting away through that direction. Forced to take the road to the south, his destruction is inevitable.”

  Having made these arrangements, Zhuge Liang himself went to challenge Zhang Ren and try to bring him to battle.

  At that time two more officers had arrived from Chengdu to assist Zhang Ren. One of them was ordered to help Liu Gui defend the city while the other, Zhuo Ying by name, was to lead the rearguard and move out with Zhang Ren, who was to command the vanguard.

  Zhuge Liang guilefully led out a troop of disorderly-looking soldiers, whom he drew up to array against Zhang Ren’s army. He himself, wearing his headpiece and toying with a fan, took his seat in a small four-wheeled carriage. About a hundred horsemen holding rods formed his escort. Having crossed the bridge, Zhuge Liang halted and, pointing to Zhang Ren, he said, “Even Cao Cao, with his million men, fled at the mere mention of my name. Who do you think you are that dares to fight with me and not surrender?”

  Zhang Ren, seeing the disorderly soldiers in front, sneered as he sat on his steed: “People talk of Zhuge Liang’s superhuman military genius—I say his reputation is false.”

  With that he waved his spear and at this signal all his men surged forward with him to attack. At this, Zhuge Liang left his carriage, mounted a horse and crossed the bridge to flee. Zhang Ren impetuously pursued and dashed over the bridge of the Golden Goose. It was only when he had reached the other side that he saw a body of enemy soldiers on either hand. Then he knew that he had been led into a trap.

  As soon as he had crossed the bridge the two bodies of soldiers attacked. Zhang Ren hurriedly turned back but the bridge had already been destroyed as planned. He wanted to turn away to the north, but Zhao Yun had spread out his men that way. So he had to turn southward to follow the course of the river. He presently reached the place where grew the reeds and sedges. Out came Wei Yan and his spearmen, who thrust fiercely at the riders while Huang Zhong, with his swordsman, crippled the horses. The cavalrymen and their horses were soon lying on the ground. The foot soldiers, intimidated by the fall of their colleagues, dared not advance. Zhang Ren, followed by a few lucky horsemen, fled toward the hills where, however, he ran into Zhang Fei. Zhang Ren tried to escape but was surrounded by enemy soldiers and Zhang Fei, uttering a mighty roar, fell upon him and captured him. Seeing Zhang Ren a victim of the ruse, his rearguard commander, Zhuo Ying, had turned toward Zhao Yun and surrendered. When Zhang Ren was led in by Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang was seated beside his lord.

  “Why have you held out so long after all the other officers of Shu have yielded?” asked Liu Bei.

  “Can a loyal officer take a second master?” cried Zhang Ren fiercely, his eyes glaring with hate.

  “You do not know the times—submission means life.”

  “Even if I submit today, I will not submit in future. You had better slay me.”

  Liu Bei was inclined to mercy, but Zhang Ren was irreconcilable and kept up a stream of furious abuse. So at last Zhuge Liang ordered his execution to enable him to earn a reputation of loyalty.

  A poem says:

  No second lord the heroic martyr knows,

  Though dead, still lives the warrior loyal and bold.

  Clear shines his honor as doth the heavenly moon

  That nightly lights the ramparts of Luocheng.

  Liu Bei sighed deeply for Zhang Ren’s death and ordered his men to bury him beside the bridge of the Golden Goose, where all the passersby would be reminded of his loyalty.

  The next day the army moved on to Luocheng, with Yan Yan and the other officers who had submitted leading the way. At the gate they called upon those inside to surrender so that the city residents could be saved from utter destruction. From the wall, Liu Gui let out a torrent of abuse at the traitors. Yan Yan was just going to take his bow to shoot at him when Zhang Yi, a native of Wuyang, cut Liu Gui down and opened the gate for the invaders. The city yielded.

  As Liu Bei entered the city by one gate, Liu Xun, son of Liu Zhang, escaped by another gate and set off for Chengdu. Liu Bei set about allaying the fears of the local inhabitants and rewarding those who had helped in the capture of the city.

  “Now that Luocheng is taken, the seizure of Chengdu is only a matter of time,” said Zhuge Liang. “However, there may be some trouble in the outlying districts, which needs to be attended to first. You can send Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, with some of those who have recently joined us, into the country around to maintain order and repress any uprising that may occur. When they have completed their tasks they are to lead their troops at once to Chengdu, where the army will be assembled.”

  The two warriors went their separate ways, and then Zhuge Liang began to make careful inquiries concerning the road to Chengdu. He was told that the only place where they could expect any serious defense was Mianzhu. Once they had seized this town, the capital lay at their mercy.

  As Zhuge Liang was considering his next military maneuver, Fa Zheng made a suggestion: “With the fall of Luocheng, the whole of Shu will not be able to hold out for long. As our lord desires to win over the people with kindness and justice I think it better to suspend the military action. Let me write a letter to Liu Zhang and explain the grave consequences to him. He will surrender at our call.”

  “Good idea,” said Zhuge Liang.

  The letter was written and sent to Chengdu.

  Liu Xun, son of the governor, presently reached Chengdu and told his father of the loss of Luocheng. The governor, distressed, at once called his counselors together, and one of them said: “Although Liu Bei has been successful and captured cities and towns, yet his own army is but small and the former Shu officers and men are not truly with him. Besides, he depends upon the land for his grain, for he has no proper supplies. Therefore our best plan is to remove the people of Baxi and Zitong to the west of the Fu River, burn all the granaries, fortify the city, and let starvation defeat him. When they come we will reject all challenges to battle and in a hundred days his men will go off of their own accord. That will be our chance to capture Liu Bei.”

  But Liu Zhang was not in favor of this plan. “No, I do not like this,” he said. “I have only heard of opposing invaders to bring peace to the people but I have never heard of disturbing the people to oppose invaders. Your plan is not one to secure our safety.”

  Just at the moment the letter from Fa Zheng arrived. It was opened and the governor read: “I was sent to Jingzhou to negotiate an alliance some time ago, but the opposition of those about you has resulted in the present impasse. However, the ruler of Jingzhou still remembers old friendships and is mindful of the ties between kinsmen. If Your Lordship could reverse your policy and come over to his side, I think you would be generously treated. I hope you will consider this most caref
ully.”

  Liu Zhang flew into a rage. Tearing the letter to fragments, he began to abuse its writer as an ungrateful traitor who sold his master for his own gains, and drove the bearer of the letter from his presence. He at once sent an army under the leadership of Fei Guan, his wife’s brother, to reinforce the defense in Mianzhu. Fei Guan recommended as his assistant a warrior called Li Yan and the two mustered 30,000 men to march to the city in concern.

  At this juncture an official advised Liu Zhang to seek aid from his enemy Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Liu Zhang was surprised at this proposal and said, “There is a feud between our two families. Do you think he will help me?”

  “He may be an enemy, but since Liu Bei is in possession of Luocheng the situation is extremely dangerous for both of you. As the saying goes, ‘When the lips are gone the teeth are cold.’ If you clearly explain the peril to him he will come to our help.”

  So Liu Zhang wrote a letter and sent an envoy to seek assistance from his former enemy.

  Let us now return to the young warrior Ma Chao and trace his fate in the far west. Two years had elapsed since he was defeated by Cao Cao and gone over to the Xiang tribesmen of Longxi. He had made friends with them and with their aid had conquered most portions of Longxi. His expeditions had been very successful, the officials opening their gates at the first summons. Only Jicheng had withstood, but even this was on the point of yielding. The governor of the district had sent many urgent appeals for help to Xiahou Yuan, who, however, would do nothing without his master’s order. The governor was in despair, and began to consider surrender. However, when he consulted his subordinates on this, one of them, called Yang Fu, earnestly opposed yielding, saying they could not surrender to a rebel.

  “If not, what is there to hope for?” asked the governor in despair.