“If you do not give up this opportunity to attack Liu Biao in Jingzhou, you will be making a serious mistake. Now Jingzhou is a land of prosperity, the government is peaceful, the people submissive and it cannot be shaken. Moreover, Hebei is the very place that nourishes trouble. If Hebei is conquered, then your supremacy will be established. I pray you, sir, think of all this.”
“How I regret that I had not met you earlier!” said Cao Cao, much gratified with this speech.
So orders were given to return and attack Jizhou. Liu Bei, fearing this retreat was only a trick, allowed it to proceed without interference, and he himself returned to Jingzhou.
When Yuan Shang heard that Cao Cao had crossed the river he hastily led his army back to his own place, ordering the two Lus to guard the rear. Seeing this, his brother Yuan Tan started from Pingyuan with a force in pursuit. He had not proceeded far when he heard an explosion and two bodies of men came out in front of him and checked his progress. Their leaders were the Lu brothers.
Yuan Tan reined in and addressed them. “While my father lived I never treated you badly—why do you support my brother and try to injure me?”
The two men had no reply, so they dismounted and yielded to him.
Yuan Tan said, “Don’t surrender to me but to Prime Minister Cao.” And he led them back to camp, where he waited the arrival of Cao Cao and then presented the two of them. Cao Cao was very happy and promised to give his daughter in marriage to Yuan Tan, with the two Lu brothers as matchmakers.
Yuan Tan asked Cao Cao to attack Jizhou but his new patron said, “Supplies are short and difficult to transport. I must first dredge the rivers so that grain can be conveyed here, and afterwards I can advance.”
Ordering Yuan Tan to remain in Pingyuan, Cao Cao withdrew into camp at Liyang. The two Lu brothers, who were renegades from Yuan Shang, now raised to the ranks of nobles, followed the army to render their service whenever necessary.
Guo Tu noted their advancement and said to Yuan Tan, “Cao Cao has promised you a daughter as wife. I fear he is not being true. Now he has given titles of nobility to the two Lus and taken them with him. This is a trick to win the hearts of the northern people, which will ultimately ruin us. You, my lord, should confer the title of general on the two Lus and have the seals engraved. Then send them secretly to the brothers and ask them to be your men in his camp, ready for the day when Cao Cao has destroyed your brother and we can begin to work against him.”
The seals were engraved and sent. However, as soon as the Lu brothers received them they went to show them to Cao Cao, who laughed and said: “He wants your support so he sends you seals as his officers. He is waiting for his chance after I have dealt with Yuan Shang. You may keep the seals for the time being. l know what to do.” After this Cao Cao began to think of killing Yuan Tan.
In Jizhou Yuan Shang was also discussing the situation with his advisor Shen Pei.
“Cao Cao is getting grain into Baigou, which means he will attack Jizhou. What is to be done?” asked Yuan Shang.
Shen Pei replied, “Send a letter to Yin Kai, bidding him to camp at Maocheng to secure the road of transportation for grain, and direct Ju Gu to maintain Handan as a distant support. Then you can unleash a swift assault on Pingyuan and attack your brother. First destroy him and then deal with Cao Cao.”
The plan seemed good. Yuan Shang left Shen Pei and Chen Lin in charge of Jizhou, appointed two officers as van leaders, and set out hastily for Pingyuan.
When Yuan Tan heard of the approach of his brother’s army, he sent urgent messages to Cao Cao for help. Cao Cao said, “I am going to get Jizhou this time.”
Just at this time, Xu You came down from the capital. When he heard that Yuan Shang was attacking his brother, Yuan Tan he went in to see Cao Cao and said, “Sir, you sit here idle—are you waiting for thunder from Heaven to strike down the two Yuans?”
“I have thought it all out,” smiled Cao Cao.
Then he ordered Cao Hong to go and attack Jizhou, while he led another force to smite Yin Kai. When Cao Cao’s army arrived, Yin Kai led his men out to oppose him. However, he was soon killed by Xu Chu and his men ran away and presently joined Cao Cao’s army. Next he led the army to Handan and Ju Gu came out to fight him. Zhang Liao advanced to engage him in combat and after the third encounter Ju Gu was defeated and fled. Zhang Liao went after him and when their two horses were not far apart, he took his bow and shot. The fleeing officer fell as the bowstring twanged. Cao Cao himself commanded the onslaught that completed the rout and Ju Hu’s force was dispersed.
Now Cao Cao led his army for an attack on Jizhou. Cao Hong was close to the city and a regular siege began. The invading army surrounded the city by throwing up mounds all around. They also secretly dug tunnels in order to enter the city through the underground passage.
Within the city Shen Pei turned his whole care to the defense and issued the severest commands. The officer of the east gate, Feng Li, was drunk and failed to maintain his watch, for which he was severely punished. In resentment he sneaked out of the city to surrender to the besiegers and told them how the city could be entered. The traitor told that the earth within one of the gates was solid enough to be tunneled and entrance could be effected there. So Feng Li was sent with three hundred men to carry out his plan under cover of darkness.
After Feng Li had deserted to the enemy, Shen Pei went every night to the wall to inspect the men on duty. That night he went to that gate and saw that there were no lights outside the city. All was perfectly quiet. He said to himself, “Feng Li is certain to guide the enemy into the city by an underground passage.” So he ordered his men to carry stones and pile them outside the opening of the tunnel. The opening was stopped up and Feng Li and the three hundred men perished in the tunnel. Cao Cao, having failed in this attempt, abandoned the scheme of underground attack. He drew off the army to a place by the Huan River to wait till Yuan Shang should return to relieve the city.
As soon as Yuan Shang heard of the defeat of his two supporters by Cao Cao and the siege of his own city, he withdrew from Pingyuan to return to Jizhou. One of his officers said: “The high road will surely be ambushed—we must find some other way. We can take a byroad from the West Hills and get through to the Fu River, from where we can fall upon Cao Cao’s camp.”
The plan was accepted and Yuan Shang started off with the main body while two of his officers brought up the rear.
Cao Cao’s spies soon found out this move and reported it to him. Cao Cao said, “If he comes by the high road I will have to keep out of the way but if he comes by the byroad I can decisively defeat him. And I think he will light a blaze as a signal to the besieged so that they will make a sortie. I will prepare to attack both.” So he made his arrangements.
Now Yuan Shang went out by the Fu River Pass and turned east to Yangping near where he camped. The place was seventeen li to his own city and the Fu River ran beside the camp. He ordered his men to collect firewood and grass ready for the blaze he intended to make at night as a signal. He also sent Li Fu, a civil official, disguised as an officer of Cao Cao’s army, to inform Shen Pei of his intentions.
Li Fu reached the city wall safely and called out to the guards to open the gates for him. Shen Pei recognized his voice and let him in. Thus Shen Pei knew of his master’s arrangements and it was agreed that a blaze should be raised within the city so that the sortie could be simultaneous with Yuan Shang’s attack. Orders were given to collect inflammables.
Then Li Fu said, “As your food supply is short it would be well for the old, the feeble, and the women to surrender. The enemy will have no suspicion and so will not be prepared. And we can send the soldiers out behind the people.”
Shen Pei agreed to do all this and the next day they hoisted on the wall a white flag with the words “The populace of Jizhou surrenders” written on it.
“This means no food,” said Cao Cao. “They are sending the non-combatants out and the soldiers will follow behind them.”
So on both sides he laid an ambush of 3,000 soldiers while he went up to the wall in full state regalia. At the open gates he saw the people coming out supporting their aged folk and leading their little ones by the hand. Each carried a white flag. As soon as the people had passed the gate, the soldiers followed with a rush.
Then Cao Cao showed a red flag and the ambushing soldiers sortied forth. The Jizhou men had to fall back to the city and Cao Cao himself dashed forth to pursue them to the drawbridge, but there a tremendous shower of arrows and crossbow bolts came down from the wall tower. Cao Cao’s helmet was hit and his head was nearly injured. His men hastily came to the rescue and brought him back to camp.
As soon as Cao Cao had changed his robe and mounted a fresh horse he set out at the head of the army to attack Yuan Shang’s camp.
Yuan Shang led the defense. As the attack came simultaneously from many directions, the defenders were quite disorganized and presently defeated. Yuan Shang led his men back to the hills and made a camp under their shelter. Then he sent messengers to urge the two officers at the rear to bring up the supporters but he did not know that these two had been persuaded by the Lu brothers into joining Cao Cao’s banner and had been given high ranks.
Just before attacking the West Hills, Cao Cao sent the two Lus to seize Yuan Shang’s supplies. Yuan Shang realized he could not hold the hills so he went by night to Lankou. Before he could get properly camped he saw flaring lights spring up all around him and soon an attack began. He was caught by surprise and had to oppose the enemy with his men half armed, their mail hardly put on and their steeds unsaddled. His army suffered a tremendous loss and he had to retreat another fifty li.
By that time his force was too enfeebled to show any resistance. As no other course was possible, he sent an envoy to ask that he might surrender. Cao Cao feigned consent, but that very night he instigated a raid on Yuan Shang’s camp. Then came the hasty flight. Yuan Shang made for the Zhongshan Hills, abandoning everything—seals, emblems of office, mail and baggage—as he went.
Cao Cao resumed his attack on Jizhou. Xu You suggested drowning the city by turning the course of the River Zhang. Cao Cao adopted the advice and at once sent a small number of men to dig a channel of forty li in circumference to lead the water into the city.
Shen Pei saw the diggers from the city wall and knew immediately what his enemies were trying to do. However, he noticed that they made only a shallow channel. Chuckling to himself, he thought, “What is the use of such a shallow channel if they want to drown out the city?”
But as soon as night came on Cao Cao increased his army of diggers tenfold and by daylight the channel was deepened to twenty feet. The water gushed in a great stream into the city, where it stood some feet deep. So this misfortune was added to the lack of food.
Xin Bi now displayed Yuan Shang’s seal and garments hung out on spears, to the great shame of their late owner, and called upon the people of the city to surrender. This angered Shen Pei, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Xin family who were still within the city. There were nearly a hundred of them and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Xin Bi wailed incessantly.
Shen Pei’s nephew was a close friend of Xin Bi’s and the execution of Xin’s family greatly distressed him. He wrote a secret letter offering to betray the city, tied it to an arrow, and fired it out to the besiegers. The soldiers found it and gave it to Xin Bi, who took it to his chief.
Cao Cao issued an order that the family of the Yuans should be spared when the city is taken and that no one who surrendered should be put to death. The next day the soldiers entered by the west gate, opened for them by Shen Pei’s nephew. Xin Bi was the first to prance in on horseback and the men followed.
When Shen Pei, who was in the southeast of the city, saw the enemy within the gates he placed himself at the head of some horsemen to put up a last-ditch struggle. He was met and captured by Xu Huang, who bound him and took him outside the city. On the road they met Xin Bi who, grinding his teeth with rage at the killer of his family, struck the prisoner over the head with his whip and cursed him. Shen Pei railed in response: “You shameless traitor! How I regretted I had not slain you!”
The captive was taken before Cao Cao. “Do you know who opened the gate to let me in?” he asked.
“No.”
“It was your nephew Shen Rong who gave up the gate,” said Cao Cao.
“That brat! He has even sunk to this!” said the indignant Shen Pei.
“Before, when I approached the city, why were there so many arrows?”
“Too few! Too few!”
“As a faithful supporter of the Yuans you could do nothing else, I presume. Now will you come over to me?”
“Never! I will never surrender,” shouted the loyal Shen Pei.
Xin Bi threw himself to the ground with lamentations, saying, “Eighty of my people were murdered by this ruffian. I beg you to slay him, my lord!”
“Alive, I have served the Yuans,” said Shen Pei. “Dead, I will be their ghost. I am no flattering time-server as you are. Kill me quickly!”
Cao Cao gave the order and he was led out to be slain. On the execution ground he reproached the executioners: “My lord is in the north, how can you make me die facing the south?” So he knelt facing the north and extended his neck for the fatal blow.
Who of all the men of fame
In Hebei was true like Shen Pei?
Sad his fate! he served a fool,
But faithful as the ancient sage.
Straight and true was his word,
Never from the road he swerved.
Faithful unto death, he died
Gazing toward the lord he’d served.
Thus Shen Pei died. From respect for his character Cao Cao ordered that he be buried honorably on the north of the city.
Then he was ready to enter the city. Just as he was starting he saw the executioners hurrying forward a prisoner, who proved to be Chen Lin.
“You wrote that manifesto for Yuan Shao. If you had only directed your vitriol against me, it would not have mattered. But why did you shame my forefathers?” said Cao Cao.
“When the arrow is on the string, it must fly,” replied Chen Lin.
The others urged Cao Cao to put him to death but he was spared on account of his talents and given a minor civil post.
Now Cao Cao’s eldest son was named Pi. At the seizure of the city he was eighteen years of age. When he was born a dark purplish halo hung over the house for a whole day. At the time someone who understood the meaning of such manifestations had secretly told Cao Cao that the halo belonged to the imperial family and portended greatest honors to his son.
At eight the lad could compose very skillfully and his talents far exceeded others. He was well-read in ancient history. Now he was adept at all military arts and very fond of fencing. He had accompanied his father on this campaign. After the fall of Jizhou, he led his escort in the direction of Yuan Shao’s family dwelling and when he reached it he strode in sword in hand. The officer at the gate tried to stop him, saying that by order of the prime minister no one was to enter the house, but was told to step back. The guards fell back as he made his way into the interior, where he saw two women weeping in each other’s arms. He went forward to slay them.
Four generations of honors, gone like a dream,
Now misfortune has fallen to the family it seems.
The fate of the two women will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Cao Pi Takes Advantage of Confusion to Find a Wife
Guo Jia Leaves a Plan After Death for Settling Liaodong
As was said, Cao Pi, having made his way into the Yuan house, saw two women there, whom he was about to kill. Suddenly a red light shone in his eyes and he paused. Lowering his sword he asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the widow of the late General Yuan,” said the elder of the two, “and this is the wife of Xi, his s
econd son. She was of the Zheng family. When Xi was sent to command in Youzhou, she did not want to go so far from home and so she stayed behind.”
Cao Pi drew her toward him and looked at her closely. Her hair hung disordered, her face was dusty and tear-stained; but when, with the sleeve of his inner garment, he had wiped away these blemishes, he saw a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tenderness of a flower, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom.
“I am the son of Prime Minister Cao,” he said turning to the elder woman. “I will guarantee your safety, so you need not fear anything.”
He then put his hand on his sword and sat down in the hall.
As Cao Cao was entering the gate of the conquered city Xu You rode up to him very quickly and, pointing with his whip at the gate, he called him by his familiar name and said, “You would not be able to enter this gate without my help.”
Cao Cao laughed but his officers were much annoyed. When he reached the Yuan residence he stopped at the gate and asked if anyone had gone in. The guard at the gate said, “The young master is inside.” Cao Cao called him out and scolded him but Lady Liu interposed, saying, “But for your son we would not have been saved. I want to offer to you this lady of the Zheng family to wait upon your son.”
The girl was brought before him and she curtsied to him. After looking at her intently he said, “Just the wife for my son!” And he told Cao Pi to take her as a wife.
As the conquest of Jizhou had been made secure, Cao Cao made a ceremonial visit to the Yuan family cemetery, where he offered a sacrifice at the tomb of his late rival Yuan Shao, bowed several times, and lamented bitterly.
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 1: The Sacred Oath: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Page 49