Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Guanzhong Luo

Just then they announced the arrival of a small boat from the other shore with a letter from Huang Kai. The bearer of the letter was brought in and presented it. It stated that Chou Yu had kept such strict watch that there had been no chance of escape. But now some grain was coming down river and Huang Kai had been named as escort commander, which would give him the opportunity he desired. He would slay one of the known captains and bring his head as an offering when he came. That evening at the third watch, if boats were seen with dragon toothed flags, they would be the grain boats.

  This letter delighted Ts’ao Ts’ao who, with his officers, went to the naval camp and boarded a great ship to watch for the arrival of Huang Kai.

  In Chiangtung, when evening fell, Chou Yu sent for Ts’ao Ho and bade the soldiers bind him. The unhappy man protested that he had committed no crime but Chou Yu said,“What sort of a fellow are you, think you, to come and pretend to desert to my side? I need a small sacrifice for my flag and your head will serve my purpose. So I am going to use it.”

  Ts’ai Ho being at the end of his tether unable to deny the charge suddenly cried,“Two of your own side, K’an Tse and Kan Ning, are also in the plot!”

  “Under my directions,” said Chou Yu.

  Ts’ai Ho was exceedingly repentant and sad, but Chou Yu bade them take him to the river bank where the black standard had been set up and there, after the pouring of a libation and the burning of paper, he was beheaded, his blood being a sacrifice to the flag.

  This ceremony over the ships started and Huang Kai took his place on the third ship. He merely wore breast armour and carried a keen blade. On his flag were written four large characters “Van Leader Huang Kai”. With a fair wind his fleet sailed toward Ch’ihp’i, or Red Wall.

  Tbe wind was strong and the waves ran high. Ts’ao Ts’ao in the midst of the central squadron eagerly scanned the river which rolled down under the bright moon like a silver serpent writhing in innumerable folds. Letting the wind blow full in his face Ts’ao Ts’ao laughed aloud for was he not now to obtain his desire?

  Then a soldier pointing to the river said,“The whole south is one mass of sails and they are coming up on the wind.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao went to a higher point and gazed at the sails intently and his men told him that the flags were black and dragon shaped, and indented, and among them there flew one very large banner on which was a name Huang Kai.

  “That is my friend the deserter,” said he joyfully.“Heaven is on my side today.”

  As the ships drew closer Cheng Yu said,“Those ships are treacherous. Do not let them approach the camp.”

  “How know you that?” asked Ts’ao Ts’ao.

  And Cheng Yu replied,“If they were laden with grain they would lie deep in the water. But these are light and float easily. The southeast wind is very strong and if they intend treachery, how can we defend ourselves?”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao began to understand. Then he asked who would go out to stop them, and Wen P’ing volunteered.“I am well used to the waters,” said he.

  Thereupon he sprang into a small light craft and sailed out, followed by a half score cruisers which came at his signal. Standing in the prow of his ship he called out to those advancing toward them,“You southern ships are not to approach; such are the orders of the Minister. Stop there in mid stream.”

  The soldiers all yelled to them to lower their sails. The shout had not died away when a bowstring twanged and Wen P’ing rolled down into the ship with an arrow in the left arm. Confusion reigned on his ship and all the others hurried back to their camp.

  When the ships were about a couple of li distant, Huang Kai waved his sword and the leading ships broke forth into fire, which, under the force of the strong wind, soon gained strength and the ships became as fiery arrows. Soon the whole twenty dashed into the naval camp.

  All Ts’ao Ts’ao’s ships were gathered there and as they were firmly chained together not one could escape from the others and flee. There was a roar of bombs and fireships came on from all sides at once. The face of the three rivers was speedily covered with fire which flew before the wind from one ship to another. It seemed as if the universe was filled with flame.

  Ts’ao Ts’ao hastened toward the shore. Huang Kai, with a few men at his back, leaped into a small boat, dashed through the fire and sought Ts’ao Ts’ao. He, seeing the imminence of the danger, was making for the land, Chang Liao got hold of a small boat into which he helped his master; none too soon, for the ship was burning. They got Ts’ao Ts’ao out of the thick of the fire and dashed for the bank.

  Huang Kai seeing a handsomely robed person get into a small boat guessed it must be Ts’ao Ts’ao and pursued. He drew very near and he held his keen blade ready to strike, crying out,“You rebel! do not flee. I am Huang Kai.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao howled in the bitterness of his distress. Chang Liao fitted an arrow to his bow and aimed at the pursuer, shooting at short range. The roaring of the gale and the flames kept Huang Kai from hearing the twang of the string and he was wounded in the shoulder. He fell and rolled over into the water.

  He fell in peril of water

  When flames were high;

  Ere cudgel bruises had faded,

  An arrow struck.

  Huang Kai’s fate will be told in the next chapter.

  CHAPTER L

  CHUKO LIANG FORESEES THE HUAYUNG EPISODE: KUAN YUN-CH ‘ ANG RELEASES TS’AO TS’AO

  T he last chapter closed with Huang Kai in the water wounded, Ts’ao Ts’ao rescued from immediate danger and confusion rampant among the soldiers. Pressing forward to attack the naval camp Han Tang was told by his soldiers that some one was clinging to the rudder of his boat and shouting to him by his familiar name. Han Tang listened carefully and in the voice at once he recognised that Huang Kai was calling to him for help.

  “That is my friend Huang Kai,” cried he and they quickly pulled the wounded leader out of the water. Then they saw Huang Kai was wounded for the arrow still stuck. Han bit out the shaft of the arrow but the point was deeply buried in the flesh. They hastily pulled off his wet garments and cut out the metal arrowhead with a dagger, tore up one of the flags and bound up the wound. Then Han Tang gave his friend his own fighting robe to put on and sent him off in a small boat back to camp.

  Huang Kai’s escape from drowning must be taken as proof of his natural affinity for, or sympathy with, water. Although it was the period of great cold and he was heavy with armour when he fell into the river yet he escaped with life.

  In this great battle at the junction of the rivers, when fire seemed to spread wide over all the wide surface of the water, when the earth quaked with the roar of battle, when land forces closed in on both wings and four battle squadrons advanced on the front, when the ferocity of fire answered the clash of weapons and weapons were aided by fire, under the thrusts of spears and the flights of arrows, burnt by fire and drowned by water, Ts’ao Ts’ao lost an incalculable number of men. And a poet wrote:—

  When Wei and Wu together strove

  For the mastery,

  In Red Cliff fight the towering ships

  Vanished from the sea,

  For there the fierce flames, leaping high,

  Burned them utterly.

  So Chou Yu for his liege lord

  Got the victory.

  And another poem runs:—

  The hills are high, the moon shines faint,

  The waters stretch afar;

  I sigh to think how oft this land

  Has suffered stress of war;

  And I recall how southerners

  Shrank from the northmen’s might,

  And how a favouring eastern gale

  Helped them to win the fight.

  Leaving for a while the story of the slaughter on the river it is time to follow Kan Ning. He made Ts’ao Chung guide him into the innermost recesses of Ts’ao Ts’ao’s camp. Then he slew him with one slash of his sword. After this he set fire to the jungle, and at this signal Lu Meng put fire to the g
rass in half a score places near to each other. Then other fires were started, and the noise of battle was on all sides.

  Ts’ao Ts’ao and the faithful Chang Liao, with a small party of horsemen, fled through the burning forest. They could see no road in front; all seemed on fire. Presently Mao Chieh and Wen P’ing, with a few more horsemen, joined them. Ts’ao Ts’ao bade the soldiers seek a way through. Chang Liao pointed out that the only suitable road was through the “Black” Forest and they took it.

  They had gone but a short distance when they were overtaken by a small party of the enemy and a voice cried, ‘Ts’ao Ts’ao, stop!” It was Lu Meng, whose ensign soon appeared against the fiery background. Ts’ao Ts’ao urged his small party of fugitives forward bidding Chang Liao defend him from Lu Meng. Soon after he saw the light of torches in front and from a gorge there rushed out another force. And the leader cried “Ling T’ung is here!”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao was scared; his liver and gall both seemed torn from within. But just then on his half right he saw another company approach and heard a friendly cry “Fear not, O Minister, I am here to rescue you.”

  The speaker was Hsu Huang and he attacked the pursuers.

  A move to the north seemed to promise escape, but soon they saw a camp on a hill top. Hsu Huang went ahead to reconnoitre and found the officers in command were Ma Yen and Chang I, who had once been in the service of Yuan Shao. They had three companies of northern men in camp. They had seen the sky redden with the flames, but knew not what was afoot so dared make no move.

  This turned out lucky for Ts’ao Ts’ao who now found himself with a fresh force. He sent these two, with a company, to clear the road ahead while the others remained as guard. And he felt much more secure.

  The two went forward, but before they had gone very far they heard a shouting and a party of soldiers came out, the leader of them shouting,“I am Kan Hsing-pa of the land of Wu.” Nothing daunted the two leaders would engage, but the redoubtable Kan Ning cut down Ma Yen, and when his brother warrior Chang I set his spear and dashed forward, he too fell beneath a stroke from the fearsome sword. Both leaders dead, the soldiers fled to give Ts’ao Ts’ao the bad news.

  At this time Ts’ao Ts’ao expected aid from Hofei for he knew not that Sun Ch’uan was barring the road. But when Sun saw the fires and so knew that his men had won the day he ordered Lu Hsun to give the answering signal. T’aishih Tzu seeing this came down and his force joined up with that of Lu Hsun and they went against Ts’ao.

  As for Ts’ao Ts’ao he could only get away toward Iling. On the road he fell in with Chang Ho and ordered him to protect the retreat. He pressed on as quickly as possible. At the fifth watch he was a long way from the glare and he felt safer. He asked the name of the place where they were. They told him it was west of the “Black” Forest and north of Itu. Seeing the thickly crowded trees all about him, and the steep hills and narrow passes, he threw up his head and laughed. Those about him asked why he was merry and he said he was only laughing at the stupidity of Chou Yu and the ignorance of Chuko Liang. If they had only set an ambush there, as he would have done, why, there was no escape.

  He had scarcely finished his explanation when from both sides came a deafening roll of drums and flames sprang up to heaven. Ts’ao Ts’ao nearly fell off his horse, he was so startled. And from the side dashed in a troop, with Chao Yun leading, who cried,“I am Chao Tzu-lung and long have I been waiting here.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao ordered Hsu Huang and Chang Ho to engage this new opponent and he himself rode off into the smoke and fire. Chao Yun did not pursue; he only captured his banners and Ts’ao Ts’ao escaped.

  The faint light of dawn showed a great black cloud all around, for the southeast wind had not ceased. Suddenly began a heavy down-pour of rain, wetting every one to the skin, but still Ts’ao Ts’ao maintained his headlong flight till the starved faces of the men made a halt imperative. He told the men to forage in the villages about for grain and the means of making a fire. But when these had been found and they began to cook a meal another pursuing party came along and Ts’ao Ts’ao again was terrified. However, these proved to be friends escorting some of his advisers whom he saw with joy.

  When giving the order to advance again he asked what places lay ahead, and they told him there were two roads; one was the highway to South Iling and the other a mountain road to the north of Iling.

  “Which is the shorter way to Chiangling?” asked Ts’ao Ts’ao.

  “The best way is to take the south road through Huluk’ou,” was the reply.

  So he gave orders to march that way. By the time Huluk’ou was reached the men were almost starving and could march no more, horses too were worn out. Many had fallen by the roadside. A halt was then made, food was taken by force from the villagers, and as there were still some boilers left they found a dry spot beside the hills where they could rest and cook. And there they began to prepare a meal, boiling grain and roasting strips of horse-flesh. Then they took off their wet clothes and spread them to dry. The beasts, too, were unsaddled and turned out to graze.

  Seated confortably in a somewhat open spot Ts’ao Ts’ao suddenly looked up and began to laugh loud and long. His companions, remembering the sequel of his last laugh, said,“Not long since, Sir, you laughed at Chou Yu and Chuko Liang; that resulted in the arrival of Chao Yun and great loss of men to us. Why do you now laugh?”

  “I am laughing again at the ignorance of the same two men. If I was in their place, and conducting their campaign, I should have had an ambush here, just to meet us when we were tired out. Then, even if we escaped with our lives, we should suffer very severely. They did not see this and therefore I am laughing at them.”

  Even at that moment behind them rose a great yell. Thoroughly startled, Ts’ao Ts’ao threw aside his breastplate and leaped upon his horse. Most of the soldiers failed to catch theirs and then fires sprang up on every side and filled the mouth of the valley. A force was arrayed before them and at the head was the man of Yen, Chang Fei, seated on his steed with his great spear levelled.

  “Whither wouldst thou flee, O rebel?” shouted he.

  The soldiers grew cold within at the sight of the terrible warrior. Hsu Ch’u, mounted on a barebacked horse, rode up to engage him and two comrades galloped up to his aid. The three gathered about Chang Fei and a melee began, while Ts’ao Ts’ao made off at top speed. The other leaders set off after him and Chang Fei pursued. However, Ts’ao Ts’ao by dint of hard riding got away and gradually the pursuers were out-distanced.

  But many had received wounds. As they were going the soldiers said,“There are two roads before us; which shall we take?”

  “Which is the shorter?” asked Ts’ao Ts’ao.

  “The high road is the more level, but it is fifty li longer than the bye road which goes to Huayungtao. Only the latter road is narrow and dangerous, full of pits and difficult.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao sent men up to the hill tops to look around. They returned saying there were several columns of smoke rising from the hills along the road. The high road seemed quiet.

  Then Ts’ao Ts’ao bade them lead the way along the bye-road.

  “Where smoke arises there are surely soldiers,” remarked the officers.“Why go this way?”

  “Because the Book of War says that the hollow is to be regarded as solid and the solid as hollow. That fellow Chuko Liang is very subtle and has sent men to make those fires so that we should not go that way. He has laid an ambush on the high road. I have made up my mind and I will not fall a victim to his wiles.”

  “O Minister, your conclusions are most admirable. None other can equal you,” said the officers.

  And the soldiers were sent along the highway. They were very hungry and many almost too weak to travel. The horses too were spent. Some had been scorched by the flames and they rode forward resting their heads on their whips; the wounded struggled on to the last of their strength. All were soaking wet and all were feeble. Their arms and accoutrements were
in a deplorable state, and more than half had been left upon the road they had traversed. Few of the horses had saddles or bridles, for in the confusion of pursuit they had been left behind. It was the time of greatest winter cold and the suffering was indescribable.

  Noticing that the leading party had stopped Ts’ao Ts’ao sent to ask the reason. The messenger returned to report that by reason of the rain water collected in the pits and the mire the horses could not move. Ts’ao Ts’ao raged.

  He said,“When soldiers come to hills they cut a road, when they happen upon streams they bridge them; such a thing as mud cannot stay an army.”

  So he ordered the weak and wounded to go to the rear and come on as they could, while the robust and able were to cut down trees, and gather herbage and reeds to fill up the holes. And it was to be done without delay, or death would be the punishment of the disobedient or remiss.

  So the men dismounted and felled trees and cut bamboos, and they levelled the road. And because of the imminence and fear of pursuit a party was told off to hasten the workers and slay any that idled.

  The soldiers made their way along the shallower parts, but many fell, and cries of misery were heard the whole length of the way.

  “What are you howling for?” cried Ts’ao Ts’ao.“The number of your days is fixed. Any one who howls shall be put to death.”

  The remnant of the army, now divided into three, one to march slowly, a second to fill up the waterways and hollows and a third to escort Ts’ao Ts’ao, gradually made its way over the precipitous road. When the going improved a little and the path was moderately level, Ts’ao Ts’ao turned to look at his following and saw he had barely three hundred men. And these lacked clothing and armour and were tattered and disordered.

  But he pressed on, and when the officers told him the horses were quite spent and must rest, he replied,“Press on to Chingchou and there we shall find repose.”

  So they pressed on. But they had gone only a few li when Ts’ao Ts’ao flourished his whip and broke once again into loud laughter.