The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (83 page)

“Father,” said Guan Ping, “You are as mighty as Mount Tai and you mustn’t trouble yourself to compete with a mere pebble. Let me go and fight this Pang De.”

“All right, you go and try—I’ll come and support you soon.”

So Guan Ping took his sword and rode out with his men to fight Pang De. Both sides drew up for battle. On the side of Wei there flew a single black flag, on which was inscribed Pang De of Nanan in white. The leader himself wore a black robe with silver armor and rode a white charger. He stood out in front backed by his five hundred men, and a few foot soldiers were there too, bearing the gruesome coffin.

Guan Ping began abusing his opponent: “Shameless betrayer of your master!”

“Who’s that?” asked Pang De of his followers.

“That’s Guan Yu’s adopted son, Guan Ping.”

Pang De cried, “I have an order from the Prince of Wei to take your father’s head. You are but a weakling and I will spare you. Quickly tell your father to come out.”

Guan Ping, exasperated, dashed forward, flourishing his sword. Pang De went to meet him, and there followed thirty odd bouts with no advantage to either.

Both sides then drew off to rest. Soon, news of this combat reached Guan Yu, who was again thrown into fury. He sent Liao Hua to attack the city of Fancheng while he himself went to oppose Pang De. Guan Ping met his father and related how the fight was tied. So Guan Yu rode out, holding his great sword, and shouted to Pang De, “Guan Yun-zhang is here! Come out quickly and be slain.”

The drums rolled as Pang De rode out and replied, “I have the order of the Prince of Wei to take your head. In case you disbelieve it, here is the coffin, ready for you. If you fear death, get down from your horse and surrender.”

“You imbecile!” cried Guan Yu, “What can you do? It is a pity to stain my Blue Dragon sword with the blood of such a rat as you!”

Then he galloped toward Pang De, flourishing his mighty sword, and Pang De, whirling his blade, came forth to meet him. In a moment they engaged. After about a hundred bouts the lust of battle seemed to grow for both combatants and the two armies were struck in awe and amazement.

But the men of Wei, for fear their champion might suffer, sounded the gongs of retirement. Almost at the same time, Guan Ping, concerned for his father’s age, also clanged his gongs. Thus both warriors drew off to their own sides.

“Guan Yu is really a mighty man of war,” said Pang De, when he had got back among his own men.

Then his chief, Yu Jin, came to see him and said, “I hear you fought a hundred bouts with Guan Yu but still could not overcome him. Wouldn’t it be prudent to retire out of his way?”

But Pang De replied excitedly, “The prince has given you the command of an army, but why are you so soft? Tomorrow I will fight till death with Guan Yu. I swear I will never give way.”

Yu Jin could not alter his decision, so he went back to his own camp.

When Guan Yu got back he also praised the swordsmanship of his opponent and acknowledged him a worthy enemy.

“As the saying goes, ‘The newborn calf fears not the tiger,’” said Guan Ping, “But if you slay this fellow, father, you will have only killed an insignificant fighting man of the Qiang tribe. Remember how highly my uncle has placed his trust in you. You cannot allow any accident to happen.”

“How can my resentment be assuaged save by the death of this man?” responded Guan Yu. “I have made up my mind, so say no more.”

The next day Guan Yu took the field first, but Pang De quickly came out. Both arrayed their men and then went to the front at the same moment. This time neither spoke, and the combat began immediately. It went on for fifty bouts and then Pang De turned his horse and fled, dragging along his sword. Guan Yu went in pursuit, and Guan Ping, afraid of any mishap, followed as well.

As he followed, Guan Yu, anticipating his opponent to employ a foul stroke of his sword, berated his foe: “You rascal! I know what trick you are up to. Do you think I will be afraid of you?”

But Pang De had only pretended that he would resort to a sudden blow of his sword in order to cover up his intention to use his bow. He furtively hung the sword onto the saddle, fitted an arrow to his bow, and was just on the point of shooting when Guan Ping, who was sharp-eyed, shouted out a warning to his father.

“Do not shoot, you scoundrel!”

Guan Yu hastened to look, but the bowstring sang and the arrow came flying toward him. It was too late to avoid it and the arrow wounded his left arm. Guan Ping at once rushed to his father’s side and rescued him back to camp. Pang De had turned back to follow, whirling his sword, but ‘ere he had a chance to strike, the gongs of his own side rang out so loudly that he thought there was something amiss in the rear and he returned to camp.

In fact the signal for retreat had been sounded by Yu Jin out of jealousy, for he had seen Guan Yu wounded by the arrow and he feared his colleague might win the glory of success, which would eclipse his own.

“Why did the gongs clang?” asked Pang De when he returned.

“Well, our prince has warned us of Guan Yu’s craftiness and valor. Though he was wounded I feared there might be some trick on his part. So I ordered the gongs to be sounded.”

“I would have killed him if you had not done that,” said Pang De.

“Haste makes slow progress—it’s better to be cautious,” said Yu Jin.

Pang De, ignorant of his chief’s real intention, regretted greatly having missed such a good chance.

Guan Yu went back to camp, and the arrowhead was puled out of the wound. Fortunately it had not penetrated deeply, and the usual remedies against injuries by metal were applied. Guan Yu now hated his enemy so intensely that he swore to have his revenge for this wound.

His officers tried to calm him down. “Rest a few days first and fight him when you get well.”

The following day Pang De renewed his challenge, and Guan Yu wished to go out to fight. However, he yielded to the entreaties of his officers. And when Pang De set his men to abuse the great warrior, Guan Ping saw to it that his father never heard of it. After ten days of futile challenges, Pang De proposed a plan to Yu Jin.

“Evidently Guan Yu is unable to stir due to his arrow wound,” said Pang De. “We can take advantage and attack his camp with all our seven divisions. Thus we will relieve the siege of Fancheng.”

But out of the same fear that his colleague might succeed Yu Jin again urged caution and obedience to the warning of the Prince of Wei. He refused to move his men in spite of Pang De’s repeated requests; furthermore, he moved the seven forces to a new camp behind some hills, about ten
li
north of Fancheng. He himself led his men to hold the main road, but sent Pang De to deploy behind a valley so that he could do nothing.

To the son’s great joy Guan Yu’s wound quickly healed. Soon after, Guan Ping heard of Yu Jin’s movement and suspecting some ruse, he told his father, who went up to a high point to reconnoiter. Looking round, he noted the general slackness inside Fancheng, the new enemy camp in a valley to the north of the city, and the swift current of the Xiang River. After memorizing the topography, he called the guide and asked him about the name of the valley.

“Fishnet Stream,” was the reply.

Guan Yu chuckled. “I will capture Yu Jin,” he said.

His men asked him how he knew that. He replied, “Why, how can the ‘fish’ last long once it is caught in a ‘net’?”

Those in his train gave but little weight to what he said, and presently he went back to his own tent. It was just then the time for fall rains, and a heavy downpour came on lasting several days. Guan Yu gave orders to get ready boats and rafts and other equipment for a water crossing.

Bewildered, Guan Ping asked his father, “What’s the use of such equipment in a dry land campaign?”

“Well, it’s not for you to know,” replied his father. “Our enemies, instead of camping on the open ground, have chosen to crowd themselves into the precipitous valley of the Fishnet Stream. These are the days of the fall rain and in no time the Xiang River will swell. I have already sent men to dam up all the outlets. When the river rises to its highest I will open the dams and let the water pour into the valley and the city of Fancheng. All the soldiers there will be drowned.”

Guan Ping bowed in full admiration of his father’s foresight.

It is time to return to the men of Wei. They had camped in the gully, and after several days of heavy rain an officer named Cheng He ventured to speak to his general.

He said, “The army is camped here in a depression and the ground is very low. There are hills but they are too far off and our men are suffering from these incessant fall rains. Lately I hear the Jingzhou men have moved to higher ground and moreover, they are preparing fighting boats and rafts at the mouth of the Han River. If the river floods our men will be in real danger. Something should be done as soon as possible.”

But Yu Jin only scoffed at his words, saying, “Are you trying to upset my men? I will kill you if you dare to bring that up again.”

Cheng He left feeling greatly mortified. But he went to relate this to Pang De, who saw the wisdom of his words and promised him that if Yu Jin would not move his camp the next day, he himself would do so.

That night there came a great storm. As Pang De sat in his tent he heard a thundering noise as of 10,000 horses in a stampede, like the rolling of war drums shaking the earth. Extremely alarmed, he hastily mounted his charger to go out and see what it meant. Then he saw the water rushing in from the four sides and eight directions and the men of the seven forces flying from the flood, which speedily rose to a height of ten feet. He and Yu Jin and the other officers sought safety by hurrying up the hills.

At dawn, Guan Yu and his men came up in large boats with flags flying and drums beating. Yu Jin, whose following had been reduced to about three score, saw no way of escape and so he surrendered. Guan Yu made them strip and then took them on board.

After that he went to capture Pang De, who was standing on a hillock with the two Dongs, Cheng He and the faithful five hundred, all without armor. At the approach of Guan Yu, Pang De betrayed no sign of fear, but went boldly to meet him. Guan Yu surrounded the party with his boats, and ordered his archers to shoot. When more than half the men had been struck down, the survivors became exasperated. The two Dongs entreated their chief to give in. But Pang De only raged.

“I have received great kindness from the prince—do you think I will bow my head to another?”

He slew the two Dongs and then shouted, “Anyone who says surrender will be as these two.”

So the others put up a desperate struggle to beat off their enemy, and they held their ground till midday. Then Guan Yu’s men redoubled their efforts, and the arrows and stones rained down upon the men of Wei, who were ordered to fight hand-to-hand with their assailants.

“The valorous leader does not defect to avoid death—the brave warrior does not break faith to save his life,” cried Pang De to Cheng He. “This is the day of my death. You must fight on to the last.”

So Chang He pressed on but was soon shot by Guan Yu and fell into the water. Then the remaining soldiers yielded.

Pang De alone fought on. Then a boat happened to come close to him. With a tremendous leap Pang De bounded on to it and slashed at the occupants, killing a dozen instantly. The others jumped overboard and swam away. Then Pang De, one hand still holding his sword, tried to maneuver the boat across the river to the city. At that moment there came rushing downstream a big raft, which dashed against his boat, overturning it and throwing him into the water. The officer on the raft jumped into the water and captured him alive.

It was Zhou Cang, who was a good swimmer, and after living in Jingzhou for many years, was thoroughly expert in amphibious warfare. Besides, he was very powerful and so was able to capture Pang De.

In this flood perished the whole of the seven forces, except the few that saved themselves by swimming—these latter, having no way of escape, surrendered to the victors.

In the depth of night rolled the drums of war.

Flooded was the flat land around the city of Fan.
Guan Yu’s plan to drown his foes had no match
And his prowess was told down the ages.

Guan Yu then returned to the higher ground, where his tent was pitched, and took his seat to receive his prisoners. The soldiers brought in Yu Jin, who prostrated himself humbly and begged for his life.

“How dared you oppose me?”

“I was bound by an order from my superior,” pleaded Yu Jin. “Have pity on me, sir, and I swear I will repay you with my life.”

“To execute you would be like killing a dog or a hog. It would be soiling weapons for nothing,” laughed Guan Yu, stroking his beard.

Yu Jin was bound and sent to the prison in Jingzhou. “I will decide your fate when I return,” said Guan Yu.

Then Pang De was brought forth. He came out, anger flashing in his eyes, refusing to kneel but standing boldly erect.

“You have a brother in Hanzhong and your former chief Ma Chao is also a general in Shu. Had you not better join them?”

“I would rather perish under the sword than surrender,” cried Pang De.

He reviled his captor without ceasing till, losing patience, Guan Yu ordered him to be put to death. He stretched out his neck for the executioner’s sword. Out of pity he was honorably buried.