Authors: Luo Guanzhong
“The enmity against Wei is a public matter whereas vengeance for your brother is personal. Matters of empire should be placed first.”
“What do I care for an empire of a myriad of
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as long as my brother is unavenged?”
So disregarding Zhao Yun’s remonstrance, he gave orders to prepare an army against Wu. To strengthen his military build-up he also sent an envoy to the Five Valleys to borrow an army of 50,000 tribesmen. At the same time he also sent a messenger to Langzhong conferring on Zhang Fei the rank of General of Cavalry and the titles of Marquis of Westland and Governor of Langzhong.
Now when Zhang Fei heard of Guan Yu’s death at the hands of Sun Quan he wept very bitterly day and night and his robe was stained with tears and blood. His subordinates tried to console him with wine, but the heavy drinking only increased his ill-humor, which he vented on any offender in his camp. Some of his men even died under the heavy floggings. Every day he would glare southward, grinding his teeth with rage and weeping loudly.
One day Liu Bei’s messenger was announced. Zhang Fei summoned him immediately. When he learned about the content of the edict he bowed toward the north to express gratitude for the imperial mandate. Then he gave a banquet in honor of the messenger.
At the banquet he said to his guest, “My brother died at the hands of Sun Quan and our enmity against him is as deep as the sea. Why don’t the officials at the court propose an avenging expedition?”
The messenger replied, “Most of them favor the destruction of Wei first and then Wu.”
“What nonsense?” cried Zhang Fei angrily. “When we three swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden we pledged to die together. Now, alas! My second brother has perished. How can I enjoy wealth and honor without him? I must see the Emperor and offer myself to lead the van. In mourning garb the army will smite Wu and capture the rebel Sun Quan so as to avenge my brother’s death and fulfill our oath.”
So he went with the messenger to Chengdu.
In the meantime the First Ruler had been busy training his army. Every day saw him in the drill ground and a date was chosen when he would lead the expedition in person to destroy Wu. Much worried about the adverse consequences of such an expedition, a number of courtiers went to see Zhuge Liang, to whom they said: “Our lord has but recently assumed the title of Emperor, yet he is taking personal command of this expedition, disregarding the damage this might cause to his throne. You, sir, hold the weighty post of chief advisor in such matters—why don’t you dissuade him?”
“I’ve tried repeatedly to dissuade him, but he just won’t listen. Now you all come with me to the drill ground, and we’ll try once more.”
So there they went, with Zhuge Liang at their head, and he said to the First Ruler: “Your Majesty has but lately taken the imperial seat. If this expedition were aimed at destroying Cao Pi, the renegade of Han, and preserving justice, it would be perfectly right for the Emperor to lead the army, but an officer of high rank would be more proper to send for an attack on Wu. Why should Your Majesty expose himself to such perils?”
The First Ruler, touched by the depth of his minister’s concern and the wisdom of his counsel, began to waver a little in his determination. At that moment, however, the arrival of Zhang Fei was announced. He immediately summoned his brother, who came in, threw himself to the ground, and clasped his elder brother’s feet, weeping bitterly. The First Ruler joined in the lamentation.
“Your Majesty is now ruler and too quickly forgets the oath in the Peach Garden! Why is our brother’s death not avenged?”
The First Ruler replied, “Many advisors have remonstrated against this—I dare not act rashly.”
“What do others know of our oath? If Your Majesty will not go, then let me sacrifice myself to avenge our brother. If I fail, I would rather die than return to see you.”
“Then I will go with you,” said the First Ruler. “You go and muster the men in your place and I will lead my veterans to meet you at Jiangzhou. Together we will smash Wu and have our revenge.”
As Zhang Fei rose to take leave, his elder brother said to him: “I know you often lose your temper after drinking and flog your men. The beaten men who remain near you may be dangerous—it is certainly the road to misfortune. From now on you must be more kindly and not give way to your temper.”
Zhang Fei accepted the admonition and left.
Soon after, the preparations for the expedition were complete and the army was about to set out. But again an official, Qin Mi by name, came to speak to his lord: “Your Majesty, it is not the practice of the ancients to risk your precious person for a small matter of rectitude. Pray reflect upon this.”
The First Ruler replied, “Yun-chang and I were as one body, and it is a very important matter of integrity. How can I forget that?”
But the official, still kneeling on the ground, continued, “I fear mishap may occur if Your Majesty disregards your servant’s words.”
The First Ruler replied in wrath, “How dare you use such ominous words before I start?”
He told the executioners to hustle him out and put him to death. Without showing any sign of fear, the official glanced back and said, smiling, “I have no regret in dying but it is a pity that this newly established state will be overturned before it is on its way.”
However, at the intervention of the other officials, the death penalty was remitted, but the speaker was committed to prison and his fate was to be decided after the return of the army of vengeance. When he heard of this Zhuge Liang hastened to send up a petition to rescue his colleague, which read:
I, Zhuge Liang, address Your Majesty in my own name and those of my comrades. We are fully aware that the loss of Jingzhou was the result of the wicked schemes of the perfidious scoundrels of Wu. Thus the star of our great general was brought down and the mighty pillar of our state fell. This is a most grievous wrong and must never be forgotten. However, we cannot help remember that the subversion of the reign of Han lies with Wei and the removal of the Liu family is not the fault of Wu. We think that the destruction of Wei will determine the submission of Wu. Therefore we beg you to reconsider the valuable advice of Qin Mi so that the army will be fully rested for other exertions. That will bring the greatest happiness to the throne and the people.
But the petition was ignored. After reading it, the First Ruler cast it to the ground and said, “My mind is made up! No more remonstrance.” Then he appointed Zhuge Liang regent and guardian of his son, to take charge of the administration of the kingdom, and ordered Ma Chao, Ma Dai, and Wei Yan to guard Hanzhong. For the expedition, Zhao Yun was to make up the reserve and to take care of the supplies while Huang Zhong was to lead the vanguard. The whole army, including the borrowed troops from the Five Valleys, numbered 750,000. A day in the seventh month was selected for the start of the expedition.
As soon as Zhang Fei had got back to his post he issued orders that his men should be ready to march in three days and the whole body was to be in mourning attire, with white flags and white armor. On the following day two officers named Fan Jiang and Zhang Da went to see their chief, saying that the time allowed to prepare the white flags and armor was insufficient and asked for more time.
“I am so anxious to avenge my brother that I wish I were on the land of my enemy now,” roared Zhang Fei. “Do you dare disobey my order?”
He called in the guards, had the two officers bound to trees and given fifty lashes each. At the close of the flogging he said, “By tomorrow you must get everything ready! If not, I will put you to death and expose your bodies!”
The two officers returned to their camp, spitting blood and hot with anger. Fan Jiang said, “We have been beaten today—what about tomorrow? This man’s temper is like fire, and if things are not ready we will both be killed.”
“Why don’t we slay him rather than be slain by him?” said Zhang Da.
“But how can we get near him?”
“If we are to have a chance to live, he will go to bed drunk; if we are to die, he will remain sober.” And they made their plan to slay their chief that night.
In his tent Zhang Fei was greatly disturbed in his mind and restless. He asked some of his subordinates, “I feel creepy and shivery today and cannot even rest. What can it mean?”
“This is due to too much brooding over the loss of your brother,” they explained.
Then Zhang Fei told them to bring wine, and he drank with his officers. Presently he became intoxicated and lay down on a couch in his tent.
Meanwhile, the two assassins had been watching his every movement very closely, and so they knew that he was lying on his couch, dead drunk. That night at the first watch they stole into his tent, each armed with a dagger. They sent away the attendants by saying that they had confidential matters to report and so got into his bedchamber.
But even then they dared not go near him, for Zhang Fei always slept with his eyes open, and he lay there as if still awake. However, the thunderous snores convinced them that he was really asleep, and they crept to the side of the couch. Then simultaneously they both stabbed him deep into the abdomen. Zhang Fei uttered one loud cry and lay still.
So Zhang Fei was murdered at the age of fifty-five.
He who whipped th’ inspector years ago,
Who helped Han to sweep the rebels,
Whose prowess shone at Tigertrap Pass,
Whose roar frightened millions at Long Slope Bridge,
Who freed a captive and thus won a friend
That helped him and his brothers conquer Shu,
Whose wisdom to a district brought repose,
Is dead, the victim of assassins’ blows,
‘Ere he could have avenged his brother’s death.
Langzhou will grieve him all the ages through.
Having slain their victim, the two murderers hacked off his head and made off for the country of Wu in haste, and when the bloody deed was known they had escaped too far to be captured.
The assassination was reported in a memorial by Wu Ban, who had once saved Guan Yu and was later sent by Liu Bei to serve under Zhang Fei. The eldest son, Zhang Bao, had his father’s remains put in a coffin and, leaving the younger brother, Zhang Shao, to hold Lanzhong, went to see the First Ruler.
By that time, the army had already departed and the First Ruler had left the capital. Zhuge Liang and the other officials had escorted him out of the city for ten
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and then returned to Chengdu. Still feeling ill at ease, Zhuge Liang remarked to his colleagues, “If Fa Zheng had been alive he would have been able to stop this expedition.”
On the night Zhang Fei was murdered the First Ruler had an ominous presentiment. Some unnamable fear sent shivers through his body, as if some danger was imminent. As he could not sleep he went out of his tent and looked up at the stars. Suddenly he saw a bright meteor fall in the northwest, which filled his heart with apprehension. He at once sent someone to ask Zhuge Liang what it portended. The advisor sent back the reply that it meant the loss of a great general and there would be bad news in three days.
So the army halted. Then the arrival of a messenger from Langzhong was announced. The First Ruler stamped his foot and cried out in dismay, “Alas! My other brother is gone.”
His foreboding was confirmed when he opened the letter. As he read the news of Zhang Fei’s assassination he wailed loudly and fell in a swoon. He was rescued by the officials at his sides.
The next day a body of riders was seen galloping toward the army camp from a distance. The First Ruler went out to look and after a long while recognized Zhang Bao, son of Zhang Fei, dressed all in white. As soon as he got near he dismounted and knelt before his uncle, weeping. “My father has been murdered by Fan Jiang and Zhang Da. They have gone over to Wu, taking my father’s head with them.”
The loss of yet another brother grieved the First Ruler beyond measure and he again refused food. His officers begged him to consider his own health, saying, “Now Your Majesty has the loss of two brothers to avenge—you must not destroy yourself.”
At their behest he finally agreed to take food. Then he asked Zhang Bao if he would lead his Langzhong force as vanguard of the army to avenge his father.
“For my country and for my father I would not shrink from a myriad of deaths,” replied the young man.
Just as the vanguard led by Zhang Bao was leaving there approached another force led by another young officer in white robes and armor. It was Guan Xing, son of Guan Yu, who also threw himself to the ground before his uncle and wept.
At sight of him memories of Guan Yu welled up in the First Ruler’s breast, and he burst into tears again. His officials did all they could to comfort him, but he was inconsolable.
“When I was but a commoner my two brothers and I pledged ourselves to live and die together,” he said tearfully. “Now I am Emperor and I should rejoice so much to share my good fortune with them, but both of them have met violent deaths. How it wrings my heart to see my two orphaned nephews!”
As he fell into another fit of bitter weeping the officials asked the two young men to withdraw temporarily so that the First Ruler could have some repose. When they were gone his close attendants entreated him not to give way to such extreme sorrow, since he was already over sixty.
“But my brothers are dead,” wailed the First Ruler. “How can I bear to live alone?”