The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (15 page)

Beating his head on the ground he broke into a fresh paroxysm of weeping. His officials, deeply worried, took counsel with one another to try to find a way to comfort him.

Ma Liang said, “His Majesty is leading his army to attack Wu but he keeps weeping all day long. It is not an auspicious sign.”

Then an official called Chen Zhen proposed a way out. “There lives a certain hermit among the Qingcheng Hills, near Chengdu,” he said. “His name is Li Yi and people say he is a seer of more than three hundred years old. Let’s ask His Majesty to send for this wise man and find out what is in store in the future. His words will have more weight than anything we can say.”

They went to the First Ruler and told him about the seer. He agreed and Chen Zhen was commanded to go and summon the prophet. When he reached the hills Chen Zhen was guided by the local people to a secluded valley where he saw in the distance a fairy cottage among the clouds. Presently a lad came out to receive the visitors.

“Are you not Chen Xiaoqi, sir?”

Startled that the lad knew him by his familiar name, Chen Zhen asked, “How do you know my name?”

“Yesterday my master told me that a messenger with an imperial command would come today and mentioned your name.”

“A real god!” cried Chen Zhen. “How very true people’s words are about him!”

So the two proceeded to the seer’s abode, and after paying his obeisance Chen Zhen declared his errand, but the prophet said he was too aged to travel.

“But the Emperor anxiously desires to see you. I hope you will not mind making the effort.”

In the end, after much persuasion, the prophet consented to go. The First Ruler received him affably, noting the contrast between his hoary head and fresh boyish complexion. The venerable seer had blue eyes with square sparkling pupils and he carried himself erect like a pine tree.

“This is no common man,” he thought to himself.

The seer said, “I am but an old man of the barren hills, without learning or wisdom. I do not deserve to be summoned before you, Your Majesty. Pray tell me what I can do for you.”

The First Ruler told him about the oath some thirty years before and the sad death of his two brothers. Then he added, “I am leading my army to avenge them and wish to know the expedition’s outcome. Hearing that you, venerable sir, are learned in the deeper mysteries, I beg you to enlighten me.”

“But this is fate, not something for an old man like me to know.”

As the First Ruler pressed him for an answer the prophet at last asked for paper and a brush. Then he drew soldiers, horses, and weapons on some forty sheets of paper but, having done this, suddenly tore them all into fragments. Next, he drew a picture of a tall man lying on his back and another man at his side digging a grave to bury him. On top of the picture he wrote a single character: “white.”

After this he bowed and departed without a word.

The First Ruler was annoyed. “Just a demented old fellow!” he said. “What he draws is not worth our notice.” And he had the sheets of paper burned.

Then he gave orders for the army to advance. Zhang Bao, son of Zhang Fei, came in and said, “Wu Ban has come with my father’s men—I pray that I may be appointed leader of the van.”

The First Ruler admired his bravery and gave the van leader’s seal to him. But just as he was going to attach the seal to his girdle, another youth boldly stepped forth and said, “Leave that seal to me!”

It was Guan Xing, son of Guan Yu.

“I have already received my commission,” said Zhang Bao.

“What abilities do you have for such a task?” cried Guan Xing.

“I have been trained as a soldier since my boyhood. I can shoot so well that I never miss.”

“I should like to see your prowess,” said the First Ruler, “that I may decide who is the better.”

Zhang Bao ordered some soldiers to set up a flag at a hundred paces and draw a red heart in its center. Then he took his bow and shot three arrows, each of which went right through the red heart. All those present commended his fine performance of archery.

But Guan Xing, also bow in hand, said with a sneer, “What is it to hit such a mark?”

Just as he said this a flock of wild geese flew overhead. “I will hit the third one of the flying geese,” he said.

He shot and twang! the third goose fell.

“Wonderful!” all cried in one voice.

But Zhang Bao was enraged. Leaping on to his steed, he seized the long spear left him by his father, crying, “Do you dare to fight a real battle with me?”

Guan Xing took up the challenge at once. He sprang into the saddle, took his father’s great sword, and galloped out. “If you can swing a spear, do you think I cannot wield a sword?” he cried.

The two impetuous youths were on the point of a battle when their uncle told them to stop.

“Behave yourselves, you two!” he cried.

Both hastened to dismount, threw aside their weapons, and bowed to the ground to beg pardon.

“From the time I left my native place and swore brotherhood with your fathers, we three were like flesh and blood to one another. You two are also brothers and you should help each other in seeking vengeance for your fathers. How can you forget decency and quarrel between yourselves? If you behave like this when the death of your fathers is only recent, what will happen in future?”

Both fell at his feet and admitted their fault.

“Which of you two is the elder?” asked the First Ruler.

“I am the elder by a year,” said Zhang Bao.

The First Ruler then ordered Guan Xing to bow to Zhang Bao as an elder brother and, there in front of all, the two young men broke an arrow as a pledge that each would always succor the other.

Then the First Ruler appointed Wu Ban leader of the van and the two young men his own aides. And the mighty forces advanced both on land and on water, in ships and on horses, toward the land of Wu, making a great show of their strength on the way.

In the meantime, the two assassins of Zhang Fei went to see Sun Quan and told him about Liu Bei’s expedition against Wu. Sun Quan accepted their surrender.

Then he called in his officials and said anxiously, “Liu Bei has declared himself Emperor and is leading in person a very large force against us. What is to be done?”

Turning quite pale at this alarming news they could only stare at one another, unable to reply. Then Zhuge Jin stepped out and offered himself as a peace envoy.

“I have been in your service these many years and have never repaid the favor you have shown me. I will risk my life to go and see Liu Bei. I will prove to him the advantages of an alliance between our two sides against Cao Pi.”

This offer pleased Sun Quan, who then appointed Zhuge Jin his envoy to try to persuade Liu Bei to call off the military campaign.

Messengers pass when states wrangle
May this one succeed and unravel this tangle!

The result of Zhuge Jin’s peacemaking efforts will be related in the next chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

Sun Quan Receives Nine Gifts after Submitting to Wei

Liu Bei Rewards His Officers and Men in His War with Wu

I
n
the eighth month of the year Zhang Wu (
A.D.
221) the army of Shu had arrived at Gui Pass and the First Ruler camped at Baidi, or the City of the White Emperor. His advance guard had marched around the borders of Shu. While at Baidi, one day he was informed that Zhuge Jin had come as a messenger from Wu. He told them not to admit him.

But Huang Quan said, “His brother being your prime minister, he has certainly come on some important mission. Your Majesty ought to see him and hear what he has to say. If what he proposes is good, then agree; if not, you can ask him to return the message to Sun Quan and let him know that you are right to punish him.”

The First Ruler took his advice and the messenger was brought in. He bowed down to the earth.

“Sir, you have come a long way,” said the First Ruler. “What is your errand?”

“As my brother has long served Your Majesty, I am therefore feeling bold enough to come and relate to you what really happened in Jingzhou. When Guan Yu was at Jingzhou my master repeatedly sought to ally the two families by marriage, but was refused. Later, when your brother attacked Xiangyang, Cao Cao wrote again urging my master to attack Jingzhou. But he was still unwilling to do so, and in the end it was Lu Meng, who hated your brother, that led the attack without the consent of my master, and seized the city. My master now deeply regrets this, but it was Lu Meng’s fault, not my master’s. Now that Lu Meng is dead, the enmity should die with him. Moreover, Lady Sun longs to come back to you. My master now proposes to send back his sister, hand over your officers who surrendered, and return Jingzhou to you. Our two sides will become permanent allies and we can join forces to destroy Cao Pi and punish him for his usurpation.”

To this speech the First Ruler replied angrily: “You people killed my brother, yet you dare to come with your artful speech!”

Zhuge Jin said, “May I venture to point out to you the varying degrees of importance of the issues? Your Majesty is an uncle of the Emperor of Han. Now Cao Pi has seized the throne of the House of Han, yet instead of punishing the usurper, you condescend to avenge a sworn brother of another surname. Is this not ignoring the vital for the trivial? Furthermore, Wei occupies the central plains where the two Han capitals, Luoyang and Chang’an, are situated and it was in these two cities that the West and East Han Dynasties were founded. Your Majesty, however, gives no thought of capturing these places but insists on a dispute with Wu over Jingzhou. Is this not abandoning the significant for the insignificant? The whole country knows of your assumption of the title of Emperor and all expect you to restore the Hans to their territory; but you put Wei aside and desire only to attack Wu. I fear you have made a bad decision.”

All his arguments only added fuel to the fire and the First Ruler cried out in wrath: “The murderer of my brother will not live in the same world as I. Only death will stop me from avenging my brother. Were it not for the sake of my prime minister, I would behead you at once. As it is, you may go back and tell Sun Quan to cleanse his neck ready for the blade of the executioner.”

Seeing that his argument was to no avail, Zhuge Jin took his leave.

But while he had been absent, slanders had occured. One day Zhang Zhao went to see Sun Quan and warned him of Zhuge Jin’s possible desertion. “He knows the power of the Shu army so he made this mission an excuse to get into Shu. He will not return.”

Sun Quan replied, “He and I have absolute trust of each other. I will not fail him just as he will not betray me. When he was at Caisang and his famous brother paid him a visit, I wanted him to persuade his brother to enter my service. His reply was that his brother would not desert his master any more than he himself would—each would be faithful to his lord. His loyalty was clear enough. How can he desert me now? Our friendship has something of the divine in it, and no outsider can sow dissension between us.”

Even as he spoke it was announced that Zhuge Jin had returned.

“You see,” said Sun Quan.

Zhang Zhao, overwhelmed with shame, withdrew. Presently Zhuge Jin came in and reported the failed mission.

“Then we are in great danger,” cried Sun Quan in dismay.