The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (69 page)

Smiling, He Yan praised him: “An apt remark expressed with brevity. But cast a lot for me and tell me, can I one day hold one of the three highest offices in court? Besides, I have dreamed repeatedly of many black flies settling on my nose. What could this portent?”

Guan Lu replied, “In ancient times Yuan and Kai
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aided Shun, and Duke Zhou assisted his nephew, the young king of Zhou. All of them were kindly and modest ministers who enjoyed great fortune. You, sir, have come to high honors and wield a great power, but there are few who esteem you and many who fear you. This is not the way to cautiously pursue good fortune.

“Now one’s nose is like an eminence. If an eminence stands firmly aloft it means a long-lasting fortune. But your nose is surrounded by black flies, which usually gather around foul objects. He who sits in a high position may tumble down. Should you not be wary of that? I wish you would listen to good advice to make up for your shortcomings. Then, indeed, may you reach the highest offices, and the black flies will disperse.”

“This is a mere platitude of an old man,” cried Deng Yang angrily.

“An old man can see those who are going to perish and ‘platitude’ may indicate what is not said,” retorted Guan Lu, who then left with a flick of his sleeves.

His hosts laughed. “What a maniac he is!”

Guan Lu returned home and told his uncle about the whole thing. His uncle was alarmed at the probable consequences and said, “Why did you offend them? These two are very powerful men.”

“What is there to fear? I was talking to two dead men.”

“What do you mean?”

“Deng Yang’s gait is that of one whose sinews are not attached to his bones, and his muscles, not in control of his flesh. When he stands he leans as a man without limbs. This is the look of an agitated ghost. As for He Yan, his soul has quitted its habitation; his blood does not lend color to his complexion; and his spirit is mere vapor. He looks like rotten wood. This is the look of a ghost in seclusion. Both will certainly die a violent death soon, and there is no need to fear.”

“You are mad, completely mad!” his uncle cursed him and left.

Cao Shuang was devoted to the chase and often went out hunting with his five followers. His younger brother Cao Xi tried to warn him. “Brother, you’re in an exalted position and yet you’re constantly out hunting. Should anyone take advantage of this to conspire against you it would be too late to regret.”

Cao Shuang reproached him harshly: “The army is in my hands—what is there to fear?”

Huan Fan, the minister of agriculture, also reasoned with him, but he would not listen.

About this time the title of the reign period was changed to Jia Ping (
A.D.
249). Cao Fang, the young ruler of Wei, had been on the throne for ten years. (He was then eighteen years of age.)

During these ten years Cao Shuang had enjoyed absolute power, but he had little knowledge about the condition of the man he had maneuvered from power. At this time Li Sheng, one of his five close followers, was appointed Governor of Jingzhou. Cao Shuang told him to go and take leave of Sima Yi, and at the same time to find out about the true state of his rival’s health. So Li Sheng proceeded to Sima Yi’s residence.

When his arrival was announced, Sima Yi said to his two sons: “Cao Shuang has sent him to find out how ill I really am.”

He took off his headdress to let his hair hang loose about his shoulders, climbed into bed and sat there, all bundled up in his bedding, being propped up by two maids. Only then did he tell his servants to show the visitor in.

Li Sheng came up to his bed and bowed. “It has been a long time since I last saw you, sir, and I did not know you were so seriously ill. His Majesty is sending me to Jingzhou, and I have come to bid you farewell.”

“Bingzhou is in the north—be very careful,” said Sima Yi, feigning that he had not heard clearly.

“I am going as governor of Jingzhou, not Bingzhou,” explained Li Sheng.

“Oh, you have just returned from Bingzhou?” said Sima Yi with a smile.

“Jingzhou, on the Han River.”

“So you are just back from Jingzhou, eh?” said Sima Yi, laughing.

“How can he be so ill?” said Li Sheng to the servants.

They told him that their master was quite deaf.

“Give me paper and a writing brush,” said Li Sheng.

These were presently brought to him, and the visitor wrote down what he wished to say and handed it to Sima Yi.

Sima Yi smiled as he read it. “This illness has made me very deaf. Take care of yourself when you go there.”

After he’d finished speaking, he pointed to his mouth. One of the maids brought some broth and held the cup for him to drink. He put his lips to the cup, but spilled the broth all over the front of his dress.

Then he feigned a sob or two and said, “I am old and ill and may die at any moment. My two sons are good-for-nothing. I do hope you will instruct them. When you see the Grand General, pray ask him to look after my sons.”

At this point he fell back on the bed, panting for breath, and Li Sheng bowed and took his leave. Then he went back to tell his patron what he had seen.

Cao Shuang was overjoyed. “If that old man dies, I have nothing to worry about.”

But no sooner had Li Sheng gone than Sima Yi rose from his bed and said to his sons, “Li Sheng will give a full account of this to Cao Shuang, who will no longer guard against me. We will wait till he goes on his next hunting trip, then we will take action.”

Soon after this, Cao Shuang proposed to the Emperor that he should pay a visit to the tomb of his father and offer sacrifices in person. The Emperor approved. So the whole court went in the train of the imperial chariot. Cao Shuang, with his three brothers and his close followers, commanded the Imperial Guards to escort the procession. Huan Fan again warned him that he should not leave the city with all his brothers and his guards.

“If there should be trouble inside the city, what then?” he added.

Cao Shuang pointed with his horsewhip and rebuked him: “Stop talking nonsense! Who would dare to make trouble?”

On hearing that his rival had left the city, Sima Yi rejoiced greatly in his heart. He at once mustered the former officers that had fought battles under his command and gathered together dozens of his household guards. With his two sons, he led this force to kill Cao Shuang.

Now terminates his forced inaction,
He must destroy the hostile faction.

Cao Shuang’s fate will be told in the next chapter.

*
   An honorary post without real power.

*
   “Yuan” refers to eight gifted scholars of the house of Gaoxin, and “Kai” to another eight of the house of Gaoding, all of whom were in the service of the legendary king Shun.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN

Sima Yi Recovers Political Power

Jiang Wei Loses a Battle at Ox Head Hills

S
ima
Yi was very pleased to hear that his rival, together with his whole party and the Imperial Guard, had accompanied the young ruler on a visit to the late Emperor’s tomb combined with a hunt. He at once went to the palace, ordered Gao Rou to assume provisional command of the army, and sent him to seize Cao Shuang’s camp. Another official named Wang Guan was ordered to take control of the palace guard and occupy Cao Xi’s camp. Having secured his position thus, Sima Yi and his supporters went to the palace of the Empress Dowager.

Sima Yi said, “Cao Shuang has betrayed the trust placed in him by the late Emperor and has ruined the government. He must be punished for his crime.”

She was aghast. “But His Majesty is away. What can we do?”

“I have a memorial to His Majesty and plans for Cao Shuang’s destruction,” replied Sima Yi. “Do not worry, Your Majesty.”

Intimidated, the Empress Dowager could only give consent. So two of Sima Yi’s supporters were ordered to draft a memorial, which was to be sent to the Emperor by a eunuch. Then Sima Yi led his men to seize the arsenal.

Soon, news of the coup came to the knowledge of the family of Cao Shuang, whose wife hastened to the front hall and summoned the leader of the residence’s guards, Pan Ju, to inquire.

“Our lord is away. What does Sima Yi mean by raising an army?” she asked.

“Do not be alarmed, Your Ladyship,” he replied. “Let me find out.”

Taking a dozen archers with him, Pan Ju went up the wall tower to survey. At that moment Sima Yi was passing their residence, and Pan Ju told his men to shoot. Sima Yi was unable to proceed. Behind Sima Yi an officer shouted to Pan Ju, “Do not shoot! His Excellency has important state affairs to attend to.”

Thrice he urged him not to shoot, and so Pan Ju desisted. Sima Yi went across, guarded by his son Zhao. Then he went out of the city and camped on the Luo River at the floating bridge.

At the outbreak of the coup one of Cao Shuang’s officers, Lu Zhi by name, went to seek advice from Xin Chang, a military advisor.

“Sima Yi has revolted,” he said. “What should we do?”

“Let’s lead our forces out of the city to see the Emperor,” replied Xin Chang.

Lu Zhi agreed and left. Xin Chang hastened into the inner quarters to get ready to leave. There he met his sister, who asked him why he was in haste.

“His Majesty is out on a hunting trip and Sima Yi has closed the gates of the city. He must be plotting a rebellion.”

“I don’t think he is going to rebel, but only intends to slay General Cao,” she replied.

“I wonder how all this will end,” said her brother in surprise.

“Cao Shuang is no match for his rival and will surely be defeated.”

“Lu Zhi asked me to join him. Should I go with him?” asked Xin Chang.

His sister replied, “It is the moral obligation of a man to pursue the duties of his office. We show our sympathy, even to strangers in difficulties. To be in someone’s service yet desert him in times of danger will only bring calamity to oneself.”

This speech decided Xin Chang, who went with Lu Zhi. Taking several dozen cavalrymen they forced the gate open and got out of the city. When their escape was reported to Sima Yi, he thought that Huan Fan might try to follow their example, so he sent for him. However, on the advice of his son, Huan Fan did not answer the summons, but decided to flee. He mounted and rode hastily to the southern gate.

But the gate was barred. The warden happened to be one of his former subordinates. Huan Fan pulled out from his sleeve a piece of bamboo
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and said, “Here’s Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s command. Open the gate for me.”

“Let me look at it,” said the warden.

“What! How dare you, an old servant of mine, distrust my words?”

The warden had to let him pass. As soon as he had got outside he shouted to the warden, “Sima Yi has revolted, and you had better come with me.”

The warden realized that he had been tricked, but it was too late to chase him.

“So the ‘Bag of Wisdom’ has got away too! What can we do?” said Sima Yi in alarm, when he heard about Huan Fan’s escape.

Jiang Ji consoled him. “An inferior horse thinks only of the fodder in the manger.
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Cao Shuang will definitely not listen to him.”