The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (11 page)

Xiahou Dun drew up the battered remnants of his army and led them back to the capital.

Zhuge Liang collected his army and as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei rode homeward they said to each other that the new strategist was a real hero. Soon they saw coming toward them a light carriage in which was seated none other than the admirable advisor and they both dismounted and bowed before him. Then the other officers also returned. The spoils were distributed among the officers and men and all marched back to Xinye, where the populace lined the roads to welcome them. “We survived this time,” cried the people. “It is all because you have acquired the assistance of a wise advisor.”

When Zhuge Liang got back to town, he said to his master: “Xiahou Dun has been driven off, but Cao Cao will certainly come with a stronger force.”

“And what can we do?” asked Liu Bei.

“I have a plan to drive him off,” said Zhuge Liang.

No time for rest yet for horses or men;

Plans are sought again to dodge where one can.

Zhuge Liang’s plan to defeat Cao Cao will be revealed in the next chapter.

*
Two sons of Duke Xian of Jing in the Spring and Autumn Period.

CHAPTER FORTY

Lady Cai Plans to Submit Jingzhou to Cao Cao

Zhuge Liang Burns Xinye

W
hen
Liu Bei asked how his advisor hoped to repel Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang replied, “Xinye is a small city and unsuitable for a long occupation. Liu Biao is ill and failing fast, so this is the time to capture his district and use it as a base where we may be safe against Cao Cao.”

“Your plan, though a good one, is not feasible. I am much indebted to Liu Biao for his kindness and I cannot bear to be so ungrateful to him.”

“If you do not take this opportunity you will regret it ever after,” said Zhuge Liang.

“I would rather perish than do what is wrong.”

“We will discuss it later,” replied Zhuge Liang.

When Xiahou Dun reached the capital he went to his master in bonds and bowed to the ground, pleading guilty for the defeat. But his master forgave him and let him tell his tale. He said, “I was victim of Zhuge Liang’s evil tricks—he assaulted us with fire.”

“As a soldier from your youth you should have known that fire was a likely weapon in narrow roads.”

“Li Dian and Yu Jin did remind me. How much I regret it now!”

Cao Cao rewarded the two officers who had warned their leader.

“Liu Bei is a menace to our existence and I think he must be quickly destroyed,” said Xiahou Dun.

“He is one of my anxieties,” replied Cao Cao. “Sun Quan is the other. The rest do not count. I will take this chance to sweep the south clean.”

Then orders were issued to prepare an army of 500,000 men in five divisions. Each had two leaders, except the fifth, which Cao Cao himself commanded. The van was commanded by Xu Chu. A date in the seventh month of the thirteenth year of Jian An was chosen for the army to start the march south.

However, Kong Rong voiced his opposition to the expedition. He said, “Liu Bei and Liu Biao are both of the Imperial House and should not be attacked without serious reasons. Sun Quan, with his six districts, is as powerful as a crouching tiger and, with the Yangtze as his defense, he is very secure. If you undertake this unjustifiable expedition, sir, I fear you will forfeit the respect of the country.”

“All three of them are disobedient officials—how can I fail to punish them?” replied Cao Cao angrily.

Then he dismissed Kong Rong from his presence. Presently he gave formal orders that he would put to death anyone who attempted to remonstrate with him on the subject of his expedition.

Kong Rong went out sadly. Casting his eyes up to Heaven, he sighed: “Where is the chance of success when the inhumane assaults the humane? He is sure to be defeated.”

One of the subordinates of the official Chi Lu, whom Kong Rong had always treated with contempt, happened to hear this remark and told his patron, who carried the tale to Cao Cao. He also added that Kong Rong habitually spoke disrespectfully of the prime minister and had been very friendly with Mi Heng, who used to compare Kong Rong to Confucius and say, “Confucius is not dead”—to which Kong Rong would reply, “Yan Hui
*
has risen again.”

“In fact,” he continued, “he had encouraged Mi Heng to hurl those insults at you, sir.”

Chi Lu’s tale angered Cao Cao, who ordered his guards to arrest the talented Kong Rong.

Now Kong Rong had two sons, both young, who were sitting at home playing
weiqi
(a kind of chess), when one of their servants ran in and said, “Your father has just been carried offfor execution—why do you not run away?’

The two young men replied, “When the nest is pulled down can the eggs be left unbroken?”

At that moment, guards came and carried away the whole household. The two youths were beheaded and the father’s corpse was exposed in the street.

Zhi Xi, a friend of Kong Rong’s, came to weep over the corpse. This public exhibition of sympathy rekindled Cao Cao’s anger and he wanted to punish it with death. However, this additional cruelty was prevented by the advisor Xun Yu, who said, “You should not slay a righteous man who came to mourn over his friend’s corpse. He had often warned Kong Rong of the danger of his uncompromising honesty.”

Zhi Xi then collected the remains of the father and sons and buried them. A poem was written to praise Kong Rong:

Kong Rong, who dwelt on the north sea shore,

A noble reputation bore;

With him all guests warm welcome found,
And ceaselessly the wine went round.

For skill in letters he was famed,
In speech, he dukes and princes shamed,
Historians his merits tell,
Recorders say that he did well.

After wreaking his wrath on Kong Rong, Cao Cao issued the order for the five divisions of his army to start on the expedition. Xun Yu was left in command of the capital.

At about this time Liu Biao became seriously ill and he summoned Liu Bei to his chamber. He went, accompanied by his two brothers and Zhuge Liang. Liu Biao said, “The disease has attacked my very vitals and my time is short. I want to leave my sons to your guardianship. Neither of them seems to be fit to succeed in my place, and I pray you, brother, to administer the district after my death.”

Liu Bei wept and said, “I will do my utmost to help my nephews and will never cherish any other design for myself.”

At this moment came the news of the imminent invasion by Cao Cao. Liu Bei, taking hasty leave of his kinsman, returned to his own place. The evil tidings aggravated the sick man’s condition and he began to prepare for death. In his testament he appointed Liu Bei the guardian of his elder son Liu Qi, who was to succeed him as ruler of the prefecture.

This arrangement greatly angered his wife Lady Cai. She closed the inner doors against all and told her brother, Cai Mao, and another man, Zhang Yun, to guard the outer gates.

The heir was at Jiangxia and he came to make filial inquiries as soon as he learned about his father’s serious condition. But Cai Mao refused him admittance, saying: “Your father sent you to guard Jiangxia, which is a grave responsibility. You should by no means quit the place without orders. What if it was attacked by Sun Quan? If your father sees you he will be very angry and it will make him worse. That would be most undutiful and you should return to your post at once.”

For some time Liu Qi stood outside the gate, crying bitterly. As waiting seemed futile he returned to his position. Meanwhile, his father’s condition deteriorated rapidly. He anxiously looked for his elder son but hardly did he know the reason why the young man did not appear. One day in the eighth month he uttered loud cries and then passed away.

When the Yuans were lords of the north,

And Biao held the bank of the river,
It seemed, so strong were they both,
That they would endure for ever.

But the women folk troubled their states,
And, meddling, confusion made;

It was mournful indeed to see
How quickly their houses decayed.

So the prefect died. Then the widow and her partizans took counsel together and forged a testament conferring the lordship of Jingzhou on the second son, Liu Zong, before they informed the others of his death.

The lad was then only fourteen years of age but quite clever of mind, so he assembled the officials and said, “My father has passed away. However, my elder brother is at Jiangxia and what is more, our uncle is at Xinye. You have made me lord, but if my brother and uncle come here with an army to punish me for usurping the lordship, what explanation can I offer?’

Before the others could reply an advisor named Li Gui rose and said, “You are absolutely right, Master Zong. You must now hasten to break the sad news of our lord’s death to your brother and ask him to come and take charge of the city. Also call upon Liu Bei to come and assist in the administration. Then we will be able to resist our enemies both in the north and the south. This is the best plan.”

Cai Mao at once shouted at him harshly, “Who do you think you are that dare to speak such nonsense and oppose the testament of our late lord?”

Li Gui began to abuse him: “You and your fellow plotters have fabricated this testament, setting aside the rightful heir. Now our nine districts will be lost to the Cai family. If our dead lord knew of your doings he would slay you.”

Cai Mao flew into rage and ordered the loyal official to be put to death. He was hustled out but he never ceased abusing the evil Cai Mao before he died.

So the younger son was placed in his father’s seat and the Cai clan shared among them the whole military authority of the district. The defense of Jingzhou was given to Deng Yi and Liu Xian, while Lady Cai and her son took up their residence in Xiangyang so as to be out of reach of the rightful heir and his uncle. They interred the remains of the late prefect in the east of Xiangyang. No obituary was sent to Liu Qi, the son, or to his uncle Liu Bei.

Liu Zong arrived at Xiangyang, but before he’d had time to recover from the fatigue of the journey, there came the startling news of the approach of Cao Cao’s huge army. He immediately summoned Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, and the others for counsel. One of them, Fu Xuan, offered his advice, saying, “Not only are we threatened by a great army, but your brother at Jiangxia and Liu Bei at Xinye are also to be reckoned with. These two have not yet been notified of our late lord’s death, and they will resent that. We will be in peril if they also oppose us. But if you will adopt my advice, then our people will be as safe as Mount Tai and your position and rank will be assured.”

“What is your advice?” asked the young lord.

“To offer all the nine districts to Cao Cao, who will treat you most liberally.”

“What nonsense!” reputed Liu Zong angrily. “Am I to yield my late father’s heritage to another when I have barely succeeded to it?”

“The advice is good,” said Kuai Yue. “The concepts of conformity and deviation are well defined, so are strength and weakness. In the name of the Emperor Cao Cao is attacking both south and north. If you oppose him you will be accused of acting against the Emperor. Besides, you are not yet firmly established in your position yet you are now faced with external invasion and, most likely, internal trouble as well. Our people will be panic-stricken at the mere news of the approach of Cao Cao’s army. How can we then offer any resistance?”