The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (16 page)

“He ran away at a mere yell of mine. I don’t think he dares to return.”

“If you’d left the bridge standing where it was, he wouldn’t have dared to pursue for fear of an ambush. Now the destruction of the bridge tells him we’re weak and fearful, and he’ll pursue. With his huge army he can even fill up the big rivers to cross over. Do you think he’ll be intimidated by a broken bridge?”

So Liu Bei and his men at once resumed their flight, taking a byroad toward Minyang, which led diagonally to the river.

At the same time the two officers sent by Cao Cao to the Long Slope Bridge returned with the news that the bridge had been destroyed and Zhang Fei had left.

“Then he is afraid,” said Cao Cao.

He at once gave orders to set 10,000 men to start work on erecting three floating bridges for the army to cross the river that very night.

His officer Li Dian said, “This may be one of Zhuge Liang’s tricks. We must be careful.”

“Zhang Fei is just a bold warrior, and is not capable of any guile,” said Cao Cao.

He then issued the command for an immediate advance.

Liu Bei, in the meantime, had got near the big river. Suddenly, there appeared in his track a great cloud of dust accompanied by loud rolls of drums and shouting. Dismayed, Liu Bei said, “Before us rolls the great river, behind are the pursuers. What hope is there for us?”

Hastily he asked Zhao Yun to organize a defense.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao issued an order to his army: “Liu Bei is now a fish in a pot, a tiger in a pit. If we do not catch him this time, the fish will get back to the sea and the tiger escape to the hills. Therefore every officer must spare no effort to press on.”

Consequently every officer commanded those under him to hasten forward. As they were pressing on at great speed there suddenly appeared a force from behind some hills and a voice cried, “I have waited here a long time.”

The warrior who had shouted this held in his hand the Blue Dragon sword and rode Red Hare, for indeed it was none other than Guan Yu. He had gone to Jiangxia for help and had returned with an army of 10,000 soldiers. Having heard of the battle he had taken this road to intercept.

As soon as he saw Guan Yu, Cao Cao stopped and said to his officers, “We have been tricked again by that Zhuge Liang!”

Without more ado he ordered a retreat. Guan Yu followed him some ten
li
and then drew off to guard his elder brother on his way to the river. There, boats were ready and Guan Yu asked his brother and family to go on board. When all were seated in the boat Guan Yu, finding his second sister-in-law missing, asked his brother about her. Then Liu Bei told him of the battle at Dangyang.

“Alas!” sighed Guan Yu. “Had you taken my advice during that hunting expedition near the capital we would have escaped the misery of this day.”

“But on that day I was afraid lest the Emperor might be harmed,” said Liu Bei. “As the saying goes, ‘Beware of damage to the vessel when pelting the rat.’”

Just as he spoke he heard war drums on the south bank. A fleet of boats, thick as a swarm of ants, came running up with swelling sails in the fair wind. He was greatly alarmed.

The boats came nearer. There he saw the figure of a young man, clad in a white robe and silver armor, who stood in the prow of the foremost boat. He cried, “Are you all right, uncle? Sorry I haven’t come earlier.”

It was Liu Qi. He came over to Liu Bei’s boat and bowed low to him. “I heard you were attacked by Cao Cao and I have come to help you.”

Liu Bei welcomed him with joy and they combined forces. The whole fleet sailed on, while they told each other of their adventures.

Unexpectedly in the southwest there appeared a line of fighting boats riding the wind. Liu Qi said, “All my men are here and now there is an enemy barring the way. If they are not Cao Cao’s ships they must be from Sun Quan in the east. We have a poor chance. What shall we do now?”

Liu Bei went to the prow and gazed at the newcomers. Presently he made out a figure in a turban and Taoist robe sitting in the bow of one of the boats and knew it to be Zhuge Liang. Behind him stood Sun Qian.

When Zhuge Liang joined his master he was asked how he came to be there. Zhuge Liang said, “When I reached Jiangxia I first sent Guan Yu to cross the river and assist you on land. I knew Cao Cao would pursue so I calculated which way you would take. I asked your nephew to come and meet you here on the river while I went to Xiakou to muster as many men as possible as reinforcements.”

The new force added to their strength and they began to explore how their powerful enemy might be overcome.

Zhuge Liang said, “Xiakou has strong fortifications as well as plentiful supplies for a lengthy stay. I think you, my lord, should camp there for the present. Your nephew can return to Jiangxia to get the fleet in order and prepare weapons. Thus you two will be able to aid each other. If we all go to Jiangxia our position will be weakened.”

Liu Qi replied, “You are quite right, sir, but I would rather my uncle stayed awhile in Jiangxia till the army was in good shape. Then he could go to Xiakou.”

“Your idea is good too,” replied Liu Bei. Then leaving Guan Yu with 5,000 men at Xiakou, the others all went to Jiangxia.

When Cao Cao saw Guan Yu emerge on land with a force, he feared lest an ambush was set out of sight, so he stopped the pursuit. He also feared in case Liu Bei should cross the river and take Jiangling before him, so he set out for the place with all haste.

The two officials in command of Jingzhou had heard of what happened at Xiangyang and, knowing that there was no chance of successful defense against Cao Cao’s army, they led out the people to the outskirts and offered submission. Cao Cao entered the city, and after restoring order and confidence, he rewarded the officials.

Then he said, “Liu Bei has gone to Jiangxia and may ally himself with Wu, then the threat to me will be greater. How can he be destroyed?”

Xun You said, “Your fame has spread wide with your splendid victories. Therefore you can send a messenger to invite Sun Quan to hunt down Liu Bei together at Jiangxia. Say that you will share Jingzhou with him and you two will then form a permanent alliance. Sun Quan will be frightened into submission and your end will be achieved.”

Cao Cao agreed and sent an envoy with a letter to Wu. At the same time he prepared his army, which amounted to 833,000 men, including horse, foot, and marines—but he called it a million. The attack was to be from both land and water simultaneously. Their camps stretched some 300
li
from east to west.

At this point the narrative must digress. The story of Cao Cao’s movements and successes reached Sun Quan, then in camp at Caisang. He assembled his strategists to decide on a scheme of defense.

Lu Su said, “Jingzhou is contiguous to our borders. It is strong and defensible; its people are rich. It is the sort of place an emperor or a king should have. Now Liu Biao has died recently and Liu Bei has suffered a defeat. I pray you will send me there with the excuse of conveying condolences so that I can persuade Liu Bei to bring round the officers of the late prefect to cooperate with you against Cao Cao. If Liu Bei does as I wish, then success is yours.”

Sun Quan thought this a good plan, so he had the necessary gifts prepared and sent Lu Su to Jiangxia.

At Jiangxia, Liu Bei was formulating plans for dealing with the enemy with Zhuge Liang and Liu Qi.

Zhuge Liang said, “Cao Cao’s power is too great for us to cope with. Let us go over to Wu and ask help from Sun Quan. If we can set north and south against each other we ought to be able to get some advantage from our medial position between them.”

“But will they be willing to have anything to do with us?” doubted Liu Bei. “Sun Quan has many able men in his command and he must have ambitions of his own.”

Zhuge Liang replied, “Cao Cao, with his immense army, holds the Han and Yangtze rivers. Sun Quan will certainly send someone to find out the real situation. Should any messenger come I will harness a fair wind and sail down the river to Wu. Once there, I will trust to my tongue to set north and south at each other’s throats. If the southern men win, we will assist them in destroying Cao Cao in order to get Jingzhou; if the north wins, we will take the opportunity to get Wu. So we will get some advantage either way.”

“That is a very fine view indeed,” said Liu Bei. “But how are you going to get someone from Wu to come here?”

Liu Bei’s question was answered by the announcement of the arrival of Lu Su, and as his boat touched the bank and the envoy came ashore, Zhuge Liang laughed, saying, “My plan is done!”

Turning to Liu Qi he asked, “When Sun Ce died did you send any condolences?”

“The Suns resent us for the death of their father. How can there be any mourning courtesies between us?”

“Then it is certain that this envoy does not come to present condolences but to collect military information.”

So he said to Liu Bei, “When Lu Su asks about the movements of Cao Cao, you will say you know nothing. If he presses the matter, tell him to ask me.”

Having thus prepared their scheme they sent some people to welcome the envoy, who entered the city in mourning garb. The gifts having been accepted, Liu Qi asked Lu Su to meet Liu Bei. After the introduction the guest was entertained with wine in the inner hall.

Lu Su said to Liu Bei, “I have long heard your glorious name, sir, but until today I have not had the good fortune of paying my respects to you. I am very gratified to meet you. You have been fighting with Cao Cao lately, though, so I presume you know his military strength. May I ask how big is his army?”

Liu Bei replied, “My army was so small that we fled whenever we heard of his approach—so I do not know how many men he has.”

“I was told that you adopted the advice of Zhuge Liang and used fire on Cao Cao twice, burning his men so badly that they were scared out of their wits. How can you possibly deny any knowledge of his military strength?” said Lu Su.

“I really do not know the details unless I ask Zhuge Liang.”

“Where is Zhuge Liang? I should like to meet him,” said Lu Su.

So he was sent for and introduced to the guest. Then Lu Su said, “I have long admired your genius but have never been fortunate enough to meet you. Now that I have met you I hope you will enlighten me on the present crisis.”

Zhuge Liang answered, “I know all of Cao Cao’s wicked designs, but to our regret we are not strong enough to withstand him. That is why we have tried to avoid him.”

“Is your lord going to stay here?”

“Well, my lord is an old friend of the Prefect of Cangwu and intends to go to him.”

“He has but few men and insufficient supplies, unable even to ensure his own safety. How can he protect you?”

“His place is not one to remain for long, but it is good enough for the present. We can make other plans for the future later.”

Lu Su said, “My master General Sun is strongly posted and exceedingly well supplied. He treats able men and scholars with the greatest courtesy and so all the heroes in the east gather round him. For your sake I think you cannot do better than send someone you trust to confer with him.”

“There has never been any friendship between my master and yours,” said Zhuge Liang. “I fear it will be nothing but a waste of words. Besides, we have no one to send.”

“Your elder brother is an advisor of General Sun’s and he is longing to see you,” said Lu Su. “Although I am only a man of poor learning I should be pleased to introduce you to my master so that you can discuss weighty plans together.”

“But he is my chief advisor,” interrupted Liu Bei, “and I cannot do without him, not even for a moment. He cannot go.”

Lu Su pressed him. Liu Bei pretended to refuse permission.

“It is important—I pray you give me leave to go,” said Zhuge Liang at last.

Only then did Liu Bei consent. And they soon took leave and the two set out by boat for Sun Quan’s headquarters.

A little boat sailed down the stream with Zhuge well content;
For he could see his enemies to black perdition sent.

The result of this journey will appear in the next chapter.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Zhuge Liang Debates With the Scholars of Wu