The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (24 page)

They drank a few more cups of wine together and then Zhuge Liang took his leave. After he had gone, Lu Su said, “Don’t you think there is some deceit in this?”

“He has signed his own death warrant,” said Zhou Yu. “I haven’t pushed him into this in the least. Now that he has asked for the formal order in front of the whole assembly, he wouldn’t be able to escape even if he grew a pair of wings. All I have to do is to order the workmen to delay him as much as they can, and not to supply him with enough materials, so that he is sure to fail. And then, who can blame me for punishing him? Now, you go and find out what he is doing and keep me informed.”

So off went Lu Su to seek Zhuge Liang, who at once reproached him for not having kept his promise. “I told you not to confess to Zhou Yu or he’d try to harm me,” he said. “But you wouldn’t keep my secret. And now this thing cropped up. How do you think I can get 100,000 arrows made in three days? You’ll simply have to save me.”

“You brought the misfortune on yourself—how can I save you?” said Lu Su.

“I want you to lend me twenty vessels, with thirty men in each. Every vessel is to have blue cotton screens and more than a thousand bundles of straw lashed to both sides. I’ll have good use for them. On the third day I’ll surely have the arrows ready. But on no account must you let Zhou Yu know, or my scheme will be wrecked.”

Lu Su consented and this time he kept his word. He went to report to his chief as usual, but he said nothing about the boats. He only said that Zhuge Liang was not using bamboo, feathers, glue, or varnish, but seemed to have some other way of getting the arrows.

“Let’s await the three days’ limit,” said Zhou Yu, extremely puzzled.

On his part, Lu Su quietly prepared a score of light swift boats, each with a crew and the blue screens and bundles of straw in place. When these were ready, he placed them at Zhuge Liang’s disposal. On the first day Zhuge Liang did nothing, nor on the second. On the third day in the middle of the fourth watch, Zhuge Liang secretly called Lu Su to his boat.

“Why have you sent for me, sir?” asked Lu Su.

“I want you to go with me to get those arrows.”

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t ask. You’ll see.”

Then the twenty boats were fastened together by long ropes and sailed toward the north bank. The night proved very foggy and the mist was even more dense on the river so that one man could scarcely see another opposite him. In spite of the blinding fog Zhuge Liang urged the boats forward.

The little fleet reached Cao Cao’s naval camp at about the fifth watch. Zhuge Liang ordered the soldiers to spread out the boats in a line with their prows toward the west, and then to beat the drums and shout.

“But what shall we do if they attack us?” exclaimed Lu Su in alarm.

Zhuge Liang replied with a smile, “I think Cao Cao won’t venture out in this fog—go on with your wine and let’s be merry. We’ll go back when the fog lifts.”

As soon as the noise from the boats was heard in Cao Cao’s camp, his two naval commanders hurried to report to their master, who said, “Coming up in a fog like this means that there is an ambush for us. Do not go out, but get the archers of your fleet to shoot at them.”

He also sent for Zhang Liao and Xu Huang and ordered them to take 3,000 archers each from their army to aid the marines at once.

By then, the archers of the naval force had already been shooting in front of the camp to prevent the enemy’s entry. Presently, the land soldiers arrived and more than 10,000 men began shooting into the river. The arrows fell like rain. By and bye, Zhuge Liang ordered the boats to turn around so that their prows pointed east, and to go closer in so that the arrows might hit them. At the same time the drums were beaten.

When the sun was high and the fog began to disperse, Zhuge Liang ordered the boats to turn around and sail downstream without delay. The straw bundles on the twenty boats were bristling with arrows. As they left, all the crews were told to shout derisively to Cao Cao, “Thank you for the arrows.”

By the time this was reported to Cao Cao, the light boats, helped by the swift current, were a long way down the river and pursuit was impossible. Cao Cao saw that he had been duped and regretted very much, but nothing could be done about it.

On the way back Zhuge Liang said to his companion: “Every boat must have five or six thousand arrows stuck in it and so, without causing Wu the slightest effort, we must have more than 100,000 arrows that can be used to shoot back at Cao Cao’s army at the next battle. Isn’t it very convenient!”

“You are really superhuman,” said Lu Su in wonder. “But how did you know there would be a thick fog today?”

“One can only be a poor commander if he does not know the workings of Heaven and the ways of earth. One must understand the secrets of nature and the interdependence of the elements as well the mysteries of army formations. I calculated three days ago that there would be a fog today and so I set the limit at three days. Zhou Yu gave me ten days, but did not provide me with enough workmen or material. Obviously he intended to blame me for delay and put me to death, but my fate lies with the Absolute—how could Zhou Yu harm me?”

Lu Su could not but agree. When the boats arrived, five hundred men were in readiness on the bank to carry away the arrows. Zhuge Liang told them to collect the arrows from the boats and carry them to Zhou Yu’s tent. Lu Su went to see the commander and related to him how Zhuge Liang had obtained the arrows.

Zhou Yu was simply amazed. Sighing sadly, he said, “His schemes and calculations are more than human. He is superior than me!”

Thick lies the fog on the river,

Nature is shrouded in white,
Distant and near are confounded,
Banks are no longer in sight.

Fast fly the pattering arrows,
Sticking in the straw of the boat.

Now can a full tale be delivered,

Kongming is victor complete.

Shortly after, Zhuge Liang went to see Zhou Yu, who came forward to greet him, saying, “How I admire your remarkable predictions.”

“There is nothing remarkable in that trifling trick,” he replied.

Then Zhou Yu invited him for a drink in his tent.

When they were drinking, Zhou Yu said, “My lord sent an envoy here yesterday to urge me to advance, but I have no master plan ready and I hope you can assist me, sir.”

“But how can I, a man of mediocre talent, have a good plan?”

“The other day I observed the enemy’s naval camp and found it extremely well organized. It will not be easy to attack. I have thought of a plan, but I am not sure if it will work. I should be grateful if you would decide for me.”

“General, do not say what your plan is,” replied Zhuge Liang. “Let each of us write on the palm of his hand and see whether our opinions agree.”

So pen and ink were brought in and Zhou Yu first wrote on his own palm, and then passed the pen to Zhuge Liang, who also wrote on his palm. Then moving their chairs closer, each showed his hand to the other, and both burst out laughing, for both had written the same word—“fire.”

“Since we are of the same opinion,” said Zhou Yu, “there is no longer any doubt. But this must be kept secret.”

“Certainly,” answered Zhuge Liang. “This is in the interest of our two sides and I will never dream of revealing it. Although I have used this scheme twice on Cao Cao, I do not think he will be on his guard against this. You can put your scheme into force.”

They finished their wine and separated. None of the officers knew anything of their commander’s plan.

Now Cao Cao, having lost a myriad arrows for nothing, felt very sore. His advisor Xun You proposed a scheme. “Now Sun Quan has the two able strategists Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang to help him, it is not so easy to overcome him in a short time. Let us send someone there who will pretend to surrender to them but will actually be our spy and pass information to us. Once we know what our enemy is doing, we can plan their destruction.”

“I have been thinking of that myself,” replied Cao Cao. “Who do you think is the right man to send?”

“Cai Mao has been put to death, but the other members of his clan are in the army and his two cousins are junior officers. You can win them over by treating them well and then send them to Wu. They will not arouse suspicion at all.”

Cao Cao decided to act on this plan and in the evening summoned the two men to his tent, where he told them what he wanted them to do. And he promised them rich rewards if they succeeded. “But do not betray me,” he added.

“Our families are here in Jingzhou,” they replied. “How dare we betray? You need have no doubts, sir. You will soon see the heads of both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang at your feet.”

Cao Cao gave them generous gifts and the following day the two men, with 500 soldiers, set sail with a fair wind for the opposite bank.

Now Zhou Yu was preparing for the attack when their arrival was announced. They said that they were cousins of Cai Mao and had come to surrender themselves to Wu. Zhou Yu called them in and, bowing before the commander, they said in tears, “Our cousin was innocent yet he was put to death by the rebel Cao Cao. To avenge him we have come to offer ourselves to you. Pray let us stay and we will serve in the vanguard force.”

Zhou Yu appeared very pleased and rewarded them quite liberally. Then he ordered them to join Gan Ning in leading the van. They thanked him and thought they had fooled the commander.

But Zhou Yu secretly sent for Gan Ning and said to him, “These two have come without their families, so they can’t be real deserters but spies sent by our enemy. Now I’m going to turn their trick to my advantage and let them send false information to Cao Cao. I want you to treat them well so they will not suspect, but keep a careful watch over them. On the day we begin our general action against Cao Cao they will be used as sacrifices to the flag. But be very careful that nothing goes wrong.” Gan Ning took the order and went away.

Lu Su, totally in the dark to all this, came in to tell Zhou Yu that he thought the two Cais had feigned surrender and should not be accepted.

“But they wish to revenge the death of their cousin,” said Zhou Yu. “Where is the pretense? If you are too suspicious no talented men will come to our assistance.”

Lu Su left much piqued and went to see Zhuge Liang, to whom he told the story. Zhuge Liang only smiled.

“Why do you smile?” asked Lu Su.

“Because you don’t understand Zhou Yu’s scheme. Cao Cao and our forces are separated by a big river and spies cannot come and go easily. These two have been sent to feign desertion so that they may act as spies. Zhou Yu is playing the enemy’s game against them. He wants them to send false information. Deceit is not to be despised in war and his scheme is the correct one to employ.”

Lu Su finally understood.

That night, as Zhou Yu was sitting in his tent, Huang Gai suddenly came to see him.

“You surely have some wise plan to propose that you come at night like this,” said Zhou Yu.

Huang Gai replied, “The enemy is much greater in number than us and it is wrong to delay action. Why not use the tactic of fire?”

“Who suggested that to you?”

“It’s my own idea,” replied Huang Gai. “Nobody suggested it to me.”

“That’s exactly what I want to do. And I have kept those two spies because I want them to pass on false information. The pity is that I have no one to feign defection to the other side and work out my plan.”

“I will do that,” said Huang Gai.

“But if you don’t show some physical injuries you won’t be believed,” said Zhou Yu.

“The Sun family have been very generous to me and I won’t resent being crushed to death to repay them,” said Huang Gai resolutely.

Zhou Yu bowed to him gratefully and said, “Our country would indeed be fortunate if you wouldn’t object to suffering some bodily injuries to achieve our purpose.”

“I wouldn’t mind even if I had to die,” repeated Huang Gai as he took his leave.

The next day, drums rolled to call all the officers to gather at Zhou Yu’s tent and Zhuge Liang came with the others. Zhou Yu said, “The enemy’s camps extend about three hundred
li,
so the campaign will be a long one. Each of you is to prepare supplies for three months.”

Scarcely had he finished his words when Huang Gai broke in, “Three months? I think thirty months won’t be of any use. If you can destroy them this month then all is well. If not, then it’s better to take Zhang Chao’s advice—throw down your arms and surrender.”

Zhou Yu flared up and cried, “Our lord’s orders are to destroy Cao Cao and whoever dares to mention the word ‘surrender’ is to be put to death. Now, at the very moment when the two armies are to engage, you dare talk of surrender and dampen the ardor of my men! If I don’t slay you, how can I command the others?”

He ordered the guards to remove Huang Gai and execute him without delay.

Huang Gai then flared up in turn, saying, “Since the days when I fought with General Sun Jian and overran the southeast, I have served the Suns for three generations. Where have you sprung from?”

This made Zhou Yu perfectly furious and Huang Gai was ordered to be instantly executed. Trying to intercede, Gan Ning stepped forward and said, “He is a veteran officer of Wu. Please pardon him.”