The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (40 page)

Both put away their swords and returned hand-in-hand to the banquet hall. After some more courses Sun Qian gave his master a warning look and Liu Bei rose to take leave, saying that he’d had too much to drink. Sun Quan escorted him out of the temple. As they stood by the gate, enjoying the rolling hills and the rippling waves before their eyes, Liu Bei exclaimed, “This is really the finest landscape in the world!”

These words are recorded on a tablet in the Sweet Dew Temple and a poem was written about this:

After the rain the water and hills look serene,

And the black clouds roll away,
And this is the place of joy and mirth
Never can sorrow stay.

Here two heroes of ages past
Decided their parts to play,
The rocks flung back wind and wave
Then, as they do today

Yet as they stood entranced by the beautiful scene, along the vast river the wind whipped up the waves into snowy foam and lifted them high toward the sky. And in the midst of the waves appeared a tiny leaf of a boat sailing over the waves as if all was perfect calm.

“The southern people are sailors and the northern men riders; it is quite true,” sighed Liu Bei.

Sun Quan, hearing this remark, took it as contempt of his horseman-ship. Bidding his servants lead up his steed he leaped into the saddle and set off, at full gallop, down the hill. Then wheeling, he came up again at the same speed.

“So the southerners cannot ride, eh?” he said laughing.

Not to be outdone, Liu Bei lifted the skirts of his robe, jumped upon his horse and repeated the feat.

The two steeds stood side by side on the slope, their riders flourishing their whips and laughing.

From then on that hillside was known as the “Slope where the Horses Stood” and a poem was also written about it.

Their galloping steeds were of noble breed,

And both of spirit high,
And the riders twain from the hill crest gazed
At the river rolling by
One of them mastered the far off west,
One ruled by the eastern sea;

And the name of the hill to this very day
Brings back to mind their feat.

When they rode side by side into Nanxu they were met with loud cheering from the people. Liu Bei made his way to the guesthouse and there sought advice from Sun Qian as to the date of the wedding. Sun Qian advised him to fix the date as early as possible, so that no further complications could arise. So the next day Liu Bei went to see Lord Qiao and told him in plain words that it was clear many people in that place meant harm to him and he feared he could not stay long.

“Do not be anxious,” said Lord Qiao. “I will tell the Dowager to protect you.”

Soon Lord Qiao went to tell the Dowager of Liu Bei’s worries and his eagerness to return home. She was very angry when she heard the reason for Liu Bei’s desire to leave.

“Who dares to harm my son-in-law?” she cried.

She at once asked him to move into the study of the palace as a precaution until a day would be chosen for the wedding. This arrangement, however, made it impossible for his soldiers to keep guard at his side.

So Liu Bei went to see her again and said, “It would be inconvenient for Zhao Yun to be left outside. The soldiers might get unruly.”

She then told him to bring all his men into the palace so that nothing would go amiss. Liu Bei secretly rejoiced in his heart.

Several days later, huge banquets were given to celebrate the wedding of Liu Bei and his bride, Lady Sun. Once it had grown late and the guests had departed, the bridegroom was conducted by two lines of red candles to the nuptial chamber.

To his utmost shock Liu Bei found the chamber furnished with spears and swords, while on two sides stood waiting-maids with swords girded to their waists.

Walls hung with spears the bridegroom saw,

And armed waiting-maids;

His heart fell back on all its fears
Of well-laid ambuscades.

What this meant will be related in the next chapter.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Liu Bei Cleverly Persuades His Bride to Leave Wu

Zhuge Liang Provokes Zhou Yu to Anger a Second Time

T
he
bridegroom turned pale with fright—the bridal chamber was lined with weapons of war and the waiting-maids armed! But the housekeeper said, “Do not be frightened, Your Lordship. My lady has always had a taste for martial arts and often amused herself by watching her maids fencing. That is all.”

“Not the sort of thing a lady should ever look at,” said Liu Bei. “It makes me feel cold and you may have them removed for a time.”

The housekeeper went to her mistress and said, “The weapons in your chamber displease His Lordship—may we remove them?”

Lady Sun laughed and said, “He’s afraid of a few weapons after half a lifetime spent in fighting!”

But she ordered their removal and told the maids to take off their swords while at work. And the night passed happily for the newly weds.

The next day Liu Bei distributed gifts among the maids to win their hearts and sent Sun Qian back to Jingzhou with news of the wedding. From then on he gave himself up to feasting and enjoyment. The Dowager liked him more every day.

The result of the plot to destroy Liu Bei was thus very different from the originator’s intention. Sun Quan sent news of this to Zhou Yu and asked him for further advice, saying that due to his mother’s insistence his sister was married to Liu Bei, so turning a fantasy into reality.

The news deeply troubled Zhou Yu and he could not concentrate on anything else until he finally thought out another scheme, which he put down in a letter and sent to his master. Here is the outline of the letter:

“Contrary to our expectations, my plan has taken a wrong course. However, since the make-believe ended in reality our future plans must evolve from this new situation. To his own daring ambition Liu Bei is aided by such mighty warriors as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, as well as the strategist Zhuge Liang. He is not the man to remain long in a lowly position. I can think of no better plan than to keep him in Wu, a prisoner of self-indulgence. Therefore build for him a fine palace to blunt the edge of his aspirations and surround him with sensuous luxury so as to alienate him from the affection of his brothers and disrupt his friendship with his strategist. When this result has been attained, we can smite him and so end a great matter. If we let him go free this time I fear the dragon is no beast to be kept in a pond, but will ultimately fly to the skies. I pray, sir, you will consider this most carefully.”

The letter was shown to Zhang Zhao who said, “I agree with him completely. Liu Bei began life in a humble position and for years has been a vagrant. He has never tasted the delights of wealth. Give him the means of luxury, a beautiful dwelling, fair women, gold and silk, and as he enjoys them thoughts of Zhuge Liang and his brothers will fade away and they, on their side, will be filled with resentment. Thus we can lay our plans for recovering Jingzhou. I recommend that you quickly put into place the actions as suggested by Zhou Yu.”

Sun Quan then set about redecorating the eastern wing of the palace, laying out the grounds and filling the rooms with beautiful furniture for his sister and her husband. He also sent them scores of fair maids who could sing and dance, and every kind of fancy ornaments of gold and silver, as well as brocade and silk stuffs. And his mother was delighted at his kindness to her son-in-law.

Indeed, Liu Bei was soon so immersed in sensuous pleasure that he gave no thought to returning to Jingzhou. Zhao Yun and the soldiers under him led an idle life in the front portion of the residence, and they tried to kill time by practicing archery and horse racing outside the city. And thus days passed quickly and it was nearly the end of the year.

Suddenly Zhao Yun remembered the advisor’s orders and the three silk bags with the plans in them: to open the first one on arrival, the second one at year’s end, and the third one in an emergency, when there appeared no way out. Inside the bags were wonderful plans to guarantee the safe return of his lord. He thought to himself, “Our lord has indulged himself so much in pleasure that I can hardly see him. The year is drawing to a close. Why don’t I open the second bag and see what I can do?” So he opened the bag and discovered the wonderful scheme therein.

Acting accordingly, Zhao Yun went inside and asked to see his master. The maid in attendance went within and said, “Zhao Yun has some important matter to report to the master.”

Liu Bei called him in and asked what the business was. Zhao Yun assumed an appearance of great distress and asked, “My lord, you are secluded in the beautiful chamber—have you quite forgotten Jingzhou?”

“But what is the matter that you seem so disturbed?” asked Liu Bei.

“This morning Zhuge Liang sent a messenger to say that Cao Cao was trying to avenge his last defeat and was leading half a million men to attack Jingzhou. The city is in great danger and he wishes you to return immediately.”

“I must speak to my wife,” said Liu Bei.

“If you consult her she will be unwilling to let you leave. It would be better to say nothing but to start this evening. Delay may cause great damage.”

“Leave me alone for the time being,” said Liu Bei. “I know what to do.”

Zhao Yun deliberately pressed him several times with the need to return before going away.

Liu Bei went in to see his wife, weeping silently. Seeing his tears she asked, “Why are you so upset?”

Liu Bei replied, “I have been driven hither and thither all my life. I was never able to do my duty to my parents when they were alive nor have I been able to offer sacrifices to my ancestors. I have been most unfilial. The new year is at hand and its approach disquiets me greatly.”

“Don’t try to deceive me,” said the lady. “I heard and I know all. Just now, Zhao Yun came to tell you Jingzhou was threatened and you wish to return home. That is why you put forward this excuse.”

Then Liu Bei fell on his knees and said, “Since you know already I dare not withhold the truth from you. If I don’t go, and if Jingzhou is lost, I’ll be an object of ridicule to everyone. If I go, I can’t bear to leave you. So I’m grieved.”

She replied, “I’m your wife and wherever you go it’s my duty to follow.”

“Although you think so, your mother and brother will never allow you to leave. If you’d only have pity on me, let me go for a time.” And again his tears fell freely.

“Don’t be so sad,” she said. “I’ll implore my mother to let us go and she’ll surely agree.”

“Even though the Dowager permits I’m sure your brother will object.”

Lady Sun said nothing for a long time while she weighed the matter thoroughly in mind. Finally she spoke: “On New Year’s Day you and I will go and pay our respects to my mother. Then we’ll give an excuse of offering sacrifices to ancestors on the riverbank and leave from there without their knowledge. Will that suit you?”

Liu Bei knelt at her feet and expressed his gratitude. “If you can do that,” he said. “I will never forget it, dead or alive. But this must be kept strictly as a secret.”

This having been decided, Zhao Yun received secret orders to lead his men out of the city on New Year’s Day and wait on the high road for his master and mistress, who would leave together with him.

Sun Quan held a grand celebration on New Year’s Day of the fifteenth year of Jian An (
A.D.
210). All the military officers and civil advisors were assembled in the main hall. Liu Bei and his bride went in to pay obeisance to the Dowager. Then Lady Sun said, “Mother, my husband has been thinking of his parents and ancestors, who were buried in the north, and grieves day and night that he cannot perform his filial duty. Today we wish to go to the riverside and offer sacrifices toward the north. I’ve come to tell you this, mother, and hope you’ll allow us to go.”