"I had not intended to hold you," Cao said, "but I've been meaning to ask you about your discussions with Dong Cheng." "Nothing of any importance," Wang Zifu replied. "What is written on the white silk roll?" Cao pressed. No clear answer forthcoming, Cao had the servant who had betrayed them brought in. "Well, where did you see it?" Wang Zifu demanded. "Six of you, in private, together, put down your names. You deny it?" the servant responded. "This wretched runaway," Wang Zifu said, "was punished for illicit involvement with the imperial brother-in-law's concubine. Now he slanders his master. He cannot be credited." "Ji Ping tried to poison me," Cao Cao said sharply. "If it was not at Dong Cheng's bidding, then at whose was it?" The four men denied any knowledge of the act. "If you own up here and now, there will still be time for leniency," Cao said. "If you wait until the whole affair is exposed, it will be difficult to make allowances." But the four men insistently denied everything. Cao harshly ordered them confined.
The next day Cao Cao led his men to Dong Cheng's home to inquire after his health. Dong Cheng had no choice but to receive his guests. "What kept you from last night's banquet?" Cao asked him. "An ailment that continues to trouble me," Dong Cheng replied. "I do not go out unless absolutely necessary." "Probably just a touch of 'concern for the Han," ' Cao said. Dong Cheng quailed. Cao continued, "You are aware of the Ji Ping affair? No? How could the imperial brother-in-law not know?" Cao turned and said to his guards, "Bring him in to ease the imperial brother-in-law's ailment." Dong Cheng stood helplessly. Moments later twenty jailers dragged in a swearing Ji Ping and threw him down. "This man," Cao said to Dong Cheng, "has implicated Wang Zifu and the other three in a scheme to poison me; I have them in custody. Only one remains to be apprehended. Now, Ji Ping, who instructed you to kill me? Testify quickly."
"Heaven," the prisoner cried, "sent me to kill a rebel traitor." Cao ordered him beaten, but his body had no skin left to flay. Watching, Dong Cheng felt as if his heart were being crushed. Again Cao turned to Ji Ping and said, "You were born with ten fingers. Why is one missing?" "I chewed it off to mark an oath to kill a traitor!" Ji Ping shot back. Cao called for a knife and cut off the other nine. "Done in one stroke," he said. "Now make your oath." "I still have a mouth to devour a traitor, a tongue to curse him!" Ji Ping responded. Cao ordered his tongue cut out. "Stay your hand," Ji Ping cried. "I can bear it no longer. I am resigned to giving evidence. Release the bonds." When it was done, Ji Ping stood up; then he kneeled, facing the palace gate. "That I failed to rid the land of this traitor is but the design of Heaven." With those words Ji Ping dashed his head against the stair and died. Cao Cao gave a public order for his dismemberment. It was still the first month of the fifth year of Jian An. The records keeper left the following verses:
The ailing court of Han in deep decline,
The court physician worked to save the crown.
Pledging to purge the traitor's clique,
He gave his life for the sacred throne.
Cruelly scourged, he spoke with stronger passion;
Through death's agony his spirit will live on:
For those ten bloody stumps,
A name revered across a thousand autumns.
Now that Ji Ping was dead, Cao Cao confronted Dong Cheng with the informer. "Does the imperial brother-in-law recognize this man?" Cao demanded. "That runaway! Here?" was the angry reply. "He should be put to death at once." "He has volunteered information concerning the conspiracy," Cao said. "He is here to give evidence. Who dares to threaten him?" "Why should the prime minister give credence to the tales of a runaway slave?" Dong Cheng said sharply. "Wang Zifu and the others have already been taken," Cao retorted. "They have confessed. Do you still deny your guilt?" Dong Cheng was held while Cao's followers entered his sleeping quarters. There they discovered the decree in the girdle and the loyalists' oath. Cao Cao read them and laughed, saying, "How could such a pack of rats expect to get away with this?16 I want every member of Dong Cheng's clan seized, bar none!" Cao Cao brought the documents to his counselors and advisers, intending to depose Emperor Xian and enthrone another.17 Indeed:
A few columns of vermillion ink lead to naught,
And a loyalist oath leads to a tragic end.
Once again, the Emperor's life hung in the balance.18
Read on.
24
The Traitor Cao Murders the Consort Dong;
The Imperial Uncle Liu Flees to Yuan Shao
Having discovered the secret decree, Cao Cao consulted his advisers. He was determined to depose Emperor Xian and find a man of virtue to reign in his stead. But Cheng Yu opposed it. "Your illustrious Lordship," he argued, "makes his influence felt and his commands effective throughout the kingdom by invoking the cause of the Han. If you rush to depose the Emperor now, while the lords of the realm remain unpacified, it will end in civil war." Cao Cao agreed, contenting himself with the execution of Dong Cheng, his fellow conspirators, and their entire households, adults and children alike.1 All told, over seven hundred died in executions conducted at every gate of the capital. The spectators, both officials and commoners, wept freely. In later times these lines mourning Dong Cheng were written:
By secret edict sewn into his sash,
He bore the word of Heaven through the gate.
This man, who guarded once the fleeing king,
Had earned again his sovereign's gratitude.
In anguish for the safety of the throne,
"Kill the traitor!" filled his dreaming soul.
Loyalty in memoriam a thousand ages hence—
Success or failure? Loyalty past all doubt!
Another verse honored the memory of Wang Zifu and the other three:
Life and loyalty pledged on a foot-long silk;
They yearned to redeem the sovereign sire.
Mourn their sheer courage; hundreds fell.
Fire-tried hearts outlast a thousand autumns.
Cao Cao's rage was not allayed. The Emperor's beloved high consort, Dong Cheng's younger sister, now five months with child, was his next target. Armed with a sword, Cao Cao went to the palace. The Emperor was in the rear. He had been telling the Empress Fu that he had heard nothing from Dong Cheng concerning the task entrusted to him. Without warning, Cao entered, all fury. The Emperor lost his composure.
"Was Your Majesty aware or not," Cao Cao said, "that Dong Cheng was conspiring to rebel?" "Dong Zhuo was duly punished long ago," the Emperor responded. "I said Dong Cheng," Cao snapped, "not Dong Zhuo!"2 The Emperor quivered. "We had no knowledge of this—really," he said. "I suppose," Cao Cao continued, "you have forgotten the pierced finger and the decree drawn in blood." All reply failed the Emperor. Cao ordered his lieutenants to bring in the high consort. "She is in her fifth month," the Emperor pleaded. "We hope the prime minister will show compassion." "Had Heaven not spoiled things for you," Cao replied, "I would have been murdered. Why should I spare a future nemesis?" "Demote her, then," the Empress Fu appealed, "to the cold palace3 and wait until she has delivered. There will be time enough to get rid of her." "And spare the rebel seed to avenge the mother?" Cao Cao retorted.
The consort sobbed. "Then let me die," she begged, "with my corpse intact—and no exposure." Cao Cao had the white cord shown to her. The Emperor wept, saying to his consort, "In the netherworld below the Nine Springs, Beloved, hold no grievance against us." His tears poured forth. The Empress Fu sobbed heavily. "Still these carryings on!" Cao cried. At his curt command the soldiers bore the consort off and strangled her outside the palace gate. Later these lines were written lamenting her death:
The Majesty that graced her could not save her.
Grieve for the dragon seed aborted with her life.
The Royal One, stern and stately, lifted his hand
To screen from welling eyes his undefended wife.
Cao Cao commanded the palace security officer, "Hereafter no kin or member of the imperial clan by marriage may enter without my decree. Execute anyone attempting or permitting entry." Cao Cao a
lso assigned three thousand trusted followers to fill the ranks of the Royal Guard and then placed it in Cao Hong's charge.
Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu, "Dong Cheng and his cohorts are out of the way, but two remain: Ma Teng and Liu Bei. They too must be eliminated." "Ma Teng leads the garrison army in Xiliang," Cheng Yu said. "He cannot be easily taken. Send our greetings to him; let's not arouse his suspicions. Afterward, entice him to the capital and deal with him. As for Liu Bei, his force in Xuzhou, deployed in pincer formation, is not to be slighted. Then there is Yuan Shao, posted at Guandu and ever aiming at our capital. An attack eastward on Liu Bei will drive him to seek aid from Yuan Shao, who will surely exploit the capital's exposure. How will you meet that?"
"I don't agree," Cao said. "Xuande is a figure of great importance. If we hold back until his wings are full spread, we are going to have a hard time coping with him. Yuan Shao, despite his strength, is rarely able to make up his mind. He is really not worth worrying about." At this moment Guo Jia came in and joined the discussion. "I want to march on Liu Bei," Cao said to him. "How much of a threat is Yuan Shao?" "By nature," Guo Jia replied, "Yuan Shao is slow to move, and he frets about everything. His counselors are jealous of each other. I don't see much danger. Liu Bei has just revamped his forces, and they are not yet completely loyal. If Your Excellency leads an eastern campaign, a single battle should give you control." "This coincides with my own thinking," Cao Cao exclaimed. He mobilized two hundred thousand troops and led them out in five field armies to subdue Xuzhou.4
Spies brought the news to Sun Qian, who first informed Lord Guan in Xiapi and then Xuande in Xiaopei. In counsel with Sun Qian, Xuande said, "Help from Yuan Shao is our only hope." He composed a note to Shao, which Sun Qian took north of the Yellow River.
Sun Qian was received by Tian Feng, to whom he described the situation in detail; then Sun Qian requested an audience with Yuan Shao. Tian Feng introduced Xuande's representative, who presented the letter to Yuan Shao. When Yuan Shao appeared, he was emaciated, his attire in disarray. "What's wrong, my lord?" Tian Feng asked. "My life is over," he cried. "What does Your Lordship mean?" Tian Feng inquired. "Of the five sons born to me," Yuan Shao explained, "the youngest is the one I dote on. Now he is on the brink of death, afflicted with scabies, and I have no heart to think about anything else."
Tian Feng said to Yuan Shao, "Cao Cao's march against Xuande leaves the capital vulnerable. This is the moment to invade with a loyalist force to preserve the Emperor and save the populace—a rare opportunity for Your Lordship." "That is true," Yuan Shao replied. "But my mind is distracted—something might go wrong." "What," asked Tian Feng, "is it that distracts you?" "Of my five sons only this one has great promise. If something should happen to him, my fate is sealed," Yuan Shao replied. And so he resolved not to strike; he asked Sun Qian to convey his reasons to Xuande and to assure him that if things went badly, he would find refuge north of the river. Tian Feng beat the ground with his staff and cried in despair, "A godsend! And for the sake of an infant's illness to let it slip! Our cause is lost. What a shame!" With protracted sighs he staggered out.5
Sun Qian rode nonstop back to Xuande with the disappointing news. "What do we do?" Xuande asked in alarm. "No need to worry, elder brother," Zhang Fei said. "Cao's force, coming so far, is bound to be fatigued. If we storm their camp the moment they arrive, we will demolish them!" "I used to think you a mere warrior," Xuande said to Zhang Fei. "But you showed great command of tactics when you captured Liu Dai. And your present plan agrees well with the logic of warfare." Thus Zhang Fei's proposal was adopted, and troops were readied for attack.
Cao Cao led his army toward Xiaopei. On the march a gale sprang up, and something cracked loudly. One of the leading banner poles had snapped. Cao Cao halted and called a conference to consider the omen. Xun Wenruo asked the direction of the wind and the color of the banner. "The wind came from the southeast," Cao answered, "and broke one of the banners at the side of our formation. It was two-colored, blue and red." "It must signify a night raid by Liu Bei," Xun Wenruo announced. Cao Cao nodded in agreement. A later poet expressed his chagrin in these lines:
Alas for this scion of kings, isolate, outspent,
Staking his all on a night foray.
The broken-banner sign betrayed his plan.
Old Man Heaven! Why let that villain free?
"Heaven answers our prayers," Cao Cao said. "Prepare defenses." Cao divided his men into nine contingents. One was placed forward, simulating encampment. The other eight lay in ambush all around.
That night the moon was dim. Xuande and Zhang Fei led two groups forward. Sun Qian stayed in Xiaopei. Confident of his plan, Zhang Fei rode ahead and burst into the camp with his small cavalry force. He found here and there a few men and horses. Even as he realized he was caught, flames surrounded him and voices resounded everywhere. Escape seemed impossible. To the east, Zhang Liao; to the west Xu Chu! To the south, Yu Jin; to the north, Li Dian! To the southeast, Xu Huang; to the southwest, Yue Jin! To the northeast, Xiahou Dun; to the northwest, Xiahou Yuan! From eight sides Cao's commanders closed in. Zhang Fei thrust left and charged right, blocked front and fended rear. But his men, mostly soldiers captured from Cao's army, defected in the heat of combat.6 Zhang Fei, striving mightily, clashed with Xu Huang; Yue Jin threatened him from behind. Zhang Fei barely escaped with a few dozen riders, slashing a bloody trail. The road back to Xiaopei was blocked, and the way to Xiapi or to Xuzhou was sure to be closed. The region of the Mang-Dang Hills was his only hope.
Unaware of Zhang Fei's fate, Xuande was still moving toward Cao's camp when he heard the noise and cries of war. Suddenly behind him an enemy force cut off half his unit. Ahead, Xiahou Dun came fully into view. Xuande struggled free and fled, Xiahou Yuan in hot pursuit. Xuande had only some thirty men. Xiaopei was in flames; he could not return there. And Cao's soldiers had blanketed the approaches to Xiapi and Xuzhou. Xuande thought he was doomed; then he remembered a line from Yuan Shao's letter— "If things go badly, I will shelter you" —and decided to seek refuge in Qingzhou until he could make new plans. He started north only to be checked, this time by Li Dian. In the confusion Xuande managed to slip away, but his all his followers were taken.
Alone, Xuande rode north, making three hundred li a day. When he reached Qingzhou, the gate guards reported his name to the imperial inspector, Yuan Tan, Shao's eldest son. Yuan Tan had always respected Xuande. He admitted him at once and conducted him to his official quarters. Xuande recounted the details of his defeat and his hopes for Yuan Shao's protection. Yuan Tan provided for him in the guesthouse and sent a letter to his father. He then had Xuande escorted to the border of Pingyuan district. Leading a crowd of retainers, Yuan Shao came out of the city of Ye thirty li to welcome Xuande. Xuande expressed his appreciation, and Yuan Shao promptly returned the courtesy, saying, "Our son's recent illness has caused us to neglect your needs—to our sincere regret. But now fortune brings us together, fulfilling a lifelong expectation."
"Here is a poor and helpless Liu Bei," Xuande replied, "who has long desired to serve in your ranks, though by fate or circumstance it has never come to pass. Now I am under attack by Cao Cao; my family is lost. I believe that you, General, are willing to welcome warriors from round the realm, so in all humility I have come straight to you. If I may enter your service, I will be sworn to repay your kindness." Well pleased with these words, Yuan Shao treated Xuande with great generosity and allowed him to remain in his home province, Ji.7
On the night of Xuande's abortive raid Cao Cao seized Xiaopei and attacked Xuzhou. Mi Zhu and Jian Yong fled, unable to defend the city; and Chen Deng delivered it to Cao Cao. Cao entered in force and, after calming the populace, summoned his advisers to plan the capture of Xiapi. "Lord Guan is there," said Xun Wenruo, "keeping Xuande's family. He will defend it to the death. If you don't strike quickly, Yuan Shao will!"8 "I have always admired Lord Guan's military competence and personal ability," Cao Cao said, "and would be delighted to
have him in my service. Could someone persuade him to submit to us?" "His loyalty is too deep," Guo Jia said. "He would never do it, and the envoy could well lose his life." But Zhang Liao stepped forward and said, "I am acquainted with the man and would like to attempt it." Cheng Yu said to Cao Cao, "Though Zhang Liao and Lord Guan are on familiar terms, as I read the man, no words will persuade him. But consider—if we can corner him first and then use Zhang Liao to work on him, he should transfer his allegiance to the prime minister." Indeed:
The hidden arrow fells the savage tiger,
But it takes some tasty bait to land a fish or turtle.
With Xuande lost, how would Lord Guan act?
Read on.
25
Trapped, on a Hill, Lord Guan Sets Three Conditions;
At Baima, Cao Cao Breaks the Heavy Siege
Cheng Yu's plan was this: "Lord Guan can stand off a myriad of men. To take him we need a stratagem. Now suppose we send some of the soldiers we've just captured back to Xiapi posing as escapees but remaining in covert contact with us. Next, we draw Lord Guan out to battle, feign defeat, and lure him to a prearranged point while crack troops cut off his way back. Then you can begin to negotiate with him.'' Cao Cao approved and put Cheng Yu's plan into action by sending a few score of Xuzhou troops to Xiapi to surrender. Lord Guan took the men back in good faith.
Three Kingdoms Page 33
