Fa Zheng went straight to Jingzhou and was granted audience. After presenting himself, Fa Zheng handed Liu Xuande a written proposal.11 It read:
Your cousin, Liu Zhang, respectfully commends the following to the attention of General Xuande as an elder of the clan. Long have I esteemed your lofty name, but the difficult roads of Shu have prevented me from sending tribute. For this I feel deepest shame. They say, "Share trouble, bear trouble." This goes for friends, not to speak of kinsmen. Now Zhang Lu's army on our northern borders gives me no peace, and so I send this earnest petition for your weighty consideration. If you decide to take cognizance of our common ancestry and preserve honor among brothers, you will raise an army at once to rid us of these violent marauders. In that way we will remain mutual adherents, "lips and teeth," and you will be richly rewarded. No letter can say all that I wish. I expectantly await your arrival.12
Xuande exulted on reading the letter. He ordered a banquet for Fa Zheng. As the wine was circulating, he dismissed his attendants and said confidentially, "I have long admired your splendid name, and Zhang Song has spoken much of your ample virtue. This opportunity to benefit by your counsel answers hopes long held."
Disclaiming the compliment, Fa Zheng replied, "A minor official from the Riverlands is hardly worth notice. But they say horses whinnied when they met the master trainer Bo Luo: a man will sacrifice all for one who appreciates him. General, have you thought further on Lieutenant Inspector Zhang Song's proposal?" "My life as an exile," Xuande replied, "has never been free of woe and discontent. I often think of the little wren that keeps a cozy spot for itself and the cunning hare that maintains three holes in case of escape. Men should do the same. Don't think I would not have your overabundant land— but I cannot bring myself to conspire against my clansman." "The Riverlands is a natural storehouse," Fa Zheng responded. "A sovereign who cannot keep control cannot last. Liu Zhang has proved unable to assign good men to office, and his patrimony is doomed to pass to someone else. It would be unwise, General, not to take what he offers you so freely. As the saying goes, 'He who gets to the rabbit first, wins the chase.' I stand prepared to give you my full support." Xuande folded his hands in a gesture of appreciation and said, "Much yet remains to be discussed."
After the banquet Kongming personally escorted Fa Zheng to the guesthouse. Xuande was alone, pondering, when Pang Tong approached him and said, "It is a foolish man who fails to resolve a matter that demands resolving. You are high-minded and understanding, my lord. Why hesitate?" "What do you think we should do?" Xuande asked. Pang Tong replied, "Jingzhou's present situation—Cao Cao to the north and Sun Quan to the east— confounds our ambitions. But the Riverlands, in population, territory, and wealth, offers the wherewithal for our great endeavor. If Zhang Song and Fa Zheng are going to help us from within, that is a godsend. Do not hesitate!"
"The man who is my antithesis," Xuande responded, "who struggles against me as fire against water, is Cao Cao. Where his means are hasty, mine are temperate; where his are violent, mine are humane; where his are cunning, mine are truehearted. By maintaining my opposition to Cao Cao, my cause may succeed. I can't throw away the world's trust and allegiance for personal gain." Smiling, Pang Tong said, "My lord, that accords well enough with sacred universal principles. But in a time of division and subversion, when men strive for power by waging war, there is no high road to follow. If you cling to accustomed principle, you will not be able to proceed at all. Rather, you should be flexible. You know, 'to incorporate the feeble and attack the incompetent,' to 'take power untowardly but hold it virtuously,' was the way of the great conquerors, kings Tang and Wu.13 When things are settled, and if you reward Liu Zhang honorably with a big fief, what trust will you have betrayed? Remember that if you do not take power, another will.14 Give it careful consideration, my lord."
Inspired by these words, Xuande answered, "Your memorable advice shall be inscribed on my heart." Soon after he consulted with Kongming about raising a force to move west. "Jingzhou is too important to leave undefended," Kongming said. "Then," Xuande replied, "I shall go ahead with Pang Tong, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan. You remain behind with Lord Guan, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Zilong." Kongming agreed and assumed overall responsibility for Jingzhou province, assigning Lord Guan to defend the route into Xiangyang from the pass at Qingni; Zhang Fei to take charge of the four districts along the river; and Zhao Zilong to hold Jiangling and protect Gong'an, the seat of Xuande's administration.
Xuande, with Huang Zhong as forward commander and Wei Yan as rear guard, took command of the center, with Liu Feng and Guan Ping assisting. Pang Tong was made director general. All told, their forces numbered fifty thousand. At this time Liao Hua offered his services, and Xuande assigned him to assist Lord Guan in guarding against Cao Cao.
In the winter Xuande marched west. Meng Da greeted him, explaining that inspector Liu Zhang had provided five thousand troops for the reception. Earlier, Xuande had notified Liu Zhang of his route, and the imperial inspector had instructed the localities along the way to supply the arriving soldiers with grain and cash. Liu Zhang himself meant to greet Xuande at Fucheng and had therefore ordered splendid carriages, tents, flags, and armor for the occasion. But First Secretary Huang Quan again protested: "My lord, if you go, Xuande will kill you. I have served you for many years, and it pains me to see you walking into a trap. Please reconsider." Zhang Song countered: "Huang Quan is trying to divide kinsmen while aiding our enemies. His advice is worthless." Liu Zhang cried: "I have made up my mind. Cross me no more!" Thus rebuked, Huang Quan struck his head to the ground until blood ran; he bit down on the hem of Liu Zhang's clothing to stop him. Enraged, Liu Zhang arose, yanking his garment free of Huang Quan's clenched mouth, breaking his front teeth. Zhang shouted to have Huang Quan removed. Lamenting bitterly, Quan returned home.
As Liu Zhang prepared for the journey to meet Xuande, someone bowed at the stair and warned, "My lord, rejecting Huang Quan's loyal advice will only speed your doom." Liu Zhang looked on Li Hui from Yuyuan in Jianning. Striking his head to the floor, he cried, "'A lord will profit from his minister's warning, and a father from his son's.' Huang Quan's loyal and honorable words cannot be ignored. In Liu Bei you're welcoming a tiger at the front gate." "Xuande is a senior member of our clan," Liu Zhang retorted. "He would never murder me. The next protester dies." And he had Li Hui thrust from his presence.
"The officials of the Riverlands," Zhang Song said, "care only for their wives and children and will never give their all for Your Lordship; the military leaders are arrogant, content with their accomplishments, eager for external contacts. Without Imperial Uncle Liu, you will be attacked and destroyed by enemies both inside and out." "Your planning," Liu Zhang said, "serves my interest profoundly."
The next day Liu Zhang rode to Elm Bridge Gate. There he was told that his aide Wang Lei had strung himself upside down above the city portals, a written protest in one hand, a sword in the other, and was threatening to cut the rope and dash himself to death if his warnings were not heeded. Liu Zhang called for the protest note, which said in essence:
Your aide Wang Lei weeps blood, appealing in all sincerity. "Effective medicine is bitter to the mouth but remedies disease. Loyal words offend the ear but benefit one's conduct." In ancient times King Huai of Chu ignored the advice of Qu Yuan and covenanted at Wuguan, falling prey to Qin. Now Your Lordship lightly leaves his home district to welcome Liu Bei at Fucheng. Will you return the way you came? If only you would put Zhang Song publicly to death and break off with Liu Bei, the entire population of Shu as well as your own house would benefit.
Angered by what he had read, Liu Zhang said, "I go to meet a humane and benevolent man, a kindred spirit of noble intent. How often do you mean to affront us this way?" Wang Lei uttered a single cry, severed the rope, and crashed to his death. A poet of later times left this tribute:
Suspended from the city gate, the protest note in hand,
So he chose to die in the service of Liu Zhang
.
Huang Quan, with his broken teeth, gave in at the end;
Wang Lei alone exemplifies fidelity unstained.
Liu Zhang set off for Fucheng with thirty thousand soldiers. Behind him rolled a thousand carts loaded with grain, money, and silk.
Xuande had advanced as far as the River Dian. Because the westerners had provisioned his army and because his soldiers had been warned on pain of death not to touch anything belonging to the people, Xuande's forces maintained discipline wherever they passed. Young and old thronged the thoroughfares to catch a glimpse of the arriving army, burning incense to pay their respects. Xuande spoke kindly and reassuringly to the people.
Meanwhile, Fa Zheng confided to Pang Tong: "I have a secret letter from Zhang Song. He wants us to move against Liu Zhang at the meeting in Fucheng, not to delay." "Say nothing for now," replied Pang Tong. "Wait until they are face-to-face. If this gets out, things could go awry." Fa Zheng kept his counsel. Fucheng was three hundred and sixty li from Chengdu, the capital of Yizhou. On arriving, Liu Zhang sent a man to welcome Xuande. The two armies settled in above the River Fu. Then Xuande entered the city to meet Liu Zhang, and the two men expressed their fraternal feelings. The overtures concluded, they wept freely, speaking their affection. After feasting, each returned to his camp to rest.
Liu Zhang told his assembled officials: "Those absurd suspicions of Huang Quan and Wang Lei! Little did they understand my clan-brother's good heart. Now I see how humane and honorable a man he really is. With his support, we have nothing to fear from Cao Cao or from Zhang Lu. And we have Zhang Song to thank for it!" So saying, he removed the green robe he was wearing and sent it with five hundred taels of gold to Zhang Song in the capital. His subordinates, however, Liu Gui, Ling Bao, Zhang Ren, Deng Xian, and other officers and officials said, "Restrain your enthusiasm a little, my lord. Liu Bei has an iron hand under that soft touch, and his motives are not easy to fathom. We had best take precautions." "You are overanxious," Liu Zhang replied. "There is no duplicity in my kinsman." His officials sighed in frustration and withdrew.
Meanwhile, Xuande had returned to his base, where Pang Tong came to him. "Your Lordship," he said, "what was your sense of Liu Zhang at the banquet?" "A sincere and honest man," Xuande replied. "He is a good man," Pang Tong agreed, "but his men, Liu Gui and Zhang Ren, seemed most aggrieved. With them our fortune is uncertain. My advice is to invite Liu Zhang to a banquet tomorrow. Have a hundred men placed behind the wall hangings beforehand. During the banquet you can signal them by throwing a cup down and have him put to death. We can then enter Chengdu en masse and conquer it without lifting our swords from their scabbards or fitting an arrow to a string." "Liu Zhang is my kinsman," Xuande responded. "He has treated me with all sincerity. Moreover, we are newcomers in the west. Our favor and trust have yet to be established. Heaven would not condone, nor the people forgive, a thing like that. Not even the power-hungry hegemons of old would have done what you propose."
"It is not what I propose," Pang Tong explained, "but a suggestion from Zhang Song conveyed in a confidential letter to Fa Zheng calling for swift action. The time must come sooner or later." As Pang Tong was speaking, Fa Zheng himself entered. "We are not acting for ourselves," he said, "but in conformity with the Mandate of Heaven." "Liu Zhang is my kinsman. I cannot do it," was Xuande's answer. "You are mistaken, my enlightened lord," Fa Zheng continued. "If you do not do it, Zhang Lu, who holds our state responsible for his mother's death, will attack and seize it. Your Lordship has come all this way across hills and streams; your men and horses have suffered hardship. To go forward is to your advantage; to withdraw is profitless. If you persist in these doubts and scruples and let the time pass, our cause will fail. And if our plans are discovered, they will do us in. Seize this moment when Heaven and man concur, when Liu Zhang suspects nothing: establish your estate. That is our best move." Pang Tong added his own exhortations. Indeed:
The ruler holds an honorable course
While clever ministers urge on him their schemes,
for Liu Xuande must have a place to rule! What kind of decision would Liu Xuande reach?
Read on.
61
Zhao Zilong Recovers Ah Dou at the River;
Sun Quan's Letter Causes Cao Cao to Retreat
Pang Tong and Fa Zheng tried to convince Xuande that the Riverlands could be handily won by murdering Liu Zhang at the banquet. But Xuande stood firm against their counsel, saying, "Having just entered the realm, we have neither good will nor credibility. It would never work."
The next day Xuande feasted with Liu Zhang in the city.1 The two men expressed their deep feeling for one another in tones of earnest friendship. When the company was well into its wine, Pang Tong suggested to Fa Zheng, "At this point there's nothing my master can do to stop us," and told Wei Yan to ascend into the banquet hall and assassinate Liu Zhang while giving a sword dance. Wei Yan bared his weapon and presented himself, saying, "Our gathering lacks entertainment. Let me perform the sword dance for your amusement." As Wei Yan spoke, Pang Tong had armed guards line up below the hall in anticipation of the deed.
Some of Liu Zhang's commanders were alarmed at the unfolding scene. An aide to Imperial Inspector Liu, Zhang Ren, gripped his sword and stepped forth. "This is a dance to perform in pairs," he said. "I shall accompany General Wei Yan." The two men moved gracefully before the company. At a glance from Wei Yan, Liu Feng also drew his blade and joined the dance, followed quickly by Liu Gui, Ling Bao, and Deng Xian, who said, "To add to the merriment." At this point Xuande, thoroughly alarmed, took hold of a follower's sword and stood up; he addressed the gathering: "I meet Liu Zhang at this feast today as a brother. Mistrust has no place here. This is no Hongmen!2 The sword dance is uncalled for. Let each throw down his blade or die." Liu Zhang added his own rebuke, "This reunion requires no weapons," and ordered his followers to disarm. Everyone rushed from the banquet hall.
Xuande summoned Liu Zhang's captains to the feast and rewarded them with wine as he said, "We two are kinsmen, blood and bone, conferring on matters of import. Duplicity has no place. You should all be clear about that." At these words Liu Zhang's captains prostrated themselves in gratitude. Deeply moved, Liu Zhang took Xuande's hand and said, "Your good will, brother, will never be forgotten." The two men continued carousing until late hours. Back at his camp, Xuande reproved Pang Tong: "Were you and the others trying to dishonor me? Don't let such a thing ever happen again." Sighing profoundly, Pang Tong withdrew.
When Liu Zhang returned to his camp, Liu Gui said, "My lord, you saw that scene at the banquet today? Let us go home while we are still alive." "My brother Liu Xuande is unlike other men," replied Liu Zhang. But his officers retorted, "Xuande himself may harbor no ill will, but those around him aim to take over the Riverlands in pursuit of their own interests." "Do not come between two brothers," Liu Zhang answered, and he remained deaf to all persuasion during his days spent with Xuande.
Suddenly it was reported that Zhang Lu had brought a well-organized force before Jiameng Pass. Liu Zhang requested Xuande to defend the pass, and Xuande, generously agreeing, went there at once with his troops. Liu Zhang's commanders urged Zhang to have his main force seal off all points of access in case of a mutiny by Xuande's army. After much urging, Liu Zhang finally agreed to have two leading military officers of Baishui, Yang Huai and Gao Pei, guard the pass at the River Fu. Liu Zhang then returned to Chengdu. Xuande kept his soldiers on tight discipline in the jiameng Pass area, winning the favor of the inhabitants by his many acts of largess.3
Spies had already reported these events to the Southland command. Lord Sun Quan was consulting with his civil and military officials when Gu Yong proposed: "Now that Liu Bei has taken a part of his forces so far to the west, I think we should send a company to cut off the mouth of the river and prevent his return. Then a general military action will bring us an easy victory in Jingzhou. This is not an opportunity to let slip." "An excellent plan!" responded Sun Quan. But duri
ng the session someone stepped forward from behind a screen, shouting, "The author of this plan should be killed for trying to murder my daughter." The assembly was startled at the sight of State Mother Wu. Angrily, she said, "I have only one daughter, and she is married to Liu Bei. If you attack him, what of my daughter?" Then she turned on Sun Quan: "You hold your father's and your brother's estate in your hands. Is comfortable possession of the eighty-one regions of the south not enough for you? Must you risk your own flesh and blood for some trifling gain?" Sun Quan voiced his respectful submission over and over again. "Whatever my revered mother requires will be performed," he answered and dismissed the assembly. The state mother left indignantly.
Standing by the porch railing, Sun Quan mused, "If I miss this chance, Jingzhou could be lost forever." Zhang Zhao entered and asked, "My lord, what troubles you?" "I'm still thinking of what Gu Yong said," responded Sun Quan. "Nothing could be simpler," Zhang Zhao went on. "Slip a trusted commander and five hundred men into Jingzhou with a letter for Lady Sun saying that the state mother is critically ill and wants to see her daughter. That should bring her back as soon as possible. See that she brings Xuande's only son with her—Xuande will be only too glad to exchange Jingzhou for his son. And if he refuses, you are free to use force." "An excellent plan!" cried Sun Quan. "I have a man, Zhou Shan, so trusted by my brother that since his youth he used to enter his private chambers. He's the man to send." "This must be kept absolutely secret," said Zhang Zhao. "Give him his orders to start out here and now."
Zhou Shan took five hundred men disguised as merchants and five boats. He was provided with false papers in case anyone questioned him on the way. Weapons were concealed on board. As commanded, Zhou Shan sailed for Jingzhou. Reaching the capital area, he docked and had the gate guards report his arrival to Lady Sun.
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