Three Kingdoms

by Luo Guanzhong (Moss Roberts trans. )

  Sun Quan, now regretting his ploy, dismissed the guards and ordered Deng Zhi to ascend to the hall, offered him a seat, and said, "Then I would learn from you, master, where our interest and Wei's interest lie." Deng Zhi replied, "Is it your wish to make peace with Wei or with Shu?"7 Sun Quan said, "Our purpose is to negotiate a peace with Shu, but with a new ruler so young and inexperienced, I wonder if agreements can be carried through to the end."

  To this Deng Zhi answered, "Your Highness is a splendid champion recognized by all, and Zhuge Liang an outstanding figure in his own right. Mountains and waterways afford the Riverlands ample protection; rivers keep the Southland secure. If our two kingdoms make peace for mutual defense, we can either devour the empire together or else enjoy the advantages of a three-way balance of power. If Your Highness sends presents of homage and declares subservience to Wei, they will demand your attendance at court and require the heir apparent to serve in their emperor's ranks. If you refuse, they will field an army and attack—in which case, the Riverlands army will come downstream and seize your territory.8 The Southland will no longer be yours! If you think my humble views wrong, I will gladly die before you lest I become known as a glib troublemaker." So saying, he raised the lower part of his garment and descended from the hall toward the cauldron as if to jump in.

  Sun Quan ordered Deng Zhi stopped and invited him to the rear chamber, where he received him as an honored guest. "Master," Sun Quan said, "your views and mine agree. I desire to conclude a peace with the ruler of Shu. Will you serve as my intermediary?"9 "A moment ago," Deng Zhi responded, "you wanted to cook me. Now you want to recruit me. If Your Highness is so indecisive, how can he win the confidence of others?"10 "I am resolved," Sun Quan said. "Have no doubts, master."

  The king of the Southland detained Deng Zhi and summoned his court into session. "My eighty-one Southland counties," he said, "coupled with Jingzhou, amount to less than the remote Riverlands, if only for the fact that they have a Deng Zhi, a man worthy of his king, while we lack a man of equal merit to represent our cause to Shu." At that moment a man stepped forth from the ranks and addressed the king: "I volunteer to be your envoy." The speaker was a southerner from Wujun district, Zhang Wen (Huishu), an Imperial Corps commander. Sun Quan said, "I am afraid that when Zhuge Liang receives you, you will not effectively convey my true sentiments." "Kongming is a man, after all," Zhang Wen replied. "Why should I fear him so?" And so Sun Quan gave Zhang Wen generous gifts with great pleasure and sent him with Deng Zhi to the Riverlands to negotiate the friendship between their two kingdoms.

  After Deng Zhi had left for the Southland, Kongming addressed the Second Emperor: "Deng Zhi will succeed, and one of the many capable men in the south should soon be visiting us in reciprocal courtesy. Your Majesty, treat him with all due respect so that he will conclude the alliance when he goes back. If this peace is made, Wei will not dare military action against us. With quiet on the eastern and northern fronts, I will be able to march south and pacify the region of the Man peoples. After that, we can again make Wei our objective. And after Wei is whittled down, the Southland cannot long survive. In that way the unity of the empire can be reestablished."11 The Emperor approved.

  When the return mission of Deng Zhi and Zhang Wen was announced, the Emperor gathered his military and civil officials around him. He then permitted Deng Zhi and Zhang Wen to enter the throne chamber. With an air of pride and self-importance Zhang Wen strode into the hall and extended ritual greetings to the Emperor, who invited him to sit on a gorgeous damask hassock on the left side of the hall. A royal banquet was presented at which the Emperor played a merely formal role.12 After the ceremonies officials escorted Zhang Wen to the guesthouse.

  The next day Kongming invited Zhang Wen to dine and said to him, "When the late Emperor was alive, relations with the south were poor. But he is no more. Out of his deep admiration for the king of Wu, the present sovereign seeks to bury old grudges and form a long-term alliance in order to defeat Wei. I hope that you, my lord, will deliver our response with fair words."13 Zhang Wen agreed to. As the wine eased their spirits, the envoy smiled and grew more expansive; he even became somewhat arrogant.

  The next day the Emperor gave Zhang Wen gifts of gold and silk and told all courtiers to attend a banquet in his honor at the post station south of the capital. Kongming solicitously served wine to Zhang Wen. Suddenly, during the festivities a drunken man burst in and after a haughty gesture of salutation took a seat among the guests. Amazed, Zhang Wen asked Kongming who the man was. Kongming replied, "Qin Mi (styled Zilai), now an official scholar in Yizhou." "He may be called 'official scholar,'" Zhang Wen responded, "but I wonder if there is any 'scholarship' in him." Assuming a severe air, Qin Mi said, "Even the young lads of the Riverlands attend to their studies, not to speak of myself."

  Zhang Wen continued, "Tell us what you have learned." "Astronomy and geography," Qin Mi replied, "the three teachings and the nine sects, the philosophers of every school—I have mastered them all. And I have read through the histories chronicling the rise and fall of many dynasties as well as the classics transmitted by sagely worthies." Zhang Wen laughed. "Since you take pride in your learning, good sir, allow me this question: does the sky have a head?" "It does," Qin Mi answered. "Where?" asked Zhang Wen. "In the west," Qin Mi answered again. "Inferring from the line in the Book of Odes, 'The High Ancestor looked to the west for a new king, ' the head should be there."14 "And does the sky have ears?" Zhang Wen asked next. "Heaven is located high above, but it hears those far below. As the Book of Odes says, 'The crane cries in the remote swamps, but its voice reaches Heaven above. ' How could Heaven hear without ears?"15 "And does Heaven have feet as well?" Zhang Wen pressed him. "Of course," Qin Mi answered. "The Odes says, 'Heaven advances step by step. '16 That would be impossible without feet." Next, Zhang Wen asked, "And does Heaven have a surname?" "But of course," Qin Mi responded. "What name?" Zhang Wen asked. "Liu," said Qin Mi. "How do you know?" Zhang Wen asked. "Because the Son of Heaven is surnamed Liu," was Qin Mi's reply. "And is the sun born in the east?" Zhang Wen queried. "Yes," Qin Mi answered. "But it 'dies' in the west."

  In this exchange Qin Mi's articulate and fluent responses astonished the entire assembly and left Zhang Wen speechless. Qin Mi then asked him, "Master, you are a noted scholar of the Southland. Since you have condescended to ask me about Heaven, surely you have a profound grasp of its principles. In ancient times after the division of the primal substance, yin and yang were formed. The lighter, finer essence rose skyward to become Heaven. The grosser, darker essence congealed as earth. After Gong Gong lost the war, he butted Buzhou Mountain with his head, breaking the pillar of Heaven and one of the mainstays of the earth. This caused Heaven to tilt down in the northwest and earth to list to the southeast. Now, if Heaven was formed from a lighter, rising essence, how could it tilt down in the northwest? And secondly, what lies beyond the lighter essence? I am eager to learn form you."17

  Unable to make any reply, Zhang Wen moved off his mat and said deferentially, "I am amazed that the Riverlands has such a paragon of erudition. Your arguments have been positively illuminating." Kongming intervened to save Zhang Wen from further embarrassment by saying, "The riddles posed during the banquet were in jest. Your knowledge of the means to keep a kingdom safe and sound has nothing to do with verbal jesting." Zhang Wen acknowledged the compliment, and Kongming ordered Deng Zhi to reciprocate the Southland's courtesy and accompany Zhang Wen home again. The two men took leave of the prime minister and headed back to the Southland.

  Sun Quan was in council when a personal attendant announced, "The Riverlands has sent Deng Zhi back with Zhang Wen as a gesture of reciprocity." Summoned before his lord, Zhang Wen praised in detail the virtue of the Second Emperor and Kongming; he conveyed their appeal for a lasting alliance, and told the king of the dispatch of Secretary Deng Zhi on a return visit. Delighted by these developments, Sun Quan held a banquet for Deng Zhi, during which he asked him, "Would it not be wo
nderful if our two kingdoms resolved to destroy Wei? It would bring peace to the empire, and the two sovereigns could share its governance." Deng Zhi responded, "'The people have one king, as Heaven has one sun. ' After the destruction of Wei, to whom the mandate will revert is a matter of conjecture. Whoever rules must cultivate his virtue. Whoever serves must exhaust his loyalty. That will end the wars." "Your sincerity is beyond question," Sun Quan said and sent Deng Zhi back to the Riverlands laden with gifts. Thereafter Wu and Shu were on friendly terms.

  Spies swiftly brought word of these developments to the attention of the Wei Emperor, Cao Pi. "An alliance between Wu and Shu will have the north as its next objective. We should attack them first," he declared angrily, and he called a general meeting of his officials and advisers to discuss invading the Southland.

  By this time Chief Commanding Officer Cao Ren and Grand Commandant Jia Xu had both passed away. Privy Counselor Xin Pi came forward and addressed the sovereign: "War would ravage our northern heartland, a broad territory on which the population is rather thinly settled. A better plan would be to develop the armed forces and establish military-agricultural colonies to ensure supplies of food and men. In ten years' time Wu and Shu can be defeated." Angered by these words, Cao Pi said, "That's how a pedant thinks! Wu and Shu are now allied, and their armies will invade our land long before ten years have passed. I don't have the luxury of waiting!" With that, the Wei Emperor ordered the invasion to begin.

  Sima Yi addressed Cao Pi: "We'll need boats to cross the Great River, the Southland's strategic defense. The best plan is for Your Majesty to lead the expedition. Select a fleet of large and small craft, then enter the Huai region from Cai and Ying and capture Shouchun. When you reach Guangling, cross the river and capture Nanxu." Cao Pi adopted the plan. He ordered nonstop preparation. Ten dragon boats were built, each over two hundred spans long and able to hold over two thousand men. In addition, he commissioned some three thousand war-boats.18

  In the autumn of the eighth month of the fifth year of Huang Chu,19 the entire northern command gathered. Cao Pi ordered Cao Zhen to lead the vanguard; Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Wen Ping, and Xu Huang to serve as lead generals; Xu Chu and Lü Qian to be Imperial Army superintendants;20 Cao Xiu to coordinate the rear; and Liu Ye and Jiang Ji to serve as consulting officials. The land and naval forces, all told, came to more than three hundred thousand. A day was set to launch the invasion. Sima Yi, appointed superviser of the Secretariat,21 remained in Xuchang and assumed overall administrative responsibility.

  Southland spies soon returned from the north to tell of the impending invasion, and a personal attendant communicated the news to the king of Wu: "The ruler of Wei, Cao Pi, is personally leading the imperial fleet and a combined land and naval force of more than three hundred thousand. They are coming into the Huai region from Cai and Ying, bent on seizing Guangling, crossing the river there, and descending upon the Southland— a serious threat." Sun Quan, deeply concerned, gathered his counselors. Gu Yong said, "Your Lordship has re-allied with the Riverlands. You might write to Kongming urging him to march into Hanzhong. That would force the northerners to fight on two fronts. At the same time post a top general to block the invaders at Nanxu." "No one but Lu Xun could undertake the task," Sun Quan said. Gu Yong replied, "He is defending Jingzhou and should stay there." "Well I know it," Sun Quan responded. "But whom do I have to take his place?"

  At that moment someone stepped out to answer the call. "I may have little talent," he said, "but I volunteer to lead one detachment in the fight against Wei. If Cao Pi comes across the Great River, I will deliver him alive to the base of your throne hall. If he does not cross, I will destroy half the troops of Wei; the north will never defy us again." The volunteer was Xu Sheng. "With you to defend the regions south of the river, my worries are over," Sun Quan said with delight and appointed him General Who Makes the East Secure and chief commander of all forces in Jianye and Nanxu. Xu Sheng thanked Sun Quan, accepted his commission, and withdrew. He then issued orders for all armies to provide him with the weapons, flags, and banners necessary for defending the shores of the river.

  Suddenly a man stood up and said, "General, today His Majesty has laid a heavy charge upon you, to defeat the northern army and capture Cao Pi—why not send your men across the river first and meet the enemy in the Huai region? It may be too late to press your advantage if you wait for them to arrive." Xu Sheng turned to Sun Shao (Gongli), nephew of the king, recipient of the post of General Who Exhibits Power. He had once served in the defense at Guangling, and he was a headstrong youth, filled with sheer courage. Xu Sheng said to him, "Cao Pi has a vast fighting force and famous commanders in the vanguard. We cannot meet the enemy on the other side of the river. But after their fleet gathers on the north shore, I have a way to destroy them."

  Sun Shao replied, "I have three thousand in my command, and I know the terrain around Guangling. I want to take the fight to the north side and finish Cao Pi there. If I fail, let military law be satisfied!" Xu Sheng would not agree; but Sun Shao would not relent. Xu Sheng refused permission; Sun Shao insisted. Finally, Xu Sheng angrily ordered Sun Shao removed and executed, saying, "If you ignore my command, how am I to control the other commanders?"

  Armed guards forced Sun Shao outside the main gate of the camp and raised a black flag. One of Shao's lieutenants rushed the news to Sun Quan, who mounted at once and came to save him. As the executioners readied the knife, Sun Quan arrived, dispersed them with a shout, and rescued his nephew. Tearfully Sun Shao addressed the king: "Some years ago I became familiar with the terrain in Guangling. If instead of taking the battle to Cao Pi, we wait for him to cross the river, the Southland's days are numbered." Sun Quan went to the camp and was met by Xu Sheng, who showed him into his tent. "Your Highness," he said, "has appointed me chief commander with orders to stop Cao Pi's advance. Now Sun Shao, General Who Exhibits Power, shows no respect for military law. For disobeying orders he deserves to die. Why did Your Majesty pardon him?" "Sun Shao violated the law inadvertently; it was his rashness. I ask you to excuse his fault," Sun Quan replied. "I did not make the law," Xu Sheng went on, "nor did Your Majesty. It is law established by precedent in our kingdom. If he is exonerated as a member of the Sun family, what authority will we have to command others?" Sun Quan answered, "By all rights his offense should be punished, General. But there is a special circumstance here. Sun Shao was originally surnamed Yu; my brother granted him our surname because he was fond of the lad. He has done me important service. If you kill him, our fraternal bond will be violated."22

  To this appeal Xu Sheng replied, "In deference to Your Highness, then, I will hold off on the penalty." Next, Sun Quan bade Sun Shao prostrate himself and admit his fault. Sun Shao would not perform the ritual bow, and instead cried out stridently, "The way I see it, there is no choice but to take the army to destroy Cao Pi. Death itself could not get me to accept your view." Xu Sheng turned pale. Sun Quan dismissed Sun Shao harshly and said to Xu Sheng, "Can't the army do without him? Don't use him from now on." With those words Sun Quan went back.

  That night someone reported to Xu Sheng that Sun Shao had secretly taken his three thousand crack troops over the river. To guard against mishap and to avoid his king's displeasure, Xu Sheng went to Ding Feng, gave him a secret plan, and sent him across with three thousand men to back up Sun Shao.

  During the night the dragon boat carrying the ruler of Wei reached Guangling, where the vanguard under Cao Zhen was already arrayed on the shore. "How many men on the opposite bank?" Cao Pi asked him. "I see none on the far shore," Cao Zhen replied, "no flags or campsites, either." "It's a trick," Cao Pi said. "I will go myself to explore the site." Cao Pi had the way cleared for his royal barge to come to the river. Moored on the northern shore, it flew multicolored banners bearing the dragon and the phoenix, the sun and the moon; its imperial regalia and its honor guard gleamed brilliantly. Seated amid this display, Cao Pi gazed at the southern shore. Seeing no one, he turned to Liu Ye a
nd Jiang Ji and asked, "Can't we cross?" "Military science warns," Liu Ye replied, "that 'appearances often belie reality. ' When they see us coming, they will prepare. Do not be hasty, Your Majesty. Take a few days to watch their movements before sending the vanguard across to probe their positions." "My thinking exactly," Cao Pi responded.

  Cao Pi spent the night on the river. There was no moon, but the soldiers' lanterns turned night to day; over on the southern shore all was dark. Cao Pi asked why, and a personal attendant answered, "It would seem that, hearing of the arrival of your Heaven-ordained armies, they simply took flight." Cao Pi smiled to himself. By dawn a great fog had overspread the water, blotting out even the closest objects. Soon morning winds cleared the air and they saw a line of walled forts before them. On the towers spears and swords caught the sunlight; the walls bristled with signal flags and banners. Several scouts informed Cao Pi that from Nanxu to the City of Stones—a distance of hundreds of li along the river—an unbroken line of barrier walls, boats, and chariots had been put in place overnight. Cao Pi was astounded.

  The defensive display had all been Xu Sheng's doing. He had fabricated straw men dressed in black and holding flags, and had stood them on false walls and decoy towers. But the deceived northerners panicked at the sight of so many soldiers on the wall, and Cao Pi said, "Although we have legions of soldiers, what use can we make of them? If the Southland has such forces, it is pointless for us to attack." As Cao Pi watched in amazement, a sudden gale sprang up and whipped the white waves skyward. The surges of the mighty Great River drenched Cao Pi's royal dragon robes and rocked the royal barge. Cao Zhen urgently ordered Wen Ping to punt a small craft onto the river to rescue the sovereign. On the dragon boat the men could not keep their footing. Wen Ping drew close, vaulted over to the imperial boat, and carried Cao Pi down to his own craft. Then they raced for a safe harbor.