“I wish I could go with you,” said Liu An, “but as my mother still lives I cannot go so far from home.”
Liu Bei thanked him and went away with his companions. On the road, they saw not far off a thick cloud of dust. When the troop came nearer they found they were men of Cao Cao’s army, and with them they made their way to the central camp to see Cao Cao, who wept at the sad story of Liu Bei’s distress, the loss of the city, his brothers, and his family. When Liu Bei told him of the hunter who had sacrificed his wife to feed them, Cao Cao sent the hunter a hundred ounces of gold as a reward.
They continued to march to Jibei, where they were welcomed to camp by Xiahou Yuan. When Cao Cao heard that his brother was still ill from the wound he had received in the eye he went to the sick man’s bedside to see him, and had him removed to the capital for careful treatment.
Presently the scouts, sent out to find tidings of Lu Bu, returned to say that he had allied himself with the outlaws in the Taishan Mountains and they were launching a joint attack on Yanzhou. On hearing this, Cao Cao dispatched Cao Ren with 3,000 soldiers to take Xiaopei, while he, together with Liu Bei, moved against Lu Bu. As they came near Xiao Pass on their journey to Shandong they were stopped by the four Taishan brigands with a large force. However, they were easily beaten back and were pursued right up to the pass.
The scouts told Lu Bu, who was then back in Xuzhou and was planning to start an expedition to lift the siege at Xiao Pass, the hidden spy of Cao Cao’s. He unwittingly left the protection of his city to Chen Deng’s father, another of Cao Cao’s men, and set out with the son.
As Chen Deng was starting out his father said to him, “Remember the words of Cao Cao, that the business of the east is in our hands. Now is the moment, as Lu Bu is about to fall.”
“Don’t worry, father, I’ll take care of the things on the outside. But if he returns beaten you must arrange with Mi Zhu to keep him out of the city. I’ll find a means of escape,” said Chen Deng.
“His family is here and so are many of his trusted men. How can I avoid them?’
“I also have a scheme to settle them.”
Then he went to see Lu Bu, to whom he said: “Xuzhou is surrounded and this city will be fiercely attacked. We ought to prepare for probable retreat and I think it will be wise to store grain and money in Xiapi. We could retreat there if the day went adversely. Why not see about this in good time?”
“Your words are indeed wise. I will also send my family there,” said Lu Bu.
The family then left under escort and with them was sent much grain and silver. And the soldiers marched to the relief of the pass. About half way there, Chen Deng said: “Let me go to the pass first to find out how things are so that you, my lord, may advance with confidence.”
Thus Chen Deng parted company with his chief and went alone to the pass, where he was received by Chen Gong. He said, “The general is greatly annoyed by your inaction. He’s going to investigate it.”
“The enemy is great in force and we can’t be too careful,” said Chen Gong. “We’re holding the pass and you should persuade our master to take steps to guard Xiaopei.”
Chen Deng pretended to agree. That evening he went up to the pass from where he could see Cao Cao’s army below. That night he wrote three letters, tied them to arrows, and shot them into Cao Cao’s camp.
The next day he left the pass and hastened back to Lu Bu. “Those bandits all want to give up the pass to the enemy, but I have left Chen Gong to hold it. You had better make an attack tonight and help him.”
“Had it not been for you the pass would have been lost,” said Lu Bu.
Then he sent Chen Deng back to tell Chen Gong to light a fire that night as a signal for simultaneous action. So Chen Deng returned to the pass to see Chen Gong—but to him he told a different story. He said, “Cao Cao’s men have found a secret way through the pass and I fear Xuzhou is in grave danger. You ought to go back at once.”
At this news the pass was abandoned. Chen Gong began to turn back toward Xuzhou. After he was gone, Chen Deng lit a fire on top of the pass.
Lu Bu advanced under the cover of darkness to reclaim the pass. Presently he bumped into Chen Gong’s men, and as neither recognized the other in the dark, a fierce battle ensued among themselves. Nor was the trick discovered till daylight came.
While these things were going on, Cao Cao noted the signal fire and advanced as fast as possible. The outlaws from the mountains, who alone remained to hold the pass, were easily driven out and they scattered in all directions.
When daylight came and Chen Deng’s trick was exposed, Lu Bu and Chen Gong set off together for Xuzhou. But when they arrived and summoned the guards to open the gate, there came instead a thick shower of arrows. At the same time Mi Zhu appeared on the defense tower and shouted, “You stole my master’s city and it must be returned to him now. You must not enter here again.”
“Where is Chen Gui?” cried Lu Bu in wrath.
“I have slain him,” was the reply.
“Where is that son of his?” said Lu Bu, turning to Chen Gong.
“Do you still hold to your delusion, general, that you ask where this specious rogue is?”
Lu Bu bade his men search throughout the ranks, but he was not to be found. Then they decided to go to Xiaopei. But before they had got halfway, there suddenly appeared the troops under the command of Gao Shun and Zhang Liao.
“Why are you here?” asked Lu Bu.
They replied, “Chen Deng came to tell us that you had been surrounded and wanted help, so we came at once.”
“Another trick of that false rogue!” said Chen Gong.
“I will not let him live!” roared Lu Bu indignantly.
They went with all speed to Xiaopei, only to find as they drew near the ensigns of the enemy displayed all along the walls, for the city had been taken by Cao Ren on Cao Cao’s orders.
While Lu Bu stood at the foot of the rampart reviling the traitor, Chen Deng himself appeared on the wall tower. Pointing to Lu Bu, he cried: “Did you think that I, an official of the Han Dynasty, would serve a rebel like you?”
Lu Bu in his wrath was about to make a desperate attack but suddenly a great noise was heard and an army came up behind him. It was led by none other than his old foe Zhang Fei.
Gao Shun went to engage him, but he had no chance of success. Lu Bu then joined in the fight. But at this juncture another powerful army appeared, and the leader this time was Cao Cao himself, and his men rushed to the attack. Aware that he had no hope of victory, Lu Bu went away toward the east, with Cao Cao in pursuit. His army marched till they were quite worn out yet still another force appeared before them under the command of Guan Yu. Holding his sword ready to strike he called out: “Do not try to flee, Lu Bu, Guan Yu is waiting for you.”
Lu Bu hastened to combat him. Soon Zhang Fei closed in from behind. By desperate efforts Lu Bu and his men cut their way through the press and got free. After this they started for Xiapi as fast as they could. Lu Bu was joined by his officer, Hou Cheng, who helped keep the pursuers at bay.
So the two brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, were together again after their separation. Both shed tears of joy as they told each other what had happened.
“I was on the Haizhou road when I heard of the battle here,” said Guan Yu. “I lost no time in coming.”
“And I had been camped in the Mangdang Hills for some time. It’s such great luck for us to be together again.”
After this exchange of information they marched off together to find their eldest brother. It was a very moving meeting. The two younger brothers wept as they made their salutations to Liu Bei, whose heart was mixed with sadness and joy. He then presented them to Cao Cao. Together, they all went into the captured city of Xuzhou.
Mi Zhu presently came with the welcome news of the safety of the family. And the two Chens, betrayers of Lu Bu, came to pay their respects to Cao Cao. A grand banquet was prepared for the officers at which Cao Cao presided as host and
Chen Gui and Liu Bei occupied the seats of honor. At the close of the banquet, Cao Cao praised most highly the merits of the two Chens and rewarded them with a very high salary, besides giving the son the title of general.
Cao Cao was very pleased with his success and at once began to plan a scheme to capture Xiapi, the sole place now left to Lu Bu, where he had taken refuge.
Cheng Yu said, “If we pressed him too hard Lu Bu might put up a desperate fight and throw himself into the arms of our arch enemy Yuan Shu. These two as allies will be difficult to overcome. Rather, we should send a capable man to guard the route to Huainan, so as to protect you against Lu Bu on the one hand and ward off Yuan Shu on the other. Moreover, some of Lu Bu’s men are still at large in Shandong. We need to take precautions against them as well.”
Cao Cao replied that he would clear up the whole of Shandong and asked Liu Bei to take care of the south.
“I will certainly obey your command,” said Liu Bei.
So the following day Liu Bei went south with his two brothers and Sun Qian, leaving Mi Zhu and Jian Yong at Xuzhou. Meanwhile, Cao Cao led his army to besiege Xiapi.
Lu Bu felt very secure in his refuge. With his good store of grain and the protection of the river, he thought his defense was unbeatable and he could sit back and relax. So he allowed Cao Cao’s army to approach without interference.
Chen Gong said, “You ought to attack Cao Cao’s army before they have time to establish camps and strengthen defenses. Their soldiers will be tired and your fresh troops will certainly defeat them.”
But Lu Bu only replied, “We have suffered too many defeats lately to take any risk. Wait till they actually attack and you will see them drowning in the water.”
So he neglected his loyal advisor’s words and waited till the enemy had settled into their camp. This done, the attackers came to the very gate of the city. From the foot of the wall Cao Cao demanded to speak to Lu Bu. At his call, Lu Bu ascended the wall tower.
Cao Cao said, “I hear that your family and that of Yuan Shu are likely to be united by marriage, so I have come with an army against you. Yuan Shu is guilty of treason while you have to your credit the destruction of Dong Zhuo. For what reason have you sacrificed all your merits to throw in your lot with a rebel? It will be too late for regrets when this city has fallen. But if you surrender and help me to support the ruling house you will win yourself the rank of a lord.”
Lu Bu replied, “If you will retire we may be able to discuss the matter.”
But Chen Gong, standing beside his master, began to rail at Cao Cao, calling him a rebel, and shot an arrow that struck his plumed helmet.
“I swear I will slay you!” cried Cao Cao, outraged, pointing his finger at Chen Gong.
Then the attack on the walls began.
“They have come from afar and cannot maintain this for long,” said Chen Gong. “General, you go out with your horse and foot soldiers and take up a position outside, leaving me to maintain the defense with the remainder of our men. If he engages you, I will come out and strike at his rear ranks; if he attacks the city, you can come to our aid. In a few days their supplies will be exhausted and we can beat them off easily. In this way we can aid each other and our enemy will become trapped between two horns.”
“You are right,” said Lu Bu.
So he went back to his residence to pack up. As it was in the depth of winter he told his attendants to pack plenty of cotton padded clothing. His wife overheard and asked him where he was going. He told her of Chen Gong’s plan.
She said, “My lord, you’re leaving your city, abandoning your wife, and going out all by yourself with a paltry force. Should any untoward event happen, will I ever see you again?”
Lu Bu hesitated, and for three days made no move. Then Chen Gong came to see him again and said, “The enemy are all around the city now and unless you go out soon you will be quite hemmed in.”
“I think it would be better to maintain a resolute defense,” said Lu Bu.
“Our enemy is short of food and has sent men to the capital for supplies. These will soon arrive and you should go out with some veterans and intercept the convoy. That loss will be a heavy blow to the enemy.”
Lu Bu agreed and went to tell his wife about the new plan. She wept and said, “If you go, do you think those others equal to the defense of the city? If anything should go wrong you would be very sorry. You abandoned me at Chang’an and it was only through the kindness of Pang Shu that I was hidden from our enemies and rejoined you later. Who would have thought you would leave me again? But General, you have bright prospects before you, please don’t think of your poor wife.” She wept bitterly.
Lu Bu was torn by indecision and he went to tell Cicada about it. She said, “You’re my lord, you mustn’t be careless and ride out alone.”
“Don’t worry. With my mighty halberd and the Red Hare, the fastest steed in the world, who dares to come near me?” Lu Bu comforted her.
He went out to tell Chen Gong, “That story about supplies for Cao Cao is all false, one of his many ruses. I mustn’t venture out.”
Chen Gong sighed—he felt all was lost.
“We’ll all die without a burying place,” he said to himself.
From then on Lu Bu remained in his own quarters with his women folk, drinking freely to drown his sorrows. One day two of his advisors went in to see him and proposed seeking help from Yuan Shu, who had become very strong again in Huainan.
“You have previously talked about a matrimonial alliance with him, General. Why not write to him to suggest renewing the bond of marriage again? If he could send an army here, it would be easy to destroy Cao Cao,” they said.
Lu Bu accepted the advice and the two advisors were sent as messengers to Yuan Shu.
They said, “We must have a strong escort with us to force a way through.”
So Lu Bu sent Zhang Liao and He Meng with a thousand soldiers to conduct his messengers beyond the pass. They started that night at the second watch, with Zhang Liao leading and He Meng bringing up the rear. They got out of the city, crept past Liu Bei’s camp, and got beyond the danger zone. Then half the escort went on and Zhang Liao led the remainder back toward the city. At the pass he found Guan Yu waiting. However, at that moment Gao Shun came to his assistance and they escaped to the city.
The two messengers presently reached Shouchun, paid their respects to Yuan Shu, and presented the letter.
“What is this?” said Yuan Shu. “Formerly he slew my messenger and repudiated the marriage; now he wants to ask for it again.”
“It is all due to the vile plans of that monster Cao Cao. I pray you, noble sir, to consider it carefully,” replied one of the messengers.
“But if your master were not hemmed in by his enemy and in imminent danger he would never have thought of renewing this proposal of marriage.”
The messengers said, “As the saying goes, when the lips are gone the teeth are cold. If you do not help him now, it will not be to your benefit either.”
Yuan Shu said, “Lu Bu is unreliable; tell him that I will send soldiers after the girl has arrived here.”
This was final and the two messengers could not but take their leave. When the party reached Liu Bei’s camp they decided to try to get through after dark, the two messengers going first while He Meng and the soldiers bringing up the rear. They tried that every night and the two messengers crept across without being discovered. But the escort found their advance cut off by Zhang Fei. He Meng tried to fight but was captured in the very first bout—his five hundred men fled and many were killed.
The prisoner was taken to Liu Bei, who sent him on to the main camp, where he related the proposal of marriage and the scheme to save the city. Cao Cao was angry and ordered the execution of the prisoner at the main gate.
Then he sent orders to each camp to exercise the greatest diligence, with threats of rigorous punishment for any officers that permitted any communication between the besieged and the outer world.
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All were quite intimidated. Liu Bei returned to camp and cautioned his brothers. “We are guarding the very route to Huainan and you must be extremely careful not to allow any breach of this command.”
Zhang Fei was angry. “We’ve just captured one enemy officer,” he said, “and there’s no word of praise or reward for us but new orders and threats. What do you make of that?’
“You’re wrong to complain,” said Liu Bei. “He has a huge army to command and must rule by strict discipline. Otherwise how can he control such a force? Don’t disobey him, brothers.”
They promised obedience and withdrew.
In the meantime the messengers had got back to Lu Bu and told him what Yuan Shu had said, and that the army would come only after the girl was sent.
“How can she be sent?” asked Lu Bu.
“That is the difficulty. He Meng’s capture means that Cao Cao knows the whole plan of getting help from the south. I do not see how anyone but you could hope to get through the siege lines.”
“Suppose we try today?” said Lu Bu.
“This is an ill-omened day—you must not go today. Tomorrow is a very lucky day, especially in the night, for any military action.”
Then Lu Bu ordered Zhang Liao and Gao Shun to get ready 3,000 soldiers for the venture and to prepare a light carriage. He would lead for the first two hundred li. Then they would escort the bride-elect the remainder of the way to her new home.
The next night, toward the second watch, Lu Bu wrapped up his daughter in soft cotton, bound her about with a mailed coat, and carried her on his back. Then with his mighty halberd in hand, he mounted his steed and rode at the head of the cavalcade out of the city gate. The two officers followed.
The Three Kingdoms: The Sacred Oath Page 29
