Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

  Next they burned the camp on Sleeping Bull Mountain, after which they all took the road back to Gucheng where they were welcomed. They exchanged the stories of their several adventures, and the two ladies related the valiant deeds of Guan Yu whereat Liu Bei was too affected to speak.

  Then they performed a great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth with the slaughter of a bull and a horse.

  The soldiers also were recompensed for their toils. Liu Bei surveyed the conditions around him and found therein much to rejoice at. His two brothers were restored to his side and none of his helpers were missing. Moreover he had gained Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu had acquired an adopted son Guan Ping. Another commander had joined his ranks in the person of Zhou Cang. There was every occasion for feasting and gratification.

  Scattered wide were the brothers, none knew another's retreat,

  Joyfully now they foregather, dragon and tigers meet.

  At this time the forces under the command of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Sun Qian, Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Guan Ping, and Zhou Cang numbered four or five thousand soldiers. Liu Bei was in favor of leaving Gucheng and occupying Runan, and just then Liu Pi and Gong Du, the commanders of that city, sent to invite him to go there. So they went. There they devoted all their efforts to strengthen their army, both horse and foot.

  Yuan Shao was much annoyed when Liu Bei did not return and at first was for sending a force after him. However Guo Tu dissuaded him.

  “Liu Bei needs cause you no anxiety; Cao Cao is your one enemy and must be destroyed. Even Liu Biao, though strongly posted on the river, is none too terrible. There is Sun Ce on the southeast of the Great River, strong, feared, with wide domain of six territories, a large army, and able counselors and leaders; you should make an alliance there against Cao Cao.”

  Guo Tu won his chief to his view and wrote to Sun Ce, sending the letter by Chen Zhen.

  Just as one warrior leaves the north,

  Another from the east comes forth.

  Future chapters will reveal the outcome of these dispositions.

  CHAPTER 29. The Little Chief Of The South Slays Yu Ji; The Green Eyed Boy Lays Hold On The South

  Sun Ce gradually became supreme on the southeast of the Great River ((Yangtze River)). In the fourth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 199), he took Lujiang by the defeat of the Governor Liu Xun. He dispatched Yu Fan with a dispatch to Governor Hua Xin of Yuzhang, and Hua Xin surrendered. Thence Sun Ce's renown increased, and he boldly sent a memorial on his military successes to the Emperor by the hand of Zhang Hong.

  Cao Cao saw in Sun Ce a powerful rival and said, “He is a lion difficult to contend with.”

  So Cao Cao betrothed his niece, daughter of Cao Ren, to Sun Kuang, the youngest brother of Sun Ce, thus connecting the two families by marriage. Cao Cao also retained Zhang Hong near him in the capital.

  Then Sun Ce sought the title of Grand Commander, one of the highest offices of state, but Cao Cao prevented the attainment of this ambition, and Sun Ce keenly resented it. Henceforward his thoughts turned toward an attack on Cao Cao.

  About this time the Governor of Wujun, Xu Gong, sent a secret letter to the capital to Cao Cao, saying:

  “Sun Ce is a turbulent fellow of the Xiang Yu type 1; and the government ought, under the appearance of showing

  favor to him, to recall him to the capital, for he is a danger in the southern regions.”

  But the bearer of this letter was captured on the Great River and sent to Sun Ce, who immediately put him to death. Then Sun Ce treacherously sent to ask the author of the letter to come and consult over some affair. The unsuspecting Xu Gong came. Sun Ce produced the letter, saying, “So you wish to send me to the land of the dead, eh?”

  And thereupon the executioners came in and strangled Xu Gong. The family of the victim scattered, but three of his clients determined to avenge him if only they could find some means of attacking Sun Ce.

  One day Sun Ce went hunting in the hills to the west of Dantu. A stag was started, and Sun Ce pressed after it at topmost speed and followed it deep into the forest. Presently he came upon three armed men standing among the trees. Rather surprised to see them there, he reined in and asked who they were.

  “We belong to Han Dang's army and are shooting deer,” was the reply.

  So Sun Ce shook his bridle to proceed. But just as he did so, one of the men thrust at him with a spear and wounded his thigh. Sun Ce drew the sword at his side, dashed forward, and tried to cut down the aggressor. The blade of his sword suddenly fell to the ground, only the hilt remaining in his hand. Then one of the assassins drew his bow, and an arrow wounded Sun Ce in the cheek. Sun Ce plucked out the arrow and shot at the offender, who fell, but the other two attacked him furiously with their spears, shouting, “We are Xu Gong's men and his avengers!”

  Sun Ce then understood. But he had no weapons save his bow against them. He tried to draw off, keeping them at bay striking with his bow; but the fight was getting too much for him, and both he and his steed were wounded in several places. However, just at the critical moment, Cheng Pu and some of his own officers came up, and they minced the assassins into pieces.

  But their lord was in a sorry plight. His face was streaming with blood, and some of the wounds were very severe. They tore up his robe and therewith bound up his wounds, and they carried him home.

  A poem in praise of the three avengers says:

  O Sun Ce was a warrior and a stranger he to fear.

  But he was basely murdered while hunting of the deer.

  Yet were they leal who slew him, to avenge a murdered lord.

  Self immolated like Yu Rang, they dreaded not the sword.

  Badly wounded, Sun Ce was borne to his home. They sent to call the famous physician Hua Tuo, but he was far away and could not be found. However, a disciple of his came, and the wounded man was committed to his care.

  “The arrowheads were poisoned,” said the physician, “and the poison has penetrated deep. It will take a hundred days of perfect repose before danger will be past. But if you give way to passion or anger, the wounds will not heal.”

  Sun Ce's temperament was hasty and impatient, and the prospect of such a slow recovery was very distasteful. However, he remained quiet for some twenty of the hundred days. Then came Zhang Hong from the capital, and Sun Ce insisted on seeing and questioning him.

  “Cao Cao fears you, my lord, very greatly,” said Zhang Hong, “and his advisers have exceeding respect for you; all except Guo Jia.”

  “What did Guo Jia say?” asked the sick chieftain.

  Zhang Hong remained silent, which only irritated his master and caused him to demand to be told. So Zhang Hong had to speak the truth.

  He said, “The fact is Guo Jia told Cao Cao that he needed not fear you, that you were frivolous and unready, impulsive and shallow, just a stupid swaggerer who would one day come to his death at the hands of some mean person.”

  This provoked the sick man beyond endurance.

  “The fool, how dare he say this of me?” cried Sun Ce. “I will take Xuchang from Cao Cao, I swear.”

  It was no more a question of repose. Ill as he was, he wanted to begin preparations for an expedition at once. They remonstrated with him, reminded him of the physician's orders and urged him to rest.

  “You are risking your priceless self in a moment's anger,” said Zhang Zhao.

  Then arrived Chen Zhen, the messenger from Yuan Shao, and Sun Ce would have him brought in.

  He said, “My master wishes to ally himself with the South Land in an attack on Cao Cao.” Such a proposal was just after Sun Ce's heart. At once he called a great meeting of his officers in the wall tower and prepared a banquet in honor of the messenger. While this was in progress, Sun Ce noticed many of his officers whispering to each other, and they all began to go down from the banquet chamber. He could not understand this and inquired of the attendants near him what it meant.

  They told him, “Saint Yu Ji has just gone by, and the offic
ers have gone down to pay their respects to him.”

  Sun Ce rose from his place and went and leaned over the railing to look at the man. He saw a Taoist priest in snowy garb leaning on his staff in the middle of the road, while the crowd about him burnt incense and made obeisance.

  “What wizard fellow is this? Bring him here!” said Sun Ce.

  “This is Yu Ji,” said the attendants. “He lives in the east and goes to and fro distributing charms and draughts. He has cured many people as everybody will tell you, and they say he is a saint. He must not be profaned.”

  This only angered Sun Ce the more, and he told them to arrest the man at once or disobey at their peril. So there being no help for it, they went down into the road and hustled the saint up the steps.

  “You madman! How dare you incite humans to evil?” said Sun Ce.

  “I am but a poor priest of the Langye Mountains. More than half a century ago, when gathering simples in the woods, I found near the Diamond Spring a book called 'The Way of Peace.' It contains a hundred and more chapters and taught me how to cure the diseases of humans. With this in my possession I had only one thing to do: to devote myself to spreading its teachings and saving humankind. I have never taken any thing from the people. Can you say I incite people to evil deeds?”

  “You say you take nothing; whence came your clothes and your food? The fact is you are one of the Yellow Scarves, and you will work mischief if you are left alive.”

  Then turning to his attendants, Sun Ce ordered, “Take him away and put him to death.”

  Zhang Zhao interceded, “The Taoist Saint has been here in the east these many years. He has never done any harm and does not deserve death or punishment.”

  “I tell you I will kill these wizard fellows just as I would cattle.”

  The officials in a body interceded, even the guest of honor, Chen Zhen, but in vain; Sun Ce refused to be placated. He ordered Yu Ji to be imprisoned.

  The banquet came to an end, and Chen Zhen retired to his lodging. Sun Ce also returned to his palace.

  His treatment of the Taoist Holy Man was theme of general conversation and soon reached the ears of his mother. Lady Wu sent for her son to the ladies' apartments and said to him, “They tell me you have put Saint Yu Ji in bonds. He has cured many sick people, and the common folk hold him in great reverence. Do not harm him!”

  “He is simply a wizard who upsets the multitude with his spells and craft. He must be put to death,” replied Sun Ce. Lady Wu entreated him to stay his hand, but he was obstinate.

  “Do not heed the gossip of the streets, Mother,” said he. “I must be judge of these matters.”

  However, Sun Ce sent to the prison for Yu Ji in order to interrogate him. Now the gaolers, having a great respect for Yu Ji and faith in his powers, were very indulgent to him and did not keep him in the collar. However when Sun Ce sent for him, he went with collar and fetters all complete.

  Sun Ce had heard of their indulgence and punished the gaolers, and ordered the prisoner thereafter to be put in constant torture. Zhang Zhao and many others, moved by pity, made a petition which they humbly presented, and they offered to become surety for him.

  Sun Ce said to them, “Gentlemen, you are all great scholars, but why do you not understand reason? Formerly in Jiaozhou was Imperial Protector Zhang Jing, who was deluded by these vicious doctrines into beating drums, twanging lyres, burning incense, and such things. He wore a red turban and represented himself as able to ensure victory to an army. But he was slain by the enemy. There is nothing in all this, only none of you will see it. I am going to put this fellow to death in order to stop the spread of this pernicious doctrine.”

  Lu Fan interposed, saying, “I know very well this Yu Ji can control the weather. It is very dry just now, why not make him pray for rain as an amercement?”

  “We will see what sort of witchcraft he is equal to,” said Sun Ce.

  Thereupon he had the prisoner brought in, loosed his fetters, and sent him up to an altar to intercede for rain.

  The docile Taoist Yu Ji prepared to do as he was bidden. He first bathed himself, then dressed himself in clean garments. After that he bound his limbs with a cord and lay down in the fierce heat of the sun. The people came in crowds to look on.

  Said Yu Ji, “I will pray for three spans high of refreshing rain for the benefit of the people, nevertheless I shall not escape death thereby.”

  The people said, “But if your prayer be efficacious, our lord must believe in your powers.”

  “The day of fate has come for me, and there is no escape.”

  Presently Sun Ce came near the altar and announced that if rain had not fallen by noon, he would burn the priest. And to confirm this he bade them prepare the pyre.

  As it neared noon a strong wind sprang up, and the clouds gathered from all quarters. But there was no rain.

  “It is near noon,” said Sun Ce. “Clouds are of no account without rain. He is only an impostor.”

  Sun Ce bade his attendants lay the priest on the pyre and pile wood around him and apply the torch. Fanned by the gale the flames rose rapidly. Then appeared in the sky above a wreath of black vapor, followed by roaring thunder and vivid lightning, peal on peal and flash on flash. And the rain fell in a perfect deluge. In a short time the streets became rivers and torrents. It was indeed a three-span fall. Yu Ji, who was still lying upon the pile of firewood, cried in a loud voice, “O Clouds, cease thy rain, and let the glorious sun appear!”

  Thereupon officials and people helped the priest down, loosened the cord that bound him, and bowed before him in gratitude for the rain.

  But Sun Ce boiled with rage at seeing his officers and the people gathered in groups and kneeling in the water regardless of the damage to their clothing.

  “Rain or shine are as nature appoints them, and the wizard has happened to hit upon a moment of change; what are you making all this fuss about?” cried he.

  Then he drew his sword and told the attendants to smite the Taoist Saint therewith. They all besought him to hold his hand.

  “You want to follow Yu Ji in rebellion, I suppose,” cried Sun Ce.

  The officers, now thoroughly cowed by the rage of their lord, were silent and showed no opposition when the executioners seized the Taoist Saint and beheaded him.

  As the head fell, they saw just a wreath of black smoke drift away to the northeast where lay the Langye Mountains.

  The corpse was exposed in the market place as a warning to enchanters and wizards and such people. That night there came a very violent storm, and when it calmed down at daylight, there was no trace of the body of Yu Ji. The guards reported this, and Sun Ce in his wrath sentenced them to death. But as he did so, he saw Yu Ji calmly walking toward him as if the Taoist Saint were still alive. Sun Ce drew his sword and darted forward to strike at the wraith, but he fainted and fell to the ground.

  They carried him to his chamber, and in a short time he recovered consciousness. His mother, Lady Wu, came to visit him and said, “My son, you have done wrong to slay the holy one, and this is your retribution.”

  “Mother, when I was a boy, I went with Father to wars, where people are cut down as one cuts reed stalks. There is not much retribution about such doings. I have put this fellow to death and so checked a great evil. Where does retribution come in?”

  “This comes of want of faith,” she replied. “Now you must avert the evil by meritorious deeds.”

  “My fate depends on Heaven; wizards can do me no harm, so why avert anything?”

  His mother saw that it was useless to try persuasion, but she told his attendants to do some good deeds secretly whereby the evil should be turned aside.

  That night about the third watch, as Sun Ce lay in his chamber, he suddenly felt a chill breeze, which seemed to extinguish the lamps for a moment, although they soon brightened again; and he saw in the lamp light the form of Yu Ji standing near his bed.

  Sun Ce said, “I am the sworn foe of witchcraft, and I will p
urge the world of all such as deal in magic. You are a spirit, and how dare you approach me?”

  Reaching down a sword that hung at the head of his bed, he hurled it at the phantom, which then disappeared. When his mother heard this story, her grief redoubled. Sun Ce, ill as he was, went to see his mother and did his utmost to reassure her.

  She said, “Confucius the Teacher says: 'How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them!' and 'Prayer has been made to the spirits of the upper and lower worlds.' You must have faith. You sinned in putting Saint Yu Ji to death, and retribution is sure. I have already sent to have sacrifices performed at the Jade-Pure Monastery, and you should go in person to pray. May all come right!”

  Sun Ce could not withstand such a mandate from his mother so, mustering all his strength, he managed to get into a sedan chair and went to the monastery, where the Taoists received him respectfully and begged him to light the incense. He did so, but he returned no thanks. To the surprise of all, the smoke from the brazier, instead of floating upwards and dissipating, collected in a mass that gradually shaped itself into an umbrella, and there on the top sat Yu Ji.

  Sun Ce simply spat abuse and went out of the temple. As he passed the gates, lo! Yu Ji stood there gazing at him with angry eyes.

  “Do you see that wizard fellow?” said he to those about him.

  They said they saw nothing. More angry than ever, he flung his sword at the figure by the gate. The sword struck one of his escorts who fell. Sun Ce told them to bury the man. But as he went out of the courtyard, he saw Yu Ji walking in.

  “This temple is nothing more than a lurking place for sorcerers and wizards and such people,” said Sun Ce.

  Whereupon he took a seat in front of the building and sent for five hundred soldiers to pull the place down. When they went up on the roof to strip off the tiles, Sun Ce saw Yu Ji standing on the main beam flicking tiles to the ground. More angry than ever, Sun Ce told them to drive out the priests belonging to the place and burn it. They did so, and when the flames rose their highest, Sun Ce saw the dead Taoist Yu Ji standing in the midst of the fire.