Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

  Then Cao Cao showed a red flag, and the ambushing soldiers led by Zhang Liao and Xu Huang fell upon the sortie. The troops tried to return and Cao Cao's force made a direct attack. The chase continued to the drawbridge, but there Cao Cao's force met with a tremendous shower of arrows and crossbow bolts which checked the advance. Cao Cao's helmet was struck and the crest carried away. His leaders came to pull him back, and the army retired.

  As soon as Cao Cao had changed his dress and mounted a fresh horse, he set out at the head of the army to attack Yuan Shang's camp.

  Yuan Shang led the defense. The attack came simultaneously from many directions, the defenders were quite disorganized and presently defeated. Yuan Shang led his troops back by the Western Hills and made a camp under their shelter. Thence he sent messengers to urge Ma Yan and Zhang Yi to bring up the supports. He did not know that Cao Cao had sent Lu Xiang and Lu Kuang to persuade these two into surrender and that they had already passed under Cao Cao's banner, and he had conferred upon them the title of lordship.

  Just before going to attack the Western Hills, Cao Cao sent Lu Xiang, Lu Kuang, Ma Yan, and Zhang Yi to seize the source of Yuan Shang's supplies. Yuan Shang had realized he could not hold the hills, so he went by night to Lankou. Before he could get camped, he saw flaring lights springing up all around him and soon an attack began. He was taken aback and had to oppose the enemy with his men half armed, his steeds unsaddled. His army suffered and he had to retreat another fifteen miles. By that time his force was too enfeebled to show any resistance, and as no other course was possible, he sent the Imperial Protector of Yuzhou, Yin Kui, to Cao Cao's camp and ask that he might surrender.

  Cao Cao feigned to consent, but that night he sent Zhang Liao and Xu Huang to raid Yuan Shang's camp. Then it became flight, abandoning everything, seals, emblems of office, and even personal clothing. Yuan Shang made for the Zhongshan Mountains.

  Then Cao Cao came to attack Jizhou City, and to help out this Xun You suggested drowning the city by turning the course of the River Zhang. Cao Cao adopted the suggestion and at once sent a small number of men to dig a channel to lead the water to the city. All told, it was seventeen miles.

  Shen Pei saw the diggers from the city wall and noticed that they made only a shallow channel. He chuckled, saying to himself, “What is the use of such a channel to drown out the city from a deep river?”

  So he made no preparations to keep out the water. But as soon as night came on, Cao Cao increased his army of diggers tenfold and by daylight the channel was deepened to twenty spans and the water was flowing in a great stream into the city where it already stood some spans deep. So this misfortune was added to the lack of food.

  Xin Pi now displayed the captured seal and garments of Yuan Shang hung out on spears, to the great shame of their late owner, and called upon the people of the city to surrender. This angered Shen Pei, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Xin family who were within the city. There were eighty of them, and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Xin Pi wept exceedingly.

  Shen Pei's nephew Shen Rong, one of the gate wardens, was a dear friend of Xin Pi, and the murder of Xin Pi's family greatly distressed him. He wrote a secret letter offering to betray the city and tied it to an arrow, which he shot out among the besiegers. The soldiers found it, gave it to Xin Pi who took it to his chief.

  Cao Cao issued an order: “The family of the Yuans should be spared when the city should be taken and that no one who surrendered should be put to death.”

  The next day the soldiers entered by the west gate, opened for them by Shen Rong. Xin Pi was the first to prance in on horseback and the army followed.

  When Shen Pei, who was on the southeast of the city, saw the enemy within the gates, he placed himself at the head of some horsemen and dashed toward them. He was met and captured by Xu Huang who bound him and led him outside the city. On the road they met Xin Pi, who ground his teeth with rage at the murderer of his relatives and then struck the prisoner over the head with his whip, crying, “Murder! Blood drinker! You will meet your death.”

  Shen Pei retorted, “Traitor! Seller of the city! I am very sorry I was not to have slain you before.”

  When the captive was taken into Cao Cao's presence, Cao Cao said, “Do you know who opened the gate to let me in?”

  “No; I know not.”

  “It was your nephew Shen Rong who gave up the gate,” said Cao Cao.

  “He was always unprincipled; and it has come to this!” said Shen Pei.

  “The other day when I approached the city, why did you shoot so hard at me?”

  “I am sorry we shot too little.”

  “As a faithful adherent of the Yuans, you could do no otherwise. Now will you come over to me?”

  “Never; I will never surrender.”

  Xin Pi threw himself on the ground with lamentations, saying, “Eighty of my people murdered by this ruffian; I pray you slay him, O Prime Minister!”

  “Alive, I have served the Yuans;” said Shen Pei, “dead, I will be their ghost. I am no flattering time-server as you are. Kill me!”

  Cao Cao gave the order; they led him away to put him to death. On the execution ground he said to the executioners, “My lord is in the north, I pray you not to make me face the south.”

  So Shen Pei knelt facing the north and extended his neck for the fatal stroke.

  Who of all the official throng

  In the North was true like Shen Pei?

  Sad his fate! He served a fool,

  But faithful, as the ancient humans.

  Straight and true was every word,

  Never from the road he swerved.

  Faithful unto death, he died

  Gazing toward the lord he'd served.

  Thus died Shen Pei and from respect for his character Cao Cao ordered that he be buried honorably on the north of the city.

  The Prime Minister then entered the city of Yejun. As he was starting, he saw the executioners hurrying forward a prisoner who proved to be Chen Lin.

  “You wrote that manifesto for Yuan Shao. If you had only directed your diatribe against me, it would not have mattered. But why did you shame my forefathers?” said Cao Cao.

  “When the arrow is on the string, it must fly,” replied Chen Lin.

  Those about Cao Cao urged him to put Chen Lin to death, but he was spared on account of his genius and given a civil post.

  Now Cao Cao's eldest son was named Cao Pi. At the taking of the cities he was eighteen years of age. When he was born a dark purplish halo hung over the house for a whole day. One who understood the meaning of such manifestations had secretly told Cao Cao that the halo belonged to the imperial class and portended honors which could not be put into words.

  At eight the lad could compose very skillfully and he was well read in ancient history. Now he was an adept at all military arts and very fond of fencing. He had gone with his father on the expedition to Jizhou. When Yejun had fallen, he led his escort in the direction of the Yuan family dwelling, and when he reached it, he strode in, sword in hand. When some commander would have stayed him, saying that by order of the Prime Minister no one was to enter the house, Cao Pi bade them begone. The guards fell back and he made his way into the private rooms, where he saw two women weeping in each other's arms. He went forward to slay them.

  Four generations of honors, gone like a dream,

  Fate follows on ever surely, though slow she seems.

  The fate of the two women will be told in the next chapter.

  CHAPTER 33. A Gallant Warrior, Cao Pi Marries Lady Zhen; An Expiring Star, Guo Jia Settles Liaodong

  As was said, Cao Pi, having made his way into the Yuans' palace, saw two women there whom he was about to kill. Suddenly a red light shone in his eyes, and he paused. Lowering his sword he said, “Who are you?”

  “Thy handmaid is the widow of the late Yuan Shao, Lady Liu,” said the elder of the two, “and this is the wife of Yuan Xi, his secon
d son. She was of the Zhen family. When Yuan Xi was sent to command in Youzhou, her family objected to her going so far from home and she stayed behind.”

  Cao Pi drew Lady Zhen toward him and looked at her closely. Her hair hung disordered, her face was dusty and tear-stained, but when, with the sleeve of his inner garment, he had wiped sway these disfigurements, he saw a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tender bloom of a flower petal, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom.

  “I am the son of the Prime Minister,” said he turning to the elder woman. “I will guarantee your safety, so you need fear nothing.”

  He then put by his sword and sat down at the upper end of the room.

  As Cao Cao was entering the gate of the conquered city of Yejun, Xu You rode up very quickly, passed him, and pointed with his whip at the gate, saying, “Sir Prime Minister, you would not have been here but for my plans.”

  Cao Cao laughed, but his generals were very annoyed. When he reached the residence, he stopped at the gate and asked, “Has anyone had gone in?”

  The guard at the gate said, “Your son is within.”

  Cao Cao called him out and chided him, but the wife of the late Imperial Protector interposed, saying, “But not for your son we had not been saved. I desire to present to you a lady, of the Zhen family, as a handmaid to your son.”

  Cao Cao bade them bring out the girl and she bowed before him. After looking at her intently, he said, “Just the wife for him!”

  And he told Cao Pi to take Lady Zhen to wife.

  After the conquest of Jizhou had been made quite sure, Cao Cao made a ceremonial visit to the Yuan family cemetery, where he sacrificed at the tomb of his late rival, bowed his head, and lamented bitterly.

  Turning to his generals, he said, “Not long ago when Yuan Shao and I worked together in military matters, he asked me, saying, 'If this disturbance does not cease, what fronts should be held?' and I replied asking him what he thought. He said, 'In the North of Yellow River, to the south I would hold the Yellow River; on the north, guard against Yan and Dai ((two ancient states)) and absorb the hordes from the Gobi Desert. Thence southward I would try for the empire, and do you not think I might succeed?' I replied saying, 'I depend upon the wisdom and force of the world directed by scholars; then every thing would be possible.' These words seem as if spoken only yesterday, and now he is gone. Thinking over it I cannot refrain from tears.”

  His officers were deeply affected. Cao Cao treated the widow generously, giving her gold and silks and food to her content.

  He also issued a further order that the taxes in the North of Yellow River would be remitted in consideration of the sufferings of the people during the warlike operations. He sent up a memorial to the Throne and formally became Imperial Protector of Jizhou.

  One day Xu Chu, riding in at the east gate, met Xu You, who called out to him, “Would you fellows be riding through here if it had not been for me?”

  Xu Chu replied, “We fellows, those who survive and those who perished, risked our lives in bloody battle to get this city, so do not brag of your deeds!”

  “You are a lot of blockheads, not worth talking about,” said Xu You.

  Xu Chu in his anger drew his sword and ran Xu You through. Then he took Xu You's head and went to tell Cao Cao the reason.

  Said Cao Cao, “He and I were old friends and we could joke together. Why did you kill him?”

  Cao Cao blamed Xu Chu very severely and gave orders that the corpse should be buried honorably.

  Cao Cao inquired for any wise and reputable people who were known to be living in the region and was told: “Commander Cui Yan, of Dongwu, who had on many occasions given valuable advice to Yuan Shao. As the advice was not followed, he had pleaded indisposition and remained at home.”

  Cao Cao sent for this man, gave him an office and said to him, “According to the former registers, there are three hundred thousand households in the region so that one may well call it a major region.”

  Cui Yan replied, “The empire is rent and the country is torn; the Yuan brothers are at war, and the people have been stripped naked. Yet, Sir, you do not hasten to inquire after local conditions and how to rescue the people from misery, but first compute the possibilities of taxation. Can you expect to gain the support of our people by such means?”

  Cao Cao accepted the rebuke, changed the policy, thanked him, and treated him all the better for it.

  As soon as Jizhou was settled, Cao Cao sent to find out the movements of Yuan Tan. He heard Yuan Tan was ravaging Ganling, Anping, Bohai, and Hejian. Moreover, the scouts brought the news that Yuan Shang had fled to Zhongshan, and Yuan Tan led an expedition against him, but Yuan Shang would not face a battle. He had gone away to Youzhou to his brother Yuan Xi. Yuan Tan, having gathered Yuan Shang's troops, prepared for another attempt on Jizhou.

  Whereupon Cao Cao summoned him. Yuan Tan refused to come, and Cao Cao sent letters breaking off the marriage between Yuan Tan and his daughter. Soon after Cao Cao led an expedition against Yuan Tan and marched to Pingyuan, whereupon Yuan Tan sent to Liu Biao to beg assistance. Liu Biao sent for Liu Bei to consult about this. Liu Bei said, “Cao Cao is very strong now that he has overcome Jizhou, and the Yuans will be unable to hold out for long. Nothing is to be gained by helping Yuan Tan and it may give Cao Cao the loophole he is always looking for to attack this place. My advice is to keep the army in condition and devote all our energies to defense.”

  “Agreed; but what shall we say?” said Liu Biao.

  “Write to both the brothers as peacemaker in gracious terms.”

  Accordingly Liu Biao wrote thus to Yuan Tan:

  “When the superior person would escape danger, that person does not go to an enemy state. I heard recently that

  you had crooked the knee to Cao Cao, which was ignoring the enmity between him and your father, rejecting the duties of brotherhood, and leaving behind you the shame of an alliance with the enemy. If your brother, the successor to Jizhou, has acted unfraternally, your duty was to bend your inclination to follow him and wait till the state of affairs had settled. Would it not have been very noble to bring about the redress of wrongs?”

  And to Yuan Shang, Liu Biao wrote:

  “Your brother, the ruler of Qingzhou, is of an impulsive temperament and confuses right with wrong. You ought first

  to have destroyed Cao Cao in order to put an end to the hatred which your father bore him and, when the situation had become settled, to have endeavored to redress the wrongs. Would not that have been well? If you persist in following this mistaken course, remember the hound and the hare, both so wearied that the peasant got them all.”

  From this letter Yuan Tan saw that Liu Biao had no intention of helping him, and feeling he alone could not withstand Cao Cao; he abandoned Pingyuan and fled to Nanpi, whither Cao Cao pursued him.

  The weather was very cold and the river was frozen, so that the grain boats could not move. Wherefore Cao Cao ordered the inhabitants to break the ice and tow the boats. When the peasants heard the order they ran away. Cao Cao angrily wished to arrest and behead them. When they heard this they went to his camp in a body and offered their heads to the sword.

  “If I do not kill you, my order will not be obeyed,” said Cao Cao. “Yet supposing I cut off your heads, but I cannot bear to do that severity. Quickly flee to the hills and hide so that my soldiers do not capture you.”

  The peasants left weeping. Then Yuan Tan led out his army against Cao Cao. When both sides were arrayed, Cao Cao rode to the front, pointed with his whip at his opponent and railed at him, saying, “I treated you well; why then have you turned against me?”

  Yuan Tan replied, “You have invaded my land, captured my cities, and broken off my marriage; yet you accuse me of turning against you.”

  Cao Cao ordered Xu Huang to go out and give battle. Yuan Tan bade Peng An accept the challenge. After a few bouts Peng An was slain; and Yuan Tan, having lost, fled and w
ent into Nanpi, where he was besieged. Yuan Tan, panic-stricken, sent Xin Ping to see Cao Cao and arrange surrender.

  “He is nothing but a tickle-minded child,” said Cao Cao. “He is never of the same mind two days running, and I cannot depend upon what he says. Now your brother Xin Pi is in my employ and has a post of importance, you would better remain here also.”

  “Sir Prime Minister, you are in error,” said Xin Ping. “It is said that the lord's honor is the servant's glory; the lord's sadness is the servant's shame. How can I turn my back on the family I have so long served?” Cao Cao felt he could not be persuaded and sent him back. Xin Ping returned and told Yuan Tan the surrender could not be arranged, and Yuan Tan turned on him angrily, saying, “Your brother is with Cao Cao, and you want to betray me also!”

  At this unmerited reproach such a huge wave of anger welled up in Xin Ping's breast that he was overcome and fell in a swoon. They carried him out, but the shock had been too severe, and soon after he died. Yuan Tan regretted his conduct when it was too late.

  Then Guo Tu said, “Tomorrow when we go out to battle, we will drive the people out in front as a screen for the soldiers, and we must fight a winning battle.”

  That night they assembled all the common people of the place and forced into their hands swords and spears. At daylight they opened the four gates, and a huge party with much shouting came out at each, peasantry carrying arms in front, and soldiers behind them. They pushed on toward Cao Cao's camps, and a melee began lasted till near midday. But this was quite indecisive, although heaps of dead lay everywhere.

  Seeing that success was at best only partial, Cao Cao rode out to the hills near and thence had the drums beaten for a new attack under his own eye. His officers and troops, seeing that he could observe them in person, exerted themselves to the utmost, and Yuan Tan's army was severely defeated. Of the peasantry driven into the battle-field multitudes were slain.