Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

  This done, the Magistrate threw aside his pen and turned to the inquisitors, saying, “Where is the disorder? When I can take on Cao Cao and Sun Quan as easily as I can read this paper, what attention from me is needed for the business of this paltry place?”

  Zhang Fei was astonished at the man's ability, rose from his seat, and crossed over, saying, “You are indeed a marvel, Master. I have not treated you respectfully enough, but now I shall commend you to my brother with all my might.”

  Then Pang Tong drew forth Lu Su's letter and showed it to Zhang Fei.

  “Why did you not show this to my brother when you first saw him?” asked Zhang Fei.

  “If I had had a chance, I would have done so. But is it likely that one would just take advantage of a letter of commendation to make a visit?”

  Zhang Fei turned to his colleague and said, “You just saved a wise man for us.”

  Sun Qian and Zhang Fei left the magistracy and returned to Liu Bei to whom they related what had happened.

  Liu Bei then seemed to be conscious of his error and said, “I have been wrong; I have behaved unjustly to a sage.”

  Zhang Fei then gave his brother the letter in which Lu Su had recommended Pang Tong. Opening it he read:

  “Pang Tong is not the sort of person to be met with in any day's march. Employ him in some capacity where extra

  ordinary talent is required, and his powers will declare themselves. Beware of judging him by his looks, or you may lose the advantage of his abilities, and some other will gain him. This would be a misfortune.”

  While Liu Bei was feeling cast down at the mistake he had made, as shown by the letter, they announced the return of Zhuge Liang.

  Soon Zhuge Liang entered the hall, and the first question he put after the formal salutations was: “Is Directing-Instructor Pang Tong quite well?”

  “He is in charge of Leiyang,” replied Liu Bei, “where he is given to wine and neglects his business.”

  Zhuge Liang laughed, saying, “My friend Pang Tong has extraordinary abilities and ten times my knowledge. I gave him a letter for you, my lord. Did he present it?”

  “This very day I have received a letter, but from Lu Su. I have had no letter written by you.”

  “When a person of transcendent abilities is sent to a paltry post, he always turns to wine out of simple ennui,” said Zhuge Liang.

  “If it had not been for what my brother said, I should have lost a great person,” said Liu Bei.

  Then he lost no time, but sent Zhang Fei off to the northeast to request Pang Tong to come to Jingzhou City. When he arrived, Liu Bei went out to meet him and at the foot of the steps asked pardon for his mistake. Then Pang Tong produced the letter that Zhuge Liang had given him. What Liu Bei read therein was this: “As soon as the Blooming-Phoenix shall arrive, he should be given an important post.”

  Liu Bei rejoiced indeed as he read it, and he said, “Water-Mirror said of the two men, Sleeping-Dragon and Blooming-Phoenix, that any man who obtained the help of either of them could restore the empire when he would. As I now have them both, surely the Hans will rise again.”

  Then he appointed Pang Tong as Vice Directing Instructor and General, and the two strategists began training the army for its work of subjugation.

  News of these doings came to the capital, Xuchang, and Cao Cao was told of Liu Bei's two strategists and of the army in training and the stores accumulating and the league between his two chief enemies. And he knew that he had to expect an attack sooner or later. So he summoned his strategists to a council for a new campaign.

  Said Xun Yu, “Sun Quan should be first attacked. because of the recent death of their ablest general Zhou Yu. Liu Bei will follow.”

  Cao Cao replied, “If I go on such a distant expedition, Ma Teng will fall upon the capital. While I was at the Red Cliffs, there were sinister rumors of this, and I must guard against it.”

  Xun Yu said, “The best thing that occurs to stupid me is to obtain for Ma Teng the title of General Who Subdues the South and send him against the South Land. Thus he can be enticed to the capital and got rid of. Then you can have no fear of marching southward.”

  Cao Cao approved, and soon Ma Teng was summoned from Xiliang, a frontier territory in the west.

  Ma Teng was a descendant of the famous leader Ma Yuan, General Who Quells the Waves. His father's name was Ma Su. Ma Su had held a minor magistracy in Tianshui in the reign of Emperor Huan, but had lost it and drifted west into Longxi where he got amongst the Qiang Peoples, one of whose women he took to wife. She bore him a son, Ma Teng. Ma Teng was rather over the common height, and bold-looking. He was of a mild disposition and very popular. But in the reign of Emperor Ling, these Qiangs made trouble, and then Ma Teng raised a force and put it down. For his services he received the tile of General Who Corrects the West. He and Han Sui, who was known as Commander Who Guards the West, were pledged brothers.

  On receipt of the summons to the capital, Ma Teng took his eldest son, Ma Chao, into his confidence and told him some of his former life.

  “When Dong Cheng got the Girdle Edict from the Emperor, we formed a society, of which Liu Bei was one, pledged to put down rebellion. However, we accomplished nothing, for Dong Cheng was put to death and Liu Bei was unfortunate, while I escaped to the west. However, I hear that Liu Bei now holds Jingzhou, and I am inclined to carry out the plan we made so long ago. But here I am summoned by Cao Cao and what is to be done?”

  Ma Chao replied, “Cao Cao has the command of the Emperor to call you; and if you do not go, that will mean disobeying an imperial command and you will be punished. Obey the summons in so far as to go to the capital, where you may be able to arrange to carry out your original intention.”

  But Ma Teng's nephew, Ma Dai, held other opinions and opposed this.

  Said he, “Cao Cao's designs are unfathomable; and if you go, Uncle, I fear you will suffer.” “Let me lead the army against the capital,” said Ma Chao. “Can we not purge the empire of evil?”

  But his father said, “You must take command of the Qiang troops for the defense of our territory here. I will take with me your two brothers and your cousin. When Cao Cao knows that you have the Qiangs at your call and that Han Sui is prepared to assist, he will hardly dare to work any harm to me.”

  “Father, if you must go, be careful not to enter the city till you know exactly what plots and machinations are afoot.”

  “I will certainly take great care, so do not be too anxious,” said the father.

  The order of march was prepared. The governor took five thousand troops, with his two sons — Ma Xiu and Ma Tie — as Leaders of the Van and his nephew Ma Dai bringing up the rear. These set out along the tortuous road to the capital. At seven miles distance from Xuchang they camped.

  When Cao Cao heard of Ma Teng's arrival, he called to him Minister Huang Kui and said to him, “Ma Teng is to be sent against the south, and I shall send you as Adviser. You are first to go to his camp and express my congratulations on his arrival and say that as Xiliang is so distant and transport very difficult, he is not to take too large an army of his own. I will send a large force. Also tell him to come in soon for audience of the Emperor. I will send him supplies.”

  With these instructions Huang Kui went to Ma Teng, who brought out wine and entertained him well.

  In his cups the messenger grew confidential and said, “My father perished at the hands of Li Jue and Guo Si, and I have always nourished resentment. Now there is another rebel in power wronging our Prince.”

  “Who is that?” asked Ma Teng.

  “The wrong doer is that rebel Cao Cao, of course. Do you mean to say you do not know?”

  However, Ma Teng was careful. He thought it very likely that these words were but a trap for him, so he pretended to be greatly shocked and begged his guest to be careful lest he be overheard.

  But Huang Kui cared not, shouting, “Then you have quite forgotten the Girdle Edict, eh?”

  Ma Teng began to see Hu
ang Kui was sincere and presently became confidential in turn and told his guest all his schemes.

  “Cao Cao wants you to go in to audience; there is no good intention there. Do not go,” said Huang Kui. “You lead your army up close to the city and get Cao Cao to come and review them; and when he comes, assassinate him.”

  They two settled how this plan could be worked out and the messenger, still hot with anger and excitement, returned to his home.

  Seeing Huang Kui so disturbed in mind, his wife, Lady Zhi, asked him what was wrong. But he would tell her nothing. However, he had a concubine, Li Chunxiang. And it happened that she had an intrigue with the wife's younger brother, Miao Ze, who much desired to marry her. The concubine who also saw her lord's displeasure, spoke of it to her paramour, and he told her she could probably draw from him what was wrong by a leading question. “Ask him what is the truth about two men, Liu Bei and Cao Cao? Who is the wicked one.”

  That evening Huang Kui went to the apartments of his concubine, and she presently put the question proposed by her lover.

  Her lord, still rather intoxicated, said, “You are a woman; still you know right from wrong as well as I. My enemy and the man I would slay if I could, is Cao Cao.”

  “But why? And if you wish to slay him, why do you not do something?” said she.

  “I have done something. I have settled with General Ma Teng to assassinate Cao Cao at the review.”

  Li Chunxiang of course told her paramour, who told Cao Cao, and Cao Cao made his arrangements to defeat the scheme. He called up his trusty generals and gave them orders for the morrow and, this done, he arrested Huang Kui and all his household.

  Next day, as arranged, Ma Teng and his western troops came close up to the wall, and among the flags and banners he discerned that of the Prime Minister himself, whereby he knew that Cao Cao would hold the review in person.

  So Ma Teng rode forward. Suddenly a bomb exploded, and at this signal there appeared bodies of armed troops in four directions: right and left, front and rear, led by Xu Chu, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, and Xu Huang. The western forces were quite hemmed in. Ma Teng then saw the mistake he had made, and he and his two sons fought valiantly to free themselves from the trap. The youngest son — Ma Tie — soon fell in the volleys of arrows. Father and son rode this way and that, seeking a way out, but failed on every side. Both were sorely wounded; and when their steeds fell from their many arrow wounds, both were captured.

  Ma Teng, Ma Xiu, and the miserable Huang Kui who could not keep his counsel, were brought before Cao Cao. Huang Kui loudly protested his innocence. Cao Cao then called in the witness Miao Ze.

  “That worthless scoundrel has spoiled all my plans!” cried Ma Teng. “Now I cannot slay the rebel and purge my country. But it is the will of God.”

  Father and son were dragged forth, the father uttering volleys of abuse all the time. And so three men were executed in this adventure.

  The sons and father share one niche of fame,

  For purest loyalty their praise the same.

  To their own hurt the rebels they withstood,

  Content to die to make their pledges good.

  In blood the solemn oath they did indite

  To slay the wicked and preserve the right.

  A worthy father's worthy sons by western bride,

  Old Waves Queller's name his grandson glorified.

  “I desire no other reward than Li Chunxiang as wife,” said the betrayer, Miao Ze.

  Cao Cao smiled and said, “For the sake of a woman then you have brought a whole household to death. What advantage would there be in preserving such a miscreant?”

  So Cao Cao bade the executioners put both the traitor and the woman to death, with Huang Kui's household. Those who saw the fearful vengeance sighed at its cruelty.

  Through passion base a loyal man was slain,

  And she who shared his passion shared his fate;

  The man they served was pitiless in hate,

  And thus a mean man's treachery was vain.

  Cao Cao did not desire to rouse the rancor of the army of Xiliang, wherefore he proclaimed to them, “The intended treachery of your leaders was theirs alone.”

  However, he sent to secure the passes so that Ma Dai should not escape.

  As has been said, Ma Dai led the rearguard. Before long the fugitives from the main army came and told him what had occurred at the capital. This frightened him so much that he abandoned his army and escaped disguised as a trader.

  Having slain Ma Teng, Cao Cao decided to set out on his expedition to the south. But then came the disquieting news of the military preparations of Liu Bei, whose objective was said to be the west. This caused him alarm, for, as he said, “The bird's wings will be fully grown if he obtains possession of the Western Land of Rivers.”

  Cao Cao recognized the difficulty, but from among his counselors there arose one who said, “I know how to prevent Liu Bei and Sun Quan from helping each other, and both the south and the west will be yours.”

  Chill death struck down the heroes of the west,

  Calamity approached the bold leaders of the south.

  The next chapter will unfold the scheme.

  CHAPTER 58. Ma Chao Launches An Expedition For Revenge; Cao Cao Flees The Field In Disguise.

  “What is this good plan of yours, friend Chen Qun?” asked Cao Cao of the speaker, who was a civilian in his service.

  Chen Qun replied, “Your two principal enemies — Liu Bei and Sun Quan — are now firm allies, close as lips and teeth. But Liu Bei wants the Western Land of Rivers and if you, O Prime Minister, send a mighty host against Sun Quan, Sun Quan must ask help from his friend Liu Bei, who, having his heart set on the west, will refuse it. Sun Quan without this aid cannot stand and will become so weak that the South Land will be yours for the taking, and Jingzhou will follow in a tap of the drum. The west will follow and the whole empire is yours.”

  “Those are my thoughts put into words,” replied Cao Cao.

  The expeditionary force of three hundred thousand troops set out for the south. Zhang Liao of Hefei was in command of the supply department.

  Sun Quan speedily heard of the move and called in his advisers.

  At the council Zhang Zhao said, “Let us send to Lu Su to tell him to write at once to Liu Bei that he may help us. They are good friends, and Liu Bei will certainly respond favorably. Beside, since Liu Bei and our lord are now connected by marriage, there is no risk of refusal. With the support of Liu Bei, there is no danger to our country.”

  Sun Quan listened to this advice and sent to Lu Su bidding him to ask help from Liu Bei. Accordingly, on receipt of this command, a letter was written to Liu Bei, who after reading it, retained the messenger at the guest-house till Zhuge Liang could arrive from Nanjun. As soon as he arrived, Liu Bei showed him the letter.

  The adviser said, “It is not necessary for the South Land's troops to move, nor need we send ours. I can prevent Cao Cao from even daring to look in the southeast direction.”

  So Zhuge Liang wrote a reply telling Lu Su:

  “You can lay aside all anxiety and rest content, for if the northern army approach, they will be forced backward at

  once.”

  The letter was given to the messenger, and then Liu Bei asked his adviser, “How could the Instructor hope to roll back the huge army of three hundred thousand troops that Cao Cao is preparing to bring south?”

  Zhuge Liang replied, “Cao Cao's chief fear is Xiliang. Now just lately he has slain Ma Teng and his sons as well, and the people of Xiliang are grinding their teeth with rage. Now you must write and ask Ma Chao to march through the pass, and Cao Cao will have no leisure to think of any expedition to the south.”

  The letter was written, sent by a trusty hand, and duly delivered. Now Ma Chao was in Xiliang. One night he had a vision. In his dream he saw himself lying out on a snowy plain and many tigers were coming up and biting him. He awoke in a fright and began to wonder what the dream portended. Failing
to explain it, he told the dream to his officers. One of them ventured to say the portent was evil. This was General Pang De.

  “What is your interpretation?” asked Ma Chao.

  “Meeting with tigers on a snowy plain is a very inauspicious subject to dream about. Assuredly our old General is in trouble at the capital.”

  And at that moment one entered in hot haste and cast himself on the earth, weeping and crying, “The Uncle and his sons are dead!”

  It was Ma Dai, the nephew of Ma Teng. And he told the story of the evil: “Uncle Ma Teng and Huang Kui had planned to assassinate Cao Cao, but the plot had miscarried and become known. Ma Tie fell in the battlefield, Uncle Ma Teng and Ma Xiu were put to death in the market place, and I escaped in disguise.”

  Ma Chao fell to the ground and wept bitterly, grinding his teeth with rage at his enemy Cao Cao. They lifted him to his feet and led him away to repose.

  Soon after arrived a messenger with a letter from Liu Bei, which read like this:

  “In these latter days of the hapless Hans, when the rebellious and tyrannical Cao Cao monopolizes all power, to the

  injury of the Emperor and the wretchedness of the people, I, Liu Bei, recall that I and your father were recipients of an edict and we swore to exterminate the recreant. Now your father has suffered death at the hands of the tyrant, and you must avenge him. As the holy books say, you cannot let the same sky cover you nor the same sunshine upon you and your father's murderer. If you can lead your army to attack Cao Cao on one side, I will march my armies to prevent his retreat, and he will be taken, and all his evil crew can be exterminated. Then and thus will your father be avenged and the Hans can be restored. I might add more, but I will await your reply.”

  Wiping his tears, Ma Chao wrote a reply which was returned by the bearer.

  The Xiliang army was then mustered; horse and foot were assembled. Just before the day that had been fixed for the start, the Imperial Protector of Xizhou, Han Sui, sent for Ma Chao, to whom he showed a letter from Cao Cao promising the Lordship of Xiliang as a reward for sending Ma Chao a prisoner to the capital.