Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 1 (Tuttle Classics)

by Lo Kuan-Chung

So Feng Li was sent with three hundred men to carry out his plan under cover of darkness.

  After Feng Li had deserted to the enemy Shen P’ei went every night to the wall to inspect the men on duty. The night of the sapping he went there as usual and saw that there were no lights outside the city and all was perfectly quiet. So he said to himself,“Feng is certain to try to come into the city by an underground road.” Whereupon he ordered his men to bring up stones and pile them on the cover of the tunnel opening. The opening was stopped up and the attacking party perished in the tunnel they had excavated. Ts’ao having failed in this attempt abandoned the scheme of underground attack. He drew off the army to a place above the Hengshui to await till Yuan Shang should return to relieve the city.

  Yuan Shang heard of the defeat of Yin Kai and Chu Ku, and the siege of his own city, and bethought himself of relieving it. One of his captains, Ma Yen, said,“The high road will surely be ambushed; we must find some other way. We can take a bye-road from the Western Hills and get through at Fushuik’ou, whence we can fall upon Ts’ao’s camp.”

  The plan was acceptable and Shang started off with the main body, Ma Yen and Chang K’ai being rear guard.

  Ts’ao’s spies soon found out this move and when they reported it he said,“If he comes by the high road I shall have to keep out of the way; if by the Western Hills bye-road I can settle him in one battle. And I think he will show a blaze as a signal to the besieged that they may make a sortie. I shall prepare to attack both.” So he made his preparations.

  Now Yuan Shang went out by the Fushui Pass east toward Yangp’ing and near this he camped. Thence to his own city was seventeen li. The Fushui stream ran beside the camp. He ordered his men to collect firewood and grass ready for the blaze he intended to make at night as his signal. He also sent Li Fu, a civil officer, disguised as an officer of Ts’ao Ts’ao’s army, to inform Shen P’ei of his intentions.

  Fu reached the city wall safely and called out to the guards to open. Shen P’ei recognised his voice and let him in. Thus Shen P’ei knew of the arrangements for his relief and it was agreed that a blaze should be raised within the city so that the sortie could be simultaneous with Shang’s attack. Orders were given to collect inflammables.

  Then said Fu,“As your food supply is short it would be well for the old men, the feeble soldiers and the women to surrender. This will come upon them as a surprise and we will send the soldiers out behind them.”

  Shen P’ei promised to do all this and next day they hoisted on the wall a white flag with the words “The populace of Ch’ichou surrender” on it.

  “Ho ho! This means no food,” said Ts’ao.“They are sending away the non-combatants to escape feeding them. And the soldiers will follow behind them.”

  So on two sides he laid an ambush of three companies while he went near the wall in full state. Presently the gates were opened and out came the people supporting their aged folk and leading their little ones by the hand. Each carried a white flag. As soon as the people had passed the gate the soldiers followed with a rush.

  Then Ts’ao Ts’ao showed a red flag and the ambushed soldiers fell upon the sortie. The men tried to return and Ts’ao’s men made a direct attack. The chase continued to the drawbridge, but there they met with a tremendous shower of arrows and crossbow bolts which checked the advance. Ts’ao’s helmet was struck and the crest carried away.

  So the men retired. As soon as Ts’ao 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 defence. The attack came simultaneously from many directions, the defenders were quite disorganised and presently defeated. Shang led his men back by the hills and made a camp under their shelter. Thence he sent messengers to urge Ma Yen and Chang K’ai to bring up the supports. He did not know that Ts’ao had sent the two Lus to persuade these two into surrender and that they had already passed under Ts’ao’s banner, and he had made them marquises.

  Just before going to attack the Western Hills he sent the two Lus with Ma Yen and Chang K’ai to seize the source of Yuan Shang’s supplies. Shang had realised he could not hold the hills so he went by night to Ik’ou. 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 fifty ¡i. By that time his force was too enfeebled to show any resistance and as no other course was possible he sent to ask that he might surrender. Ts’ao feigned to consent, but that night he sent a force to raid Shang’s camp. Then it became flight, abandoning everything, seals, emblems of office and even personal clothing. He made for the hills.

  Then came an attack on Ch’ichou and to help out this Hsu Yu suggested drowning the city by turning the course of the River Chang. Ts’ao 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 forty li.

  Shen P’ei 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 Ts’ao increased his army of diggers tenfold and by daylight the channel was deepened to twenty feet and the water was flowing in a great stream into the city where it already stood some feet deep. So this misfortune was added to the lack of food.

  Hsin P’i 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 P’ei, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Hsin family who were within the city. There were nearly a hundred of them and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Hsin P’i wept exceedingly.

  Shen P’ei’s nephew Shen Yung, one of the gate wardens, was a dear friend of Hsin P’i and the murder of P’i’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 Hsin P’i and he took it to his chief.

  Ts’ao issued an order that 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’s nephew. Hsin P’i was the first to prance in on horseback and the men followed.

  When Shen, 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 Hsu Huang who bound him and led him outside the city. On the road they met Hsin P’i, who ground his teeth with rage at the murderer of his relatives and then struck the prisoner over the head with his whip and abused him as a murderer. Shen retorted by calling him traitor and saying how sorry he was not to have slain him before.

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

  “No; I know not.”

  “It was your nephew Shen Yung who gave up the gate,” said Ts’ao.

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

  “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.”

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

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

  Ts’ao gave the order; they led him away to put him to death. On the e
xecution ground he said to the executioners,“My lord is in the north, I pray you not to make me face the south.” So he knelt facing the north and extended his neck for the fatal stroke.

  Who of all the official throng

  In Hopei was true like Shen?

  Sad his fate! he served a fool,

  But faithful, as the ancient men.

  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 P’ei and from respect for his character Ts’ao ordered that he be buried honourably on the north of the city.

  Ts’ao Ts’ao then entered the city. As he was starting he saw the executioners hurrying forward a prisoner who proved to be Ch’en 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 Ts’ao.

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

  Those about Ts’ao urged him to put Ch’en Lin to death, but he was spared on account of his genius and given a small civil post.

  Now Ts’ao’s eldest son was named P’ei, otherwise Tzu-heng..At the taking of the city 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 Ts’ao that the halo belonged to the Imperial class and portended honours which could not be put into words.

  At eight the lad could compose very skilfully 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 Ch’ichou. 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 one would have stayed him, saying that by order of the Minister no one was to enter the house, he 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 honours, gone like a dream,

  Fate follows on ever surely, though slow she seem.

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

  CHAPTER XXXIII

  TS’AO P’EI FINDS A WIFE: A PLAN FOR SETTLING LIAOTUNG

  A s was said, Ts’ao P’ei, having made his way into the Yuan 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, nee Liu,” said the elder of the two,“and this is the wife of Hsi, his second son. She was of the Chen family. When Hsi was sent to command in Yu her family objected to her going so far from home and she stayed behind.”

  Ts’ao P’ei drew her 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 away 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 Minister Ts’ao,” 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 the great Minister Ts’ao was entering the gate of the conquered city Hsu Yu rode up very quickly, passed him and pointed with his whip at the gate saying,”Α-man, you would not have been here but for my plans.”

  Ts’ao laughed, but his captains were very annoyed. When he reached the Yuan residence he stopped at the gate, and asked if any one had gone in. The guard at the gate said,“Your son is within.” Ts’ao called him out and chid him, but the wife of the late Prefect interposed, saying,“But for your son we had not been saved. I desire to present to you a lady, of the Chen family, as a handmaid to your son.”

  Ts’ao 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 Ts’ao P’ei to take her to wife.

  After the conquest of Ch’ichou had been made quite sure, Ts’ao 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 captains he said,“Not long ago when Pen ch’u and I worked together in military matters he asked me, saying, ‘If this disturbance continue what districts should be held?’ and I replied asking him what he thought. He said, ‘To the south I would hold the river, on the north, guard against Yen and Tai and the hordes from the Shamo. Thence southward I would try for the Empire and do you not think I might succeed?’ I replied saying, I depended upon the wisdom and force of the world directed by Tao; 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. Ts’ao treated the widow generously, giving her gold and silks and food to her content.

  He also issued a further order that the taxes in Hopei would be remitted in consideration of the sufferings of the people during the warlike operations. He sent up a memorial and formally became Governor of Ch’ichou.

  One day Hsu Ch’u, riding in at the east gate, met Hsu Yu, who called out to him “Would you fellows be riding through here if it had not been for me?”

  Hsu Ch’u 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 Yu.

  Ch’u in his anger drew his sword and ran him through. Then he took his head and went to tell Ts’ao the reason.

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

  He blamed Hsu Ch’u very severely and gave orders that the corpse should be buried honourably.

  He enquired for any wise and reputable men who were known to be living in the district and was told of a certain cavalry officer named Ts’ui Yen, of Tungwu City, who had on many occasions given valuable advice to Yuan Shao. As the advice was not followed Yen had pleaded indisposition and remained at home.

  Ts’ao 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 district so that one may well call it a major district.”

  Yen replied,“The Empire is rent and the country is torn; the brothers Yuan are at war and the people have been stripped naked. Yet, Sir, you do not hasten to enquire 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?”

  Ts’ao accepted the rebuke, changed his policy, thanked him and treated him all the better for it.

  As soon as Ch’ichou was settled, Ts’ao sent to find out the movements of Yuan T’an. He heard he was ravaging Kanling and the places near it in the south and west. Moreover, the scouts brought the news that Yuan Shang had fled to the hills. An expedition had been sent against him but Shang would not face a battle. He had gone away to Yuchou to his brother Hsi.

  T’an, having surrendered with all his army, yet prepared for another attempt on Ch’ichou. Whereupon Ts’ao summoned him. T’an refused to come and Ts’ao sent letters breaking off the marriage with his daughter. Soon after Ts’ao led an expedition against T’an and marched to P’ingyuan, whereupon T’an sent to Liu Piao to beg assistance. Piao sent for Liu Pei to consult about this and he said,“Ts’ao is very strong now that he has overcome Ch’ichou and the Yuans will be unable to hold out for long. Nothing is to be gained by helping this man and it may give Ts’ao the loophole he is always looking for to attack this place. My advice is to keep the army in condition and dev
ote all our energies to defence.”

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

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

  Accordingly Liu Piao wrote thus to Yuan T’an:—“When the superior man would escape danger he does not go to an enemy State. I heard recently that you had crooked the knee to Ts’ao, 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 Ch’ichou, 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 he wrote:— “Your brother, the ruler of Ch’ingchou, is of an impulsive temperament and confuses right with wrong. You ought first to have destroyed Ts’ao in order to put an end to the hatred which your father bore him and, when the situation had become settled, to have endeavoured 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 the hare.”

  From this letter Yuan T’an saw that Liu Piao had no intention of helping him, and feeling he alone could not withstand Ts’ao, he abandoned P’ingyuan and fled to Nanp’i, whither Ts’ao pursued him. The weather was very cold and the river was frozen, so that his grain boats could not move. Wherefore Ts’ao ordered the inhabitants to break the ice and tow the boats. When the peasants heard the order they ran away. Ts’ao 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 Ts’ao,“Yet supposing I cut off your heads—but I cannot bear to do that. Quickly flee to the hills and hide so that my soldiers do not capture you.”

  The peasants left weeping.

  Then Yuan T’an led out his army against Ts’ao. When both sides were arrayed Ts’ao 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?”