The Three Kingdoms, Volume 1: The Sacred Oath: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation

by Luo Guanzhong

  “Well, who is your master?”

  “My master’s surname is Sima, a compound surname, and his given name is Hui. He is a native of Yingchuan and his Taoist title is Shui Jing, or Water Mirror.”

  “Who are your master’s friends, then?”

  “They are Pang De-gong and Pang Tong of Xiangyang.”

  “And what is the relationship between these two?” asked Liu Bei.

  “Uncle and nephew. Pang De-gong is ten years older than my master and the other is five years younger. One day my master was up in a mulberry tree plucking the leaves, when Pang Tong arrived. He seated himself under the tree and they began to talk. All through the day they talked just like that, with one up in the tree and the other underneath, without betraying any sign of fatigue. My master is very fond of Pang Tong and calls him ‘younger brother.’”

  “And where does your master live?”

  “His farm house is right there in the wood ahead,” said the cowherd, pointing to it.

  “I am Liu Bei. Take me to your master so that I can pay my respects to him.”

  The lad led the way for about two li to a farm house. Liu Bei dismounted and went to the gate in the center. There he was greeted by the melodious sound of a lute played most skillfully and the music was extremely beautiful. He told his guide not to announce him then and stood there rapt by the melody.

  Suddenly the music ceased. He heard laughter inside and a man soon appeared.

  “Amidst the clear and subtle notes of the lute there suddenly rang out a high note and I know some noble man must have come,” said the man.

  “That is my master,” said the lad, pointing to the man.

  Liu Bei saw before him a very superior figure, slender and straight as a pine tree. Hastening forward, he bowed to him. The skirt of his robe was still wet from the leap over the river.

  “You have escaped from a grave danger today, sir,” said Sima Hui.

  Liu Bei was startled. The lad said to his master, “This is Liu Bei.”

  Sima Hui asked him to enter and when they took their seats respectively as host and guest, Liu Bei glanced around the room. Piled on the shelves were many volumes of books and upon a stone couch lay a lute. From the window emerged a fine picture of pines and bamboo. The whole room breathed of refinement to its last degree.

  “Where did you come from, sir?” asked the host.

  “I happened to be passing this area and the lad guided me here so I was able to pay my respects to you, sir. I cannot tell what great pleasure it gives me.”

  His host laughed. “You do not have to conceal the truth from me, sir. I know you must have just escaped from a grave danger.”

  Then Liu Bei could no longer hold back the truth and so the story of the banquet and the flight was told.

  “I knew it all from your appearance,” said his host. “Your name has long been familiar. But why is it that up to the present you are still unsettled?”

  “I have suffered many setbacks in my life,” replied Liu Bei, “and so I am still down in the mire.”

  “It should not be so—but the reason is that you lack the right person to aid you.”

  “I am common enough myself, I know. But I have Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, and Jian Yong on the civil side, and for warriors I have Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. These are all most loyal helpers and I depend upon them greatly.”

  “Your fighting men are good, each able to oppose 10,000 men. The pity is you have no really able advisor to bring the best out of them. Your civilians are but pallid students of books, not men fitted to weave and control destiny.”

  “I have also yearned to find one of those wise recluses who live among the hills. So far I have sought in vain.”

  “You know what the great master Confucius said: ‘In a hamlet of ten households there must be one true man.’ Can you say that there is none?”

  “I am foolish and uninstructed—I pray you enlighten me.”

  “You have heard what the street boys sing:

  In eight and nine begins decay,

  Four years, then comes the fateful day,

  When destiny will show the way,

  And the dragon flies out of the mire straight!

  “This song was first heard when the new reigning title Jian An was adopted. The first line refers to the eighth year of Jian An, when Liu Biao lost his first wife and his family troubles began. The next line relates to the approaching death of Liu Biao and the dispersing of his crowd of officers. The last two lines will be fulfilled by you, General.”

  Liu Bei was surprised, yet pleased. He thanked him and said, “How dare I attempt to be that?”

  Sima Hui continued, “At this moment the most remarkable talents of the land are all here and you, sir, ought to seek them.”

  “Where can I find them? And who are they?” asked Liu Bei eagerly.

  “If you could get either Fulong (Sleeping Dragon) or Fengchu (Phoenix Fledgling) to aid you, the empire will be yours.”

  “But who are these men?”

  His host clapped his hands, laughed and said, “Good, very good.”

  When Liu Bei asked again, his host said, “It is getting late. You can spend the night here, General, and we will talk over these things tomorrow.”

  He called the lad to bring wine and food for his guest and take his horse to the stable to be fed. After Liu Bei had eaten he was shown to a chamber beside the hall. He went to bed but he could hardly get to sleep, for the words of his host would not be banished. Suddenly he became fully awake at the sound of a knock at the door and a person entering. And he heard his host say, “Where are you from, Yuan-zhi?”

  Liu Bei rose from his couch and listened secretly. He heard the man reply, “It has long been said that Liu Biao liked good men and despised bad men. So I went to see for myself. But that reputation is undeserved. He does like good men but he can’t use them, and indeed he hates wicked men, but he doesn’t dismiss them. So I left a letter for him and came away—and here I am.”

  Sima Hui replied, “You are capable enough to be the advisor of a king and you ought to be able to find someone fit to serve. Why did you demean yourself by going to Liu Biao? Besides, there is a real hero right under your eyes and you don’t know him.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” replied the stranger.

  Liu Bei listened with great joy, for he thought this visitor was certainly one of the two geniuses he was advised to look for. He would have shown himself then and there but he feared he might be intruding. So he waited till daylight, when he sought out his host and asked, “Who was it that came last night?”

  “A friend of mine,” was the reply.

  Liu Bei begged for an introduction. His host said, “He wants to find an enlightened master to serve and so he has gone elsewhere.”

  When he asked him about the visitor’s name the host only replied, “Good, good.” And when he tried to find out who Fulong and Fengchu were, all he could get from his host was the same mysterious reply.

  Then, bowing low before his host, Liu Bei begged him to leave the hills and help him restore the House of Han. Sima Hui replied, “Men of the hills are unequal to such a task. However, there must be men far abler than me who will help you if you seek them.”

  While they were talking they heard outside the farm men shouting and horses neighing, and a servant came in to say that a general with a large company of men had arrived. Liu Bei went out hastily to see who it was and found it was Zhao Yun and his men. He was much relieved and pleased. Zhao Yun dismounted and entered the house.

  “Last night when I returned to our city,” said Zhao Yun, “I could not find you, my lord, so I followed at once and traced you here. Please return quickly as I fear there might be an attack on the city.”

  So Liu Bei took leave of his host and the whole company returned to Xinye. Before they had gone far another troop appeared and, when they had come nearer, they saw it was Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. They met each other with great joy and Liu Bei told them of the wonderful
leap his horse had made over the river. All marveled at the miracle.

  As soon as they reached the city a council was called and Sun Qian said, “You ought first of all to send a letter to Liu Biao explaining what happened.”

  The letter was prepared and Sun Qian bore it to Jingzhou, where he was received by Liu Biao, who asked him the reason for Liu Bei’s hasty flight from the festival. Then the letter was presented and Sun Qian related the intrigue of Cai Mao and his master’s miraculous escape. The furious prefect sent for Cai Mao at once and berated him soundly.

  “How dare you try to hurt my brother?” and he ordered him out to be executed.

  Liu Biao’s wife, Cai Mao’s sister, prayed with tears for a remission of the death penalty, but Liu Biao refused to be appeased. At this moment Sun Qian interposed. “If you put Cai Mao to death I fear my master will be unable to remain here.”

  Cai Mao was reprieved but dismissed with a severe reprimand.

  Liu Biao sent his elder son back with Sun Qian to apologize. When he reached Xinye, Liu Bei welcomed him and gave a banquet in his honor. After they had been drinking for some time, Liu Qi, the elder son of the prefect, suddenly began to weep. Liu Bei asked him why and he said, “My stepmother is always attempting to put me out of the way, and I don’t know how to avoid the danger. Could you advise me, uncle?”

  Liu Bei exhorted him to be perfectly filial and nothing would happen.

  The next day the young man took his leave and wept at parting. Liu Bei escorted him outside the city and, pointing to his steed, said, “I owe my life to this horse—had it not been for it I would have been a dead man.”

  “It wasn’t the strength of the horse but your extraordinary good fortune, Uncle.”

  They parted, the young man weeping heartbrokenly. On re-entering the city, Liu Bei met a person in the street wearing a hemp turban, a cotton robe held by a black sash, and black shoes. He was singing a song.

  The universe is riven, alas! now nears the end of all,

  The noble mansion quakes, alas! what beam can stay the fall?

  A wise one waits his lord, alas! but hidden in the glen,

  The seeker knows not him, alas! nor me, of common men.

  Liu Bei listened. “Surely this is one of the men Sima Hui spoke of,” he thought.

  He dismounted to greet the singer and invited him into his residence. Then, when they were seated, he asked the stranger’s name.

  “I am from Yingchuan and my name is Shan Fu. I have known you by reputation for a long time and they say you appreciate men of ability. I wanted to come to you but I hesitated lest I was intruding. So I thought of attracting your notice by singing that song in the market place.”

  Liu Bei thought he had found a treasure and treated the newcomer with the greatest respect. Then Shan Fu spoke of the horse that he had seen Liu Bei riding and asked to look at it again. So the animal was brought round.

  “Is this not a Dilu?’ said Shan Fu. “But though it is a good steed it will bring danger to its master. You must not ride it.”

  “He has already fulfilled the omen,” said Liu Bei and he related the story of that miraculous leap across the wide stream.

  “But this was saving its master, not harming him—he will surely harm someone in the end. But I can tell you how to avert the omen.”

  “I should be glad to hear it,” said Liu Bei.

  “If you have an enemy against whom you bear a grudge, give him the horse and wait till the evil omen is fulfilled on this man. Then you can ride it in safety.”

  Liu Bei changed color. “What, sir! You are but a newcomer and yet, instead of leading me to the road of virtue, you advise me to take an evil course and to harm another for my own advantage? No, sir! I do not want to hear your advice.”

  His guest smiled. “People said you were virtuous but I was still dubious, so I put it that way to test you.”

  Liu Bei became polite again. He rose and returned the compliment. “But how can I be virtuous while I lack your teaching?” he said modestly.

  “When I came here, I heard people singing: ‘Since Liu came, oh blessed is the day! We’ve had good luck—long may he stay!’ So you see, your virtue has benefited the ordinary people.”

  Then Shan Fu was made chief military advisor of the army.

  After his sweeping victory in the north Cao Cao had often nursed the thought of capturing Jingzhou. He sent Cao Ren and Li Dian, with the two Lu brothers, to camp at Fancheng with 30,000 men so as to pose a threat against Liu Biao’s region and to spy on his actual strength.

  The two Lus said to Cao Ren: “Liu Bei is strengthening his position at Xinye and bringing in large supplies. He is ambitious and should be dealt with as soon as possible. Since our surrender we have not performed any noteworthy service—if you will give us 5,000 men, we promise to bring you the head of Liu Bei.”

  Cao Ren was only too glad and the expedition set out. The scouts reported this to Liu Bei, who turned to Shan Fu for advice.

  Shan Fu said, “We must not let the enemy get into our city. Send your two brothers to lay an ambush on the right and the left, one to attack the enemy in the middle of their march, and the other to cut off the retreat. You and Zhao Yun will make a front attack.”

  The two brothers started out, while Liu Bei went out of the gate with 2,000 men to oppose the enemy. Before they had gone far they saw a great cloud of dust behind the hills. This marked the approach of the Lu brothers. When both sides had formed a battle array, Liu Bei rode out and stood by his standard. He called out, “Who are you that dare to encroach on my territory?’

  “I am the great general Lu Kuang, and I have the prime minister’s order to capture you,” said the leader.

  Liu Bei ordered Zhao Yun to go out and the two engaged. Very soon Zhao Yun had disposed of his opponent and Liu Bei gave the signal to advance. Lu Xiang could not maintain his position and fell back. Soon, his men found themselves attacked from the side by a force led by Guan Yu. The losses were very heavy and the remainder fled for safety.

  About ten li farther on they found their retreat barred by an army under Zhang Fei, who stood in the way with a long spear ready to thrust. Crying out who he was, he bore down upon Lu Xiang, who was slain without a chance of striking a blow. His men again fled in disorder. They were pursued by Liu Bei and most of them were captured.

  Then Liu Bei returned to his own city, where he rewarded Shan Fu very handsomely and entertained his victorious soldiers with feasts.

  Some of the defeated men took the news of the deaths of the two Lus and the capture of their comrades to Cao Ren. Much distressed, Cao Ren consulted his colleague, Li Dian, who advised him to stay where they were and hold on until reinforcements from the capital could arrive.

  “No,” objected Cao Ren. “We cannot sit idly at the death of our two officers and the loss of so many men. We must avenge them quickly. Xinye is a poor place and not worth disturbing the prime minister for.”

  “Liu Bei is an extraordinary figure,” said Li Dian. “Don’t take him lightly.”

  “What are you afraid of?” sneered Cao Ren.

  “The Art of War says, ‘To know your enemy and yourself is the secret of victory.’” replied Li Dian. “I’m not afraid of fighting the battle but I’m not sure if we can win.”

  “You want to rebel?” cried Cao Ren angrily. “Then I will capture Liu Bei myself.”

  “If you go I will guard this city,” said Li Dian.

  “If you don’t go with me, then you really are rebelling,” retorted Cao Ren.

  At this reproach, Li Dian felt compelled to join the expedition. So they led all their men to cross the river and marched toward Xinye.

  Feeling keenly the shame of his officers and men slain,

  Their chief determines on revenge and marches out again.

  The result of the expedition will be told in the next chapter.

  Continued in Volume Two of The Three Kingdoms.

  About the Authors

  Ron Iverson firs
t visited China in 1984 as the personal representative of the Mayor of Chicago as part of a Sister Cities program. For the past 30 years he has continued to regularly visit China and has founded joint business ventures with Chinese partners and taught Business Strategy at Tongji University in Shanghai. He also personally arranged the first ever exhibition of Forbidden City artifacts from the palace Museum in Beijing to tour the US.

  Early in his visits to China, Iverson discovered The Three Kingdoms and came to realize the enormous cultural significance the Chinese people place in the book. Believing that one needed to be familiar with the principles revealed in the book in order to find business or political success in China, and being dissatisfied with existing translations, Iverson decided to fund and edit a new translation aimed towards delivering the thrill of a contemporary novel while imparting understanding of a key aspect of Chinese culture.

  Yu Sumei is a professor of English at East China Normal University. She has translated several English language books into Chinese and is the first native Chinese speaker to translate The Three Kingdoms into English. She invested a total of two years into working on this new translation of The Three Kingdoms, spending the time on sabbatical in New York with her daughter, who typed the translation out as she completed it.

  The Tuttle Story

  “Books to Span the East and West”

  Many people are surprised when they learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles Tuttle, came from a New England family steeped in publishing, and his first love was books—especially old and rare editions.

  Tuttle’s father was a noted antiquarian dealer in Rutland, Vermont. Young Charles honed his knowledge of the trade working in the family bookstore, and later in the rare books section of Columbia University Library. His passion for beautiful books—old and new—never wavered throughout his long career as a bookseller and publisher.