Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Guanzhong Luo

  Tung Ch’eng started up and at once missed the decree. He was aghast; he almost fell to the ground.”

  “So you want to make away with Ts’ao Ts’ao? I shall have to tell him,’ said Wang.

  “Then, brother, that is the end of the Hans,” said his host,

  “I was joking,” said Wang.“My forefathers also served the Hans and ate of their bounty. Am I devoid of loyalty? I would help you, brother, as far as lies in my power.”

  “It is well for the country that you think like this,” said Tung.

  “But we ought to have a more private place than this to talk over such plans and pledge ourselves to sacrifice all in the cause of Han.”

  Tung Ch’eng began to feel very satisfied. He produced a roll of white silk and wrote his own name at the top and signed it, and Wang followed suit. Then the visitor said,“General Wu Tzu-lan is one of my best friends, he ought to be allowed to come in.”

  Ch’eng replied,“Of all the officials of the Court Ch’ung Chi and Wu Shih are my best friends. Certainly they would back me up.”

  So the discussion proceeded. Presently a servant announced no other than these very two men.

  “This is providential,” said Tung Ch’eng and he told his friend to hide behind a screen.

  The two guests were led into the library and after the exchange of the ordinary civilities and a cup of tea, Ch’ung Chi referred to the incident at the hunt and the shooting of the stag.“Were you not angry at that?” said he.

  Tung Ch’eng answered,“Though we be angry, what can we do?”

  Wu Shih struck in,“I would slay this fellow, I swear, but I cannot get any one to back me up.”

  “Though one should perish for one’s country one should not mind,” said Ch’ung Chi.

  At this moment Wang Tzu-fu appeared from behind the screen, saying,“You two want to kill Ts’ao! I shall have to let him know this. And Uncle Tung is my witness.”

  “A loyal Minister does not mind death. If we are killed we will be Han ghosts, which is better than being sycophants of a traitor.”

  Tung Ch’eng said,“We were just saying we wanted to see you two on this matter. Wang is only joking.”

  Then he drew forth the decree and showed it to the two newcomers, who also wept as they read it. They were asked to add their names.

  Tzu-fu said,“Wait here a few moments till I get Wu Tzu-lan to come.”

  He left the room and very soon returned with his friend, who also wrote his name in the presence of all the others.

  After this they went into one of the inner chambers to drink success to the new plot. While there a new visitor, Ma T’eng, Prefect of Hsiliang, was announced.

  “Say I am indisposed,” said the host,“and cannot receive visitors.”

  The doorkeeper took the message, whereat Ma angrily said,“Last night at the Tunghua Gate I saw him come out in robe and girdle. How can he pretend illness today? I am not come from mere idleness, why does he refuse to see me?”

  The doorkeeper went in again and told his master what the visitor had said and that he was very angry. Then Ch’eng rose, excused himself saying he would soon return, and went to receive Ma T’eng. After the visitor had saluted and they were both seated, he said,“I have just come from a farewell audience and wished to bid you adieu. Why did you want to put me off?”

  “My poor body was taken suddenly ill; that is why I was not waiting to welcome you,” said Ch’eng.

  “You do not look as if you were ill; your face wears the very bloom of health,” said T’eng bluntly.

  His host could say no more and was silent. The visitor shook out his sleeves and rose to depart. He sighed deeply as he walked down the steps, saying to himself,“Not one of them is any good: there is no one to save the country.”

  This speech sank deeply into Tung Cheng’s heart. He stopped his guest, saying,“Who is no good to save the country? Whom do you mean?”

  “That incident at the hunt the other day, the shooting of the stag, filled my breast with anger. But if you, a near relative of the Emperor, can pass your time in wine and idle dalliance without a thought of doing away with rebellion, where can any one be found who will save the dynasty?”

  However, Tung Cheng’s doubts were not set at rest. Pretending great surprise he replied,“The Minister is of high rank and has the confidence of the Court: why then does he utter such things?”

  “So you find that wretch Ts’ao a good man, eh?”

  “Pray speak lower: there are eyes and ears very near us.”

  “The sort of people who covet life and fear death are not those to discuss any great undertaking.”

  So saying he rose to go away. By this time his host’s doubts were set at rest: he felt that Ma T’eng was loyal and patriotic. So he said,“Do not be angry any more. I will show you something.”

  Whereupon he invited Ma T’eng to go into the room where the others were seated and then showed him the decree. As Ma read it his hair stood on end, he ground his teeth and bit his lips till the blood came.

  “When you move, remember the whole force of my army is ready to help,” said he.

  Tung Ch’eng introduced him to the other conspirators and then the pledge was produced and Ma T’eng was told to sign his name. He did so, at the same time smearing the blood as a sign of the oath and saying,“I swear to die rather than betray this pledge.”

  Pointing to the five he said,“We require ten for this business and we can accomplish our design.”

  “We cannot get many true and loyal men. One of the wrong sort will spoil all,” said Tung Ch’eng.

  Ma T’eng told them to bring in the list of officials. He read on till he came to the name Liu, of the Imperial clan, when clapping his hands he cried,“Why not consult him?”

  “Whom?” cried they altogether.

  Ma T’eng very slowly and deliberately spoke his name.

  To a very trusty servant comes an Emperor’s decree,

  And a scion of the ruling house can prove his loyalty.

  If the reader turns to the next chapter he will see who was Ma T’eng’s hero.

  CHAPTER XXI

  TS’AO TS’AO DISCUSSES HEROES: KUAN YU SLAYS CH’E CHOU

  W ho is it?” was the question on the lips of the conspirators. Ma T’eng’s reply was,“The Governor of Yuchow, Liu Pei. He is here and we will ask him to help.

  “Though he is an uncle of the Empreor, he is at present a partizan of our enemy, and he will not join.”

  “But I saw something at the hunt,” said Ma T’eng.“When Ts’ao Ts’ao advanced to acknowledge the congratulations due to the Emperor, Yuan-te’s sworn brother Kuan Yu was behind him, and grasped his sword as if to cut down Ts’ao Ts’ao. However, Yuan-te signed to him to hold his hand and he did. He would willingly destroy Ts’ao, only he thinks his teeth and claws are too many. You must ask him and he will surely consent.”

  Here Wu Shih urged caution.“Do not go too fast,” said he.“Let us consider the thing most carefully.”

  They dispersed. Next day after dark Tung Ch’eng went to Liu Pei’s lodging taking with him the decree. As soon as he was announced Yuan-te came to greet him and led him into a private room where they could talk freely. The two younger brothers were there as well.

  “It must be something unusually important that has brought you here tonight,” said Pei.

  “If I had ridden forth by daylighjt, Ts’ao might have suspected something so I came by night.”

  Wine was brought in and while they were drinking Tung Ch’eng said,“Why did you check your brother the other day at the hunt when he was going to attack Ts’ao Ts’ao?”

  Yuan-te was startled and said,“How did you know?”

  “Nobody noticed but I saw.”

  Yuan-te could not prevaricate and said,“It was the presumption of the man that made my brother so angry; he could not help it.”

  The visitor covered his face and wept.“Ah,” said he,“if all the Court Ministers were like him, there would be no sig
hs for lack of tranquillity.”

  Now Yuan-te felt that possibly Ts’ao Ts’ao had sent his visitor to try him, so he cautiously replied,“Where are the sighs for lack of tranquillity while Ts’ao Ts’ao is at the head of affairs?”

  Tung Ch’eng changed colour and rose from his seat.“You, Sir, are a relative of His Majesty and so 1 showed you my inmost feelings. Why did you mislead me?”

  “Because I feared you might be misleading me, and I wanted to find out.”

  At this Tung Ch’eng drew out the decree he had received and showed it. His host was deeply moved. Then he produced the pledge. There were only six names to it and these were Tung Ch’eng, Wang Tzu-fu, Ch’ung Chi, Wu Shih, Wu Tzu-lan and Ma T’eng.

  “Since you have a decree like this, I cannot but do my share,” said Liu Pei and at Tung Cheng’s request he added his name and signature to the others and handed it back.

  “Now let us but get three more, which will make ten, and we shall be ready to act.”

  “But you must move with great caution and not let this get abroad,” said Yuan-te.

  The two remained talking till an early hour in the morning when the visitor left.

  Now in order to put Ts’ao Ts’ao quite off the scent that any plot against him was in progress, Liu Pei began to devote himself to gardening, planting vegetables and watering them with his own hands. His brothers ventured to remonstrate with him for taking to such an occupation when great matters needed attention.

  “The reason for this you may not know,” replied he. And they said no more.

  One day when the two brothers were absent and Yuan-te was busy in his garden, two messengers with an escort came from Ts’ao Ts’ao, saying,“The command of the Minister is that you come at once.”

  “What important affair is afoot?” asked he nervously.

  “We know nothing: we were ordered to come and request your presence.”

  All he could do was to follow. When he arrived Ts’ao met him and laughingly said,“That is a big business you have in hand at home.”

  This remark made Liu Pei turn the colour of clay. But Ts’ao took him by the hand and led him straight to the private garden, saying,“The growth of vegetables that you are trying to learn is very difficult.”

  Yuan-te breathed again. He said,“That is hardly a business it is only a solace.”

  Tstao said,“I happened to notice the green plums on the trees today and suddenly my thoughts went back to a year ago when we were thrashing Chang Hsiu. We were marching through a parched district and every one was suffering from thirst. Suddenly I lifted my whip and pointing at something in the distance I said,“Look at those plum trees.” The soldiers heard it and it made their mouths water. Now I owe something to the plums and we will pay it today. I ordered the servants to heat some wine very hot and sent to invite you to share it.”

  Yuan-te was quite composed by this time and no longer suspected any sinister design. He went with his host to a small summer house, where the wine cups were already laid out and green plums filled the dishes. After a goblet of wine had been swallowed they sat down to a confidential talk and enjoyment of their wine.

  As they drank the weather gradually changed, clouds gathering and threatening rain. The servants pointed out a mass of cloud that looked like a dragon hung in the sky. Both host and guest went to the window and leaned over the rail looking at it.

  “Do you understand the evolutions of dragons?” asked Ts’ao of the guest.

  “Not in detail.”

  “A dragon can assume any size, can rise in glory or hide from sight. Bulky, it generates clouds and evolves mist; attenuated, it can scarcely hide a mustard stalk or conceal a shadow. Mounting, it can soar to the empyrean; subsiding, it lurks in the uttermost depths of the ocean. This is the mid-spring season and the dragon chooses this moment for his transformations, like a man realising his desires and overrunning the world. The dragon among animals compares with the hero among men. You, O Yuan-te, with your experience must know who are the heroes of the present day and I wish you would say who they are.”

  “How can a dullard like me know such things?”

  “Do not be so modest.”

  “Thanks to your kindly protection I have a post at Court. But as to heroes I really do not know who they are.”

  “You may not have looked upon their faces, but you have heard their names.”

  “Yuan Shu, with his resources; is he one?”

  His host laughed,“A rotting bone in a graveyard. I shall put him out of the way shortly.”

  “Well, Yuan Shao then. The highest offices of State have been held in his family for four generations and his clients are many. He is firmly posted in Ichou and he commands the services of many able men. Surely he is one.”

  “A bully, but a coward; he is fond of grandiose schemes, but is devoid of decision; he makes for great things but grudges the necessary toil. He loses sight of everything else in view of a little present advantage. He is not one.”

  “There is Liu Ching-sheng. He is renowned as a man of perfection, whose fame has spread on all sides. Surely he is a hero.”

  “He is a mere semblance, a man of vain reputation. No; not he.”

  “Sun Ts’e is a sturdy sort, the chief of all in the east. Is he a hero?”

  “He has profited by his father’s reputation; he is no hero.”

  “What of Liu Chang?”

  “Though he is of the reigning family, he is nothing more than a watch dog. How could you make a hero of him?”

  “What about Chang Hsiu, Chang Lu, Han Sui and all those?”

  Tsiao clapped his hands and laughed very loudly.“Paltry people like them are not worth mentioning.”

  “With these exceptions I really know none.”

  “Now heroes are men who cherish lofty designs in their bosoms and have plans to achieve them; they have all-embracing schemes and the whole world is at their mercy.”

  “Who is such a man?” said Yuan-te.

  Ts’ao pointed his finger first at his guest and then at himself, saying,“The only heroes in the world are you and I.”

  Yuan-te gasped and the spoon and chopsticks rattled to the floor. Now just at that moment the storm burst with a tremendous peal of thunder and rush of rain. Yuan-te stooped down to recover the fallen articles, saying,“What a shock! and it was quite close.”

  “What! are you afraid of thunder?” said Ts’ao.

  Yuan-te replied,“The wise man paled at a sudden peal of thunder or fierce gust of wind. Why should one not fear?”

  Thus he glossed over the real fact, that it was the words he had heard that had so startled him.

  Constrained to lodge in a tiger’s lair,

  He played a waiting part,

  But when Ts’ao talked of breaking men,

  Then terror gripped his heart.

  But he cleverly used the thunder peal

  As excuse for turning pale;

  O quick to seize occasions thus!

  He surely must prevail.

  The shower had passed and there appeared two men rushing through the garden, both armed. In spite of the attendants they forced their way to the pavilion where sat the two friends. They were Kuan Yu and Chang Fei.

  The two brothers had been outside the city at archery practice when Ts’ao Ts’ao’s invitation had come so peremptorily. On their return they heard that two officers had arrived and led away Yuan-te to the Minister. They hastened to his palace and were told their brother was with his host in the grounds and they feared something had happened. So they rushed in. Now when they saw their brother quietly talking with Ts’ao and enjoying a cup of wine, they took up their usual places and meekly stood waiting.

  “Why did you come?” said Ts’ao Ts’ao.

  “We heard that you, Sir, had invited our brother to a wine party and we came to amuse you with a little sword play,” said they.

  “This is not a Hungmen banquet,” replied Ts’ao.“What use have we for two Hsiangs?”

  Yua
n-te smiled. The host ordered wine to be served to the two “Fan K’uai” to allay their excitement and, soon after, the three took their leave and returned homeward.

  “We were nearly frightened to death,” said Kuan Yu.

  The story of the dropped chopsticks was told. The two asked what their brother intended by his actions and he told them that his learning gardening was to convince Ts’ao Ts’ao of his perfect simplicity and the absence of any ambition.“But,” said he,“when he suddenly pointed to me as one of the heroes I was startled, for I thought he had some suspicions. Happily the thunder at that moment supplied the excuse I wanted.”

  “Really you are very clever,” said they.

  Next day Ts’ao again invited Yuan-te and while the two were drinking, Man Ch’ung, who had been despatched to find out what Yuan Shao was doing, came to present his report.

  He said,“Kungsun Tsan has been completely defeated by Yuan.”

  “Do you know the details? I should like to know how,” interrupted Liu Pei.

  “They were at war and Tsan got the worst of it, so he acted on the defensive, building a high wall about his army and on that erecting a high tower, which he called the I-ching Tower. Therein he placed all his grain and took up his own quarters. His fighting men passed in and out without ceasing, some going out to give battle, others returning to rest. One of them was surrounded and sent to ask Kungsun to rescue him. Kungsun said,“If I rescue him, hereafter every one will want to be helped and will not exert himself.” So he did not go. This disgusted his men and many deserted to the enemy so that his army diminished. He sent letters to the capital to crave help, but the messenger was captured. He sent to Chang Yen to arrange with him for a joint attack and those letters with the plans also fell into Shao’s hands and the plans were adopted by his enemy, who gave the signals agreed upon. Thus Tsan fell into an ambush, lost heavily and retreated into the city. There he was besieged and a subterranean passage was pierced into the tower where he lodged. The tower was set on fire and Kungsun could not escape. So he slew his wife and little ones and committed suicide. The flames destroyed the bodies of the whole family.