Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Guanzhong Luo

  When a man is in the world, O,

  He ought to do his best.

  And when he’s done his best, O,

  He ought to have his rest.

  And when I have my rest, O,

  I’ll quaff my wine with zest.

  And when I’m drunk as drunk can be,

  I’ll sing the madman’s litany.

  A burst of applause greeted the song. By this time it was getting late and the guest begged to be excused.“The wine is too much for me,” said he. His host bade them clear the table and as all the others left Chou Yu said,“It is many a day since I shared a couch with my friend, but we will do so tonight.”

  Putting on the appearance of irresponsible intoxication he led Chiang Kan into the tent and they went to bed. Chou Yu simply fell, all dressed as he was, and lay there emitting uncouth grunts and groans, so that to the guest sleep was impossible. He lay and listened to the various camp noises without and his host’s thund’rous snores within. About the second watch he rose and looked at his friend by the dim light of the small lamp. He also saw on the table a heap of papers and looking at them furtively, saw they were letters. Among them he saw one marked as coming from Chang Yun and Ts’ai Mao. He read it and this is what it said:—“We surrendered to Ts’ao Ts’ao, not for the sake of pay but under stress of circumstances. Now we have fooled these northern soldiers into admitting us to their camp but, as soon as occasion offers, we mean to have the rebel’s head to offer as a sacrifice to your banner. From time to time there will be reports as occasions serve but you may trust us. This is our humble reply to your letter.”

  “Those two were connected with Wu in the beginning,” thought Chiang Kan, so he secreted the letter in his dress and began to examine the others. But at that moment Chou Yu turned over and so Kan hastily blew out the light and went to his couch.

  Chou Yu was muttering as he lay there and his guest, carefully listening, made out,“Friend, I am going to let you see Ts’ao’s head in a day or two.”

  Chiang Kan hastily made some reply to lead on his host to say more. Then came,“Wait a few days; you will see Ts’ao’s head. The old wretchl”

  Chiang tried to question him as to what he meant, but Chou Yu was fast asleep and seemed to hear nothing. Chiang lay there on his couch wide awake till the fourth watch was beating. Then some one came in, saying,“General, are you awake?” At that moment as if suddenly awakened from the deepest slumber, Chou Yu started up and said,“Who is this on the couch?”

  The voice replied,“Do you not remember, General? You asked your old friend to stay the night with you; it is he, of course.”

  “I drank too much last night,” said Chou Yu in a regretful tone,“and I forgot. I seldom indulge to excess and am not used to it. Perhaps I said many things I ought not.”

  The voice went on,“A man has arrived from the north.”

  “Speak lower,” said Chou Yu, and turning toward the sleeper he called him by name. But Chiang Kan affected to be sound asleep and made no sign.

  Chou Yu crept out of the tent, while Kan listened with all his ears. He heard the man say,“Chang andTs’ai, the two commanders, have come.”

  But listening as he did with straining ears he could not make out what followed. Soon after Chou Yu reentered and again called out his companion’s name. But no reply came, for Chiang Kan was pretending to be in the deepest slumber and to hear nothing. Then Chou Yu undressed and went to bed.

  As Chiang Kan lay awake he remembered that Chou Yu was known to be meticulously careful in affairs and if in the morning he found that a letter had disappeared he would certainly slay the offender. So he lay there till near daylight and then called out to his host. Getting no reply he rose, dressed and stole out of the tent. Then he called his servant and made for the camp gate.

  “Whither are you going, Sir?” said the watchmen at the gate.

  “I fear I am in the way here,” replied Kan,“and so I have taken leave of the General for a time. So do not stop me.”

  He found his way to the river bank and re-embarked. Then, with flying oars, he hastened back to Ts’ao’s camp. When he arrived Ts’ao asked at once how he had sped and he had to acknowledge failure.

  “Chou Yu is very clever and perfectly high-minded,” said he,“nothing that I could say moved him in the least.”

  “Your failure makes me look ridiculous,” said Ts’ao.

  “Well, if I did not win over Chou Yu, I found out something for you. Send away these people and I will tell you,” said Chiang.

  The servants were dismissed and then Chiang Kan produced the letter he had stolen from Chou Yu’s tent. He gave it to Ts’ao. Ts’ao was very angry and sent for the two at once. As soon as they appeared he said,“I want you two to attack.”

  Ts’ai Mao replied,“But the men are not yet sufficiently trained.”

  “The men will be well enough trained when you have sent my head to Chou Yu, eh?”

  Both officers were dumbfounded, having not the least idea what this meant. They remained silent for they had nothing to say. Ts’ao bade the executioners lead them away to instant death. In a short time their heads were produced.

  By this time Ts’ao had thought over the matter and it dawned upon him that he had been tricked. A poem says:—

  No one could stand against Ts’ao Ts’ao,

  Of sin he had full share,

  But Chou Yu was more treacherous,

  And caught him in a snare.

  Two officers to save their lives,

  Betrayed a former lord,

  Soon after, as was very meet.

  Both fell beneath the sword.

  The death of these two naval commanders caused much consternation in the camp and all their colleagues asked the reason for their sudden execution. Though Ts’ao knew he had been victimised he would not acknowledge it. So he said the two men had been remiss and so had been put to death. The others were aghast, but nothing could be done. Two other officers, Mao and Yu by name, were put in command of the naval camp .

  Spies took the news to Chou Yu, who was delighted at the success of his ruse.

  “Those two were my only source of anxiety,” said he.“Now they are gone, I am quite happy.”

  Lu Su said,“General, if you can continue like this you need not fear Ts’ao.”

  “I do not think any of them saw my game,” said Chou Yu, except Chuko Liang. He beats me, and I do not think this ruse was hidden from him. You go and sound him. See if he knew.”

  Chou’s treacherous plot succeeded well,

  Dissension sown, his rivals fell.

  Drunk with success was he, but sought

  To know what cynic K’ungming thought.

  What passed between Lu Su and K’ungming will next be related.

  CHAPTER XLVI

  K’UNGMING “BORROWS” SOME ARROWS: HUANG KAI ACCEPTS A PUNISHMENT

  T he gossip Lu Su departed on his mission and found K’ungming seated in his little craft.

  “There has been so much to do that I have not been able to come to listen to your instruction,” said Lu Su.

  ‘That is truly so,” said K’ungming,“and I have not yet congratulated the Commander-in-Chief.”

  “What have you wished to congratulate him upon?”

  “Why Sir, the matter upon which he sent you to find out whether I knew about it or not. Indeed I can congratulate him on that.”

  Lu Su turned pale and gasped.“But how did you know, Master?”

  “The ruse succeeded well thus played off on Chiang Kan. Ts’ao has been taken in this once, but he will soon rise to it. Only he will not confess his mistake. However, the two men are gone and your country is freed from a grave anxiety. Do you not think that a matter for congratulation? I hear Mao Chieh and Yu Chin are the new admirals, and in their hands lie both good and evil for the fate of the fleet.”

  Lu Su was quite dumbfounded; he stayed a little time longer passing the time in making empty remarks, and then took his leave. As he was going away K’ung
ming cautioned him against letting Chou Yu know that his new rival had guessed his ruse.“I know he is jealous and he only seeks some chance to do me harm.”

  Lu Su promised, nevertheless he went straight to his chief and related the whole thing just as it happened.

  “Really he must be got rid of,” said Chou Yu,“I have quite decided to put the man out of the way.”

  “If you slay him, will not Ts’ao Ts’ao laugh at you?”

  “Oh, no; I will find a legitimate way of getting rid of him so that he shall go to his death without resentment.”

  “But how can you find a legitimate way of assassinating him?”

  “Do not ask too much; you will see presently.”

  Soon after all the officers were summoned to the main tent and K’ungming’s presence was desired. He went contentedly enough. When all were seated Chou Yu suddenly addressed K’ungming, saying,“I am going to fight a battle with the enemy soon on the water: what weapons are the best?”

  “On the great river arrows are the best,” said K’ungming.

  “Your opinion and mine agree. But at the moment we are short of them. I wish you would undertake to supply about a hundred thousand for the naval fight. As it is for the public service you will not decline, I hope!”

  “Whatever task the Commander-in-Chief lays upon me I must certainly try to perform,” replied K’ungming.“May I enquire by what date you require the hundred thousand arrows?”

  “Could you have them ready in ten days?”

  “The enemy will be here very soon; ten days will be too late,” said K’ungming.

  “In how many days do you estimate the arrows can be ready?”

  “Let me have three days; then you may send for your hundred thousand.”

  “No joking, remember,” said the General.“There is no joking in war time.”

  “Dare I joke with the Commander-in-Chief? Give me a formal military order and if I have not completed the task in three days I will take my punishment.”

  Chou Yu, secretly delighted, sent for the secretaries and prepared the commission then and there. Then he drank to the success of the undertaking and said,“I shall have to congratulate you most heartily when this is accomplished.”

  “This day is not to count,” said K’ungming.“On the third from tomorrow morning send five hundred small boats to the river side to convey the arrows.”

  They drank a few more cups together and then K’ungming took his leave. After he had gone, Lu Su said,“Do you not think there is some deceit about this?”

  “I think he has signed his own death warrant,” said Chou.“Without being pressed in the least he asked for a formal order in the face of the whole assembly. If he grew a pair of wings he could not escape. Only I will just order the workmen to delay him as much as they can, and not supply him with materials, so that he is sure to fail. And then, when the certain penalty is incurred, who can criticise? You can go and enquire about it all and keep me informed.”

  So off went Lu Su to seek K’ungming, who at once reproached him with having blabbed about the former business,“He wants to hurt me, as you know, and I did not think you could not keep my secret. And now there is what you saw today and how do you think I can get a hundred thousand arrows made in three days? You will simply have to rescue me.”

  “You brought the misfortune on yourself and how can I rescue you?” said Lu.

  “I look to you for the loan of a score of vessels, manned each by thirty men. I want blue cotton screens and bundles of straw lashed to the sides of the boats. I have good use for them. On the third day I have undertaken to deliver the fixed number of arrows. But on no account must you let Chou Yu know, or my scheme will be wrecked.”

  Lu Su consented and this time he kept his word. He went to report to his chief as usual, but he said nothing about the boats. He only said K’ungming was not using bamboo or feathers or glue or varnish, but had some other way of getting arrows.

  “Let us await the three days’ limit,” said Chou Yu, puzzled though confident.

  On his side Lu Su quietly prepared a score of light swift boats, each with its crew and the blue screens and bundles of grass complete and, when these were ready, he placed them at K’ungming’s disposal. His friend did nothing on the first day, nor on the second. On the third day at the middle of the fourth watch, K’ungming sent a private message asking Lu Su to come to his boat.

  “Why have you sent for me, Sir?” asked Lu Su.

  “I want you to go with me to get those arrows.”

  “Whither are you going?”

  “Do not ask: you will see.”

  Then the twenty boats were fastened together by long ropes and moved over to the north bank. The night proved very foggy and the mist was very dense along the river, so that one man could scarcely see another. In spite of the fog K’ungming urged the boats forward.

  There is a poem on these river fogs:—

  Mighty indeed is the Yangtse River!

  Rising far in the west, in the mountains of Omei and Min,

  Ploughing its way through Wu, east flowing, resistless,

  Swelled by its nine tributary streams, rolling down from the far north,

  Aided and helped by a hundred rivulets swirling and foaming,

  Ocean receives it at last welcoming, joyful, its waters.

  Therein abide sea-nymphs and water gods,

  Enormous whales a thousand fathoms long,

  Nine-headed monstrous beasts yclept t’ien-wu,

  Demons and uncouth creatures wondrous strange.

  In faith it is the home and safe retreat

  Of devils black, and sprites, and wondrous growths,

  And eke the battle ground of valiant men.

  At times occur strange strife of elements,

  When darkness strives on light’s domain t’encroach,

  Whereat arises in the vaulted dome of blue

  White wreaths of fog that toward the centre roll.

  Then darkness falls, too dense for any torch

  T’illumine, only clanging sounds can pass.

  The fog at first appears, a vaprous wreath

  Scarce visible. But thickening fast, it veils

  The southern hills, the Painted leopard’s home.

  And spreads afar, until the northern sea

  Leviathans are mazed and lose their course.

  And denser yet it touches on the sky,

  And spreads a heavy mantle o’er the earth.

  Then, wide as is the high pitched arch of heaven,

  Therein appears no single rift of blue.

  Now mighty whales lead up their wives to sport

  Upon the waves, the sinuous dragons dive

  Deep down and, breathing, swell the heaving sea,

  The earth is moist as with the early rains,

  And spring’s creative energy is chilled.

  Both far and wide and high the damp fog spreads,

  Great cities on the eastern bank are hid,

  Wide ports and mountains in the south are lost,

  Whole fleets of battle ships, a thousand keels,

  Hide in the misty depths; frail fishing boats

  High riding on a wave are seen—and lost.

  The gloom increases and the domed sky

  Grows dark and darker as the sun’s light fails.

  The daylight dies, dim twilight’s reign begins,

  The ruddy bills dissolve and lose their hue.

  The skill of matchless Yu would fail to sound

  The depth and height; and Li Lou’s eye, though keen,

  Could never pierce this gloom. Now is the time,

  O sea and river gods, to use your powers.

  The gliding fish and creeping water folk

  Are lost; there is no track for bird or beast.

  Fair P’englai Isles are hidden from our sight,

  The lofty gates of heaven have disappeared.

  Nature is blurred and indistinct, as when

  A driving rain storm hurries o’er
the earth.

  And then, perhaps, within the heavy haze

  A noisome serpent vents his venom foul

  And plagues descend, or impish demons work

  Their wicked wills.

  Ills fall on men but do not stay,

  Heaven’s cleansing breath sweeps them away,

  But while they last the mean ones cry,

  The nobler suffer silently.

  The greatest turmoil is a sign

  Of quick return to state benign.

  The little fleet reached Ts’ao Ts’ao’s naval camp about the fifth watch and orders were given to form line lying prows west, and then to beat the drums and shout.

  “But what shall we do if they attack us?” exclaimed Lu Su.

  K’ungming replied with a smile,“I think the fleet will not venture out in this fog; go on with your wine and let us be happy. We will go back when the fog lifts.”

  As soon as the shouting from the river was heard by those in the camp the two commanders ran off to report to their chief, who said,“Coming up in a fog like this means that they have prepared an ambush for us. Do not go out, but get all the force together and shoot at them.”

  He also sent orders to the soldier camps to despatch six companies of archers and crossbowmen to aid the marines.

  The naval forces were then lined up on the bank to prevent a landing. Presently the soldiers arrived and a legion and more men were shooting down into the river, where the arrows fell like rain. By and bye K’ungming ordered the boats to turn round so that their prows pointed east and to go closer in so that many arrows might hit them.

  The drums were kept beating till the sun was high and the fog began to disperse, when the boats got under way and sailed down stream. The whole twenty boats were bristling with arrows on both sides. As they left, all the crews derisively shouted,“We thank you, Sir Minister, for the arrows.”

  They told Ts’ao Ts’ao, but by the time he came the light boats helped by the swift current were a long way down river and pursuit was impossible. Ts’ao Ts’ao saw that he had been duped and was very sorry, but there was no help for it.

  On the way down K’ungming said to his companion,“Every boat must have five or six thousand arrows and so, without the expenditure of an ounce of energy, we must have more than ten myriad arrows, which tomorrow can be shot back again at Ts’ao Ts’ao’s army to his great inconvenience.”