Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Guanzhong Luo

  “What have you studied,” asked he,“and what are you master of?”

  P’ang T’ung replied,“One must not be narrow and obstinate; one must change with circumstances.”

  “How does your learning compare with that of Chou Yu?” asked Sun.

  “My learning is not to be compared with his in the least, mine is far greater.”

  Now Sun Ch’uan had always loved his late general and he could not bear to hear him disparaged. This speech of Pang’s only increased his dislike. So he said,“You may retire, Sir; I will send for you when I can employ you.”

  P’ang Tung uttered one long sigh and went away. When he had gone Lu Su said,“My lord, why not employ him?”

  “What good would result; he is just one of those mad fellows.”

  “He did good service at the Red Wall fight, however, for it was he who got Ts’ao Ts’ao to chain his ships together.”

  “It was simply that Ts’ao wished to chain his ships together. No credit was due to this fellow. In any case I give you my word that I will not employ him. That much is certain.”

  Lu Su went out and explained to P’ang Tung that the failure was not due to lack of recommendation, but simply a whim of Sun Ch’uan’s and he must put up with it. The disappointed suitor hung his head and sighed many times without speaking.

  “I fear you are doomed to constant disappointment here,” said Lu Su.“There is nothing you can hope for, eh?”

  But still P’ang Tung was silent.

  “With your wonderful gifts of course you will be successful whithersoever you may go. You may take my word for that. But to whom will you go?”

  “I think I will join Ts’ao Ts’ao,” said P’ang Tung suddenly.

  “That would be flinging a gleaming pearl into darkness. Rather go to Liu Pei, who would appreciate you and employ you fittingly.”

  “The truth is that I have been thinking of this for a long time,” said P’ang Tung.“I was only joking just now.”

  “I will give you a letter to Liu Pei, and if you go to him you must try to maintain peace between him and my lord and get them to act together against Ts’ao Ts’ao.”

  “That has been the one desire of my life.”

  He took the letter offered by Lu Su and soon made his way to Chingchou. He arrived at a moment that K’ungming was absent on an inspection journey, but the doorkeeper announced him and said he had come to throw in his lot with Liu Pei. He was received, for he was no stranger in name.

  When P’ang T’ung was admitted he made the ordinary salutation but did not make an obeisance and this, coupled with his ugly face, did not please his host.

  “You have come a long and arduous journey,” said Liu Pei.

  At this point the suitor should have produced his letters from K’ungming and Lu Su, but did not. Instead he replied,“I hear, O Imperial Uncle, that you are welcoming the wise and receiving scholars, wherefore I have come to join your service.”

  “The country is decently peaceful now and unfortunately there is no office vacant. But away to the northeast there is a small magistracy, Leiyanghsien, which needs a chief. I can offer you that post until there should be something more fitting.”

  P’ang T’ung thought this rather poor welcome for a man of his talent. But his friend was absent, so he could do nothing but control his annoyance and accept. He took his leave and started.

  But when he arrived at his post he paid no attention to business at all; he gave himself up entirely to dissipation. The taxes were not collected nor were lawsuits decided. News of this reaching Liu Pei, he was angry and said,“Here is this stiff-necked pedant throwing my administration into disorder.”

  So he sent Chang Fei to the district with orders to make a general inspection of the whole district and look into any irregularities and disorders. But as he thought there might be some tact needed Sun Ch’ien was also sent as coadjutor.

  In due course the inquisitors arrived at Leiyanghsien, where they were received by the officials and welcomed by the people at the boundary. But the magistrate did not appear.

  “Where is the magistrate?” asked Chang Fei.

  “Ever since his arrival, a hundred days ago and more, he has attended to no business, but spends his days from morn to night in wine-bibbing and is always intoxicated. Just now he is sleeping off a debauch and is not yet risen.”

  This raised Chang Fei’s choler and he would have dismissed the offender forthwith had not his colleague said,“P’ang T’ung is a man of great ability and it would be wrong to deal with him thus summarily. Let us enquire into it. If he is really so guilty we will punish his offence.”

  So they went to the magistracy, took their seats in the hall of justice and summoned the magistrate before them. He came with dress all disordered and still under the influence of wine.

  “My brother took you for a decent man,” said Chang Fei, angrily,“and sent you here as magistrate. How dare you throw the affairs of the district into disorder?”

  “Do you think I have done as you say, General ?” said P’ang T’ung.“What affairs have I disordered?”

  “You have been here over a hundred days and spent the whole time in dissipation. Is not that disorderly?”

  “Where would be the difficulty in dealing with the business of a trifling district like this? I pray you, General, to sit down for a while till I have settled the cases.”

  Thereupon he bade the clerks bring in all the arrears and he would settle them at once. So they brought in the piles of papers and ordered the suitors to appear. They came and knelt in the hall while the magistrate, pencil in hand, noted this and minuted that, all the while listening to the pleadings. Soon all the difficulties and disputes were adjusted, and never a mistake was made, as the satisfied bows of the people proved. By midday the whole of the cases were disposed of and the arrears of the hundred days settled and decided. This done the magistrate threw aside his pencil and turned to the inquisitors saying,“Where is the disorder? When I can take on Ts’ao Ts’ao and Sun Ch’uan as easily as I can read this paper, what attention from me is needed for the business of this paltry place?”

  Chang 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 P’ang T’ung drew forth Lu Su’s letter and showed it to Chang Fei.

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

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

  They left the magistracy and returned to Liu Pei to whom they related what had happened. Liu Pei then seemed to be conscious of his error and said,“I have been wrong, I have behaved unjustly to a sage.”

  Chang Fei then gave his brother the letter in which Lu Su had recommended P’ang Tung. Opening it he read:— “P’ang Shih-yuan is not the sort of man to be met with in any day’s march. Employ him in some capacity where extraordinary 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 he was feeling cast down at the mistake he had made, as shown by the letter, they announced the return of K’ungming. Soon he entered the hall and the first question he put after the formal salutations was “Is Instructor-General P’ang quite well?”

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

  K’ungming laughed.“My friend P’ang 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.”
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  “When a man of transcendant abilities is sent to a paltry post he always turns to wine out of simple ennui,” said K’ungming.

  “If it had not been for what my brother said, I should have lost a great man,” said Yuan-te. Then he lost no time, but sent Chang Fei off to the north to request P’ang T’ung to come to Chingchou. When he arrived Liu Pei went out to meet him and at the foot of the steps asked pardon for his mistake. Then P’ang Tung produced the letter that K’ungming had given him. What Yuan-te read therein was this:—“As soon as the “Phoenix Fledgeling” shall arrive he should be given an important post.” Liu Pei rejoiced indeed as he read it, for had not Ssuma Hui said of the two men, Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Fledgeling, that any man who obtained the help of either of them could restore the empire when he would? As he now had them both surely the Hans would rise again.

  Then he appointed P’ang T’ung as Chuko Liang’s assistant and gave him general’s rank, and the two famous strategists began training the army for its work of subjugation.

  News of these doings came to the capital and Ts’ao Ts’ao was told of Liu Pei’s two strategists and of the army in training and the stores he was 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.

  Said Hsun Yu,“Sun Ch’uan should be first attacked, because of the recent death of their ablest general Chou Yu. Liu Pei will follow.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao replied,“If I go on such a distant expedition, Ma T’eng will fall upon the capital. While I was at Ch’ihpi there were sinister rumours of this and I must guard against it.”

  Hsun Yu said,“The best thing that occurs to stupid me is to obtain for Ma the title of ‘Subduer of the South’ and send him against Wu. Thus he can be enticed to the capital and got rid of. Then you can have no fear of marching southward.”

  Ts’ao Ts’ao approved and soon Ma T’eng was summoned from Hsiliang, in the west.

  Ma T’eng, called also Ma Shou-ch’eng, was a descendant of the famous leader Ma Yuan, styled General,“Queller of the Waves.” His fathers name was Ma Su. He had held a minor magistracy in the reign of Emperor Huan, but had lost it and drifted west into Shensi where he got amongst the Ch’iang, one of whose women he took to wife. She bore him a son, Ma T’eng. Ma T’eng 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 Ch’iangs made trouble and then Ma T’eng raised a force and put it down. For his services he received the tile of General,“Corrector of the West.” He and Han Sui, who was known as “Guardian of the West,” were pledged brothers.

  On receipt of the summons to the capital he took his eldest son, Ma Ch’ao, into his confidence and told him some of his former life.“When Tung Cheng got the Girdle Edict” from the Emperor, we formed a society, of which Liu Pei was one, pledged to put down rebellion. However, we accomplished nothing, for Tung was put to death and Liu was unfortunate, while I escaped to the west. However, I hear that Liu Pei now holds Chingchou and I am inclined to carry out the plan we made so long ago. But here I am summoned by Ts’ao Ts’ao and what is to be done?”

  Ma Ch’ao replied,“Ts’ao Ts’ao 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 his nephew, Ma Tai, held other opinions and opposed this. Said he,“Ts’ao’s designs are unfathomable and if you go, Uncle, I fear you will suffer.”

  “Let me lead the army against the capital,” said Ma Ch’ao.“Can we not purge the empire of evil?”

  But his father said,“You must take command of the Ch’iang troops for the defence of our territory here. I will take with me your two brothers and your cousin. When Ts’ao knows that you have the Ch’iang 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 companies, with his two sons as leaders of the van and his nephew bringing up the rear. These set out along the tortuous road to the capital. At twenty !i distance they camped.

  When Ts’ao heard of Ma Teng’s arrival he called to him Huang K’uei, one of his officers, and said to him,“Ma T’eng 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 Hsiliang 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 K’uei went to Ma T’eng, 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 and Kuo and I have always nourished resentment. Now there is another rebel in power wronging our prince.”

  “Who is that?” asked Ma.

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

  However, Ma 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 he cared not.“Then you have quite forgotten, the ‘Girdle Edict,’ eh?” shouted he.

  Ma T’eng began to see he was sincere and presently became confidential in turn and told his guest all his schemes.

  “He wants you to go in to audience; there is no good intention there. Do not go.” said Huang K’uei.“You lead your men up close to the city and get Ts’ao Ts’ao 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 him so disturbed in mind his wife asked him what was wrong. But he would tell her nothing. However, he had a concubine, born of the Li family, called “Fragrance of the Spring.” And it happened that she had an intrigue with the wife’s younger brother, Miao-tse, 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 Pei and Ts’ao Ts’ao? Who is the wicked one.”

  That evening Huang K’uei 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 only a woman, still you know right from wrong as well as I. My enemy and the man I would slay if I could, is Ts’ao Ts’ao.”

  “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 to assassinate Ts’ao at the review.”

  “Fragrance of the Spring” of course told her paramour, who told Ts’ao Ts’ao, and he made his arrangements to defeat the scheme. He called up certain trusty captains and gave them orders for the morrow and, this done, he arrested Huang K’uei and all his household.

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

  So he rode forward. Suddenly a bomb exploded and at this signal there appeared bodies of armed men right and left and in front, so that the western men were quite hemmed in. Ma T’eng then saw the mistake he had made and he and his two sons fought valiantly to free themselves from the trap. The youngest son soon fell. Father and son rode this way and that, seeking a way out, but failed on every side. Both were sorely wounded a
nd when their steeds fell from their many arrow wounds, both were captured.

  Ma T’eng and his son, and the miserable wretch who could not keep his counsel, were brought before Ts’ao. Huang loudly protested his innocence. Ts’ao then called in the witness Miao-tse.

  “That worthless scoundrel has spoiled all my plans!” cried Ma T’eng.“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 came to harm in this adventure.

  The son 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 son by western bride,

  Old Fu-po’s name his grandson glorified.

  “I desire no other reward than the lady, ‘Fragrance of the Spring’ as wife,” said the betrayer.

  Ts’ao 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 he bade the executioners put both the traitor and the woman to death, with the Huang 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.

  Ts’ao Ts’ao did not desire to rouse the rancour of the men of Hsiliang, wherefore he proclaimed to them,“The intended treachery of your leaders was theirs alone.” However, he sent to secure the passes so that Ma Tai should not escape.

  As has been said, Ma Tai 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.