Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Now Cao Cao had seen the belt decree, and he discussed with his advisors his intention to depose Emperor Xian and install someone of virtue in his place. Cheng Yu admonished him, "It is precisely because you bear the name of the House of Han that your prestige reaches in all directions and your commands are obeyed throughout the realm. The feudal lords are not yet pacified. If you rashly carry out a deposition and new enthronement, it will surely provoke armed conflict." Cao Cao therefore desisted. He had only Dong Cheng and the other five men, along with all their families old and young, escorted to the various gates and beheaded. In all, more than seven hundred people died. Officials and citizens of the city who witnessed it could not restrain their tears. A later poet lamented Dong Cheng thus:

The secret decree passed through a sash,

Heaven's words slipped past the palace gate.

Once he had saved the sovereign's carriage,

This day he bore that grace once more.

His care for the state became a sickness of the heart,

His quest to purge the wicked entered his very dreams.

Loyalty and steadfastness endure a thousand ages—

Who now debates success or failure?

There was also a lament for Wang Zifu and the other four:

Names inscribed upon the silk, a vow of loyal counsel,

Generous in spirit, they sought to repay their lord and father.

Red hearts, pitiable—they sacrificed a hundred lives,

A cinnabar spirit is itself worthy of a thousand autumns.

Now after Cao Cao had put Dong Cheng and the others to death, his wrath was not yet spent. He went into the palace sword in hand, intending to slay Noble Consort Dong. The consort was Dong Cheng's sister. The Emperor had favored her, and she was five months with child. That day the Emperor was in the inner palace, speaking privately with Empress Fu about Dong Cheng's affair, for as yet there had been no news. Suddenly he saw Cao Cao enter the palace with a sword, his face dark with anger. The Emperor turned pale with terror. Cao Cao said, "Dong Cheng plotted rebellion. Does Your Majesty know of it?" The Emperor said, "Dong Zhuo has already been executed." Cao Cao cried out, "Not Dong Zhuo! Dong Cheng!" The Emperor trembled and said, "This truly I did not know." Cao Cao said, "Have you forgotten mending the decree with your bloodied finger?" The Emperor had no reply. Cao Cao ordered his warriors to seize the Noble Consort Dong and bring her before him. The Emperor pleaded, "The Noble Consort is five months with child. I beg the Prime Minister to show mercy." Cao Cao said, "Had Heaven not defeated me, I would already have been destroyed. How can I leave this woman behind to become a future threat to me?" Empress Fu said, "Banish her to the Cold Palace. Wait until she has given birth, and then put her to death—that would not be too late." Cao Cao said, "Do you wish to leave this rebel seed, that it may one day avenge its mother?" Noble Consort Dong wept and begged, "Grant me a whole corpse in death. Do not let me be exposed." Cao Cao ordered that white silk be brought before him. The Emperor wept and said to the consort, "When you are beneath the nine springs, do not hold this against me." With that, tears fell like rain. Empress Fu also wept aloud. Cao Cao said angrily, "Still behaving like children!" He ordered the warriors to lead her out and strangle her outside the palace gate. A later poet lamented Noble Consort Dong thus:

To receive grace in the spring palace—all in vain,

Alas, the dragon seed was sacrificed together with her.

The sovereign lord, majestic and great, could not save her;

Covering his face, he could only watch the fountain of tears surge.

Cao Cao instructed the palace overseers, "From this day forward, any relative of the imperial consorts who enters the palace without my express order shall be beheaded. Those who fail to guard the gates strictly shall share the same punishment." He also assigned three thousand of his most trusted men to serve as the Imperial Guard, placing Cao Hong in command, to maintain surveillance. Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu, "Although Dong Cheng and the others have been put to death, there are still Ma Teng and Liu Bei, who are also numbered among the conspirators. They cannot be left unaddressed." Cheng Yu said, "Ma Teng is encamped in Xiliang; he cannot be attacked lightly. You should send him a letter of consolation to keep him from growing suspicious, then lure him to the capital and deal with him there. Liu Bei is presently in Xuzhou, where his forces are deployed in a mutually supporting position, so he too should not be taken lightly. Moreover, Yuan Shao is stationed at Guandu with his army and constantly harbors designs on Xuchang. If we campaign to the east, Liu Bei will certainly seek aid from Shao. If Shao seizes the opportunity to attack while we are exposed, how shall we withstand him?" Cao Cao said, "You are wrong. Liu Bei is a man of extraordinary talent. If we do not strike him now, once his wings are fully grown, he will be difficult to overcome. Yuan Shao is indeed powerful, but he is indecisive and full of suspicions. What cause is there to fear him?"

While they was deliberating, Guo Jia entered from outside. Cao Cao asked him, "I wish to campaign eastward against Liu Bei, but I am troubled by the threat of Yuan Shao. What should I do?" Guo Jia said, "Yuan Shao is slow to act and full of suspicions, and his advisors are jealous of one another. He is nothing to worry about. Liu Bei has only recently reorganized his troops, and the hearts of his men are not yet firmly with him. If you lead your army eastward, a single battle will settle the matter." Cao Cao was greatly pleased and said, "This coincides exactly with my own thinking." He thereupon assembled an army of two hundred thousand men and divided it into five columns to march on Xuzhou.

A spy learned of this and brought the report into Xuzhou. Sun Qian went first to Xiapi to inform Lord Guan, then proceeded to Xiaopei to inform Lord Xian. Lord Xian and Sun Qian deliberated, saying, "We must seek aid from Yuan Shao—only then can we resolve this crisis." Lord Xian therefore wrote a letter and sent Sun Qian to Hebei. Sun Qian first called on Tian Feng, laid the matter before him, and asked him to arrange an introduction. Tian Feng at once led Sun Qian in to see Yuan Shao and presented the letter. He observed that Yuan Shao's appearance was haggard and his robes and cap were disheveled. Tian Feng said, "Why does Your Lordship look this way today?" Yuan Shao said, "I am about to die!" Tian Feng said, "What makes Your Lordship say such a thing?" Yuan Shao said, "I have five sons, and only the youngest is the delight of my heart. Now he suffers from scabies, and his life is nearly spent. How can I have the heart to concern myself with any other matter?" Tian Feng said, "Now Cao Cao is campaigning eastward against Lord Xian, and Xuchang lies undefended. If you march your righteous army in, you can on high protect the Son of Heaven and below deliver the common people. This is an opportunity that will not come again. I beg you to decide." Yuan Shao said, "I too know this would be best, but my mind is clouded and troubled, and I fear something may go wrong." Tian Feng said, "What is there to be troubled about?" Yuan Shao said, "Among my five sons, this one is the most extraordinary. Should any misfortune befall him, my own life would be forfeit." He firmly resolved not to send his army. He said to Sun Qian, "Return and tell Lord Xian the reason. If things do not go as he wishes, he may come and join me. I have ways in which I can assist him." Tian Feng struck the ground with his staff and said, "At a time when such a rare opportunity presents itself, to lose it over the illness of an infant—the great cause is lost! How grievous and lamentable!" He stamped his feet, heaved a long sigh, and departed.

Sun Qian saw that Yuan Shao would not send troops and had no choice but back to Xiaopei to see Xuande and report the whole matter. Xuande was greatly alarmed and said, "What can be done in this situation?" Zhang Fei said, "Elder brother, have no fear. The soldiers from Cao have come from far away and must be exhausted. If we attack their camp as soon as they arrive, we can defeat Cao Cao." Xuande said: "I always thought of you as a mere brave warrior, but when you captured Liu Dai before, you showed some cleverness. The plan you offer now is sound strategy." He therefore followed his advice and divided his forces to raid the camp.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao was leading his army toward Xiaopei. As they marched, a fierce wind suddenly rose, and with a loud crack a banner pole was snapped. Cao Cao ordered his troops to halt and gathered his advisors to ask about the omen. Xun Yu asked, "From which direction did the wind come? What color was the banner that was broken?" Cao Cao said, "The wind came from the southeast and broke the corner banner pole, which was colored blue and red." Xun Yu said: "This portends nothing else but that Liu Bei will come to raid our camp tonight." Cao Cao nodded. Then Mao Jie entered and said, "Just now a wind from the southeast rose and broke a blue and red banner pole. What omen does Your Excellency think this is?" Cao Cao said, "What is your opinion?" Mao Jie said, "I believe this means that someone will certainly come to raid our camp tonight." A later poet wrote a verse lamenting this:

Alas, the imperial scion in his desperate plight,

Relied on dividing forces to raid the camp with might.

But the banner's fall foretold the sign too clear—

Why did Heaven let the cunning villain persevere?

Cao Cao said: "Heaven gives me warning—I must prepare at once." He divided his troops into nine units, leaving only one to pitch a camp as a decoy while the other eight lay in ambush on all sides. That night the moonlight was faint. Xuande led one force on the left and Zhang Fei led one on the right, sending the two units forward while leaving Sun Qian to guard Xiaopei.

Now Zhang Fei, thinking his plan a stroke of genius, led a party of light cavalry in front and charged into Cao Cao's camp. But he found it nearly empty, with few men and horses. Suddenly fire blazed up on all four sides and war cries rose in unison. Zhang Fei realized he had fallen into a trap and rushed back out of the camp. From the east came Zhang Liao, from the west Xu Chu, from the south Yu Jin, from the north Li Dian, from the southeast Xu Huang, from the southwest Yue Jin, from the northeast Xiahou Dun, and from the northwest Xiahou Yuan—eight forces attacked from all directions. Zhang Fei charged left and right, blocking in front and covering behind, but the troops he led were originally Cao Cao's old soldiers, and seeing the situation was desperate, they all surrendered. As Zhang Fei fought his way through, he encountered Xu Huang and engaged him in a fierce battle, then Yue Jin came up from behind. Zhang Fei cut his way through a bloody path and broke out of the encirclement with only a dozen or so riders following him. He wanted to return to Xiaopei, but the way was blocked. He thought of heading for Xuzhou or Xiapi, but feared Cao's troops would intercept him. Finding no path open, he had no choice but head toward Mount Mangdang.

Meanwhile, Xuande had led his force to raid the camp. As they approached the camp gate, a great cry arose and soldiers rushed out from behind, cutting his forces in half. Then Xiahou Dun arrived. Xuande broke through the encirclement and fled, but Xiahou Yuan pursued him from behind. Xuande looked back and found only thirty or so riders still with him. He hurried to return to Xiaopei, but soon saw flames rising from the city and was forced to abandon it. He tried to head for Xuzhou or Xiapi, but Cao's troops covered the mountains and filled the fields, blocking every road. Xuande thought there was no place to turn and said to himself: "Yuan Shao once said, 'If things do not go well, you may come to join me.' I had better go to him for now and make other plans later." He then headed toward Qingzhou, but Li Dian blocked his path. Xuande fled alone on horseback northward into the wilderness, and Li Dian captured his remaining followers.

Now Xuande rode alone toward Qingzhou, covering three hundred li a day. When he reached the city gates and called out, the gate officer asked his name and reported it to the Regional Inspector. The inspector was Yuan Tan, eldest son of Yuan Shao. Yuan Tan had always respected Xuande and, hearing that he had arrived alone, immediately opened the gate to welcome him. He received him into the official residence and asked in detail what had happened. Xuande explained his defeat and his wish to join Yuan Shao's service. Yuan Tan lodged Xuande in the guest quarters and sent a letter to inform his father. He also dispatched local troops to escort Xuande. When they reached the border of Pingyuan, Yuan Shao himself led his followers out thirty li from Ye to welcome Xuande. Xuande bowed in thanks, and Yuan Shao quickly returned the courtesy, saying: "Yesterday my son fell ill, and I failed to send aid—I have been deeply troubled at heart. Now that I have the joy of meeting you, my lifelong longing is greatly satisfied." Xuande said: "I, Liu Bei, in my lonely and desperate state, have long wished to place myself under your banner, but the opportunity never came. Now I have been attacked by Cao Cao and my wife and children are captured. I believe you welcome men of talent from all quarters, so I come to join you without shame or hesitation. I humbly ask to be received, and I swear to repay your kindness." Yuan Shao was overjoyed and treated him with the greatest hospitality, and they both resided in Jizhou.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao took Xiaopei that same night and immediately advanced on Xuzhou. Mi Zhu and Jian Yong could not hold the city and were forced to abandon it and flee. Chen Deng surrendered Xuzhou. When Cao Cao's army entered the city and had settled the people, he summoned his advisors to discuss taking Xiapi. Xun Yu said: "Yunlong is protecting Xuande's wife and children and is defending the city to the death. If we do not take it quickly, Yuan Shao may seize it." Cao Cao said: "I have always admired Yunlong's martial skill and talent. I wish to win him over to my service. Why not send someone to persuade him to surrender?" Guo Jia said: "Yunlong is deeply committed to righteousness and will never surrender. If we send someone to persuade him, I fear he will be harmed." A man in the tent stepped forward and said: "I once had an acquaintance with Lord Guan and am willing to go and persuade him." The others looked and saw it was Zhang Liao. Cheng Yu said: "Although Wenyuan has an old friendship with Lord Guan, I observe that this man cannot be moved by words alone. I have a plan to leave him with no way forward or back, and then Wenyuan can speak to him—he will surely come over to the Prime Minister."

They strung the mighty bow to shoot the tiger,

They set the fragrant bait to catch the giant turtle.

What this plan was will be told in the next chapter.