Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Now Cai Mao was about to return to the city when Zhao Yun led his troops out in pursuit. It happened that Zhao Yun was drinking wine when he suddenly noticed movement of men and horses. He hurried inside to look, and found that Xuande had vanished from the banquet. Greatly alarmed, Zhao Yun rushed out to the lodging quarters and was told, "Cai Mao has led troops westward in pursuit." Zhao Yun hastily snatched up his spear, mounted his horse, and led the three hundred soldiers he had originally brought, galloping out through the west gate. There he ran straight into Cai Mao and asked urgently, "Where is my lord?" Cai Mao replied, "The envoy left the banquet without a word. I know not where he has gone."

Zhao Yun was a cautious man and would not act rashly. He spurred his horse forward. Gazing into the distance, he saw a great stream with no other road in sight. He turned his horse back and demanded of Cai Mao, "You invited my lord to a feast—why did you lead troops in pursuit?" Cai Mao said, "The officials of the nine commanderies and forty-two counties are all here. As the commanding general, how could I not provide protection?" Zhao Yun asked, "Where have you driven my lord?" Cai Mao replied, "I heard the envoy rode out the west gate alone, but upon arriving here, he was nowhere to be seen."

Zhao Yun was filled with alarm and uncertainty. He went straight to the bank of the stream and saw that on the opposite shore there were traces of water stretching along the bank. He thought to himself, "Could it be that he even leaped his horse across the stream?" He ordered his three hundred soldiers to scatter and search in all directions, but they found no trace. When Zhao Yun turned his horse back again, Cai Mao had already entered the city. Zhao Yun seized the gate guards and questioned them. They all said that Envoy Liu had ridden swiftly out through the west gate. Zhao Yun wished to enter the city again but feared an ambush, so he hastily led his troops back to Xinye.

Now, Xuande had leaped his horse across the stream. Half-dazed, as if drunk, he thought to himself: "To have cleared such a broad ravine in a single leap—is this not the will of Heaven!" He rode on toward Nanzhang as the sun was sinking in the west. As he traveled, he saw a young cowherd riding on the back of an ox, playing a short flute as he came along. Xuande sighed and said, "I am not his equal!" He reined in his horse to watch. The cowherd also halted his ox and stopped playing, gazing at Xuande closely. He said, "Could it be that you are the Liu Xuande who broke the Yellow Turbans?" Xuande asked in surprise, "You are merely a child from a remote village—how do you know my name?" The cowherd said, "I did not know it myself, but I often attend upon my teacher. When guests come, they frequently speak of a certain Liu Xuande, who is seven chi and five cun tall, with hands that hang past his knees, and eyes that can see his own ears—a hero of this age. Seeing that you match this description, I presume it must be you."

Xuande said, "Who is your teacher?" The cowherd said, "My teacher's surname is Sima, given name Hui, styled Dechao, a man of Yingchuan. His Taoist name is Master Water-Mirror." Xuande said, "Who are your teacher's friends?" The boy said, "He is friends with Pang Degong and Pang Tong of Xiangyang." Xuande said, "What relation is Pang Degong to Pang Tong?" The boy said, "Uncle and nephew. Pang Degong, styled Shanmin, is ten years older than my teacher; Pang Tong, styled Shiyuan, is five years younger than my teacher. One day, my teacher was picking mulberry leaves from a tree when Pang Tong came to visit. He sat beneath the tree, and they discussed matters together without growing weary the whole day. My teacher loved Pang Tong deeply and called him 'younger brother.'" Xuande said, "Where does your teacher live now?" The cowherd pointed into the distance and said, "The manor house is in the woods ahead." Xuande said, "I am indeed Liu Xuande. Please lead me to pay my respects to your teacher."

The boy then led Xuande. After traveling more than two li, they reached the manor and dismounted. As they entered the inner gate, they suddenly heard the beautiful sound of a zither. Xuande told the boy not to announce them yet, and he listened closely. Then the music stopped abruptly, and a man came out laughing, saying, "The tones of the zither were pure and lofty, but suddenly a high and defiant note arose—there must be a hero eavesdropping." The boy pointed to Xuande and said, "This is my teacher, Master Water-Mirror." Xuande looked at the man: he had the bearing of a pine and the bones of a crane, with an extraordinary air about him. Xuande hurried forward to bow, his robes still damp. Master Water-Mirror said, "You have narrowly escaped great peril today!" Xuande was astonished beyond measure. The boy said, "This is Liu Xuande."

Water-Mirror invited him into the thatched hall, and host and guest took their seats. Xuande saw that the shelves were piled high with books and scrolls, while outside the window grew abundant pines and bamboo. A chess board and a zither lay upon a stone couch, and a pure, refreshing air pervaded the room. Water-Mirror asked, "Whence does Your Excellency come?" Xuade said, "I happened to be passing through this region and, being directed by the boy, I have had the honor of gazing upon your revered countenance. I am most fortunate." Water-Mirror smiled and said, "You need not conceal the truth. You must have fled here as a refugee." Xuande then told him what had happened at Xiangyang. Water-Mirror said, "I observed your complexion and already knew it." He then asked Xuande, "I have long heard of Your Excellency's great name. How is it that to this day you still find yourself in straits, without fortune or position?" Xuande said, "My fate has been full of hardship, and so things have come to this." Water-Mirror said, "Not so. It is because you lack the right men at your side." Xuande said, "Though I am untalented, in civil matters I have Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, and Jian Yong; in military affairs I have Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Yun. They serve me with utter loyalty and devotion, and I rely heavily upon their strength." Water-Mirror said, "Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Yun are warriors who can match ten thousand men, but there is no one who can make proper use of them. As for Sun Qian and Mi Zhu, they are merely scholars with pale faces—men of letters, not men of statecraft capable of governing the world."

Xuande said, "I have indeed humbled myself to seek out worthy men hidden among the hills and valleys, but alas, I have not found them!" Water-Mirror said, "Have you not heard Confucius say, 'In a hamlet of ten households, there must be one who is faithful and trustworthy'? How can you say there are no such men?" Xuade said, "I am dull and ignorant. I beg you to instruct me." Water-Mirror said, "Have you heard the nursery rhyme sung by the children of Jing and Xiang? It goes: 'In the eighth and ninth years, decline begins; by the thirteenth year, none remain. In the end, Heaven's mandate finds its proper home; the dragon hidden in the mud flies up to the sky.' This rhyme first appeared at the beginning of the Jian'an era. In the eighth year of Jian'an, Liu Jingsheng lost his first wife, and from that point disorder arose in his household—this is what is meant by 'decline begins.' 'None remain' means that when Jingsheng passes away, his civil and military officials will fall away and none will remain. 'Heaven's mandate finds its proper home' and 'the dragon flies up to the sky'—this refers to Your Excellency."

When Xuande heard this, he was startled and said with gratitude, "How could I possibly deserve such praise?" The Mirror said, "The greatest talents of the world today are all here in this region. You should go seek them out." Xuande asked eagerly, "Where are these prodigies? Who exactly are they?" The Mirror said, "The Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix—obtain but one of these two men, and you may bring peace to the realm." Xuande said, "Who are the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix?" The Mirror clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Excellent! Excellent!" When Xuande pressed him again, the Mirror said, "It is already late in the evening. You may spend the night here, and I shall tell you tomorrow." He then ordered a young servant to prepare food and drink for his guest, and had the horse led to the rear courtyard to be fed.

After Xuande had eaten, he lodged beside the thatched hall. As he lay pondering the Mirror's words, he could not sleep. Around the second watch of the night, he suddenly heard someone knock at the door and enter. The Mirror said, "Yuanzhi, from whence have you come?" Xuande rose and listened in secret. He heard the visitor reply, "I had long heard that Liu Jing-sheng was one who praised the good and condemned the evil, so I went especially to pay him a visit. But upon meeting him, I found he had only an empty reputation—he praises the good yet cannot employ them, and condemns the evil yet cannot remove them. Therefore I left him a letter of farewell and came here instead." The Mirror said, "You possess the talent to assist a king. You should choose a lord before committing yourself. How could you lightly present yourself to Jing-sheng? Moreover, heroes and men of outstanding ability are right before your eyes—you simply fail to recognize them." The visitor said, "What you say is true."

Xuande was overjoyed when he heard this, and thought to himself that this man must surely be the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix. He was on the verge of stepping out to meet him, but feared it would be rash. He waited until dawn, then sought out the Mirror and asked, "Who was the man who came last night?" The Mirror said, "He is a friend of mine." Xuande asked to meet him. The Mirror said, "This man wishes to go and serve a worthy lord, and has already departed for another place." Xuande asked his name. The Mirror smiled and said, "Excellent! Excellent!" Xuande asked again, "Who exactly are the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix?" The Mirror only smiled and said, "Excellent! Excellent!" Xuande bowed and begged the Mirror to come out of retirement and assist him in supporting the House of Han. The Mirror said, "I am a man of leisure from the wilds, unfit for the affairs of the world. There will come one ten times my superior to assist you—you should seek him out."

Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard the clamor of men and horses outside the manor. A young servant came to report, "A general has arrived at the manor with several hundred men." Xuande was greatly alarmed and hurried out to look. It was Zhao Yun. Xuande was overjoyed. Zhao Yun dismounted and entered to pay his respects, saying, "I returned to the county at night and could not find you, my lord. I followed the trail all through the night to this place. You must return to the county with haste. I fear someone may come to attack the county." Xuande took his leave of the Mirror and rode out with Zhao Yun toward Xinye. Before they had gone very long, a band of horsemen appeared. It was Yun Chang and Yide. They were all overjoyed to see one another. Xuande recounted the story of leaping across the Tan Stream, and they all marveled together. When they arrived at the county seat, they conferred with Sun Qian and the others. Sun Qian said, "You should first send a letter to Jing-sheng, explaining these events."

Xuande followed his advice and ordered Sun Qian to carry a letter to Jing Province. Liu Biao summoned him and asked, "I invited Xuande to a banquet at Xiangyang. Why did he leave in such haste?" Sun Qian presented the letter and gave a full account of how Cai Mou had plotted against Xuande's life, and how Xuande had escaped only by leaping his horse across the Tan Stream. Biao was furious. He summoned Cai Mou at once and berated him, saying, "How dare you try to harm my brother!" He ordered him dragged out and executed. Lady Cai came out and wept, begging for his life. Biao's anger had still not subsided. Sun Qian said, "If you kill Cai Mou, I fear the Imperial Uncle will not be able to dwell here in peace." Biao then reprimanded him and released him, and sent his eldest son Liu Qi along with Sun Qi to Xuande's residence to apologize.

Liu Qi went to Xinye on this errand. Xuande received him and prepared a banquet in his honor. When the wine had flowed freely, Liu Qi suddenly shed tears. Xuande asked the reason. Liu Qi said, "My stepmother, Lady Cai, constantly harbors murderous intentions toward me. I have no scheme to escape this calamity—I beg my uncle to advise me." Xuande counseled him, "Be careful and devote yourself to filial duty, and naturally no calamity will befall you."

The next day, Liu Qi tearfully took his leave. Xuande rode out with him to see him beyond the city walls. Pointing to his horse, Xuande said to Liu Qi, "Had it not been for this horse, I would already be a man of the underworld." Liu Qi said, "This was not the horse's doing—it was my uncle's great fortune." With that, they parted. Liu Qi departed in tears.

Xuande rode back into the city. Suddenly he saw a man in the marketplace, wearing a headcloth of kudzu cloth and a robe of plain fabric, with black-bordered sashes and black shoes, approaching and singing as he came. The song went:

Heaven and Earth are overturned—the fire of the dynasty nears its end!

A great mansion is about to collapse—no single timber can sustain it.

In the mountains and valleys there is a worthy man, who wishes to serve a lord;

But the lord who seeks the worthy does not know me!

Xuande heard the song and thought secretly, "Could this be the man the Mirror spoke of—the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix?" He dismounted and went to meet him, then invited him into the county offices and asked his name. The man replied, "I am from Ying-shang. My surname is Shan, given name Fu. I have long heard that Your Honor welcomes scholars and recruits men of talent, and I wished to come and entrust myself to your service. But I did not dare to presume upon your hospitality, so I sang this song in the marketplace to catch your ear."

Xuande was greatly pleased and received him as an honored guest. Shan Fu said, "The horse Your Honor was riding earlier—may I see it once more?" Xuande ordered the saddle removed and the horse brought to the hall below. Shan Fu said, "Is this not the Dilu horse? Though it is a thousand-li horse, it will bring disaster upon its master. You must not ride it." Xuande said, "That has already come to pass." He then recounted in full the story of leaping across the Tan Stream. Shan Fu said, "That was the horse saving its master, not bringing disaster upon him. But it will eventually bring calamity upon one master. I have a method to avert the misfortune." Xuande said, "I would hear this method." Shan Fu said, "If in your heart you have someone against whom you bear a grudge, give this horse to that person. Once it has brought calamity upon him, then you may ride it, and naturally nothing untoward will occur."

Upon hearing this, Xuande's expression changed. "You have only just arrived," he said. "Instead of instructing me in the proper way, you would have me pursue selfish schemes that harm others. I dare not heed such counsel."

Shan Fu smiled and apologized. "I had long heard of your benevolence and virtue, my lord, but I dared not believe it at first. That is why I tested you with those words."

Xuande's countenance also softened, and he rose to offer his apologies. "How could I possess any virtue or benevolence that extends to others? I rely entirely on your instruction, sir."

Shan Fu said, "I came here from Yingchuan, and in Xinye I heard the people singing: 'The shepherd of Xinye, the Imperial Uncle Liu, has come among us, and the people now have abundance.' This shows that your benevolence and virtue do indeed reach others."

Xuande then appointed Shan Fu as his military strategist and set about drilling his forces.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao had returned to Xuchang from Jizhou and harbored designs on Jing Province. He dispatched Cao Ren, Li Dian, and the surrendered generals Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang with thirty thousand troops to garrison Fan, where they could keep a tiger's watch over Jing and Xiang and gather intelligence on the situation.

Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang came before Cao Ren and reported, "Liu Bei is now quartered at Xinye, recruiting soldiers and buying horses, stockpiling grain and provisions. His ambitions are not small—he must not be left unchecked. Since we surrendered to the Prime Minister, we have yet to perform the smallest service. Give us five thousand elite soldiers, and we will take Liu Bei's head and present it to the Prime Minister."

Cao Ren was delighted. He gave the two Lüs five thousand soldiers and sent them to attack Xinye. A scout galloped back to report to Xuande. Xuande consulted Shan Fu.

"Since the enemy has come," said Shan Fu, "we must not allow them to enter our territory. Send Lord Guan with a force to strike from the left, engaging the enemy's center. Send Zhang Fei with a force to strike from the right, attacking their rear. My lord himself can lead Zhao Yun to meet them head-on. The enemy will be routed."

Xuande followed his counsel and dispatched Guan and Zhang at once. Then he and Shan Fu, together with Zhao Yun, led two thousand troops out to meet the advancing foe. After they had marched no more than a few miles, a great cloud of dust rose from behind the hills, and Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang appeared with their army. Both sides loosed arrows to hold formation. Xuande rode out beneath the banner gate and called out in a loud voice, "Who comes here, daring to invade our territory?"

Lü Kuang rode forward. "I am General Lü Kuang. By order of the Prime Minister, I have come to take you alive!"

Xuande flew into a rage and sent Zhao Yun into the fray. The two generals clashed, but within a few exchanges Zhao Yun drove his spear through Lü Kuang, who toppled from his horse. Xuande signaled his troops to press the attack. Lü Xiang could not hold his ground and led his men in retreat.

As they fled, a force burst forth from the roadside, led by none other than Lord Guan Yunchang. They charged into the fray, and Lü Xiang lost more than half his soldiers. He broke through and fled. Before he had gone ten li, another force blocked the road ahead. At their head, gripping his spear and roaring, was Zhang Yide. "Zhang Yide is here!" He bore straight down on Lü Xiang, who was caught off guard. Zhang Fei's spear struck true, and Lü Xiang tumbled from his horse, dead. The remnants scattered in every direction. Xuande united his forces in pursuit, and most of the enemy were captured. Xuande led his army back to the county seat, honored Shan Fei with the highest distinction, and rewarded the entire army.

As for the defeated soldiers who escaped, they returned to Cao Ren and reported that both Lü generals had been slain and that most of their troops had been taken alive. Cao Ren was greatly alarmed and consulted Li Dian.

Li Dian said, "The two generals brought about their own defeat through underestimation of the enemy. For now we should hold our forces in place and report to the Prime Minister, requesting that he dispatch a large army for a full campaign. That is the best course."

Cao Ren disagreed. "The two generals have fallen, and we have lost many soldiers. This grievance cannot be left unavenged. Xinye is but a tiny place—why trouble the Prime Minister with a great army?"

Li Dian said, "Liu Bei is a man of exceptional talent. He must not be taken lightly."

"Are you a coward?" demanded Cao Ren.

Li Dian replied, "The Art of War says: 'Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never suffer defeat.' It is not that I fear battle, but I fear we cannot be certain of victory."

Cao Ren's anger flared. "Do you harbor divided loyalties? I am determined to take Liu Bei alive!"

"If the general insists on going," said Li Dian, "then I will remain to guard Fan."

"If you refuse to accompany me," said Cao Ren, "then you truly are harboring divided loyalties."

Li Dian had no choice. He joined Cao Ren, and together they mustered twenty-five thousand troops and crossed the river toward Xinye.

Thus it was:

When lieutenants meet disgrace and death,

The commander marches forth to wipe the score.

How this battle ended, read on in the chapter that follows.