Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang twice without success and wished to go again. Guan Yu said, "My elder brother has gone in person twice to pay his respects—the courtesy is too great, I fear. I suspect Zhuge Liang has a false reputation without real learning, and so he avoids you and dares not show himself. Why are you so infatuated with this man?" Liu Bei replied, "You are mistaken. When Duke Huan of Qi wished to see the hermit of East Suburb, he had to turn back five times before he could obtain an audience. How much more should I be willing to do, since I wish to see a great sage?" Zhang Fei said, "Brother, you are quite wrong. This village fellow is not worth being called a sage. Next time, you need not go. If he will not come, I will simply take a hemp rope and bind him and bring him here!" Liu Bei rebuked him, saying, "Have you never heard of King Wen of Zhou's visit to Jiang Ziya? Even King Wen showed such respect to a worthy man—how can you be so discourteous! This time you shall not go. I will go myself with Yun Chang." Zhang Fei said, "Since both my elder brothers are going, how can I lag behind?" Liu Bei said, "If you come with us, you must not be rude."

Zhang Fei agreed. Thereupon the three men mounted their horses and, with their attendants, set out for Longzhong. When they were still half a li from the thatched cottage, Liu Bei dismounted and proceeded on foot. They happened to meet Zhuge Jun. Liu Bei hastened to bow and asked, "Is your elder brother at home?" Zhuge Jun replied, "He returned only last evening. The general may see him today." With that, he departed with a carefree air. Liu Bei said, "This time, by good fortune, I shall see the master!" Zhang Fei said, "This man is discourteous! He might have led us to the cottage. Why did he go off like that?" Liu Bei said, "Each has his own affairs. How can we force him?"

The three arrived at the cottage and knocked on the door. The servant boy opened it and came out to ask their business. Liu Bei said, "I trouble you, young immortal, to announce that Liu Bei has come expressly to see the master." The boy said, "The master is at home today, but he is still sleeping in the study and has not yet awakened." Liu Bei said, "Since that is so, do not announce me yet." He instructed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to wait by the gate. Liu Bei then walked slowly in and saw the master lying on his back on the couch in the study. Liu Bei stood with hands clasped on the step below.

For a long while, the master did not wake. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had been standing outside for some time and, seeing no sign of activity, went in and found Liu Bei still standing in attendance. Zhang Fei flew into a rage and said to Yun Chang, "How arrogant this master is! He sees my elder brother standing below the step, yet he lies there fast asleep and will not get up! I will go behind the house and set a fire, and we shall see whether he gets up or not!" Guan Yu restrained him with great difficulty. Liu Bei still ordered the two to wait outside. Looking toward the study, he saw the master turn over as if about to rise, but then he turned to face the inner wall and went back to sleep. The servant boy wished to announce the visitor. Liu Bei said, "Do not disturb him." He stood there for another hour before Kongming at last awoke, reciting aloud a poem:

"Who first perceives the great dream of life? I alone know.

Spring sleep in the thatched cottage is complete; outside the window the sun lingers on."

When Kongming finished reciting, he turned over and asked the servant boy, "Has any mundane visitor come?" The boy said, "The Imperial Uncle Liu is here and has been waiting for some time." Kongming then rose and said, "Why was I not informed sooner? I must change my clothes." He withdrew to the inner chamber. After another long while, he came out properly dressed to receive his guest. Liu Bei saw that Kongming was eight feet tall, with a face like beautiful jade, wearing a silk headband and a crane-feather cape, with an air of ethereal grace like that of an immortal. Liu Bei bowed and said, "I am a distant scion of the House of Han, a humble man from Zhuo Commandery. I have long heard your great name, which has thundered in my ears. Twice I came to pay my respects but failed to obtain an audience. I wrote my unworthy name on your desk—I do not know whether you have had the chance to read it." Kongming replied, "I am but a rustic of Nanyang, by nature idle and lazy. That you, General, should repeatedly honor me with your presence fills me with shame and gratitude."

The two having exchanged courtesies, they took their seats as host and guest. The servant boy served tea. When the tea was finished, Kongming said, "From reading your letter yesterday, I could see fully your anxiety for the people and for the nation. But I regret that I am young and of limited ability, and I fear I may fail to answer your questions properly." Liu Bei said, "The words of Sima De Cuo and Xu Yuan Zhi—were they mere empty talk? I hope you will not disdain my lowliness and will graciously instruct me." Kongming said, "De Cuo and Yuan Zhi are eminent scholars of the age. I am but a farmer—how dare I discuss affairs of the realm? Those two gentlemen have recommended me far above my worth. Why does the General abandon fine jade and seek instead a worthless stone?" Liu Bei said, "A man of great talent who possesses the ability to govern the world—how can he grow old in obscurity among the forests and springs? I beg you, in your concern for the common people of the realm, to open my ignorance and grant me instruction." Kongming smiled and said, "I would hear the General's ambition." Liu Bei dismissed the others, drew his seat closer, and said, "The House of Han is falling, and wicked ministers have usurped the imperial authority. I, though lacking in strength, wish to uphold righteousness before the world. But my wisdom and strategy are shallow, and thus far I have accomplished nothing. Only if you can enlighten my folly and rescue me from this predicament shall I truly be fortunate."

Zhuge Liang said, "Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, heroes across the land have risen. Cao Cao was less powerful than Yuan Shao, yet he overcame him—not merely by Heaven's timing, but by human strategy as well. Now Cao Cao commands a million troops, holding the Emperor to command the feudal lords. He truly cannot be opposed in direct contention. Sun Quan holds Jiangdong, with three generations of rule; his state is protected by natural barriers and his people are loyal. He can be relied upon as an ally, but cannot be conquered. Jing Province commands the Han and Mian rivers to the north, draws wealth from the South Sea to the south, connects with Wu and Hui to the east, and links with Ba and Shu to the west—a land fit for military exploits. But unless its lord is worthy, it cannot be held. This is surely Heaven's provision for you, General. How could you abandon it? Yizhou is a place of rugged defenses, with fertile fields stretching a thousand miles—the Land of Abundance. It was by relying on this that the Founder of Han achieved his imperial enterprise. Now Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent; the people are prosperous and the state is rich, yet he does not cherish them. Men of talent and wisdom long for a worthy lord. You, General, are of imperial blood, your righteousness and good faith are known throughout the land, you gather heroes to your side, and you thirst for worthy men as if parched. If you could seize both Jing and Yizhou, hold their mountain passes, make peace with the western tribes in your rear, pacify the Yi and Yue to the south, maintain external ties with Sun Quan, and cultivate good governance within; then when the world shows signs of change, you could order a general to lead the army of Jing Province toward Wan and Luoyang, while you yourself command the forces of Yizhou out from the Qin plains. Would the common people not welcome you with food and drink in baskets and jars? If this truly comes to pass, your great enterprise can be achieved and the House of Han can be restored. This is what I have planned for you, General. I leave it to you to decide."

When he had finished, he ordered a servant boy to bring out a painted scroll and hang it in the center of the hall. Pointing to it, he said to Xuande, "This is a map of the fifty-four prefectures of Xichuan. If you wish to achieve hegemony, yield the advantage of Heaven's timing to Cao Cao in the north, yield the advantage of terrain to Sun Quan in the south, and you may claim the advantage of human harmony. First take Jing Province as your base, then seize Xichuan to establish your foundations, forming a tripod of power—after that, the Central Plains can be targeted."

Xuande, upon hearing these words, left his seat, bowed with hands clasped, and said with gratitude, "Your words, sir, have opened my eyes like parting clouds to reveal the blue sky. But Liu Biao of Jing Province and Liu Zhang of Yizhou are both of the imperial clan. How could I bear to seize their territories?" Zhuge Liang said, "I have observed the stars by night. Liu Biao will not long remain among the living. Liu Zhang is no lord to found an enterprise—in time, he will surely yield to you." Upon hearing this, Xuande bowed his head to the ground in thanks. In this single conversation, Zhuge Liang, before ever leaving his thatched cottage, already knew that the realm would be divided into three—truly, no one in ten thousand generations could match him. A later poet praised him:

The Lord of Yu in his hour of lonely despair—

What fortune to find the Sleeping Dragon in Nanyang!

To know where the tripod would one day divide,

The Master smiled and pointed within the painted scroll.

Xuande bowed and entreated Zhuge Liang, saying, "Though my name is humble and my virtue slight, I beg you not to disdain me but to come forth and aid me. I will listen respectfully to your wise instructions." Zhuge Liang said, "I have long delighted in plowing and hoeing, and am too lazy to engage with the world. I cannot accept this command." Xuande wept and said, "If you will not come forth, what will become of the common people?" With that, tears soaked his sleeves and drenched his robes. Seeing his sincerity, Zhuge Liang said, "Since you will not cast me aside, I will serve you with the devotion of a dog or a horse."

Xuande was overjoyed. He ordered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to enter and present gifts of gold, silk, and other goods. Zhuge Liang firmly declined. Xuande said, "This is not the proper tribute for engaging a great worthy—it merely expresses a small token of my heart." Only then did Zhuge Liang accept. Xuande and his men stayed the night at the cottage. The next day, Zhuge Jun returned, and Zhuge Liang instructed him: "I have received the threefold kindness of Imperial Uncle Liu, and I cannot remain away. You may continue to farm here—do not let the fields lie fallow. When my task is accomplished, I will return to seclusion." A later poet lamented:

Before his rise, he already thought of retreat;

When success is won, remember the words he spoke.

Only because the First Sovereign urged him so earnestly,

The star fell in the autumn wind at Wuzhangyuan.

There is also an ancient-style poem:

The High Emperor raised his three-foot sword of snow,

The white snake of Mangdang bled by night.

He pacified Qin and destroyed Chu, entered Xianyang—

Two hundred years later, the line nearly broke.

Great was Guangwu's revival of Luoyang,

Passed down until Huan and Ling, when it fractured again.

The Emperor was removed to Xuchang,

And heroes arose across the land.

Cao Cao seized power and gained Heaven's timing,

The Sun clan of Jiangdong opened a great enterprise.

The lonely and destitute Xuande wandered the world,

Alone at Xinye, grieving for his people's peril.

The Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang had great ambition,

In his breast, stratagems of the orthodox and unorthodox.

Only because Xu Shu spoke as he departed,

Three visits to the thatched cottage brought hearts to know each other.

The Master was then thirty-nine years old,

He gathered his zither and books and left his fields.

First he took Jing Province, then Yizhou,

Unfolding his great craft to mend the heavens.

Wind and thunder stirred upon his tongue,

Stars shifted within his smiling breast.

Dragon-striding, tiger-gazing, he brought peace to the world—

His name endures through ten thousand ages.

Xuande and his two companions took leave of Zhuge Jun and returned to Xinye together with Zhuge Liang. Xuande treated Zhuge Liang as a teacher—they ate at the same table and slept on the same couch, discussing affairs of the realm from morning to night. Zhuge Liang said, "Cao Cao has built the Xuanwu Pool in Jizhou to train a navy—he surely intends to invade the south of the river. You should secretly send someone across to spy and learn the truth." Xuande followed this advice and sent a man to Jiangdong to gather intelligence.

Now, after Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan had held Jiangdong, inheriting the foundations laid by his father and elder brother. He widely recruited worthy men and opened a guest residence in Wu and Hui, ordering Gu Yong and Zhang Hong to receive visitors from all directions. Year after year, they recommended one another. At that time, several men came to Jiangdong: Kan Ze of Kuaiji, styled Derun; Yan Jun of Pengcheng, styled Mancheng; Xue Cong of Pei County, styled Jingwen; Cheng Bing of Ruyuan, styled Deshu; Zhu Huan of Wu Commandery, styled Xiumu; Lu Ji of Wu Commandery, styled Gongji; Zhang Wen of Wu, styled Huishu; Luo Tong of Kuaiji, styled Gongxu; and Wu Can of Wucheng, styled Kongxiu—these men all came to Jiangdong. Sun Quan treated them with great respect and courtesy. He also obtained several fine officers: Lü Meng of Ruyang, styled Ziming; Lu Xun of Wu Commandery, styled Boyan; Xu Sheng of Langya, styled Wenxiang; Pan Zhang of Dong Commandery, styled Wengui; and Ding Feng of Lujiang, styled Chengyuan. With these civil and military men assisting him, Jiangdong became renowned for its abundance of talent.

In the seventh year of Jian'an, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and sent an envoy to Jiangdong, ordering Sun Quan to send his son to court to accompany the emperor. Quan hesitated and could not decide. The Dowager Madame of Wu ordered Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao, and others to deliberate together. Zhang Zhao said, "Cao Cao wishes us to send our son to court—this is a method to restrain the various lords. Yet if we do not send him, I fear he will raise an army and descend upon Jiangdong, and the situation will surely become perilous." Zhou Yu said: "Our general has inherited the legacy of his father and elder brother, commanding the masses of six commanderies, with elite soldiers and ample provisions, and officers who fight to the death. What compulsion is there that would force us to send a hostage to another? Once the hostage enters, we will have no choice but to ally with the Cao clan; when they summon him, we will have no choice but to go. In this way, we would be controlled by others. Better not to send him, but to observe developments slowly and devise a fine strategy to defend against them instead." The Dowager Madame of Wu said: "Gongjin speaks rightly." Quan therefore followed his counsel, declined the envoy, and did not send his son. From this time, Cao Cao harbored the intention of descending upon Jiangnan. However, the north was not yet pacified, and he had no leisure to campaign south.

In the eleventh month of the eighth year of Jian'an, Sun Quan led his army to attack Huang Zu, and they fought upon the great river. Zu's army was routed. Quan's officer Ling Cao, in a light boat at the foremost line, entered Xiakou killing men, but was shot dead by Huang Zu's officer Gan Ning with a single arrow. Ling Cao's son Ling Tong was only fifteen years old at the time; he fought fiercely to retrieve his father's body and return it. Quan saw that conditions were unfavorable and withdrew his army back to Eastern Wu.

Now Quan's younger brother Sun Yi served as Administrator of Danyi. Yi had a stern temperament and was fond of wine; when drunk, he often whipped and caned his soldiers. The Danyi Commandant Gui Lan and the Assistant Administrator Dai Yuan both harbored the desire to kill Yi. They therefore made Yi's attendant Bian Hong their confidant, plotting together to murder Yi. At this time, the various officers and county magistrates had all gathered at Danyi. Yi held a banquet to receive them. Yi's wife, Xu Shi, was beautiful and wise, and highly skilled in divination. That day she cast a hexagram, and its image was extremely inauspicious; she urged Yi not to go out to meet his guests. Yi did not listen and instead held a grand gathering with all the company.

When the banquet broke up in the evening, Bian Hong followed Yi out the gate with a sword at his side, then drew his blade and struck Sun Yi dead. Gui Lan and Dai Yuan then laid the blame on Bian Hong and had him executed in the marketplace. The two of them seized the opportunity to plunder Yi's household wealth and concubines. Gui Lan saw that Xu Shi was beautiful and said to her: "I have avenged your husband for you. You must submit to me; if you refuse, you shall die." Xu Shi said: "My husband has only recently died; I cannot bear to yield so soon. Wait until the last day of the month; let me offer sacrifices and remove my mourning garments, and then we may be wed without delay."

Lan agreed to this. Xu Shi then secretly summoned Sun Yi's trusted former officers Sun Gao and Fu Ying into the mansion and tearfully told them: "When my late husband was alive, he often spoke of your two lords' loyalty and righteousness. Now the two brigands Gui and Dai murdered my husband and merely laid the blame on Bian Hong, dividing up all my household wealth and servant girls among themselves. Gui Lan further wished to force himself upon me; I have already falsely promised him in order to put his mind at ease. You two generals can send men with all haste to inform the Marquis of Wu, and on your part lay a secret plan to deal with these two brigands, to avenge this grievous wrong and shame. In life and death, I shall bear your gratitude!" When she finished, she bowed twice. Sun Gao and Fu Ying both wept and said: "We have long felt the kindness of our lord's favor; the reason we did not immediately die in his service today was precisely because we wished to devise a plan for revenge. Whatever the lady commands, how dare we not exert ourselves?"

They then secretly sent a trusted messenger to report to Sun Quan. On the last day of the month, Xu Shi first summoned Sun Gao and Fu Ying and concealed them behind curtains in an inner chamber, then set up sacrifices in the main hall. When the sacrifices were complete, she removed her mourning garments, bathed and perfumed herself, painted her face richly and dressed in finery, speaking and laughing as though nothing were amiss.

Gui Lan heard of this and was greatly pleased. That night, Xu Shi sent servant girls to invite Lan into the mansion. A feast was laid in the hall, and they drank. When he was thoroughly drunk, Xu Shi then invited Lan into the inner chamber. Lan, delighted, entered in his drunkenness. Xu Shi cried out in a loud voice: "Where are the two generals Sun and Fu?" The two men then leapt from behind the curtains, swords in hand. Gui Lan was caught off guard; Fu Ying struck him to the ground with one blow of his blade, and Sun Gao struck again with a second blow, killing him on the spot. Xu Shi then sent word inviting Dai Yuan to a banquet as well. Yuan entered the mansion and reached the hall, where he too was killed by the two generals Sun and Fu. On one front, they sent men to put to death the families of the two brigands and their remaining followers. Xu Shi then once more put on mourning garments and offered the heads of Gui Lan and Dai Yuan as sacrifices before Sun Yi's spirit tablet. Within days, Sun Quan himself led his army to Danyi. Seeing that Xu Shi had already killed the two brigands Gui and Dai, he appointed Sun Gao and Fu Ying as Gate Guard Commanders, ordering them to garrison Danyi, and brought Xu Shi home to be cared for in her old age. All the people of Jiangdong praised Xu Shi's virtue. A later poet wrote in praise:

Talent and integrity combined—such as the world has seldom known;

In a single moment, the treacherous were crushed and destroyed.

The base minister served the brigand; the loyal minister died—

They could not match this woman of Eastern Wu.

Now it happened that the bandits in all regions of Eastern Wu were completely pacified. Upon the great river, there were more than seven thousand warships. Sun Quan appointed Zhou Yu as Grand Commander, with overall authority over Eastern Wu's naval and land forces. In the twelfth year of Jian'an, in the tenth month of winter, Quan's mother, the Dowager Madame of Wu, fell gravely ill. She summoned Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao to her side and said: "I was originally a person of Wu. When young, I lost my parents and moved with my younger brother Wu Jing to live in Yuezhong. Later I married into the Sun family and bore four sons. When my eldest son Ce was born, I dreamed of the moon entering my bosom. Later when my second son Quan was born, I dreamed of the sun entering my bosom. The diviner said: 'Those who dream of the sun and moon entering their bosom will certainly have noble sons.' Sadly Ce died young, and now I entrust the foundation of Jiangdong to Quan. I hope you will aid him with one heart, and even in death I shall not be forgotten!" She further admonished Quan: "You must treat Zibu and Gongjin with the rites of a teacher and must not be negligent. My younger sister married your father alongside me—she too is your mother. After I die, treat my younger sister as you would treat me. You must also show kindness to your younger sister, and choose a fine son-in-law to marry her to."

Having spoken these words, he passed away. Sun Quan mourned and wept, and the funeral rites were duly performed—of this, no more need be said. When spring came the following year, Sun Quan held council on his desire to attack Huang Zu.

Zhang Zhao said, "The mourning period has not yet reached a full year. We cannot move troops."

Zhou Yu said, "When it comes to avenging a grievance and wiping away a grudge, why must we wait a full year?"

Sun Quan hesitated, unable to decide. Just then the Beiping Commandant Lü Meng entered his presence and reported, "While I was guarding the mouth of Longqiao Ford, Gan Ning, one of Huang Zu's officers, came over to surrender. I questioned him in detail. His courtesy name is Xingba, and he is a man of Linjiang in Ba Commandery. He is well-read in books and history, possesses great strength, and delights in the ways of the wandering knight-errant. He once gathered together fugitives and outlaws, roaming freely across the rivers and lakes, with bronze bells hanging from his waist. When people heard the sound of those bells, they all gave way. At another time he used brocade from Xichuan for his sails and awnings, and people of that era called him the 'Bandit of the Brocade Sail.' Later he repented of his past misdeeds and reformed his conduct for the better, leading his men to join Liu Biao. Seeing that Liu Biao could accomplish nothing, he wished to come over to Eastern Wu, but Huang Zu detained him at Xiakou.

"When Eastern Wu previously defeated Zu, it was through Gan Ning's efforts that Zu was able to retreat back to Xiakou; yet he treated Ning most shabbily. The Commander Su Fei repeatedly recommended Ning to Zu. Zu said, 'Ning is a bandit who plundered on the rivers—how could I employ him in any important capacity?' For this reason Ning harbored resentment. Su Fei, knowing his feelings, set out wine and invited Ning to his home, saying to him, 'I have recommended you several times, but our lord refuses to employ you. Days and months pass swiftly—how long is a man's life? You should plan for yourself on a distant horizon. I will secure your appointment as Magistrate of E County, and you may make your own plans for departure.' Ning was thus able to pass through Xiakou. He wished to come over to Jiangdong, but feared that Jiangdong would hold a grudge against him for his role in saving Huang Zu and killing Ling Cao. I told him in full that our lord seeks talented men as parched land seeks rain and bears no grudge over old quarries. Moreover, each man served his own master—what cause is there for resentment? Delighted, Ning led his men across the river to seek an audience with our lord. I await your command on this matter."

Sun Quan was overjoyed and said, "With Xingba in my service, Huang Zu is certain to be defeated!" He then ordered Lü Meng to bring Gan Ning into his presence. When the formal greetings were completed, Sun Quan said, "That Xingba has come here fills my heart to the fullest. How could I bear any grudge? Have no doubts on that account. I pray you instruct me with a strategy for defeating Huang Zu."

Ning said, "At present the Han dynasty's mandate grows ever more precarious, and Cao Cao will in the end usurp the throne. The lands south of Jing Province are what Cao Cao will surely fight over. Liu Biao lacks long-range vision, and his sons are foolish and inferior—they cannot carry on his legacy and pass down the foundation. You, my lord, should make plans to seize them early. If you delay, Cao Cao will get to them first. For now, you should first attack Huang Zu. Zu is old and muddled this year, obsessed with goods and profit. He oppresses and exploits his officials and the people, and the hearts of all are filled with resentment. His war equipment is neglected, and his army has no discipline. If you march against him, his position will surely collapse. Once Zu's army is defeated, advance with drums beating westward, seize the Chu Pass, and then plot against Ba and Shu—and your hegemony can be established."

Sun Quan said, "This is advice of gold and jade!" He thereupon appointed Zhou Yu as Grand Commander, to take overall command of the naval and land forces; Lü Meng as the vanguard commander; Dong Xi and Gan Ning as his lieutenants; and Sun Quan himself led a great army of one hundred thousand to campaign against Huang Zu. Spies learned of this and reported it to Jiangxia. Huang Zu hastily assembled his officers for council. He appointed Su Fei as commander-in-chief, Chen Jiu and Deng Long as vanguard leaders, and mobilized the entire force of Jiangxia to meet the enemy. Chen Jiu and Deng Long each led a squadron of warships to block the Mian River mouth. On each warship were mounted over a thousand powerful crossbows and strong bows, and great cables were fastened to keep the warships fixed upon the surface of the water. When the Eastern Wu troops arrived, the drums sounded on the warships and bows and crossbows fired in unison. The soldiers dared not advance and withdrew about several li across the water.

Gan Ning said to Dong Xi, "Matters have reached this point—we must advance." He then selected over a hundred small boats, each carrying fifty picked soldiers—twenty to man the oars and thirty clad in armor and wielding steel blades. They paid no heed to the arrows and stones, pressing forward until they reached the side of the warships, where they hacked through the great cables, causing the warships to drift sideways.

Gan Ning flew onto a warship and cut down Deng Long. Chen Jiu abandoned his boat and fled. Lü Meng, seeing this, leaped into a small boat, took up the tiller himself, and drove straight into the fleet, setting fire to the ships. Chen Jiu hastened to reach the shore, but Lü Meng risked his life to catch up with him and struck him down with a blade to the chest. By the time Su Fei led troops to the shore to provide support, the Wu army had all landed at once, their momentum irresistible. Zu's army was routed. Su Fei fled into the wilderness and happened upon the Eastern Wu general Pan Zhang. The two horses met and they fought no more than a few bouts before Pan Zhang took him alive and brought him straight to the ship to see Sun Quan. Sun Quan ordered his attendants to place him in a prisoner's cart, to wait until Huang Zu was captured alive so that both might be executed together. He urged the three armies forward, attacking Xiakou day and night without respite. Truly:

Only because they would not employ the Bandit of the Brocade Sail,

Did it come to pass that the great cables were cut and the ships broken through.

What became of Huang Zu's fortunes—victory or defeat—will be told in the next chapter.