Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Now it must be told that Zhong Jin and Zhong Shen blocked Zhao Yun's path and engaged him in combat. Zhao Yun levelled his spear and thrust at them. Zhong Jin took the lead, swinging his great axe to meet him. The two horses crossed, and before three bouts had passed, Yun pierced him with a single thrust of his spear, sending him tumbling from his horse. Yun seized the chance and broke through. Behind him, Zhong Shen came in pursuit with his halberd, the tail of his horse nearly brushing Yun's. That halberd danced and flickered at the centre of Zhao Yun's back. Yun swiftly wheeled his horse around, and at that moment the two horses' chests collided. Yun parried the painted halberd with his left hand while his left held the spear, and with his right he drew the treasured Blue-Glazed Sword and struck. Helmet and skull together — he cleaved away half. Shen fell dead from his horse, and the rest of his men scattered. Zhao Yun broke free and fled towards Changban Bridge. Behind him he heard only a tremendous clamour. It turned out that Wen Pin was leading troops in pursuit. By the time Zhao Yun reached the bridge, both he and his horse were spent with exhaustion. He saw Zhang Fei standing astride the bridge, spear in hand, mounted on his horse, and called out loudly: "Yide, save me!" Fei said: "Zilong, press on quickly. I shall deal with the pursuers myself."

Zhao Yun galloped across the bridge. After riding some twenty *li*, he found Xuande and the others resting beneath a tree. He dismounted and prostrated himself on the ground, weeping. Xuande also wept. Zhao Yun, still gasping for breath, spoke: "Zhao Yun's offence deserves a death ten thousand times over! Lady Mi, grievously wounded as she was, refused to mount a horse and threw herself into a well to die. I could do nothing but push down an earthen wall to cover her. I carried the young master in my arms and fought my way through the encirclement; thanks to Your Lordship's great fortune, I have barely escaped with my life. Just now the young master was still crying in my arms, but this past moment he has made no sound — I fear he cannot be saved." He then unwrapped the child to look. It turned out that Adou had merely fallen asleep and had not yet awoken. Zhao Yun rejoiced and said: "It is a blessing the young master is unharmed!" He presented the child with both hands to Xuande. Xuande took him and threw him to the ground, saying: "For the sake of this brat, I nearly lost one of my great generals!" Zhao Yun hurriedly picked Adou up from the ground, weeping as he bowed: "Though I cover the ground with my liver and brains, I could never repay this!" A poet of later times wrote:

The Flying Tiger charged from Cao's array,

The Little Dragon slept in Zhao Yun's embrace.

No way to soothe a loyal subject's heart —

He cast his own son down before the horse.

Now it must be told that Wen Pin led his troops in pursuit of Zhao Yun all the way to Changban Bridge. There he saw Zhang Fei with his tiger whiskers bristling, his round eyes wide open, gripping his serpent-headed spear, and mounted astride the bridge. He also observed that behind the woods to the east of the bridge, great clouds of dust were rising, and suspecting an ambush, he reined in his horse and dared not advance.

Before long Cao Ren, Li Dian, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Yue Jin, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, and Xu Chu all arrived. They saw Fei glaring with spear levelled, mounted on the bridge, and suspecting it might be a stratagem of Zhuge Kongming, none of them dared approach. They formed their ranks and drew up in a single line to the west of the bridge, sending a rider with all speed to report to Cao Cao. Cao Cao, upon hearing the news, mounted his horse at once and rode up from behind the lines. Zhang Fei, with his round eyes wide open, dimly perceived in the rear army a blue-canopy umbrella and banners of axe and feathered pennons approaching, and surmised that Cao Cao, suspecting some ruse, had come in person to see. Fei then roared in a thunderous voice: "I am Zhang Yide of Yan! Who dares come and fight me to the death?" His voice was like a tremendous thunderclap. The soldiers of Cao's army, upon hearing it, all trembled in their limbs. Cao Cao at once ordered the umbrella removed and turned to those around him, saying: "I have often heard Yunchang say that Yide, in the midst of a million troops, can take a commanding general's head as easily as reaching into a bag. Today we meet him — he must not be taken lightly."

Before he had finished speaking, Zhang Fei opened his eyes wide and roared again: "Zhang Yide of Yan stands here! Who dares come and fight to the death?" Cao Cao, seeing such spirit in Zhang Fei, was strongly inclined to retreat. Fei observed that the rear ranks of Cao Cao's army had begun to shift, and raising his spear he bellowed once more: "You will neither fight nor retreat — what manner of behaviour is this!"

Before his shout had died away, Xiahou Jie, who was at Cao Cao's side, was so terrified that his liver and gallbladder shattered, and he toppled from his horse. Cao Cao turned his horse and fled. At this the officers and soldiers all fled westward together. Truly it was thus: how could a child's mouth endure the sound of thunder? how could a sick woodcutter bear the roar of tiger and panther? In that moment, those who cast down their spears and dropped their helmets were beyond counting. Men surged like a tide, horses collapsed like crumbling mountains, and they trampled one another. A poet of later times wrote:

At Changban Bridge the killing spirit rose,

He crossed his spear and mounted, eyes wide as wheels.

One cry like a crashing thunderclap —

Alone he turned back Cao's army of a million.

Now it must be told that Cao Cao, in dread of Zhang Fei's ferocity, spurred his horse westward in flight, his cap-pins all falling out, his hair loose as he fled. Zhang Liao and Xu Chu rode up and seized the bridle rings. Cao Cao was in a state of wild panic. Zhang Liao said: "My Lord Chancellor, do not be alarmed. Zhang Fei is but one man — how is he worthy of such dread? If we turn our army about and attack at once, Liu Bei can be captured." Only then did Cao Cao's composure begin to return, and he ordered Zhang Liao and Xu Chu to ride once more to Changban Bridge to find out the situation.

Now it must be told that when Zhang Fei saw Cao's troops retreating en masse, he dared not pursue. He quickly called back the twenty or more riders who had been with him, removed the branches from the horses' tails, ordered the bridge to be broken, and then rode back to report to Xuande, telling him in full about the destruction of the bridge. Xuande said: "My brother, you are brave indeed, but you have erred in your judgement." Fei asked the reason. Xuande said: "Cao Cao is a man of many schemes. You should not have broken the bridge. He will certainly pursue us now." Fei said: "One shout from me drove him back several *li* — how would he dare pursue?" Xuande said: "If you had not broken the bridge, he would have suspected an ambush and dared not advance. Now that the bridge is destroyed, he will conclude that we have no army and are afraid, and he will certainly come after us. With a million men under his command, he could fill the Yangzi and the Han and cross them — how could he fear the breaking of a single bridge?" Thereupon they set out at once, taking a side road diagonally towards Hanjin, making for the road to Mianyang.

Now it must be told that Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao and Xu Chu to reconnoitre the situation at Changban Bridge. They returned and reported: "Zhang Fei has destroyed the bridge and departed." Cao Cao said: "That he broke the bridge and fled shows that his heart was filled with fear." He thereupon gave orders to detach ten thousand troops and hastily construct three pontoon bridges — they were to be completed that very night so they could cross. Li Dian said: "This may well be one of Zhuge Liang's stratagems — we must not advance rashly." Cao Cao said: "Zhang Fei is merely a brave fool — how could he have any stratagem?" And so the order was issued: advance with all possible speed.

Here is the translation of Chapter 42 of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*:

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As Xuande drew near Hanjin, he suddenly saw great clouds of dust rising behind him, with drumbeats shaking the heavens and shouts rending the earth. Xuande said, "Before us is the great river; behind us are the pursuers. What are we to do?" He urgently ordered Zhao Yun to prepare to meet the enemy. Cao Cao issued commands to his army: "Liu Bei is now a fish in the pot, a tiger in the trap. If we do not seize him now, it will be like releasing a fish into the sea or letting a tiger return to the mountains. All you generals must press forward with vigor!" The generals received their orders and pressed the pursuit, each striving to outdo the others. Then from behind a hillside, the sound of drums rang out, and a column of cavalry burst forth, shouting, "I have been waiting here for a long time!"

At the head of this force was a great general wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, mounted on the Red Hare. It was none other than Guan Yu, who had gone to Wuchang and borrowed ten thousand troops. Having learned of the great battle at Dangyang and Changban, he had come by this route expressly to intercept them. The moment Cao Cao saw Yu, he reined in his horse and turned to his generals, saying, "We have fallen into another of Zhuge Liang's stratagems!" He ordered the army to retreat at once.

Yu pursued for some ten *li*, then turned back to escort Xuande and the others to Hanjin, where boats were already waiting. Yu invited Xuande, Lady Gan, and the child A Dou aboard and saw them seated. Yu asked, "Why do I not see my two sisters-in-law?" Xuande told him what had happened at Dangyang. Yu sighed and said, "If you had followed my advice during the hunt at Xutian, we would not face this calamity today." Xuande replied, "Even then, I had to 'spare the vase when striking the rat.'"

As they spoke, they suddenly heard war drums thundering on the southern bank. Boats came like a swarm of ants, their sails unfurled before the wind. Xuade was greatly alarmed. As the boat drew near, he saw a figure in a white robe and silver armor standing at the prow, shouting, "Uncle, are you well? Your nephew has come late to render aid!" Xuande looked and recognized Liu Qi. Qi crossed over, weeping and bowing. "I heard my uncle was trapped by Cao Cao, and I have come specially to meet him." Xuande was overjoyed, and they joined forces and proceeded together. While aboard the boat recounting what had happened, they suddenly saw warships to the southwest drawn up in a line, bearing down upon them with the wind, their crews whistling shrilly.

Liu Qi said in alarm, "I have brought the entire force of Wuchang here. If there are warships blocking our way, they must belong to Cao Cao or to the eastern Wu forces. What shall we do?"

Xuande went to the prow and looked. He saw a figure in a silk cap and Daoist robes seated at the bow of the lead boat — it was Zhuge Liang, with Sun Qian standing behind him. Xuade hastily invited him aboard and asked why he was there. Liang said, "After I arrived at Wuchang, I first ordered Guan Yu to land at Hanjin to meet you. I anticipated that Cao Cao would pursue, and that my lord would not come by way of Jiangling but would take the diagonal route to Hanjin. Therefore I asked the young lord to come first to meet you, while I went on to Xia Kou to muster all our forces and come to your aid."

Xuande was greatly pleased. They joined forces and began discussing plans to defeat Cao Cao. Liang said: "Xia Kou is a well-fortified city with ample funds and provisions, and it can be held for a long time. I ask my lord to station himself at Xia Kou. The young lord should return to Wuchang to organize the warships and prepare weapons. By forming a pincer arrangement, we can withstand Cao Cao. If we all retreat to Wuchang together, our position will be isolated." Liu Qi said, "The strategist's words are wise. But I would like to ask my uncle to come first to Wuchang, where we can organize our forces properly, and then return to Xia Kou." Xuande said, "Your suggestion is also sound." So they left Guan Yu with five thousand troops to defend Xia Kou, while Xuande, Zhuge Liang, and Liu Qi went together to Wuchang.

Now it must be told that when Cao Cao saw Guan Yu leading troops to intercept him on the land route, he suspected an ambush and dared not pursue. Fearing also that Liu Bei might seize Jiangling first by the water route, he hastened with his army to Jiangling by night and day. Deng Yi, the Controller General of Jing Province, and Liu Xian, the Aide to the Governor, having already learned of the events at Xiangyang and judging that they could not resist Cao Cao, led the soldiers and people of Jing Province out of the city to surrender.

Cao Cao entered the city and, having settled the people, released Han Song from prison and appointed him Grand Herald of the Court. The other officials received rewards and promotions. Cao Cao discussed with his generals: "Liu Bei has now fled to Wuchang. I fear he may ally with Eastern Wu, which would allow the trouble to spread. What plan should we use to destroy him?" Xun You said: "Our army's prestige is now at its height. Let us send a dispatch to the east of the river and invite Sun Quan to join in a hunting expedition at Wuchang, to capture Liu Bei together and divide the lands of Jing Province, forming a lasting alliance. Sun Quan will certainly come in alarm and confusion to submit, and then our enterprise will be accomplished."

Cao Cao followed this plan. On the one hand, he sent a dispatch and an envoy to Eastern Wu; on the other, he counted his cavalry, infantry, and naval forces, which together numbered eight hundred and thirty thousand. He falsely claimed a million, and advanced by both land and water, ships and cavalry proceeding side by side, along the river. To the west he connected with Jing and Xia; to the east with Qi and Huang. His encampments linked together stretched for more than three hundred *li*.

Let the narrative branch here. In the lands east of the river, Sun Quan had stationed his troops at Chaisang. When he heard that Cao Cao's great army had reached Xiangyang, that Liu Cong had surrendered, and that Cao Cao was now hastening by day and night to take Jiangling, he gathered his counselors to discuss plans for defense. Lu Su said: "Jing Province borders our state. Its rivers and mountains are strong defenses, and its people are wealthy. If we could seize and hold it, we would have the resources to build an imperial dominion. Now that Liu Biao has just died and Liu Bei has just been defeated, I request permission to go to Wuchang to offer condolences, and on that occasion to persuade Liu Bei to win over Liu Biao's generals, so that with one heart and one mind we may together destroy Cao Cao. If Liu Bei gladly follows this counsel, then our great undertaking can be accomplished." Sun Quan was pleased and approved his proposal. He at once sent Lu Su with gifts to offer condolences at Wuchang.

Xuande arrived at Jiangxia and discussed strategy with Kongming and Liu Qi. Kongming said, "Cao Cao's power is immense, and we cannot withstand him in haste. We would do better to go east and seek the support of Sun Quan of Wu. If north and south are locked in stalemate, we can profit from the middle. What is wrong with that?" Xuande said, "The land of Jiangdong has many men of talent, and they must have far-reaching plans. How could they be willing to accept us?" Kongming smiled and said, "Now Cao Cao leads a million troops, crouching like a tiger over the Jiang and Han regions. How could Jiangdong not send someone to spy out the situation? If someone comes here, I shall borrow a fair wind and sail straight to Jiangdong. With my three-inch tongue that never tires, I will persuade the northern and southern armies to swallow each other whole. If the southern army triumphs, we will join in executing Cao Cao and seize the lands of Jingzhou. If the northern army triumphs, then we will seize the opportunity to take Jiangnan." Xuande said, "This plan is excellent. But how can we get someone from Jiangdong to come?"

Even as they spoke, a report came that Sun Quan of Jiangdong had sent Lu Su to offer condolences, and his ship had already come to shore. Kongming smiled and said, "The great matter is accomplished!" He then asked Liu Qi, "When Sun Ce died in the past, did Xiangyang send anyone to offer condolences?" Liu Qi said, "Jiangdong and our family have the enmity of a murdered father. How could there be any exchange of congratulatory or condolence rites?" Kongming said, "Then Lu Su's coming is not to offer condolences, but to spy out the military situation." He then said to Xuande, "When Lu Su arrives, if he asks about Cao Cao's movements, you must claim to know nothing. If he asks repeatedly, you may say that he should ask Zhuge Liang."

Once the plan was settled, they sent men to welcome Lu Su. Su entered the city to offer condolences and received the gifts. Liu Qi invited Su to meet with Xuande. After the formal courtesies, they were ushered into the inner hall for wine. Su said, "I have long heard of the great name of the Imperial Uncle, but had no chance to pay my respects. Now that I have the honor of meeting you, I am truly gratified. I have heard that the Imperial Uncle has engaged Cao Cao in battle and must know his strengths and weaknesses. May I ask—how many troops does Cao Cao's army have?" Xuande said, "My soldiers are few and my officers scarce. The moment I heard Cao Cao was coming, I fled. I truly do not know his situation." Lu Su said, "I have heard that the Imperial Uncle employed the counsel of Zhuge Kongming, and two fires struck such terror into Cao Cao that his soul fled and his courage melted. How can you say you do not know?" Xuande said, "You must ask Kongming to learn the details." Su said, "Where is Kongming? I would like to meet him."

Xuade had Kongming brought out to meet him. After the formal courtesies, Su said, "I have long admired your talent and virtue, but never had the chance to pay my respects. Now that we meet, I would hear your views on the present crisis." Kongming said, "I fully understand Cao Cao's treacherous schemes, but I regret that my strength is insufficient, so I have avoided him for now." Su said, "Does the Imperial Uncle intend to remain here?" Kongming said, "My lord has an old friendship with Wu Chen, the Grand Administrator of Cangwu, and intends to go to him." Su said, "Wu Chen has little grain and few troops. He cannot even protect himself—how could he shelter others?" Kongming said, "Wu Chen's territory may not be suitable for a long stay, but for now we will rely on him temporarily while we seek another plan."

Su said, "General Sun commands six districts with the might of a tiger, with ample soldiers and provisions, and he greatly honors the worthy and courteous to men of talent. The heroes of Jiangdong have largely rallied to him. For your lord's sake, the best course would be to send a trusted man to forge ties with Eastern Wu, so that together you may accomplish great things." Kongming said, "Lord Liu and General Sun have had no past friendship. I fear it would be a waste of words. Moreover, there is no trusted man available to send." Su said, "Your elder brother serves as an advisor in Jiangdong and longs day after day to see you. Though I am without talent, I would like to accompany you to meet General Sun, so that together we may discuss great matters." Xuande said, "Kongming is my teacher. I cannot be apart from him for even a moment. How can he go?"

Su firmly insisted that Kongming accompany him. Xuande pretended to refuse. Kongming said, "The matter is urgent. I request permission to go on this mission." Only then did Xuande consent. Lu Su then took leave of Xuande and Liu Qi, and he and Kongming boarded a boat, heading for Chaisang Commandery. Truly:

Because Zhuge Liang went in a small boat,

The Cao army was checked in a single stroke.

What befell Kongming on this journey, you will see in the chapter that follows.