Chapter 82

Chapter 82

In the eighth month of the autumn of the first year of Zhangwu, the First Emperor led his great army to Kuizhou, establishing his imperial carriage at Baidicheng. The vanguard troops had already reached the mouth of Sichuan. A palace attendant announced: "Zhuge Jin, envoy from Wu, has arrived." The First Emperor issued an order that he should not be admitted. Huang Quan memorialized: "Jin's younger brother serves as chancellor in Shu; he must have important business. Why does Your Majesty refuse him? Summon him and observe what he says. If his words are acceptable, accept them; if not, then use his mouth to speak to Sun Quan, so that he may know that our campaign against him has just cause." The First Emperor followed this counsel and summoned Jin into the city. Zhuge Jin prostrated himself on the ground. The First Emperor asked: "Ziyu, you have come from afar—what matter brings you here?"

Jin replied: "Your servant's younger brother has long served Your Majesty, and therefore I do not fear the axe and cleaver, but come specifically to discuss the matter of Jing Province. Previously, when Guan Gong was in Jing Province, the Marquis of Wu repeatedly sought a marriage alliance, but Guan Gong refused. Later, when Gong took Xiangyang, Cao Cao repeatedly sent letters to the Marquis of Wu urging him to attack Jing Province. The Marquis was unwilling, but Lü Meng, being at odds with Guan Gong, acted on his own authority and rashly raised troops, bringing about this calamity through error. Now the Marquis of Wu regrets it beyond all remedy. This was Lü Meng's crime, not the Marquis's fault. Now Lü Meng is dead and the enmity has been laid to rest. Lady Sun has long wished to return. Now the Marquis of Wu has sent me as his envoy, willing to send back Lady Sun, deliver over the surrendered generals, and return Jing Province as before, to form a lasting alliance, jointly destroy Cao Pi, and set right the crime of his usurpation."

The First Emperor said in anger: "You people of Eastern Wu have killed my brother, and now you dare come with cunning words to persuade me!"

Jin said: "Your servant begs to discuss with Your Majesty matters of weight and of light, of great and of small. Your Majesty is an uncle of the Han imperial house. Now that the Han Emperor has been usurped by Cao Pi, rather than thinking how to root him out, you instead humble the dignity of a sovereign of ten thousand chariots for the sake of a relative of a different surname—this is to abandon the great right for the small right. The Central Lands are the heart of the realm; both capitals were the foundations laid by the great Han in founding its enterprise. Your Majesty does not seize them, but instead contends only for Jing Province—this is to cast aside the heavy and grasp the light. All under heaven knows that upon Your Majesty's accession, you are certain to restore the Han house and recover the mountains and rivers. Now Your Majesty leaves Wei unaddressed and instead wishes to attack Wu—I privately consider this unworthy of Your Majesty."

The First Emperor said in great fury: "The one who slew my brother—with him I share not the same sky! If you wish me to halt my troops, only death will accomplish it! But for the chancellor's sake, I would strike off your head at first! Now I release you to return and tell Sun Quan to prepare his neck for the axe!"

Seeing that the First Emperor would not listen, Zhuge Jin had no choice but to return south of the river.

Now, Zhang Zhao said to Sun Quan: "Ziyu of Zhuge knows the Shu army's strength is great, and so he uses the pretext of an envoy mission to seek to abandon Wu and enter Shu. Having gone there, he will certainly not return."

Sun Quan said: "I and Ziyu have sworn an oath that life and death shall not change between us. I do not betray Ziyu, and Ziyu does not betray me. In former days, when Ziyu was at Chaisang, Kongming came to Wu, and I wished to have Ziyu detain him. Ziyu said: 'My younger brother already serves Liu Bei; in righteousness he cannot serve two masters. That my younger brother does not stay is as I would not go.' His words were sufficient to pierce through the understanding of the spirits. How could he surrender to Shu today? I and Ziyu may be said to share a communion of spirit—no outside words can come between us."

Even as he spoke, a sudden report arrived that Zhuge Jin had returned. Sun Quan said: "Were my words not so?" Zhang Zhao withdrew, his face covered in shame and embarrassment.

Jin saw Sun Quan and spoke of the First Emperor's refusal to make peace. Sun Quan said in great alarm: "If it is so, then Jiangnan is in danger!"

A person on the steps below came forward and said: "I have a plan that may resolve this peril." It was Zhao Zi, a grand counselor. Sun Quan said: "What good strategy does Dedu have?"

Zhao Zi said: "My lord should compose a memorial. I am willing to serve as envoy and go to see Emperor Cao Pi of Wei, setting forth the advantages and disadvantages, so that he may attack Hanzhong—then the Shu army will be endangered on its own account."

Sun Quan said: "This plan is most excellent. But when you go, do not diminish the dignity of Eastern Wu."

Zhao Zi said: "If I commit the slightest error, I will cast myself into the river and die. How could I have the face to see the people of Jiangnan?"

Sun Quan was greatly pleased. He immediately wrote a memorial offering submission and made Zhao Zi his envoy. Zhao Zi traveled by night and day to Xudu, where he first met Grand Commandant Jia Xu and the various officials, great and small. The next morning, at the early court, Jia Xu came forward from the ranks and memorialized: "Eastern Wu has sent Grand Counselor Zhao Zi with a memorial." Cao Pi smiled and said: "This is because he wishes to make the Shu troops withdraw." He then ordered Zhao Zi to be summoned in. Zhao Zi prostrated himself on the red steps. When Cao Pi had finished reading the memorial, he asked Zhao Zi: "What manner of ruler is the Marquis of Wu?"

Zhao Zi said: "A ruler who is wise, benevolent, sagacious, and of bold strategy."

Cao Pi smiled and said: "Do you not flatter him overmuch?"

Zhao Zi said: "Your servant does not exaggerate. The Marquis of Wu took Lu Su from among the common ranks—that is his wisdom. He raised Lü Meng from among the battle formations—that is his discernment. He captured Yu Jin but did not harm him—that is his benevolence. He seized Jing Province without bloodshed—that is his sagacity. He holds the Three Rivers and gazes as a tiger upon all under heaven—that is his boldness. He humbles himself before Your Majesty—that is his strategy. Judged by these standards, how can he not be called a ruler who is wise, benevolent, sagacious, and of bold strategy?"

Cao Pi then asked: "Does the Lord of Wu have much learning?"

Zhao Zi said: "The Lord of Wu commands ten thousand vessels upon the river, a million armored soldiers; he employs the worthy and uses the capable, his mind set upon grand strategy. In his spare moments, he reads widely through the classics and histories, examining the records and grasping their essential principles. He does not merely imitate scholars who pick out phrases and pluck out sentences."

Cao Pi said: "I wish to attack Wu. May I do so?"

Zhao Zi said: "A great army has the means to wage punitive campaigns; a small state has the means to prepare its defenses."

Cao Pi said: "Does Wu fear Wei?"

Zhao Zi said: "With a million armored soldiers and the Yangzi and Han as our moat, what is there to fear?"

Cao Pi said: "How many men like you, good sir, does Eastern Wu have?"

Zhao Zi said: "Those of exceptional wisdom and penetration number eighty or ninety. But men like your servant can be measured by the cartload and the bushel—they cannot be counted."

Cao Pi sighed and said: "'A man sent to the four quarters who does not disgrace his lord's commission'—you, sir, are worthy of this."

An edict was thereupon issued, appointing Xing Zhen, Minister of Ceremonies, to bear the imperial patent and confer upon Sun Quan the title of Prince of Wu, together with the Nine Dignities. Zhao Zi expressed his gratitude and left the city. However, the counselor Liu Ye remonstrated: "Sun Quan now comes to submit out of fear of the Shu army. In my humble opinion, the war between Shu and Wu is Heaven's means of destroying them. If Your Majesty were now to dispatch a great general with several tens of thousand troops to cross the river and strike them—with Shu attacking from without and Wei attacking from within—the fall of Wu would be a matter of days. Once Wu is gone, Shu will be isolated. Why does Your Majesty not act upon this plan at once?"

Cao Pi replied: "Since Sun Quan has already submitted to me with proper ceremony, if I were to attack him, I would discourage the hearts of all in the realm who wish to surrender. It is better to accept him."

Liu Ye said again: "Sun Quan, though he possesses heroic talent, holds only the rank of a former Han General of Swift Cavalry and Marquis of Nanchang. His office is low and his power slight, yet he still harbors fear of the Central Plains. If you now elevate him to a princely title, he will be but one rank below Your Majesty. If Your Majesty trusts his feigned submission and honors his title and rank to foster his growth, you are adding wings to a tiger."

Cao Pi said: "Not so. I shall neither aid Wu nor aid Shu. I shall wait and observe the war between Wu and Shu. If one state is destroyed and only one remains, then to eliminate it—what difficulty would there be? My mind is decided; you need speak no further." He then commanded Xing Zhen, Minister of Ceremonies, to accompany Zhao Zi in bearing the imperial patent and gifts, and proceed directly to Eastern Wu.

Now Sun Quan had assembled his officials to deliberate on how to resist Shu, when word arrived that the Wei emperor had enfeoffed their lord as a prince, and it was proper to receive the envoys from afar. Gu Yong remonstrated: "My lord should style himself Grand General and Lord of the Nine Provinces; you should not accept a title from the Wei emperor." Sun Quan replied: "At one time the Duke of Pei accepted a title from Xiang Yu, because the times demanded it. Why should I refuse?" He then led his officials out of the city to welcome the envoys. Xing Zhen, considering himself an envoy from the supreme state, did not alight from his carriage upon entering the gate. Zhang Zhao was enraged and said in a stern voice, "In ritual there is no disrespect; in law there is no laxity. Yet you presume to be arrogant—do you think there is not a blade of an inch in all the land south of the river?" Xing Zhen hastily descended from his carriage and met Sun Quan, and they rode together into the city. Suddenly a man behind the carriage burst into weeping, saying: "We cannot risk our lives to destroy Wei and absorb Shu for our lord, and now our lord must suffer the humiliation of receiving a title from others—is this not a disgrace!" The crowd looked and saw that it was Xu Sheng. Xing Xing, hearing this, sighed and said: "With such generals and ministers as these in Jiangdong, they will not long remain beneath others!"

Now Sun Quan had received the princely title. After his civil and military officials had completed their congratulations, he gave orders to gather fine jades, pearls, and precious things and send them as tribute in gratitude. But a spy had already reported: "The ruler of Shu has led his own great army, together with the barbarian king Sha Mo Ke and tens of thousands of tribal troops, plus the two contingents of the cave-valley generals Du Lu and Liu Ning. Advancing by both land and water, their might shakes the heavens. Their water force has already departed from Wu Kou, and their land force has reached Zigui." At this time, though Sun Quan had ascended the princely throne, the Wei ruler would not come to his aid. He asked his civil and military officials: "The Shu army is powerful—what shall we do?" All remained silent. Sun Quan sighed and said: "After Zhou Yu there was Lu Su; after Lu Su there was Lü Meng. Now that Lü Meng is dead, there is no one to share my worries!" Before he had finished speaking, a young general from the assembled ranks stepped forward eagerly and prostrated himself, saying: "Though your servant is young, he has studied the military texts well. I beg to be given tens of thousands of troops to destroy the Shu army." Sun Quan looked and saw it was Sun Huan. Sun Huan, courtesy name Shu Wu, was the son of a man named He, originally surnamed Yu. Sun Ce had loved him and bestowed the surname Sun upon him; thus he was also of the Wu royal clan. He had four sons, of whom Sun Huan was the eldest. Skilled in archery and horsemanship, he had often accompanied the Prince of Wu on campaigns, repeatedly winning extraordinary merit, and had been appointed Commandant of the Palace Guard. He was at this time twenty-five years of age. Sun Quan said: "What strategy do you have to overcome them?" Sun Huan replied: "Your servant has two great generals, one named Li Yi and one named Xie Jing, both possessed of the courage to face ten thousand men. Give me tens of thousands of troops, and I shall capture Liu Bei." Sun Quan said: "Though my nephew is brave and valiant, you are still young; you must have someone to assist you before I can allow it." General Zhu Ran, known as the Tiger Warrior, came forward and said: "I am willing to go with the young general to capture Liu Bei." Sun Quan granted this, and thereupon mobilized fifty thousand land and water troops, appointing Sun Huan as Left Commander and Zhu Ran as Right Commander, to set out immediately. Scouts reported that the Shu army had already encamped at Yidu. Sun Huan led twenty-five thousand troops and encamped at the border of Yidu, dividing them into three camps front and back to resist the Shu forces.

Now the Shu general Wu Ban held the seal of the vanguard. Since leaving Sichuan, wherever he went, enemies surrendered at the mere approach of his forces; without bloodshed his army advanced all the way to Yidu. Learning that Sun Huan had encamped there, he sent a flying report to the First Ruler. The First Ruler had by now reached Zigui. Upon hearing the report, he was enraged and said: "This mere youth—how dare he oppose me!" Guan Xing came forward and said: "Since Sun Quan has appointed this young man as general, there is no need for Your Majesty to dispatch a great general. I volunteer to capture him." The First Ruler said: "I wish to see the mettle of my nephew." He thereupon ordered Guan Xing to advance. As Guan Xing was taking his leave, Zhang Bao stepped forward and said: "Since Guan Xing is going to attack the enemy, I wish to accompany him." The First Ruler said: "It is excellent that both nephews go together; but you must be cautious and act with prudence."

The two men took their leave of the First Sovereign and joined the vanguard, advancing together and forming their battle array. When Sun Huan learned that the Shu army had arrived in force, he mobilized his entire camp. The two armies faced each other in formation. Sun Huan, with Li Yi and Xie Jing at his side, stood beneath the gate banner and saw two great generals emerge from the Shu encampment, both clad in silver armor and silver helmets, mounted on white horses with white banners. Zhang Bao, at the upper position, leveled his eighteen-foot steel-tipped spear; Guan Xing, at the lower position, held a great broadsword across his saddle. Zhang Bao cursed loudly: "Sun Huan, you wretch! Death stands before you, and yet you dare resist the army of Heaven!" Sun Huan retorted: "Your father already roams as a headless ghost, and now you come seeking death as well—truly unwise!" Zhang Bao flew into a rage and thrust his spear straight at Sun Huan. Xie Jing spurred his horse from behind Sun Huan to meet the charge. The two fought for over thirty exchanges before Xie Jing was defeated and fled. Zhang Bao pressed the pursuit. When Li Yi saw that Xie Jing had lost, he hastily rode forth and swung his gold-inlaid axe into the fray. Zhang Bao fought him for over twenty exchanges with no clear victor. A Wu lieutenant named Tan Xiong, seeing Zhang Bao's valor and that Li Yi could not prevail, loosed a stray arrow that struck squarely the horse Zhang Bao was riding. The wounded horse bolted back toward its own lines but had not reached the gate banner before it crashed to the ground, throwing Zhang Bao from its back. Li Yi rushed forward, raised his great axe high, and aimed a blow at Zhang Bao's head. Suddenly a flash of red light appeared, and Li Yi's head had already fallen to the ground. It turned out that Guan Xing, seeing Zhang Bao's horse returning, had been about to ride out in support when he saw the horse collapse and Li Xi charging forward. Guan Xing let out a great shout, cleaved Li Yi from atop his horse, rescued Zhang Bao, and pressed the attack. Sun Huan was utterly defeated. Both sides sounded their gongs and withdrew.

The next day, Sun Huan again led his army forth. Zhang Bao and Guan Xing rode out together. Guan Xing took his position before the array and challenged Sun Huan to single combat. Sun Huan, enraged, galloped forward with his blade and fought Guan Xing for over thirty exchanges before his strength gave out and he was routed, retreating to his lines. The two young generals pursued him into the camp, while Wu Ban, leading Zhang Nan and Feng Xi, drove their troops in for the kill. Zhang Bao fought at the vanguard, cutting into the Wu army, where he encountered Xie Jing and pierced him dead with a single thrust of his spear. The Wu soldiers scattered in all directions. The Shu generals, having won the day, withdrew their troops—only to find that Guan Xing was missing. Zhang Bao was greatly alarmed. "If An'guo has come to harm, I will not survive alone!" he cried. With these words, he took up his spear and mounted his horse. He had not ridden far when he saw Guan Xing approaching, his left hand holding his sword and his right hand gripping a living captive. Zhang Bao asked, "Who is this man?" Guan Xing replied with a smile, "In the chaos of battle I happened upon an enemy, so I took him alive." Zhang Bao looked—it was Tan Xiong, the one who had loosed the stray arrow the day before. Zhang Bao was overjoyed. They returned to their camp together, beheaded the prisoner, and offered his blood in sacrifice to the dead horse. They then drafted a memorial and sent a messenger to report their victory to the First Sovereign.

Sun Huan had lost Li Yi, Xie Jing, Tan Xiong, and many other officers and men. With his strength exhausted and his position isolated, he could no longer resist, so he sent a messenger back to Wu to request aid. The Shu generals Zhang Nan and Feng Xi said to Wu Ban, "The Wu army is now defeated in spirit—this is precisely the time to take advantage and raid their camp." Wu Ban replied, "Though Sun Huan has lost many officers, Zhu Ran's naval forces are still encamped on the river and have suffered no losses. If we raid their camp today and the naval troops come ashore to cut off our retreat, what then?" Zhang Nan said, "This is simple enough. We can have Generals Guan and Zhang each lead five thousand troops into ambush in the mountain valleys. If Zhu Ran comes to the rescue, both forces can attack from the flanks and we are certain to win." Wu Ban said, "Better still—first send soldiers pretending to surrender, and let them inform Zhu Ran of our plan to raid the camp. When Zhu Ran sees the fires, he will surely come to the rescue, and our ambush will strike him. Then the great matter will be accomplished." Feng Xi and the others were delighted and put the plan into action.

Now when Zhu Ran learned that Sun Huan had lost troops and officers, he was just about to march to his aid when scouts brought several petty soldiers who had come by boat to surrender. Zhu Ran questioned them. The soldiers said, "We are soldiers under Feng Xi's command. Because rewards and punishments are unjust in his camp, we have come to surrender and to report a secret." Zhu Ran asked, "What secret do you wish to report?" The soldiers said, "Tonight Feng Xi intends to take advantage of the situation to raid General Sun's camp, with the signal to be a fire." When Zhu Ran had heard this, he immediately sent a man to inform Sun Huan. But the messenger had gone only halfway when Guan Xing killed him. Zhu Ran was making plans to lead his troops to Sun Huan's aid when his officer Cui Yu said, "The words of these petty soldiers cannot be fully trusted. If there is any miscalculation, both our land and naval forces will be lost. You, General, should hold the naval camp securely. I volunteer to go in your stead." Zhu Ran agreed and ordered Cui Yu to lead ten thousand troops forward. That night, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and Wu Ban divided their forces into three columns and charged straight into Sun Huan's camp. Fires broke out on all four sides. The Wu soldiers fell into chaos, scrambling to find escape routes.

Meanwhile, Cui Yu was on the march when he suddenly saw the fires. He hastened his troops forward. He had just rounded the mountain when the valleys erupted with the thunder of drums—Guan Xing on the left, Zhang Bao on the right, attacking from both sides. Cui Yu was greatly alarmed and was about to flee when he ran straight into Zhang Bao. They exchanged but a single blow before Zhang Bao took him alive and carried him back. When Zhu Ran learned of the crisis, he moved his boats some fifty or sixty li downriver. Sun Huan led his defeated army in flight and asked his officers, "Where ahead is there a city with strong walls and abundant grain?" An officer replied, "Yiling City lies due to the north—it can serve as a garrison." Sun Huan led his defeated troops in haste toward Yiling. They had just entered the city when Wu Ban and the others arrived and surrounded it on all four sides. Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, and the others brought Cui Yu as a prisoner back to Zigui. The First Sovereign was greatly pleased. He had Cui Yu executed at once and bestowed rich rewards upon the entire army. From that day forward, their prestige shook the land, and none of the generals south of the river did not tremble with fear.

Now Sun Huan sent someone to beg the King of Wu for help. The King of Wu was greatly alarmed and at once summoned his civil and military officials for counsel, saying, "Sun Huan is now besieged at Yiling, and Zhu Ran has been defeated on the River. The soldiers of Shu are very numerous. What is to be done?"

Zhang Zhao memorialized, "Although many of our generals have died, there are still more than ten remaining. Why should we fear Liu Bei? Let Han Ding be the commander, Zhou Tai the second in command, Pan Zhang the vanguard, Ling Tong the rear guard, and Gan Ning the reserve. With one hundred thousand troops we can oppose him."

Sun Quan followed this advice and ordered the generals to march forthwith. At that time Gan Ning was suffering from dysentery, yet he joined the expedition despite his illness.

Now the First Ruler, starting from Wu Gorge and Jianping, had advanced straight to the border of Yiling. For more than seventy *li* he had linked together more than forty camps. Seeing Guan Xing and Zhang Bao repeatedly winning great exploits, he sighed and said, "The generals who followed me of old are all aged and useless. But I have two nephews so heroic — what have I to fear from Sun Quan?"

Even as he spoke, suddenly it was reported that Han Ding and Zhou Tai were leading an army toward them. The First Ruler was about to send generals to meet the enemy when a courtier announced, "The veteran Huang Zhong, with five or six men, has gone over to Eastern Wu."

The First Ruler smiled and said, "Huang Hansheng is no rebel. Because I spoke carelessly and called the old ones useless, he must be unwilling to be thought old and has gone out to prove himself by some brilliant exploit."

Then he summoned Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, saying, "Huang Hansheng will certainly come to harm. You, my worthy nephews, must not shrink from fatigue and go to help him. If he achieves even a small success, bring him back. See that he suffers no harm."

The two young generals took leave of the First Ruler and led their troops to aid Huang Zhong.

Indeed:

The loyal veteran had ever held his sovereign's cause as his own;

The young warriors were ready to prove their devotion to their country.

What befell Huang Zhong will be told in the next chapter.