The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (14 page)

Z
hang
Fei galloped to the pass but there showered a rain of arrows and stones from on top, which prevented him from entering and he returned. The eight lords all joined in felicitations to the three heroes for their remarkable services and the victory of the battle was sent to Yuan Shao, who then ordered Sun Jian to advance.

Sun Jian, together with two of his trusted subordinates, went over to Yuan Shu’s camp. Tracing figures on the ground with his staff, Sun Jian said, “I bear no personal grudge against Dong Zhuo, yet I have thrown myself into this life-and-death battle regardless of my own safety and exposed my own person to the enemy’s fierce attacks. And why? That I might help eliminate an evil in the country and for the private advantage of your family. But you, giving heed to some slanderous tongues around you, deliberately withheld the supplies of grain, and so I suffered defeat. How can you explain that, General?”

Yuan Shu, feeling guilty and afraid, had no word to reply. To placate Sun Jian, he ordered the death of the slanderers.

Then suddenly a messenger came with the news that Sun Jian had a visitor from the pass waiting for him in his camp. So Sun Jian took his leave and returned to his own camp, where he found the visitor was a favorite officer of Dong Zhuo’s, named Li Jue.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“You are the one person that the prime minister truly admires,” said Li Jue, “so he sends me here to arrange a matrimonial alliance between your family and his. He wishes that his daughter may marry your son.”

Sun Jian was enraged at this. “What nonsense!” he rebuked, “Dong Zhuo acts against the will of Heaven and subverts the throne. I wish I could uproot his nine generations to appease the nation! Do you think I will ever consent to having an alliance with such a family? I am not going to kill you now. But go back quickly and yield the pass at once and I may spare your life. If you delay you will be killed without mercy.”

Li Jue threw his hands over his head and scurried off like a rat. He returned to his master and told him of Sun Jian’s rudeness. Dong Zhuo, very angry, asked Li Ru how to reply to this.

As always, Li Ru gave an appraisal of the general situation. He said that as Lu Bu’s late defeat had somewhat blunted the edge of the army’s desire for battle it would be better to return to Luoyang first and then remove the Emperor to Chang’an
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so as to respond to what street boys had been singing recently:

A Han in the west, a Han in the east;
The deer will be safe in Chang’an, poor beast.

Li Ru continued to explain the street rhyme: “I think ‘a Han in the west’ refers to the founder of the dynasty, who became ruler in the western city of Chang’an, which became the capital for twelve emperors; while ‘a Han in the east’ refers to Emperor Guangwu, who ruled from the eastern city of Luoyang, which has also been the capital of twelve emperors. It is the will of Heaven for us to return. If you move back to Chang’an, sir, there will be no need for anxiety.”

Dong Zhuo was exceedingly pleased and said, “I would not have seen it in this light if you had not explained it to me.” So he set out at once for the capital, taking Lu Bu with him.

Back at Luoyang, he called all the officials and generals together in the palace.

“After two centuries of rule here in Luoyang,” he declared, “the fortune of Han has been exhausted. I perceive that the aura of rule has actually migrated to Chang’an. So I intend to move the court there. All of you had better pack up for the journey.”

Three high-ranking officials voiced their opposition to the move, saying that the city of Chang’an had been burned down during a previous rebellion and that it would not be right to abandon the imperial tombs and ancestral temples. They also argued that the move would alarm the people so greatly that it would be difficult to pacify them again. But Dong Zhuo paid no heed to any of them and that day all three were stripped of their official ranks and reduced to common folk. Two other officials again tried to dissuade him but were ruthlessly put to death. Thus Dong Zhuo had silenced all objectors to the scheme. An order was issued for the journey to begin the next day.

But before he set out, he did not forget to rob the people of Luoyang of their property and to destroy the city completely. Several thousand rich families were labeled “rebels” and put to death outside the city, their money confiscated. Millions of people were driven from their homes and forced to make the journey. Countless innocent folks died on the way, some falling into ditches and others killed by soldiers. In order to get more gold and jewelry, he even ordered Lu Bu to desecrate the tombs of former emperors and their consorts for the treasures buried within. However, worse was still to come. His most atrocious act was his final order to burn the whole city, houses, palaces, and temples and the capital became nothing but a patch of scorched earth.

Having committed all the atrocities, Dong Zhuo and his stooges left for the new capital, taking with them the Emperor and his household, followed by an extremely long procession of thousands of carts filled with gold and silver, pearls and silk, and all kinds of treasures.

The city of Luoyang being thus abandoned, the commander at Sishui Pass surrendered and Sun Jian at once entered with his army. Liu Bei and his two brothers took Tigertrap Pass and all the other lords also advanced with their armies.

Meanwhile, Sun Jian headed toward the deserted capital in haste. Even from a distance he could see the city lit up in flames and a dense smoke curling over the ground. No living thing, not a fowl or a dog or a human being, could be found for miles and miles around. Sun Jian ordered his men to extinguish the fire and then asked the lords to camp on the barren fields.

Cao Cao went to see Yuan Shao and said, “Dong Zhuo is now on his way to Chang’an. We ought to seize this opportunity to pursue and attack without loss of time. Why do you take no action?”

“The armies are all exhausted. There is nothing to gain by advancing,” answered Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao argued, “The whole country is greatly upset by Dong Zhuo’s atrocities of burning down the palaces and abducting the Emperor. No one knows which way to turn. This is the Heaven-sent moment to destroy him. With one decisive battle we can rule the world. Why are you so hesitant and do not advance?”

But all the lords disagreed with him. Exasperated, he cried out, “You cowards! I have nothing more to say to you!” He left the city that very night with his trusted subordinates and army in pursuit of Dong Zhuo.

Now Dong Zhuo and his cavalcade had reached Yingyang on their way to the newly-chosen capital and the prefect of the city went out to welcome them. Li Ru warned his master of the danger of their being pursued.

“Tell the prefect to lay an ambush beside some hills outside the city,” he said. “If the pursuers come, do not fight with them, but let them proceed. Wait until our army beats them off, then storm out to prevent them from escaping. That will teach the others not to follow us.”

So everything was arranged as Li Ru had planned. With a company of veteran soldiers, Lu Bu was placed at the rear, ready to fight any pursuers. Soon they saw Cao Cao and his troops coming. Lu Bu laughed. “It’s just as Li Ru has predicted.” And he set out his men in fighting order.

Cao Cao rode forth and cried out, “You rebels, where are you taking the Emperor and the people?”

Lu Bu replied, “Traitor and coward, what nonsense are you talking!”

Then from Cao Cao’s side Xiahou Dun came forth to fight against Lu Bu. They had exchanged only a few bouts when another army led by Li Jue came up from the left. Cao Cao hurriedly ordered Xiahou Yuan to oppose him. But almost at once shouts came from the right and still another army led by Guo Si emerged. Cao Ren was sent in a hurry to confront him. The onrush of the three armed forces, however, proved too much to withstand. Very soon, Xiahou Dun could not ward off Lu Bu’s attack and had to flee back to his own army. Lu Bu led his mail-clad veterans and pressed forward, defeating Cao Cao’s men completely. The beaten men turned back toward Yingyang.

At about nine in the evening they got to the foot of a barren hill. The moon was shining brightly, making it almost as light as day. Here they collected together what remained of their army and were about to bury the boilers to prepare a meal when all of a sudden there arose loud shouting on all sides—out came the men waiting in ambush.

Cao Cao, thrown into a flurry, mounted and fled as fast as he could. Unfortunately he ran right into the waiting prefect. He turned and dashed off in another direction but the prefect drew an arrow to his bow and shot him in the shoulder. With the arrow still in the wound, Cao Cao escaped for his life, galloping past the hillside. Two soldiers lying in ambush saw him approaching and suddenly both of them struck his horse with their spears. The horse fell, throwing down Cao Cao, who was seized and made prisoner.

At this critical moment, an officer riding at full speed came to his rescue. Whirling his sword, he killed both his captors and then dismounting, helped Cao Cao up. It was his cousin Cao Hong.

“I’m doomed,” said Cao Cao. “Go and save yourself at once, good brother.”

“Mount my horse quickly. I will go on foot,” said his cousin.

“What if those rogues come up?” asked Cao Cao.

“The world can do without me, but not without you,” was the reply.

“If I live, I owe you my life,” said Cao Cao.

So he mounted. His cousin took off his breastplate and followed the horse on foot, dragging along his heavy sword. They went in this way for several hours, when there appeared before them a broad stream, and behind them the shouts of the pursuers came nearer and nearer.

“This is my fate,” sighed Cao Cao. “I’m really doomed to die here.”

Cao Hong at once helped him down from his horse. Then taking off his fighting robe, he carried Cao Cao on his back and waded across the river. No sooner had they gained the other bank, the pursuers also came up to the river, from where they shot arrows at them.

By daybreak they had walked another thirty
li
or more. Too exhausted to proceed any further, they took a short rest under a slope. All at once loud shouting was heard and a band of horses and men appeared. It was the Prefect of Yingyang, who had forded the river upstream to chase them. It seemed impossible for Cao Cao to escape this time but just at that moment he saw the Xiahou brothers galloping along with some dozens of horsemen.

“Do not harm my lord!” cried Xiahou Dun to the prefect, who at once rushed at him. After a few exchanges the prefect was pierced to death and his men driven off. Before long, Cao Cao’s other officers arrived. Feelings of sadness and joy were expressed at the reunion. Then they gathered together the remaining five hundred men and returned to their base in Henei.

Dong Zhuo and his followers went their way to Chang’an.

Back in Luoyang all the lords had encamped. Sun Jian, after extinguishing the fire in the palace, camped within the city walls, his tent being set up on the ground of the former Jianzhang Hall of the palace. He ordered his men to clear away the debris and close the tombs that had been robbed by Dong Zhuo and bar the gates to the mausoleum. On the site of the Royal Temple he put up three rooms to serve as the temporary shrine of worship. Here, he invited the lords to replace the sacred tablets and a ceremony was held, with the offer of sacrifices and solemn prayers.

When all the others had left, Sun Jian returned to his own camp. That night, the moon and the stars vied with each other in brightness. So he sat in the open air looking up at the sky, his hand on his sword. There, he noticed a mist spreading over the Emperor’s star.
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“The Emperor’s star is dulled,” he sighed. “No wonder the empire is in such great trouble.” And he lamented over the recent calamity the country and the people had been through.

Then a soldier, pointing to a well in the south, said: “There are colored lights rising from there.”

Sun Jian told his men to light torches and descend into the well to investigate. Soon, they brought up the corpse of a woman not in the least decayed, although the body had been in there many days. She was dressed in palace clothing and from her neck hung an embroidered bag. When they opened it they found a red box with a golden lock. Unlocking the box, they saw a jade seal, square in shape, one inch each way. On it were delicately engraved five intertwining dragons. One corner had been broken off and repaired with gold. There were eight characters in the style of seal writing, which could be interpreted as follows: “I have received the command from Heaven, may longevity and prosperity be always with me.”

Sun Jian showed this to Cheng Pu, who at once recognized it as the hereditary seal of the Emperor.

He said, “This seal has a history. In past days a man called Bian He saw a phoenix sitting on a certain stone at the foot of Jing Hill. He took the stone and offered it at court. Duke Wen of Chu split open the stone and found a piece of jade inside. Early in the Qin Dynasty it was cut into a seal and Minister Li Si engraved these eight characters. Two years later, when the first Emperor of Qin Dynasty was sailing on Dongting Lake, there suddenly arose a terrible storm. The seal was thrown overboard as a propitiatory offering, and the storm immediately ceased. Ten years later, when the Emperor was in Huayin, a man waiting by the roadside handed a seal to one of the attendants and said, ‘Give this back to Zulong,’
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and then disappeared. Thus the seal was returned to Qin. The next year the Emperor died.