The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (17 page)

Huang Zu rode out with two of his officers, named Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng. Flourishing his whip, he abused his enemy: “You rebels from the east, how dare you invade the land of a scion of the ruling Han house!”

He ordered Zhang Hu to challenge for battle. From Sun Jian’s side came Han Dang to accept. The two exchanged two score of bouts. Then, seeing his friend losing strength, Chen Sheng flew to his aid. When he saw this, Sun Ce laid aside his spear, reached for his bow and shot Chen Sheng in the face, who fell from his horse. Distracted by his fall, Zhang Hu could no longer defend himself and Han Dang, with a slash of his sword, clove his skull in two. Then Cheng Pu galloped up to take Huang Zu, who threw off his helmet, slipped from his steed, and ran for life amid common soldiers. Sun Jian led on the attack and drove his enemy to the Han River, where he ordered Huang Gai to advance.

Huang Zu assembled his defeated men and went back to tell Liu Biao that they were no match for Sun Jian. The advisor Kuai Liang was again called in for counsel.

“Our army has just suffered defeat and the soldiers will have no heart for fighting,” said Kuai Liang. “All we can do at the moment is to fortify our position and avoid direct confrontation with them. At the same time we must send a message to Yuan Shao to seek his help. Then we can extricate ourselves from the predicament.”

“An unwise move indeed!” said Cai Mao. “The enemy is right at the city gates—are we going to fold our hands and wait to be slain? Unworthy as I am, I would rather fight it out.”

So he was placed in command of more than 10,000 men and went out of the city to draw up his battle line at a hill. The invading army advanced triumphantly. When Cai Mao approached, Sun Jian looked at him and said: “This is Liu Biao’s brother-in-law—who will capture him for me?”

Cheng Pu set his iron spear and rode out to oppose him. After a few bouts, Cai Mao turned to flee. The Sun forces smote him until corpses filled the countryside and he took refuge inside the city of Xiangyang.

Kuai Liang said, “Cai Mao should be put to death by military law. This defeat was due to his obstinacy.” But Liu Biao was unwilling to punish the brother of his newly-wedded wife.

Meanwhile, Sun Jian had surrounded the city of Xiangyang and assaulted the four walls daily. One day a fierce wind blew up suddenly, breaking the pole of the banner bearing the word “Commander.”

“This is not an auspicious sign,” said Han Dang. “Let us withdraw for the time being.”

“I have won every battle and the city will be mine in no time. Should I return because the wind has broken a flagstaff?” replied Sun Jian.

So he ignored the advice and attacked the city even more vigorously.

Within the city, Kuai Liang told his master that while studying the night sky, he had noticed a great star on the point of falling. He calculated that it meant their enemy Sun Jian was about to perish. He advised Liu Biao to write to Yuan Shao to seek assistance.

The letter was written. But who would undertake to fight his way through with the letter? One officer named Lu Gong, a warrior of great strength, offered himself for the dangerous task.

Before he went, Kuai Liang said to him: “If you dare to undertake this task, do as I tell you. Take five hundred men with you—choose good bowmen. Dash through the enemy’s formation and make for the hills at once. You will be pursued, of course, but send one hundred men up the hill to prepare large stones and another hundred, all archers, to lie in ambush in the woods. When the pursuers come, do not just run away aimlessly but follow a devious way up the hill until you have deceived them to the place where the ambushed men are lying in wait. Then roll down the stones and let fly the arrows. If you succeed, fire off a series of bombs as a signal and we will come to help. If you are not pursued, send no signal but get away as fast as possible. The moon is dim tonight. You can start at dusk.”

Lu Gong, having received these instructions, prepared his force to carry them out. When dusk fell, they quietly opened the east gate and hastened out. Sun Jian was in his tent when he heard shouting. He at once mounted and rode out to find the cause, escorted by some thirty riders.

When he was told about the movement of the enemy, Sun Jian, together with his escort, followed in hot pursuit immediately, without waiting for his other officers. By that time, Lu Gong’s men had already been lying in ambush up on the hill and down in the woods. As Sun Jian was riding on a better steed, he was soon ahead of his escort and close to his enemy.

“Halt!” he shouted.

Lu Gong turned back as if to fight. But they had only exchanged a single pass when he retreated, taking a tortuous route up the hill. Sun Jian followed but soon lost sight of his foe. He was about to climb up the hill when suddenly there came the loud clanging of a gong. All at once, showers of stones fell down from the hill and clouds of arrows shot out from the thick woods, crushing his head and covering his body with wounds. Both he and his steed were killed. At the time of his death he was only thirty-seven years of age.

His escort, too, was overpowered and every one of them slain. Then, Lu Gong let off a series of bombs to signal his victory. At this sign, three forces led by Huang Zu, Kuai Liang, and Cai Mao came out and fell upon their enemies, throwing them into utmost confusion.

Hearing the thunder of noise, Huang Gai led his men from the ships to join in the battle. Soon he came face to face with Huang Zu, and captured him after a brief fight.

Cheng Pu had now taken the son of Sun Jian in his care. While looking desperately for a way out, he came across Lu Gong. He at once put his horse at full speed and the two engaged in battle. After a few bouts he pierced the killer of Sun Jian to death.

Meanwhile, the two contending forces fought a fierce battle till daybreak, when each withdrew its troops.

Liu Biao withdrew into the city and Sun Ce returned to the Han River. Only then did he learn about his father’s tragic death and that his body had been carried inside the city. He uttered a great cry and the whole army joined him with wailing and tears.

“How can I return home while my father’s body lies in there?” cried Sun Ce.

Huang Gai said, “We have taken Huang Zu prisoner. If only someone can go inside the city to negotiate peace and tell them that we will free Huang Zu in exchange for our lord’s body.”

He had barely finished speaking when a man called Huan Jie stood up and expressed his willingness to go as an envoy, saying that he was an old acquaintance of Liu Biao’s. Presently he went into the city to negotiate peace with the prefect.

Liu Biao told him that Sun Jian’s body was already laid in a coffin and ready to be delivered as soon as Huang Zu returned.

“Let us both cease fighting and never again invade each other’s territory,” he continued.

Huan Jie bowed to him in gratitude and was ready to leave. Suddenly, Kuai Liang cried: “No! No! I have thought of a scheme to wipe out their entire army. Please execute Huan Jie first, then carry out my plan.”

Pursuing his enemy, Sun Jian dies;
Seeking peace, Huan Jie’s life is again threatened.

The fate of the envoy will be told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Wang Yun Cleverly Employs the “Chain” Scheme

Dong Zhuo Raises Havoc at Fengyi Pavilion

A
t
the end of the previous chapter, Kuai Liang was about to disclose his scheme to destroy the enemy. This is what he said: “Sun Jian is dead and his sons are all young. They are at their weakest now. If you seize this moment to launch a speedy attack, the district will be yours in no time. But if you return the body and make peace, you give them time to grow stronger again and they will pose hidden danger to our city.”

“But how can I leave Huang Zu in their hands?” said the prefect.

“Why not sacrifice this blundering man for a district?” answered Kuai Liang.

“But he is my dear friend and it is wrong to abandon him.”

So the envoy was allowed to go back to his own camp with the understanding that Sun Jian’s remains would be returned in exchange for the prisoner.

Sun Ce, the eldest son of Sun Jian, freed the prisoner and brought back the coffin—then the fighting ceased. When he returned home, he buried his father in Qua. Then he applied himself to the task of ruling well. He welcomed men of wisdom and valor and treated them with modesty and respect so that gradually they came to his service from all sides.

By then the news of Sun Jian’s death had also reached Dong Zhuo in the capital.

“A dangerous enemy of mine has been removed,” he said in exultation.

Then he asked which sons of Sun Jian remained and when people told him that the eldest was but seventeen, he dismissed all anxiety from his mind.

From that time onward he became even more arrogant and domineering. He used the highly honored title “Shang Wu”
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for himself and went about aping the Emperor’s state. He created his younger brother a Lord and Commander of the Left Division of the Imperial Army. A nephew of his was placed head of the palace guards and everyone of his clan, young or old, was ennobled. At some distance from the capital he employed a quarter of a million people to build a palace the size of a city, an exact replica of Chang’an, with its thick and high walls, its granaries, and its treasures. Here, he accumulated supplies sufficient for twenty years. He selected eight hundred of the most beautiful maidens and young men to be in his service in the new palace. The stores of wealth in every form were incalculable. All his family found quarters in this magnificent palace named Meiwu.

Dong Zhuo visited his palace at intervals of a month or so and every visit was like an imperial trip, with booths by the roadside to entertain the officials and courtiers who attended him to Hengmen Gate and saw him depart.

On one occasion he spread a great feast for all those assembled to witness his departure and while it was in progress there arrived several hundred rebels from the north who had voluntarily surrendered. The tyrant had them brought before him as he sat at his table and meted out to them wanton cruelties. The hands of this one was lopped off; the feet of that; one had his eyes gouged out; another lost his tongue. Some were boiled to death. Shrieks of agony arose to the very heavens and the courtiers trembled with terror, but the author of the misery ate and drank, chatted and smiled, as if nothing was going on.

Another day Dong Zhuo was presiding at a great gathering of officials who were seated in two long rows. After the wine had gone up and down several times Lu Bu entered and whispered a few words in his master’s ear. Dong Zhuo smiled and said: “So that is how it is! Take Zhang Wen outside.” The others all turned pale. In a little time a serving man brought the head of their fellow guest on a red dish and showed it to the tyrant. They nearly died with fright.

“Do not fear,” said Dong Zhuo smiling. “He was plotting with Yuan Shu to assassinate me. A letter sent to him fell by mistake into the hands of my son, so I had him put to death. But you have done no wrong. There is no need to fear.”

The officials dispersed quickly. One of them, Wang Yun, who had witnessed all this, returned to his home greatly distressed. Late that night he took his staff and went strolling under the bright moonlight in his back garden. Standing near one of the creeper trellises he gazed up at the sky and tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly he heard a rustle in the peony pavilion and someone sighing deeply. Approaching quietly he saw there one of the household singing girls named Diaochan, or Sable Cicada.