The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (5 page)

“None,” replied Liu Bei. Dong Zhuo was contemptuous of them and brushed them aside with disrespect. Liu Bei retired quietly to the outside but Zhang Fei was furious.

“We’ve just rescued this wretch in a bloody fight,” he cried, “and now he’s so rude to us! Nothing but his death can slake my anger!”

So saying he took his sword and was all set to dash into the tent and slay the insulter.

As it was in old times so it is now,
True heroes may not to snobs be known.
A blessing it’ll be if Zhang Fei the bold
Could slay all the ungrateful in the world.

Whether Dong Zhuo would be slain or not will be told in the next chapter.

*
841–256
B.C.

†
221–206
B.C.

‡
Headed by Xiang Yu (232–202
B.C.
) who, though more powerful in military strength, was defeated by his rival Liu Bang of Han.

§
Headed by Liu Bang (256–195
B.C.
) who established Han Dynasty, composed of West Han (206
B.C.
–
A.D.
8) and East Han (
A.D.
25–220).

¶
Guang Wu (6
B.C.
–
A.D.
57), founder of East Han Dynasty, who restored the rule of Han after destroying the usurper Wang Mang (45
B.C.
–
A.D.
23).

**
Referring to the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu (Han), and Wu, reigning from
A.D.
220–280.

*
A place near modern Beijing.

*
One
jin
equals half a kilogram.

*
One
li
equals half a kilometer.

*
A place in modern Anhui in East China.

CHAPTER TWO

Zhang Fei Thrashes the Inspector in Wrath

He Jin Plots to Kill the Eunuchs in Secret

N
ow
this Dong Zhuo, also known as Dong Zhong-ying, was from Lintao in northwest China. An arrogant man by nature, he held the official rank of Prefect of Hedong. But that day his disrespectful manner toward the three brothers had angered Zhang Fei so much that he wanted to kill him.

“Remember he’s a government official,” said Liu Bei and Guan Yu, checking him hastily. “We’ve no right to slay him.”

“It’s bitter to take orders from such a wretch—I’d rather slay him,” roared Zhang Fei. “You can stay here if you want but I’ll seek some other place.”

“We three are one in life and death, there is no parting for us,” said Liu Bei. “We’ll all go, then.”

This put Zhang Fei in a better mood, and they decided to go back to Zhu Jun’s place. They set out and lost no time in traveling till they came to Zhu Jun, who received them well and accepted their aid in attacking Zhang Bao.

At this time Cao Cao had joined Huangfu Song in fighting against Zhang Liang and a fierce battle was fought at Quyang. In the meantime, Zhu Jun was ready to attack Zhang Bao who had mustered an army of about 80–90,000 men positioned behind some hills. Liu Bei was made to be leader of the vanguard to confront the rebels. When the two armies were drawn facing each other, a subordinate officer from the rebels’ side came out to offer battle. Liu Bei ordered Zhang Fei to smite him. Zhang Fei rode out at full speed, his spear ready to strike. After a few bouts he pierced his opponent, who fell from his horse. At this Liu Bei led his army to press forward. But just then, Zhang Bao, while still mounted, loosened his hair, held up his sword and uttered incantations. All of a sudden the wind began to howl and the thunder to roll. A dense black cloud from the sky settled upon the ground and an innumerable number of horsemen and footmen seemed to rush out of the cloud, charging at the imperial troops. Liu Bei immediately turned back but the soldiers were already scared and they returned defeated.

Liu Bei reported the matter to Zhu Jun, who said, “So he uses black magic. Tomorrow I will prepare the blood of slaughtered hogs, goats, and dogs as a counter magic.
^*
Tell the soldiers to hide themselves at the hilltops, and when they see the enemies approach, sprinkle this blood over them. Then the black magic will lose its power.”

Following Zhu Jun’s order, Liu Bei gave his two brothers a thousand men each and told them to get ready a plentiful supply of the blood of hogs, goats, and dogs and all kinds of filthy things and hide themselves on the high ground behind some hills. The next day, when the rebels with fluttering banners and beating drums came out to challenge, Liu Bei rode forth to meet them. While the two armies were fighting, again Zhang Bao resorted to black magic and again there were high winds and loud thunder. Sand and stones were swept up and flew through the air. Black masses of vapor filled the sky and numerous troops descended from on high. Liu Bei turned, as before, to flee and Zhang Bao followed in hot pursuit. But just as the rebels were passing through the hills, trumpets sounded and the ambushed soldiers threw down filth and showered blood. Then the masses of troops in the air fluttered to the ground, revealing themselves as paper men and straw horses. At once the wind abated, the thunder ceased to roll, the sand sank, and the stones lay still on the ground.

Seeing that his magic had been countered, Zhang Bao quickly turned to retreat. But, attacked on the flanks by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and in the rear by Liu Bei and Zhu Jun, his army was completely routed. Liu Bei, seeing from afar the banner bearing the title of “General of Earth”, galloped toward it at full speed. Scared, Zhang Bao picked a side path and fled. Then Liu Bei shot an arrow, wounding Zhang Bao in the left arm. However, he still managed to get away into the city of Yangcheng, where he fortified himself and would not come out to fight.

Zhu Jun laid a siege outside the city. At the same time he sent out scouts to get news of Huangfu Song. The scouts returned with the following report: “Huangfu Song had won great victories and was given the command of Dong Zhuo’s army by the Emperor because Dong Zhuo had suffered many defeats. When Huangfu Song arrived at Guangzong, Zhang Jue had already died and his brother Zhang Liang had added Jiao’s army to his own in a vain attempt to confront the imperial troops. Huangfu Song had won seven successive victories and Zhang Liang was slain at Quyang. Beside this, Zhang Jue had been exhumed, the corpse beheaded and the head, after exposure, had been sent to the capital. For these services Huangfu Song had been promoted to the rank of General of Carriage and Cavalry and now ruled the prefecture of Jizhou. Then he presented a memorial to the Emperor concerning the case of Lu Zhi, who was restored to his former rank after the Emperor learned that he had committed no crime but had rendered good service. Cao Cao, too, had received advancement for his services and would soon return from the front and go to his new post at Jinan.”

After hearing these reports, Zhu Jun pressed even harder on the city of Yangcheng, putting the rebels in a desperate situation. Then one of Zhang Bao’s officers killed the rebel leader and brought his head as a token of submission. So Zhu Jun was able to wipe out rebellion in that part of the country and a report was sent to the Emperor to announce the victory.

However, the embers still smoldered. Three remaining members of the Yellow Turban rebellion—Zhao Hong, Han Zhong, and Sun Zhong—again gathered an army of tens of thousands of men. They burned and looted as they went, calling themselves avengers of Zhang Jue. Zhu Jun was commanded to lead his victorious troops to destroy them.

So he at once set out toward Wancheng, which had fallen into the hands of the rebels. When he arrived, the rebels sent Han Zhong to oppose him. Zhu Jun asked Liu Bei and his two brothers to attack the city from the southwest. Han Zhong immediately rushed to the scene with the best of his men to confront them. Meanwhile, the general himself led 2,000 armored horsemen to attack it from the opposite direction. Afraid that the city might be lost, the rebels abandoned the southwest and turned back. Liu Bei pressed hotly in their rear, defeating them completely. The rebels took refuge behind the high walls of the city, which was surrounded on all sides by the imperial forces. Famine soon followed and in desperation the rebel leader sent out a messenger to offer surrender, but the offer was turned down by the general.

Liu Bei asked, “In the past, Emperor Gao-zu, founder of the Han Dynasty, welcomed and accepted those who surrendered, so he was able to rule the land. Why do you reject Han Zhong, sir?”

“The situations are different,” replied Zhu Jun. “In those days disorder was everywhere and the people had no fixed lord. Therefore, submission was welcomed and those who surrendered were rewarded so as to encourage people to come over. Now the empire is united and the Yellow Turbans are the only malcontents. To allow brigands to plunder and rob when successful and to let them surrender when unsuccessful is to encourage brigandage. This is not a good policy.”

“It is well not to let them surrender,” said Liu Bei. “But the city is enclosed on all sides like an iron barrel. As their submission is refused, they will be desperate in their fight. A myriad of such men cannot be withstood. But in the city they are several times that number, all doomed to die. It is better to withdraw from the east and the south and only attack the west and the north. They will surely give up the place and flee, without much desire to fight. We can capture them then.”

The general saw that the advice was good and followed it. He withdrew the troops from the east and the south and only attacked from the west and the north. As predicted by Liu Bei, the rebels gave up the city and ran out, led by their leader. The general and the three brothers fell upon them as they fled and Han Zhong was shot to death by an arrow. The rest of them scattered in all directions, still pursued by the imperial troops. But just then the other two rebel leaders came with large reinforcements and as they appeared very strong, Zhu Jun decided to retreat temporarily. And Wancheng was recaptured by the rebels.

Zhu Jun encamped ten
li
from the city and was preparing to attack again when there arrived a body of horsemen and footmen from the east. Riding in front was a young officer with a broad open face and a lithe yet powerfully-built body. His name was Sun Jian, also known as Sun Wentai. He was a native of Wu in Southeast China and a descendant of Sun Wu, a famous military strategist during the period of Spring and Autumn.
^*
When he was only seventeen, he was once with his father on the Qiantang River
^†
and saw a gang of pirates dividing their booty on the river bank after plundering some merchants.

“I can capture these pirates,” he said to his father. So, gripping his sword he jumped boldly ashore. There he cried out to this side and that as if calling his men to come quickly. This made the pirates believe that the soldiers were on them and he even succeeded in killing one of the pirates. In this way he became known throughout the region and was recommended to be an officer. Later, in collaboration with the local officials, he mobilized a thousand warriors and helped quell a rebellion headed by a man who called himself Emperor Yangming. Both the rebel leader and his son were killed by him. For this he was commended in a memorial to the throne and received a further promotion.

When he heard about the Yellow Turban rebellion, he gathered together over 1,500 men made up of local youths, merchants, and veteran soldiers to aid in the fighting. Now he had reached the battlefront.

Zhu Jun welcomed him very warmly and asked him to attack the south gate. Liu Bei and Zhu Jun himself were to attack the north and west gates respectively, leaving the east gate free to give the rebels a false impression of an escape route. Sun Jian was the first to mount the wall and killed more than twenty rebels single-handedly. The other rebels ran away but Zhao Hong, their leader, rushed over on horseback to fight with Sun Jian, his spear at the ready. Sun Jian leaped down the wall, snatched the spear, and with it pierced the rebel who fell down from his horse. Then mounting the horse, Sun Jian rode hither and thither, slaying as he went.