The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (63 page)

Sun Ce produced the letter and said, “So you want to send me to my death, eh?” Then the executioners came and strangled him. The family of the victim ran away but three of his trusted servants were determined to avenge him—if only they could find some means of attacking Sun Ce.

One day Sun Ce went hunting in the hills. A stag was spotted and Sun Ce pressed after it at the topmost speed and followed it deep into the forest, where he came upon three armed men standing among the trees. Surprised to see them there, he reined in his horse and asked them who they were.

“We are Han Dang’s men, shooting deer here,” was the reply.

So Sun Ce shook his bridle to proceed with his pursuit of the deer. But just as he was starting one of the men suddenly struck him in the left thigh with his spear. He at once drew the sword he wore at his side to fight back, but as he did so the blade of his sword fell to the ground, leaving only the hilt in his hand. At this moment another assassin, drawing his bow and an arrow, wounded Sun Ce in the cheek. He plucked out the arrow and with it shot back at the man, who fell; but the other two men attacked him furiously with their spears, shouting, “We are Prefect Xu’s men and his avengers!”

Sun Ce then understood. He had no weapons save his bow so he tried to draw off, keeping them at bay by striking with his bow. But the fight was getting too much for him and both he and his steed were wounded in several places. However, just at the critical moment some of his own men came up and they made short work of the two remaining avengers.

But their lord was in a sorry condition. His face was streaming with blood and some of the wounds were very serious. They tore up a robe to bind up his wounds and carried him home.

A poem was written in praise of the three avengers:

In all the east the bold Sun Ce was a man to fear
But he was attacked in the hills while hunting a deer.
Three loyal servants went to avenge a murdered lord,
Like the faithful Yu Rang they dreaded not the sword.

Being badly wounded Sun Ce sent for the famous doctor Hua Tuo, but he was away in the north and could not be reached. However, his assistant came to treat his wounds.

“The arrowheads were poisoned,” said the doctor, “and the poison has penetrated deep. It will take a hundred days of perfect repose before danger is over. But if you give way to passion or anger the wounds will not heal.”

Sun Ce was an extremely impatient man and the prospect of such a slow recovery was very distasteful. However, he managed to remain quiet for some twenty of the hundred days. Then he heard that Zhang Hong, who had been retained in the capital by Cao Cao, had sent back a messenger, and he insisted on seeing and questioning him.

“Cao Cao fears you greatly, my lord,” said the messenger, “and his advisors have immense respect for you too—all except Guo Jia.”

“What did he say?” asked the sick man.

The messenger was afraid to tell him and kept silent, which only irritated his master, who forced him to speak the truth. So the messenger said, “Guo Jia told Cao Cao that he did not have to fear you, that you were rash and unprepared, impulsive and shallow, just a foolhardy soldier but no strategist, who would one day come to his death at the hands of some petty persons.”

This provoked the sick man beyond endurance.

“How dare he say this of me, the impudent fool!” cried Sun Ce. “I will take the capital from Cao Cao, I swear!”

He forgot all about repose. Ill as he was he wanted to begin preparations for an expedition at once. His subordinates remonstrated with him, reminding him of the doctor’s words, and urged him to rest.

“You are endangering your priceless life for a moment’s anger,” said his chief advisor Zhang Zhao.

Just then Chen Zhen, the messenger from Yuan Shao, was announced. Sun Ce had him brought in. Chen Zhen said, “My master hopes to form an alliance with you in an attack on Cao Cao.”

Such a proposal was just after Sun Ce’s heart. That very day he assembled his officers in the wall tower and prepared a banquet in honor of the messenger. While this was in progress he noticed many of his officers whispering to each other and leaving the banquet table. He was surprised and asked the attendants near him what it meant. They told him that the holy man Yu Ji had just gone by and the officers had gone down to pay their respects to him. Sun Ce rose from his seat and leaned over the railing to look at the man. He saw standing in the middle of the road a Taoist priest dressed in a cape of feathers and carrying a stick, while the crowd about him burnt incense and offered obeisance.

“What wizard fellow is this? Bring him here!” said Sun Ce angrily.

“This is Yu Ji,” said the attendants. “He lives in the east and goes about distributing charms and draughts. He can cure every disease and is regarded as a holy man. He must not be profaned.”

This only angered Sun Ce the more, and he told them to arrest the man at once or suffer death themselves if they dared to disobey. There being no alternative they had to go down into the road and hustle the priest up the steps.

“You madman! How dare you incite men to evil?” shouted Sun Ce.

“I am but a poor priest of Langye Temple. More than half a century ago, when gathering herbs in the woods, I found near the Yangqu Spring a book called
The Way of Tranquility
. It contains a hundred and more chapters describing various ways to cure the diseases of men. Since it came into my possession I have devoted myself to spreading its teachings and saving mankind. I have never taken anything from the people. Can you say I incite men to evil deeds?”

“You say you take nothing—where do you get your clothes and your food? You are exactly like Zhang Jue, the Yellow Turban chief, and you will work mischief if you are left alive.”

“Take him away and put him to death,” he said to his attendants.

Zhang Zhao interceded, “This priest has been here these many years. He has never done any harm and does not deserve death or punishment.”

“I tell you I will kill these wizard fellows just as I would cattle.”

All the officials interceded, even the guest of honor Chen Zhen, but Sun Ce still refused to be placated. He ordered the priest to be imprisoned.

The banquet came to an end and Yuan Shao’s messenger retired to his lodging. Sun Ce also returned to his place.

His treatment of the Taoist holy man soon reached the ears of his mother. She sent for her son and said to him, “They tell me you’ve put the holy man Yu Ji in prison. He’s cured many sick people and helped soldiers and the common folk hold him in great reverence. Don’t harm him.”

“He’s simply a wizard who upsets the multitude with his spells and craft. He must be put to death,” replied Sun Ce.

She tried her best to bring him to reason but he was obstinate. “Don’t heed the gossip of the street, mother,” he said. “I know how to deal with this.”

However, he sent his men to bring the priest over for interrogation. Now the jailers had a great respect for Yu Ji and faith in his powers so they were very kind to him and had taken off his chains and collar. But when Sun Ce sent for him, he went in fetters.

When Sun Ce learned about this he punished the jailers severely. Yu Ji was sent back to prison in fetters. Zhang Zhao and many others signed a petition that they humbly presented to their chief, offering themselves to stand surety for the prisoner.

Sun Ce said to them, “Gentlemen, you are great scholars, but why don’t you understand reason? Formerly the Governor of Jiaozhou was deluded by these heretical doctrines into doing all sorts of absurd things, like beating drums, twanging lyres, and burning incense. He constantly wore a red turban and declared that it would ensure victory to an army. But he was slain by the enemy. There is nothing in all this, only none of you will see it. I am going to put this fellow to death in order to stop the spread of this pernicious doctrine.”

Lu Fan interposed: “I know very well this Yu Ji is able to summon the wind and command the rain. It is very dry just now, why not make him pray for rain as a punishment?”

“We will see what sort of witchcraft he is equal to,” said Sun Ce.

So he had the prisoner brought in, loosened his fetters, and sent him up to an altar to pray for rain.

The docile Taoist priest prepared to do as he was bidden. He first bathed himself, then dressed himself in clean garments. After that he bound his limbs with a cord and sat down in the fierce heat of the sun. People came in crowds to look on.

He said, “I will pray for three feet of refreshing rain for the benefit of the people. Nevertheless I will not escape death.”

“But if your prayer is efficacious our lord must believe in your powers,” said the people.

“The day of doom has come for me and there is no escape.”

Presently, Sun Ce came near the altar and announced that if rain had not fallen by noon he would burn the priest. And to confirm this he ordered his men to prepare the pyre.

As noon drew near a strong wind sprang up and clouds gathered from all directions. But there was no rain.

“It is near noon,” said Sun Ce. “Clouds are of no account without rain. He is only an impostor.”

He told his attendants to put the priest on the pile of wood and light the fire on all sides. Fanned by the wind the flames rose rapidly. Suddenly from the ground emerged a wreath of black vapor that flew up to the sky, followed by roaring thunder and vivid lightning, peal after peal and flash after flash. And then came the pouring rain. In a short time the streets became rivers and it was, indeed, three feet tall.

Yu Ji, who was still lying upon the pile of firewood, uttered a loud cry and instantly the clouds dispersed, the rain stopped, and the glorious sun reappeared.

Then officials and people helped the priest down, loosened the cord that bound him, and bowed before him in gratitude for the rain.

But Sun Ce boiled with rage at seeing his officers and the people kneeling in the water regardless of the damage to their clothing.

“Rain or shine is the work of nature and the wizard has happened to hit upon the right moment. What are you making all this fuss about?” he cried.

Then he drew his sword and told the attendants to kill the priest with it. They all entreated him to spare his life.

“You want to follow Yu Ji in rebellion, I suppose,” cried Sun Ce.

The officers, now thoroughly cowed by the rage of their lord, fell silent and dared not show opposition when the executioners seized the unfortunate man and beheaded him.

They saw a wreath of black smoke rise and drift away to the northeast.

The corpse was exposed in the market place as a warning to enchanters and wizards and similar people. That night there came a very violent storm and when it cleared up at daylight there was no trace of the body. The guards reported this to Sun Ce and in his wrath he wanted to sentence them to death. But at that moment he saw Yu Ji calmly walking toward him as if he were still alive. He was so furious that he drew his sword to strike at the wraith, but he fainted and fell to the ground.

They carried him to his chamber and after quite some time he recovered consciousness.

His mother, Lady Wu, came to visit him and said, “My son, you’ve done wrong to slay the holy man and this is your retribution.”

“Mother, when I was a boy I went with my father to the wars, where men were cut down as one cuts hemp stalks. There has never been any retribution. I’ve put this fellow to death and so eliminated a great evil. Where does retribution come in?”

“Your illness comes from want of faith,” she replied. “Now you must avert the evil by meritorious deeds.”

“My fate rests with Heaven—wizards can do me no harm, so why avert anything?’

His mother saw that it was useless to try persuasion with him, but she told his attendants to do some good deeds secretly so that the evil could be turned aside.

That night, about the second watch, as Sun Ce lay in his chamber, he suddenly felt a chill breeze, which extinguished the light for a moment (although it soon brightened again), and he saw in the light the form of Yu Ji standing near his bed.

Sun Ce said, “I am the sworn foe of witchcraft and I will purge the world of all those that deal in magic. You are a ghost—how dare you approach me?”

Reaching down for a sword that hung at the head of his bed he hurled it at the phantom, which then disappeared. When his mother heard this story her grief redoubled. Sun Ce, ill as he was, did his utmost to reassure his mother.

She said, “An ancient saint once said, ‘How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them!’ Also, ‘Prayers be made to the spirits of the upper and lower worlds.’ Even saints believed in spirits and gods. You must have faith. You sinned in putting the Taoist priest to death and retribution is sure. I’ve already arranged to have sacrifices performed at the monastery and you should go in person to pray. May it all come right!”

Sun Ce dared not withstand such a mandate from his mother so, against his wish, he got into a sedan chair and went to the monastery, where the Taoist priests received him respectfully and asked him to light the incense. He did so, but he did not pray. To the surprise of all, the smoke from the burner, instead of floating upwards and dissipating, collected in a mass that gradually shaped itself into an umbrella—and there on the top sat Yu Ji.