The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (64 page)

Sun Ce simply spat abuse and started to leave the hall. But as he was going out he saw standing right at the door Yu Ji gazing at him with angry eyes.

“Do you see that wizard fellow?” he asked those about him.

They all said they saw nothing. Growing more angry than ever he flung his sword at the figure by the door but the sword struck one of his soldiers, who fell. When they turned him over they found it was the executioner who had actually slain the Taoist priest. The sword had penetrated his brain and his life drained out through the seven channels of perception. Sun Ce told them to bury the man. But as he went out of the monastery he saw Yu Ji walking in.

“This temple is nothing more than a lurking place for sorcerers and wizards and such people,” he said.

Therefore he took a seat in front of the building and sent for five hundred soldiers to pull the place down. When they climbed up the roof to strip off the tiles he saw Yu Ji standing above the building and tossing tiles to the ground. In a rage he told them to drive the priests out of the monastery and burn the place. They did so and when the flames rose high he saw the dead Taoist, Yu Ji, standing in the midst of the fire.

Sun Ce returned home in a very bad humor, which turned into fury when he saw the form of Yu Ji standing at his gate. He would not enter but mustered his army and went to camp outside the city. And there he summoned his officers to talk over joining Yuan Shao in an attack on Cao Cao.

They assembled, but they remonstrated with him and begged him to consider his precious health. That night he slept in the camp and again saw Yu Ji, this time with his hair hanging loose. He raged at the vision without cessation.

The next day his mother called him into the city and he went. She was shocked at the change in his appearance—he looked so utterly miserable. Her tears fell.

“My son,” she said, “how changed you are!”

He had a mirror brought forth and looked at himself—he was indeed so gaunt and thin that he was frightened and exclaimed, “How did I come to look so haggard?”

While he spoke, Yu Ji appeared again in the mirror. He struck it and shrieked. Then his half healed wounds reopened and he fainted.

He was carried into his bed. When he recovered consciousness he said, “This is the end—I’m going to die.”

He sent for Zhang Zhao and his other chief officials as well as his brother, Sun Quan, who all gathered in his chamber. He exhorted: “With our vast population and the strong defense of the three rivers we have a brilliant future in this chaotic time.” Then, turning to Zhang Zhao and the others, he said, “You must all assist my brother.”

So saying he handed his seal to Sun Quan and said, “We both have our own merits. In leading the people to fight opposing forces and so contend with the world, you’re not so suited as I am. But in encouraging the wise and confiding in the able and getting the best out of every one for the preservation of his district, I can’t succeed as you will. Remember with what toil and labor your father and I have won what we possess and take good care of it.”

Sun Quan wept as he knelt to receive the seal and the dying chief turned to his mother, “Mother, the days allotted by Heaven have run out and I can no longer wait upon you. I’ve given over the seal to my brother and trust that you’ll advise him day and night, and see that he lives in a way worthy of his predecessors.”

“But I fear your brother is too young for such a task,” said his mother weeping. “If anything should happen, what then?”

“He’s far more capable than me and fully equal to the task of ruling. Should he have doubts upon internal affairs, he can seek advice from Zhang Zhao; for external affairs he can consult Zhou Yu. It’s a pity Zhou Yu is absent so that I can’t tell him in person.”

To his other brothers he said, “When I’m gone you must all help Zhong-mou (Sun Quan). Should anyone in the clan dare to betray, let the others punish the wrong-doer; should a brother dare to rebel, do not let him be buried among his ancestors in the family vaults.”

The young men wept as they took these orders. Then he called for his wife, the famous beauty of the Qiao family, and said, “Unhappily we have to part in the middle of our married life. You must care for my mother. When your sister comes to see you, ask her to tell her husband Zhou Yu to help my brother in all things so as not to fail my friendship and trust in him.”

Then he closed his eyes and soon after passed away. He was only twenty-six.

Men called him Formidable Little Lord,
The east had felt his might,
He schemed like a tiger in wait,
Struck as a hawk in flight.
There was peace in the land he ruled,
His fame ran with the wind,
But he died and left to his brother,
The great scheme in his mind.

As he breathed his last his brother, Sun Quan, sank by his bed and wept.

“This is no time for weeping,” said Zhang Zhao. “You must see to the funeral and at the same time attend to the military and civil affairs.”

So the new ruler dried his tears. The supervision of the funeral was entrusted to Sun Jing and then the young master was escorted to the main hall to receive the felicitations of his subordinates.

Sun Quan was endowed with a square jaw and a large mouth and had blue eyes and a dark brown beard. Formerly, an envoy from the Han court had gone to Wu district to visit the Suns. He said of the family of brothers: “I have looked well at them all and they are all clever and perspicacious but none of them will excel in fortune and longevity. Only the second one is different. His face is remarkable, and his build unusual, and he has the look of one who will come to great honor. But none of the others will attain to the blessing of a great age.”

Sun Quan succeeded his brother as ruler of the east and began to attend to daily affairs. Soon it was reported that Zhou Yu had arrived. The young ruler was very pleased and said, “I need have no anxiety now that he has come back.”

It must be stated here that Zhou Yu had been sent to hold Baqiu. When he heard that Sun Ce had been wounded by arrows he decided to return to see how he was. At Wujun he was told that Sun Ce had already died so he hurried back for the funeral.

When he went to wail over the coffin of his late chief and close friend, the dead man’s mother came out to deliver her son’s last demands of him. Zhou Yu bowed to the ground and said, “I will exert the puny powers I have in the service of Wu as long as I live.”

Shortly after, Sun Quan came in and, after receiving Zhou Yu’s obeisance, said: “I trust you will not forget my brother’s deathbed appeal to you.”

Zhou Yu said, “I will defy any form of death to show my gratitude for the trust your brother placed in me.”

“How best can I maintain this district which I have inherited from my father and brother?”

“He who wins men, prospers; he who loses them, fails. This is a truth we have learned from old days. At present you should seek men of high aims and foresight to support you and you can establish yourself firmly in the east.”

“My brother told me to consult Zhang Zhao for internal affairs, and yourself on external matters,” said Sun Quan.

“Zhang Zhao is a man of wisdom and understanding, equal to such a task, while I am devoid of talent and I fear I might fail to undertake such a responsibility. I would like to recommend to you a helper.”

Sun Quan asked him who that person was. Zhou Yu continued, “He is called Lu Su, or Lu Zi-jing, a man of Dongchuan. This man harbors strategies and tactics in his bosom. He lost his father in early life and has been a perfectly filial son to his mother. His family is very rich and renowned for giving charity to the needy. When I was stationed at Juchao I led some hundreds of men across Linhuai. We were short of grain. Hearing that the Lu family had two granaries there, each holding 3,000 measures, I went to ask for help. Lu Su pointed to one granary and said, ‘Take that as a gift.’ Such was his generosity!

“He is now living in Qua and has always been fond of fencing, racing, and shooting. His grandmother died recently and he went to bury her in Dongchuan and then a friend of his asked him to go to Chaohu Lake and join Zheng Bao. However, he hesitated and has not gone yet. You should invite him without loss of time.”

Sun Quan at once sent Zhou Yu to engage the service of this man and he set out. When the host and the visitor had exchanged polite greetings Zhou Yu mentioned the great respect his master had in him. Lu Su replied that he had been asked by his friend to go to Chaohu Lake and would set out soon.

Zhou Yu said, “Of old, Ma Yuan said to Emperor Guangwu, ‘This is an age when not only do princes select their ministers, but ministers choose their princes as well.’ Now our General Sun calls to him the wise and treats them well. He engages the help of the wonderful and gets the services of the extraordinary in a way that few others do. You do not have to seek elsewhere, just come with me to Wu. This is the best thing to do.”

Lu Su returned with him to see Sun Quan, who treated him with the greatest deference and consulted him on various affairs. The discussions proved so interesting that they went on all day and neither felt tired.

One day at the close of an assembly, Sun Quan asked Lu Su to dine with him. They sat up late and by and by slept on the same couch, like the closest of friends. In the dead of the night Sun Quan said to him: “The Hans are at the end of their rule and upheavals occur on all sides. I have inherited this district from my father and brother and I am thinking of imitating what Duke Huan and Duke Wen
^*
did to recover the dignity of the Emperor. I hope you can enlighten me.”

Lu Su replied, “In the old days the founder of Han Dynasty wished to honor and serve Emperor Yi, but could not do so because of Xiang Yu’s evil doings. Now Cao Cao can be compared to Xiang Yu; how can you be Huan and Wen? My humble opinion is that the Hans have fallen beyond hope of recovery and Cao Cao cannot be destroyed very quickly, so that the best scheme for you is to secure your present position while keeping a close watch on the conflicts among the others. Now you can take advantage of the turmoil in the north to smite Huang Zu and attack Liu Biao, so that you will command the whole area of the Yangtze. Then you can establish your own kingdom and gradually aspire to rule the whole of the country. This is how you can achieve the great design like that of the founder of Han.”

Hearing this, Sun Quan was greatly pleased. He threw on some clothing, got up, and thanked his newfound advisor. The next day Sun Quan gave him handsome rewards and sent gifts to his mother.

Lu Su then brought a friend of his to the young master’s notice, a man of wide reading and great ability. He was also a filial son. His double surname was Zhuge and his given name, Jing, and he came from Nanyang. Sun Quan invited him to his service and treated him as a superior guest. This man dissuaded Sun Quan from forming an alliance with Yuan Shao, and advised him not to antagonize Cao Cao for the moment but wait until an opportunity arose. Sun Quan therefore sent back the messenger Chen Zhen with a letter that broke off with Yuan Shao.

Hearing of Sun Ce’s death, Cao Cao wanted to start an expedition to the east but Zhang Hong dissuaded him, saying that it would be mean to take advantage of the period of mourning.

“And if you should not overcome him you will make him an enemy instead of being a friend. It would be preferable to treat him generously.”

Cao Cao accepted the advice and obtained from the Emperor the title of general and the post of Prefect of Guiji for Sun Quan. A seal of office was brought to him by Zhang Hong, who was also given a post to serve under Sun Quan. The new appointment pleased Sun Quan and he was also glad to get Zhang Hong back again. He was asked to run the administration with Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Hong helped get another into Sun Quan’s service. His friend was Gu Yong, a disciple of the historian Cai Yong. A man of few words and an abstainer from wine, he was upright and strict in all his doings. Sun Quan employed him in his administration.

Henceforward Sun Quan’s rule in the east became very secure and he soon won the love of all the people.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhen returned and told Yuan Shao the events in Wu, and also of the honors that Cao Cao had obtained for Sun Quan in return for his support. Yuan Shao was very angry and he set about preparing for an attack on the capital with a force of 700,000 northern men.

Although in the east they rest a while from war,
Battle drums sound again ‘neath the northern star.

Whether Yuan Shao would be able to overcome Cao Cao will be told in the next chapter.

*
Two feudal lords in the period of Spring and Autumn, who tried to establish their own power by supporting the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty.

CHAPTER THIRTY