The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (74 page)

A
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it happens the diggers unearthed a bronze bird at the point where the golden light had shot up. Turning to his companion, Cao Cao asked, “What is the portent?”

“You must remember that Emperor Shun’s mother dreamed of a jade bird before his birth, so certainly it is a felicitous omen,” replied Xun You.

Cao Cao was very pleased and he at once ordered the building of a lofty tower to celebrate the find. So they began to dig foundations and cut timber, to burn tiles and smooth bricks for the Bronze Bird Tower on the banks of the Zhang River. Cao Cao set a year for the building.

His youngest son, Cao Zhi, said to him, “If you build a terraced tower, father, you should add two others, one on each side. The center tower will be the tallest and should be named The Bronze Bird Tower—the side ones can be named Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix. Then connect these by flying bridges and the effect will be superb.”

“You’re quite right, my boy. By and by when the towers are complete I can solace my old age there.”

Cao Cao had five sons but this one was the most clever and his essays were particularly elegant. His father was very fond of him and seeing that the young man took an interest in the building, Cao Cao left him with his eldest brother, Cao Pi, at Jizhou to superintend the work. Meanwhile, Cao Cao led the army, which was greatly strengthened by the addition of Yuan Shao’s men and amounted to about half a million men, back to the capital. When he arrived there he distributed rewards liberally and presented a memorial to the Emperor, obtaining the title of “Lord of Purity” for the late advisor Guo Jia. And he took his son to be brought up in his own house.

Next he began to consider an expedition southward to destroy Liu Biao. His advisor Xun Yu objected: “The army has only just returned from the north and needs a good rest. Wait six months so that the men may recover from the fatigue of their last campaign and then both Liu Biao and Sun Quan will fall at one battle.” Cao Cao approved of this and he distributed pieces of land to his various troops so that they could work the land while they rested.

Away in Jingzhou, Liu Biao had been very generous to Liu Bei ever since he had arrived, a fugitive seeking shelter. One day while they were drinking together, there came the news that two officers who had recently surrendered to him had suddenly begun plundering the people in Jiangxia and fomenting rebellion.

Liu Biao was greatly alarmed. “This rebellion will cause a lot of trouble,” he said.

“Don’t let that upset you. Let me go and deal with them,” said Liu Bei.

Pleased with this offer, Liu Biao gave him 30,000 men to command and the army marched as soon as the orders were issued. In a short time it reached the scene and the two malcontents came out to fight. Liu Bei, his two brothers, and Zhao Yun took their stand beneath the great banner and looked over at the enemy. They saw that one of the rebels was riding a handsome prancing steed and Liu Bei said, “That must be a one thousand
li
a day horse.”

As he spoke Zhao Yun galloped out with his spear set and dashed toward the enemy. Zhang Wu, rider of the fine horse, came out to meet him but the combat was very brief, for he was soon killed. Then Zhao Yun laid his hand upon the bridle of the fallen man’s horse to lead it back. The other rebel leader at once rode out to retrieve the horse, but Zhang Fei uttered a loud shout and dashed out with his spear ready to strike. With one thrust he slew the rebel. Their followers now scattered and Liu Bei speedily restored order and returned.

Liu Biao, grateful for this service, went out of the city to welcome the victors back. A grand banquet was held at which they emptied great goblets of wine in celebration of the victory. In the middle of the banquet, Liu Biao said to Liu Bei, “Brother, with such heroism as you have shown, Jingzhou has someone to rely upon. But I’m still worried by the constant assaults from South Yue. Zhang Lu and Sun Quan also pose threats.”

“I have three officers,” said Liu Bei, “equal to any task you may set them. You can send Zhang Fei to patrol the country of South Yue, Guan Yu to guard the city of Guzi against Zhang Lu, and Zhao Yun to hold the three rivers against Sun Quan. That will relieve you of any worries.”

The plan appealed strongly to the prefect but his brother-in-law, Cai Mao, did not approve. He went to see his sister and told her that it would be dangerous for Liu Bei to stay in Jingzhou while his three officers were to be sent to hold different positions.

Influenced by her brother, Lady Cai said to her husband that night, “They say that many Jingzhou men are on very good terms with Liu Bei. You ought to take precautions. I don’t think you should let him stay in the city. Why not send him to some other place?”

“Xuan-de is a good man,” replied Liu Biao.

“I’m afraid other people may not be as open-minded as you are,” said the lady.

Liu Biao fell into thinking but said nothing.

The next day he went out of the city with Liu Bei and noticed that he was riding an exceptionally fine horse. When he learned that it was a prize taken from the recently suppressed rebels, and as he praised it very warmly, Liu Bei gave the horse to him as a gift. The prefect was delighted and rode it back to the city. His advisor Kuai Yue saw it and asked his master where he had got it. The prefect told him.

“My brother knows horses very well and I am not a bad judge,” said Kuai Yue. “This horse has tear tracks under its eyes and a white blaze on its forehead. It belongs to the breed of Dilu and is a danger to its master. The rebel leader rode the horse and for that he was killed. I advise you not to ride it.”

The prefect was persuaded and he invited Liu Bei to a banquet the following day. In the course of it he said, “You kindly presented me the horse yesterday and I’m most grateful but then I remembered you probably would need it more with your frequent expeditions. So I think I should return it to you.”

Liu Bei rose and thanked him. The prefect continued, “You’ve been here for a long time and I fear I’m spoiling your career as a warrior. Now the town of Xinye in Xiangyang is quite a prosperous place. How do you feel about going there with your own troops?”

Liu Bei naturally accepted the offer as a command. After taking leave of the prefect, he set out the next day for his new post. Outside the gate of Jingzhou, however, a man came up to salute to him and said, “You should not ride that horse.”

The speaker turned to be one of the prefect’s secretaries named Yi Ji. Liu Bei hastily dismounted and asked him why. Yi Ji replied, “Yesterday I heard Kuai Yue telling the prefect that this horse was a Dilu and that it would bring disaster to its master. That was why it was returned to you. How can you ride it again?”

“Thank you very much for your kindness,” replied Liu Bei, “but I think a man’s life is governed by fate. How can any horse interfere with that?”

Yi Ji was quite impressed by this superior view, so from then on he kept contact with Liu Bei.

The arrival of Liu Bei in Xinye was a matter of rejoicing to all its inhabitants and the whole administration was reformed.

In the spring of the twelfth year of the reign Jian An (
A.D.
207), Lady Gan gave birth to a son, who was named Liu Shan. The night he was born a white crane settled on the roof of the house, screeched some forty times, and then flew away westward.
^*
At the time of his birth a miraculous fragrance filled the chamber. As Lady Gan had conceived of the child soon after she had dreamed of looking up at the sky and feeling the constellation of the Great Bear falling down her throat, the child was also given the milk name A Dou.
^†

At the time Cao Cao was away from the capital on his northern expedition. Liu Bei went to see the prefect and said to him, “The capital is unguarded at the moment. Why don’t you take this opportunity to attack it? You will be able to accomplish the greatest design.”

“I’m well contented with my nine districts of Jingzhou,” replied Liu Biao. “How can I hope for other things?”

Liu Bei said no more. Then the prefect invited him inside for a drink. While they were so engaged he suddenly began to sigh despondently.

“Why do you sigh like this, brother?” asked Liu Bei.

“I have something on my mind that is difficult to tell you about,” said the prefect.

Liu Bei was on the point of asking him what it was when Lady Cai came and stood behind the screen. The prefect hung his head and fell silent. Before long they took leave of each other and Liu Bei went back to his own place. That winter they heard that Cao Cao had returned from the Willow City and Liu Bei sighed when he reflected how the prefect would not heed his advice.

One day the prefect sent a messenger to ask Liu Bei to see him in Jingzhou. So he started out at once with the messenger. He was given a cordial welcome and when the salutations were over the two men went into the private quarters at the rear to dine.

Presently the prefect said, “Cao Cao has returned and he is stronger than ever. I’m afraid he means to absorb this district as well. I’m sorry I didn’t follow your advice and have therefore missed a good opportunity.”

Liu Bei said, “In this period of disruption, with strife on every side, there are bound to be other opportunities. If you will only seize them you will have nothing to regret.”

“You’re right, brother,” replied the prefect.

They drank on for some time. Suddenly the prefect began to weep. When asked why, he said, “There is something on my mind. I wanted to tell you last time but there was no opportunity that day.”

“What’s troubling you, brother? If I can be of any assistance to you I will not hesitate, even though I have to face a thousand deaths.”

“I have two sons,” said the prefect. “The elder one, Qi, was born to me by my first wife from the Chen family. He grew up virtuous but weakly and unfitted to succeed me in my office. The younger one Zong, from my second wife of the Cai family, was fairly intelligent. If I pass over the elder in favor of the younger I will be violating conventional law; and if I follow the law and set up the elder as my heir then there are the intrigues of the Cai family to be reckoned with. As members of that family are all in the army, there will be trouble in the future. That’s why I can’t decide what to do.”

Liu Bei said, “History has proven that to set aside the elder for the younger is to stir up trouble. If you fear the power of the Cai clan, you can gradually reduce it, but don’t let doting affection lead you into making the younger son your heir.”

The prefect fell silent. However, they did not know that they had been overheard by Lady Cai. She always had a sneaking suspicion of Liu Bei. So wherever her husband talked to Liu Bei she would come and listen secretly to their conversation. At that very moment she was standing behind the screen and listening with great resentment against Liu Bei for his words.

Liu Bei felt that he had made a mistake to speak so bluntly. Making an excuse, he rose and went to the toilet, where he noticed that he was getting heavy and stiff from lack of exercise and he, too, shed tears. When he returned and sat down his host found there were traces of weeping on his face. Surprised, he asked Liu Bei about the cause of his sorrow.

“In the past I was always in the saddle and I was slender and lithe. Now it has been so long since I rode that I’m getting stout and flabby. My days and months are slipping by, wasted, and in no time old age will come upon me—and yet I haven’t accomplished anything. So I’m sad.”

The prefect tried to comfort him. “I was told that when you were in the capital you and Cao Cao had discussed heroes while drinking wine and eating green plums. To every name you mentioned as having the merit of a hero, he wouldn’t give consent. Finally he said you and he were the only two men of real worth in the whole country. If Cao Cao, with all his power, didn’t dare to place himself before you, I don’t think you have to grieve about having accomplishing nothing.”

Partly due to this flattering speech and partly due to too much wine, Liu Bei forgot his usual prudence and said rather boastfully, “If only I had a starting base I wouldn’t really have to worry about all the mediocre men of the world!”

His host became silent and Liu Bei, realizing that he had blundered in speech, pretended to be drunk and rose to leave for his lodging at the guesthouse.

Though Liu Biao kept silent when he heard Liu Bei’s words he felt rather hurt in his heart. After his departure, the prefect retired into the inner quarters, where he met his wife.

Lady Cai said, “Just now I happened to be behind the screen and so heard what Liu Bei said to you. He was so arrogant. It clearly reveals his intention to take your district, if he can. He’ll harm you in the future unless you remove him now.”

Her husband made no reply but only shook his head. Then Lady Cai secretly took counsel with her brother Cai Mao who said, “Let me go to the guesthouse and slay him tonight. We can report what we’ve done later.”

His sister consented and the brother went out to assemble the army for the night raid.

Now Liu Bei sat in his lodging with candles lit till about the third watch, when he prepared to retire to bed. Just then there was a knock on his door and in came Yi Ji, who had heard of the plot against him and had come in the dark to warn him. He related to Liu Bei the details of the plot and urged him to escape at once.