The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (60 page)

Here it must be explained that the officer who had passed first had not been Zhang Fei at all, but someone dressed to resemble him. Knowing that Yan Yan would use the drum as the signal, he had chosen the gong as the signal for his men to fall on their enemy.

The men of Shu could make no fight, and most of them dropped their weapons and surrendered. To reach the walls of the city was now easy. After entering the gates Zhang Fei ordered his men not to hurt the people, and he put out notices to pacify the citizens.

Then Zhang Fei took his seat in the great hall, and the late commander of the city was brought before him by executioners. Yan Yan refused to kneel before his captor.

“Why did you not surrender at first?” cried Zhang Fei, angrily grinding his teeth. “How dared you try to oppose me?”

“You unrighteous invaders!” replied Yan Yan without the least sign of fear. “I will be a headless general—but not a yielding general.”

Zhang Fei, enraged, gave the order for his execution.

“Kill me as you wish, you rascal!” cried Yan Yan. “What is there to be angry about?”

His bold defiance was not lost upon Zhang Fei. Rising from his seat he went down the steps, dismissed the guards and began to loosen the prisoner’s bonds. Then he gave him a robe to wear, helped him to the center seat and made a low bow, saying, “I have always known you to be a great hero, General. Please pardon me for the roughness of my speech just now.”

Overcome with this kindness, Yan Yan surrendered in the end.

A graybeard ruled in western Shu,

Clear fame is his the whole world through,
As radiant sun his loyalty,
Unmatched his soul’s nobility.

When captive taken rather he
Would suffer death than crook his knee.
Bazhou he ruled for many a year,
The world cannot produce his peer.

A poem was also written to praise Zhang Fei:

Valiant was he to capture Yan alive,

And with kindness he won the people’s hearts.
His statues in the temples of Shu remain
His fine deeds are honored even today.

Then Zhang Fei asked him to suggest a method for overcoming Shu. Yan Yan replied, “I am but the defeated leader of a defeated force, indebted to you for my life. I would like to offer my humble services to you. Without drawing a bow or shooting an arrow you will be able to conquer Chengdu.”

Cities yield in quick succession

Because of one man’s secession.

What he proposed will be told in the next chapter.

*
According to Chinese legend, this is the only day in a whole year when the Star of Cowherd meets his true love the Star of Weaver.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Zhuge Liang Plans to Capture Zhang Ren

Yang Fu Borrows an Army to Destroy Ma Chao

A
s
stated in the last chapter, Zhang Fei asked the old general to tell him how he might conquer the whole of Shu. This was his reply: “All the fortified garrisons between here and Luocheng are under my command and the officers there owe to me their commissions. The only way for me to show my gratitude is to make them all yield. Let me lead the advance and I will summon them one by one to surrender.”

Zhang Fei thanked him again and again, and the march to implement this plan began. Whenever the army arrived at a garrison, the old general summoned the commanding officer to submit and there it ended. Occasionally, one would hesitate, and Yan Yan would say, “You see, even I have submitted—what can you do?”

These bloodless victories followed each other, day after day. The officers of Shu simply came at Yan Yan’s bidding. Not a single battle was fought.

In the meantime, Liu Bei had received Zhuge Liang’s letter in which he informed him of the date of departure and of the forthcoming meeting at Luocheng. So he assembled his officers and said, “Our advisor and my brother left Jingzhou on the twenty-second day of the seventh month, one by water and the other by land. They will meet us here at Luocheng and then move on to Chengdu. They will be here any moment now. We must prepare for our offensive.”

Huang Zhong said, “Day after day Zhang Ren has come to challenge us, but day after day we have refused. This has worn down their fighting spirit and they will be off their guard. I propose we engineer a raid on their camp tonight. We will catch them unprepared and score a victory.”

Liu Bei agreed to try. That night they set out at the second watch in three divisions, with Huang Zhong on the right, Wei Yan on the left, and Liu Bei in command of the center force. They found their opponents unprepared as they had expected, so it was possible for them to force their way into the camp and set it on fire. The mounting flames sent the men of Shu fleeing to seek shelter in Luocheng, where they were admitted. After pursuing them for some distance Liu Bei made a temporary camp on the road.

The next day Liu Bei led his men right up to the city to besiege it. Zhang Ren kept quiet within and made no attempt to beat off the besiegers. On the fourth day Liu Bei led an attack on the west gate, sending his two warriors to attack the east. The south and north gates were left to give the besieged a chance to escape, if they would.

Now, outside the south gate of Luocheng the country was rough and hilly, while the swift Fu River ran past the north. For this reason the city could not be surrounded. From the city wall Zhang Ren watched the progress of the attack and saw Liu Bei the whole day riding to and fro, directing the assault at the west gate. As the day waned he noticed that the attacking force showed signs of fatigue. Therefore he asked his two colleagues, Wu Lan and Lei Tong, to go out through the north gate and then turn to the east gate to attack Liu Bei’s two officers, while he himself would go out by the south gate and steal round to attack Liu Bei at the west. Lest the withdrawal of men from the ramparts should be noticed by his enemy, he sent the militia up on the walls and told them to shout loudly to reinforce the rolling of the drums.

At sundown Liu Bei ordered the retreat of his army. But as the rearmost company turned about to march back to camp, there arose loud shouting from inside the city, and out at the south gate burst Zhang Ren and his force. Zhang Ren made straight for Liu Bei, who was in the middle of his army. His men were thrown into confusion. As his two officers on the east side were also attacked, they could render no help, and Liu Bei, being no match for his opponent, fled to the hills. Zhang Ren followed with a few of his men and soon got very near. It was a chase of several against one solitary rider, and as Liu Bei plied his whip he felt that the odds were much against him. Just then he saw another company of soldiers ahead, emerging from a hill path.

“An ambush in front, pursuers in rear! Surely Heaven wishes to destroy me!” he cried.

But all was not lost. As the force facing him drew near he recognized his own men, and the leader who dashed to meet him was his brother Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei and Yan Yan had happened to take that road and, seeing the dust of battle, Zhang Fei had hastened forward by himself.

The two Zhangs soon came up with each other and they fought more than ten bouts. By this time, Yan Yan with the main body also came up, and Zhang Ren turned and fled. Zhang Fei followed and chased him as far as the city wall. The gate was opened to allow Zhang Ren to enter and at once the drawbridge was raised.

Then Zhang Fei returned to his brother. Hearing that Zhuge Liang had not yet arrived, he rejoiced, saying, “So I have the credit of earlier arrival, although he’s traveling by river.”

Liu Bei said, “But how is it you’ve come so quickly? The roads you have to travel are so precipitous that there’s bound to be opposition.”

Zhang Fei replied, “Well, thanks to General Yan I’ve taken the forty-five cities or passes on the way without the least effort. It was not by my own merit at all.”

Then he related the story of the old general Yan Yan from beginning to end, and then presented the man himself.

Liu Bei said gratefully, “Without your help, General, my brother was certainly unable to come so soon.” He took off the golden chain armor he was wearing and gave it to his new ally.

A banquet was being prepared when scouts came to say that Huang Zhong and Wei Yan had been fighting with the two officers of Shu, who were later reinforced by Liu Gui and Wu Yi from the city. Unable to resist four opponents, they had fled eastward. Zhang Fei at once asked his brother to go with him to rescue them. Both went. When Liu Gui and Wu Yi saw them coming they hastened to return into the city. The other two, Wu Lan and Lei Tong, who had been following Liu Bei’s men, were not aware of this new development. Soon, however, they found their way of retreat cut off by the arrival of Liu Bei and his brother and their front was attacked by Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, who had turned back and rejoined the battle. Caught between two fires and helpless, they had to surrender. Liu Bei accepted their submission and returned to his own camp near the city.

The loss of his two officers grieved Zhang Ren sorely. His remaining two colleagues proposed risking all in one desperate battle while also sending an urgent message to Chengdu to tell their master of their plight.

Zhang Ren agreed. He said, “Tomorrow I will go and challenge them. If they accept and come out to fight, I will feign retreat and lure them round to the north side of the city. As they follow me, a sortie must be made when they pass the gate, so as to cut their army in two. We ought to overcome them in this way.”

“Let me lead the sortie,” said Wu Yi. “General Liu can stay to help our lord’s son guard the city.”

This also was agreed to. The next morning, Zhang Ren went out to challenge, his men waving flags and shouting furiously. At once Zhang Fei took up the challenge and rode out. Without a word he galloped up to Zhang Ren and engaged him. After half a score of bouts Zhang Ren, pretending to be worsted, turned and fled around to the north of the city. Zhang Fei pursued him with all speed. Then, as he passed the gate, Wu Yi rushed out to fight—instantly Zhang Ren turned back to attack, so that Zhang Fei was between two forces and unable to get clear.

Zhang Fei seemed to be in a perilous state. But at this very moment a body of soldiers came up from the riverside and a fierce warrior rode straight for Wu Yi, and in the first bout made him prisoner. His men were then easily forced back and Zhang Fei was free. It was Zhao Yun who had so opportunely appeared.

“Where is our chief advisor?” asked Zhang Fei.

“He’s arrived—I think he’s already seen our lord,” replied Zhao Yun.

The prisoner was taken to the camp, where Zhuge Liang and the others were already seated. Zhang Fei dismounted and went in to greet him.

Greatly surprised, Zhuge Liang asked, “How come you arrived before me?”

This time it was Liu Bei who told the whole story of Zhang Fei’s prudence and sagacity in securing the friendship of Yan Yan. Zhuge Liang congratulated him and said, “It is really your good fortune that General Zhang has now become such a good strategist.”

When the prisoner was taken in, Liu Bei asked him if he would surrender.

He replied, “There is no reason why I should not, now that I am a prisoner.”

Pleased, Liu Bei himself loosened his bonds. Zhuge Liang began to question him about the defense force in the city. Wu Yi told him the names of the officers in the city, adding, “Liu Gui does not count for much, but Zhang Ren is a man of immense talent and courage and must not be treated lightly.”