The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (61 page)

“We will capture Zhang Ren first before we get the city,” said Zhuge Liang.

“There is a bridge in the east—what is it called?”

“The Golden Goose.”

Zhuge Liang rode over to the bridge and scrutinized the neighborhood.

After his return to camp, he summoned Huang Zhong and Wei Yan to whom he said, “To the east of the city is a bridge called the Golden Goose, and about five
li
south of this there is a dense growth of reed and sedge, which will afford excellent shelter for an ambush. Wei Yan, you are to place a thousand spearmen on the left. When the enemy comes, attack only the riders. Huang Zhong, you are to lay an ambush on the right with a thousand swordsmen and attack only the horses.”

Then turning to Zhang Fei he said, “When Zhang Ren has lost most of his men and horses, he will flee by the byroad east of the hills. You are to lie in wait for him there and capture him.”

Next, Zhao Yun was called and sent to lie in ambush to the north of the bridge, which he was to destroy as soon as the enemy had crossed. He added, “Then you are to take up a position in the north to prevent Zhang Ren from getting away through that direction. Forced to take the road to the south, his destruction is inevitable.”

Having made these arrangements, Zhuge Liang himself went to challenge Zhang Ren and try to bring him to battle.

At that time two more officers had arrived from Chengdu to assist Zhang Ren. One of them was ordered to help Liu Gui defend the city while the other, Zhuo Ying by name, was to lead the rearguard and move out with Zhang Ren, who was to command the vanguard.

Zhuge Liang guilefully led out a troop of disorderly-looking soldiers, whom he drew up to array against Zhang Ren’s army. He himself, wearing his headpiece and toying with a fan, took his seat in a small four-wheeled carriage. About a hundred horsemen holding rods formed his escort. Having crossed the bridge, Zhuge Liang halted and, pointing to Zhang Ren, he said, “Even Cao Cao, with his million men, fled at the mere mention of my name. Who do you think you are that dares to fight with me and not surrender?”

Zhang Ren, seeing the disorderly soldiers in front, sneered as he sat on his steed: “People talk of Zhuge Liang’s superhuman military genius—I say his reputation is false.”

With that he waved his spear and at this signal all his men surged forward with him to attack. At this, Zhuge Liang left his carriage, mounted a horse and crossed the bridge to flee. Zhang Ren impetuously pursued and dashed over the bridge of the Golden Goose. It was only when he had reached the other side that he saw a body of enemy soldiers on either hand. Then he knew that he had been led into a trap.

As soon as he had crossed the bridge the two bodies of soldiers attacked. Zhang Ren hurriedly turned back but the bridge had already been destroyed as planned. He wanted to turn away to the north, but Zhao Yun had spread out his men that way. So he had to turn southward to follow the course of the river. He presently reached the place where grew the reeds and sedges. Out came Wei Yan and his spearmen, who thrust fiercely at the riders while Huang Zhong, with his swordsman, crippled the horses. The cavalrymen and their horses were soon lying on the ground. The foot soldiers, intimidated by the fall of their colleagues, dared not advance. Zhang Ren, followed by a few lucky horsemen, fled toward the hills where, however, he ran into Zhang Fei. Zhang Ren tried to escape but was surrounded by enemy soldiers and Zhang Fei, uttering a mighty roar, fell upon him and captured him. Seeing Zhang Ren a victim of the ruse, his rearguard commander, Zhuo Ying, had turned toward Zhao Yun and surrendered. When Zhang Ren was led in by Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang was seated beside his lord.

“Why have you held out so long after all the other officers of Shu have yielded?” asked Liu Bei.

“Can a loyal officer take a second master?” cried Zhang Ren fiercely, his eyes glaring with hate.

“You do not know the times—submission means life.”

“Even if I submit today, I will not submit in future. You had better slay me.”

Liu Bei was inclined to mercy, but Zhang Ren was irreconcilable and kept up a stream of furious abuse. So at last Zhuge Liang ordered his execution to enable him to earn a reputation of loyalty.

A poem says:

No second lord the heroic martyr knows,

Though dead, still lives the warrior loyal and bold.
Clear shines his honor as doth the heavenly moon
That nightly lights the ramparts of Luocheng.

Liu Bei sighed deeply for Zhang Ren’s death and ordered his men to bury him beside the bridge of the Golden Goose, where all the passersby would be reminded of his loyalty.

The next day the army moved on to Luocheng, with Yan Yan and the other officers who had submitted leading the way. At the gate they called upon those inside to surrender so that the city residents could be saved from utter destruction. From the wall, Liu Gui let out a torrent of abuse at the traitors. Yan Yan was just going to take his bow to shoot at him when Zhang Yi, a native of Wuyang, cut Liu Gui down and opened the gate for the invaders. The city yielded.

As Liu Bei entered the city by one gate, Liu Xun, son of Liu Zhang, escaped by another gate and set off for Chengdu. Liu Bei set about allaying the fears of the local inhabitants and rewarding those who had helped in the capture of the city.

“Now that Luocheng is taken, the seizure of Chengdu is only a matter of time,” said Zhuge Liang. “However, there may be some trouble in the outlying districts, which needs to be attended to first. You can send Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, with some of those who have recently joined us, into the country around to maintain order and repress any uprising that may occur. When they have completed their tasks they are to lead their troops at once to Chengdu, where the army will be assembled.”

The two warriors went their separate ways, and then Zhuge Liang began to make careful inquiries concerning the road to Chengdu. He was told that the only place where they could expect any serious defense was Mianzhu. Once they had seized this town, the capital lay at their mercy.

As Zhuge Liang was considering his next military maneuver, Fa Zheng made a suggestion: “With the fall of Luocheng, the whole of Shu will not be able to hold out for long. As our lord desires to win over the people with kindness and justice I think it better to suspend the military action. Let me write a letter to Liu Zhang and explain the grave consequences to him. He will surrender at our call.”

“Good idea,” said Zhuge Liang.

The letter was written and sent to Chengdu.

Liu Xun, son of the governor, presently reached Chengdu and told his father of the loss of Luocheng. The governor, distressed, at once called his counselors together, and one of them said: “Although Liu Bei has been successful and captured cities and towns, yet his own army is but small and the former Shu officers and men are not truly with him. Besides, he depends upon the land for his grain, for he has no proper supplies. Therefore our best plan is to remove the people of Baxi and Zitong to the west of the Fu River, burn all the granaries, fortify the city, and let starvation defeat him. When they come we will reject all challenges to battle and in a hundred days his men will go off of their own accord. That will be our chance to capture Liu Bei.”

But Liu Zhang was not in favor of this plan. “No, I do not like this,” he said. “I have only heard of opposing invaders to bring peace to the people but I have never heard of disturbing the people to oppose invaders. Your plan is not one to secure our safety.”

Just at the moment the letter from Fa Zheng arrived. It was opened and the governor read: “I was sent to Jingzhou to negotiate an alliance some time ago, but the opposition of those about you has resulted in the present impasse. However, the ruler of Jingzhou still remembers old friendships and is mindful of the ties between kinsmen. If Your Lordship could reverse your policy and come over to his side, I think you would be generously treated. I hope you will consider this most carefully.”

Liu Zhang flew into a rage. Tearing the letter to fragments, he began to abuse its writer as an ungrateful traitor who sold his master for his own gains, and drove the bearer of the letter from his presence. He at once sent an army under the leadership of Fei Guan, his wife’s brother, to reinforce the defense in Mianzhu. Fei Guan recommended as his assistant a warrior called Li Yan and the two mustered 30,000 men to march to the city in concern.

At this juncture an official advised Liu Zhang to seek aid from his enemy Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Liu Zhang was surprised at this proposal and said, “There is a feud between our two families. Do you think he will help me?”

“He may be an enemy, but since Liu Bei is in possession of Luocheng the situation is extremely dangerous for both of you. As the saying goes, ‘When the lips are gone the teeth are cold.’ If you clearly explain the peril to him he will come to our help.”

So Liu Zhang wrote a letter and sent an envoy to seek assistance from his former enemy.

Let us now return to the young warrior Ma Chao and trace his fate in the far west. Two years had elapsed since he was defeated by Cao Cao and gone over to the Xiang tribesmen of Longxi. He had made friends with them and with their aid had conquered most portions of Longxi. His expeditions had been very successful, the officials opening their gates at the first summons. Only Jicheng had withstood, but even this was on the point of yielding. The governor of the district had sent many urgent appeals for help to Xiahou Yuan, who, however, would do nothing without his master’s order. The governor was in despair, and began to consider surrender. However, when he consulted his subordinates on this, one of them, called Yang Fu, earnestly opposed yielding, saying they could not surrender to a rebel.

“If not, what is there to hope for?” asked the governor in despair.

Although Yang Fu pleaded with him to hold out, it was useless—the governor rejected his advice, opened the city gates, and bowed to Ma Chao in submission.

“You only yield now as the last resource,” cried Ma Chao, angry at the delay he had suffered. “This is no real submission.”

So he ordered to be put to death the governor and all his family to the number of two score.

But when he was told that Yang Fu had urged his master to hold out and therefore should be executed, Ma Chao was opposed to this and said that Yang Fu had but done his duty. To show his appreciation of Yang Fu’s sense of loyalty he even employed him and two of his friends in his own army. These two friends were named Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu.

One day Yang Fu went to his new chief and said, “My wife has died in Lintao—I wish to take leave for two months to bury her.”

Therefore he was granted leave and went away. But instead of going home he went to see his maternal cousin Jiang Xu, who was in command at Licheng and whose mother, then an old lady of eighty-two, was Yang Fu’s aunt. When Yang Fu saw her he said, in tears: “The city I had to defend is lost; my master is dead; and yet I have survived him. I am ashamed to look you in the face. Now this Ma Chao has slain the governor without reason, and every man in the region hates him. Yet my cousin sits still and does nothing about this. Is this fitting conduct for a state servant?”

He wept bitterly. The old lady, moved by his grief, called in her son and reproached him, “You are also to blame for the death of the governor.” Then turning once more toward Yang Fu, she asked, “But you have surrendered to Ma Chao and, more than that, you have entered his service. Why do you want to destroy him now?”

Yang Fu replied, “I did so only to preserve my miserable life till I can avenge my master.”

“But Ma Chao is terribly strong and difficult to destroy,” said his cousin.

“Not very difficult,” replied Yang Fu, “for though he is bold he is not resourceful. I have already planted two friends by his side, and they would help us against him if you would only raise a force.”

“What is to the point of delay?” said the old lady. “Is there anyone who will not have to die? To perish in the way of loyalty and righteousness is to die a worthy death. Do not worry about me. If you do not listen to your cousin, I will die at once so that you may be free to make up your mind.”

There was now no excuse for delay, and Jiang Xu had to act. He summoned two of his officers, Yin Feng and Zhao Ang, and took counsel with them.

Now Zhao Ang had a son, Yue, who was an officer in the army of Ma Chao. Although he had consented to take part in the action against his son’s chief, he was very upset in his heart. He returned home and said to his wife, “I have today been led into a scheme to destroy Ma Chao and avenge the governor. But our son is there in his service, and he will certainly put him to death as soon as he hears that we are against him. What is to be done?”

But his wife replied angrily, “Should anyone grudge even his own life to avenge the death of his lord? How much less a son? If you let the thought of your son stay your hand then I will die at once.”

This decided the matter, and without further discussion Zhao Ang decided to join the expedition. The army was soon on its way. Jiang Xu and Yang Fu went and camped at Licheng; the other two, Yin Feng and Zhao Ang, camped by the Qi Mountains. The wife of Zhao Ang sold her jewels and went in person to her husband’s camp to reward his soldiers.

The fears of Zhao Ang concerning the fate of his son were only too soon justified. At the first news of the army marching against him, Ma Chao beheaded the young man. A force was sent to Licheng, and the men under Jiang Xu and Yang Fu went out to oppose it. The two leaders on the avenging side went to battle dressed in mourning white. They railed at Ma Chao, calling him a traitor, wicked and rebellious.