The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 (64 page)

By that time Sun Qian had also returned from his mission in Hanzhong.

Leaving the pass in the care of Meng Da and his comrade, Liu Bei returned with his army back to Mianzhu, from where he would proceed to take Chengdu. At this time two Shu officers came to oppose Liu Bei, and Zhao Yun volunteered to go out against them. Liu Bei, in the meantime, was getting a banquet ready to entertain Ma Chao. Before it even started, Zhao Yun had slew both his opponents and brought their heads to the banqueting chamber. This exploit surprised Ma Chao and doubled his respect for his new master.

“My lord, there is no need for you to fight,” said Ma Chao. “I will make Liu Zhang surrender of his own accord. Should he resist, my cousin and I will seize the city of Chengdu and offer it to you.”

Liu Bei was very pleased with this pledge and the day passed in rejoicing. But his kinsman Liu Zhang was greatly distressed at the news of his fresh misfortune, which reached him with the return of his defeated soldiers. He barred the gates and stopped all exits. Before long came news of the approach of Ma Chao with an army of relief. Only then did he venture to mount the walls. Looking down he saw Ma Chao and Ma Dai standing below the ramparts. Ma Chao called out, “I wish to speak with Liu Zhang.”

Then Liu Zhang showed himself, and Ma Chao plunged into the matter without further ado. “When I took command of Zhang Lu’s army I meant to rescue you,” he said, flourishing his whip. “But little did I expect that he would listen to the malicious tongue of Yang Song and want to slay me. I have now gone over to the side of Liu Bei, the Emperor’s uncle. I advise you, sir, to do the same and hand over your land. Thus you and your people will all escape harm. If you persist in stubborn resistance I will take the city first.”

His words came as a severe shock, and Liu Zhang, turning ashen with anguish, collapsed. When he came to he said, “I was stupid and it is too late to regret. Better open the gate and surrender so as to save all the people in the city.”

“No, no,” cried Dong He. “There are still 30,000 good soldiers in the city and ample money and supplies to sustain a year. There is no reason why we should submit now.”

But Liu Zhang was heartbroken. “My father and I have ruled here for more than twenty years and have done no particular good for the people. During the past three years of war the land was stained with the blood of my people and the fault was all mine. I could not bear it, and so I see no better way than to surrender, so that I may finally bring peace to the people.”

All those who heard him wept. Suddenly one man said, “Your words, my lord, correspond to the will of Heaven.”

Turning toward him they recognized him to be Qiao Zhou, who had the reputation of being an astrologer. Liu Zhang asked him for the reason and he replied, “I have studied the aspect of the heavens and found a multitude of stars gathering over our region, one of which shone as bright as the full moon, clearly a star for an emperor. And I recall a street urchin’s chant last year: ‘When comes the ruler from the east; then may you have new rice to eat.’ This is a presage. None can withstand the decree of the Most High.”

Huang Quan and another official were so angry at such a speech that they wanted to put the astrologer to death. But Liu Zhang checked them.

Next came news that the prefect of the metropolitan district had gone over to the invaders. This was the last straw. Liu Zhang went home weeping.

The next day he was told that Liu Bei’s envoy Jian Yong was calling at the city gate. He told the guards to open the gate and admit him. Jian Yong entered, riding in a carriage and looking about him most haughtily. Suddenly he was hailed from the street by a man with a sword in his hand, who cried, “You insolent wretch! You have got your wish and you behave as if there is no one to compare with you. How dare you look so contemptuously at we men of Shu?”

Jian Yong quickly got out of his carriage to greet the speaker, who was a man of Mianzhu named Qin Mi.

“Worthy brother,” he said. “I didn’t recognize you. Please don’t be angry.”

Both men then went to see Liu Zhang, to whom Jian Yong said that his master, Liu Bei, being generous and broadminded, had no intention of harming him. Liu Zhang was persuaded and at last made up his mind to give up resistance. So he treated Jian Yong very honorably that day. And the next day, taking his seal and insignia of office and his archives, he went out of the city in the same carriage with Jian Yong to Liu Bei’s camp. Liu Bei came out in person to receive him. Taking Liu Zhang by the hand, he wept, saying, “It is not that I wish to act so unrighteously, but I am forced by circumstances and cannot help it.”

They entered the camp together, where the seal of office and the documents changed hands. Afterwards, they rode into the city side by side. The people gave Liu Bei a cordial welcome, opening their doors and burning incense. The victor went to the official assembly hall, where he took his seat and was saluted by all the former subordinates of Liu Zhang, except Huang Quan and Liu Ba, who stayed away from the ceremony. This annoyed Liu Bei’s officers, who wished to go and kill the two disobedient men. Liu Bei hastened to issue an order, threatening severe punishment to anyone who tried to harm these two. Then he went to visit the two recalcitrants. Moved by this gesture, both agreed to enter Liu Bei’s service.

Zhuge Liang said, “Since we have vanquished all opposition in the land I suggest we remove Liu Zhang to Jingzhou—for there cannot be two rulers in the same place.”

“But I do not wish to exile him,” said Liu Bei.

“He lost his territory because of his weakness. If you cling to the effemi-nate virtue of mercy and hesitate before matters of importance, neither will you hold this land for long.”

Seeing his advice was wise, Liu Bei gave a great banquet at which he asked Liu Zhang to pack up his belongings and move to Jingzhou, together with his family and servants. He gave the deposed ruler of the west country the title of General of High Prestige. Thus Liu Zhang and his followers were sent away without delay to the south.

In the meantime, Liu Bei assumed the office of Governor of Yizhou. All the civil and military officials who had surrendered were well-rewarded. Yan Yan was given a high rank in the army. Fa Zheng became Prefect of the District of Shu. Several others whose positions had been prominent in the former administration, including Huang Quan and Liu Ba, were also given high ranks and fine titles, while officials to the number of three score or more were appointed new offices.

Naturally, honors were distributed generously to Liu Bei’s immediate helpers, to whose efforts he owed his victory. Zhuge Liang became Chief Military Counselor of the Forces; his brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were each created a general with a specially honorable title and a marquisdom; Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, and Ma Chao were all conferred the rank of general with meritorious titles. All the others, including those who had been guarding Jingzhou and Xiangyang, received promotions and rewards.

In addition, a special gift of five hundred catties of gold, a thousand catties of silver, a large amount of copper money, and a thousand rolls of Shu silk, was sent to Guan Yu in Jingzhou. And all the other men were given varied gifts according to their ranks. Huge numbers of oxen and horses were slaughtered to feast the army and granaries were opened to give grain to the civilians. There was great rejoicing for both the soldiers and the common folk.

Yizhou being settled, Liu Bei next desired to confiscate the famous estates in the capital city and divide them among his officers. But here Zhao Yun pointed out to him that the local people, after years of war, had lost a great deal of their property and that it would be wise policy to return the estates to the people and let them settle back in to their original occupations as soon as possible.

“In this way you will win their hearts,” he added. “It would be wrong to reward your own men at the expense of the people.”

Liu Bei listened and gave in with good grace.

To Zhuge Liang he assigned the task of revising the laws. As the punishments for offenses were rather severe, Fa Zheng said, “The founder of Han drew up only three laws, and the people were all profoundly grateful for his benevolence. I would rather that the laws be few and liberal so as to live up to the people’s expectations.”

Zhuge Liang replied, “You only look at one part of this. The laws of the Qin Dynasty were cruel and were therefore resented by the people. So it was fitting that the founder of Han should temper them with kindness. But the situation here is different. Liu Zhang, being weak and inefficient, could neither rule with benevolence nor with severity. Hence the proper relationship between the ruler and his subordinates was gradually obscured. Those who had received his favor by being awarded office became cruel once they acquired the highest ranks; those who had benefited from his kindness turned ungrateful once the kindness was no longer bestowed. That eventually led to all the problems in his administration. Now I mean to inculcate fear through the law, so that when law is performed people will know gratitude; and to constrain behavior by ranks, so that when one is promoted in rank he will value its honor. In the mutual cooperation between gratitude and honor, and in a proper distinction between superiors and inferiors, lie the efficiency of a government.”

Fa Zheng was completely convinced. In due time, law and order was observed by both the military and civilians. All the forty-one districts, guarded by their garrisons, were finally peaceful and contented.

As prefect of the metropolitan district, Fa Zheng took advantage of his position to reward whomever had formerly given him as trivial a favor as a meal and to revenge on whomever had once offended him by so much as flashing an angry glance at him. Someone told this to Zhuge Liang, urging him to admonish Fa Zheng.

But Zhuge Liang replied, “When our lord was in Jingzhou, fearful of Cao Cao in the north and Sun Quan in the east, Fa Zheng gave him full support. In these prosperous days one can hardly begin to discipline him. Could we reasonably forbid him following his own way?”

So no investigation was made, but Fa Zheng, hearing of these words, began to restrain himself in his vengeance.

One day, when Liu Bei was chatting with Zhuge Liang at leisure, it was announced that Guan Yu had sent his adopted son, Guan Ping, to thank him for the handsome gifts. He called the young man in. Guan Ping paid his respects and handed over his father’s letter. Then he said that his father, hearing of Ma Chao’s excellent skill in martial arts, was anxious to come into Chengdu to compete with him.

Liu Bei was startled, “If he were to come and fight with Ma Chao I fear they would become enemies.”

“There is nothing to fear,” said Zhuge Liang. “I will write to him.”

Liu Bei, knowing his brother’s impulsive temperament, asked Zhuge Liang to compose the letter at once and send it back by Guan Ping.

When Guan Ping returned to Jingzhou, his father’s first question was about the contest with Ma Chao. The young man produced the letter:

“I hear you are anxious to compete with Ma Chao to determine which of you is the more valiant. Now Ma Chao may be unusually brave, but he is only of the class of Ying Bu and Peng Yue.
*
He might be a worthy rival of your younger brother Yi-de, but he is far from the standard set by you, General of the Beautiful Beard. Besides, you have been entrusted with the defense of Jingzhou, which is a very important task. If you come to Chengdu, and Jingzhou should be lost, would you not be guilty of a terrible neglect of your duty? Pray consider this.”

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and smiled as he read the letter. He knows me perfectly well, he said to himself. He showed the letter to his subordinates and friends. There was no more talk of going westward.

The success of Liu Bei in the west had been duly reported to Sun Quan, who again thought of obtaining the much-coveted Jingzhou. So he called in Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong to ask them for advice.

Zhang Zhao said that he had a scheme which would make Liu Bei return the place with outstretched hands without a fight.

In Shu there shines new sun and moon,

Wu dreams Jingzhou will be its own soon.

What this scheme was will be disclosed in the next chapter.

*
A famous beauty in the period of Spring and Autumn.

†
A virtuous but rather ugly woman in ancient China.

*
Both were valiant officers of the founder of the Han Dynasty.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX