They two decided on how this plan could be worked out and the messenger, still hot with anger and excitement, returned home.
Seeing him so disturbed in mind, his wife asked him what was wrong. But he would not tell her anything. However, he had a concubine, who had an intrigue with the wife’s younger brother, Miao Ze, who much desired to marry her. Noticing, too, how agitated her lord was, the concubine spoke of it to her lover, and he told her to draw him out by putting a provocative question to him. “Ask him why people say Liu Bei is kindly and virtuous while Cao Cao is crafty and evil.”
That night Huang Kui went to the chamber of his concubine and she presently asked him the question proposed by her lover. Her lord, still rather intoxicated, said, “You are only a woman—yet you know right from wrong. How can I, a man, stand aloof? My enemy and the man I would slay, if I could, is Cao Cao.”
“But how? How are you able to do that?” she asked.
“I have made a plan with General Ma to assassinate Cao Cao tomorrow when he goes out to inspect the army.”
After learning this from the concubine Miao Ze went to tell Cao Cao, who at once made arrangements to defeat the scheme. He called up four trusted officers and gave them orders for the following day. This done, he arrested Huang Kui and all his household.
The next day, as arranged, Ma Teng led his western men toward the city. When they came close to the wall he saw in front a number of red flags bearing the name of Cao Cao himself. Thinking that Cao Cao had come to inspect the army in person, he urged his steed forward.
Suddenly a big explosion sounded and at this signal there appeared bodies of armed men from right and left, front and rear, so that the western men were completely encircled. Ma Teng and his two sons fought valiantly to free themselves from the trap but presently the youngest son was killed by an arrow. Ma Teng and the other son pushed this way and that, but failed on every side. Both were sorely wounded and when their steeds fell from many arrow wounds, both were captured.
Ma Teng, his son, and Huang Kui were brought before Cao Cao. Huang Kui loudly protested his innocence, at which Cao Cao called in the witness Miao Ze.
“You worthless scoundrel! You have spoiled my plan!” cried Ma Teng. “Now I cannot slay the rebel for my country. But it is the will of Heaven.”
Cao Cao ordered them to be taken out to be executed. Ma Teng met his death heroically and never ceased his abuse of the tyrant.
Father and sons share one niche of fame,
For purest loyalty their praise the same.
To their own harm the rebels they withstood,
Content to die to make their pledge good.
In blood the solemn oath they did indite
To slay the wicked and preserve the right.
A distinguished family from the west,
Old general’s name his descendants glorified.
“I desire no other reward than Huang Kui’s concubine as wife,” said Miao Ze.
Cao Cao smiled and said, “For the sake of a woman you have brought your brother-in-law’s whole household to destruction. What good would it be to preserve such a miscreant as you?”
So he ordered the executioners to put both the traitor and the woman to death, as well as the entire Huang household. Those who saw the fearful vengeance sighed at its cruelty.
Cao Cao did not desire to rouse the rancor of the men of the west, so he proclaimed to them: “Ma Teng and his sons rebelled but it has nothing to do with you.” At the same time he sent his men to secure the various passes so that the nephew Ma Dai should not escape.
As has been said, Ma Dai led the rear force. Before long some soldiers from the main army ran back and told him what had occurred at the capital. This frightened him so much that he abandoned his army and fled, disguised as a trader.
Having slain Ma Teng, Cao Cao decided to launch his expedition to the south. But then came the disquieting news of the military preparations of Liu Bei, whose objective was said to be West Chuan. This alarmed him and he said, “If he obtains the west, his wings will be fully grown. How are we going to deal with him?”
From among his counselors there arose one who said, “I have a plan that will prevent Liu Bei and Sun Quan from helping each other and secure for you both the south and the west.”
Chill death has just struck down the heroes of the west,
Disaster will approach the bold men of the south.
Who the speaker was will be disclosed in the next chapter.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Ma Chao Raises an Army for Vengeance
Cao Cao Shaves His Beard and Loses His Robe When Escaping
“What is this good plan of yours?” asked Cao Cao of the speaker, Chen Qun, who was a civil official in his service.
Chen Qun replied, “Your two principal enemies are now firm allies, close as lips and teeth. Now Liu Bei wants to invade West Chuan—if you, sir, send a mighty army, together with your men in Hefei to attack Sun Quan, he will try to seek help from Liu Bei, who, having set his heart on the west, will refuse to assist. Sun Quan, without this aid, will be so weakened that his whole territory will be yours for the taking. That done, Jingzhou will crumble at a tap of a drum. The west will be your next target and the whole empire, yours.”
“Those are my very thoughts put into words,” replied Cao Cao.
An army of 300,000 men soon set out for the south, while in Hefei Zhang Liao was ordered to prepare grain and forage for the expedition.
Sun Quan speedily heard of the move and called in his advisors. At the council Zhang Zhao said, “You can send someone to Lu Su and tell him to write at once to Liu Bei, asking him for help. They are good friends and Liu Bei will certainly respond favorably. Besides, since Liu Bei is now son-inlaw of Wu, it is his duty to assist us. With the support of Liu Bei there is no danger to our country.”
Sun Quan took this advice and Lu Su was ordered to seek help from Liu Bei. Accordingly, on receiving this command, Lu Su wrote a letter to Liu Bei, who after reading it, retained the messenger at the guesthouse till Zhuge Liang could arrive to get advice from Nanjun. As soon as the advisor returned Liu Bei showed him the letter. The advisor said, “It is not necessary for Wu troops to move, nor for us to send ours. I can prevent Cao Cao from ever daring to look toward the southeast.”
So he wrote a reply, assuring Lu Su that if the northern army approached, he would have a plan to force it back at once.
The messenger took the letter and left. Liu Bei then asked his advisor how he could hope to withstand the huge army that Cao Cao had prepared to bring south.
Zhuge Liang replied, “Cao Cao’s chief fear is Xiliang. Only recently he has slain Ma Teng and his son Ma Chao, who is in command of the men of Xiliang, will be grinding his teeth with rage against Cao Cao. Now you can write and seek an ally in Ma Chao, asking him to march his army toward the capital, and Cao Cao will have no leisure to think of any expedition to the south.”
The letter was duly written and sent by a trusty hand.
Away in Xiliang, one night Ma Chao had a strange dream in which he saw himself lying out on a snowy plain and many tigers were coming up and biting him. He awoke in a fright and wondered what the dream portended. He assembled his officers and told them about the dream.
“This is an ill omen,” answered Pang De, one of his trusted officers.
“What is your interpretation?” asked Ma Chao.
“Meeting with tigers on a snowy plain is a very inauspicious subject to dream about. I fear our old general is in trouble at the capital.”
Almost at the same moment a man came staggering in and cast himself on the ground crying, “Both your father and your brothers are dead.”
It was Ma Dai, and he related how Ma Teng and his two sons came to be slain by Cao Cao and how he had managed to escape in disguise.
Ma Chao, grief-stricken, wept so bitterly that he collapsed to the ground. His officers helped him up. Gritting his teeth, he cursed his enemy Cao Cao.
Soon after,
a messenger came with a letter from Liu Bei, which read:
In these unfortunate days of the Hans, the rebellious and tyrannical Cao Cao monopolizes all power, to the injury of the Emperor and the wretchedness of the people. I, Liu Bei, recall that your noble father and I were recipients of a secret edict, and we swore to exterminate the arch rebel. Now your noble father has suffered death at the hands of Cao Cao and it is your duty to avenge him. You cannot let the same sky cover you and your enemy, nor the same sun shine upon you and your father’s murderer. If you can lead your men to attack Cao Cao from the west I will march my armies to assault him from the south. In this way he can be taken and all his evil band exterminated. Then and thus will your father be avenged and the Hans restored. The letter cannot contain all I want to say to you, but I await your reply.
With tears in his eyes, Ma Chao instantly wrote a reply, which was returned by the bearer.
The Xiliang army was then mustered and a day was set for the start. Just then the prefect of the district, Han Sui, sent for Ma Chao, to whom he showed a letter from Cao Cao promising to promote him to be Lord of Xiliang as a reward for sending Ma Chao as a prisoner to the capital.
“Bind me and my cousin now, uncle, and send us to Cao Cao. That will save you the trouble of fighting,” said the younger man, prostrating himself.
But Han Sui helped him up, saying, “Your father and I were sworn brothers—do you think I would harm you? I will help you if you are going to fight.”
Ma Chao bowed to express his gratitude. The bearer of Cao Cao’s letter was dragged away and beheaded. Then Han Sui with his eight divisions set out to join Ma Chao, whose officers included Pang De and Ma Dai. The combined force, numbering 200,000 men, set out for the capital. On their march, the first city they had to pass through was Chang’an.
The prefect of that city was Zhong Yao. As soon as he heard what was afoot he dispatched a message to Cao Cao and prepared for defense, leading his force out into the open plain and deploying for battle.
Ma Dai, leader of the van of the Xiliang army, arrived first, pouring his 15,000 men over the countryside like a flood. Zhong Yao rode forward to parley with Ma Dai, but the latter came forward, sword in hand, to attack. After but one bout, the prefect was already worsted and fled. Ma Dai followed in pursuit. Soon the main body of the avengers arrived and they surrounded the city, which Zhong Yao set about defending.
Chang’an had been the capital of West Han and so was well fortified, with a solid wall and a deep moat. The Xiliang army besieged the city for ten days without success. Then Pang De proposed a plan. He said, “The soil in the city is hard and the water bitter with alkali, making it undrinkable. Furthermore, they lack firewood for fuel. Ten days of siege must have exhausted their supplies. So if we withdraw for a time and….” Then he explained the plan to Ma Chao, saying that they would capture the city without having to lift a finger.
“Your plan sounds excellent,” said Ma Chao.
So they sent orders of withdrawal to each division and Ma Chao covered the retreat. The next day, Zhong Yao went up the city walls to look around, and saw that the besiegers had gone. However, suspecting a ruse, he sent out spies, who returned to say the soldiers had really moved far into the distance. Much relieved, he allowed both soldiers and people to go out into the country to cut the urgently-needed firewood and bring in drinking water. The city gates, thrown wide open, were thronged with those passing in and out.
This continued for five days and then they heard that Ma Chao’s army was returning. In panic people rushed into the city and the gates were once more firmly closed.
The officer responsible for the west gate was Zhong Jin, brother of Zhong Yao. At about the third watch of the night, a fire was started just inside the gate and when he hastened there to put it out, a man riding on a horse suddenly turned up from the corner and slashed at him with a sword, crying at the same time, “Here is Pang De!” Taken aback, the officer was slain. The guards were soon disposed of, the gate locks shattered, and the soldiers outside came pouring in. The prefect escaped by the east gate, leaving the city to his enemies. He retreated to Tong Pass, where he again fortified himself and sent news of the defeat to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao threw aside his plan for the expedition to the south when he learned that Chang’an was lost. He at once ordered Cao Hong and Xu Huang, with 10,000 men under their command, to replace the defeated prefect in defending Tong Pass. They were told to hold Tong Pass at all cost for at least ten days, or they would pay for its loss with their heads. After ten days the pass would be no concern of theirs, for Cao Cao would be there with the main army.
Cao Ren warned him that Cao Hong was hot-tempered and might bungle things. So Cao Ren was ordered to follow them with the supplies.
The two officers made all haste to the pass and took over the command from Zhong Yao. They confined themselves to defense and would not venture out. Ma Chao appeared every day and reviled the three generations of Cao Cao’s family, which enraged Cao Hong, who would have led his men out to fight had not his colleague restrained him.
“Ma Chao only wishes to provoke you to go out,” said Xu Huang. “Remember our orders and do not fight now. Our lord surely has some master plan.”
But the advice was hard to follow, for Ma Chao’s men took turns in cursing Cao Cao day and night. And Xu Huang tried his best to prevent his colleague from taking any rash action.
Thus it continued till the ninth day. Then the defenders saw that their enemies had turned all their horses loose and were resting on the grass, many even sleeping as if quite fatigued. So Cao Hong ordered his attendants to get ready his horse and, at the head of 3,000 men, he dashed down to catch the besiegers unprepared. They at once fled, leaving their steeds and throwing aside their weapons. Unable to resist temptation, Cao Hong pursued them.
At this time Xu Huang was checking cartloads of grain and forage; but when he heard what his impulsive colleague had done, he hastily got his men together and went to his rescue. He shouted to Cao Hong to return.
Suddenly a great shouting arose near him and out dashed Ma Dai to attack. Both Cao Hong and Xu Huang turned to flee, but the drums rolled and two bodies of men, led by Ma Chao and Pang De, came out from behind the hills. Then a battle began—but the Xiliang force was too strong for them and most of their men were lost. Cao Hong and his colleague managed to break through and made for the pass. Their enemies came in close pursuit and they had to abandon the pass and flee for their lives. Pang De followed them over the pass, where he was met by Cao Ren, who rescued the defeated men. Pang De returned to the pass with Ma Chao.
Cao Hong hastened to see his master to give him the evil tidings.
“I asked you to hold for ten days, why did you lose the pass on the ninth?” questioned Cao Cao.
“Those men from Xiliang hurled every sort of insult at us,” replied Cao Hong. “And when I saw them look unprepared I took the opportunity to rout them, but I fell victim to their trick.”
“You are young and impetuous. But, Xu Huang, you ought to know better.”
“He would not listen, though I told him many times. And when he went out that day I was taking in stores in another part of the pass. I hastened after him but it was too late.”
Cao Cao was infuriated and ordered Cao Hong to be put to death, but the other officers begged that he might be pardoned. Cao Hong pleaded guilty and finally he was allowed to go unpunished.
Cao Cao advanced to Tong Pass. On arriving he took Cao Ren’s advice of establishing a strong defensive position first before attacking. So trees were felled and a strong stockade was built with three camps. Cao Cao himself occupied the center one.
Soon after, Cao Cao and all his officers in a body rushed to attack the pass. On the way they ran against the Xiliang men. Both sides halted and formed their battle arrays. This done, Cao Cao rode to the central standard, from where he looked at his opponents.
He saw before him a body of fine soldiers, everyone with the bearing of a hero. And
the commander, Ma Chao, was of an especially impressive appearance. He had a fair complexion, rouge-red lips, a slender waist, and broad shoulders; his voice was resonant and his strength fierce. He was wearing a white battle robe and silver armor, gripping a long spear as he sat there on his charger. On his two sides were Pang De and Ma Dai.
Cao Cao, admiring him secretly in his heart, urged forward his steed and addressed Ma Chao: “You are descended from a notable general of the Hans. Why do you rebel?”
Ma Chao ground his teeth and cursed Cao Cao vehemently for his betrayal of the Emperor and the court, and above all, for his murder of his father and brothers. “The same sky shall not cover us both, for I will take you captive and sink my teeth in your living flesh!”
With this he set his spear and rode straight at Cao Cao to slay him. He was met by Yu Jin, who rushed forth behind his master, and the two were engaged in battle. After some half score of bouts Yu Jin had to flee. Zhang He, however, took his place and these two exchanged a score of passes. Then Zhang He, too, ran away. Next to challenge was Li Tong. Ma Chao’s martial prowess was now at its height and he made short work of his new opponent, who was thrust down from his horse after a few bouts. At this victory Ma Chao raised his spear to beckon the men behind him to press forward and they swarmed onward, overwhelming their enemies like a flood. Ma Chao and his two aides, with a hundred or so cavalrymen, rode right into the enemy’s center to capture Cao Cao.
They came close. Cao Cao, escaping amid his fleeing men, heard the shout of Xiliang soldiers: “That’s Cao Cao in the red robe!” So he hastily cast away his red robe. Soon after, however, he heard another shout: “That’s he with the long beard!” At once he took his sword and cut short his beard. Yet again some soldiers recognized him and told Ma Chao that Cao Cao had now clipped his beard, and so the cry changed to, “That’s Cao Cao with the short beard!” Hearing this, Cao Cao wrapped the corner of a flag about his neck and jowl and fled.