Presently, however, they saw flames rising at five points before them, and soon it was known that their city of refuge had fallen into the hands of Zhang Fei and Wei Yan. These two, who had been replaced by the aged general Yan Yan, had seized Nanzheng on their way to join Liu Bei. This was another serious blow to Cao Cao, who then turned toward Yangping Pass. Liu Bei followed them with his main army to Baozhou in the Nanzheng district, where the chase halted and Liu Bei set about pacifying the people and restoring peace.
“Cao Cao was very quickly overcome this time,” said Liu Bei to his advisor, “how was that?”
“He has always been of a suspicious nature,” said Zhuge Liang, “and that often leads to failure, although he is a good commander. I have defeated him by playing upon his doubts.”
“He is rather weakened now,” said Liu Bei. “What plan do you have to drive him out entirely?”
“That is all thought out.”
So saying, the advisor sent Zhang Fei and Wei Yan on two different routes to intercept Cao Cao’s supply wagons, and Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun to go and set fire to the hills. All four officers went away, taking with them locals to act as guides.
At Yangping Pass, Cao Cao dispatched scouts to do reconnoitering work, who returned to report that the roads far and near were blocked by the men of Shu and every hill was burning. However, they had not seen any enemy soldiers. Cao Cao was pondering with dismay over this information when another startling report came in that his supply wagons would be intercepted by Zhang Fei and Wei Yan. At this, he called for a volunteer to counter Zhang Fei and Xu Chu offered himself. He was given a thousand veterans, and ordered to escort the grain wagons safely back to Yangping Pass.
The officer in charge of grain transport was very glad to see Xu Chu. “Except for you, General, the grain would never reach Yangping.”
He entertained Xu Chu with the wine and food on the wagons, who ate and drank copiously, so that he became quite intoxicated. And in that state he urged the convoy to proceed.
“The sun has set,” objected the transport officer, “and the road near Baozhou is difficult and dangerous. We should not pass there at night.”
“I can face any danger,” boasted the drunken captain. “I am brave as a myriad of men put together. Who do you think I fear! Besides, there is a good moon tonight, and it is light enough for us to push the wagons along.”
So Xu Chu took the lead, sword in hand. By the second watch they were advancing toward Baozhou. About halfway there rolling drums and blaring horns greeted them through a gap in the hills. It was soon followed by the appearance of a cohort led by Zhang Fei. With spear ready, he came racing down straight at Xu Zhu, who, whirling his sword, dashed to the front to meet him.
But Xu Chu was too drunk to stand against such an opponent. After a few bouts he was wounded in the shoulder, and fell off his horse. His men rushed to his help, and they carried him away as they retreated, while Zhang Fei took all the wagons of grain and forage away to his own camp.
The defeated men carried their wounded leader back to the pass, where he was placed in the care of physicians. Then Cao Cao himself led out his army to fight a decisive battle with the men of Shu. Liu Bei went out to meet him, and, when both sides were arrayed, Liu Feng rode out to challenge. Cao Cao at once taunted his rival and his adopted son.
“Seller of shoes, you are always sending out this pretended son of yours to fight for you. If I only call my boy here, your so-called son will be chopped to mincemeat.”
These words enraged Liu Feng, who raised his spear and galloped toward Cao Cao, who told Xu Huang to combat the young man. Liu Feng at once ran away in feigned retreat. Cao Cao led on his army, but almost immediately he was harassed by a cacophony of noises from inside his enemy’s camps, the explosion of four bombs, the beating of drums, and the blowing of trumpets. Afraid he was being led into an ambush, he hastened to retreat. The sudden retreat only caused even greater confusion, for the soldiers trampled upon each other and many were killed. All ran off to Yangping Pass as quickly as they could.
But before they could have any rest the men of Shu came right up to the walls of the pass. All four gates were being attacked—fire at the east and south gates, shouting from the west, and rolling of drums at the north. Cao Cao, scared out of his wits, gave up the pass and ran away.
The road to safety was not easy. In front Zhang Fei barred their way of advance; at the back Zhao Yun cut off their chances of retreat; and from the side Huang Zhong attacked. Cao Cao was severely defeated. His officers succeeded in making a sortie and escorted him toward Ye Valley. Here, another great cloud of dust was seen in the distance.
“If that is an ambush it is the end of me,” sighed Cao Cao.
The force came nearer, and then Cao Cao recognized not an enemy but his second son, Zhang. Now as a lad, Cao Zhang was a good horseman and an expert archer. He was more powerful than most men and could overcome a wild beast with his bare hands. Cao Cao did not approve of the young man’s bent, and often urged him to study more.
“You spend too much time on your bow and horse but not on books. That is the mere valor of a soldier. Do you think you can make an honorable career out of that?”
But Cao Zhang replied, “I admire remarkable generals like Wei Qing* and Huo Qubing* and, like them, I want to establish my name fighting in the desert and command a mighty army able to overrun the whole land. What have I to do with scholarship?”
Cao Cao used to ask his sons what career they would like to pursue, and Zhang always replied that he would be a general.
“But what kind of a general?” asked Cao Cao.
“He should be imbued with firmness and courage, and dares to stand at the head of his officers and men in times of danger. His rewards and punishments should be fair.”
Cao Cao laughed with pleasure.
In the twenty-third year of the period Jian An, Wuhuan tribesmen revolted, and Cao Cao sent this son with 50,000 men to suppress the rebellion. Just as he was leaving, his father reminded him of his duty.
“At home we are father and son, but on the battlefield we are officer and his lord. The law knows no kindness, and you must be aware of this.”
When the expedition reached the scene of trouble he acted heroically, fighting always ahead of his men and smote the rebels as far as a place called Sanggan. The uprising was put down. He had lately heard that his father was smitten at Yangping Pass, and had come to his aid.
His coming greatly pleased his father, who said, “Now that my son has arrived, we can destroy Liu Bei for certain.”
So the army marched back again and encamped at Ye Valley.
Liu Bei was informed of the arrival of Cao Zhang, and he asked for a volunteer to face him in combat. Liu Feng offered himself first but Meng Da also desired to go, so both were given permission.
“See which one of you can succeed,” said Liu Bei.
Each officer had 5,000 men, and Liu Feng led the way. Cao Zhang rode out and engaged him, and in the third bout Liu Feng was overcome and ran off. Then Meng Da advanced, but hardly had the struggle begun when he saw that Cao Cao’s men were in confusion. The cause was the sudden arrival of Ma Chao and Wu Lan. Meng Da immediately joined his comrades in the attack. Ma Chao’s men, who had been nursing their courage for a long time, fought so ferociously that the men of Cao could not withstand their onslaught. But in combat with Cao Zhang, Wu Lan was slain. A tangled battle ensued.
In the end Cao Cao withdrew his army to encamp at Ye Valley. There he remained for many days, prevented from advancing by Ma Chao and fearing ridicule if he should retreat back to the capital. One day, while he was pondering over what course to take, his cook brought in some chicken broth. He noticed in the broth some chicken tendons, which somehow touched him to the heart. He was still deep in thought when Xiahou Dun entered his tent to ask for the password for that night. Involuntarily Cao Cao blurted out, “Chicken tendon.”
It was passed on to the other officers. When Yang Xiu, the wit, h
eard the password he told all his men to pack up their belongings ready for a return march. Someone who saw this went to tell Xiahou Dun, who sent for Yang Xiu and asked him the reason for this.
He replied, “By tonight’s password I see that the prince is soon going to return. Chicken tendons lack meat and yet it’s a pity to waste them. Now if we advance we can’t conquer, and if we retreat we fear we will look ridiculous. There being no advantage here, the best course is to return. You’ll certainly see the Prince of Wei retreat before long. I’ve made my preparations so as not to be hurried at the last moment.”
“You do seem to know the prince’s inmost heart,” marveled Xiahou Dun, who then told his men to pack up. The other officers seeing this, also made preparations for departure.
That night Cao Cao’s mind was too perturbed to fall asleep. So he got up, took a steel battle-ax in his hand, and wandered secretly through the camp. When he got to Xiahou Dun’s tents he saw his men all packing up, ready to leave. Very much surprised, he made his way back to his own tent and sent for the general.
“Why are you packing up?”
“Yang Xiu told me about your plan to return,” he said.
Cao Cao summoned Yang Xiu and questioned him, who replied with his interpretation of the chicken-tendon password.
“How dare you invent such a story and disturb the hearts of my men?”
Cao Cao ordered his guards to behead Yang Xiu and hang his head at the camp gate.
The victim was a man of acute and ingenious mind, but inclined to show off. His lack of restraint in containing himself had often aroused Cao Cao’s jealousy. Once Cao Cao was having a garden laid out, and when it was completed he went to inspect the work. Without uttering a word of praise or criticism, he wrote the character “alive” on the gate and left. Nobody could guess what he meant till Yang Xiu heard of it.
“‘Gate’ with ‘alive’ inside it makes the word for ‘wide,’” he said. “The prime minister thinks the gates are too wide.”
Therefore they rebuilt the outer walls on an altered plan. When complete, Cao Cao was asked to go and see it again. And he was delighted.
“But who guessed what I intended?” he asked.
“Yang Xiu,” replied his men.
Cao Cao outwardly praised Yang Xiu for his ingenuity but inwardly he was displeased.
Another time Cao Cao received a box of cream cheese from Mongolia. He just scribbled three words on the lid and left it on the table. The words seemed to have no meaning. But Yang Xiu happened to come in, saw the words, and at once handed a spoonful of the contents to each guest in the room. When Cao Cao asked him why he did this, he answered with an interpretation of the words on the box, which, when worked out into their primary strokes, read, EACH MAN A MOUTHFUL.
“Could I possibly disobey your order, sir?” he asked.
Cao Cao laughed with the others, but in his heart he was again jealous of someone who seemed to excel in cleverness.
Cao Cao lived in constant fear of assassination, and to his attendants he often warned, “None of you should come near me when I am asleep, for I am likely to slay people in my dreams.”
One day he was enjoying a siesta, and his quilt fell off. One of the attendants saw it and hastened to cover him again. Cao Cao suddenly leaped up from the couch, slew the man with his sword, and lay down again to sleep. Some time after he got up, he simulated surprise, and asked who had killed his attendant. When the other attendants told him, he wept aloud for the dead man and had him buried in a fine grave. Most people thought that Cao Cao had slain the man while immersed in a dream, but Yang Xiu knew better, and at the funeral of the victim he remarked, “The prime minister was in no dream, but the gentleman in the grave was dreaming.”
This only increased Cao Cao’s hatred of him.
Cao Cao’s third son, Zhi, admired Yang Xiu for his talent and often invited him to his place, where they would talk the whole night.
Later Cao Cao considered appointing Zhi as his heir. When his eldest son Cao Pi learned about this, he secretly requested Wu Zhi to come and discuss this matter. Then fearing that someone might see his visitor, he had a large basket made, in which the advisor was smuggled into his residence. He gave out that the basket contained rolls of silk. Yang Xiu heard about this and informed Cao Cao, who sent men to watch at his son’s gates. Cao Pi, in alarm, consulted Wu Zhi, who told him not to be afraid but to fill a basket with real silk the next day and have it brought in as before. Cao Pi did as he was told. When the searchers peeped into the basket they found inside only rolls of silk. They reported this to Cao Cao, who began to suspect Yang Xiu of plotting against his son. This also added to his hatred.
Another time Cao Cao, wishing to compare the abilities of his two sons Pi and Zhi, told them both to go out of the city, at the same time ordering the gate warden to forbid their exit. Cao Pi got to the gate first, was stopped by the wardens and returned. But his brother Zhi consulted Yang Xiu, who said, “You have the prince’s order to go out. If anyone dares to prevent you, simply cut him down!”
So when Cao Zhi went to the gate and was stopped, he shouted to the warden, “I have the prince’s order to go out—how dare you stop me?”
He slew the man who tried to stop him. Cao Cao, hearing of this incident, thought his younger son the more able. But when someone told him that the idea came from Yang Xiu, he was angry and took a dislike to his son Zhi.
Yang Xiu had also helped Zhi prepare replies to likely questions from his father, which the young man learned by heart and quoted when necessary. Every time Cao Cao asked him about his opinion on state matters, Zhi always had a fluent reply prepared. His father was not without suspicions, which were turned into certainties when the eldest son Pi gave his father the written replies that he had obtained from his brother’s house by bribing his servants. Cao Cao was quite angry.
“How dare he throw dust in my eyes like this?” said Cao Cao. He was determined to kill the talented Yang Xiu.
Therefore it was only a subterfuge to send him to execution on the charge of destroying the morale of the soldiers. Yang Xiu was but thirty-four when he met his end.
Talented was Yang Xiu,
Born of an illustrious stock,
His pen traced wonderful characters,
His breast nurtured beautiful words.
When he talked, his hearers were amazed,
In a repartee his quick wit excelled.
He died because of misdirected genius
And not because he foretold retreat.
After executing his much-hated rival, Cao Cao pretended anger against Xiahou Dun and threatened to kill him as well, but later listened to those who begged him to show mercy.
The next day he issued an order to advance. The army moved out of the valley and came face to face with the men of Shu, led by Wei Yan. He summoned Wei Yan to surrender, but received abuse and scorn in return.
Pang De went out to fight Wei Yan, but while the combat was in progress fire broke out in Cao Cao’s camp and soldiers rushed over to say that the rear and center camps had been seized by Ma Chao. Fearing lest this should lead to a rout, he drew his sword and stood before the army, crying out, “Death for any officer who flinches!”
Therefore they pressed forward valiantly, and Wei Yan, feigning defeat, retreated. Thinking he had driven back this force, Cao Cao gave the signal for his men to turn toward the camp and fight with Ma Chao. He took up his station on the top of a hill, from where he could survey the field.
Suddenly a force appeared just below him, and the leader cried, “Wei Yan is here!” No sooner had he finished speaking than he fitted an arrow to his bow, then shot and wounded Cao Cao just above his lip. He fell from his horse. Wei Yan threw aside his bow, seized his sword, and came charging up the hill to slay Cao Cao. But just at that moment Pang De intervened from the side with a loud yell.
“Do not harm my lord!” he cried.
He rushed up and drove Wei Yan back. Then he escorted Cao Cao away. By that tim
e Ma Chao had also retreated, and the wounded prince returned to his own camp.
Cao Cao had been hit full in the face, and the arrow knocked out two of his front teeth. When being treated by his physician he lay thinking over Yang Xiu’s words. In a repentant mood, he had the remains of the dead official decently interred.
Then he gave the order to retreat back to the capital. Pang De was appointed commander of the rear force. Cao Cao set out homeward in a padded carriage, escorted by his Tiger Guard.
Before they had gone far there was another alarm, warning of fire and ambush. The soldiers were all fear-stricken.
‘Twas something like the danger once at Tong Pass met,
Or like the fight at Red Cliff which Cao could ne’er forget.
How Cao Cao fared will be told in the next chapter.
Footnotes
* Wei Qing (?– 106 B.C.), a reknowned general in West Han, who repeatedly defeated the Huns, thus securing the northern borders of the Hans.
* Huo Qubing (140–17 B.C.), a contemporary of Wei Qing, who also defended Han’s northern borders against the Huns.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
Liu Bei Becomes Prince of Hanzhong
Guan Yu Attacks and Occupies Xiangyang
The fire on two sides turned out to have been started by Ma Chao and his men, who were pursuing the retreating army. When Cao Cao withdrew to Ye Valley, Zhuge Liang anticipated that he would abandon Hanzhong, so he sent out Ma Chao and others in more than a dozen parties to hasten his retreat through incessant harassment. For this reason, Cao Cao, who was suffering from his wound, was compelled to keep moving. It was a dejected army fleeing for its life. Every man in the Cao army was dispirited, and none had any courage left. Day and night, they retreated as swiftly as they could, without even halting to rest. It was only after reaching Jingzhao that they felt secure again.
Then Liu Bei sent Liu Feng, Meng Da, and Wang Ping to take the remaining towns and cities in the region. The officials, knowing that Cao Cao had withdrawn, offered their submission. After peace had been restored among the people, Liu Bei rewarded his army generously, and all were joyful.