LUO GUANZHONG BEN (HUHAI SANREN) CHARLES HENRY BREWITT-TAYLOR THE 3 KINGDOMS CONTENTS 001 The 3 Bold Spirits Plight Mutual Faith in the Peach Garden; Heroes & Champions Win the 1 st Honours Fighting the Yellow Scarves 002 Zhang Fei Whips the Government Inspector; Imperial In-Law He Jin Plots Against the Eunuchs 003 In Wenming Garden, Dong Zhuo Denounces Ding Yuan; with Gold & Pearls, Li Su Plies Lit Bu 004 The Installation of the Chenliu Prince; Emperor Shao Is Deposed; A Plot Against Traitor Dong; Cao Cao Presents a Jewelled Knife 005 Cao Cao Rallies the Lords with a Forged Decree; The 3 Brothers Engage Lu Bu in Battle 006 In Razing the Capital, Dong Zhuo Commits Heinous Crimes; By Concealing the Jade Seal, Sun Jian Betrays the Confederation 007 Yuan Shao Battles Gongsun Zan at the River Pan; Sun Jian Attacks Liu Biao Across the Great River 008 Wang Yun Shrewdly Sets a Double Snare; Dong Zhuo Starts a Brawl at Phoenix Pavilion 009 Lii Bu Kills the Tyrant for Wang Yun; Li Jue Invades the Capital on Jia Xu's Advice 010 Ma Teng Takes Up Arms to Save the Throne; Cao Cao Musters an Army to Avenge His Father 011 Liu Xuande Rescues Kong Rong at Beihai; Lu Bu Defeats Cao Cao near Puyang 012 Tao Qian Yields Xuzhou Three Times; Cao Cao Overwhelms Lu Bu in Battle 013 Li Jue and Guo Si Cross Swords; Yang Feng and Dong Cheng Rescue the Emperor 014 Cao Cao Moves the Emperor to Xuchang; Lii Bu Attacks Xuzhou by Night 015 Taishi Ci and Sun Ce Fight Their Hearts Out; Sun Ce Plants His Kingdom South of the River 016 Lu Bu Demonstrates His Marksmanship Before His Camp; Cao Cao Suffers Defeat at the River Yu 017 Yuan Shu Fields Seven Armies; Cao Cao joins Forces with Three Generals 018 Jia Xu Outwits the Enemy and Carries the Day; Xiahou Dun Plucks Out and Swallows His Wounded Eye 019 Cao Cao Battles Fiercely at Xiapi; Lii Bu Falls at White Gate Tower 020 Cao Cao Leads the Royal Hunt near the Capital; Dong Cheng Receives a Mandate in the Palace 021 Cao Cao Warms Wine and Rates the Heroes of the Realm; Lord Guan Takes Xuzhou by Stratagem and Beheads Che Zhou 022 Cao Cao Takes the Field Against Yuan Shao; Lord Guan and Zhang Fei Capture Two Generals 023 Mi Heng Strips, Denouncing the Traitor; Ji Ping Is Executed for Threatening Cao's Life 024 The Traitor Cao Murders the Consort Dong; The Imperial Uncle Liu Flees to Yuan Shao 025 Trapped, on a Hill, Lord Guan Sets Three Conditions; At Baima, Cao Cao Breaks the Heavy Siege 026 Yuan Shao Loses a Battle and Another General; Lord Guan Returns His Official Seal 027 The Man of the Magnificent Beard Rides Alone a Thousand Li; The Lord of Hanshou Slays Six Generals and Breaches 5 Passes 028 Lord Guan Slays Cai Yang, Dispelling His Brothers' Doubts; Liege and Liege Men Unite Again at Gucheng 029 The Overlord of the Southland Executes a Sorcerer; The Rule of the South Passes to Green-eyed Sun Quan 030 Yuan Shao Suffers Defeat at Guandu; Cao Cao Burns the Stores at Wuchao 031 Cao Cao Defeats Yuan Shao at Cangting; Liu Xuande Turns to Liu Biao in Jingzhou 032 Yuan Shang and His Brother Struggle for Jizhou; Xu You Proposes Diverting the River Zhang 033 Cao Pi Exploits the Yuans Troubles and Marries Lady Zhen; Guo Jia Bequeaths a Plan to Secure Liaodong 034 Lady Cai Eavesdrops on a Private Talk; Imperial Uncle Liu Vaults the River Tan on Horseback 035 Xuande Encounters a Recluse in Nanzhang; Shan Fu Finds a Hero-Lord in Xinye 036 Xuande Surprises the Town of Fan; Shan Fu Recommends Zhuge Liang 037 Still Water Recommends Another Noted Scholar; Liu Xuande Pays Three Visits to Zhuge Liang 038 Kongming Determines the Realm's Division and Charts a Course; Sun Quan Leads a Naval Attack and Exacts Revenge 039 Jingzhou's Heir Pleads Three Times for Advice; The Director General Makes His Debut at Bowang 040 Lady Cai Proposes Ceding Jingzhou to Cao Cao; Zhuge Liang Bums Cao's Men in Xinye 041 Liu Xuande Leads His Flock over the River; Zhao Zilong Rescues Master Liu Single-handedly 042 Zhang Fei Makes an Uproar at Steepslope Bridge; Xuande, Defeated, Flees to the Han River Ford 043 Kongming Debates the Southern Officials; Lu Su Rejects the Consensus 044 Kongming Cunningly Moves Zhou Yu to Anger; Sun Quan Decides on a Plan to Defeat Cao Cao 045 Cao Cao Suffers Casualties at Three Rivers; Jiang Gan Springs a Trap at the Congregation of Heroes 046 Kongming Borrows Cao Cao's Arrows Through a Ruse; Huang Gai Is Flogged Following a Secret Plan 047 Kan Ze's Secret Letter Offering a Sham Surrender; Pang Tong's Shrewd Plan for Connecting the Boats 048 Feasting on the Great River, Cao Cao Sings an Ode; Linking Its Boats, the North Prepares for War 049 On Seven Star Altar Kongming Supplicates the Wind; At Three Rivers Zhou Yu Unleashes the Fire 050 Kongming Foresees the Outcome at Huarong; Lord Guan Releases, and Obligates, Cao Cao 051 Cao Ren Battles the Southland Troops; Kongming Spoils Zhou Yu's Victory 052 Zhuge Liang Temporizes with Lu Su; Zhao Zilong Captures Guiyang 053 Lord Guan Spares Huang Zhong; Sun Quan Battles Zhang Liao 054 State Mother Wu Meets the Bridegroom in a Temple; Imperial Uncle Liu Takes His Bride to the Wedding Chamber 055 Xuande Incites Lady Sun to Flee the South; Kongming Riles Zhou Yu for the Second Time 056 Cao Cao Feasts at Bronze Bird Tower; Kongming Riles Zhou Yu for the Third Time 057 Sleeping Dragon Mourns Zhou Yu at Chaisang; Young Phoenix Takes Office at Leiyang 058 Ma Chao Avenges His Father in the Field; Cao Ah Man Throws Down His Coat and Cuts Off His Beard 059 Xu Chu Strips Down and Duels with Ma Chao; Cao Cao's Doctored Letter Turns Ma Chao Against Han Sui 060 Zhang Song Confounds Yang Xiu; Pang Tong Proposes the Conquest of Shu 061 Zhao Zilong Recovers Ah Dou at the River; Sun Quan's Letter Causes Cao Cao to Retreat 062 Yang and Gao Lose Their Heads in the Conquest of Fu; Huang and Wei Vie for Credit in the Attack on Luo 063 Zhuge Liang Weeps for Pang Tong; Zhang Fei Obliges Yan Yan 064 Kongming Sets a Scheme to Capture Zhang Ren; Yang Fu Borrows Troops to Vanquish Ma Chao 065 Ma Chao Attacks Jiameng Pass; Liu Bei Assumes the Protectorship of the Riverlands 066 A Lone Swordsman, Guan Presents Himself at Lu Su's Feast; Empress Wu Lays Down Her Life for Her House 067 Cao Cao Conquers Hanzhong; Zhang Liao Prevails at Xiaoyao Ford 068 Gan Ning's Band Sacks the Northern Camp; Zuo Ci Throws a Cup, Teasing Cao Cao 069 Conning the Changes, Guan Lu Sees Things to Come; Chastening Han Traitors, Five Vassals Die Loyal 070 Fierce Zhang Fei Takes Wakou Pass; Veteran Huang Zhong Seizes Mount Tiandang 071 Huang Zhong's Fresh Fighters Conquer a Fatigued Foe; Zhao Zilong's Few Overcome Many 072 Zhuge Liangs Cunning Captures Hanzhong; Cao Cao's Army Retreats to Ye Gorge 073 Xuande Becomes King of Hanzhong; Lord Guan Storms Xiangyang District 074 Pang De Carries His Coffin to His Final Battle; Lord Guan Floods the Enemy's Seven Armies 075 Hua Tuo Scrapes the Poison from Lord Guan's Bone; Lu Meng Sends Mariners Across the River in Disguise 076 Xu Huang Wages War on the River Mian; Lord Guan Flees to Mai in Defeat 077 At Mount Yuquan Lord Guan Manifests a Divine Presence; In Luoyang City Cao Cao Feels the Force of His Soul 078 Treating an Affliction, a Famous Practitioner Dies; Delivering the Last Command, the Tyrant Ends His Daysl 079 Brother Oppresses Brother; Cao Zhi Composes a Poem; Nephew Entraps Uncle; Liu Feng Answers to the Lawl 080 Cao Pi Deposes the Emperor, Usurps the Liu Throne; The King of Hanzhong Assumes the Throne, Continues the Han Line 081 Eager for Revenge, Zhang Fei Is Assassinated; To Avenge His Brother, the Emperor Goes to War 082 Sun Quan Submits to Wei, Receives the Nine Dignities; The First Ruler Marches on Wu, Rewards All Armies 083 Fighting atXiaoting, the Emperor Takes a Foe; Defending the River, a Scholar Takes Command 084 Lu Xun Burns a Seven-Hundred-Li Line of Camps; Kongming Deploys the Eightfold Ramparts Maze 085 First Ruler Liu Finds a Guardian for His Heir; Zhuge Liang Calmly Holds Off Five Armies 086 To Thwart Zhang Wen, Qin Mi Shows Genius in Debate; To Defeat Cao Pi, Xu Sheng Employs Fire in Attack 087 The Prime Minister Musters a Massive Force & Conquers the Southern Rebels; The Man King Leads a Heaven-Defying Army & Is Captured for the 1 st Time 088 Riverlands Forces Cross the Lu and Capture Once Again the Foreign King; Zhuge Liang Sees Through a False Submission and Makes the Third Capture 089 The Lord of Wuxiang Puts His Fourth Plan to Work; The King of the Man Meets His Fifth Arrest 090 Giant Beasts Are Deployed in Kongming's Sixth Victory; Rattan Shields Are Burned in Meng Huo's Seventh Capture 091 The Prime Minister Sacrifices to River Ghosts Before Leading the Army Home; The Lord of Wu Petitions for a Just War Against the Northern Heartland 092 Zhao Zilong Slaughters Five Generals; Zhuge Liang Snares Three Cities 093 Jiang Wei Submits to Kongming; Kongming's Invective Kills Wang Lang 094 Zhuge Liang Defeats the Qiang in a Snowstorm; Sima Yi Captures Meng Da in Good Time 095 Rejecting Advice, Ma Su Loses Jieting; Strumming His Lute, Kongming Drives Off Sima 096 Shedding Tears, Kongming Executes Ma Su; Cutting Hair, Zhou Fang Deceives Cao Xiu 097 Kongming Appeals Again for an Expedition Against Wei; Jiang Wei Defeats the Cao Army by Offering a False Letter 098 Wang Shuang Is Executed While Pursuing the Han Army; Kongming Is Victorious After Raiding Chencang 099 Zhuge Liang Defeats the Wei Army; Sima Yi Pillages the Riverlands 100 Raiding Han Troops Destroy Cao Zhen's Camp; Kongming's Battle Line Humbles Sima Yil 101 Disguised as a God, Kongming Comes Forth from Longshang; Racing for Saber Gateway, Zhang He Falls into a Trap 102 Sima Yi Holds the Bridge over the Wei; Zhuge Liang Creates Wooden Bulls and Gliding Horses 103 Sima Yi Is Trapped in Shangfang Gorge; At Wuzhangyuan Zhuge Prays to Reverse His Star-told Fate 104 The Guiding Star Falls, and the Han Prime Minister Returns to Heaven; The Wei Field Marshal Is Terrified by the Sight of a Wooden Statue 105 Kongming Leaves a Plan in the Brocade Bag; Cao Rui Removes the Ambrosia-collecting Bowl 106 Suffering a Defeat, Gongsun Yuan Dies atXiangping; Feigning Illness, Sima Yi Deceives Cao Shuang 107 Wei's Rule Is Transferred to the House of Sima; Jiang Wei Loses a Battle at Ox Head Mountain 108 Ding Feng in the Snowstorm Uses Short Blades; Sun ]un at the Banquet Works a Secret Plan 109 A Han General's Ruse: Sima Zhao Trapped; Retribution for the House of Wei: Cao Fang Deposed 110 Wen Yang, Riding Alone, Drives Back a Brave Force; Jiang Wei, Back to the Water, Defeats a Great Enemy 111 With Ingenuity Deng Ai Defeats Jiang Wei; For Justice's Sake Zhuge Dan Campaigns Against Sima Zhao 112 Yu Quan Dies Nobly Trying to Save Shouchun; Jiang Wei Fights Fiercely Attempting to Seize Longwall 113 Ding Feng Frames a Plan to Kill Sun Chen; Jiang Wei Forms a Battle to Defeat Deng Ai 114 Cao Mao Is Slaughtered in His Carriage at South Capital Gateway; Jiang Wei Sacrifices Grain to Defeat the Wei Army 115 Succumbing to Slander, the Second Emperor Recalls His Army; Using Military Farms, Jiang Wei Escapes Disaster 116 Zhong Hui Details a Force to Enter Hanzhong; The Ghost of the Martial Lord Haunts Dingjun Mountain 117 Deng Ai Slips Through Yinping Pass; Zhuge Zhan Fights to the End at Mianzhu 118 Weeping at the Ancestral Hall, a Filial Prince Dies; Entering the Riverlands, Two Warriors Vie for Glory 119 The False Surrender Proves a Futile Ploy; An Imperial Abdication Copies the Pattern 120 With the Recommendation of Du Yu, an Old General Offers a New Plan; With Sun Hao's Surrender, the Realm Is United NOTES map. i. Provinces ( zhou ), districts and towns, and military leaders at the end of the Han dynasty. The leaders' names appear in boxes. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 21. [Gongsun Du map 2. The battle at Guandu. a. The region. Source: Zhang Xikong, "Guandu zhi zhan," in Zhongguo lishi xiao congshu, Gudai zhuming zhanyi (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1982), p. 132. b. The battleground. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 57. map 3 . Youzhou province, showing Cao Cao's campaign against the Wuhuan people. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 71. map 4 . The battle at Red Cliffs. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sariguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 101. map 5 . The battle at the Wei River. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 114. map 6 . Approximate latitude and longitude of key centers and strongpoints east and west of the 112th meridian. Source: Tan Qixiang, chief ed., Zhongguo lishi dituji (Shanghai: Cartographic Publishing House, 1982), 11:42-58. o a 'Luoxian Chengdu Fuxian • • Mianzf . ^ J • Yinping z to 3 • to 3 .Longyou 6 ST r tn u or • <0 ■n j, n Wudu Dingjun 1 Tianshui • 3 | do l< 1 4 • i? i § i-s- If 3 >• 3 & 3 00 ao 05 3- to 3 0^ to' • 3 Yongan (Baidi) • Xicheng N f to 3 . xj .Yiling 3- 3 do • •£* • p 3 a — vL cj i S'ij ,3Ui_to . Xiangyang ,Xinye Fancheng Wancheng Luoyang • Red Cliffs X 3 -2 C g :flQ o JB <2 jiangxia* Xiakou ick Forest pa c 3 Cl 3 • Xuchang n 3 - S 3 Hefei £ £ o • O S § n ►-* s 117’ map 7 . The Southland retakes Jingzhou: key places and persons. Source: Wuhan budut silingbu junshi ziliao yanjiuzu, ed., Zhongguo gudai zhanzheng yibai li (Wuhan: Hubei renmin chubanshe, 1979), p. 214. chubanshe, 1981), p. 154. map 9 . Kongming's southern campaign. The black arrows indicate the advancing Riverlands forces. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 173. map 10 . Kongming's northern campaigns. Source: Liu Chunfan, Z huge Liang zhuan (Beijing: Zhongguo qingnian chubanshe, 1986), p. 129. map li. Deng Ai and Zhong Hui subdue Shu. Source: Liu Chunfan, Sanguo shihua (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, 1981), p. 204. LUO GUANZHONG BEN (HUHAI SANREN) THE 3 KINGDOMS On and on the Great River rolls, racing east, Of proud and gallant heroes, its white-tops leave no trace, As right and wrong, pride and fall turn all at once unreal. Yet ever the green hills stay To blaze in the west-waning day. Fishers and woodsmen comb the river isles. White-crowned, they’ve seen enough of spring and autumn tide To make good company over the wine jar, Where many a famed event Provides their merriment.i 001 3 Bold Spirits Plight Mutual Faith in the Peach Garden; Heroes & Champions Win 1 st Honours Fighting the Yellow Scarves The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been. In the closing years of the Zhou dynasty, i 7 kingdoms warred among themselves until the kingdom of Qin prevailed and absorbed the other 6. But Qin soon fell and on its ruins 2 opposing kingdoms, Chu and Han fought for mastery until the kingdom of Han prevailed and absorbed its rival as Qin had done before.? The Han court's rise to power began when the Supreme Ancestor slew a white serpent, inspiring an uprising that ended with Han's ruling a unified empire. 200 years later, after Wang Mang's usurpation, Emperor Guang Wu restored the dynasty and Han emperors ruled for another 200 years down to the reign of Xian, after whom the realm split into 3 kingdoms? The cause of Han's fall may be traced to the reigns of Xian's 2 predecessors, Huan and Ling. Huan drove from office and persecuted officials of integrity and ability, giving all his trust to his eunuchs.! After Ling succeeded Huan as emperor, Regent-Marshal Dou Wu and Imperial Guardian Chen Fan, joint sustainers of the throne, planned to execute the power-abusing eunuch Cao Jie and his cohorts.? But the plot came to light, and Dou Wu and Chen Fan were themselves put to death. From then on, the Minions of the Palace knew no restraint. On the 15 th day of the 4 th month of the 2 nd year of the reign Established Calm (Jian Ning),? the Emperor arrived at the Great Hall of Benign Virtue for the full-moon ancestral rites. As he was about to seat himself, a strong wind began issuing out of a corner of the hall. From the same direction a green serpent appeared, slid down off a beam, and coiled itself on the throne. The Emperor fainted and was rushed to his private chambers. The assembled officials fled. The next moment the serpent vanished and a sudden thunderstorm broke. Rain laced with hailstones pelted down for half the night, wrecking countless buildings. In the 2 nd month of the 4 th year of Established Calm an earthquake struck Luoyang, the capital and tidal waves swept coastal dwellers out to sea. In the 1 st year of Radiant Harmony (Guang He) hens were transformed into roosters.? And on the 1 st day of the 6 th month a murky cloud more than 100 spans in length floated into the Great Hall of Benign Virtue.? The next month a secondary rainbow was observed in the Chamber of the Consorts. Finally, a part of the cliffs of the Yuan Mountains plunged to earth.? All these evil portents and more appeared—too many to be dismissed as isolated signs. Emperor Ling called on his officials to explain these disasters and omens. A court counsellor, Cai Yong, argued bluntly that the secondary rainbow and the transformation of the hens were the result of interference in government by empresses and eunuchs. The Emperor merely read the report, sighed, and withdrew. The eunuch Cao Jie observed this session unseen and informed his associates. They framed Cai Yong in another matter and he was dismissed from office and retired to his village. After that a vicious gang of eunuchs known as the 10 Regular Attendants— Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Feng Xu, Duan Gui, Cao Jie, Hou Lan, Jian Shuo, Cheng Kuang, Xia Yun, and Guo Sheng—took charge.!? Zhang Rang gained the confidence of the Emperor who called him Nuncie. Court administration became so corrupt that across the land men's thoughts turned to rebellion and outlaws swarmed like hornets. A rebel group, the Yellow Scarves was organised by 3 brothers from the Julu district— Zhang Jue, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang. Zhang Jue had failed the official provincial-level examination and repaired to the hills where he gathered medicinal herbs.u One day he met an ancient mystic, emerald-eyed and with a youthful face, gripping a staff of goosefoot wood. The old man summoned Zhang Jue into a cave where he placed in his hands a sacred book in 3 volumes. "Here is the Essential Arts for the Millennium," he said. "Now that you have it, spread its teachings far and wide as Heaven's messenger for the salvation of our age. But think no seditious thoughts or retribution will follow." Zhang Jue asked the old man's name and he replied, "The Old Hermit from Mount Hua Summit—Zhuang Zi, the Taoist sage." Then he changed into a puff of pure breeze and was gone. Zhang Jue applied himself to the text day and night. By acquiring such arts as summoning the wind and invoking the rain, he became known as the Master of the Millennium. During the 1 st month of the 1 st year of the reign Central Stability (Zhong Ping), !?a pestilence spread through the land. Styling himself Great and Worthy Teacher, Zhang Jue distributed charms and potions to the afflicted. He had more than 500 followers, each of whom could write the charms and recite the spells. They travelled widely and wherever they passed, new recruits joined until Zhang Jue had established 36 commands—ranging in size from 6000 or 7000 to over 10000—under 36 chieftains titled general or commander.!? A seditious song began to circulate at this time: The pale sky is on the wane, Next, a yellow one shall reign; The calendar's rotation Spells fortune for the nation. Jue ordered the words new cycle chalked on the front gate of every house, and soon the name Zhang Jue, Great and Worthy Teacher, was hailed throughout the 8 provinces of the realm—Qingzhou, Youzhou, Xuzhou, Jizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou. At this point Zhang Jue had his trusted follower Ma Yuanyi bribe the eunuch Feng Xu to work inside the court on behalf of the rebels. Then Zhang Jue made a proposal to his 2 brothers: "Popular support is the hardest thing to win. Today the people favour us. Why waste this chance to seize the realm for ourselves?" Zhang Jue had yellow banners made ready, fixed the date for the uprising, and sent one of his followers, Tang Zhou to inform the agent at court, the eunuch Feng Xu. Instead, Tang Zhou reported the imminent insurrection to the palace. The Emperor summoned Regent He Jin to arrest and behead Ma Yuanyi. This done, Feng Xu and his group were seized and jailed. His plot exposed, Zhang Jue mustered his forces in great haste. Titling himself General of Heaven, his first brother General of the Earth, and his second brother General of Men, he addressed his massed followers: "Han's fated end is near. A new sage is due to appear. Let one and all obey Heaven and follow the true cause so that we may rejoice in the millennium." From the four corners of the realm the common folk, nearly half a million strong, bound their heads with yellow scarves and followed Zhang Jue in rebellion, gathering such force that the government troops scattered on the rumor of their approach. Regent-Marshal He Jin appealed to the Emperor to order every district to defend itself and every warrior to render distinguished service in putting down the uprising. Meanwhile, the regent also gave three Imperial Corps commanders—Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun—command of three elite field armies with orders to bring the rebels to justice. As for Zhang Jue's army, it began advancing on Youzhou district. The governor, Liu Yan, was a native of Jingling County in Jiangxia and a descendant of Prince Gong of Lu of the imperial clan. Threatened by the approaching rebels, Liu Yan summoned Commandant Zou Jing for his estimate of the situation. "They are many," said Jing, "and we are few. The best course, Your Lordship, is to recruit an army quickly to deal with the enemy." The governor agreed and issued a call for volunteers loyal to the throne. The call was posted in Zhuo County, where it drew the attention of a man of heroic mettle. This man, though no scholar, was gentle and generous by nature, taciturn and reserved. His one ambition was to cultivate the friendship of the boldest spirits of the empire. He stood seven and a half spans tall, with arms that reached below his knees. His ear lobes were elongated, his eyes widely set and able to see his own ears. His face was flawless as jade, and his lips like dabs of rouge. This man was a descendant of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, a great-great-grandson of the fourth Han emperor, Jing. His name was Liu Bei; his style, Xuande.M Generations before, during the reign of Emperor Wu, Liu Sheng's son, Zhen, was made lord of Zhuolu precinct, but the fief and title were later forfeited when Zhen was accused of making an unsatisfactory offering at the eighth- month libation in the Emperor's ancestral temple.!? Thus a branch of the Liu family came to settle in Zhuo County. Xuande's grandfather was Liu Xiong; his father, Liu Hong. Local authorities had recommended Hong to the court for his filial devotion and personal integrity.!? He received appointment and actually held a minor office; but he died young. Orphaned, Xuande served his widowed mother with unstinting affection. However, they had been left so poor that he had to sell sandals and weave mats to live. The family resided in a county hamlet called Two-Story Mulberry after a tree of some fifty spans just southeast of their home. Seen from afar, the mulberry rose tall and spread broadly like a carriage canopy. "An eminent man will come from this house," a fortuneteller once predicted. While playing beneath the tree with the boys in the hamlet, young Xuande often boasted, "When I'm the Son of Heaven, my chariot will have a canopy like this." Impressed by these words, his uncle Liu Yuanqi remarked, "This is no ordinary child."!? Yuanqi sympathized with the impoverished family and often helped out his nephew. At fifteen Xuande was sent away by his mother to study, and Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi were among his teachers.!? He also formed a close friendship with Gongsun Zan. Xuande was twenty-eight when Governor Liu issued his call for volunteers. Reading the notice in Zhuo that day, Xuande sighed heavily. "Why such long sighs?" someone behind him asked brusquely. "A real man should be serving his emperor in the hour of peril." Xuande turned and faced a man eight spans tall, with a blunt head like a panther's, huge round eyes, a swallow's heavy jowls, a tiger's whiskers, a thunderous voice, and a stance like a dashing horse. Half in fear, half in admiration, Xuande asked his name. "The surname," the man replied, "is Zhang; given name, Fei; style, Yide.i? We've lived in this county for generations, farming our piece of land, selling wine, and slaughtering pigs. I seek to befriend men of bold spirit; when I saw you sighing and studying the recruitment call, I took the occasion to address you." "As a matter of fact," Xuande answered, "I am related to the imperial family. My surname is Liu; given name, Bei. Reading of the trouble the Yellow Scarves are stirring up, I had decided to help destroy the bandits and protect the people and was sighing for my inability to do so when you came by." "I have resources," said Zhang Fei, "that could be used to recruit in this area. Let's work together for the cause. What about it?" Xuande was elated, and the two went to a tavern. As they drank, they watched a strapping fellow pushing a wheelbarrow stop to rest at the tavern entrance. "Some wine, and quickly—I'm off to the city to volunteer," the stranger said as he entered and took a seat. Xuande observed him: a man of enormous height, nine spans tall, with a two-foot-long beard flowing from his rich, ruddy cheeks. He had glistening lips, eyes sweeping sharply back like those of the crimson-faced phoenix, and brows like nestling silkworms.?? His stature was imposing, his bearing awesome. Xuande invited him to share their table and asked who he was. "My surname is Guan," the man replied. "My given name is Yu; my style, Chang-sheng, was later changed to Yunchang.?! I am from Jieliang in Hedong, but I had to leave there after killing a local bully who was persecuting his neighbors and have been on the move these five or six years.?? As soon as I heard about the recruitment, I came to sign up." Xuande then told of his own ambitions, to Lord Guan's great satisfaction.?? Together the three left the tavern and went to Zhang Fei's farm to continue their discussion. "There's a peach garden behind my farm," said Zhang Fei. "The flowers are in full bloom. Tomorrow let us offer sacrifice there to Heaven and earth, and pledge to combine our strength and purpose as sworn brothers. Then we'll plan our course of action."?! Xuande and Lord Guan agreed with one voice: "So be it." The next day the three men had a black bull, a white horse, and other offerings brought to the peach garden.?? Amid the smoke of incense they performed their ritual prostration and took their oath: We three, though of separate ancestry, join in brotherhood here, combining strength and purpose, to relieve the present crisis. We will perform our duty to the Emperor and protect the common folk of the land. We dare not hope to be together always but hereby vow to die the selfsame day. Let shining Heaven above and the fruitful land below bear witness to our resolve. May Heaven and man scourge whosoever fails this vow. So swearing, Xuande became the eldest brother; Lord Guan, the second; and Zhang Fei, the youngest. After the ceremonies they butchered the bull and spread forth a feast in the peach garden for the three hundred local youths they had recruited; and all drank to their heart's content. The next day they collected weapons, but they wanted for horses. Two visitors whose servants were driving a herd of horses toward Zhang Fei's farm provided the solution. "This must mean that Heaven is with us," said Xuande as the three brothers went forth to greet the men, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, two wealthy traders from Zhongshan. Every year, they said, they went north to sell horses; but this year they had had to turn back because of the Yellow Scarves. Xuande invited them to the farm, where he set out wine and entertained them before revealing his intention to hunt down the rebels and protect the people. The visitors were delighted to support the cause by supplying the brothers with fifty fine mounts, five hundred ounces of gold and silver, and one thousand jin of wrought iron to manufacture weapons.?? After bidding the traders a grateful farewell, Xuande had the finest smith forge for him a pair of matching double-edged swords; for Lord Guan a Green Dragon crescent-moon blade, also known as Frozen Glory, weighing eighty-two j/n,?? and for Zhang Fei, an eighteen-span spear of tempered steel. He also ordered full body armor for each of them. At the head of five hundred local youths, the brothers presented themselves to Commandant Zou Jing. Jing brought them to Liu Yan, governor of Youzhou, before whom the brothers gave account of themselves. When Xuande mentioned his royal surname, the governor was delighted and acknowledged him as a nephew. Some days later it was reported that the Yellow Scarves chieftain Cheng Yuanzhi was advancing on Zhuo district with fifty thousand men. The governor had Commandant Zou Jing lead the brothers and their five hundred against the enemy. Eagerly, Xuande took his company to the base of Daxing Mountain where he encountered the rebels, who as always appeared with hair unbound and yellow scarves across their foreheads. The two forces stood opposed. Xuande rode out, Lord Guan to his left, Zhang Fei to his right. Raising his whip, Xuande cried out, "Traitors to the Emperor, surrender now!" Enraged, Cheng Yuanzhi sent his subordinate commander Deng Mao into the field. Zhang Fei sped out, leveled his eighteen-span serpent-headed spear and jabbed his adversary through the chest. Seeing Deng Mao tumble dead from his horse, Yuanzhi cut toward Zhang Fei, slapping his mount and flourishing his blade. Lord Guan swung out his mighty sword and, giving his horse free rein, rushed the foe. Cheng Yuanzhi gulped with fright and, before he could defend himself, was sliced in two with a stroke of Lord Guan's weapon. A poet of later times praised the two warriors: Oh, what a day for gallantry unveiled! One man proved his lance and one his blade. In maiden trial their martial force was shown. A thrice-torn land will see them gain renown. Their leaders slain, the rebels dropped their spears and fled. Xuande pursued, taking more prisoners than could be counted, and the brothers returned triumphant. Governor Liu Yan met them personally and rewarded their soldiers. The next day Liu Yan received an appeal from Governor Gong Jing to relieve the rebel-besieged city of Qingzhou. Xuande volunteered to go there, and Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to join him and his brothers with five thousand men. As the rescue force approached Qingzhou, the Yellow Scarves divided their army and tied up the government troops in a tangled struggle. Xuande's fewer numbers could not prevail, and he had to retreat some thirty //where he pitched camp. "They are too many for us. We can win only by surprising them," Xuande told his brothers. He had Lord Guan and Zhang Fei march off with one thousand men each and conceal themselves along both sides of a hill. The following day Xuande and Zou Jing advanced noisily but drew back when the enemy gave battle. The rebel horde eagerly pursued, but as they passed the hill the gongs rang out in unison. From left and right, troops poured down as Xuande swung his soldiers around to resume combat. Squeezed between three forces, the rebels broke up and were driven to the very walls of Qingzhou where an armed populace led by Governor Gong Jing met them. After a period of slaughter the Scarves were routed and the siege of Qingzhou was lifted. In later times a poet praised Xuande: Seasoned plans and master moves; all's divinely done. To one mighty dragon two tigers can't compare. At his first trial what victories are won! Poor orphan boy? The realm is his to share. After the governor had feasted the troops, Commandant Zou Jing wanted to return to Youzhou. But Xuande said, "We have word that Imperial Corps Commander Lu Zhi has been battling the rebel chief Zhang Jue at Guangzong. Lu Zhi was once my teacher, and I'd like to help him." So Zou Jing returned to Youzhou with his men, and Xuande headed for Guangzong with his brothers and their five hundred men. They entered Lu Zhi's tent and, after the customary salutations, explained their purpose in coming. Lu Zhi rejoiced at the arrival of this relief and took the brothers under his command. At this time Zhang Jue's one hundred and fifty thousand and Lu Zhi's fifty thousand were deadlocked at Guangzong. "We have them contained here," Lu Zhi said to Xuande, "but over in Yingchuan, Zhang Jue's two brothers, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, are holding out against our generals Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun. Let me add one thousand to your company. Then go and investigate the situation there and fix the time to sweep the rebels out." On Lu Zhi's order, Xuande rode through the night to Yingchuan. Meanwhile, checked by Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, the Yingchuan rebels had retreated to Changshe, where they hastily built a campsite near a field. "If they're by a field," General Huangfu Song said to Zhu Jun, "we should attack with fire." They ordered each soldier to lie in wait with unlit torches of straw. That night the wind rose. After the second watch the government soldiers burned the camp.2? Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun attacked the rebels' stockade as flames stretched skyward. Without saddling their horses or buckling their armor, the rebels fled panic-stricken in every direction. The slaughter continued until morning. Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were in full flight when their fire-decimated forces were intercepted by a contingent of men with red flags flying. The leader of this new unit flashed into sight—tall, narrow¬ eyed, with a long beard. This man's rank was cavalry commander. His surname was Cao; his given name, Cao; his style, Mengde. Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was originally not a Cao but a Xiahou. However, as the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng he assumed the surname Cao. Cao Song was Cao Cao's natural father. In addition, Cao Cao had the childhood nickname Ah Man and another given name, Jili.s As a youth Cao had loved the hunt and delighted in song and dance. He was a boy with ingenious ideas for any situation, a regular storehouse of schemes and machinations. Once Cao's uncle, outraged by his nephew's wild antics, complained to Cao's father, who in turn reproached Cao. The next time the boy saw his uncle, he dropped to the ground and pretended to have a fit. The terrified uncle fetched the father, who rushed to his son's side only to find him perfectly sound. "Your uncle told me you'd had a fit," said Song. "Has it passed?" "Nothing of the sort ever happened," responded Cao. "My uncle accuses me of everything because I have lost favour with him." The father believed the son and thereafter ignored the uncle's complaints, leaving Cao free to indulge his whims .22 At about that time a man called Qiao Xuan said to Cao, "The Empire is near ruin and can be saved only by a man capable of dominating the age. You could be the one." On another occasion He Yu of Nanyang said of Cao Cao, "The house of Han is going to fail. Yet I feel certain this is the man to steady the realm." In Runan a man named Xu Shao, known for his insight into human character, refused to give Cao a reading. But pressed repeatedly, the man finally spoke: "You could be an able statesman in a time of peace or a treacherous villain in a time of chaos." This prediction pleased Cao immensely. At twenty, Cao received his district's recommendation for filial devotion and personal integrity, and this led to his initial appointment to the palace. Later, he was given command of security in the northern half of the district where the capital, Luoyang, was located. On assuming office he had a dozen decorated cudgels placed at the four gates of the city. They were to be a sign that any violator of the laws, however high or mighty, would be punished. One night the uncle of the eunuch Jian Shuo was seen going through the streets carrying a broadsword. Cao, making his nightly rounds, apprehended him and had one of the bludgeons applied. Thereafter no one dared to break the laws, and Cao Cao's prestige increased. Later he was made magistrate of Dunqiu. During the Yellow Scarves uprisings the court elevated Cao to the rank of cavalry commander, and it was in this capacity that he led five thousand mounted warriors and foot soldiers to the Yingchuan district. He encountered the routed troops of Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao and cut off their retreat. In the ensuing fray his men took ten thousand heads as well as flags, banners, gongs, drums, and horses in large numbers. Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, however, managed to escape after a desperate struggle. Cao presented himself to Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, the imperial field generals, and then went after the two rebel leaders.5i • • • • Meanwhile Xuande and his brothers neared Yingchuan, hurrying toward the roar of battle and the glowing night horizon. They reached the scene only to find the rebels already scattered. Xuande presented himself to Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun and explained why Lu Zhi had sent him. "Zhang Jue's two brothers are done for by now," said Huangfu Song. "They'll be taking refuge with Jue at Guangzong. That's where you are needed." Xuande accepted the order and led his men back. En route they came upon some soldiers escorting a cage-cart holding none other than Lu Zhi as prisoner. Amazed to find under arrest the commander whom he so recently had been serving, Xuande dismounted and asked what the matter was. "I had Zhang Jue surrounded and nearly defeated," Lu Zhi explained, "when he prevented our victory by some kind of magic. The court sent the eunuch Zuo Feng from the Inner Bureau to investigate. He was only looking to get paid off, but I told him that with supplies exhausted we had nothing to spare for the imperial envoy. My refusal only angered him. He bore the grudge back to court and reported that I was weakening morale by keeping on the defensive and not engaging the enemy. The court sent Imperial Corps Commander Dong Zhuo to relieve me and return me to the capital to face charges." Outraged by this treatment of Xuande's former teacher, Zhang Fei moved to cut down the guard and rescue the prisoner. But Xuande checked him. "The court will see to it that justice is done" he said. "Better not art rashly." They let the escort pass. "With Lu Zhi arrested and replaced," said Lord Guan, "we have nowhere to go but back to Zhuo district." Xuande agreed and began marching north. But on the next day they heard a great tumult beyond a hill. Xuande and his brothers climbed to high ground. A beaten Han army came into their view. Behind it, hill and dale swarmed with Yellow Scarves bearing banners that read "Heavenly Commander." "Zhang Jue himself!" cried Xuande. "Let's attack at once."s The three brothers swung their men into fighting position just as Zhang Jue was beating down the forces of Dong Zhuo, Lu Zhi's replacement as Imperial Corps commander. Carried by their momentum, the rebels drove hard until they ran up against the brothers. A murderous clash followed. Jue's men were thrown into confusion and had to retreat more than fifty //. The brothers rescued Dong Zhuo and saw him back to his camp. Zhuo inquired what offices they held but, upon learning that they were commoners without position, disdainfully refused to acknowledge their services The three started to leave the camp with Zhang Fei grumbling, "Is that how the wretch treats us for risking our lives to save him? Then I'll have another kind of satisfaction!" Bent on revenge, Zhang Fei turned and stamped back toward Dong Zhuo's headquarters, a sword in his hand. It was a case where, indeed: Status is what counts and always has! Who needs to honour heroes without rank? Oh, let me have a Zhang Fei straight and true, Who'll pay out every ingrate what he's due. 002 Zhang Fei Whips the Government Inspector; Imperial In-Law He Jin Plots Against the Eunuchs Governor of Hedong Dong Zhuo (styled Zhongying), a native of Lintao in Longxi in the far northwest, was a man to whom arrogance came naturally. His rude treatment of Xuande had provoked Zhang Fei to turn back and seek satisfaction, but Xuande and Lord Guan warned their brother, "He holds the court's mandate. You cannot take the law into your own hands." "If we don't do away with the wretch," Fei retorted, "well be taking orders from him—the last thing I could stand. You two stay if you like. I'm leaving." "We three, sworn to live and die as one," said Xuande, "must not part. Well go elsewhere." "We're all going, then?" responded Zhang Fei. "That's some consolation." Riding all night, the three warriors reached the camp of Zhu Jun, the Imperial Corps commander, who welcomed them heartily and united their forces with his own. Together they advanced against the second rebel brother, Zhang Bao. (The third brother, Zhang Liang, was battling Cao Cao and Huangfu Song at Quyang at the time.) Zhang Bao had command of eighty or ninety thousand troops camped behind a mountain. Zhu Jun sent Xuande forward, and Zhang Bao dispatched his lieutenant Gao Sheng to taunt the government forces. Xuande waved Zhang Fei into combat, and he charged and ran Gao Sheng through after a few brief clashes. Sheng toppled from his horse as Xuande signaled his men to advance. Zhang Bao, on horseback, unbound his hair and, sword in hand, began to work a magic formula. As throngs of Xuande's soldiers charged, a thunderstorm started to gather, and a black mist surrounded what seemed like an army of warriors in the sky. When the apparition plunged toward them, the men were thrown into confusion. Xuande hurried back to camp to report the defeat. "They were using shamanic tricks," said Zhu Jun. "Tomorrow we will slaughter a pig, a goat, and a dog and throw down on the rebels a mixture of the animals' blood, entrails, and excrement."! Xuande placed Lord Guan and Zhang Fei, each with a thousand men, in ambush high on a slope of the hill, ready to hurl down the abominable preparation when Zhang Bao's troops passed. The next day, with banners waving and drums rolling, Zhang Bao arrived in force. Xuande rode out to face him. As the soldiers prepared to engage in battle, Bao used his powers and a storm sprang up as before. Sand and stones went flying, and a murky mist packed with men and horses began to descend from the sky. Xuande wheeled and fled, drawing Bao in pursuit past the hill. At the given signal Lord Guan and Zhang Fei dumped their concoction over the enemy. In front of everyone's eyes, the storm died away, and the mist dissolved as paper men and straw horses tumbled from the sky every which way. Sand and stone lay still. Seeing his craft undone, Bao retreated quickly, but Lord Guan came forth on his left and Zhang Fei on his right, while Xuande and Zhu Jun raced up behind. Between these converging forces the rebels were crushed. Xuande spotted Bao's "General of the Earth'Y banner some distance away and gave chase. Bao rode frantically for the brush, but Xuande shot an arrow through his left arm. The wounded rebel sought shelter in the city of Yang, to which Zhu Jun at once lay siege. Zhu Jun also sent for news of Huangfu Song's battle with Zhang Bao's brother, Liang, and received the following message: Huangfu Song won a great victory, and the court used him to replace the oft-defeated Dong Zhuo. Song arrived to find the chief rebel, Jue, dead, and Liang, who had taken over his command, locked in battle with our units. Song won seven battles in sucession; he killed Liang at Quyang. Then they opened up Jue's coffin, mutilated the corpse and impaled his head, which they later sent to the capital. The surviving rebels gave themselves up, and the court rewarded Song with the title of general of Chariots and Cavalry and appointed him protector of Jizhou.2 Song then petitioned the