The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (11 page)

Liu Bei was of the same opinion and was going to send someone to arrest them at once, but here Zhuge Liang intervened.

“No, that is not the right way—go slowly or you may stir up strife,” he advised. “First promote these two and separate them. Then arrest them.”

Liu Bei saw the prudence of this procedure and acted accordingly. He appointed Liu Feng prefect of Mianzhu, to separate the two malcontents.

Now Peng Yang was a good friend of Meng Da’s. Hearing what was afoot, he hastened home, wrote a letter, and sent a trusty person to bear it to Meng Da to warn him of the impending danger. However, the messenger was caught by Ma Chao’s patrolling guards just as he was leaving the south gate of the city and taken before Ma Chao, who thus got hold of the letter. He then went to Peng Yang’s house, where, nothing being suspected, he was received kindly and treated with wine.

The two drank for some time. Then Ma Chao, considering his host sufficiently off his guard, said provocatively, “The Prince of Hanzhong used to look on you with great favor—why is it that he doesn’t seem to treat you so well as before?”

The host began to rave against his master. “That old leather!
^*
But I will find some way to avenge myself.”

To sound him further Ma Chao led him on, saying, “To tell the truth, I have long had a grudge against him, too.”

“Then you can join Meng Da in attacking him from without, while I muster the men of Shu to smite him from within. We will be able to destroy him,” proposed Peng Yang.

“That’s an excellent plan, but let us talk it over again some other time,” said Ma Chao as he took his leave.

Taking with him the captured man and the letter he carried, he proceeded to see Liu Bei, to whom he related the whole story. Liu Bei was very angry and at once had Peng Yang arrested and put into prison, where he was interrogated and tortured. While in prison Peng Yang regretted very much what he had said, but it was too late.

Liu Bei asked his advisor, “Peng Yang meant to turn traitor. How should I punish him?”

Zhuge Liang replied, “Although that fellow is but a conceited scholar, he may eventually stir up trouble if you leave him alive.”

Therefore an order was given to put Peng Yang to death in jail. When the news of his friend’s death reached Meng Da, he was frightened. On top of this, an envoy came at the time to announce Liu Feng’s promotion and transfer to Mianzhu, which scared him even more. So he sought advice from Shen Dan, the former prefect, and his brother Shen Yi.

He said to them, “My friend Fa Zheng and I did a great service to the Prince of Hanzhong. But now Fa Zheng is dead and the prince, forgetting my former service, wishes to harm me. What can I do?”

Shen Dan replied, “I have a plan to secure your safety.”

Pleased to hear this, Meng Da asked him eagerly, “What is it?”

“Well, my brother and I have long desired to go over to Wei. You can send a resignation to the Prince of Hanzhong and offer yourself to the Prince of Wei, who will certainly give you a high office. Then we two will follow.”

Meng Da saw that this was his best course, so he prepared a petition and asked the messenger who had brought the dispatch of Liu Feng’s transfer to take it to the Prince of Hanzhong. That night he left his post and went to Wei.

The messenger returned to Chengdu, told the prince of Meng Da’s desertion, and handed over the petition. Liu Bei was very angry. He tore open the letter and read:

In the humble opinion of your servant, sir, you have set out to accomplish a task comparable with that of Yi Yin and Lu Shang, and to walk in the meritorious footsteps of the kings Huan and Wen from the ancient days. While residing in the territory of Wu, your great design was already roughly hewn. Therefore many men of ability came in throngs to join you. Since I entered your service I have committed many faults; and if I recognize them myself, how much more must have been noticed by you! Now, sir, you are surrounded by gifted men, while I, useless as a helper in state administration and inept as a general in commanding an army, would be ashamed were I to take a place among them.

It is well known that Fan Li
^*
went sailing on the five lakes after helping his lord destroy his enemy, and Jiu Fan,
^†
who had followed his master for nineteen years in exile, bade farewell to him on the river just when he was returning home. Why did both of them want to leave at the moment of success? It was to depart while clean and untainted. Now I am merely a man of humble origin, without any merit, and have been put in my present status by circumstances. Filled with admiration of the ancient sages, I have long desired to retire from my post. In the days of old, Shen Sheng, though perfectly filial, incurred the suspicions of his father and died; Zixu,
^*
though absolutely loyal, was put to death by his lord. Meng Tian,
^†
though he expanded the territory of his country, suffered the extreme penalty; and Yue Yi, though he assisted his lord to destroy Qi, was the victim of calumny. Whenever I read about these men I am moved to tears, and now I am in the same situation I feel all the more mortified.

Lately Jingzhou was overwhelmed and many officers of high ranks failed in their duty. Only I remained in Fangling and Shangyong. Now I desire you, sir, to understand graciously, to sympathize with your servant, and to condone the step he is about to take. I am but a mean man, incapable of maintaining loyalty to the end. To do what I know is wrong does not lessen my crime. But as the saying goes, “No harsh words at the end of a friendship and no heart-burning on the departure of a subordinate.” I wish, sir, these words will also be observed by you. I write this with extreme trepidation.

Liu Bei flared up in a rage. “That impudent traitor!” he cried. “How dare he taunt me by playing with words?”

He wanted to muster a force at once to seize the deserter, but Zhuge Liang said, “You had better send Liu Feng to capture him and let the two tigers wear themselves out. Whether Liu Feng succeeds or fails, he will have to come to the capital, and then you can remove him. Thus you can kill two birds with one stone.”

Liu Bei took his advice. Orders were sent to Mianzhu, and Liu Feng obediently led out his men.

At that time Meng Da had gone to offer his service to Cao Pi. When he arrived Cao Pi was holding a great council of his officials. He was summoned before the new Prince of Wei, who asked, “Is this surrender of yours a fraud?”

Meng Da replied, “The Prince of Shu wants to kill me for failing to rescue Guan Yu. I have come out of fear and nothing else.”

However, Cao Pi was still in doubt. Just then it was reported that Liu Feng had come with a large army to attack Xiangyang and challenge Meng Da in particular to battle.

Cao Pi said, “If you are true in your submission, go to Xiangyang and bring me Liu Feng’s head. I will have no more doubt.”

Meng Da replied, “There is no need to fight. I will convince him by argument and persuade him to surrender too.”

Cao Pi was pleased and so Meng Da was given several honorable titles and sent to guard Xiangyang. Now two Wei generals, Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang, were already in the city, with the intention of subduing the neighboring districts. Meng Da arrived, met his two new colleagues, and was told that Liu Feng was camped fifty
li
from the city. Therefore he wrote to his former colleague urging him to surrender. But Liu Feng was in no mood to listen to him this time—instead, he tore up the letter and put the messenger to death.

“The renegade has already made me neglect my duty to my uncle, and now he even wants to alienate me from my father! He tries to reduce me to a disloyal and unfilial son,” cried Liu Feng in wrath. The next day he led out his army to challenge. Meng Da went out with his army to meet him. Liu Feng rode to the front, pointed with his sword at his opponent, and railed at him.

“Death is poised on your head,” replied Meng Da, “yet you are still blind enough not to see it.”

Liu Feng rode out, flourishing his sword. He engaged Meng Da, who ran away before the fight developed. Liu Feng pursued hotly for a great distance. Then he fell into an ambush and found himself attacked on two sides. At this Meng Da also turned back to join the battle. Liu Feng was forced to fly toward Shangyong, pursued all the way by his enemy. When he reached the city and hailed the gate he was met by a volley of arrows.

“I have surrendered to Wei,” cried Shen Dan from the city tower.

In his rage Liu Feng wanted to attack the city, but as the army of Wei was close behind, he could make no stand and had to set off for Fangling. When he arrived there, however, he found the banners of Wei all along the walls. Then he saw Shen Yi signal from the tower, and at once there appeared from behind the wall a body of men led by Xu Huang.

Unable to withstand him, Liu Feng fled westward for home and Xu Huang took advantage to pursue. By the time Liu Feng had returned to Chengdu, he had only a handful of men remaining.

He went in to see his father to whom he, kneeling and weeping, related what had happened in detail. But to his pleading Liu Bei showed no sign of sympathy.

“Shameful son!” cried Liu Bei. “Are you brazen enough to come and see me?”

“I did want to rescue my uncle from his mishap but Meng Da prevented me from doing so by his persuasive tongue.”

“You eat as a man, you dress as a man, and you are not an image of clay or wood! Did you have no sense of a man? How could you listen to the slanderous tongue of a renegade?”

Liu Bei ordered him to be put to death. But he felt some regret later when he heard of how Liu Feng had torn up Meng Da’s letter and killed his messenger when the latter had tried to induce him to surrender. This and his grief for the death of his brother afflicted him so much that he fell ill. So no military campaign was launched.

After his accession to princedom, Cao Pi promoted the whole court to higher ranks and rewarded them with gifts. Soon afterwards, escorted by an army of 300,000 men, he went southward to inspect his home town of Jiaojun in Peiguo and offered prodigious sacrifices at his ancestors’ tombs. Villagers lined the roads, presenting him with cups of wine to welcome him in simulation of the respect accorded the founder of Han when he returned home to Pei.

Then a report came to say that the faithful Xiahou Dun was dying and Cao Pi hastened back to Yejun, but arrived too late to bid him farewell. He put on mourning for him and instituted an elaborate funeral ceremony to honor him.

In the late summer of that year various auspicious signs were reported: a phoenix seen to bow at Shiyi, a
qi-lin
^*
at Linzi, and a yellow dragon observed in Ye. Two high officials named Li Fu and Xu Zhi discussed the appearances of these rare animals, and putting them all together concluded that they presaged that Wei was about to supplant Han and the ceremony of abdication should be administered. Presently a deputation of some forty officials went into the palace to propose to Emperor Xian that he should abdicate and yield the throne to the Prince of Wei.

It is time to set up the throne of Wei,
And the end has come for the reign of Han.

How the Emperor would reply will be disclosed in the next chapter.

*
   A derogatory term for an old soldier, used here to abuse Liu Bei.

*
   A minister of the Kingdom of Yue in the period of Spring and Autumn, who helped his king defeat his enemy Wu.

†
   Uncle of King Wen of Jin in the period of Spring and Autumn, who accompanied his nephew in exile for nineteen years but declared his resignation when the king was making a homeward journey. However, it was only a gesture to remind the king of his service.

*
   A minister of the Kingdom of Wu, who warned his master against the Kingdom of Yue but was put to death.

†
   A general of the Qin Dynasty.

*
   A legendary animal of good fortune, resembling a deer.

CHAPTER EIGHTY

Emperor Xian of Han Is Deposed by Cao Pi

Liu Bei Claims to be the True Successor of Han