The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Read Online Free PDF Page A

handsome rewards. So the two cities of Nanjun and Gongan fell into the hands of Sun Quan without a fight. Following this, he proceeded to restore order and to reward his army for their services.
    Away in the capital Cao Cao was discussing the situation in Jingzhou with his advisors when a messenger arrived with a letter from Sun Quan. It said that Wu was going to seize Jingzhou and asked Cao Cao to send an army to attack Guan Yu in the rear. The letter also cautioned Cao Cao to maintain the utmost secrecy lest Guan Yu should hear of the plan.
    Cao Cao consulted his advisors on this matter. Dong Zhao said, “Fancheng is besieged and the army there is waiting anxiously for relief forces. We can get someone to shoot that letter into Fancheng so as to bolster the morale of the besieged. Moreover, we should let Guan Yu know of Sun Quan’s plan. When he hears that Jingzhou is in danger he will hurry back. Then tell Xu Huang to take the chance to attack him, and we can win a complete victory.”
    Cao Cao thought the plan was good and acted accordingly. He sent a messenger to Xu Huang, ordering him to attack without delay. At the same time he himself led a large force to Yanglin Slope, south of Luoyang, to rescue Cao Ren.
    Xu Huang was sitting in his tent when he was told that a messenger from the Prince of Wei had arrived. He called in the messenger, who said, “The prince’s army has crossed Luoyang, and he wishes you to hasten your attack on Guan Yu in order to lift the siege of Fancheng.”
    Just then scouts came to report that Guan Ping had encamped at Yancheng and Liao Hua at Sizhong, setting up a line of twelve stockades. Xu Huang ordered two of his subordinate officers to march to Yancheng with his ensigns to masquerade as if he himself was in command, while he actually took five hundred veterans along the Mian River to attack Yancheng from the rear.
    When Guan Ping heard of the approach of Xu Huang he led his own division to meet him. When both sides were arrayed, Guan Ping rode out and engaged his enemy, who turned out to be someone called Xu Shang. After three encounters the man was worsted and fled. Then his colleague came forth but after half a dozen bouts he also ran away. Guan Ping went in pursuit and harrassed the fleeing enemy for twenty li . But then there came the news that the city was on fire, and Guan Ping realized that he had fallen for the enemy’s ruse. So he hastened to turn back to rescue the city. On his way he met a body of troops—standing under the great standard was the real Xu Huang.
    Xu Huang shouted, “Guan Ping, my worthy nephew, how strange that you do not recognize death when it stares you in the face. Your Jingzhou has fallen into the hands of Wu and yet you are still behaving so recklessly here.”
    Guan Ping indignantly swung high his sword to strike Xu Huang, and they clashed. But after the third bout there was a tremendous shouting among his soldiers, for the flames within the city burst up higher than before. Guan Ping dared not follow up his desire to continue the fight, but cut his way out and made a dash for his camp at Sizhong. There he was met by Liao Hua, who also told him about the fall of Jingzhou.
    “They say that Jingzhou has fallen to Lu Meng, and the news has frightened the army—what is to be done?”
    “It must be a malicious rumor. If anyone repeats it, put him to death.”
    Just then a mounted scout came galloping up to say that Xu Huang was attacking the first stockade to the north.
    “If that falls,” said Guan Ping, “the other stockades will crumble. This place has the river at its back, so the enemy won’t dare attack here. Let’s go to the rescue.”
    So Liao Hua summoned his subordinate officers, to whom he said, “You must hold the place very firmly. If the enemy comes, raise a signal.”
    “There is no danger here,” they said. “The camp is defended by a tenfold line of ‘deer-horns’ (abatis). Even a bird can’t fly in, let alone enemy