Chapter 50: Zhuge Liang Cleverly Calculates the Huarong Pass; Guan Yunchang Magnanimously Releases Cao Cao
That night, Zhang Liao shot an arrow that struck Huang Gai, knocking him into the water. After rescuing Cao Cao and helping him ashore, they found horses and fled, but the army was already in chaos. Han Dang braved the flames to attack the water camp when suddenly a soldier reported, “There’s a man on the stern rudder calling out your courtesy name.” Han Dang listened closely and heard shouts of “Yigong, save me!” He said, “That’s Huang Gongfu!” and urgently ordered him rescued. Huang Gai was seen with an arrow wound; he bit off the shaft, but the arrowhead was lodged in his flesh. Han Dang quickly removed his wet clothes, cut out the arrowhead with a knife, tore a piece of flag cloth to bandage the wound, took off his own battle robe to put on Huang Gai, and first ordered another boat to send him back to the main camp for treatment. It turned out that Huang Gai was a strong swimmer, so in the bitter cold, wearing armor, he jumped into the river and managed to survive.
Now, that night, the river was covered with rolling flames, and the shouts of battle shook heaven and earth. On the left, Han Dang and Jiang Qin’s forces attacked from west of Red Cliff; on the right, Zhou Tai and Chen Wu’s forces attacked from east of Red Cliff; in the center, Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Xu Sheng, and Ding Feng arrived with a large fleet of ships. The fire required troops to support it, and the troops relied on the fire’s ferocity. This was truly: a battle on the Three Rivers’ waters, fierce fighting at Red Cliff. Cao’s troops—stabbed by spears, struck by arrows, burned to death, or drowned—were beyond counting. Later generations composed a poem:
Wei and Wu fought to decide supremacy; at Red Cliff, the tower ships were swept clean.
The fierce flames first spread, lighting clouds and seas; Zhou Yu once defeated Lord Cao here.
Wei and Wu fought to decide supremacy; at Red Cliff, the tower ships were swept clean.
The fierce flames first spread, lighting clouds and seas; Zhou Yu once defeated Lord Cao here.
Another quatrain says:
High mountains, small moon, waters vast and wide; sighing over the former dynasty’s frantic division.
Southern men had no heart to welcome Wei’s Wu; the east wind intended to favor Zhou Yu.
High mountains, small moon, waters vast and wide; sighing over the former dynasty’s frantic division.
Southern men had no heart to welcome Wei’s Wu; the east wind intended to favor Zhou Yu.
Let us set aside the fierce battle on the river. As for Gan Ning, he had Cai Zhong lead the way deep into Cao’s camp, where Gan Ning cut Cai Zhong down from his horse with one blow and set fire to the grass. Lü Meng, seeing from afar the central camp ablaze, also set a dozen fires to support Gan Ning. Pan Zhang and Dong Xi separately set fires and raised shouts, beating drums that shook the earth on all sides. Cao Cao and Zhang Liao, leading over a hundred cavalry, fled through a forest of flames, seeing no place ahead that was not on fire. As they went, Mao Jie rescued Wen Ping and caught up with a dozen cavalrymen. Cao Cao ordered the troops to find a path. Zhang Liao pointed and said, “Only Wulin has open ground; we can go there.” Cao Cao headed straight for Wulin.
As they advanced, a force caught up from behind, shouting, “Cao thief, don’t flee!” In the firelight, Lü Meng’s banner appeared. Cao Cao urged his horse forward, leaving Zhang Liao to cover the rear and resist Lü Meng. Suddenly, torches rose ahead, and a force emerged from a mountain valley, shouting, “Ling Tong is here!” Cao Cao’s courage shattered. Then a force suddenly arrived from the side, shouting, “Premier, don’t panic! Xu Huang is here!” They engaged in a chaotic battle, forcing a path and fleeing north. Suddenly, they saw a troop of horses encamped before a hillside. Xu Huang went to inquire and found it was Yuan Shao’s former subordinates Ma Yan and Zhang Yi, with three thousand northern troops stationed there. That night, seeing the sky filled with flames, they had not dared to move, and now they happened to meet Cao Cao. Cao Cao ordered the two generals to lead a thousand cavalry to clear the way, while the rest stayed to protect him. With this fresh force, Cao Cao’s heart steadied a bit. Ma Yan and Zhang Yi galloped ahead. Within less than ten li, shouts of battle arose, and a force charged out. The leading general shouted, “I am Gan Xingba of Eastern Wu!” Ma Yan was about to engage when Gan Ning cut him down from his horse with one blow. Zhang Yi raised his spear to meet him; Gan Ning gave a great shout, and before Zhang Yi could react, Gan Ning raised his blade and sent him tumbling off his horse. The rear troops reported this urgently to Cao Cao. Cao Cao then hoped for reinforcements from Hefei, not knowing that Sun Quan, at the Hefei junction, seeing the firelight on the river and knowing his forces had won, had ordered Lu Xun to raise a signal fire. Taishi Ci, seeing this, joined forces with Lu Xun and charged forward. Cao Cao had no choice but to flee toward Yiling. On the way, he ran into Zhang He, whom he ordered to cover the rear.
Spurring his horse and adding the whip, he traveled until the fifth watch. Looking back, he saw the firelight gradually receding, and his heart steadied. He asked, “What place is this?” His attendants replied, “This is west of Wulin, north of Yidu.” Cao Cao saw dense forests and rugged mountains, and so he threw back his head and laughed heartily while on horseback. The generals asked, “Why does the Premier laugh?” Cao Cao said, “I laugh at no one else, only at Zhou Yu for lacking strategy and Zhuge Liang for lacking wisdom. If it were me deploying troops, I would have set an ambush here long ago—what then?”
Before he finished speaking, drums thundered on both sides, flames shot up to the sky, and Cao Cao nearly fell from his horse in shock. A force charged out from the side, shouting, “I, Zhao Zilong, have been awaiting you here for some time on the Military Advisor’s orders!” Cao Cao ordered Xu Huang and Zhang He to hold off Zhao Yun while he fled through smoke and flames. Zilong did not pursue, only focusing on seizing banners, allowing Cao Cao to escape.
As dawn broke faintly, black clouds covered the sky, and the southeast wind still blew relentlessly. Suddenly, a heavy rain poured down, soaking their armor and clothing. Cao Cao and his troops pressed on through the rain, all showing signs of hunger. Cao Cao ordered the soldiers to plunder grain from nearby villages and find kindling. Just as they were about to cook, a force caught up from behind. Cao Cao was very alarmed. It turned out to be Li Dian and Xu Xu, protecting the various strategists as they arrived.
Cao Cao was overjoyed and ordered the troops to continue marching. He asked, “What place lies ahead?” Someone reported, “On one side is the main road to Southern Yiling; on the other is the mountain path to Northern Yiling.” Cao Cao asked, “Which route to Nanjun Jiangling is the shortest?” The soldiers replied, “Taking Southern Yiling through Gourd Mouth is the most convenient.” Cao Cao ordered them to take Southern Yiling. When they reached Gourd Mouth, the troops were hungry and exhausted, unable to go on; the horses were also tired, many collapsing on the road. Cao Cao ordered a temporary halt ahead. Those with gongs and pots, or who had seized grain from villages, found dry spots by the mountainside to cook, cutting horse meat to roast and eat. All removed their wet clothes to dry in the wind. The horses, unsaddled and unbridled, were let loose in the wild to gnaw on grass roots.
Cao Cao sat under a sparse grove of trees and laughed heartily again. The officers asked, “Earlier, the Premier laughed at Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, which brought out Zhao Zilong and cost us many men and horses. Why laugh again now?” Cao Cao said, “I laugh at Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu for being ultimately short on strategy. If it were me deploying troops, I would have set an ambush right here, waiting at ease for the weary; even if we escaped with our lives, we could not avoid severe losses. They failed to see this, so I laugh at them.”
As he spoke, shouts erupted from the front and rear forces alike. Cao Cao, greatly alarmed, abandoned his armor and mounted his horse. Many troops had no time to retrieve their horses. Smoke and fire soon filled the mountain pass, and a force deployed. The leading general was the Yan man Zhang Yide, holding a long spear, standing on his horse and shouting, “Where are you going, Cao thief!” The sight of Zhang Fei chilled all the generals’ hearts. Xu Xu, riding a horse without a saddle, fought Zhang Fei. Zhang Liao and Xu Huang also spurred their horses forward to join the attack. The forces on both sides became entangled in a chaotic melee. Cao Cao first turned his horse and fled, and the generals each broke free. Zhang Fei pursued from behind. Cao Cao fled along winding paths until the pursuers gradually fell behind. Looking back, he saw that many of his generals were wounded.
As they were proceeding, a soldier reported, "There are two roads ahead, may I ask which one the Chancellor wishes to take?" Cao Cao asked, "Which road is shorter?" The soldier said, "The main road is somewhat level but over fifty li longer; the small path leads to Huarong Road and is over fifty li shorter. However, the path is narrow and dangerous, full of pits and difficult to travel." Cao Cao sent men up the mountain to observe, and they reported back, "On the small path by the mountain, there are several plumes of smoke rising. On the main road, there is no activity at all." Cao Cao ordered the vanguard to take the Huarong Road small path. The generals said, "Where smoke rises, there must be troops. Why go that way instead?" Cao Cao said, "Have you not read in the art of war: 'What seems empty is in fact full, and what seems full is in fact empty.' Zhuge Liang is full of schemes, so he sent men to light smoke in the remote mountains, to make us afraid to take that path, while he lays an ambush on the main road. I have already figured it out; I will not fall for his trick!" The generals all said, "The Chancellor's brilliant calculations are beyond the reach of ordinary men." So they led the troops along the Huarong Road. By this time, the men were collapsing from hunger, and the horses were exhausted. Those with scorched heads and bruised faces helped each other along; those hit by arrows or bearing spear wounds struggled to walk. Armor and clothing were soaked through, none were intact; weapons and banners were scattered and disordered. Most of them had been chased in panic on the Yiling Road, riding only bare-backed horses, having abandoned saddles, bridles, and clothing. It was the depth of a severe winter; their suffering was beyond description.
Cao Cao saw the vanguard halt and not advance, and asked the reason. The reply came, "Ahead, the mountain path is narrow, and because of the morning rain, the ditches are filled with stagnant water; the mud traps the horses' hooves, making it impossible to proceed." Cao Cao flew into a rage and scolded, "An army cuts through mountains and bridges over water—how can there be any talk of mud preventing movement!" He issued an order, commanding the old, weak, and wounded soldiers to lag behind and move slowly, while the strong carried earth, bundled firewood, transported reeds, and filled the road, insisting that it be done immediately; anyone who disobeyed would be beheaded. The troops had no choice but to dismount, cut down bamboo and wood by the roadside, and fill the mountain path. Cao Cao, fearing pursuit by the rear army, ordered Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, and Xu Huang to lead one hundred cavalry with drawn swords, beheading anyone who moved too slowly.
Cao Cao shouted at the soldiers to advance along the plank road, and the dead were beyond count. The sound of wailing continued unbroken along the road. Cao Cao angrily said, "Life and death are fated—what is there to cry about! Anyone who cries again will be immediately beheaded!" The three contingents of troops: one fell behind, one filled the mountain valleys, and one followed Cao Cao. After passing the treacherous area, the road became somewhat level. Cao Cao looked back and saw only three hundred or so riders following behind, and none had intact armor or robes. Cao Cao urged them to hurry forward. The generals said, "The warhorses are utterly exhausted; we must rest a little." Cao Cao said, "We can rest when we reach Jingzhou." After traveling less than a few li, Cao Cao raised his whip and laughed heartily from his horse. The generals asked, "Why is the Chancellor laughing again?" Cao Cao said, "Everyone says Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang are full of wisdom and schemes, but in my view, they are ultimately incompetent. If they had placed an ambush here, we would all be captured without a fight."
Before he had finished speaking, a cannon boomed, and five hundred sword-and-axe soldiers lined up on both sides. The leading general, Guan Yunchang, holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and riding the Red Hare Steed, blocked the way. When Cao Cao’s soldiers saw this, their souls flew away and their spirits scattered; they stared at each other in dismay. Cao Cao said, "Since we are here, we must fight to the death!" The generals said, "Though men may not fear, the horses are spent—how can we fight again?" Cheng Yu said, "I have long known that Yunchang defies his superiors but cannot bear to bully his subordinates; he bullies the strong but does not oppress the weak. He distinguishes clearly between kindness and enmity, and his faithfulness and honor are always evident. The Chancellor once showed him favor; if you now appeal to him personally, you may escape this disaster."
Cao Cao heeded his words, spurred his horse forward, bowed slightly, and said to Yunchang, "General, have you been well since we parted?" Yunchang also bowed slightly and replied, "I, Guan, have been ordered by the Military Advisor to await the Chancellor for some time." Cao Cao said, "I am defeated and in dire straits, with no road left. I hope the General will consider our past friendship." Yunchang said, "Though I once received great kindness from the Chancellor, I have already slain Yan Liang, killed Wen Chou, and lifted the siege of Baima to repay it. As for today’s matter, how dare I set aside public duty for private gratitude?" Cao Cao said, "Can you still remember the slaying of generals at the five passes? A true man values faithfulness and honor above all. The General is deeply versed in the Spring and Autumn Annals—do you not know the story of Gongsun Zhui and Zizhuo Ruzi?"
Yunchang was a man whose sense of righteousness was as weighty as Mount Tai. Thinking of the many kindnesses Cao Cao had shown him in the past, and later the incidents at the five passes, how could he not be moved? Seeing the Cao army panic-stricken and nearly in tears, his heart grew even more reluctant. He then reined his horse around and said to the troops, "Spread out in all directions." This clearly meant to let Cao Cao escape. When Cao Cao saw Yunchang turn his horse, he and the generals charged through together. By the time Yunchang turned back, Cao Cao and his generals had already passed. Yunchang gave a great shout, and the troops all dismounted, knelt on the ground, and wept. Yunchang’s heart grew even softer. While he hesitated, Zhang Liao rode up swiftly. Seeing him, Yunchang was again moved by their old bond; he let out a long sigh and released them all. A later poet wrote:
Cao Man, defeated, fled to Huarong,
Meeting Guan Gong on the narrow path.
Only because of past kindness so strong,
He freed the golden lock and let the dragon pass.
After Cao Cao escaped the calamity at Huarong, he reached the mouth of the valley and looked back at the soldiers following him—only twenty-seven riders remained. By nightfall, they neared Nanjun, where torches blazed brightly, and a troop blocked the road. Cao Cao was greatly alarmed and said, "My life is over!" Then a group of scouts rushed forward, and he recognized them as Cao Ren’s troops. Cao Cao finally felt at ease. Cao Ren came forward to greet him and said, "Though I knew of the defeat, I dared not go far, so I awaited you nearby." Cao Cao said, "I almost never saw you again!"
Then he led the men into Nanjun to rest. Later, Zhang Liao also arrived and spoke of Yunchang’s kindness. Cao Cao mustered his officers; many were wounded, and he ordered them all to rest and recover. Cao Ren set out wine to relieve Cao Cao’s melancholy, and all the advisors were present. Cao Cao suddenly looked up and wept bitterly. The advisors said, "When the Chancellor was fleeing from the tiger’s lair, you showed no fear. Now that you are in the city, with food for men and fodder for horses, it is time to rally the troops for revenge—why do you weep instead?" Cao Cao said, "I weep for Guo Fengxiao! If Fengxiao were here, he would never have let me make such a great mistake!" Then he beat his chest and wailed, "Alas, Fengxiao! How painful, Fengxiao! How regrettable, Fengxiao!" The advisors were all silent and ashamed.
The next day, Cao Cao summoned Cao Ren and said, "I am now returning temporarily to Xuchang to gather troops and will surely come to take revenge. You must hold Nanjun securely. I have a plan, which I leave here in secret; do not open it except in an emergency. Act according to it, and let Eastern Wu not dare to look upon Nanjun." Cao Ren said, "Who will guard Hefei and Xiangyang?" Cao Cao said, "Jingzhou is entrusted to your care; Xiangyang I have already sent Xiahou Dun to guard. Hefei is the most critical place; I order Zhang Liao as chief general, with Yue Jin and Li Dian as deputies, to guard it. If there is an emergency, report to me by swift horse."
Having made these arrangements, Cao Cao mounted his horse and led his men back to Xuchang. The civil and military officials who had surrendered from Jingzhou were brought back to Xuchang for assignment. Cao Ren himself sent Cao Hong to hold Yiling and Nanjun, to guard against Zhou Yu.
Now, Guan Yunchang, having released Cao Cao, led his troops back. By this time, all the other units had obtained horses, equipment, money, and grain, and had returned to Xiakou; only Yunchang had captured not a single man or horse and returned empty-handed to see Xuande. Kongming was just congratulating Xuande when a report came that Yunchang had arrived. Kongming quickly left his seat, took a wine cup, and greeted him, saying, "I rejoice that the General has performed this world-covering merit, ridding the world of its great scourge. We should offer our congratulations from afar."
Cloud Chang remained silent. Kongming said, "General, could it be that you are displeased because we did not come far enough to welcome you?" He turned to his attendants and said, "Why did you not report earlier?" Cloud Chang replied, "Guan has come specifically to request execution." Kongming said, "Could it be that Cao Cao did not take the Huarong Road?" Cloud Chang said, "He did come from there. But Guan was incompetent, and so he escaped." Kongming said, "Did you capture any of his officers or soldiers?" Cloud Chang said, "Not a single one." Kongming said, "This is because Cloud Chang recalled Cao Cao’s former kindness and deliberately let him go. But since the military pledge stands here, military law must be enforced." He then ordered the guards to take Cloud Chang out and behead him. Truly:
He risked his life to repay a friend,
Earning eternal fame for righteousness in ages without end.
Whether Cloud Chang’s life would be spared, let the next chapter reveal.