Chapter 66: Guan Yun Chang Goes Alone to the Feast; Empress Fu Gives Her Life for the State
Guan Yu Goes to the Feast Alone; Empress Fu Dies for Her Country
Let us now tell how Sun Quan wanted to reclaim Jingzhou. Zhang Zhao offered a plan: “The man Liu Bei relies on is only Zhuge Liang. His elder brother, Zhuge Jin, is an official in Wu. Why not seize Zhuge Jin’s family and send him into Sichuan to tell his younger brother, urging him to persuade Liu Bei to hand over Jingzhou? If he does not return it, it will surely implicate my entire family. Zhuge Liang, mindful of their fraternal bond, will certainly agree.” Sun Quan said, “Zhuge Jin is an honest gentleman; how can I bear to imprison his family?” Zhang Zhao replied, “Make it clear to him that this is a stratagem, and he will naturally be at ease.” Sun Quan followed this advice, placing Zhuge Jin’s family under nominal house arrest, while writing a letter and sending Zhuge Jin to Western Sichuan. Within a few days, he arrived in Chengdu and first sent someone to report to Liu Bei. Liu Bei asked Kongming, “Why has your elder brother come here?” Kongming said, “He has come to demand Jingzhou.” Liu Bei asked, “How shall we answer him?” Kongming replied, “We need only act thus and so.”
Once the plan was settled, Kongming went out of the city to welcome Zhuge Jin. Without going to his private residence, he went directly to the guesthouse. After exchanging greetings, Zhuge Jin burst into loud wailing. Kongming said, “Elder brother, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you so grief-stricken?” Zhuge Jin said, “My entire family is finished!” Kongming said, “Could it be because of the refusal to return Jingzhou? Because of my sake, your family has been seized, and my heart is uneasy. Elder brother, do not worry; I have a way to return Jingzhou.” Greatly delighted, Zhuge Jin went with Kongming to see Liu Bei, presenting Sun Quan’s letter. Liu Bei read it and said angrily, “Sun Quan married his sister to me, yet while I was away from Jingzhou, he secretly took her back—an outrage against all reason! I was just about to muster the Sichuan army in full force and sweep down upon Jiangnan to avenge this insult, and he still dares to ask for Jingzhou?” Kongming knelt weeping and said, “The Lord of Wu has seized my elder brother’s family. If we do not return Jingzhou, my brother’s entire household will be killed. If my brother dies, how can I live alone? I beg you, my lord, for my sake, return Jingzhou to Eastern Wu to preserve our fraternal bond!” Liu Bei repeatedly refused, but Kongming only wept and begged. Liu Bei said slowly, “Since that is so, for the sake of my military adviser, I will return half of Jingzhou to him: give him the three commanderies of Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang.” Kongming said, “Since you have consented, you may write to Yun Chang to hand over these three commanderies.” Liu Bei said, “When Ziyu arrives there, he must speak kindly to my younger brother. My brother’s temper is like fire; even I am afraid of him. Be very careful.”
Zhuge Jin obtained the letter, took leave of Liu Bei and Kongming, and set out directly for Jingzhou. Guan Yu invited him into the central hall, where host and guest exchanged pleasantries. Zhuge Jin produced Liu Bei’s letter and said, “Imperial Uncle has promised to first return the three commanderies to Eastern Wu. I hope, General, that you will transfer them immediately, so that I may return to see my lord.” Guan Yu’s expression changed, and he said, “My elder brother and I swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, vowing to restore the Han dynasty together. Jingzhou is originally the territory of the Great Han—how can we give away so much as an inch of land? ‘A general in the field may refuse his sovereign’s command.’ Even though my elder brother has sent a letter, I will not return it.” Zhuge Jin said, “Now the Lord of Wu has seized my family. If Jingzhou is not returned, they will surely be killed. I beg you, General, to have pity on me!” Guan Yu said, “This is merely a trick of the Lord of Wu—how can it fool me!” Zhuge Jin said, “Why is the General so unfeeling?” Guan Yu grasped his sword and said, “Say no more! This sword of mine shows no mercy!” Guan Ping interjected, “For the sake of the military adviser’s face, I beg you, Father, to calm your anger.” Guan Yu said, “If not for the military adviser’s sake, I would make sure you never return to Eastern Wu!”
Zhuge Jin, deeply ashamed, hastily took his leave and went back to his boat, then journeyed again to Western Sichuan to see Kongming, but Kongming had already gone out on an inspection tour. Zhuge Jin had no choice but to see Liu Bei again, tearfully recounting how Guan Yu had wanted to kill him. Liu Bei said, “My younger brother has a hot temper and is hard to reason with. Ziyu may return for now; when I have taken Eastern Sichuan and Hanzhong, I will transfer Guan Yu to garrison those places, and then Jingzhou can be handed over.” Zhuge Jin, left with no alternative, went back to Eastern Wu to see Sun Quan, reporting everything in detail. Sun Quan said angrily, “On this trip of yours, Ziyu, did you shuttle back and forth entirely as part of Zhuge Liang’s scheme?” Zhuge Jin said, “No; my younger brother also wept and begged Liu Bei, who only then agreed to return the three commanderies. But then Guan Yu stubbornly resisted and refused.” Sun Quan said, “Since Liu Bei has spoken of returning the three commanderies, we can send officials to take up posts in Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang. Let us see what happens.” Zhuge Jin said, “Your lordship’s words are most fitting.” Sun Quan then allowed Zhuge Jin to retrieve his family, while sending officials to the three commanderies.
Within a day, the officials sent to the three commanderies were all driven back, reporting to Sun Quan, “Guan Yu would not let us stay; he drove us back to Eastern Wu that very night, saying he would kill us if we delayed.” Sun Quan was furious and summoned Lu Su, rebuking him, “Zijing, you once stood surety for Liu Bei, borrowing my Jingzhou. Now that Liu Bei has taken Western Sichuan and refuses to return it, how can you sit idly by?” Lu Su said, “I have already thought of a plan and was about to tell you, my lord.” Sun Quan asked what it was. Lu Su said, “Now station troops at Lukou and send someone to invite Guan Yu to a feast. If Guan Yu comes, we will reason with him gently; if he refuses, we will have hidden swordsmen kill him. If he does not come, we will advance at once and fight him to the death to seize Jingzhou.” Sun Quan said, “This suits my intention exactly; you may carry it out immediately.” Kan Ze spoke up, “This will not do. Guan Yu is a tiger among generals, not to be compared with ordinary men. I fear the plan may fail, and you will instead fall victim to his hand.” Sun Quan said angrily, “If we do this, when will Jingzhou ever be obtained?” He then ordered Lu Su to act swiftly on the plan. Lu Su took leave of Sun Quan, went to Lukou, and summoned Lü Meng and Gan Ning to discuss the matter. He set up a feast in a pavilion by the river outside the Lukou camp, wrote an invitation, and selected a persuasive man from among his subordinates to serve as envoy, who boarded a boat and crossed the river. At the river mouth, Guan Ping questioned him, then led the envoy into Jingzhou to see Guan Yu. The envoy detailed Lu Su’s invitation to the feast and presented the letter. After reading it, Guan Yu said to the envoy, “Since Zijing invites me, I will come to the feast tomorrow. You may return first.”
The envoy took his leave and departed. Guan Ping said, “Lu Su’s invitation must be ill-intentioned. Why did Father agree to go?” Guan Yu laughed and said, “Do you think I do not know? This is because Zhuge Jin reported to Sun Quan that I refused to return the three commanderies, so Lu Su has stationed troops at Lukou and invited me to the feast to demand Jingzhou. If I do not go, they will say I am afraid. Tomorrow I will go alone in a small boat, with only a dozen close followers, and face the feast single-handed. Let us see what Lu Su can do to me.” Guan Ping tried to dissuade him, saying, “Father, why risk your life, worth a thousand pieces of gold, by stepping into a tiger’s den? I fear this is not the way to honor Uncle’s trust.” Guan Yu said, “I have charged through a thousand spears and ten thousand swords, amid a hail of arrows and stones, riding alone and cutting a path as if through empty space—am I now to fear that pack of rats from Jiangdong?” Ma Liang also advised, “Lu Su may have the bearing of an elder, but now that the situation is urgent, he cannot help but harbor treacherous thoughts. General, do not go lightly.” Guan Yu said, “In ancient times, Lin Xiangru of the State of Zhao, though weak enough to truss a chicken, made the Qin ruler and his ministers look like nothing at the Mianchi meeting. And I have mastered the art of fighting ten thousand foes. Since I have given my word, I cannot break faith.” Ma Liang said, “Even if you go, you should still prepare.” Guan Yu said, “Just have my son select ten fast boats, hide five hundred expert sailors in them, and wait on the river. When you see me raise a red banner, cross over at once.” Guan Ping received the order and went to make preparations.
The messenger returned to Lu Su and reported that Guan Yu had generously agreed and would arrive the next day as promised. Lu Su discussed with Lü Meng: “If he comes, what shall we do?” Lü Meng said, “If he brings troops and horses, Gan Ning and I will each lead a force to ambush on the riverbank, and at the sound of a cannon signal, we will prepare for battle. If he brings no troops, we will hide fifty axemen behind the hall and kill him during the feast.” The plan was set. The next day, Lu Su sent men to the riverbank to watch from afar. After the hour of the Dragon (7–9 a.m.), a single boat appeared on the river, with only a few oarsmen and a helmsman. A red flag fluttered in the wind, displaying a large character “Guan.” As the boat drew near the shore, they saw Guan Yu wearing a green turban and a green robe, seated in the boat. Beside him stood Zhou Cang, holding the great blade; eight or nine stalwart men from west of the Pass each bore a sword at their side. Lu Su, startled and uncertain, welcomed him into the pavilion. After exchanging formal greetings, they took their seats for the feast, raised their cups in toast, and dared not lift their heads to look. Guan Yu talked and laughed with ease.
When the wine was half finished, Lu Su said, “I have a word to lay before you, Marquis; I hope you will deign to hear it. In former days, your elder brother, Imperial Uncle Liu Bei, had me vouch for him before my lord, guaranteeing the temporary loan of Jingzhou as a place of refuge, and agreed that it would be returned after the capture of Western Shu. Now Western Shu has been taken, yet Jingzhou remains unreturned. Is this not a breach of trust?” Guan Yu replied, “These are matters of state; there is no need to discuss them over wine.” Lu Su said, “My lord possesses only the modest region of Jiangdong, yet he was willing to lend Jingzhou out of consideration for your lordship’s army, which had fled here after defeat and had no foothold. Now that Yizhou has been gained, Jingzhou should naturally be restored. Yet the Imperial Uncle is only willing to cede three commanderies, and you, Marquis, refuse to comply. I fear this is indefensible in terms of right conduct.”
Guan Yu said, “At the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Left General (Liu Bei) personally faced arrows and stones, joining forces to break the enemy. Could he have toiled for nothing, without even a scrap of land as recompense? And now you come again demanding territory?” Lu Su replied, “That is not so. When you, Marquis, and the Imperial Uncle were together defeated at Changban Slope, your plans exhausted and your strength spent, on the verge of fleeing far away, my lord took pity on the Imperial Uncle having no place to settle. He did not begrudge the land, allowing him a refuge sufficient to plan future achievements. But the Imperial Uncle has turned his back on kindness and destroyed friendship. Having gained Western Shu, he still holds Jingzhou—greedy and forgetful of righteousness. I fear he will be laughed at by all under Heaven. I hope you, Marquis, will consider this clearly.” Guan Yu said, “These are all my elder brother’s affairs; they are not for me to meddle in.” Lu Su said, “I have heard that you and the Imperial Uncle swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, vowing to live and die together. The Imperial Uncle is as yourself; how can you refuse?”
Before Guan Yu could answer, Zhou Cang, standing below the steps, said in a stern voice: “The lands under Heaven are only for the virtuous to dwell in. Why should the Eastern Wu alone possess them?” Guan Yu’s face changed color as he rose, snatched the great blade from Zhou Cang’s hand, stood in the courtyard, glared at Zhou Cang, and roared: “This is a matter of state! How dare you speak out of turn! Get out of here at once!” Zhou Cang understood the hint and went first to the riverbank, where he waved the red flag. Guan Ping’s boat shot out like an arrow, speeding straight toward the Eastern Shore. Guan Yu, the great blade in his right hand and his left hand grasping Lu Su’s arm, pretended to be drunk and said, “Today you invited me to a feast—do not bring up the matter of Jingzhou. I am already drunk and fear I might harm our old friendship. Another day I will send someone to invite you to a meeting in Jingzhou, and we can discuss it further.”
Lu Su was terrified out of his wits, dragged by Guan Yu to the riverbank. Lü Meng and Gan Ning each led their troops, intending to attack, but seeing Guan Yu holding the great blade and personally grasping Lu Su, they feared harming him and dared not act. When Guan Yu reached the boat, he finally let go, and standing at the prow, he took his leave of Lu Su. Lu Su stood dumbfounded, watching Guan Yu’s boat sail away with the wind. Later, someone wrote a poem praising Guan Yu:
“He scorned the Wu ministers as mere children;
Dared he go to the single-blade feast to bully them?
That heroic spirit of years gone by
Outshone even Xiang Ru at Mianchi.”
Guan Yu returned to Jingzhou. Lu Su and Lü Meng discussed the matter: “This plan has failed again—what is to be done?” Lü Meng said, “We can report to our lord and raise an army to fight Guan Yu to the death.” Lu Su immediately sent a messenger to report to Sun Quan. When Sun Quan heard this, he was enraged and discussed raising the full force of the kingdom to seize Jingzhou. Suddenly, word came that Cao Cao was again leading a vast army of three hundred thousand. Sun Quan was greatly alarmed and temporarily ordered Lu Su not to provoke the Jingzhou forces, but to shift their troops toward Hefei and Ruxu to resist Cao Cao.
Now, as Cao Cao was about to set out on his southern campaign, his military advisor Fu Gan, styled Yancai, submitted a letter advising against it. The letter read roughly: “I have heard that in using military force, one must first emphasize authority; in governing by civil means, one must first emphasize virtue. When authority and virtue complement each other, then the imperial enterprise can succeed. In the past, when the realm was in chaos, Your Excellency used force to sweep it clean, pacifying nine parts out of ten. Now those who have not yet submitted to the mandate are only Wu and Shu. Wu relies on the peril of the Yangtze River; Shu relies on the barrier of high mountains. They are hard to overcome by force. I believe that for now, it would be better to cultivate civil virtue, keep the troops inactive, rest the army and soldiers, and await the opportune moment to act. If we now dispatch several hundred thousand troops to camp along the riverbank, and should the enemy rely on their natural defenses to hide deep and not emerge, our forces would be unable to display their skills, and our clever stratagems could not be deployed flexibly—then the majesty of the Son of Heaven would be compromised. I hope Your Excellency will carefully consider this.”
After reading it, Cao Cao called off the southern campaign, established schools, and invited and honored scholars. Then four court attendants—Wang Can, Du Xi, Wei Kai, and He Yi—discussed honoring Cao Cao as King of Wei. The Palace Secretary Xun You said, “That will not do. The Chancellor’s rank has already reached Duke of Wei, with the honor of the Nine Bestowals—the pinnacle of station. To advance further to the rank of king is not proper in principle.” When Cao Cao heard this, he said angrily, “This man wants to imitate Xun Yu, does he?” When Xun You learned of this, he fell ill from melancholy and resentment, and after lying sick for over ten days, died at the age of fifty-eight. Cao Cao gave him a lavish funeral and then abandoned the plan for making himself King of Wei.
One day, Cao Cao entered the palace with his sword. Emperor Xian was sitting together with Empress Fu. When Empress Fu saw Cao Cao coming, she rose hastily. The Emperor, upon seeing Cao Cao, trembled uncontrollably. Cao Cao said, “Sun Quan and Liu Bei each occupy a region and do not revere the court. What should be done?” The Emperor said, “Let the Duke of Wei decide and handle it entirely.” Cao Cao said angrily, “When Your Majesty speaks such words, outsiders hearing them might think I am bullying the sovereign.” The Emperor said, “If you would be willing to assist me, it would be my great fortune. If not, I hope you will show mercy and let me go.”
When Cao Cao heard this, he glared fiercely at the Emperor and left in a huff. Some attendants reported to the Emperor: “Recently we have heard that the Duke of Wei intends to proclaim himself king, and soon he will surely usurp the throne.” The Emperor and Empress Fu wept bitterly. Empress Fu said, “My father, Fu Wan, has long harbored the intention to kill Cao Cao. I should now write a letter and secretly entrust it to my father to plot this matter.” The Emperor said, “In the past, Dong Cheng was not careful in his plans and instead brought great disaster. Now if it leaks out again, you and I will both be finished!” Empress Fu said, “Every day and night feels like sitting on a needle mat. To live like this is worse than dying early! Among the eunuchs, I see no one more loyal and reliable than Mu Shun. Let him deliver this letter.” So they summoned Mu Shun immediately behind the screen, dismissed the attendants, and the Emperor and Empress Fu wept as they told him, “That villain Cao Cao wants to become King of Wei, and sooner or later he will certainly usurp the throne. We want the Empress’s father, Fu Wan, to secretly plot against this villain, but all those around us are Cao Cao’s confidants, and there is no one we can trust. We want you to deliver the Empress’s secret letter to Fu Wan. We trust that you are loyal and righteous and will surely not betray us.” Mu Shun wept and said, “Your servant is grateful for Your Majesty’s great kindness; how would I dare not repay it even with death? I will go at once.”
Empress Fu then wrote the letter and gave it to Mu Shun. Mu Shun hid it in his hair, slipped out of the palace, and went straight to Fu Wan’s residence, presenting the letter. When Fu Wan saw that it was in Empress Fu’s own handwriting, he said to Mu Shun, “Cao Cao has many confidants; we cannot act hastily. Unless Sun Quan of Jiangdong and Liu Bei of Western Shu raise troops from outside—then Cao Cao will surely go in person. At that time, we can find loyal and righteous men at court and plot together, attacking from within and without—then perhaps we can succeed.” Mu Shun said, “Your Excellency the Imperial Father-in-law can write a reply to the Emperor and Empress, requesting a secret edict, and secretly send men to Wu and Shu to arrange for them to raise troops, to punish the traitor and rescue the sovereign.” Fu Wan immediately took paper, wrote a letter, and gave it to Mu Shun. Mu Shun then hid the letter in his topknot, took leave of Fu Wan, and returned to the palace.
It turned out that someone had already reported to Cao Cao. Cao Cao was waiting at the palace gate. When Mu Shun returned and encountered Cao Cao, Cao Cao asked, "Where have you been?" Mu Shun replied, "The Empress is ill, and I was ordered to fetch a physician." Cao Cao said, "Where is the physician you summoned?" Mu Shun said, "I have not yet found one." Cao Cao ordered his attendants to search Mu Shun thoroughly, but they found nothing concealed on his person, so they let him pass. Suddenly, the wind blew off Mu Shun's cap. Cao Cao called him back, took the cap and examined it, finding nothing, then returned it and told him to put it on. Mu Shun put the cap on backwards. Cao Cao grew suspicious and ordered his attendants to search Mu Shun's hair, where they discovered the letter from Fu Wan. When Cao Cao read the letter, it spoke of allying with Sun Quan and Liu Bei as external support. Cao Cao flew into a rage, seized Mu Shun, and imprisoned him in a secret chamber for interrogation, but Mu Shun refused to confess. That very night, Cao Cao mustered three thousand armored soldiers, surrounded Fu Wan's private residence, and took everyone—old and young—captive. They searched out the Empress's personal letter, then cast all of the Fu clan's three branches into prison. At daybreak, Cao Cao sent the Imperial Guard Xi Lü with a tally to enter the palace, first to confiscate the Empress's seal and ribbon.
That day, Emperor Xian was in the outer hall when he saw Xi Lü leading three hundred armored soldiers straight in. The Emperor asked, "What business do you have?" Xi Lü said, "I am acting on the orders of the Duke of Wei to confiscate the Empress's seal and ribbon." The Emperor knew the secret was exposed, and his heart and gall were shattered. Xi Lü went to the rear palace; the Empress Fu had just risen. Xi Lü ordered the keeper of the seals to hand over the jade seal, then departed. The Empress realized the plot had been uncovered and hid herself in a hollow wall within the private chambers of the rear palace. Shortly after, Shangshu Ling Hua Xin led five hundred soldiers into the rear hall and asked the palace women, "Where is the Empress Fu?" All the palace women said they did not know. Hua Xin ordered the armored soldiers to open the vermilion doors and search, but they found nothing. Suspecting she was in the wall, he ordered the soldiers to break through the wall and search. Hua Xin personally seized the Empress by her hair and dragged her out. The Empress said, "I beg you to spare my life!" Hua Xin rebuked her, "Go and plead your case before the Duke of Wei yourself!" The Empress, with disheveled hair and bare feet, was pushed and pulled out by two armored soldiers.
It turned out that Hua Xin had long been renowned for his literary talent, and earlier he had been close friends with Bing Yuan and Guan Ning. At that time, people called the three of them a single dragon: Hua Xin was the dragon's head, Bing Yuan the dragon's belly, and Guan Ning the dragon's tail. One day, Guan Ning and Hua Xin were planting vegetables together. While hoeing, they unearthed a piece of gold. Guan Ning swung his hoe and ignored it; Hua Xin picked it up, glanced at it, then threw it away. Another day, Guan Ning and Hua Xin were sitting together reading when they heard shouting outside the door—a nobleman was passing by in a carriage. Guan Ning sat upright and unmoved, while Hua Xin put down his book and went out to look. From then on, Guan Ning despised Hua Xin's character, cut the mat they shared, and sat apart, no longer treating him as a friend. Later, Guan Ning retreated to Liaodong, always wearing a white cap, living and sleeping in a tower, never setting foot on the ground, and refusing to serve under the Kingdom of Wei for the rest of his life. As for Hua Xin, he first served Sun Quan, then defected to Cao Cao, and now it came to the matter of arresting the Empress Fu. Later, someone wrote a poem lamenting Hua Xin:
"Hua Xin in his day wrought cruel schemes,
Breaking walls to seize the mother queen.
Adding wings to tyranny for a day,
His name reviled—the dragon's head, they say."
Another poem praised Guan Ning:
"Liaodong tells of Guan Ning's tower,
Man gone, tower empty, fame alone flowers.
Mock Zi Yu's greed for wealth and place,
How unlike the white cap's natural grace!"
Now, Hua Xin escorted the Empress Fu to the outer hall. When Emperor Xian saw the Empress, he descended the hall, embraced her, and wept bitterly. Hua Xin said, "The Duke of Wei has given orders; please hurry!" The Empress said to the Emperor through tears, "Can we no longer live together?" The Emperor said, "I myself do not know when my life will end!" The warriors crowded around the Empress and led her away. The Emperor beat his breast and wept. Seeing Xi Lü nearby, the Emperor said, "Xi Gong! Is there such a thing under heaven!" He collapsed to the ground, weeping. Xi Lü ordered the attendants to help the Emperor back into the palace.
Hua Xin escorted the Empress Fu to see Cao Cao. Cao Cao cursed her, "I treated you with sincerity, yet you plotted to harm me! If I do not kill you, you will surely kill me." He ordered his attendants to beat her to death with clubs. Then he entered the palace and poisoned the Empress Fu's two sons with poisoned wine. That very night, Fu Wan, Mu Shun, and over two hundred members of their clans were all beheaded in the marketplace. Everyone inside and outside the court was shocked and terrified. This was in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year of Jian'an. Later, someone wrote a poem in lamentation:
"Cao Cao's cruelty is rare in the world;
What could Fu Wan's loyalty avail?
Pity the emperor and empress torn apart,
Worse than common folk of lowly heart.
Cao Cao's cruelty is rare in the world;
What could Fu Wan's loyalty avail?
Pity the emperor and empress torn apart,
Worse than common folk of lowly heart."
After the Empress Fu was murdered, Emperor Xian went without food for several days. Cao Cao entered the palace and said, "Your Majesty need not worry. I have no disloyal intentions. My daughter is already Your Majesty's noble consort, and she is extremely virtuous and filial, fit to occupy the main palace." The Emperor dared not disobey. On the first day of the first month of the twentieth year of Jian'an, taking advantage of the New Year's celebration, he installed Cao Cao's daughter, Consort Cao, as the Empress of the main palace. None of the officials dared to speak out.
At this time, Cao Cao's power grew daily more formidable. He summoned his senior officials to discuss subduing Eastern Wu and destroying the Kingdom of Shu. Jia Xu said, "We must recall Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren to discuss this matter." Cao Cao immediately sent messengers to summon them that very night. Xiahou Dun had not yet arrived, but Cao Ren came first and entered Cao Cao's residence that night. Cao Cao was lying down drunk, with Xu Chu standing guard at the inner gate, sword in hand. Cao Ren tried to enter, but Xu Chu blocked him. Cao Ren said angrily, "I am of the Cao clan by blood—how dare you stop me?" Xu Chu said, "Though you are a close relative, General, you are an official stationed in the outer regions; I, Xu Chu, though more distant, am now serving as an inner attendant. My lord lies drunk in the hall, and I dare not let you in." When Cao Cao heard this, he sighed and said, "Xu Chu is truly a loyal minister!"
A few days later, Xiahou Dun also arrived, and they discussed the campaign together. Xiahou Dun said, "Eastern Wu and the Kingdom of Shu cannot be attacked in haste. We should first take Hanzhong from Zhang Lu, then use the victorious army to conquer Shu—it can be done in one go." Cao Cao said, "This fits my intent." So he raised an army and marched west. Indeed:
Just now displaying cruel schemes to bully a weak sovereign,
Again driving elite troops to sweep away a petty state.
Just now displaying cruel schemes to bully a weak sovereign,
Again driving elite troops to sweep away a petty state.
If you want to know what happened next, listen to the next chapter's explanation.