Translation:Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 10

by Luo Guanzhong

第十回

Chapter 10

勤王室馬騰舉義　報父讎曹操興師

Ma Teng stages an uprising on behalf of the royal household; Cao Cao sends an army to avenge the death of his father.

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　　卻說李、郭二賊欲弒獻帝。張濟、樊稠諫曰：「不可。今日若便殺之，恐眾人不服；不如仍舊奉之為主，賺諸侯入關，先去其羽翼，然後殺之，天下可圖也。」李、郭二人從其言，按住兵器。帝在樓上宣諭曰：「王允既誅，軍馬何故不退？」李傕、郭汜曰：「臣等有功王室，未蒙賜爵，故不敢退軍。」帝曰：「卿欲封何爵？」

Let us now turn to Li and Guo, who were about to kill Emperor Xian. Zhang Ji and Fan Chou admonished them, saying, "We can't do that. If we were to kill him now, the public would not be with us; it would be better to continue treating him as the ruler so that we can trick the nobles into coming through the pass, thereby cutting off his wings; once we have done that, we can kill him; then, the world will be ours to do with as we please." Li and Guo followed this advice, and stayed their weapons. From the top of the gate, the emperor intoned, "Wang Yun has been killed, why have your troops not withdrawn?" Li Jue and Guo Si said, "We have done a favor for the royal household, but have not yet been granted a rank of nobility. Therefore, we have not withdrawn our army." The emperor said, "What rank of nobility would you like to be granted?"

2

　　李、郭、張、樊四人，各自寫職銜獻上，勒要如此官品。帝只得從之，封李傕為車騎將軍池陽侯，領司隸校尉，假節鉞；郭汜為後將軍，假節鉞，同秉朝政；樊稠為右將軍萬年侯，張濟為驃騎將軍平陽侯，領兵屯弘農。其餘李蒙、王方等，各為校尉。然後謝恩，領兵出城。又下令追尋董卓屍首，獲得些零碎皮骨，以香木雕成形體，安湊停當，大設祭祀，用王者衣冠棺槨，選擇吉日，遷葬郿塢，臨葬之期，天降大雷雨，平地水深數尺，霹靂震開其棺，屍首提出棺外。李傕候晴再葬，是夜又復如是。三次改葬，皆不能葬。零皮碎骨，悉為雷火消滅。天之怒卓，可謂甚矣！

Li, Guo, Zhang and Fan each wrote down their desired position titles, then submitted them to the emperor, demanding that they be granted these ranks. The emperor had no choice but to accede to their demands. He made Li Jue General of Chariots and Cavalry, Marquis of Chiyang, as well as Colonel Director of Retainers, and also gave him the tally and battle-axe of authority.^[1] Guo Si became General of the Rear and was given the tally and battle-axe of authority. Both were given authority to perform civilian administrative duties. Fan Chou was made General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian. Zhang Ji was made General of Fast Cavalry and Marquis of Pingyang. These two were to station their troops at Hongnong. The others, such as Li Meng and Wang Fang, each became captains. Afterwards, everyone thanked the emperor for his favors, then led their troops out of the city. The order was given to track down Dong Zhuo's remains. They managed to acquire a few fragments of his skin and some of his bones. They carved a likeness of his body from scented wood, and placed everything according to where it should go. They planned for a huge sacrificial ceremony, using the clothes of an emperor and an inner and outer coffin. They chose an auspicious day to have the funeral procession to Fort Mei. Just prior to setting out on the procession, the skies opened up with thunder and rain, flooding the plains with several chi of water.^[2] A clap of thunder shook open the casket, and the corpse fell out. Li Jue waited for the weather to clear up, then tried again to hold the funeral procession, but the same thing happened once more. They tried on three different occasions to hold the funeral, but were unable to proceed. In the end, all of the fragments of skin and bone were burned up by a lightning strike. It could be said that heaven's anger toward Zhuo was truly profound!

3

　　且說李傕、郭汜既掌大權，殘虐百姓，密遣心腹侍帝左右，觀其動靜。獻帝此時舉動荊棘。朝廷官員，並由二賊陞降。因採人望，特宣朱儁入朝，封為太僕，同領朝政。一日，人報西涼太守馬騰、并州刺史韓遂，二將引軍十餘萬，殺奔長安來，聲言討賊。原來二將先曾使人入長安，結連侍中馬宇、諫議大夫种邵、左中郎將劉範三人為內應，共謀賊黨。三人密奏獻帝，封馬騰為征西將軍、韓遂為鎮西將軍，各受密詔，併力討賊。

Ma Teng

Han Sui

Let us now turn to Li Jue and Guo Si, who presently wielded considerable power. They were savage and cruel toward the populace, and secretly sent one of their spies to serve as the emperor's attendant, observing the emperor's every move. Every action that Emperor Xian undertook seemed as difficult as walking through brambles. Officials to the imperial court were promoted or demoted at the pleasure of the two bandit rebels. Because he showed promise, a special announcement was made that Zhu Jun would be introduced at court. He was to be made Minister Coachman, and put in charge of imperial government affairs. One day, someone reported that Ma Teng, governor of Xiliang, and Han Sui, provincial governor of Bingzhou, were leading an army of more than 100,000 men. The two of them were marching on Chang'an, claiming that they were prosecuting bandit rebels. As it turns out, the two had sent someone into Chang'an beforehand in order to convince Imperial Attendant Ma Yu, Advisor Chong Shao,^[3] and Commander of the Palace Guard Liu Fan to act as inside men, plotting against the bandit rebel faction. These three secretly petitioned Emperor Xian to appoint Ma Teng to be General who Conquers the West and Han Sui to be General who Stabilizes the West. Each of them received a secret imperial decree authorizing them to join forces and prosecute bandit rebels.

4

　　當下李傕、郭汜、張濟、樊稠聞二軍將至，一同商議禦敵之策。謀士賈詡曰：「二軍遠來，只宜深溝高壘，堅守以拒之。不過百日，彼兵糧盡，必將自退，然後引兵追之，二將可擒矣。」李蒙、王方出曰：「此非好計。願借精兵萬人，立斬馬騰、韓遂之頭；獻於麾下。」賈詡曰：「今若即戰，必當敗績。」李蒙、王方齊聲曰：「若吾二人敗，情願斬首；吾若戰勝，公亦當輸首級與我。」詡謂李傕、郭汜曰：「長安西二百里盩厔山，其路險峻，可使張、樊兩將軍屯兵於此，堅壁守之；待李蒙、王方自引兵迎敵，可也。」

Presently, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou heard that the two generals were approaching, so they all got together to discuss a strategy for defending against the enemy. Their advisor Jia Xu said, "The two generals have come from afar. Our only course of action is to dig in and mount a strong defense against them. Before 100 days, their army will run out of food rations, and they will be forced to retreat. After that, we will lead our army in pursuit, and the two generals can be captured." Li Meng and Wang Fang came forward, saying, "This is not a good plan. We would like to be given 10,000 elite troops, chop off the heads Ma Teng and Han Sui right away, then make a gift of the heads to Your Excellencies." Jia Xu said, "If we fight them immediately, we are bound to lose." Li Meng and Wang Fang simultaneously said, "If the two of us are defeated, we wish to be beheaded; but if we win, you should also be willing to lose your head to us." Xu addressed Li Jue and Guo Si, saying, "The mountains of Zhouzhi, two hundred li from Chang'an,^[4] are steep and dangerous. We could have Zhang and Fan station their troops there, fortifying their positions; they could wait there for Li Meng and Wang Fang, then have their army make a stand against the enemy. That should work."

5

　　李傕、郭汜從其言，點一萬五千人馬與李蒙、王方，二人忻喜而去，離長安二百八十里下寨。西涼兵到，兩個引軍迎去。西涼軍馬攔路，擺開陣勢。馬騰、韓遂聯轡而出，指[[wikt:李|李蒙]蒙、王方罵曰：「反國之賊！誰去擒之？」

Li Jue and Guo Si followed his advice, and assigned 15,000 troops to Li Meng and Wang Fang. The two men left in good spirits, and made their camp at a distance of 280 li from Chang'an.^[5] When the soldiers from Xiliang arrived, the two men led their army out to meet them. The Xiliang army blocked the road and formed battle lines. Ma Teng and Han Sui rode out, horses abreast, then pointed to Li Meng and Wang Fang and said, "Traitorous rebels! Who will capture them for us?"

6

　　言未絕，只見一位少年將軍，面如冠玉，眼若流星；虎體猿臂，彪腹狼腰；手執長槍，坐騎駿馬，從陣中飛出。原來那將即馬騰之子馬超，字孟起，年方十七歲，英勇無敵。王方欺他年幼，躍馬迎戰。戰不到數合，早被馬超一槍刺於馬下。馬超勒馬便回。李蒙見王方刺死，一騎馬從馬超背後趕來。超只做不知。馬騰在陣門下大叫：「背後有人追趕！」

Ma Chao

Before he had finished speaking, one could see a young general dash out from the battle lines. He had a striking face, like one of the jade ornaments which adorn so many hats.^[6] He had a husky build, like that of a tiger. He had a supple waist, like that of a wolf. He held a spear in his hand. The horse he was riding was a fine steed. As it turned out, the general was Ma Teng's son Ma Chao, whose style name was Mengqi.^[7] He was only 17 years old, but he was fierce and unbeatable. Wang Fang was fooled by his youth, and flew out on his horse to meet him in battle. After not more than a few bouts, he was stabbed by Ma Chao's spear and fell from his horse. Ma Chao pulled on the reins of his horse and turned back. When Li Meng saw that Wang Fang had been stabbed to death, he immediately set off on his horse in pursuit of Ma Chao. Chao pretended not to know. From the entrance to the camp, Ma Teng shouted, "Someone is chasing you from behind!"

7

　　聲猶未絕，只見馬超已將李蒙擒在馬上。原來馬超明知李蒙追趕，卻故意俄延；等他馬近，舉槍刺來，超將身一閃，李蒙搠個空，兩馬相並，被馬超輕舒猿臂，生擒過去。軍士無主，望風奔逃。馬騰、韓遂乘勢追殺，大獲全勝，直迫隘口下寨，把李蒙斬首號令。

The commotion had not yet subsided, before Ma Chao had yanked Li Meng onto his horse. As it turned out, Ma Chao knew all along that Li Meng had been chasing after him, but deliberately stalled him; as soon as his horse drew near, Meng made a thrust with his spear, but Chao parried. Li Meng ended up stabbing at the air, as both horses came side by side. He was casually snatched up by Ma Chao's ape-like arms. Meng's soldiers were now leaderless, so they fled. Ma Teng and Han Sui seized the opportunity to slaughter them, obtaining a major victory. Making their way to a mountain pass, Teng and Sui made camp, then chopped off Li Meng's head, for all to see.

8

　　李傕、郭汜聽知李蒙、王方皆被馬超殺了，方信賈詡有先見之明，重用其計，只理會緊守關防，由他搦戰，並不出迎。果然西涼軍未及兩月，糧草俱乏，商議回軍。恰好長安城中馬宇家僮出首家主與劉範、种邵，外連馬騰、韓遂，欲為內應等情。李傕、郭汜大怒，盡收三家老少良賤斬於市，把三顆首級，直來門前號令。

It was only when Li Jue and Guo Si heard that Li Meng and Wang Fang had been killed by Ma Chao, that they began to believe that Jia Xu had the gift of foresight. From then on, they began to make heavier use of his strategies. They concentrated their efforts on tightly defending strategic military positions. They allowed the enemy to initiate the fighting, but did not respond in kind. As expected, the Xiliang army did not last two months, before their rations were completely exhausted, and they began talking about withdrawing their forces. As luck would have it, Ma Yu's house servant turned his master into the authorities. Yu, who had been acting as an inside man in Chang'an along with Liu Fan and Chong Shao, had been in contact with Ma Teng and Han Sui. Li Jue and Guo Si were outraged. They rounded up the three men along with their families, regardless of age or guilt, and had all of them beheaded in the market. The heads of the three men were hung on the gates to the city, for all to see.

9

　　馬騰、韓遂見軍糧已盡，內應又泄，只得拔寨退軍。李傕、郭汜令張濟引軍趕馬騰，樊稠引軍趕韓遂，西涼軍大敗。馬超在後死戰，殺退張濟。樊稠去趕韓遂，看看趕上，相近陳倉，韓遂勒馬向樊稠曰：「吾與公乃同鄉之人，今日何太無情？」樊稠也勒住馬答曰：「上命不可違！」韓遂曰：「吾此來亦為國家耳，公何相迫之甚也？」

Having seen that their military rations were completely exhausted, and that their inside man had been exposed, Ma Teng and Han Sui had no choice but to break camp and withdraw their forces. Li Jue and Guo Si ordered Zhang Ji to lead an army in pursuit of Ma Teng; they ordered Fan Chou to lead an army in pursuit of Han Sui. The Xiliang army suffered a major defeat. Ma Chao stayed behind in a fight to the death, causing Zhang Ji to retreat. Meanwhile, Fan Chou was chasing Han Sui. He saw that he was about to catch up to him as they drew near Chencang. Han Sui pulled on the reins of his horse, then said to Fan Chou, "We are from the same village, you and me; why are you so merciless today?" Fan Chou also halted his horse, and said in response, "I cannot disobey an order from my superiors!" Han Sui said, "I have also come here for the sake of my country, why are you pursuing me with such intensity?"

10

　　樊稠聽罷，撥轉馬頭，收兵回寨，讓韓遂去了。不提防李傕之姪李別，見樊稠放走韓遂，回報其叔。李傕大怒，便欲興兵討樊稠。賈詡曰：「目今人心未寧，頻動干戈，深為不便；不若設一宴，請張濟、樊稠慶功，就席間擒稠斬之，毫不費力。」

After hearing him out, Fan Chou wheeled his horse around and withdrew his forces back to camp, allowing Han Sui to go. However, he did not take precautions against Li Jue's nephew Li Bie, who upon seeing Fan Chou allowing Han Sui to leave, reported the matter back to his father's younger brother. Li Jue was outraged, and wanted to raise an army to go after Fan Chou. Jia Xu said, "It would not be good for you to take up arms in such a state of agitation; it would be better to throw a victory banquet, inviting Zhang Ji and Fan Chou to attend. While he is there, we can capture Chou and behead him without the slightest effort.

11

　　李傕大喜，便設宴請張濟、樊稠。二將欣然赴宴。酒半闌，李傕忽然變色曰：「樊稠何故交通韓遂，欲謀造反？」稠大驚；未及回言，只見刀斧手擁出，早把樊稠斬首於案下。嚇得張濟俯伏於地。李傕扶起曰：「樊稠謀反，故而誅之；公乃吾之心腹，何須驚懼？」就將樊稠軍撥與張濟管領。張濟自回弘農去了。

Li Jue was overjoyed; consequently, he threw a banquet, inviting both Zhang Ji and Fan Chou. The two generals readily attended the banquet. After everyone had been drinking for a while, the expression on Li Jue's face suddenly changed, and he said, "Fan Chou, why did you collude with Han Sui? Are you plotting rebellion?" Chou was taken aback; before he had time to respond, an executioner charged into the room and beheaded Fan Chou on the spot. Zhang Ji was so alarmed, that he dove to the floor. Li Jue helped him up, saying, "Fan Chou had been plotting rebellion, so I had him killed; You are my trusted aide, why would you need to be afraid?" He then placed Zhang Ji in command of Fan Chou's troops. Zhang Ji returned by himself to Hongnong.

12

　　李傕、郭汜自戰敗西涼兵，諸侯莫敢誰何。賈詡屢勸安撫百姓，結納賢豪，自是朝廷微有生意。不想青州黃巾又起，聚眾數十萬，頭目不等，劫掠良民。太僕朱儁，保舉一人，可破群賊。李傕、郭汜問是何人。朱儁曰：「要破山東群賊，非曹孟德不可。」李傕曰：「孟德今在何處？」儁曰：「見任東郡太守，廣有軍兵。若命此人討賊，賊可剋日而破也。」

After Li Jue and Guo Si defeated the Xiliang army, none of the nobles dared to step out of line. Jia Xu frequently advised Jue and Si to appease the populace by befriending the virtuous and the talented members of society. From then on, the imperial court regained some of its former vitality. However, they could not have predicted that the Yellow Turbans would again rear their heads in Qingzhou, gaining several hundred thousand followers with a leader of uncommon ability, and plundering the possessions of upstanding citizens. Minister Coachman Zhu Jun recommended an individual who he thought was capable of defeating the bandit rebels. Li Jue and Guo Si asked who it was. Zhu Jun said, "If you want to subdue the bandit rebels to the east of the mountains, you will need Cao Mengde." Li Jue said, "Where is Mengde right now?" Jun said, "He is currently the governor of Dong Commandery; he has a large number of troops under his command. If we were to order him to go after the bandit rebels, it would only be a matter of time before the rebels were defeated."

13

　　李傕大喜，星夜草詔，差人齎往東郡，命曹操與濟北相鮑信一同破賊。操領了聖旨，會合鮑信，一同興兵，擊賊於壽張。鮑信殺入重地，為賊所害。操追趕賊兵，直到濟北，降者數萬。操即用賊為前驅，兵馬到處，無不降順。不過百餘日，招安到降兵三十餘萬，男女百餘萬口。曹操擇精銳者，號為「青州兵」，其餘盡令歸農。操自此威名日重。捷書報到長安，朝廷加曹操為鎮東將軍。

Li Jue was overjoyed, working day and night to draft an edict. He then sent someone to Dong Commandery to order Cao Cao to join forces with Bao Xin, chief minister of the Kingdom of Jibei, and smash the bandit rebels. Cao accepted the imperial edict, and joined with Bao Xin to raise an army; they attacked the bandit rebels at Shouzhang. Bao Xin fought his way into an important stronghold, but was mortally wounded by the bandit rebels. Cao pursued the bandit rebel army all the way to Jibei, where tens of thousands of soldiers surrendered to him. Cao then employed the bandit rebels as the lead force, then spread out his own troops in all directions. There were none that did not surrender. After not more than 100 or so days, more than thirty thousand soldiers had surrendered or sued for peace. All told, more than one million men and women came to be under Cao's authority. Cao Cao picked the best of these to form the "Qingzhou Army." The rest were all ordered to return to their homes. From then on, Cao became ever more powerful. A document reporting the news of victory was sent to Chang'an, and the imperial court made Cao Cao General Who Stabilizes the East.

14

　　操在兗州，招賢納士，有叔姪二人來投曹操。乃潁川穎陰人，姓荀，名彧，字文若，荀緄之子也；舊事袁紹，今棄紹投操，操與語大悅，曰：「此吾之子房也！」遂以為行軍司馬。其姪荀攸，字公達，海內名士，曾拜黃門侍郎，後棄官歸鄉，今與其叔同投曹操，操以為行軍教授。荀彧曰：「某聞兗州有一賢士，今此人知何在。」操問是誰。彧曰：「乃東郡東阿人，姓程，名昱，字仲德。」操曰：「吾亦聞名久矣。」遂遣人於鄉中尋問。訪得他在山中讀書，操拜請之。程昱來見，曹操大喜。

Xun Yu

Zifang

When Cao was in Yanzhou, he invited men of wisdom and valor to his side. An uncle and his nephew came to throw in their lot with Cao Cao. The uncle was from Yingyin County, Yingchuan Commandery. His surname was Xun, and his given name was Yu. His style name was Wenruo,^[8] and he was the son of Xun Gun. He had previously served under Yuan Shao, and was now abandoning Shao in favor of Cao. Cao was delighted at the news, saying, "He will be my very own Zifang!"^[9] Cao made him his aide-de-camp. Xun Yu's nephew was Xun You, whose style name was Gongda.^[10] He was well known throughout the land, and had at one time served as Deputy Head of the Edict Examination Bureau. Later on, he had abandoned his post and had returned to his home town. Now, he was throwing in his lot with Cao Cao, alongside his father's younger brother. Cao made Xun You his senior military advisor. Xun Yu said, "I have heard that there is a man of virtue and ability in Yanzhou, but am unsure as to his exact whereabouts right now." Cao asked who it was. Yu said, "He is from Dong'e County in Dong Commandery. His surname is Cheng, his given name is Yu, and his style name is Zhongde."^[11] Cao said, "I have heard his name for some time now." Cao then sent someone into town to find him. When it was learned that he was in the mountains studying his books, Cao sent for him. When Cheng Yu came, Cao Cao was overjoyed.

15

　　昱謂荀彧曰：「某孤陋寡聞，不足當公之薦。公之鄉人姓郭，名嘉，字奉孝，乃當今賢士，何不羅而致之？」彧猛省曰：「吾幾忘卻！」遂啟操徵聘郭嘉到兗州，共論天下之事。郭嘉薦光武嫡派子孫，淮南成德人：姓劉，名曄，字子陽。操即聘曄至。曄又薦二人：一個是山陽昌邑人：姓滿，名寵，字伯寧；一個是任城人，姓呂，名虔，字子恪。曹操亦素知這兩個名譽，就聘為軍中從事。滿寵、呂虔共薦一人，乃陳留平丘人，姓毛，名玠，字孝先。曹操亦聘為從事。又有一將引軍數百人，來投曹操。乃泰山巨平人，姓于，名禁，字文則。操見其人弓馬熟嫻，武藝出眾，命為典軍司馬。

Guo Jia

Cheng Yu said to Xun Yu, "I'm not smart or well-informed; I'm not deserving of your recommendation. However, there is a townsman of yours who is quite talented; his surname is Guo, his given name is Jia, and his style name is Fengxiao.^[12] Why not try and recruit him?" Xun Yu suddenly remembered, saying, "How could I have forgotten him!" He then convinced Cao to invite Guo Jia to Yanzhou, so that they could discuss things. Guo Jia recommended someone who was a direct descendant of Guangwu. The person was from Chengde, Huainan. His surname was Liu, his given name was Ye, and his style name was Ziyang.^[13] Thus, Cao hired Ye. Ye in turn recommended two men: one was from Changyi, Shanyang Commandery. His surname was Man, his given name was Chong, and his style name was Boning.^[14] The other man was from Rencheng. His surname was Lü, his given name was Qian, and his style name was Zike.^[15] Cao Cao was aware of the reputations of these two men as well, and hired them both to serve as military aides. Man Chong and Lü Qian both recommended a man who was from Pingqiu County, Chenliu Commandery. His surname was Mao, his given name was Jie, and his style name was Xiaoxian.^[16] Cao Cao made him an aide as well. There was also another general, with several hundred men under his command, who came to throw in his lot with Cao Cao. The general was from Juping, Mount Tai Commandery. His surname was Yu, his given name was Jin, and his style name was Wenze.^[17] Cao saw how skilled he was in archery and horsemanship, as well as how outstanding he was in martial arts, so he made him a military clerk.

16

　　一日，夏侯惇引一大漢來見，操問何人，惇曰：「此乃陳留人，姓典，名韋，勇力過人。舊跟張邈，與帳下人不和，手殺數十人，逃竄山中。惇出射獵，見韋逐虎過澗，因收於軍中。今特薦之於公。」操曰：「吾觀此人容貌魁梧，必有勇力。」惇曰：「他曾為友報讎殺人，提頭直出鬧市，數百人不敢近。只今所使兩枝鐵戟，重八十斤，挾之上馬，運使如飛。」操即令韋試之。韋挾戟驟馬，往來馳騁。忽見帳下大旗為風所吹，岌岌欲倒，眾軍士挾持不定；韋下馬，喝退眾軍，一手執定旗桿，立於風中，巍然不動。操曰：「此古之惡來也！」遂命為帳前都尉，解身上錦襖，及駿馬雕鞍賜之。自是曹操部下文有謀臣，武有猛將，威鎮山東。乃遣泰山太守應劭，往琅琊郡迎父曹嵩。

Dian Wei

One day, Xiahou Dun brought in a large man to see Cao. When Cao asked who it was, Dun said, "This man is from Chenliu. His surname is Dian, his given name is Wei, and his strength and bravery surpass those of ordinary men. He had previously been with Zhang Miao, but did not get along with some of his colleagues, and ended up killing a dozen or so men before fleeing into the mountains. I was out hunting one day, when I saw Wei run across a brook in pursuit of a tiger, so I recruited him into my army. I have especially come today to recommend him to Your Excellency." Cao said, "I see that this man appears to be big and sturdy; he must be brave and strong." Dun said, "He once killed someone to avenge a friend, carrying the severed head into a bustling market. Several hundred people wouldn't go near him. He currently wields two halberds totaling 80 catties in weight.^[18] He can wield them on horseback at full gallop." Cao then ordered Wei to give a demonstration. Wei rode off on his horse, halberds in hand, galloping back and forth. Suddenly, one could see a large banner next to the commander's tent fluttering in the wind, about to fall over. None of the soldiers could hold the banner steady; Dian Wei dismounted from his horse, and ordered the soldiers to step back. He then took hold of the staff of the banner with one hand, holding it steady in the wind. He was stalwart and did not budge. Cao said, "This is E Lai from ancient times!"^[19] He subsequently made him a captain, his primary duty being to stand guard in front of Cao's tent. Cao took off the silk brocade jacket that he was wearing and gave it, along with a fine horse and engraved saddle, to Wei as a present. From then on, Cao Cao was the leader of a group of cunning ministers who could help with civil matters and fierce generals who could help with military affairs. With these men under his command, he managed to pacify the areas to the east of the mountains. Cao then sent Ying Shao, governor of Mount Tai Commandery, to Langye Commandery to greet Cao's father Cao Song.

17

　　嵩自陳留避難，隱居琅琊。當日接了書信，便與弟曹德及一家老小四十餘人，帶從者百餘人，車百餘輛，逕望兗州而來。道經徐州，太守陶謙，字恭祖，為人溫厚純篤，向欲結納曹操，正無其由；知操父經過，遂出境迎接，再拜致敬，大設筵宴，款待兩日。曹嵩要行，陶謙親送出郭，特差都尉張闓，將部兵五百護送。

Ever since fleeing from Chenliu, Song had been living a reclusive existence in Langye. On the day that he received Cao's letter, he set out for Yanzhou along with his younger brother Cao De, Cao De's entire family, over 100 attendants, and over 100 carriages. On the way, they passed by Xuzhou Commandery. Tao Qian, the governor of the Commandery and whose style name was Gongzu,^[20] was a warm and sincere fellow who wanted to get on Cao Cao's good side. Unfortunately, Tao Qian did not know anyone who could put in a good word for him. However, when he learned that Cao's father would be passing by, he went out of his way to greet him. After paying ritual obeisance to Song, Qian threw Song a grand banquet that lasted for two days. When Cao Song was about to leave, Tao Qian personally escorted him out of town. He also made it a point to have Zhang Kai lead a force of 500 men as extra protection for the journey.

18

　　曹嵩率家小行到華費，時夏末秋初，大雨驟至，只得投一古寺歇宿。寺僧接入，嵩安頓家小，命張闓將軍馬屯於兩廊。眾軍衣裝，都被雨打濕，同聲嗟怨。張闓喚手下頭目於靜處商議曰：「我們本是黃巾餘黨，勉強降順陶謙，未有好處；如今曹嵩輜重車輛無數，你們欲得富貴不難，只就今夜三更，大家斫將入去，把曹嵩一家殺了，取了財物，同往山中落草。此計如何？」

Cao Song led his family to the area between Hua and Fei.^[21] At the time, it was late summer or early autumn. When a torrential rain storm suddenly came upon them, they had no choice but to seek refuge in an old temple. After the monks of the temple brought them inside, Song settled his family and ordered Zhang Kai to bed his men down in the two corridors. The clothes and equipment of the soldiers were soaked from the rain, and they were all complaining in unison. Zhang Kai took his chief assistant to a quiet place so that they could discuss things, saying, "We are leftover remnants of the Yellow Turbans. We were forced to pledge allegiance to Tao Qian, but nothing good came from the deal. As we speak, Cao Song has a bunch of carriages loaded down with military supplies. It wouldn't be difficult to strike it rich, if you guys wanted. All we have to do is to wait until the third watch,^[22] then make our move. After killing Cao Song and his family, we can take their loot and flee into the mountains. What do you think of my plan?"

19

　　眾皆應允。是夜風雨未息，曹嵩正坐，忽聞四壁喊聲大舉。曹德提劍出看，就被搠死。曹嵩方引一妾奔入方丈後，欲越牆而走；妾肥胖不能出，嵩慌急，與妾躲於廁中，被亂軍所殺。應劭死命逃脫，投袁紹去了。張闓殺盡曹嵩全家，取了財物，放火燒寺，與五百人逃奔淮南去了。後人有詩曰：

They all agreed to the plan. That night, the wind and rain had not yet subsided; Cao Song was sitting upright, when he heard a great commotion from every direction. When Cao De picked up his straight sword and went outside to take a look, he was stabbed to death. Cao Song led his wife out to the courtyard of the temple. He wanted to climb over the wall and escape, but his wife was too fat to get out. In great haste, Song hid himself and his wife in the privy, but both were killed by the unruly soldiers. Ying Shao fled for his life, making his way toward Yuan Shao. Zhang Kai killed Cao Song's entire family, looted their possessions, then burned down the temple. He fled toward Huainan, along with 500 men. People of later generations wrote a poem^[23] that went:

20

　　曹操奸雄世所誇，曾將呂氏殺全家。
　　如今闔戶逢人殺，天理循環報不差。

Cao Cao was infamous for his treachery and ferocity; he had killed the entire Lü family.^[24]
Now, the whole of his own family has been killed by someone; what goes around truly comes around.

21

　　當下應劭部下有逃命的軍士，報與曹操。操聞之，哭倒於地。眾人救起。操切齒曰：「陶謙縱兵殺吾父，此讎不共戴天！吾今悉起大軍，洗蕩徐州，方雪吾恨！」遂留荀彧、程昱領軍三萬守鄄城、范縣、東阿三縣，其餘盡殺奔徐州來。夏侯惇、于禁、典韋為先鋒。操令但得城池，將城中百姓，盡行屠戮，以雪父讎。當有九江太守邊讓，與陶謙交厚，聞知徐州有難，自引兵五千來救。操聞之大怒，使夏侯惇於路截殺之。

One of the fleeing soldiers under the command of Ying Shao immediately reported to Cao Cao. When Cao heard the news, he fell to the ground and wept. Everyone helped him back up. Cao gnashed his teeth, saying, "Tao Qian allowed his soldiers free reign to kill my father. He is now my sworn enemy, and I refuse to live under the same sky with him! I shall now raise a massive army, and wipe out Xuzhou. That is the only thing that will assuage my hatred!" Accordingly, he placed Xun Yu and Cheng Yu in charge of 300,000 troops. They were to remain behind and guard Juancheng, Fan and Dong'e Counties. The rest of his army set out toward Xuzhou. Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and Dian Wei were placed in the lead. Cao ordered that all of the residents of the city be killed, once the city was captured, in order to avenge his father's death. When Jiujiang Commandery Governor Bian Rang, who had close ties to Tao Qian, found out that Xuzhou was in trouble, he personally led 5,000 troops in order to help save the city. When Cao heard about this, he was furious, and had Xiahou Dun intercept and kill him.

22

　　時陳宮為東郡從事，亦與陶謙交厚；聞曹操起兵報讎，欲盡殺百姓，星夜前來見操。操知是為陶謙作說客，欲待不見，又滅不過舊恩，只得請入帳中相見。宮曰：「今聞明公以大兵臨徐州，報尊父之讎，所到欲盡殺百姓，某因此特來進言。陶謙乃仁人君子，非好利忘義之輩；尊翁遇害，乃張闓之惡，非謙罪也。且州縣之民，與明公何讎？殺之不祥。望三思而行。」操怒曰：「公昔棄我而去，今有何面目復來相見？陶謙殺吾一家，誓當摘膽剜心，以雪吾恨。公雖為陶謙遊說，其如吾不聽何？」陳宮辭出，嘆曰：「吾亦無面目見陶謙也！」遂馳馬投陳留太守張邈去了。

Chen Gong, an aide to the governor of Dong Commandery at the time, also had close ties with Tao Qian. When he heard that Cao Cao had raised an army in order to avenge his father's death, and that Cao wanted to kill all of the ordinary citizens, he travelled day and night in order to see Cao. Cao knew that Gong was coming on behalf of Tao Qian and did not want to see him, but was unwilling to snub a former benefactor. He had no choice but to allow Chen Gong an audience in his tent. Gong said, "I have heard that your army has descended upon Xuzhou, and that you wish to kill all of its citizens in order to avenge the death of your father. It is for this reason that I have especially come to see you. Tao Qian is a man of upstanding moral character, and wouldn't dream of abandoning his principles for the sake of his own personal gain. It is Zhang Kai who is guilty of the murder of your father, not Tao Qian. Besides, what offense has the local citizenry committed that would cause you to want to exact your revenge on them? Killing them is inauspicious. I hope that you think about this carefully, before taking action." Cao angrily said, "You abandoned me a long time ago; what nerve do you have coming here now and meeting with me like this? Tao Qian killed my entire family, and I vow that I am determined to exact my revenge. I understand that you have come to plead for Tao Qian's life, but what makes you think I will listen?" As Chen Gong was leaving, he sighed and said to himself, "I can't bear to face Tao Qian!" Accordingly, he rode his horse at a gallop toward Zhang Miao, governor of Chenliu Commandery.

23

　　且說操大軍所到之處，殺戮人民，發掘墳墓。陶謙在徐州，聞曹操起軍報讎，殺戮百姓，仰天慟哭曰：「我獲罪於天，致使徐州之民，受此大難！」急聚眾官商議。曹豹曰：「曹軍既至，豈可束手待死？某願助使君破之。」

Let us now turn to Cao's army, which had massacred the people and dug up their graves, wherever it went. Tao Qian was in Xuzhou. When he heard that Cao Cao had raised an army to avenge the death of his father, and was killing innocent civilians, he looked up at the sky and wept bitterly. He said, "I have offended the heavens and caused the citizens of Xuzhou to be met with this calamity!" He gathered his ministers together to discuss the matter. Cao Bao said, "Seeing as Cao's army has arrived, how can we just fold our arms and wait for our death? I wish to help you defeat them!"

24

　　陶謙只得引兵出迎，遠望操軍如鋪霜湧雪，中軍豎起白旗一面，大書「報讎雪恨」四字。軍馬列成陣勢。曹操縱馬出陣，身穿縞素，揚鞭大罵。陶謙亦出馬於門旗下，欠身施禮曰：「謙本欲結好明公，故託張闓護送。不想賊心不改，致有此事。實不干陶謙之故，望明公察之。」操大罵曰：「老匹夫殺吾父，尚敢亂言！誰可生擒老賊？」夏侯惇應聲而出。陶謙慌走入陣。夏侯惇趕來，曹豹挺槍躍馬，前來迎敵。兩馬相交，忽然狂風大作，飛沙走石，兩軍皆亂，各自收兵。

Tao Qian had no choice but to lead his army out to meet the enemy. In the distance, he could see Cao's army blanket the landscape like flakes of snow. Cao's Army of the Center had erected a white flag with large writing on it; it read, "Exacting revenge and settling a score." The horses and soldiers were arrayed into battle lines. Cao Cao galloped out to the front of the line. He was wearing a white mourning dress, and was brandishing his riding crop while shouting obscenities. Tao Qian rode out to the entrance to Cao's camp. Qian bowed out of respect, and said, "I had wanted to make friends with you, which is why I asked Zhang Kai to escort your father. I hadn't anticipated that he still had not changed his bandit ways; that's what caused this to happen. I really should not be held to blame; I hope that you look into the matter." Cao shouted, "You low life! You killed my father, and still, you talk nonsense! Who will capture this bandit for me?" Xiahou Dun responded to the call. Tao Qian raced back to his own lines. Xiahou Dun was catching up, but Cao Bao galloped out, spear in hand, to meet the enemy. The two horses met, but a great wind suddenly arrived, kicking up dust and sand. The two armies fell into disarray, and both sides withdrew their forces.

25

　　陶謙入城，與眾計議曰：「曹兵勢大難敵，吾當自縛往操營，任其剖割，以救徐州百姓之命。」言未絕，一人進前言曰：「府君久鎮徐州，人民感恩。今曹兵雖眾，未能既破我城。府君與百姓堅守勿出；某雖不才，願施小策，教曹操死無葬身之地！」眾人大驚，便問計將安出。正是：本為納交反成怨，那知絕處又逢生？畢竟此人是誰，且看下文分解。

Tao Qian entered the city, then gathered everyone in order to deliberate on a strategy. He said, "Cao's army cannot be stopped. I should tie myself up and go to Cao's camp. I will allow myself to be cut to pieces in order to save the citizens of Xuzhou." Before he had finished speaking, someone stepped forward and said, "Governor, you have maintained law and order in Xuzhou for a long time now. The people are grateful. Even though Cao's army is vast, it cannot breach the walls of our city. You and the citizens should stay in the city and defend yourselves. Even though I'm not a man of talent, I have a little plan that will cause Cao Cao to die without a final resting place!" Everyone was shocked, and asked how he could come up with such a plan. It was a case of:

What was once an overture of friendship has now turned into enmity. Who knew that he would be unexpectedly rescued from this desperate situation?

Who in the world was this person? Keep reading, and all will be explained.

---

Notes

1. The tally (符節) was usually made from bamboo, wood, jade or copper. Characters were inscribed on it, and the tally was split into two halves. When using the tally as an instrument of authority, the two halves were joined together in order to prove the authenticity of the person's credentials. The tally and battle-axe (斧鉞) were given to military generals in order to confer imperial authority and legitimacy. If the emperor granted an individual the right to carry a tally, that individual was empowered, among other things, to execute anyone who violated military orders. If the emperor granted someone the right to carry the yellow battle-axe, that person was authorized to command armies both at home and abroad.
2. One chi was approximately 23.1 cm(~9.09448819 inches).
3. Chong Shao's role as "advisor" meant that he was responsible for maintaining discipline among the palace attendants.
4. One li was approximately 415.8 meters, 200 li would have been 83.16 km (~51.64 miles).
5. One li was approximately 415.8 meters, 280 li would have been 116.424 km (~72.35 miles).
6. i.e. he was very handsome.
7. Literal meaning: eldest brother rising
8. Literally: resembling gentility
9. Zifang was the style name of Zhang Liang, Emperor Gaozu of Han's personal advisor.
10. Literally: accomplished in public service
11. Literally: virtuous middle son
12. Literally: in service of filial piety
13. Literally: master of positive force
14. Literally: elder brother of tranquility
15. Literally: master of scrupulousness
16. Literally: filial to one's ancestors
17. Literally: civilized principles
18. One catty was approximately 220 grams, 80 catties was approximately 17.6 kilograms (~38.8013581 pounds).
19. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, E Lai (惡來) was a very strong man who served under King Zhou of Shang.
20. Literally: showing reverence toward one's ancestors
21. Hua County was located to the northeast of present day Fei County. Fei County was located to the northwest of present day Fei County.
22. between 11:00pm and 1:00am
23. The poem was actually composed by Zhou Jingxuan (周靜軒) during the Ming Dynasty.
24. Recall that Cao Cao had killed Lü Boshe, along with his entire family, in Chapter 4.