Chapter 36

Liu Bei Takes Fancheng by Stratagem; Xu Shu Rides Away and Recommends Zhuge Liang

Now Cao Ren, in a fury, mustered all the troops under his command and crossed the river by night, intending to trample Xinye flat.

Meanwhile, Shan Fu returned victorious to the county town and said to Xuande, “Cao Ren has stationed his troops at Fancheng. Now that he knows his two generals have been slain, he will certainly bring a great army against us.”

Xuande asked, “How should we meet him?”

“If he brings all his troops,” said Shan Fu, “Fancheng will be left empty, and we can seize the opportunity to attack it.”

Xuande asked for his plan. Shan Fu leaned close and whispered it into his ear. Xuande was overjoyed and made all preparations in advance. Suddenly a scout rode in with a report: “Cao Ren is leading a great army across the river!”

“Just as I expected,” said Shan Fu.

He then asked Xuande to lead out the army and meet the enemy. When the two battle lines had been drawn up facing each other, Zhao Yun rode forth and called upon an opposing general to answer his challenge. Cao Ren ordered Li Dian into the field, and he engaged Zhao Yun. After some dozen bouts, Li Dian realized he was no match for his adversary and wheeled his horse back toward his lines. Zhao Yun galloped after him, but archers on both wings held him off. Each side then withdrew to its own camp.

Li Dian returned to Cao Ren and said, “Their troops are formidable and must not be treated lightly. We would do better to return to Fancheng.”

Cao Ren flew into a rage. “Before the army marched, you were already undermining its spirit. Now you have abandoned the field as well. Your crime deserves beheading!”

He shouted for the executioners to drag Li Dian out and cut off his head. Only after the other generals pleaded bitterly for him was Li Dian spared. Cao Ren assigned him command of the rear division, while he himself led the vanguard. The next day, drums sounded the advance, and Cao Ren arrayed his forces in a formation. He sent a man to ask Xuande, “Do you recognize my formation?”

Shan Fu climbed to a high place and surveyed it. Then he said to Xuande, “This is the Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation. Its eight gates are Rest, Life, Injury, Seclusion, Prospect, Death, Alarm, and Open. To enter by the Gates of Life, Prospect, or Open is auspicious; to enter by the Gates of Injury, Alarm, or Rest brings harm; to enter by the Gates of Seclusion or Death means destruction. Though the eight gates have been laid out in proper order, the formation still lacks a commander at its center. If we strike through the Gate of Life at the southeastern corner and emerge due west through the Gate of Prospect, the formation is certain to fall into confusion.”

Xuande issued orders for his soldiers to hold the corners of the formation, then commanded Zhao Yun to lead five hundred men in from the southeast and drive straight out to the west. Receiving the order, Zhao Yun leveled his spear, spurred his horse, and led his troops straight toward the southeastern corner. With a mighty shout, they burst into the enemy’s center. Cao Ren at once fled northward. Zhao Yun did not pursue him, but instead broke out through the western gate, then turned and fought his way back from west to the southeastern corner. Cao Ren’s army fell into great disorder. Xuande waved his army forward in a fierce assault, and Cao Ren’s troops suffered a crushing defeat and withdrew. Shan Fu ordered the men not to pursue and recalled the army.

After losing this battle, Cao Ren at last believed Li Dian’s words. He summoned him again to discuss the situation, saying, “There must be a capable strategist in Liu Bei’s army, for my formation was utterly broken.”

“Though I am here,” said Li Dian, “I am deeply worried about Fancheng.”

Cao Ren said, “Tonight we will raid their camp. If we win, we can make further plans; if we lose, we will withdraw to Fancheng.”

“That must not be done,” said Li Dian. “Liu Bei is sure to be prepared.”

“If you are so full of doubts,” said Cao Ren, “how can you wage war?”

He refused to heed Li Dian’s advice. Cao Ren himself led the vanguard and appointed Li Dian to support him from the rear. At the second watch that night, they set out to raid the camp.

Shan Fu was discussing military affairs with Xuande inside the camp when suddenly a violent wind sprang up.

“Cao Ren is certain to raid our camp tonight,” said Shan Fu.

“How are we to meet him?” Xuande asked.

Shan Fu smiled. “I have already reckoned everything out.”

He then secretly completed all his dispositions. At the second watch, Cao Ren’s troops drew near the camp, only to see fires spring up on every side, setting the stockades ablaze. Knowing that preparations had been made against him, Cao Ren hastily ordered a retreat. Zhao Yun charged down in pursuit. Unable to gather his troops and return to camp, Cao Ren fled north toward the river. As he neared the bank and was about to seek boats for the crossing, a powerful force came charging along the shore. At its head was none other than Zhang Fei. Cao Ren fought desperately, while Li Dian protected him until he could board a boat and cross the river. More than half of Cao Ren’s army drowned in the water.

After crossing the river, Cao Ren gained the farther bank and fled to Fancheng, where he ordered his men to call for the gate to be opened. Suddenly a drum sounded from atop the walls, and a general led out a body of troops, shouting, “I took Fancheng long ago!”

The startled men looked and saw that it was Guan Yunchang. Cao Ren was appalled. He wheeled his horse and fled, with Yunchang pursuing and cutting down his men. Cao Ren lost many more soldiers and horses before racing through the night toward Xuchang. Along the road he made inquiries and learned that Shan Fu was serving as Liu Bei’s military adviser and had devised all these plans.

For the moment, nothing more need be said of Cao Ren’s defeated return to Xuchang. Xuande, having won a complete victory, led his army into Fancheng, where the county magistrate, Liu Mi, came out to welcome him. Xuande restored order among the people. Liu Mi, a native of Changsha and likewise a kinsman of the imperial house of Han, invited Xuande to his home and gave a banquet in his honor.

Xuande noticed a man of imposing bearing standing in attendance nearby and asked Liu Mi, “Who is that man?”

“He is my nephew, Kou Feng,” replied Liu Mi, “the son of the Kou clan of Luo. Since both his parents died, he has been living with me.”

Xuande took a liking to him and wished to adopt him as his son. Liu Mi gladly consented, and Kou Feng bowed to Xuande as his father and changed his name to Liu Feng. Xuande took him back and ordered him to acknowledge Yunchang and Yide as his uncles.

Yunchang said, “Elder Brother, you already have a son. Why must you adopt another? He is certain to cause trouble in the future.”

“If I treat him as a son,” said Xuande, “he will surely serve me as a father. What trouble can there be?”

Yunchang was displeased. Xuande conferred with Shan Fu, then ordered Zhao Yun to defend Fancheng with one thousand soldiers. Xuande himself led the others back to Xinye.

Cao Ren and Li Dian returned to the capital, Xuchang, and appeared before Cao Cao. Weeping, they prostrated themselves and begged forgiveness, giving a full account of the generals and soldiers they had lost.

“Victory and defeat are common in war,” said Cao Cao. “But I do not know who devised these plans for Liu Bei.”

Cao Ren said they were the work of Shan Fu.

“Who is Shan Fu?” Cao Cao asked.

Cheng Yu laughed. “That man is not Shan Fu. In his youth he was fond of learning and swordsmanship. In the closing years of the Zhongping era, he once killed a man to avenge another, then fled with his hair loose and his face smeared. The officers caught him. When they questioned him, he refused to give his name, so they bound him to a cart, beat a drum, and paraded him through the marketplace, ordering the townspeople to identify him. Though some recognized him, none dared speak. His companions secretly rescued him, and he escaped under another name. Thereafter he humbled himself and turned to scholarship, seeking instruction from renowned teachers everywhere. He once held discussions with Sima Hui. This man is Xu Shu of Yingchuan, styled Yuanzhi. Shan Fu is only an assumed name.”

“How does Xu Shu’s talent compare with yours?” Cao Cao asked.

“He is ten times my superior,” replied Cheng Yu.

“What a pity that so worthy a man has gone over to Liu Bei!” said Cao Cao. “Liu Bei has gained his wings. What is to be done?”

“Though Xu Shu is with him,” said Cheng Yu, “it will not be difficult for the Prime Minister to summon him here, if you wish to employ him.”

“How can I make him come over to me?”

“Xu Shu is a man of the deepest filial devotion. He lost his father when young, and only his aged mother remains at home. His younger brother, Xu Kang, has now died, leaving no one to care for her. The Prime Minister can have someone entice his mother to Xuchang and compel her to write a letter summoning her son. Then Xu Shu will certainly come.”

Cao Cao was delighted and sent men riding through the night to fetch Xu Shu’s mother. Within a few days they brought her to Xuchang. Cao Cao treated her generously, then said, “I have heard that your worthy son, Xu Yuanzhi, is a rare talent under Heaven. He is now in Xinye, assisting the rebel minister Liu Bei and betraying the imperial court. It is like a beautiful jade fallen into filthy mud—a great pity indeed. I must trouble you, venerable lady, to write and call him back to the capital. I shall commend him before the Son of Heaven, and he will surely receive rich rewards.”

Cao Cao ordered his attendants to bring the Four Treasures of the Writing Table and told Lady Xu to write the letter.

“What manner of man is Liu Bei?” she asked.

“He is a nobody from the county of Pei,” Cao Cao replied, “who falsely styles himself the Imperial Uncle. He is utterly without good faith or honor—the sort of man who appears a gentleman outwardly but is inwardly a scoundrel.”

Lady Xu cried sternly, “How can you utter such outrageous falsehoods? I have long heard that Xuande is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing. He humbles himself before worthy men, treats others with courtesy and self-restraint, and has long been renowned for benevolence. Every yellow-haired child, white-headed elder, shepherd boy, and woodcutter in the land knows his name. He is a true hero of the age. In assisting him, my son has found his rightful lord. Though you shelter behind the title of a minister of Han, you are in truth a traitor to Han. Yet you call Xuande a rebel minister and seek to make my son abandon the light for darkness. Have you no shame?”

With that, she snatched up a stone inkstone and hurled it at Cao Cao. Cao Cao flew into a rage and ordered his guards to seize Lady Xu, drag her away, and behead her. Cheng Yu hastily intervened. Entering, he remonstrated with Cao Cao: “Lady Xu defied the Prime Minister because she wishes to die. If the Prime Minister kills her, you will incur a reputation for unrighteousness while bringing her virtue to perfection. Once Lady Xu is dead, Xu Shu will devote himself wholeheartedly to Liu Bei and help him avenge her. It would be better to keep her alive, so that Xu Shu’s body and heart will be divided between two places. Even if he continues to assist Liu Bei, he will not exert his full strength. Moreover, so long as Lady Xu remains alive, I have a plan to entice Xu Shu here to assist the Prime Minister.”

Cao Cao approved his counsel and spared Lady Xu, having her lodged and cared for in separate quarters. Cheng Yu went every day to inquire after her health, falsely claiming that he and Xu Shu had sworn brotherhood. He treated Lady Xu as though she were his own mother, frequently sending her gifts, always accompanied by a note in his own hand. Lady Xu in turn wrote replies in her own hand. Once Cheng Yu had obtained samples of her handwriting, he imitated her script and forged a family letter. He then sent a trusted agent to carry it straight to Xinye and inquire for Shan Fu’s headquarters.

The soldiers conducted the messenger to Xu Shu. Learning that a letter had come from his mother, Xu Shu hastily summoned the man and questioned him.

“I am a servant in the household,” the messenger said. “I bear a message from the venerable lady and have brought this letter to you.”

Xu Shu broke the seal and read:

Recently your brother Kang died, leaving me with no kin wherever I turn my eyes. In the midst of my grief, I never expected that Prime Minister Cao would send men to entice me to Xuchang. Accusing you of treason, he cast me into prison, and only through the intervention of Cheng Yu and others was I spared. If you come and submit, my life may be saved. When this letter reaches you, remember the pains I suffered in bearing and raising you, and come here with all speed, traveling by night as well as day, that you may fulfill the duty of a filial son. Afterward we may gradually contrive to return and till the fields of our old home, thereby escaping this great calamity. My life now hangs by a thread, and I look only to you for rescue. I shall say no more.

When Xu Shu finished reading, his tears gushed forth like a spring. Carrying the letter, he went to Xuande and said, “I am in fact Xu Shu of Yingchuan, styled Yuanzhi. Because I was fleeing calamity, I changed my name to Shan Fu. I had earlier heard that Liu Jingsheng welcomed worthy and talented men, so I went especially to see him. But after discussing affairs with him, I realized that he was a useless man. I wrote him a letter of farewell and traveled by night to Master Water Mirror Sima Hui’s estate, where I told him what had happened. Master Water Mirror severely reproached me for failing to recognize a true lord, saying, ‘Liu, the Governor of Yuzhou, is here. Why do you not serve him?’ I therefore sang wild songs in the marketplace to attract Your Lordship’s attention. Happily, you did not reject me but at once entrusted me with important responsibilities. Yet now my aged mother has been enticed to Xuchang by Cao Cao’s treacherous scheme and cast into prison, where he means to do her harm. She has sent a letter in her own hand summoning me, and I cannot refuse to go. It is not that I am unwilling to labor like a dog or horse in Your Lordship’s service to repay your kindness; but with my beloved mother held captive, I cannot devote my full strength to you. I must now ask leave to depart, in the hope that we may meet again hereafter.”

When Xuande heard this, he burst into tears. “The bond between mother and son is ordained by Heaven. Yuanzhi, do not trouble yourself on my account. After you have been reunited with the venerable lady, perhaps I may again have the benefit of your instruction.”

Xu Shu bowed his thanks and prepared to depart.

“I beg you to remain with us for one more night,” said Xuande. “Tomorrow we shall give you a farewell banquet.”

Sun Qian said privately to Xuande, “Yuanzhi is a rare talent under Heaven. Having lived so long in Xinye, he knows all the strengths and weaknesses of our army. If we now allow him to return to Cao Cao, Cao will certainly place him in an important position, and we shall be in grave danger. My lord should detain him at all costs and never let him go. When Cao Cao sees that Yuanzhi has not come, he will surely execute his mother. Once Yuanzhi learns that she is dead, he will avenge her by attacking Cao Cao with all his strength.”

“That cannot be done,” said Xuande. “If I caused a man’s mother to be killed so that I might employ her son, it would be inhumane. If I detained him and would not let him go, thereby severing the bond between mother and son, it would be unrighteous. I would sooner die than commit an inhumane and unrighteous act.”

All who heard him sighed with emotion. Xuande invited Xu Shu to drink wine.

“Now that I know my aged mother is imprisoned,” said Xu Shu, “even golden wine and jade-dew liquor cannot pass my throat.”

Xuande said, “When I heard that you were leaving, it was as though I had lost both my hands. Even dragon’s liver and phoenix marrow would have no savor for me.”

The two men sat facing each other and wept as they waited for dawn. The generals had already prepared a farewell banquet outside the city walls. Xuande and Xu Shu rode side by side out of the city. When they reached the post pavilion, they dismounted to take their leave.

Xuande raised his cup and said, “My lot is poor and my destiny meager, and I cannot remain together with you, Master. I hope you will serve your new lord well and achieve honor and renown.”

Xu Shu wept. “My talents are slight and my wisdom shallow, yet Your Lordship has shown me the profound favor of entrusting me with weighty responsibilities. Now, unhappily, we must part halfway through our endeavor, and it is entirely on account of my aged mother. Even if Cao Cao tries to compel me, I shall never devise a single plan for him as long as I live.”

“Once you are gone,” said Xuande, “I too shall flee far away into the mountains and forests.”

Xu Shu replied, “In joining Your Lordship to pursue the enterprise of kingship and hegemony, I relied upon this heart and mind of mine. Now, because of my aged mother, my heart is in utter turmoil. Even if I remained here, I would be of no use. Your Lordship should seek another man of lofty worth to assist you in accomplishing your great enterprise. Why lose heart so readily?”

“Among all the worthy men under Heaven,” said Xuande, “none surpasses you.”

“I am no more than a useless ailanthus or scrub oak,” said Xu Shu. “How could I dare accept such high praise?”

As he was about to depart, he turned again to the generals and said, “I pray that all of you will serve His Lordship well, so that your names may be inscribed on bamboo and silk and your achievements emblazoned in the annals of history. You must never imitate my failure to remain constant to the end.”

Not one of the generals was unmoved. Unable to bear parting from him, Xuande accompanied Xu Shu for one stretch of the road, then escorted him for another.

“There is no need for Your Lordship to come any farther,” Xu Shu said. “Here I must bid you farewell.”

Still mounted, Xuande clasped Xu Shu’s hand. “Once you leave, we shall be sundered at opposite ends of the sky. Who knows on what day we shall meet again?”

When he had spoken, his tears fell like rain. Xu Shu too wept as he took his leave.

Xuande halted his horse beside a grove and watched Xu Shu ride hurriedly away with his attendants.

“Yuanzhi is gone!” Xuande cried. “What am I to do?”

He stared after him through his tears, until the grove blocked him from sight. Pointing with his whip, Xuande said, “I wish to cut down every tree in this place.”

The others asked him why.

“Because they obstruct my eyes from seeing Xu Yuanzhi,” he replied.

As Xuande continued to gaze into the distance, he suddenly saw Xu Shu whipping his horse back toward him.

“Yuanzhi is returning!” Xuande exclaimed. “Can it be that he no longer means to go?”

Delighted, he spurred forward to meet him and asked, “Master, since you have returned, you must have formed some new intention.”

Reining in his horse, Xu Shu said, “My thoughts were tangled like hemp, and I forgot to tell you something. There is an extraordinary scholar in this region, living at Longzhong, twenty li outside Xiangyang. Why does Your Lordship not seek him out?”

“May I trouble you, Yuanzhi, to invite him here to see me?” Xuande asked.

“This man cannot be summoned to condescend to visit you,” replied Xu Shu. “Your Lordship must go and seek him in person. If you obtain this man, it will be no different from the Zhou dynasty obtaining Lü Wang or the Han dynasty obtaining Zhang Liang.”

“How do this man’s talents and virtue compare with yours?” Xuande asked.

“To compare me with him,” said Xu Shu, “would be like setting a worn-out nag beside a qilin, or matching a winter crow with a luan or phoenix. He has often compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi; but in my judgment, even Guan Zhong and Yue Yi scarcely measured up to him. He possesses the genius to order Heaven and weave the earth. There is but one such man under Heaven.”

Xuande rejoiced. “I should like to hear this man’s name.”

“He is a native of Yangdu in Langya,” said Xu Shu. “His double surname is Zhuge, his given name Liang, and his style Kongming. He is a descendant of Zhuge Feng, who served the Han as Colonel Director of Retainers. His father, Zhuge Gui, styled Zigong, was assistant governor of Taishan Commandery, but died at an early age. Liang then followed his uncle, Zhuge Xuan. Since Xuan had an old friendship with Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou, he went to depend upon him, and the family settled in Xiangyang. After Xuan died, Liang and his younger brother Zhuge Jun personally tilled the fields in Nanyang. Liang is fond of chanting the ‘Liangfu Song.’ Near his dwelling is a ridge called Sleeping Dragon Ridge, and so he styles himself Master Sleeping Dragon. He is a transcendent genius without equal in any age. Your Lordship should hasten to honor him with a personal visit. If this man consents to assist you, why should you fear that the realm cannot be pacified?”

Xuande said, “Master Water Mirror once told me, ‘Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix—gain either one, and you can bring peace to the realm.’ Can those he spoke of be this same Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix?”

“Young Phoenix is Pang Tong of Xiangyang,” replied Xu Shu. “Sleeping Dragon is none other than Zhuge Kongming.”

Xuande leaped with joy. “Only today do I understand the words ‘Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix.’ Who would have thought that so great a worthy was almost before my eyes? Had you not told me, I would have had eyes yet remained blind!”

A later poet praised Xu Shu for recommending Zhuge Liang as he turned his horse back:

How bitter that great worth is rarely found!They wept at the crossroads, in friendship deeply bound.One phrase, like springtime thunder, shook the skyAnd roused the Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang to rise.

Having recommended Kongming, Xu Shu again took leave of Xuande and galloped away. Hearing Xu Shu’s words, Xuande at last understood what Sima Decao had told him. He was like a drunken man suddenly sobered, or one awakening from a dream. He led his generals back to Xinye, prepared lavish gifts, and set out with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei for Nanyang to invite Kongming.

After parting from Xuande, Xu Shu was deeply moved by his reluctance to let him go. Fearing that Kongming might refuse to leave his retreat and assist him, Xu Shu rode straight to the foot of Sleeping Dragon Ridge and entered the thatched cottage to see Kongming.

Kongming asked why he had come.

Xu Shu said, “I wished to serve Liu, the Governor of Yuzhou, but my aged mother has been imprisoned by Cao Cao and sent a letter urgently summoning me. I have no choice but to leave him and go to her. Before departing, I recommended you to Xuande. He will come to pay his respects at once. I hope you will not refuse him, but will unfold the great talents of your lifetime and lend him your aid. Nothing could be more fortunate.”

At these words Kongming’s expression changed.

“Do you take me for a sacrificial animal to be offered at the altar?” he said.

With that, he flicked his sleeves and went inside. Xu Shu withdrew in shame, mounted his horse, and hastened on to Xuchang to see his mother. Thus it was said:

For love of his lord, one charge he gave his friend;For love of his mother, a thousand li he went.

What happened thereafter will be revealed in the next chapter.

Liu Bei Takes Fancheng by Stratagem; Xu Shu Rides Away and Recommends Zhuge Liang

Cao Ren, furious, mobilized all the troops under his command, crossed the river that very night, and set out to raze Xinye to the ground.

Meanwhile, Shan Fu returned victorious to the county seat and said to Xuande, “Cao Ren has stationed his troops at Fancheng. Now that he knows his two generals have been killed, he is certain to come against us with a large army.” Xuande said, “How should we meet him?” Shan Fu replied, “If he brings all his troops here, Fancheng will be left empty, and we can seize the opportunity to attack it.” Xuande asked him for a plan. Shan Fu leaned close and whispered it into his ear. Xuande was delighted and made all the necessary preparations in advance. Suddenly, a scout reported, “Cao Ren is leading a large army across the river!” Shan Fu said, “Just as I expected.” He then asked Xuande to lead out the army to meet the enemy. The two battle lines faced each other. Zhao Yun rode forward and called for an opposing general to come out and speak with him. Cao Ren ordered Li Dian into the field, and he engaged Zhao Yun. After some dozen bouts, Li Dian realized he was no match for him and wheeled his horse back toward his lines. Zhao Yun galloped after him, but troops on both wings held him off with arrows. Both sides then withdrew and returned to camp.

Li Dian returned to Cao Ren and said, “Their troops are highly capable. We must not underestimate them. We would do better to return to Fancheng.” Cao Ren flew into a rage and said, “Before we marched, you already weakened the morale of my army. Now you have fled the field as well. Your crime merits beheading!” He shouted for the executioners to drag Li Dian out and behead him. Only the generals’ earnest pleas saved him. Cao Ren then assigned Li Dian to command the rear guard while he himself led the vanguard. The next day, the drums sounded and the army advanced, deploying into a formation. Cao Ren sent someone to ask Xuande, “Do you recognize my formation?”

Shan Fu climbed to high ground and studied it. He then said to Xuande, “This is the Eight-Gate Golden Lock Formation. Its eight gates are Rest, Life, Injury, Obstruction, Prospect, Death, Alarm, and Open. Entering through the Gates of Life, Prospect, or Open brings good fortune. Entering through the Gates of Injury, Alarm, or Rest brings harm. Entering through the Gates of Obstruction or Death means destruction. Although the eight gates have been laid out in good order, the center still lacks proper direction. If we attack the Gate of Life at the southeastern corner and come out through the Gate of Prospect due west, the formation is certain to fall into disorder.”

Xuande issued orders for his soldiers to secure the corners of the formation, then commanded Zhao Yun to lead five hundred men in from the southeast and go straight through to the west. Receiving the order, Zhao Yun leveled his spear, spurred his horse, and led his men directly against the southeastern corner. With a great shout they charged into the center of the enemy formation. Cao Ren immediately fled north. Zhao Yun did not pursue him, but burst out through the western gate, then wheeled around and fought his way back to the southeastern corner. Cao Ren’s army fell into chaos. Xuande signaled his troops to charge, and Cao’s forces suffered a crushing defeat and retreated. Shan Fu ordered them not to pursue and recalled the army.

After losing this battle, Cao Ren finally believed Li Dian’s warning. He summoned him again to confer and said, “There must be a capable man in Liu Bei’s army. My formation was completely broken by him.” Li Dian said, “Though I am here, I am deeply worried about Fancheng.” Cao Ren said, “Tonight we will raid their camp. If we win, we can make further plans. If we lose, we will withdraw to Fancheng.” Li Dian said, “You must not. Liu Bei is certain to be prepared.” Cao Ren replied, “How can anyone command an army if he is as suspicious as you?” Refusing to heed Li Dian’s advice, Cao Ren personally led the vanguard and ordered Li Dian to support him from the rear. At the second watch that night, they set out to raid the camp.

Shan Fu was discussing military affairs with Xuande inside the camp when a violent wind suddenly arose. Shan Fu said, “Cao Ren is certain to raid our camp tonight.” Xuande asked, “How shall we meet him?” Shan Fu laughed and said, “I have already planned everything.” He then secretly assigned all the troops their positions. At the second watch, just as Cao Ren’s soldiers approached the camp, fires sprang up all around it and set the stockade ablaze. Realizing that preparations had been made for him, Cao Ren urgently ordered a retreat. Zhao Yun came charging down upon him. Cao Ren had no time to gather his troops and return to camp, so he hastily fled north toward the river. Just as he reached the riverbank and was looking for boats to cross, a body of troops charged along the shore. The great general at their head was Zhang Fei. Cao Ren fought desperately, and Li Dian protected him until he could board a boat and cross the river. More than half of Cao’s army drowned in the water.

Cao Ren crossed the river, landed, and rushed to Fancheng, where he ordered his men to call for the gates to be opened. Suddenly a drum sounded on the wall, and a general led troops out of the city, shouting, “I took Fancheng long ago!” Everyone looked in alarm and saw that it was Guan Yunchang. Cao Ren was terrified. He wheeled his horse and fled, with Yunchang pursuing and cutting down his men. Cao Ren lost many more soldiers and horses before fleeing through the night toward Xuchang. Along the way, he made inquiries and learned that Shan Fu was Liu Bei’s military adviser and had devised all these plans.

We will say no more of Cao Ren’s defeated return to Xuchang. Xuande, having won a complete victory, led his army into Fancheng, where the county magistrate, Liu Mi, came out to welcome him. Xuande restored order among the people. Liu Mi was a native of Changsha and also a kinsman of the Han imperial house. He invited Xuande to his home and gave a banquet in his honor. Xuande noticed a man of imposing presence standing in attendance nearby and asked Liu Mi, “Who is this man?” Liu Mi replied, “This is my nephew, Kou Feng, the son of the Kou family of Luo. Both his parents died, so he has come to live with me.” Xuande took a liking to him and wished to adopt him as his son. Liu Mi gladly consented, and Kou Feng formally acknowledged Xuande as his father and changed his name to Liu Feng. Xuande took him back and had him bow to Yunchang and Yide as his uncles. Yunchang said, “Elder Brother, you already have a son. Why adopt another? He is certain to cause trouble later.” Xuande said, “If I treat him as a son, he will surely serve me as a father. What trouble could there be?” Yunchang was displeased. After consulting with Shan Fu, Xuande ordered Zhao Yun to guard Fancheng with one thousand troops, then led the others back to Xinye.

Cao Ren and Li Dian returned to the capital at Xu, went before Cao Cao, and tearfully bowed to the ground to ask forgiveness, giving a full account of their lost generals and defeated troops. Cao Cao said, “Victory and defeat are ordinary matters in warfare. But who devised Liu Bei’s strategy?” Cao Ren told him it was Shan Fu’s plan. Cao Cao asked, “Who is Shan Fu?” Cheng Yu laughed and said, “That is not really Shan Fu. As a young man, he loved study and swordsmanship. In the final years of the Zhongping era, he once killed a man to avenge someone else. He let down his hair, smeared his face, and fled, but the authorities captured him. When questioned, he refused to give his name, so the officers tied him to a cart, beat a drum, and paraded him through the marketplace, asking the townspeople to identify him. Though some recognized him, none dared speak. His companions secretly freed him, after which he changed his name and escaped. He gave up his old ways, devoted himself to learning, and sought instruction from renowned teachers everywhere. He once held discussions with Sima Hui. This man is actually Xu Shu of Yingchuan, courtesy name Yuanzhi. Shan Fu is merely an assumed name.” Cao Cao asked, “How does Xu Shu’s talent compare with yours?” Cheng Yu replied, “He is ten times more talented than I.” Cao Cao said, “What a pity that such a worthy man has gone to Liu Bei! Liu Bei has gained wings. What can be done?” Cheng Yu said, “Though Xu Shu is with him, it will not be difficult for Your Excellency to summon him here if you wish to employ him.” Cao Cao asked, “How can we make him come over to us?” Cheng Yu replied, “Xu Shu is a man of the utmost filial devotion. His father died when he was young, and only his aged mother remains at home. His younger brother, Xu Kang, has now died as well, so there is no one to care for their mother. Your Excellency can send men to lure his mother to Xuchang and have her write a letter summoning her son. Xu Shu will then be certain to come.”

Cao Cao was delighted and immediately sent men to fetch Xu Shu’s mother. Within a few days, they brought her to him. Cao Cao treated her generously and said, “I have heard that your distinguished son, Xu Yuanzhi, is a rare genius under Heaven. He is now in Xinye, aiding the traitorous minister Liu Bei and rebelling against the imperial court. It is like a beautiful piece of jade fallen into filthy mud, and truly a great pity. I must trouble you, madam, to write a letter calling him back to the capital at Xu. I will recommend him to the Son of Heaven, and he is certain to receive rich rewards.”

Cao Cao ordered his attendants to bring the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and told Xu Shu’s mother to write the letter. She asked, “What sort of man is Liu Bei?” Cao Cao replied, “A nobody from Pei Commandery who falsely claims to be an Imperial Uncle. He is entirely without honor or integrity—the sort of man who appears a gentleman on the outside but is a scoundrel within.” Xu Shu’s mother cried sternly, “How can you utter such outrageous lies? I have long heard that Xuande is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing. He humbles himself before worthy men, treats others with courtesy and self-restraint, and has long been renowned for benevolence. Yellow-haired children, white-haired elders, herdboys, and woodcutters throughout the world all know his name. He is a true hero of this age. By assisting him, my son has found the rightful lord. Though you bear the title of chancellor of Han, you are in truth a traitor to Han. Yet you call Xuande a rebel and wish to make my son turn his back on the light and submit to darkness. Have you no shame?”

When she had finished speaking, she seized the stone inkstone and struck at Cao Cao with it. Cao Cao flew into a rage and ordered his guards to drag her out and behead her. Cheng Yu hurriedly stopped them. He went in and remonstrated with Cao Cao, saying, “Xu Shu’s mother deliberately offended Your Excellency because she wishes to die. If Your Excellency kills her, you will gain a reputation for injustice and bring glory to her virtue. Once his mother is dead, Xu Shu will resolutely aid Liu Bei and seek revenge. It would be better to keep her alive, so Xu Shu’s body and mind will be in two different places. Even if he continues to aid Liu Bei, he will not exert himself fully. Moreover, as long as we keep his mother here, I have a plan to lure Xu Shu here to assist Your Excellency.”

Cao Cao approved his words and spared Xu Shu’s mother, sending her to live in separate quarters. Cheng Yu visited her every day, falsely claiming that he and Xu Shu had once sworn brotherhood. He treated her as his own mother and often sent her gifts, always accompanied by a personal letter. Xu Shu’s mother therefore wrote personal replies to him. In this way, Cheng Yu obtained samples of her handwriting. He imitated her script and forged a family letter, then sent a trusted man with it directly to Xinye County to inquire for Shan Fu’s headquarters. The soldiers brought the man before Xu Shu. When Xu Shu learned that a letter had come from his mother, he hurriedly summoned the messenger and questioned him. The man said, “I am a servant from your household. The old madam gave me a message and entrusted me with this letter for you.” Xu Shu broke the seal and read it. The letter said:

Recently your brother Kang died, and now wherever I look, I have no kin. While I was still stricken with grief, Chancellor Cao unexpectedly sent men to lure me to Xuchang. He accused you of rebellion and put me in chains. Only through the efforts of Cheng Yu and others was I spared. If you come and surrender, I can escape death. When this letter reaches you, remember all the pain and toil I endured in raising you, and come here with all speed, traveling day and night, so that you may fulfill your filial duty. Afterward, we can gradually make plans to return and farm our old fields, thereby avoiding a terrible disaster. My life now hangs by a thread, and I look only to you for rescue! I have nothing more to add.

When Xu Shu finished reading, his tears poured forth like a spring. Carrying the letter, he went to Xuande and said, “I am actually Xu Shu of Yingchuan, courtesy name Yuanzhi. Because I was fleeing from disaster, I changed my name to Shan Fu. I once heard that Liu Jingsheng was recruiting worthy and talented men, so I went especially to see him. After discussing affairs with him, I realized that he was a useless man. I wrote him a letter of farewell and traveled by night to Master Water Mirror Sima Hui’s estate, where I told him what had happened. Master Water Mirror strongly reproached me for failing to recognize a worthy lord and said, ‘Liu, the Governor of Yuzhou, is here. Why do you not serve him?’ I therefore sang wild songs in the marketplace to attract your attention. Fortunately, you did not reject me but immediately entrusted me with great responsibilities. But now Cao Cao, through a treacherous scheme, has lured my aged mother to Xuchang, where she is imprisoned and about to be harmed. She has sent me a letter in her own hand summoning me, and I have no choice but to go. It is not that I am unwilling to labor like a dog or horse to repay you, my lord, but with my beloved mother in captivity, I cannot give you my full strength. I must now ask leave to return to her and hope that we may meet again later.”

When Xuande heard this, he wept bitterly and said, “The bond between mother and son is ordained by Heaven. Yuanzhi, do not concern yourself about me. After you have seen the old madam, perhaps I may receive your guidance again.” Xu Shu bowed in thanks and prepared to leave. Xuande said, “Please remain for one more night, and tomorrow we will hold a farewell banquet for you.” Sun Qian secretly said to Xuande, “Yuanzhi is an extraordinary genius. He has been in Xinye a long time and knows all the strengths and weaknesses of our army. If you let him return to Cao Cao now, Cao Cao is certain to employ him in an important position, and we will be in danger. My lord, you should do everything possible to keep him and must not let him go. When Cao Cao sees that Yuanzhi has not come, he will surely execute his mother. When Yuanzhi learns that she is dead, he will seek vengeance for her and exert all his strength against Cao Cao.” Xuande said, “That cannot be done. To cause a man’s mother to be killed so that I may employ her son would be inhumane. To keep him from leaving and sever the bond between mother and son would be unrighteous. I would rather die than commit an inhumane and unrighteous act.” Everyone sighed with emotion. Xuande invited Xu Shu to drink, but Xu Shu said, “Now that I know my aged mother is imprisoned, even the finest wine could not pass my throat.” Xuande said, “Now that I have heard you are leaving, I feel as if I have lost both my arms. Even dragon’s liver and phoenix marrow would have no flavor to me.”

The two sat facing each other and wept, waiting for dawn. The generals had already arranged a farewell banquet outside the city. Xuande and Xu Shu rode side by side out of the city. When they reached the roadside pavilion, they dismounted to say farewell. Xuande raised a cup and said to Xu Shu, “My fortune is poor and our bond too slight, so I cannot remain together with you, sir. I hope you will serve your new lord well and achieve fame and success.” Xu Shu wept and said, “My talent is meager and my wisdom shallow, yet I have been deeply honored by the trust you placed in me, my lord. Unfortunately, I must leave halfway through our undertaking, but it is truly because of my aged mother. Even if Cao Cao tries to force me, I will never devise a single plan for him as long as I live.” Xuande said, “Once you are gone, I too will withdraw far away into the mountains and forests.” Xu Shu said, “The reason I joined you in seeking the achievement of kings and hegemons was that I relied upon the mind within this small space of my heart. Now, because of my aged mother, my mind is in chaos. Even if I stayed here, I would be of no benefit. My lord, you should seek another man of supreme worth to assist you in pursuing your great enterprise. Why lose heart so easily?” Xuande said, “Among all the worthy men in the world, none surpasses you, sir.” Xu Shu replied, “I am only useless timber of mediocre quality. How could I deserve such high praise?” As they were about to part, he turned to the generals and said, “I hope all of you will serve our lord well, so that your names may be handed down on bamboo and silk and your achievements recorded in history. You must not imitate my failure to see matters through to the end.” Not one of the generals was unmoved. Unable to bear parting from him, Xuande escorted him for some distance, and then for some distance farther. Xu Shu took his leave, saying, “There is no need for my lord to escort me farther. I will bid you farewell here.” Xuande reached from his saddle, grasped Xu Shu’s hand, and said, “Once you leave, sir, we will be separated at opposite ends of the world. Who knows on what day we will meet again?” When he finished speaking, tears fell like rain. Xu Shu also wept as they parted.

Xuande halted his horse beside a grove and watched Xu Shu and his attendants ride hurriedly away. He wept and said, “Yuanzhi is gone! What am I to do?” He gazed after him through his tears until the grove blocked him from view. Pointing with his riding whip, Xuande said, “I want every tree here cut down.” The others asked why. Xuande replied, “Because they obstruct my sight of Xu Yuanzhi.”

As he continued gazing into the distance, Xu Shu suddenly appeared, galloping back. Xuande said, “Yuanzhi has returned. Can it be that he no longer intends to leave?” Delighted, he spurred his horse forward to meet him and asked, “Since you have returned, sir, do you have some plan?” Xu Shu reined in his horse and said to Xuande, “My thoughts were in such turmoil that I forgot to say something. There is an extraordinary scholar who lives here, only twenty miles outside Xiangyang, in Longzhong. Why do you not seek him out?” Xuande said, “May I trouble you, Yuanzhi, to invite him here to see me?” Xu Shu replied, “This man cannot be summoned or compelled to come. You must go personally to seek him. If you obtain this man, it will be no different from the Zhou dynasty obtaining Lü Wang or the Han dynasty obtaining Zhang Liang.” Xuande asked, “How do this man’s talent and virtue compare with yours?” Xu Shu said, “Comparing me with him would be like setting a worn-out nag beside a qilin, or a cold crow beside a luan and phoenix. This man often compares himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. In my judgment, even Guan Zhong and Yue Yi probably fall short of him. He possesses the ability to order Heaven and arrange the earth. There is likely no other man like him in all the world.”

Xuande said joyfully, “I would like to hear this man’s name.” Xu Shu replied, “He is a native of Yangdu in Langya. His compound surname is Zhuge, his given name is Liang, and his courtesy name is Kongming. He is a descendant of Zhuge Feng, who served the Han as Colonel-Director of Retainers. His father was Zhuge Gui, courtesy name Zigong, who served as assistant administrator of Taishan Commandery but died young. Liang then followed his uncle Zhuge Xuan. Xuan had an old friendship with Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou, so he went to rely on him and settled his family in Xiangyang. After Xuan died, Liang and his younger brother, Zhuge Jun, personally farmed the land in Nanyang. Liang is fond of chanting the ‘Liangfu Song.’ Near the place where he lives is a ridge called Sleeping Dragon Ridge, and so he calls himself Master Sleeping Dragon. This man is an extraordinary genius without equal in the age. You should make haste to honor him with a personal visit. If he is willing to assist you, why should you worry that the realm cannot be pacified?” Xuande said, “Master Water Mirror once told me, ‘Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix—obtain either one, and you can bring peace to the realm.’ Can the men he spoke of be this Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix?” Xu Shu replied, “Young Phoenix is Pang Tong of Xiangyang. Sleeping Dragon is Zhuge Kongming.” Xuande leaped with excitement and said, “Only today have I understood the words ‘Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix.’ Who would have thought that so great a worthy man was close at hand? Had you not told me, sir, I would have had eyes yet remained blind!” A later poet wrote in praise of Xu Shu’s recommendation of Zhuge Liang as he rode away:

Bitter the grief that a great worthy would not return;At the fork in the road, they wept, their feelings deep.Yet a few words crashed like spring thunder,And made the Sleeping Dragon rise in Nanyang.

After recommending Kongming, Xu Shu again took leave of Xuande and rode away. Hearing Xu Shu’s words, Xuande finally understood what Sima Decao had told him. It was as though he had awakened from drunkenness or first roused from a dream. He led his generals back to Xinye, prepared lavish gifts, and set out with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei for Nanyang to invite Kongming.

After parting from Xuande, Xu Shu was deeply moved by his reluctance to let him go. Fearing that Kongming might refuse to leave his retreat and assist him, Xu Shu rode directly to the foot of Sleeping Dragon Ridge and entered the thatched cottage to see Kongming. Kongming asked why he had come. Xu Shu replied, “I had intended to serve Liu, the Governor of Yuzhou, but my aged mother has been imprisoned by Cao Cao and sent me an urgent letter summoning me. I have no choice but to leave him and go to her. Before departing, I recommended you to Xuande. Xuande will soon come to pay his respects. I hope you will not refuse him but will display the great talent of your lifetime in assisting him. Nothing could be more fortunate.”

When Kongming heard this, his expression changed and he said, “Do you mean to offer me up as a sacrificial animal?” With that, he swept his sleeves aside and went inside. Xu Shu withdrew in shame, mounted his horse, and hurried onward to Xuchang to see his mother. Just so:

One word entrusted to a friend, because he loved his lord;A thousand miles he journeyed home, because he yearned for his mother.

What happened afterward remains unknown. Read the next chapter to learn how the story unfolds.