Guan Lu Sees Things In The Book Of Changes;
Five Loyal Subjects Die For Their State.

The sight of the corpses of his victims rising to their feet in the storm and running toward him was too much for Cao Cao, and he swooned. However, the wind quickly fell and the corpses disappeared. His followers assisted Cao Cao to his palace, but he was very ill.

A poet celebrated the episode of the murdered Taoist:

 [hip, hip, hip]
He studied his magical books,
He was learned in mystical lore,
And with magical fleetness of foot
He could travel the wide world over.
The magical arts that he knew,
He employed in an earnest essay
To reform the bad heart of Cao Cao.
But in vain; Cao Cao held on his way.
[yip, yip, yip]
 

Cao Cao's illness seemed beyond the art of the physicians, and drugs seemed of no avail. It happened that Minister Xu Zhi came from the capital to visit the prince, who bade the latter take a cast from the "Book of Changes".

"Have you ever heard of Guan Lu? He is more than human in his skill at divination," said Xu Zhi.

"I have heard a lot about him, but I do not know how clever he is. You tell me about him," replied Cao Cao.

"He is from Pingyuan. His face is ugly and coarse; he drinks to excess and is rather dissipated. His father was an elder of Langye. Since a lad Guan Lu loved to study the stars, staying up all night to watch them, in spite of the prohibition of his father and mother. He used to say that if domestic fowls and wild geese knew the seasons naturally, how much more should humans. He often used to play with other children at drawing pictures of the sky on the ground, putting in the sun, moon, and stars. When he grew older he studied the 'Book of Changes' very deeply and observed the winds. He was a marvelous calculator and excellent physiognomist.

"His fame reached the ears of Shan Zichun, the Governor of Langye, who called him to his residence for an interview. There were present some hundred or so other guests, everyone of whom could be called able of speech.

"'I am young and not over-bold,' said Guan Lu to the Governor. 'I pray you give me three flasks of wine to loosen my tongue.' The request was astonishing, but the wine was brought in, and when he had drunk it, Guan Lu, looking contemptuously at the other guests, said, 'Now I am ready. Are these the opponents you have got together for me to contend with? Are these gentlemen sitting around me disputants?'

"'I myself am anxious for a match with you,' said Shan Zichun. Then they began upon the meaning of the Book of Changes. Guan Lu's words poured forth like a torrent, and his ideas were most recondite. The Governor replied, stating difficulties; Guan Lu swept them away in a stream of eloquence. So it went on the whole day without a pause even for refreshment. Neither Shan Zichun nor his other guests could help praising Guan Lu and agreeing with him.

"His fame spread wide after this encounter, and people spoke of him as the 'Supernatural Boy.' After this he became famous in another way. There was a certain Guo En, a common man, who had two brothers. All three became lame, and they called in Guan Lu to cast lots and discover the reason. Guan Lu said, 'By the lots there is a female demon in your family tomb, an aunt, the wife of one of your father's brothers. Some years ago, in a time of famine, for the sake of a few carts of grain, she was pushed into a well and a great stone was thrown in on her, crushing her head so that she suffered intensely. She complained to the Most High, and your lameness is the retribution for that crime. No prayers will avert the evil.' The three brothers wept and acknowledged their guilt.

"Governor Wang Ji of Anping, heard of the diviner's fame and invited him to come on a visit, and he went. It happened that another guest of the Governor was the magistrate of Xindu, whose wife suffered from headaches and his son from pains in the heart. Guan Lu was asked to discover the reason. He cast lots and said that at the west corner of the main hall there were buried two corpses, one of a man who held a spear, the other of a man who had a bow and arrows. The wall was built across them. The spearman's master had gashed his head, and so his head pained. The archer's master had stabbed him in the heart, and so his heart suffered anguish. They dug where Guan Lu indicated and, about eight spans down, found two coffins, one with a spear inside and the other with a strung bow and wooden arrows. All were much decayed. Guan Lu bade them remove the bones and bury them three miles outside the walls. Thereafter the woman and her son suffered no more.

"A certain Zhuge Yuan, Magistrate of Guantao, newly promoted to Governor, was leaving for his new post, and Guan Lu went to see him off. One of the guests mentioned that Guan Lu could divine what was hidden from sight. The Governor doubted such powers and said he would put a test. He got a swallow's egg, a wasp's nest, and a spider, and concealed them in three separate boxes. He asked Guan Lu to guess the contents. The divination made, Guan Lu wrote three quatrains:

 [hip, hip, hip]
'The latent life will declare itself;
It will cling to your lordly hall,
Or male or female, flung into space,
Wide wings will prevent its fall.
This seems to indicate a swallow's egg.
'A many-chambered dwelling
Is hanging to your eaves.
Each room has a poisonous tenant;
Who'll be flying when he leaves.
This answers to a wasp's nest.

'Therein is a long-legged, trembling thing,
Who spins a thread from his inside
And spreads a fine spun net for flies;
He profits most at eventide.
And this it a spider.'
[yip, yip, yip]
 
 

"The guests were amazed.

"An old woman in his village having lost a cow, came to consult him. After the divination, he told her that seven men had taken away the cow and were cooking and eating it on the bank of a certain mountain stream. She had better go there quickly and see who they were. If she went with all speed, she would find the skin and the flesh. The woman went and found the seven men hidden behind a small shanty, boiling beef. Most of the cow's flesh was still there. She told Governor Liu Bin, who arrested the seven men and punished them. Then the Governor asked the old lady how she got to know exactly who the offenders were, and she told him.

"Governor Liu Bin was dubious, too. He sent for Guan Lu and put him to the following test. He placed his seal and a pheasant feather in a box and asked what were the contents. The reply was:

 [hip, hip, hip]
'Square within, without so round,
Beauteous colors here abound;
The jewel within is held secure
And what it witnesses is sure.
Is not this a seal in its bag?
'There's a bird on the precipice steep,
Its body with flame seems aglow.
Its wings are barred yellow and black.
At sunrise it never fails to crow.
And I think this hints at a pheasant feather.
[yip, yip, yip]
 
 

"Governor Liu Bin treated the marvelous diviner with great honor.

"One day Guan Lu saw a youth plowing a field. After watching him for a long time, Guan Lu suddenly asked his name and age. The young man said, 'My name is Zhao Yang, and I am nineteen. Pray, who may you be, Sir?'

"'I am Guan Lu; you may have heard of me. I see an air of early death about you, and you will be done with life in three days. It is a pity that one so handsome should die so young.'

"Zhao Yang forsook his plow, hurried home and told his father. The father at once set out to find Guan Lu, and, having found Guan Lu, threw himself on the ground and besought the diviner to save his son.

"'How can I avert the doom? It is fate,' said Guan Lu.

"'Alas! I have but this one son, I pray you save him.'

"And the son added his tears and prayers to those of his father. Guan Lu was deeply touched. Then he turned to the lad and said, 'You get ready some good wine and some venison. Tomorrow go into the forest on the south there, and underneath a lofty tree you will see two men seated on boulders playing chess. One of them will be dressed in white, and he will be facing the south. He is very evil looking. The other will be seated opposite, dressed in red. He is very handsome. They will be deeply absorbed in their game and will not notice who offers them food and wine, which you will humbly present on your knees. When they have eaten and drunk, you will prostrate yourself and with tears pray them to grant you length of days. You will gain an increased span of life, but, above all things, do not mention that I told you what to do.'

"The father kept Guan Lu as a guest, and the next day the son followed out his instructions. He entered the forest and soon came upon the two men seated beneath a pine, playing chess. They seemed oblivious to all around them. Zhao Yang presented the wine and the food, and the two men ate absent-mindedly, for the game went on. But when Zhao Yang threw himself on the ground and implored the gift of long life, they seemed startled.

"'This must be some of Guan Lu's doing,' said Red Robe. 'Still, as we have accepted a gift at his hand, we must have pity on him.'

"He who was dressed in white then lifted up a book that hung at his side and looked therein.

"'You are nineteen this year,' said White Dress to Zhao Yang. 'You ought to die. But we will insert a number nine over the number one and so make it read ninety-nine, and that is the age you will attain. But when you go back, tell Guan Lu he is not to betray the secrets of fate, or Heaven will surely punish him.'

"Then Red Robe took out a pen and added the figure. A gust of wind passed, and the two old men were transformed into two cranes that rose into the sky and flew away. Zhao Yang came back home and told what he had seen. Guan Lu told him the red-robed man was the Southern Dipper Constellation, and the white-robed, the Northern Dipper.

"'But the Northern Dipper consists of nine stars, and there was only one man,' objected the lad.

"'Separately they are nine, but they combine to form one. The Northern Dipper records deaths; the Southern Dipper, births. Now the extra figure has been added, you need have no anxiety. You will live long.

"Father and son both thanked him most sincerely, but thereafter Guan Lu was very careful how he divined for people lest he should betray celestial secrets.

"Now, this man is at Pingyuan, and you, O Prince, can seek your fate of him. Why not call him?"

Cao Cao was greatly glad. Guan Lu was sent for and came. As soon as the salutations were over, Cao Cao asked him to cast lots for him.

Guan Lu at once found the cause and said, "Your illness is only due to magical machinations. It should not create anxiety."

Cao Cao was much relieved in his mind, and his health began to improve. Next Cao Cao wished to know about the conditions in the empire's affairs.

After the necessary calculations the prophet said:

 [hip, hip, hip]
"Three and eight cross;
Where the army halt,
The yellow boar meets the tiger;
It causes the loss of one limb."
[yip, yip, yip]
 

Then Cao Cao asked him to inquire whether his life should be long or not.

Guan Lu replied:

 [hip, hip, hip]
"In the Lion Palace
The talents of ancestors are preserved.
The Prince's way is securely renewed,
And his son and grandson shall come to high honor."
[yip, yip, yip]
 

Then Cao Cao asked concerning himself.

"Divination concerning the fate of the universe may not be foreknown. Wait a time and I will look into it."

Cao Cao was pleased and would like to keep such a man near him, so he offered him the post of Historiographer (who was also soothsayer) at his court, but it was declined.

"My destiny is mean, my luck despicable. I am not equal to such an office and dare not undertake it," said Guan Lu.

"Why not?" said Cao Cao.

"My forehead has no lofty fullness; my eyes no steady expression; my nose no bridge; my feet no round, solid heels; my back lacks the triple armor (of shoulder blades and intervening muscles); and my breast the three marks (like the character indicating wealth). I can only control evil spirits securely; I cannot rule living humans."

"What think you of my physiognomy?"

"What can a minister of extremely exalted rank like yourself desire further?" said Guan Lu.

Cao Cao pressed him to say. The soothsayer only laughed. Then Cao Cao asked him to look at the many officers of all kinds standing around.

"Everyone of them is a servant equal to the administration of the empire," said Guan Lu.

But when Cao Cao asked whether good or bad fortune was to be his, the soothsayer would not give a clear and full reply.

A poem says:

 [hip, hip, hip]
Guan Lu was a seer of old.
Stars to him their secrets told.
Mysteries, occult and dim,
Were as daylight unto him.
His so subtle intellect
Could the shade of death detect,
But the secrets of his skill
Died with him,---are secrets still.
[yip, yip, yip]
 

Again Cao Cao asked him to divine concerning his rivals Wu and Shu.

Guan Lu said, "The south just lost a famous leader, and the west is encroaching on your territory."

Cao Cao's doubts as to the accuracy of one of these events were soon set at rest, for a messenger came from Hefei to report: "Lu Su, the Supreme Commander of the South Land, has died in Lukou."

Then Cao Cao sent hurriedly into Hanzhong, and the scout returned to report: "Zhang Fei and Ma Chao have taken the Xiabian Pass and are threatening Hanzhong."

Cao Cao was angry and inclined to march at once against the invaders. But he consulted the great soothsayer, who advised him not to move.

"Do not act in haste. In the coming spring there will be a conflagration in Xuchang," said Guan Lu.

Having been witness of the verification of Guan Lu's words, Cao Cao was in no mood to neglect the warning. He stayed on in his palace, but he sent Cao Hong with fifty thousand troops to assist in the defense of East River Land, while Xiahou Dun, with thirty thousand troops, went to Xuchang to keep careful watch and be ready against any surprises. He placed High Minister Wang Bi in command of the Imperial Guard.

Sima Yi warned Cao Cao against this Wang Bi, saying, "The man is given to wine, and slack. He is not a fit person for such a post."

Cao Cao replied, "He is very fit. He has followed me through all difficulties and dangers. He is loyal and diligent, solid as stone or iron."

Wang Bi was appointed and led the guard into camp at the capital, outside the East Gate of the Imperial Palace.

Now there was a certain Geng Ji, a Luoyang man, who had long been employed in the Prime Minister's pal............