Cao Cao Is Possessed At Luoyang;
Guan Yu Manifests At The Jade Spring Mount.

Sun Quan having asked Lu Meng for a plan, Lu Meng replied, "This Guan Yu has very few soldiers left, and he will not venture along the high road. North of Maicheng is a risky path, and he will try to escape along that. Therefore you must lay an ambush for him seven miles away from the city, but do not stop him. Let him go by, and then harass his rear. Thus he will be forced into Linju. Set another small ambush near there, and you will capture your enemy. For the present, attack the city vigorously on all sides but one, leaving the north gate for escape."

Before carrying out this plan, Sun Quan bade Lu Fan consult the auspices.

Lu Fan did so, announcing, "The enemy will flee toward the northwest, but will be caught that night before midnight."

So Zhu Ran was sent in command of the first ambush, and Pan Zhang was the second. The troops sent were all veterans.

When Guan Yu mustered his fighting men in the city of Maicheng, he had but three hundred. The food was done. That night many soldiers of Wu came to the city walls and called to their friends by name, and many of these slipped over the wall and deserted, reducing the small force still further. No rescue force appeared, and Guan Yu was at the end of his resources.

Again he bewailed to Wang Fu, saying, "I regret that I have neglected your wise warning. In this danger what is to be done?"

[e] Lu Wang was a master strategist, founding minister of Zhou Dynasty, counselor to King Wen. Before joining King Wen, Lu Wang had been a fisher, who mediated on the river bank on political events. .....

"I think even if Lu Wang* could come to life again, he would be helpless in this case," replied Wang Fu, weeping.

Said Zhao Lei, "Liu Feng and Meng Da have surely decided not to send help from Shangyong. Let us abandon this miserable place, try to get to Yizhou, and recover the army. We may then tempt our fortune once more."

"I agree with you that that is the best plan," said Guan Yu.

Then he ascended the walls and surveyed the country. Noting that the weakest side was the north, he called in some of the inhabitants and inquired the nature of the country on that side.

They replied, "There are only paths there, but by them one may get into the West River Land."

"We will go that way tonight," said Guan Yu.

Wang Fu opposed it, saying, "General, you will surely fall into an ambush. The main road will be safer."

"There may be an ambush, but do I fear that?" said the old warrior.

Orders were given to be ready to march.

"At least be very cautious," said Wang Fu. "I will defend this city to the very last. I only need a hundred troops. Never will we surrender. Only I hope, Most Noble General, that you will send me speedy help."

The two parted in tears. Wang Fu and Zhou Cang remaining to guard Maicheng. Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhao Lei marched with their weak force out of the north gate. Guan Yu, his green-dragon saber ready to hand, went first. About the third watch, seven miles lay between them and the city. There they saw a deep cleft in the hills wherefrom rolled the sound of beaten drums. And men were shouting. Soon appeared a large force with Zhu Ran at their head.

He came dashing forward, and summoned the small party, saying, "Guan Yu, do not run! Surrender and live!"

But Guan Yu whipped his steed to a gallop and bore down on the leader with anger in his eyes. Then Zhu Ran ran away. Guan Yu followed him till there came the loud boom of a large drum, and out sprang troops from all sides. Guan Yu dared not engage such a number, and fled in the direction of Linju. Zhu Ran came up behind and attacked the flying soldiers, so that Guan Yu's following gradually became smaller and smaller.

Still he struggled on. A few miles farther the drums rolled again, and torches lit up all round. This was Pan Zhang's ambush, and he appeared flourishing his sword. Guan Yu whirled his blade and went to meet him, but Pan Zhang ran away after a couple of bouts. However, Guan Yu saw they were too many for him, and sought refuge among the mountains.

His son followed, and when he got within speaking distance, Guan Ping gave him the mournful tidings: "Zhao Lei has fallen in the melee!"

Guan Yu was very sad, and bade his son try to protect the rear while he should force his way forward.

With about ten men he reached Zhuxi, a place with mountains on both sides. At their foot was a thick mass of reeds and dried grass. The trees grew very close. It was then the fifth watch. Presently the small party stumbled into another ambush, and the ambushing soldiers thrust forth hooks and threw ropes. Entangled in these, Guan Yu's horse fell, and Guan Yu reeled out of the saddle. In a moment Ma Zhong, the Marching General of Pan Zhang, made him a prisoner. Guan Ping dashed to his rescue, but before he could do anything, he also was surrounded and held. Father and son were both captives.

With great joy Sun Quan heard of the success of his plans. In the morning, he assembled all his officers in his tent to await the arrival of the prisoners. Before long, Ma Zhong came hustling his prisoner before his lord.

"I have long had a friendly feeling for you," said Sun Quan to Guan Yu, "on account of your great virtues. Now I would have made a covenant and alliance with you, if you would. You and your son have long held yourselves to be invincible, but you see you are my prisoners today. Yet I hope to win you over to my side."

But Guan Yu only answered roughly, "You green-eyed boy! You purple-bearded rat! I made a covenant in the Peach Garden with my brothers to uphold the Hans. Think you that I will stand side by side with a rebel such as you are? I am a victim of your vile schemes, but I can only die once. And there is no need of many words."

"He is a real hero, and I love him," said Sun Quan to those standing near. "I will treat him well and endeavor to win him over. Do you think it well?"

Said the First Secretary Zuo Xian, "When Cao Cao had hold of this man, Cao Cao treated him lavishly well. Cao Cao created him a marquis; in three-day interval Cao Cao held a small banquet, in five days a great one; Cao Cao gave him gold and presented him with silver; all this, hoping to retain him at his side. But Cao Cao failed. The man broke through his gates, slew his six generals in five passes and went away. Today Cao Cao fears him, and almost moved the capital for dread of him. Now he is in your power, destroy him, or you will rue the day. Evil will come if you spare him."

Sun Quan reflected for some time.

"You are right," said he presently, and gave the order for execution.

So father and son met their fate together in the winter of the twenty-fourth year (AD 219) in the tenth month. Guan Yu was fifty-eight.

A poem says:

 [hip, hip, hip]
Peerless indeed was our Lord Guan Yu, of the latter days,
Head and shoulders stood he out among the best;
Godlike and terrible in war, elegant and refined in peace,
Resplendent as the noonday sun in the heavens,
Haloed as are the noblest of those early days,
He stands, the brightest model for all ages,
And not only for the strenuous days he lived in.
[yip, yip, yip]
 

And another:

 [hip, hip, hip]
Seek ye a noble one? Then take ye the way of Jieliang,
Watch ye how all people revere Guan Yu,
Each excelling others to honor him,
Him, one of the three brothers of the Peach Garden Oath,
Who have won sacrifices, as emperor and king.
Incomparable their aura spreads through the world;
They are resplendent as the great lights of the firmament;
Temples to our Lord Guan Yu abound, no village lacks one,
Their venerable trees at sundown are the resting places for birds.
[yip, yip, yip]
 

So Guan Yu ended his life. His famous steed, Red Hare, also captured with its master, was sent to Sun Quan, who gave it as a reward to his captor, Ma Zhong. But Red Hare survived its master only a short time. It refused to feed, and soon died.

Foreboding of misfortune came to Wang Fu within the city of Maicheng. His bones felt cold, and his flesh crept.

He said to his colleague Zhou Cang, "I have had a terrible dream in which I saw our lord all dripping with gore. I would question him, but I was overcome with dread. May it augur no evil tidings!"

Just then the troops of Wu came up to the city wall and displayed the gory heads of the two, father and son. Wang Fu and Zhou Cang went up on the wall to see if the dread tokens were real. There was no doubt. Wang Fu with a despairing cry threw himself over the wall and perished, Zhou Cang died by his own hand. Thus Maicheng fell to Wu.

The execution of Guan Yu gave Sun Quan undisputed possession of the whole of the Jingzhou Region. He rewarded his soldiers and spread a great feast at which Lu Meng was in the seat of honor.

Sun Quan made a speech, saying, "After long waiting, the desire of my heart has come to me very easily through the magnificent efforts of my friend Lu Meng."

Lu Meng bowed and bowed deprecatingly, but Sun Quan continued, "My good Zhou Yu was superior to most humans, and he defeated Cao Cao at the Red Cliffs. Alas! He died too soon. My good Lu Su succeeded him. In his first interview, he inaugurated the general policy of creating a state. That was the first instance of his keen insight. When Cao Cao descended upon my country, and everyone counseled me to yield, he advised me to summon my good Zhou Yu to oppose and smite Cao Cao. That was the second instance of his keen insight. He made only one fault: He advised me to let Liu Bei occupy Jingzhou. Now today my good Lu Meng has succeeded, and in that he far surpasses both his predecessors."

Then Sun Quan filled a goblet and in person presented it to the guest of the evening. Lu Meng took the cup, but as he raised it, a sudden change came over him.

Dashing the cup to the ground, Lu Meng seized Sun Quan, crying, "O green-eyed boy! O purple-bearded rat! Do you know me?"

Consternation seized the whole assembly, but many rushed to the rescue of their lord, who had been thrown to the floor by the guest he had so lately complimented. Rushing forward over Sun Quan's body, Lu Meng sat himself in the host's seat, his eyebrows staring stiff and his eyes glaring.

"After I quelled the Yellow Scarves, I went hither and thither for thirty years. Now I have fallen victim to your base plots, and you have overcome me. Living, I have been unable to gorge upon the flesh of my enemy; dead, I will pursue the spirit of this bandit Lu Meng. I am the Lord of Hanshou, Guan Yu!"

Terror-stricken, Sun Quan was the first to fall prostrate, and all his officers followed him.

Thereupon Lu Meng fell over dead, with blood gushing from the seven orifices of his body.

In due time the body was coffined and interred. Lu Meng was created posthumously Governor of Nanjun and Lord of Chanling. His son, Lu Ba, was given hereditary nobility.

After this visitation Sun Quan lived in constant terror. Soon Zhang Zhao came in from Jianye to see him and blame him for the murder.

"My lord, by the slaughter of Guan Yu you have brought misfortune very near to this state. You know the oath sworn in the Peach Garden. Now Liu Bei has the force of the two River Lands at his back, Zhuge Liang as adviser, and those heroes Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao to carry out his behests. When Liu Bei hears of the death of both father and son, he will set in motion the whole force he has to avenge them, and I fear you cannot stand such an onslaught."

Sun Quan started up in a fright.

"Yes; I have made a little mistake," said he. "But seeing it is so, what shall I do?"

"You need have no fear," replied Zhang Zhao. "I have a plan to fend off the armies of the west from our borders and keep Jingzhou quite safe."

"What is your plan?" asked Sun Quan.

"Cao Cao with his many legions is greedily aiming at the whole empire. If Liu Bei wants revenge, he will ally himself with Cao Cao, and, should they combine against the South Land, we should............