Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang for a plan to repel Cao Cao’s force.

Zhuge Liang said, “Xinye is a small county. We cannot stay there long. I have recently heard that Liu Biao, whose personal name was Jing Sheng, is dangerously ill. This is a chance to take Jingzhou as a place to settle in, and perhaps then we can withstand Cao Cao.”

Liu Bei said, “Your reasoning is excellent. But I have enjoyed so much kindness from Jingsheng—how could I bear to turn it against him?”

Zhuge Liang said, “If we do not seize this chance now, how can we remedy our regret later?”

Liu Bei said, “I would sooner die than commit an unrighteous deed.”

Zhuge Liang said, “Let us discuss it once more.”

Xiahou Dun returned defeated to Xuchang, bound himself, and bowed to the ground before Cao Cao, asking to be put to death. Cao Cao spared him.

Xiahou Dun said, “Xiahou Dun was outwitted by Zhuge Liang’s ruse and my army was broken by a fire attack.”

Cao Cao said, “You have handled troops since you were young. How could you not know that narrow ground requires caution against fire?”

Xiahou Dun said, “Li Dian and Yu Jin had already warned me of this. My regret comes too late.”

Then Cao Cao rewarded both men.

Xiahou Dun said, “Liu Bei is that unruly; he is truly a grave threat in our midst and must be dealt with at once.”

Cao Cao said, “What I fear is only Liu Bei and Sun Quan. The rest are not worth my concern. Now is the time to sweep down and pacify Jiangnan.”

He gave orders to raise five hundred thousand men in five columns. Cao Ren and Cao Hong would be the first column, Zhang Liao and Zhang He the second, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun the third, Yu Jin and Li Dian the fourth, and Cao Cao himself led the fifth. Each column was to bring one hundred thousand soldiers.

He also made Xu Chu General of Breaking Through and ordered three thousand men as the vanguard.

On the bingwu day of the seventh month of the autumn in the thirteenth year of Jian’an, the expedition was launched.

Kong Rong, the Grand Councillor, offered a remonstrance: “Liu Bei and Liu Biao are both kinsmen of the Han house; they should not be attacked lightly. Sun Quan has made himself secure in six commanderies and holds the great River as a natural defense, so he is also not easily taken. Now the Chancellor has raised an unjust army in pursuit of them; it may ruin his fame before the world.”

Cao Cao was angry. “Liu Bei, Liu Biao, and Sun Quan are all ministers who disobey Heaven’s mandate. How could they be left unpunished?”

He shouted Kong Rong away and ordered that whoever remonstrated again should be beheaded.

Kong Rong left the hall and lifted his eyes to the sky, sighing, “Even one who is cruelly inhuman attacks one who is humane. How can he avoid ruin?”

At that moment an attendant of the Inspector Xi, Xi Lu, heard what had been said and reported it to him. Xi Lu had long been insulted by Kong Rong and deeply resented him. He used this moment to inform Cao Cao again: “In former days, Kong Rong repeatedly presumed with the Chancellor and was on cordial terms with Mi Heng. Mi Heng praised Kong Rong and said, ‘Confucius has not died.’ Kong Rong praised Mi Heng and said, ‘Yan Hui is reborn.’

And when Mi Heng once insulted the Chancellor, it was Kong Rong who urged him on.”

Cao Cao was furious and ordered the Imperial Censor to arrest Kong Rong.

Kong Rong had two sons, still quite young, then at home playing weiqi. His attendants rushed in and said, “Your lord is being taken by the Censor and is likely to be executed. Why do not the two young lords flee at once?”

They replied, “Under a fallen nest, where can there be one egg left unbroken?”

Before they could finish speaking, the Censor returned and seized all the household staff and both boys. All were executed, and the body of Kong Rong was displayed in the marketplace.

Wei Zhi Xi of Jingzhao stood by the corpse and wept. When Cao Cao heard, he raged and wanted to kill him too.

Xun Yu spoke: “I have heard that Zhi Xi has always remonstrated with Kong Rong, saying, ‘Your uprightness and bluntness go too far and are a path to disaster.’

Now Kong Rong has died and he came to mourn him. He is a righteous man; he cannot be killed.”

Cao Cao relented.

Zhi Xi gathered the bodies of Kong Rong and his sons and buried them all.

Later people composed this verse:

Kong Rong in Beihai,
Heroic spirit spanning a long rainbow.
His chamber always crowded with guests,
Never empty the cups in his vessels.
His prose stunned the common world,
His laughter and talk mocked lords and nobles.
The brush of history praised his loyalty and uprightness,
And preserved his name in the records of high office.

After Kong Rong’s death, Cao Cao ordered the five columns to set out in sequence, leaving Xun Yu and others behind to guard Xuchang.

Then Liu Biao of Jingzhou became gravely ill and sent for Liu Bei to entrust him with his orphaned house. Liu Bei arrived with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Liu Biao said, “My illness has entered my marrow and I will not survive long. I entrust this matter to my worthy younger brother. My sons have no talent and will not sustain my inheritance. After I die, my brother may govern Jingzhou himself.”

Liu Bei knelt in tears and said, “I will devote all I can to assisting your honored nephew. How could I have any other intent?”

Just then someone reported that Cao Cao had taken command of a large army and was on the way. Liu Bei immediately took leave and raced back to Xinye by night.

Liu Biao heard this news and was shocked. He deliberated and drew up a testament making Liu Qi his heir in Jingzhou. Lady Cai, however, concealed the testament.

When Liu Qi of Jiangxia learned of his father’s crisis and arrived at Jingzhou to visit him, Cai Mai at the outer gate blocked him and said, “Your highness has been ordered by your father to hold Jiangxia. The charge is grave. If you do not shoulder this properly and Wu troops come from the east, what will you do? If you force your way inside before the lord, your lord’s temper will flare and his illness will worsen. It would not be filial. You should leave at once.”

Liu Qi stood outside the gate and wept bitterly, then mounted his horse and rode back to Jiangxia.

Liu Biao’s condition worsened. He looked for Liu Qi in vain as he failed to arrive; on the wufu day of the eighth month he cried out several times and died.

Later people composed this verse for Liu Biao:

Once I had heard the Yuans hold sway north of the Yellow River;
Now I saw Lord Liu seize and dominate Hanyang.
All for household and rank’s ruin
It is sad, and in little time all was gone.

After Liu Biao’s death, Cai Wife and Cai Mao and Zhang Yun conferred and forged a testament naming Liu Cong, the second son, ruler of Jingzhou. Then they performed the rites and announced the mourning.

Liu Cong was barely fourteen and fairly sharp. He gathered the officials and said, “My father is gone. My elder brother is in Jiangxia, and my uncle Liu Bei is in Xinye. You have all raised me as lord. If elder brother and uncle raise troops to punish this, how can we explain?”

Before the attendants could answer, Li Gui of the Secretariat replied, “Your Highness has spoken wisely. Now send an urgent mourning message to Jiangxia requesting the elder brother to govern Jingzhou, and order Liu Bei to administer affairs together with him. With this, we can resist Cao Cao in the north and hold against Sun Quan in the south. It is the wisest strategy.”

Cai Mao shouted, “Who are you, to speak and oppose my lord’s testament?”

Li Gui cursed him: “You and your associates inside and out, invoking my lord’s testament, have removed the elder and raised the younger so that all nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang fall into the hands of the Cai clan! If my late lord has any spirit, he will surely execute you.”

Cai Mao became furious and ordered his attendants to seize and execute Li Gui. Li Gui kept up his cursing until death.

So Cai Mao installed Liu Cong as ruler. The Cai family branches divided and took command of the troops of Jingzhou, and Deng Yi, the Governance Officer, and Liu Xian, an assistant director, were ordered to guard Jingzhou.

Lady Cai accompanied Liu Cong to Xiangyang and camped there to guard against Liu Qi and Liu Bei. They buried Liu Biao’s coffin east of Xiangyang near Hanyang.

They gave no formal mourning notice to Liu Qi or Liu Bei.

When Liu Cong reached Xiangyang and had scarcely dismounted, word arrived that Cao Cao was leading the main force straight for Xiangyang. He was terrified and summoned Kuai Yue and Cai Mao to discuss the situation.

Fu Xun, an imperial secretary in the eastern bureau, offered his opinion:

“Not only is Cao Cao’s army dangerous by itself. Now the elder brother is in Jiangxia and Liu Bei in Xinye. Neither has yet come to mourn. If he raises troops to punish us, Jing and Xiang are lost. I have one plan: surrender the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang to Cao Cao. Cao Cao will then treat the ruler with high esteem.”

Liu Cong said, “What can this plan be?”

Fu Xun said, “It would be better to offer Jing and Xiang to him.”

Liu Cong barked, “What words are these! I have just inherited my father’s foundation and it is not yet firm. How can I now abandon it to another?”

Kuai Yue spoke: “The meaning is right. Order and disorder have their great principles, strength and weakness follow their fixed tides. At present Cao Cao is in the south for campaigns and in the north for repression, claiming to act for the court. If our lord refuses him, he will appear to be in the wrong. And with the lord newly installed, outside danger is not yet settled and inner trouble is about to come. The people of Jing and Xiang have heard Cao’s army is coming; before battle they already tremble. How could they face him?”

Liu Cong said, “Your words are not what I refuse, yet if this inheritance of my father is abandoned in one stroke to another man, the world will laugh at us.”

The discussion was still in progress when a figure stepped in, upright and proud: Wang Can, surname Wang, given name Can, courtesy name Zhongxuan, from Gaoping in Shanyang. He was short and slight in build. In childhood he had visited Chief Minister Cai Zhong (Cai Yong); Cai Yong, whose guests overflowed his hall, ordered his attendants to rise when Can entered. Every guest asked, “Why does Chief Minister Cai honor this child so?”

Yong replied, “This boy has uncommon talent. He is better than I am.”

Wang Can read widely and had a prodigious memory; few could match him. He could read inscriptions by the roadside and immediately recite them, and if he saw a chaotic go board, he could rearrange it perfectly.

He was also excellent at calculations. His writings and rhetoric were unrivaled in the age.

At seventeen he was invited to serve as Gentleman of the Yellow Gate but declined.

Later, fleeing disorder, he came to Jingxiang, where Liu Biao treated him as an honored guest.

That day he told Liu Cong, “General, how do you assess Cao Cao?”

Liu Cong said, “He is not to be compared.”

Wang Can said, “Cao Cao has strong troops, excellent generals, and deep intelligence. He captured Lü Bu at Xiangfu, crushed Yuan Shao at Guandu, drove Liu Bei to Longyou, and beat the Wuhuan at White Wolf. The men he has eliminated and crushed cannot be counted. If he comes with a great army to the south for Jing and Xiang, it will be impossible to withstand him. The plans of Fu Xun and Kuai Yue are indeed long strategy. The governor had better not delay and repent later.”

Liu Cong said, “Master, your counsel is fitting. But I still need to report this to my mother.”

At that moment Cai Fu came out from behind her screen and said to Liu Cong, “If Master Zhongxuan, Master Futi, and Master Yidu all agree, why must you report this to me first?”

Then Liu Cong settled his mind and wrote a letter of surrender. He sent Song Zhong to infiltrate and present it before Cao Cao’s camp.

Song Zhong accepted the mission and reached Wancheng, met Cao Cao, and presented the letter.

Cao Cao rejoiced greatly and rewarded him generously, then ordered him to return and tell Liu Cong to come out to receive him. He confirmed Liu Cong as forever ruler of Jingzhou.

After bowing and leaving Cao Cao, Song Zhong set out back to Jingxiang. He was about to cross the river when he saw a troop arriving. It was Guan Yu.

Song Zhong could not avoid it; Guan Yu called him in and questioned him closely about events in Jingzhou. At first Song Zhong concealed the truth, but Guan Yu persisted in his interrogation and he finally told him, in full, everything that had happened.

Guan Yu was greatly shocked and captured Song Zhong, bringing him to Liu Bei at Xinye.

Liu Bei was devastated and burst into tears.

Zhang Fei said, “It has come to this. We should first execute Song Zhong, then raise an army and cross the river, take back Xiangyang, kill the Cai clan and Liu Cong, and then meet Cao Cao in battle.”

Liu Bei said, “Keep your mouth closed. I will decide in time.”

Then he called to Song Zhong, “Now you know how everyone is acting, why did you not come straight to me sooner? Slaying you now will not change anything. Go quickly.”

Song Zhong bowed and left, clutching his head and slipping away.

Liu Bei was still weighed down by grief when a messenger arrived from his elder brother, Liu Qi.

Liu Bei thanked him deeply for rescuing him in earlier days and came down from the gate to receive him repeatedly.

He said, “The elder brother is in Jiangxia. He heard that Jingzhou had already passed away. Cai Wu and Cai Mao and the rest met together; they did not come to report the death and made Liu Cong ruler. When your highness sent men to Xiangyang to investigate, they returned with that report. Fearing you might not know, they have sent me with this letter of mourning and ask you to summon all your best troops, and all of us to Xiangyang to punish the usurpers.”

After reading the letter Liu Bei said to Song Zhong, “Master Yi only knew Liu Cong had usurped the office and did not know Liu Cong had already offered the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang to Cao Cao.”

Song Zhong was shocked. “How did my lord learn this?”

Liu Bei explained how he captured and questioned Song Zhong.

Song Zhong said, “Then my lord should go to Xiangyang in mourning’s name, and lure Liu Cong out to meet you; then seize him and execute his followers. Jingzhou will return to my lord.”

Zhuge Liang said, “What Master Yi says is right. Lord, you can follow this.”

Liu Bei, tears still on his face, said, “My elder brother placed this burden on me in peril and I promised to aid him. If I seize his son and take this land, how can I ever face him on the day I die?”

Zhuge Liang said, “If you do not act, Cao’s army has already reached Wancheng. How will you resist?”

Liu Bei said, “Then we should move to Fan City to avoid them.”

While they were discussing, scouts reported that Cao’s army had reached Bowang.

Liu Bei hastily ordered Song Zhong back to Jiangxia, to organize horse and men. He and Zhuge Liang conferred again on a way to resist.

Zhuge Liang said, “Your Grace, calm yourself. Before, one fire had burnt most of Xiahou Dun’s men; now Cao’s army has come again. They will surely fall to this same plan. We cannot remain in Xinye. Let us go first to Fan City.”

He ordered notices posted at the four gates and messengers to tell the residents: “Men and women, old and young: whoever wishes to follow us should go with us to Fan City today to take temporary refuge. Do not delay.”

He sent Sun Qian to the river to gather boats and rescue civilians, and sent Mi Zhu to escort the families of the officials to Fan City.

He then assembled the officers and gave orders.

First he told Guan Yu to take one thousand men to conceal themselves at the upper reaches of the White River: each man should carry a cloth sack full of sand, damming the water; then at the third watch tomorrow, when someone downstream shouts and calls out horse cries, they should quickly tear up the sacks, release the water, and drown the pursuing army, then move downstream after them.

He told Zhang Fei to take one thousand men and ambush at Boling Ford. “The current here is slowest. When Cao’s soldiers are overwhelmed by flood and seek escape, they will pass this way. Strike them then.”

He told Zhao Yun to lead three thousand men and divide into four groups. He would lead one, while three groups would conceal themselves at the west, south, and north gates. At the same time he should hide in the rooftops of household homes within the city ample sulphur, saltpeter, and burning materials.

“When Cao’s men enter the city, they will surely dismount there. After dusk there will certainly be a great wind. As soon as the wind rises, let the units hidden at west, south, and north gates shoot flaming arrows into the city. Wait until flames spread in the city, then chant and shout from outside as if reinforcing yourselves. Leave only the east gate open for escape and strike them from behind when they emerge.

At dawn, join Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and withdraw the troops to Fan City.”

Then he ordered Mi Fang and Liu Feng to take two thousand men, half with red banners and half with blue banners, and camp thirty li outside Xinye before Qiewei Slope.

“As soon as Cao’s army arrives, red-banner troops on the left and blue-banner troops on the right. Their hearts will be uncertain and they will not dare to pursue. You two should then take separate ambushes. Wait until the fires break out in the city, then pursue and cut down the broken troops, and then return to the upper reach of the White River for reinforcement.”

Zhuge Liang finished arranging his deployments and then he and Liu Bei climbed to a height to watch and wait for victory news.

Cao Ren and Cao Hong led one hundred thousand men in the first column, with Xu Chu’s three-thousand iron-armored vanguard cutting the way before them. In one great surge they rushed toward Xinye.

At midday that day they reached Qiewei Slope and saw in front of it a massed force under blue and red banners. Xu Chu pressed the troops forward. Liu Feng and Mi Fang had split into four groups, with blue and red banners on opposite wings.

Xu Chu reined in and ordered, “Stop advancing. There must be ambushes ahead. My troops will hold here.”

On one horse he rode back and reported to Cao Ren.

Cao Ren said, “This is only a false alarm. Surely no ambush lies ahead. Advance quickly. I will order the rest to follow.”

Xu Chu returned to the slope and pushed ahead with his men. In the woods they searched but saw no one.

The sun had nearly set. As Xu Chu was about to advance again, a great clamor of gongs and drums rose from the mountain. He looked up and saw on the summit a cluster of banners and tents, with two umbrella canopies. On the left was Liu Bei; on the right, Zhuge Liang. The two sat opposite each other, drinking.

In rage, Xu Chu urged his army uphill. A great battering of timber-ram guns and stones came down from above, blocking any advance.

He then heard cries from behind the mountain so loud they shook the ground, and the troops searched for paths to continue fighting. Night had already darkened.

Cao Ren arrived with troops and ordered them to seize Xinye and dismount. When the soldiers reached the city gates, they found all four gates thrown open.

The Cao army burst in at once without resistance. No one remained within; the city was empty.

Cao Hong said, “This is a city stripped bare and desperate with no hope left, so all the people fled with it. Let us rest and then march on at dawn.”

By then all columns were exhausted and hungry, and everyone had set out to find food. Cao Ren and Cao Hong were resting inside the city hall.

Past the first watch of night, wild wind rose. A gate watchman reported that fires had started.

Cao Ren said, “This must be soldiers cooking badly and making careless fires. Let us not be alarmed.”

Not long after, several further reports arrived in quick succession. Fires were said to have started at the west, south, and north gates.

Cao Ren quickly ordered all generals to mount, and as he spoke the whole county burned. Flame ran up through the town, red from top to bottom. The fire that night outshone the fire at the Bowang camps of the previous day.

Later people composed this verse:

Cunning Cao Cao, keeper of the middle realm,
in the ninth month marched south to Hanchuan.
The Wind Lord came angry upon Xinye County;
Zhurong dropped his flames to scrape the sky.

Cao Ren and the other generals charged through smoke and fire, searching for a way out. As they ran, they heard that no fire burned at the east gate and hurried out through it.

Soldiers trampled one another in the rush; many died.

By the time Cao Ren and the others escaped the immediate danger, a cry rose from behind. Zhao Yun’s force came charging in mixed combat. The defeated host fled for life; few turned to stand and fight.

Still running, Mi Fang reached with his force and pressed in again. A sharp skirmish was fought, Cao Ren was badly defeated, and he tried to break through.

Liu Feng also came with another force to cut him off again.

By the fourth watch, men were spent and horses exhausted, most soldiers bruised and disordered. They reached the bank of the White River and found some relief: the river was not very deep, so men and horses went down to drink.

By then Guan Yu upstream had dammed the White River with his sacks.

Toward dusk he watched the fires in Xinye; by the fourth watch he suddenly heard shouts and horse cries from downstream. He immediately ordered his men to lift all sacks at once. The flood came rushing, swelling and roaring.

Cao’s soldiers and horses were all drowned in the water; many died.

Cao Ren led the remaining commanders to find the path where the current ran slowly. They reached Boling Ford, where shouts rose and one force blocked the way.

At its front stood Zhang Fei. He shouted, “Cao rebel, come and give us your life!”

The Cao soldiers were terrified.

It is said:

Inside the walls the red flames had just begun to spit out,
At the riverbank a black wind came again.
How Cao Ren’s life would fare is yet untold—
How this turned out will be told in the next chapter.