Three Kingdoms Chapter 37
September 30th, 2008 by Mei and LaraIn the last chapter, we learned that Liu Bei had started to enjoy a few military victories against Cao Cao’s powerful army, thanks to his new advisor Xu Shu. But then Cao Cao kidnapped Xu Shu’s mother in the hope of luring Xu Shu to his camp. Cheng Yu, one of Cao’s advisors, managed to forge the old lady’s handwriting, and using it he sent a letter to Xu Shu requesting a reunion. Filial son that he was, Xu Shu felt compelled to rush to his mother’s side. But realizing that this would leave Liu Bei without an advisor, before his departure Xu Shu recommended that Liu Bei recruit his friend Zhuge Liang as his replacement.
Chapter 37 (podcast)
Liu Bei needed a genius, Crouching Dragon would be best;
Visiting Zhuge’s straw hut three times, he passed the sincerity test.
So Xu Shu rode day and night to the capital city, Xuchang. Cao Cao sent his whole council of advisors to greet him, including the famous Xun Yu and Cheng Yu. Xu Shu first went to visit Cao Cao in the Prime Minister’s mansion. Cao Cao probed him, “You are a wise and talented man. Why did you demean yourself by serving Liu Bei?” Xu Shu answered, “War drove me from my home when I was a child, and I’ve been blown about by the winds of fate ever since. I wound up in Xinye, where I happened to meet Liu Bei, and we became friends. But now that you’ve brought my mother here, I have come to take care of her.” Cao Cao replied,”It will definitely be more convenient for you to fulfill your filial duty while you’re here with us. And perhaps I could also have the good fortune to hear your sage advice.” Xu Shu thanked him courteously, and then left, in a hurry to reunite with his mother.
“What on earth are you doing here?” his mother asked in shock as Xu Shu wept and kowtowed before her seat. He replied, “I received your message in Xinye while I was working for Liu Bei, so I came as fast as I could to meet you.” This answer was no comfort to his mother, however. She pounded on the table in frustrated rage and scolded him: “You’ve been a man of the world for many years. I thought you would have gained some wisdom! How could you have less sense than before? You should already know that you can’t split your loyalty between the throne and filial piety. Don’t you realize that Cao Cao is a traitor to the emperor? Liu Bei, on the hand, is a descendent of the imperial line, who is famous everywhere for his virtue. You had already found your proper master in him. Now for the sake of that forged letter, which you should have been able to detect had you stopped to think, you have abandoned the light and embraced darkness, and earned yourself an evil reputation for eternity. You are a truly stupid man! How can you have the nerve to face me? You have dishonored our ancestors and rendered yourself worthless in this world! ”
Xu Shu kept his forehead on the floor; he could not meet her eyes. Without another word his mother retreated behind the screen. Shortly thereafter, the servants came out and reported that the old lady had hanged herself. Xu Shu rushed inside to rescue her, but his mother was already dead. Xu Shu was overwhelmed with grief. To comfort him, Cao Cao sent many gifts and messages, and attended her funeral himself. Xu Shu buried his mother to the south of Xuchang city, where he moved his household so he could guard the tomb. He rejected all Cao Cao’s gifts.
At the time Cao Cao was contemplating maneuvers against the south. Xun Yu advised him to wait until spring, as the cold winter weather was unsuitable for military action. So Cao Cao ordered his men to make an artificial lake by diverting the waters of Zhang River. In this lake he started training his navy in preparation for battles in the south in springtime.
Meanwhile, Liu Bei was planning his visit to Zhuge Liang’s home at Longzhong. As he was putting together gifts for the visit, his men reported that an extraordinary looking scholar, wearing a tall hat and wide sash, had come to call. Thinking, or rather hoping, that the visitor might be Zhuge Liang himself, Liu Bei quickly straightened his clothes and came out to greet the guest. It turned out to be Sima Hui, a respected local scholar who had previously recommended to Liu Bei a “crouching dragon,” without telling him that “crouching dragon” was Zhuge Liang’s nickname. Liu Bei was overjoyed to see Sima Hui; he invited him inside, led him to the best seat, and inquired, “Since our last meeting, I’ve been occuppied with military affairs, and haven’t had a chance to visit you again. What brings you to grace my doorstep?”
Sima Hui replied, “I heard that Xu Shu (Yuanzhi) is here. I came especially to see him.”
Liu Bei said, “He’s gone to Xuchang. Cao Cao captured his mother, who sent a message calling him back to her side.”
Hui said, “He has fallen into Cao Cao’s trap, then! I have long heard that his mother was a righteous woman. She would never call her son into enemy camp, even under duress. The message was undoubtedly a fake. Had he stayed, his mother would be fine; but now that he’s gone to Cao Cao, the lady is doomed!”
Liu Bei was shocked, “How could that be?”
Sima Hui explained, “Xu’s mother has always been a lady of high principles. She would be ashamed to see her son come to Cao Cao’s side for her sake.”
This discussion brought something else to Liu Bei’s mind. He asked, “Before his departure, Yuanzhi (Xu Shu) recommended that I recruit Zhuge Liang from Nanyang to my service. What is this man like?”
Hui smiled and said: “Xu Shu should have gone quietly. Why did he have to drag Kongming into this, to burn himself out?”
Liu Bei pressed for an explanation, and Hui said: “Zhuge Liang (Kongming) is close friends with four people: Cui Zhouping from Boling, Shi Guangyuan from Yingchuan, Meng Gongwei from Runan, and Xu Yuanzhi (Xu Shu). These four are excellent at grasping the details and depths of matters, while Kongming (Zhuge Liang) is the only one who can see the big picture. He used to point to his four friends and say: “You guys could become governors and imperial inspectors, if you were willing to work in the government.” When his friends asked what his aspirations were, he just smiled. He often compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, two legendary men of old who both made their lords kings, but his talent is actually beyond comparison with any man in history.”
Liu Bei pondered, “Why is it that so many geniuses are concentrated in Yingchuan?”
Sima Hui said, “The story has it that in the old days, a wise old man once observed that ‘the stars congregate near the skies of Ying, indicating a concentration of gifted men there’.”
Guan Yu, who was listening nearby, commented: “Guan Zhong and Yue Yi were the most famous people of the Warring States Period. Their achievements could not be measured by anything in this world; isn’t it excessive for Kongming (Zhuge Liang) to compare himself to them?”
Hui smiled and said, “In my opinion, he shouldn’t be compared to them. I have two others to compare him with.”
Guan Yu asked: “Which ones?”
Hui replied: “He is comparable to Jiang Ziya, who brought 800 years of prosperity to the Zhou dynasty, and to Zhang Zifang, who brought 400 years of properous reign to the Han dynasty.” Everyone was taken aback by the comment.
Hui then took his leave. As he stepped out, he raised his head to laugh, and said: “The Crouching Dragon finds the right master, but not the right time. What a pity!” Liu Bei watched him amble off, and sighed, “What a wise scholar!”
The next day, Liu Bei brought Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and their men to visit Longzhong. At the foot of the hill they saw some farmers working in the field while singing a song:
The sky is an overarching umbrella,
and the land, a chess board under our feet.
The men of the world assign themselves black and white,
and fight back and forth, for honor and defeat.
The winners live in peace, the losers fall into oblivion.
And then there’s the hermit in Nanyang, who sleeps his time away!
The song captivated Liu Bei, who stopped his horse and asked the farmers who wrote it. A farmer answered, “Master Crouching Dragon is the author.” Liu Bei then asked for directions to Master Crouching Dragon’s home, to which the farmer replied: “To the south of this hill, there is a long ridge, called Crouching Dragon Ridge. Before you reach the Ridge, you’ll see a bamboo grove hiding a straw cottage. That is where Master Zhuge lives.” Liu Bei thanked him, and kept riding.
After a few more miles they could see Crouching Dragon Ridge. The Ridge sprawled next to a clear creek, like a dragon resting on a rock by the water. Bamboos formed a green screen near the foot of the ridge, through which segments of wooden fence covered by fallen petals of wild flowers were visible. A rough garden gate, made of twigs, left half-open, led to a simple straw cottage.
Liu Bei thus came to the front gate of Zhuge Liang’s residence. He dismounted, and went to knock on the garden gate himself. A servant boy answered.
Liu Bei said: “Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Hanzuo, the Marquis of Yicheng, the Governor of Youzhou, and imperial uncle Liu Bei. I have come especially to visit your master.”
The boy replied: “I can’t remember so many names.”
Liu Bei said: “Just say Liu Bei came to visit.”
The boy now replied: “My master went out this morning.”
Liu Bei asked: “Where did he go?”
The boy said: “His whereabouts are uncertain. I don’t know where he went.”
Liu Bei then asked: “When will he be back?”
The boy answered: “That is also uncertain. Could be three to five days, could be ten or more days.”
Liu Bei was at a loss. Zhang Fei said: “Well, he’s not here. Let’s go back.”
Liu Bei replied: “Let’s wait around for a little while.”
Guan Yu suggested: “Maybe it’s better to go back first. We can always send someone to see if he’s returned.” Liu Bei followed this advice. Before leaving, he told the child servant: “When your master comes back, please tell him Liu Bei came to visit.”
Liu Bei reluctantly mounted his horse and headed back. After a few miles, he turned to take another look at Longzhong’s scenery — its low graceful hills, its shallow clear waters, its open land, and its prosperous forests, painted green by pines and bamboos, and home to monkeys and cranes. Suddenly, a man emerged from a hillside trail into this picturesque scene. The man had a pleasant face and graceful manners, wore a plain black cloth robe and a casual headcloth, and carried a walking stick.
Liu Bei blurted out: “This must be Master Crouching Dragon!” He dismounted in a hurry and greeted the man politely: “Are you Master Crouching Dragon?”
The man said: “May I ask who you are, General?” Liu Bei replied with his name.
The man then said: “I am not Kongming, but his friend Cui Zhouping from Boling.”
Liu Bei said: “Your name has long been familiar to me. What a happy coincidence to meet you here! May I ask you to sit down with me and chat for a while?”
The two sat down on boulders in the forest, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei standing guard at either side. Zhouping said: “General, why do you wish to see Kongming?”
Liu Bei answered: “The world is in chaos. I am looking to Kongming for a master plan to bring peace and prosperity back to the nation.”
Zhouping smiled and said: “Your goal of ending chaos is a kind one, but impossible to attain. Peace and chaos have alternated all through history. When Gaozu killed the white serpent to start the uprising that ended the cruel Qin dynasty, it was a change from chaos to peace; By the time of the Ai and Ping emperors, peace had lasted for a long time, so Wang Mang usurped the throne, thus swapping peace for chaos; Guangwu then re-established the imperial power of Han, bringing the world from chaos back to peace. That was 200 years ago, and since then we have enjoyed a long stretch of peace. So, war errupted around us again: we are living right at the turning point from peace to chaos, and everything is in flux. What you want from Kongming is for him to change the course of nature and repair a broken sky. I am afraid it will be a futile investment of passion and labor. Haven’t you heard that it is easier to swim with the tide than against it? Human effort cannot prevail against the decrees of fate.”
Liu Bei answered, “Your words are wise, but I can’t use fate and destiny as excuses to avoid my duty as a descendant of the Han imperial line.”
Zhouping replied, “That’s what it looks like from here, but I’m just a scholar in the countryside. Since you asked, I offered my opinion.”
Liu Bei said: “I am grateful for your advice. Do you know where Kongming went?”
Zhouping said: “I was hoping to visit him, too. I don’t know where he went.”
Liu Bei asked: “In that case, may I invite you to come with me to the city?”
Zhouping said: “I enjoy leisure too much to be interested in power and fame. We’ll meet another day.” He politely took his leave.
The three brothers mounted their horses and rode on. Zhang Fei grumbled:”Kongming was nowhere to be found, and instead we got this blabbing bookworm!” Liu Bei said: “He was giving us his reclusive wisdom.”
A few days after they returned to Xinye, Liu Bei sent for word of Zhuge Liang’s whereabouts. They got word that Master Crouching Dragon had returned. Liu Bei instantly asked for his horse. Zhang Fei objected: “He’s just a rube. Why should you go yourself? Just send someone to bring him here.”
Liu Bei scolded him: “Haven’t you heard the saying of Mencius: Seeking a wise man without going his way, is just like hoping to enter a room without using the door? Kongming is the great genius of our time. How can we just send for him?”
So he mounted his horse and took off; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed. It was the deepest cold of a harsh winter. Dark clouds covered the sky. A few miles into their journey, a cold wind began to blow and a snowstorm started, quickly covering the mountains and forest in white. Zhang Fei complained: “With this freezing weather, there won’t be a battle any time soon. Why do we need to slog so far to see someone we have no use for? We’d do better to return to Xinye for shelter.”
Liu Bei said: “I was hoping for just such an opportunity to show Kongming our sincerity. If you’re afraid of the cold, you can turn back.”
Fei said: “Afraid of cold? I’m not even afraid of death! I just don’t want you to waste your time.” To this Liu Bei replied: “Please, no more arguing. Just follow me.”
As they approached the straw hut they suddenly heard somebody singing in a little tavern by the road; Liu Bei stopped his horse to listen:
The hero has not yet achieved fame,
the spring has not come to the trees!
Behold!
Old Luu Shang of East Sea, he left the wilderness to serve Lord Zhou;
Leading eight hundred lords Zhou overthrew the Yin dynasty,
Blood flooded the plains in the battle of Muye,
the victory of Luu Shang was topped by none.
Behold again!
Li Shiqi of Gaoyang emerged from the woods,
to greet the hero Liu Bang of Mangdang;
His vision of a new empire shocked many ears,
and earned him instant attention and the best seat;
He conquered 72 cities by power of persuasion, an irreplicable feat!
Beholding the achievements of these two, who is a hero today?
After this song, another man drummed on the table and began to sing:
Our first emperor raised his sword to bring the land in order,
for 400 years his Han dynasty endured;
With the Huan and Ling emperors weak of realm, evil people rose to power;
The green snake flew down to the throne, an ominous light shone in the palace;
Bandits swarmed like armies of ants, war lords menaced the land like hawks;
What do we do, but remain in the country inn, sing and drink.
Only to keep our own bodies and souls clean, we aspire;
To leave our name and mark forever, we don’t desire!
When they had finished singing, the two men clapped and laughed. Liu Bei thought: “Crouching Dragon could be inside!”so he dismounted and went inside. He saw two men drinking at a table, one with a long beard and fair face, another with a fresh other-worldly face. Liu Bei greeted them politely: “Is one of you Master Crouching Dragon?”
The long-bearded one asked: “Who are you, and why are you looking for him?”
Liu Bei answered:” I am Liu Bei. I wish to find the Master and inquire about strategies for returning peace and prosperity to our people.”
The long-bearded one said: “Neither of us is Crouching Dragon. We are his friends; I am Shi Guangyuan from Yingchuan, and this is Meng Gongwei from Runan.”
Liu Bei was delighted. He said: “I have long been familiar with both your names. This truly a happy circumstance to meet both of you here! We have extra horses. Would you like to ride with me to Master Crouching Dragon’s home?”
Guangyuan said: “We are both lazy men used to country living, with no interest in governance and politics. There is no need to ask us along. Please go ahead and find Crouching Dragon.”
Liu Bei took his leave and rode on to Crouching Dragon Ridge. At the gate of the straw cottage, he dismounted, knocked, and asked the servant boy if his master was home. The boy replied: “He is reading a book inside.”
Liu Bei was overjoyed, and happily followed the boy to the door, where he saw a motto framing the entrance:
“Simplicity shows my aspirations; Tranquility achieves my goal.”
Just then he heard a voice, so he peeked in and saw a very young man sitting by the fire and singing:
The phoenix soars miles above the earth, landing only in the noble parasol tree;
The virtuous man keeps to his home, leaving only to serve a worthy lord;
I enjoy tending my green fields, I love my straw hut;
For now, I stow my aspirations in my lute and books, biding my time.
Liu Bei waited until he finished his song, then entered and saluted the man: “I have long admired you reputation, even though we have never met. Xu Shu recommended your
name to me, so I came to visit you once before but missed you. Today I have come through the snow storm especially to see you, and at last have the good fortune to meet you now!”
The young man greeted him back politely, and answered: “Are you Governer Liu, looking for my brother?”
Liu Bei was surprised: “Are you not Crouching Dragon, again?”
The young man said: “I am Crouching Dragon’s younger brother, Zhuge Jun. We are three brothers: The oldest is Zhuge Jin, who is now working for Sun Zhongmou (Sun Quan) east of the Yangtze River; Kongming is the middle brother.”
Liu Bei then asked: “Is Crouching Dragon home now?”
Jun said: “Cui Zhouping came yesterday, and they went wandering about as usual.”
Liu Bei asked: “Where did they go?”
Jun answered: “They could be boating on the lakes, or visiting temples in the mountains, or gathering with friends in the villages, or playing music from Guqin and games of Go in caves. They usually come and go as they please; nobody knows for sure where they are.”
Liu Bei said: “Fortune favors the few, and apparently Liu Bei is not among them! I’ve made two journeys now, without meeting the genius of Crouching Dragon Ridge!”
Jun said: “Please sit down for a little while, and have some tea.”
Zhang Fei said: “If that master is not home, let’s just ride back.”
Liu Bei said: “We are already here. How could we go back without a little conversation?” So he turned to ask Zhuge Jun again: “I hear your brother is an expert in military strategy, and studies it every day. Do you know about his interest in the subject?”
Jun answered: “I have no idea.”
Zhang Fei busrt out: “Why bother asking him! The storm is getting heavy, we really should be on our way.” Liu Bei hushed him.
Jun said: “Since my brother is not home, I will not insist on keeping you here; I hope we can visit another day.”
Liu Bei said: “I would not trouble the Master to trek to my place. We’ll return again in a few days. May I borrow a brush to leave your brother a note, to convey my respect?”
Jun gave him brush, paper, ink, and ink stone. Liu Bei thawed the frozen brush tip with his breath, and wrote:
“I have long known of you by repute, and wished to meet you face to face. Fortune decreed that I should travel twice in vain, doomed to disappointment. Since I am a descendant of the Han line, it breaks my heart to watch the imperial power daily disintegrating, the warlords ravaging the nation, and evil parties manipulating the emperor. I desperately desire to give my all to support the emperor and people, but I need a master plan to reunite the nation. I appeal to your virtue and loyalty, Master, to generously apply your talent to preserve the country,as did Luu Shang and Zhang Zifang in ancient times. It would be truly fortunate for our nation! Leaving you for now with these thoughts, I respectfully hope to visit again another day, to express my sincerity in person.”
Finished writing, Liu Bei warmly took his leave. Just as he was getting ready to ride away, the boy servant suddenly waved from the fence, and cried out: “The old master has come!”
Liu Bei turned to look, and saw a man approaching from the west end of the little bridge. Wearing a warm cap and fur overcoat, carrying a gourd of rice wine, he rode a donkey, followed by a servant boy dressed in black. They crossed the snow-covered bridge and turned toward the straw cottage, singing this song:
Night-long blows the north wind, below storming miles of cloud;
Snow dances under dark skies, the face of rivers and mountains re-drawing;
Turning my eyes to infinite space, I see jade dragons battling, bristling;
Their white scales explode, disperse, and fill the universe in a blink;
— while I ride a donkey across the little bridge, only concerned with the thinning plum flowers!
Hearing the song, Liu Bei exclaimed: “Truly this must be Master Crouching Dragon!” He hastily dismounted, and rushed forward to greet the man: “What a bitter cold storm for you to travel through, Master! I’m Liu Bei. We have been waiting for you for a long time!”
The man dismounted as well to return the greeting. Zhuge Jun said from behind: “He is not my brother Crouching Dragon, but my brother’s father-in-law, Huang Chengyan.”
Liu Bei said: “What you just sang was exceptionally elegant!”
Chengyan said: “I read my son-in-law’s poems in his house, and happened to remember this particular one. The fallen plum flowers on the snow over that bridge reminded me of this poem, so I sang it.”
Liu Bei asked: “Have you seen your son-in-law on the way?”
Chengyan said: “I am here to visit him as well.”
At this, Liu Bei took his leave and rode back toward Xinye. The blizzard grew still heavier. As he looked back at Crouching Dragon Ridge, Liu Bei couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
So Liu Bei returned to Xinye without so much as seeing a shadow of Zhuge Liang. Winter flew by quickly, and before long it was early spring. Liu Bei asked his fortune teller to choose an auspicious date to visit Zhuge Liang again. He ate a strict buddhist vegetarian diet for three days, then washed thoroughly, and changed into a set of clean clothes scented with incense, in preparation for his third visit to Crouching Dragon Ridge. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei heard of his making all this fuss, and were not pleased. They came together to talk him out of the trip. What were they going to say? You can probably guess, but do wait for the next chapter to find out.
