Liu Bei. He had come down from his retreat in a mountain monastery to help Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao. But resourceful Zhu Ge-liang had many enemies, among them one of Sun Quan’s military advisers, Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu hated Zhu Ge-liang so much that he decided to kill him.”
While the cymbals clashed dramatically and the fingers of the
pipa
player and the
erhu
player raced up and down the strings, Lao Xu took a long drink of beer.
“Zhou Yu wanted to trick Zhu Ge-liang so he could cut off his head without criticism, and he thought long and hard for a plan. Finally he came up with an idea. He called Zhu Ge-liang to his quarters, welcomed him, and gave him a feast. After they had eaten and drunk, Zhou Yu began to talk of the war and the upcoming battle that would decide the fate of all.
“Zhou Yu: I highly esteem your valuable counsel, Zhu Ge-liang. Most of my experience in warfare has been on land, in the mountains. What type of weapon do you think best for river fighting?
“Zhu Ge-liang: For naval warfare, the bow and arrow are best.
“Zhou Yu: Ah, what a pity. I had wanted to attack Cao Cao soon, but I do not have sufficient arrows to wage war against the superior numbers of Cao Cao. I am certain there is no one under heaven who could supply us with enough arrows in time.”
Zhou Yu waited in silence, certain that the pride of Zhu Ge-liang would speak.
“Zhu Ge-liang: I think I may be able to help, General.
“Zhou Yu: I have the highest admiration for your august self, sir, and for your prowess in war. But the Feng Shui man has advised that we must do battle within ten days, or we shall lose the war. I am certain that no one under heaven could make ten thousand arrows in ten days.
“Zhu Ge-liang: I can supply you with ten thousand arrows. He smiled, took a sip of rice wine, and spoke again: And I can do it in three days.
“Zhou Yu smiled inwardly at the rashness of Zhu Ge-liang. As he talked, he pretended to admire Zhu Ge-liang while casting doubt upon his promise. Finally Zhu Ge-liang signed an oath saying that if he didn’t supply Zhou Yu with ten thousand arrows in three days, he would give Zhou Yu his head.”
I took advantage of another burst of bongs and clashes to ask Lao Xu, “What’s
feng shui?
”
Lao Xu took another swallow of beer. Interpretation is thirsty work. “No one in those days would make any major decision, none, without first consulting a — what’s the word? — a sort of astrologer who would consult his charts and interpret signs and give you the luckiest date for what you were planning to do. He was called Feng Shui Xian Sheng — Mr. Wind and Water.”
The ancient storyteller’s right hand began to float in the air before his eyes as his reedy voice began again.
“On the first day, Zhu Ge-liang obtained twenty river ships, each with a crew of thirty men. Then he ordered one hundred and twenty wagon loads of straw and eighty bolts of black cloth. Zhu Ge-liang met with the crews and gave them instructions. Then he looked at the sky and shook his head and went away.
“Zhou Yu’s spies reported this activity to Zhou Yu, who demanded: How many arrows has he gathered?
“The spies answered: None. He has not even called for bamboo, varnish, feathers and glue.
“Zhou Yu threw back his head and laughed and said: In two days I will have his head.
“On the second day, Zhu Ge-liang returned to his twenty ships. The crews were busy. One-third of them stretched the black cloth on the decks of the ships along the gunwales, then tied the cloth to posts to form walls. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the men were making hundreds of straw men. In the afternoon of the second day, the crew placed the straw men on the ships, lining them up behind the cloth walls that ran down the sides of the ships.
“Zhu Ge-liang looked at the sky at the end of the day’s work. He shook his head and went away.
“Zhou Yu’s spies reported to him again.
“Zhou Yu: How many arrows?
“None.
“Again he
While the cymbals clashed dramatically and the fingers of the
pipa
player and the
erhu
player raced up and down the strings, Lao Xu took a long drink of beer.
“Zhou Yu wanted to trick Zhu Ge-liang so he could cut off his head without criticism, and he thought long and hard for a plan. Finally he came up with an idea. He called Zhu Ge-liang to his quarters, welcomed him, and gave him a feast. After they had eaten and drunk, Zhou Yu began to talk of the war and the upcoming battle that would decide the fate of all.
“Zhou Yu: I highly esteem your valuable counsel, Zhu Ge-liang. Most of my experience in warfare has been on land, in the mountains. What type of weapon do you think best for river fighting?
“Zhu Ge-liang: For naval warfare, the bow and arrow are best.
“Zhou Yu: Ah, what a pity. I had wanted to attack Cao Cao soon, but I do not have sufficient arrows to wage war against the superior numbers of Cao Cao. I am certain there is no one under heaven who could supply us with enough arrows in time.”
Zhou Yu waited in silence, certain that the pride of Zhu Ge-liang would speak.
“Zhu Ge-liang: I think I may be able to help, General.
“Zhou Yu: I have the highest admiration for your august self, sir, and for your prowess in war. But the Feng Shui man has advised that we must do battle within ten days, or we shall lose the war. I am certain that no one under heaven could make ten thousand arrows in ten days.
“Zhu Ge-liang: I can supply you with ten thousand arrows. He smiled, took a sip of rice wine, and spoke again: And I can do it in three days.
“Zhou Yu smiled inwardly at the rashness of Zhu Ge-liang. As he talked, he pretended to admire Zhu Ge-liang while casting doubt upon his promise. Finally Zhu Ge-liang signed an oath saying that if he didn’t supply Zhou Yu with ten thousand arrows in three days, he would give Zhou Yu his head.”
I took advantage of another burst of bongs and clashes to ask Lao Xu, “What’s
feng shui?
”
Lao Xu took another swallow of beer. Interpretation is thirsty work. “No one in those days would make any major decision, none, without first consulting a — what’s the word? — a sort of astrologer who would consult his charts and interpret signs and give you the luckiest date for what you were planning to do. He was called Feng Shui Xian Sheng — Mr. Wind and Water.”
The ancient storyteller’s right hand began to float in the air before his eyes as his reedy voice began again.
“On the first day, Zhu Ge-liang obtained twenty river ships, each with a crew of thirty men. Then he ordered one hundred and twenty wagon loads of straw and eighty bolts of black cloth. Zhu Ge-liang met with the crews and gave them instructions. Then he looked at the sky and shook his head and went away.
“Zhou Yu’s spies reported this activity to Zhou Yu, who demanded: How many arrows has he gathered?
“The spies answered: None. He has not even called for bamboo, varnish, feathers and glue.
“Zhou Yu threw back his head and laughed and said: In two days I will have his head.
“On the second day, Zhu Ge-liang returned to his twenty ships. The crews were busy. One-third of them stretched the black cloth on the decks of the ships along the gunwales, then tied the cloth to posts to form walls. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the men were making hundreds of straw men. In the afternoon of the second day, the crew placed the straw men on the ships, lining them up behind the cloth walls that ran down the sides of the ships.
“Zhu Ge-liang looked at the sky at the end of the day’s work. He shook his head and went away.
“Zhou Yu’s spies reported to him again.
“Zhou Yu: How many arrows?
“None.
“Again he
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