The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation by Luo Guanzhong
Authors: Luo Guanzhong
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Now Lu Meng has succeeded in seizing the city and in that he far surpasses both his predecessors.”
Then he filled a goblet and presented it to his general. Lu Meng took the cup, but just as he raised it to his lips to drink a sudden change possessed him. Dashing the cup to the ground, he seized Sun Quan, cursing fiercely: “You blue-eyed brat! Red-bearded rat! Don’t you recognize me?”
Consternation seized the whole assembly. Some rushed to the rescue of their lord, but Lu Meng threw Sun Quan to the ground, strode forward, and sat down in his chair. Then, with his eyebrows knitted and his eyes glaring, he cried: “After I quelled the Yellow Turbans, I was the man to fear in the whole country for more than thirty years. But you victimized me with your wicked schemes. Alive I was not able to gorge upon your flesh; dead I will pursue the spirit of your being. I am Guan Yun-chang, the Marquis of Hanshou.”
Terror-stricken, Sun Quan led all his officers to kneel down and bow. Then they saw Lu Meng drop dead, with blood gushing from the seven orifices of his body.
In due time Lu Meng was honorably buried. He was posthumously given the title, “Prefect of Nanjun and Marquis of Chuanling.” His son inherited his noble rank.
Sun Quan, unable to get over the shock of this strange and terrible event, was preoccupied with the thought of Guan Yu. One day it was announced that Zhang Zhao had come from Jianyie to see him. Sun Quan called him in.
Zhang Zhao said, “My lord, by slaying Guan Yu and his son you have brought imminent danger to your state. You know that by the oath of the Peach Garden, Liu Bei vowed to live and die together with his two brothers. Now Liu Bei not only has the force of the whole of Shu at his calling, but also Zhuge Liang as his chief advisor, and valiant fighters like the other four Tiger Generals to carry out his behest. When Liu Bei hears of the death of Guan Yu and his son, he will surely send forth his entire army to avenge them, and I fear you cannot stand such an onslaught.”
Sun Quan started up in fright. “I have made a grave error,” he cried. “What is to be done now?”
“Have no fear,” replied Zhang Zhao. “I have a plan to fend off the army of Shu from our borders and keep Jingzhou quite safe.”
“What is your plan?” asked Sun Quan.
“Cao Cao, with his huge force, covets the whole country. Liu Bei, eager for revenge, will ally himself with him; should these two combine forces against us, we would be in serious danger. Therefore I advise you to send Guan Yu’s head to Cao Cao to make it appear that Cao Cao was the prime cause of his destruction. This should divert Liu Bei’s desire for revenge against Cao Cao instead of us. Then we can take advantage of their fight to develop our own designs. I think this is the best course of action.”
Sun Quan thought the move worth making, and so the head of the great warrior was placed in a box and sent off that very day to Cao Cao.
At this time Cao Cao’s army had marched back to Luoyang. When he heard of the coming of the gruesome gift he said joyfully, “So Yun-chang is dead—now I can sleep soundly at night.”
But Sima Yi saw through the ruse and said, “This is a trick to divert evil against us.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cao Cao.
“When they swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, Liu Bei and his two brothers vowed to live and die together. Now Sun Quan is fearful of Liu Bei’s revenge for the execution of Guan Yu, and so he sends the head to divert Liu Bei’s wrath toward you. He wishes Liu Bei to attack you instead of himself. Then he will try to accomplish his ends while you two are engaged in war.”
“You are right,” said Cao Cao. “And now what should I do?”
“That is easy. You can make a wooden image of Guan Yu’s body and bury it with his head in a funeral befitting a minister of the state. When Liu Bei hears of this he will turn his hate toward Sun Quan and raise all his forces to attack
Then he filled a goblet and presented it to his general. Lu Meng took the cup, but just as he raised it to his lips to drink a sudden change possessed him. Dashing the cup to the ground, he seized Sun Quan, cursing fiercely: “You blue-eyed brat! Red-bearded rat! Don’t you recognize me?”
Consternation seized the whole assembly. Some rushed to the rescue of their lord, but Lu Meng threw Sun Quan to the ground, strode forward, and sat down in his chair. Then, with his eyebrows knitted and his eyes glaring, he cried: “After I quelled the Yellow Turbans, I was the man to fear in the whole country for more than thirty years. But you victimized me with your wicked schemes. Alive I was not able to gorge upon your flesh; dead I will pursue the spirit of your being. I am Guan Yun-chang, the Marquis of Hanshou.”
Terror-stricken, Sun Quan led all his officers to kneel down and bow. Then they saw Lu Meng drop dead, with blood gushing from the seven orifices of his body.
In due time Lu Meng was honorably buried. He was posthumously given the title, “Prefect of Nanjun and Marquis of Chuanling.” His son inherited his noble rank.
Sun Quan, unable to get over the shock of this strange and terrible event, was preoccupied with the thought of Guan Yu. One day it was announced that Zhang Zhao had come from Jianyie to see him. Sun Quan called him in.
Zhang Zhao said, “My lord, by slaying Guan Yu and his son you have brought imminent danger to your state. You know that by the oath of the Peach Garden, Liu Bei vowed to live and die together with his two brothers. Now Liu Bei not only has the force of the whole of Shu at his calling, but also Zhuge Liang as his chief advisor, and valiant fighters like the other four Tiger Generals to carry out his behest. When Liu Bei hears of the death of Guan Yu and his son, he will surely send forth his entire army to avenge them, and I fear you cannot stand such an onslaught.”
Sun Quan started up in fright. “I have made a grave error,” he cried. “What is to be done now?”
“Have no fear,” replied Zhang Zhao. “I have a plan to fend off the army of Shu from our borders and keep Jingzhou quite safe.”
“What is your plan?” asked Sun Quan.
“Cao Cao, with his huge force, covets the whole country. Liu Bei, eager for revenge, will ally himself with him; should these two combine forces against us, we would be in serious danger. Therefore I advise you to send Guan Yu’s head to Cao Cao to make it appear that Cao Cao was the prime cause of his destruction. This should divert Liu Bei’s desire for revenge against Cao Cao instead of us. Then we can take advantage of their fight to develop our own designs. I think this is the best course of action.”
Sun Quan thought the move worth making, and so the head of the great warrior was placed in a box and sent off that very day to Cao Cao.
At this time Cao Cao’s army had marched back to Luoyang. When he heard of the coming of the gruesome gift he said joyfully, “So Yun-chang is dead—now I can sleep soundly at night.”
But Sima Yi saw through the ruse and said, “This is a trick to divert evil against us.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cao Cao.
“When they swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, Liu Bei and his two brothers vowed to live and die together. Now Sun Quan is fearful of Liu Bei’s revenge for the execution of Guan Yu, and so he sends the head to divert Liu Bei’s wrath toward you. He wishes Liu Bei to attack you instead of himself. Then he will try to accomplish his ends while you two are engaged in war.”
“You are right,” said Cao Cao. “And now what should I do?”
“That is easy. You can make a wooden image of Guan Yu’s body and bury it with his head in a funeral befitting a minister of the state. When Liu Bei hears of this he will turn his hate toward Sun Quan and raise all his forces to attack
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