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Chapter 120 Recommending Du Yu, An Old General Offers New
Plans; |
When Sun Xiu, the Ruler of Wu, knew that the House of Wei had fallen before the Jins, he also knew that the usurper's next thought would be the conquest of his own land. The anxiety made him ill, so that he took to his bed and was like to die. He then summoned to his bedside his Prime Minister, Puyang Xing, and his heir, Sun Wan. But they two came almost too late. The dying Ruler, with his last effort, took the Minister by the hand, but could only point to his son. Then he died.
Puyang Xing left the
couch and called a meeting of the officers, whereat he proposed to place the
heir on his father's throne.
Then Wan Yu,
Inspector of the Left Army, rose and said, "Prince Sun Wan is too youthful
to rule in such troublous times. Let us confer the throne to Sun Hao, Lord of
Wucheng."
Zhang Bu, General of
the Left Army, supported his election, saying, "Sun Hao is able and prompt
in decision. He can handle the responsibilities of an emperor."
However, Puyang Xing
was doubtful and consulted the Empress Dowager.
"Settle this
with the officials;" she replied, "I am a widow and know nothing of
such matters."
Finally Sun Hao won
the day, and in the seventh month he was enthroned as Emperor of Wu, and the
first year of his reign was Prosperous Beginning (AD 264). Sun Hao was the son
of Sun He, a former Heir Apparent, and grandson of Sun Quan the Great Emperor.
The excluded prince, Sun Wan, was consoled with the title of Prince of Yuzhang.
Posthumous rank was given to his late father, Sun He the Scholar Emperor, and
his mother, Lady He, the Scholar Empress. The Veteran Leader Ding Feng was made
Commander of the Right and Left Armies.
However, the
year-style was changed to Sweet Dew the very next year. The new ruler soon
proved himself cruel and oppressive and day by day grew more so. Sun Hao
indulged in every form of vice and chose Eunuch Cen Hun as his confidant and
favorite. When Prime Minister Puyang Xing and General Zhang Bu ventured upon
remonstrance, both, with all their family, were put to death. Thereafter none
dared to speak; the mouth of every courtier was shut tight.
Another year-style,
Treasured Paramount, was adopted the next year (266), and the responsibility of
the Prime Minister's office was shared by two officers, Lu Kuai the Left and
Wan Yu the Right.
At this time the
imperial residence was in Wuchang. The people of Yangzhou shouldered heavy
tribute and suffered exceedingly. There was no limit to the Ruler's
extravagance. The treasury was swept clean, and the income of the royal domain
exhausted.
At length Lu Kuai,
Left Prime Minister, ventured a memorial, saying:
"No natural
calamity has fallen upon the people, yet they starve; no public work is in
progress, yet the treasury is empty. I am distressed. The country under the
Hans has fallen apart and three states have arisen therefrom. Those ruled by
the Caos and the Lius, as the result of their own folly, have been lost in Jin.
Foolish I may be, but I would protect the state for Your Majesty against the
evils we have seen in the other divisions. This city of Wuchang is not safe as
a royal residence. There is a rhyme concerning it, the gist of which is that it
is better to drink the water of Jianye than eat the fish of Wuchang, better to
die in Jianye than to live in Wuchang. This shows the regard of the people as
well as the will of Heaven. Now the public storehouses are nearly empty; they
contain insufficient for a year's use. The officers of all grades vex and
distress the people and none pity them.
"In former
times the palace women numbered less than a hundred; for years past they have
exceeded a thousand. This is an extravagant waste of treasure. The courtiers
render no disinterested service, but are split into cliques and cabals. The
honest are injured, and the good driven away. All these things undermine the
state and weaken the people. I beg Your Majesty to reduce the number of
officers and remove grievances, to dismiss the palace women and select honest
officers, to the joy of the people and the tranquillity of the state."
But the Ruler of Wu
was displeased, threw the memorial away, and showed his contempt for the
Minister's remonstrance by beginning to collect material for the building of a
new palace complex to be called the Reflected Light Palace. He even made the
officers of the court go into the forest to fell trees for the work.
The Ruler of Wu
called in the soothsayer Shang Guang and bade him take the cast and inquire as
to the attainment of empire.
Shang Guang cast a
lot and replied, "All is propitious, and in the year of the 'mouse' your
blue umbrella will enter Luoyang!"
And Sun Hao was
pleased.
He said to Minister
Hua Jiao, "The former Rulers listened to your words and sent generals to
various points and placed defensive camps along the rivers. And over all these
was set Ding Feng. Now my desire is to conquer Han and avenge the wrongs of my
brother, the Ruler of Shu. What place should be first conquered?"
Hua Jiao replied,
"Now that Chengdu has fallen and the Throne there been overturned, Sima
Yan will assuredly desire to absorb this southern land. Your Majesty should
display virtue and restore confidence to your people. That would be the best
plan. If you engage in war, it will be like throwing on hemp to put out a
fire---the hemp only adds to the blaze. This is worthy of careful
consideration."
But Sun Hao grew
angry and said, "I desire to take this opportunity to return to my real
heritage. Why do you employ this ill-omened language? Were it not for your long
service, now would I slay you and expose your head as a warning."
He bade the lictors
hustle Minister Hua Jiao from his presence, and Hua Jiao left the court.
"It is
pitiful," said Hua Jiao. "Ere long our silky, beautiful country will
pass to another!"
So Hua Jiao retired.
And the Ruler of Wu
ordered Lu Kang, General Who Guards the East, to camp his army at Jiangkou in
order to attack Xiangyang.
Spies reported this
in Luoyang, and it was told the Ruler of Jin. When Sima Yan heard that the army
of Wu threatened to invade Xiangyang, he called a council.
Jia Chong stood
forth, saying, "I hear the government of Wu, under its present ruler, Sun
Hao, is devoid of virtue, and the Ruler of Wu has turned aside out of the road.
Your Majesty should send Commander Yang Hu to oppose this army. When internal
trouble shall arise, let him attack, and victory will then be easy."
The Ruler of Jin
issued an edict ordering Yang Hu to prepare, and so he mustered his troops and
set himself to guard the county.
Yang Hu became very
popular in Xiangyang. Any of the soldiers of Wu who desired to desert to the
other side were allowed to come over. He employed only the fewest possible
troops on patrol duty. Instead he set his soldiers to till the soil, and they
cultivated an extensive area, whereby the hundred days supplies with which they
set out were soon increased to enough for ten years.
Yang Hu maintained great
simplicity, wearing the lightest of garments and no armor. His personal escort
and servants numbered only about ten.
One day his officers
came to his tent and said, "The spies reported great laxity in the enemy's
camp. It is time to make an attack!"
But Yang Hu replied,
"You must not despise Lu Kang, for he is able and crafty. Formerly his
master sent him to attack Xiling, and he slew Bu Chan and many of his generals,
before I could save that city. So long as Lu Kang remains in command, I shall
remain on the defensive. I shall not attack till there be trouble and confusion
among our enemies. To be rash and not await the proper moment to attack is to
invite defeat."
They found him wise
and said no more. They only kept the boundaries.
One day Yang Hu and
his officers went out to hunt, and it happened that Lu Kang had chosen the same
day to hunt. Yang Hu gave strict orders not to cross the boundary, and so each
hunted only on his own side.
Lu Kang was
astonished at the enemy's scrupulous propriety.
He sighed, "The
soldiers of Yang Hu have so high a discipline that I may not make any invasion
now."
In the evening,
after both parties had returned, Yang Hu ordered an inspection of the
slaughtered game and sent over to the other side any that seemed to have been
first struck by the soldiers of Wu.
Lu Kang was greatly
pleased and sent for the bearers of the game.
"Does your
leader drink wine?" asked he.
They replied,
"Only fine wines does he drink."
"I have some
very old wine," replied Lu Kang, smiling, "and I will give of it to
you to bear to your general as a gift. It is the wine I myself brew and drink
on ceremonial occasions, and he shall have half in return for today's
courtesy."
They took the wine
and left.
"Why do you give
him wine?" asked Lu Kang's officers.
"Because he has
shown kindness, and I must return courtesy for courtesy."
When the gift of
wine arrived and the bearers told Yang Hu the story of their reception, he
laughed.
"So he knows I
can drink," said Yang Hu.
He had the jar
opened, and the wine was poured out. One of his generals, Chen Yuan, begged him
to drink moderately lest there should be some harm come of it.
"Lu Kang is no
poisoner," replied Yang Hu.
And he drank. The
friendly intercourse thus continued, and messengers frequently passed from one
camp to the other.
One day the
messengers said that Lu Kang was unwell and had been ailing for several days.
"I think he
suffers from the same complaint as I," said Yang Hu. "I have some
remedies ready prepared and will send him some."
The drugs were taken
over to the Wu camp.
But the sick man's
officers were suspicious and said, "This medicine is surely harmful: It
comes from the enemy."
However, Lu Kang
said, "No; old Uncle Yang Hu would not poison a person. Do not
doubt."
He drank the
decoction. Next day he was much better.
When his staff came
to congratulate him, he said, "If our opponents take their stand upon
virtue and we take ours upon violence, they will drag us after them without
fighting. See to it that the boundaries be well kept and that we seek not to
gain any unfair advantage."
Soon after came a
special envoy from the Ruler of Wu to urge upon Lu Kang prompt activity.
"Our Emperor
sends orders for you to press forward," said the envoy. "You are not
to await a Jin invasion."
"You may
return, and I will send up a memorial," replied Lu Kang.
So a memorial was
written and soon followed the envoy to the capital, which by this time was
Jianye. When the Ruler of Wu, Sun Hao, read it, he found therein many arguments
against attacking Jin and exhortations to exercise a virtuous rule instead of
engaging in hostilities. It angered him.
"They say Lu
Kang has come to an understanding with the enemy, and now I believe it!"
said the Ruler of Wu.
Thereupon he
deprived Lu Kang of his command and took away his commission and degraded him
into Marching General. Sun Ji, General of the Left Army, was sent to supersede
Lu Kang. And none dared to intervene.
Sun Hao became still
more arbitrary and of his own will changed the year-style once more to the
Phoenix (AD 269). Day by day his life became more wanton and vicious. The
soldiers in every camp murmured with anger and resentment, and at last three
high officers---Prime Minister Wan Yu, General Liu Ping, and Minister of
Agriculture Lou Xuan---boldly and earnestly remonstrated with the Emperor for
his many irregularities. They suffered death. Within ten years more than forty
ministers were put to death for doing their duty.
Sun Hao maintained
an extravagantly large guard of fifty thousand heavy cavalry, and these
soldiers were the terror of everyone.
Now when Yang Hu, on
the Jin side of the frontier, heard that his opponent Lu Kang had been removed
from his command and that the conduct of the Ruler of Wu had become wholly
unreasonable, he knew that the time was near for him to conquer Wu. Wherefore
he presented a memorial:
"Although fate
is superior to human, yet success depends upon human effort. Now as the
geographic difficulties of the South Land are not as those of the River Lands,
while the ferocity of Sun Hao exceeds that of Liu Shan, the misery of the
people of Wu exceeds that of the dwellers in Shu. Our armies are stronger than
ever before, and if we miss this opportunity to bring the whole land under one
rule, but continue to weary our army with continual watching and cause the
world to groan under the burden of militarism, then our efficiency will decline
and we shall not endure."
When Sima Yan read
this, he gave orders for the army to move. But three officers---Jia Chong, Xun
Xu, and Feng Dan---opposed it, and the orders were withdrawn.
Yang Hu was
disappointed at the news and said, "What a pity it is that of ten affairs
in the world, one always meets with eight or nine vexations!"
In the fourth year
of Universal Tranquillity, in Jin calendar (AD 278), Yang Hu went to court and
asked leave to retire on account of ill health.
Before granting him
leave to go, Sima Yan asked, "Do you have plans to propose to settle the
empire?"
Yang Hu replied,
"Sun Hao is a very cruel ruler and could be conquered without fighting. If
he were to die and a wise successor sat upon his throne, Your Majesty would
never be able to gain possession of Wu."
The Ruler of Jin
realized the truth, and he said, "Suppose your army attacked now. What
then?"
"I am now too
old and too ill for the task," replied Yang Hu. "Some other bold and
capable leader must be found."
Yang Hu left the
court and retired to his home. Toward the end of the year he was nigh unto
death, and the Ruler of Jin went to visit him. The sight of his master at his
bedside brought tears to the eyes of the faithful old leader.
"If I died a
myriad times, I could never requite Your Majesty," said Yang Hu.
Sima Yan also wept,
saying, "My great grief is that I could not take advantage of your
abilities to attack Wu. Who now is there to carry out your design?"
Hesitatingly the
sick man replied, "I am dying and must be wholly sincere. General Du Yu is
equal to the task, and is the one man to attack Wu."
Sima Yan said,
"How beautiful it is to bring good people into prominence! But why did you
write a memorial recommending certain people and then burn the draft so that no
one knew?"
The dying man
answered, "I bowed before the officials in open court, but I did not beseech
the kindness of the private attendants."
So Yang Hu died, and
Sima Yan wailed for him and then returned to his palace. He conferred on the
dead leader the posthumous rank of Imperial Guardian and Lord of Juping. The
traders closed their shops out of respect to his memory, and all the frontier
camps were filled with wailing. The people of Xiangyang, recalling that he
loved to wander on the Xian Hills, built there a temple to him and set up a
stone and sacrificed regularly at the four seasons. The passers-by were moved
to tears when they read Yang Hu's name on the tablet, so that it came to be
called "The Stone of Tears".
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I saw the fragments of a shattered stone |
On the strength of Yang
Hu's recommendation, Du Yu was made Commander of Jingzhou, and the title of
General Who Guards the South was conferred upon him. He was a man of great
experience, untiring in study and devoted to the Zuo Volume, the book of
commentaries composed by Zuo Qiuming upon the Spring and Autumn Annals. In
hours of leisure, a copy of Zuo Volume was never out of his hand; and when he
went abroad, an attendant rode in front with the beloved book. He was said to
be "Zuo mad".
Du Yu went to
Xiangyang and began by being kind to the people and caring for his soldiers. By
this time Wu had lost by death both Ding Feng and Lu Kang.
The conduct of the
Ruler of Wu waxed worse and worse. He used to give great banquets whereat
intoxication was universal. He appointed Rectors of Feasts to observe all the
faults committed by guests, and after these banquets all offenders were
punished, some by flaying the face, others by gouging out the eyes. Everyone
went in terror of these Rectors.
Wang Jun, Imperial
Protector of Yizhou, sent in a memorial advising an attack upon Wu. He said:
"Sun Hao is
steeped in vice and should be attacked at once. Should he die and be succeeded
by a good ruler, we might meet with serious opposition. The ships I built seven
years ago lie idle and rotting: We can use them. I am seventy years of age and
must soon die. If any one of these three events happen---the death of Sun Hao,
the destruction of these ships, or my death---then success will be difficult to
ensure. I pray Your Majesty not to miss the tide."
At the next assembly
of officers Sima Yan said to them, "I have decided to act. I have received
similar advice from Yang Hu and Wang Jun."
At this arose
Minister Wang Hun and said, "I hear Sun Hao intends to march north to the
Middle Land and has his army ready. Report says it is formidable and would be
hard to defeat. I counsel to await another year till that army has lost its
first vigor."
A command to cease
warlike preparations was the result of this counsel. The Ruler of Jin betook
himself to his private chamber where he engaged in a game of chess with
Secretary Zhang Hua as opponent. While at the game, another memorial arrived.
It was from Du Yu. It read:
"Formerly Yang
Hu explained his plans confidentially to Your Majesty, but did not lay them before
the court. The result has been much debate and conflict of opinion. In every
project there are pros and cons, but in this the arguments are mostly in favor.
The worst that can happen is failure. Since last autumn the proposed attack has
become generally known, and, if we stop now, Sun Hao will be frightened and
remove the capital to Wuchang, repair his fortifications in the South Land, and
move his threatened people out of danger. Then the southern capital cannot be
assaulted, nor is there anything left in the countryside to rob. Hence next
year's attack will also fail."
Just as the Ruler of
Jin finished reading, Zhang Hua pushed aside the board, rose and drew his hands
into his sleeves, saying, "Your Majesty's skill in war is almost divine,
your state is prosperous, and the army strong. The Ruler of Wu is a tyrant, his
people are miserable, and his country mean. Now you can easily conquer him, and
I pray that there be no further hesitation!"
"How could I
hesitate after your discourse?" said Sima Yan.
Thereupon he
returned to the council chamber and issued his commands. Du Yu was made
Commander-in-Chief and, with one hundred thousand troops, was to attack
Jiangling; Sima Zhou, Prince of Langye and General Who Guards the East, was to
attack Tuzhong; Wang Hun, General Who Conquers the East, to go up against
Hengjiang; Wang Rong, General Who Exhibits Prowess, to move against Wuchang; Hu
Fen, General Who Pacifies the South, to attack Xiakou. And all divisions, fifty
thousand troops each, were under the orders of Du Yu. In addition to the land
forces, two large fleets were to operate on the river under Wang Jun, General
Who Shows Dragon Courage, and Tang Bin, General Who Possesses Martial Bravery.
Marines and lands troops amounted to more than two hundred thousand. A separate
force under Yang Ji, General Who Holds the South, was sent away to Xiangyang to
coordinate all forces.
The Ruler of Wu was
greatly alarmed at the news of such armies and fleets, and he called to him
quickly his Prime Minister Zhang Ti, Minister of the Interior He Zhi, and
Minister of Works Teng Xun, to consult how to defend his land.
Zhang Ti proposed:
"Send Commander of the Flying Chariots Wu Yan to meet the enemy at
Jiangling; Commander of the Flying Cavalry Sun Xin to Xiakou; I volunteer to
take command of a camp at Niuzhu, together with the General of the Left Army
Shen Zong and General of the Right Army Zhuge Xing, ready to lend help at any
point."
The Ruler of Wu
approved his dispositions and felt satisfied that he was safe by land. But in
the privacy of his own apartment he felt miserable, for he realized that no
preparations had been made against an attack by water under the Wei leader Wang
Jun.
Then the favorite
eunuch Cen Hun asked the Emperor why he bore a sad countenance, and Sun Hao
told him of his dread of the enemy navy.
"The armies of
Jin are coming, and I have deployed troops for general defense. Only the water
front, by which Wang Jun and his several thousand battleships sail east along
the tide, makes me feel so worried."
"But I have a
scheme that will smash all Wang Jun's ships!" cried Cen Hun.
"What is
it?" asked the Ruler of Wu, pleased to hear this.
"Iron is
plentiful. Make great chains with heavy links and stretch them across the river
at various points. Also forge many massive hammers and arrange them in the
stream, so that when the enemy's ships sail down before the wind, they will
collide with the hammers and be wrecked. Then they will sail no more."
Blacksmiths were
soon at work on the river bank welding the links and forging the hammers. Work
went on day and night, and soon all the chains were placed in different points.
As has been said Du
Yu was to attack Jiangling, and he sent General Zhou Zhi with eight hundred sailors
to sail secretly along the Great River to capture Yuexiang. There they were to
make an ambush in the Bashan Mountains and a great show of flags along the bank
and among the trees. Drums were to be beaten and bombs exploded during the day
and many fires lighted at night to give the appearance of a great army.
So Zhou Zhi sailed
to the Bashan Mountains.
Next day Du Yu
directed the army and the marine forces in a simultaneous advance.
The scouts reported:
"The Ruler of Wu has sent the land force under Wu Yan, the navy under Lu
Jing, and the vanguard under Sun Xin!"
Du Yu led his forces
forward. The vanguard of Wu, under Sun Xin, came up, and at the first encounter
Du Yu's army retired. Sun Xin landed his marines and pursued. But in the midst
of the pursuit a signal bomb sounded, and Sun Xin was attacked on all sides by
the Jin troops. He tried to retire, but the army he had been pursuing, Du Yu's
force, turned back too and joined in the attack. Wu's losses were very heavy,
and Sun Xin hastened back to the city. But the eight hundred Jin soldiers of
Zhou Zhi mingled with the Wu army at the ramparts and so entered the gates. The
Jin soldiers raised signal fires on the walls.
This maneuver amazed
Sun Xin, and he said, "The northern troops had surely flown across the
river into the city!"
Sun Xin made an
effort to escape, but the leader of Jin, Zhou Zhi, unexpectedly appeared and
slew him.
Admiral Lu Jing of
the Wu fleet of that had accompanied Sun Xin saw on the south shore, in the
Bashan Mountains, a great standard bearing the name Jin General Who Guards the
South Du Yu. Lu Jing became alarmed and landed to try to escape, but the Jin
General Zhang Shang soon found and slew him.
At his position at
Jiangling, Wu Yan heard of these defeats and knew his position was untenable,
so he fled. However, he was soon captured and led into the presence of the
victorious general.
"No use sparing
you," said Du Yu, and he sentenced the prisoner to death.
Thus Jiangling was
captured and all the counties along the River Xiang and River Yuan as far as
Huangzhou, which surrendered at the first summons.
Du Yu sent out
officers to soothe the people of the conquered counties, and they suffered
nothing from the soldiery. Next he marched toward Wuchang, and that city also
yielded. So the glory of Du Yu became very great. He then summoned his officers
to a council to decide upon attacking Capital Jianye.
Hu Fen said, "A
one-century rebellion will not be reduced completely at once. The time of the
spring rise of waters is near, and our position is precarious. We should do
well to await the coming spring."
Du Yu replied,
"In the days of old, Yue Yi overcame the powerful state Qi in one battle
in Jixi. Our prestige is now high and success certain, easy as the splitting of
a bamboo, which seems to welcome the knife after the first few joints have been
overcome. We shall meet no great opposition."
So Du Yu gave orders
to the various leaders to move in concert against the capital land of Jianye.
Now the Jin leader
Wang Jun had gone down the river with his naval force. From his scouts he heard
of the iron chains and the hammers that had been laid in the river to hinder
his progress. But he only laughed. He constructed great rafts of timber and
placed on them straw effigies of soldiers in armors and sent them down river
with the current. The defenders of Wu took them for real troops and, alarmed by
their numbers, fled in panic. Then the great hammers and chains were dragged
away as the rafts drifted on. Moreover, on the rafts they laid great torches
many fathoms long, and very thick, made of straw soaked in linseed oil. When
the raft was checked by a chain, the torches were lighted and the chains
exposed to the heat till they melted and broke asunder. Thus the rafts went
down stream conquering wherever they came.
Then the Prime
Minister of Wu, Zhang Ti, sent two leaders, General of the Left Army Shen Zong
and General of the Right Army Zhuge Xing, to try to check the advance of the
armies.
Shen Zong said to
his colleague, "The forces above have failed to stop the enemy, and the
enemy will surely come here. We shall have to put forth all our strength. If
haply we can succeed, the safety of our South Land is assured. But suppose we
fight and lose the battle, then is our country lost."
"Sir, you only
say what is too true," said Zhuge Xing.
Just as they talked
of these matters came reports of the approach of their enemies in irresistible
force. The two leaders were seized with panic and went back to see the Prime
Minister.
"Our country is
lost!" cried Zhuge Xing. "Why not run?"
"We all know
that the land is doomed," replied Zhang Ti. "But if we make no
defense, and no one dies for his country, shall we not be shamed?"
Zhuge Xing left,
weeping; and Zhang Ti went with Shen Zong to the army. The invaders soon
arrived, and the Jin General Zhou Zhi was the first to break into the camp.
Zhang Ti resisted stubbornly, but was soon slain in a melee, and Shen Zong was
killed by Zhou Zhi. The army of Wu was defeated and scattered.
|
Jin's army banners waved on Bashan
Mountains |
The armies of Jin conquered
at Niuzhu and penetrated deeply into the country of Wu. From his camp Wang Jun
sent a report of his victory to Luoyang, and Sima Yan was pleased.
But Jia Chong again
opposed further fighting, saying, "The armies have been long absent, and
the soldiers will suffer from the unhealthiness of the southern country. It
would be well to call them home."
Zhang Hua spoke
against this course, saying, "The Jin army has reached the very home and
center of the enemy. Soon Wu courage will fail, and the Ruler of Wu himself
will be our prisoner. To recall the army now would be to waste the efforts
already made."
The Ruler of Jin
inclined to neither side.
Jia Chong turned
upon Zhang Hua savagely, saying, "You are wholly ignorant and understand
nothing. You are bent upon winning some sort of glory at the expense of our
soldiers' lives. Death would be too good for you!"
"Why
wrangle?" said Sima Yan. "Zhang Hua agrees with me, and he knows my
wishes."
Just at this moment came
a memorial from the leader Du Yu also recommending advance, whereupon the Ruler
of Jin decided that the army should go on.
The royal mandate
duly reached the camp of Wang Jun, and the Jin navy went out to the attack in
great pomp. The soldiers of Wu made no defense, but surrendered at once.
When Sun Hao, the
Ruler of Wu, heard his armies had surrendered thus, he turned pale, and his
courtiers said, "What is to be done? Here the northern army comes nearer
every day and our troops just give in."
"But why do
they not fight?" said Sun Hao.
The courtiers
replied, "The one evil of today is Eunuch Cen Hun. Slay him, and we
ourselves will go out and fight to the death!"
"How can a
eunuch harm a state?" cried Sun Hao.
"Have we not
seen what Huang Hao did in Shu?" shouted the courtiers in chorus.
Moved by sudden
fury, the courtiers rushed into the Palace, found the wretched object of their
hate and slew him, and even feeding on his palpitating flesh.
Then Tao Jun said,
"All my ships are small, but give me large vessels and I will place
thereon twenty thousand marines and go forth to fight. I can defeat the
enemy."
His request was
granted, and the royal guards were sent up the river to join battle, while
another naval force went down stream, led by Leader of the Van Zhang Xiang. But
a heavy gale came on. The flags were blown down and lay over in the ships, and
the marines would not embark. They scattered leaving their leader with only a
few score men.
Wang Jun, the leader
of Jin, set sail and went down the river.
After passing Three
Mountains, the sailing master of his ship said, "The gale is too strong
for the fleet to go on. Let us anchor till the storm has moderated."
|
[e] Shidou has been a southern capital of China for successive dynasties. A beautiful place, Shidou was considered a treasure by the emperors of Yuan Dynasty (Mongol rule). Located near Shanghai where the Great River meets the East Sea, Shidou's modern name is Nanjing. |
But Wang Jun would
not listen. Drawing his sword, he said, "I wish to capture Capital
Shidou*, and will not hear of anchoring."
So he compelled the
sailing master to continue. On the way Zhang Xiang, one of the leaders of Wu,
came to offer surrender.
"If you are in
earnest, you will lead the way and help me," said Wang Jun.
Zhang Xiang
consented, returned to his own ship, and led the squadron. When he reached the
walls of Shidou, he called to the defenders to open the gates and allow the Jin
army to enter. The gates were opened.
When the Ruler of Wu
heard that his enemies had actually entered the capital city, he wished to put
an end to his life, but his officers prevented this.
Secretary Hu Zong
and Palace Officer Xue Rong said, "Your Majesty, why not imitate the
conduct of Liu Shan of Shu, now Duke of Anle?"
So Sun Hao no longer
thought of death, but went to offer submission. He bound himself and took a
coffin with him. His officers followed him. He was graciously received, and the
Jin General Wang Jun himself loosened the bonds, and the coffin was burned. The
vanquished Ruler was treated with the ceremony due to a prince.
A poet of the Tang
Dynasty wrote a few lines on this surrender:
|
Down the stream ride storied warships
tall; |
Therefore Wu was
subdued and ceased to exist as a state. Its 4 regions, 43 counties, 313
districts, 5,230,000 families, 62,000 civil officers, 230,000 soldiers and military
officers, 23,000,000 inhabitants, its stores of grain and over five thousand
large ships, all fell booty to the victorious Jin Dynasty. In the women's
quarters of the Palace were found more than five thousand persons.
Proclamations were
issued; treasuries and storehouses were sealed. Tao Jun's navy soon melted away
without striking a blow. Wang Jun was greatly elated at his success. Sima Zhou,
Prince of Langye, and General Wang Rong also arrived and congratulated each
other.
When Du Yu, the
Commander-in-Chief, arrived, there were great feastings and rewards for the
soldiers. The granaries were opened and doles of grain issued to the people, so
that they also were glad of peace.
Only one city stood
out---Jianping, under Governor Wu Yang. However, he too surrendered when he
heard the capital had fallen.
The tidings of all
these successes reached Capital Luoyang just at the celebration of the birthday
of the Ruler of Jin, and the rejoicings and congratulations were redoubled. At
one of the banquets the Ruler of Jin did honor to the memory of the late Yang
Hu.
Raising his wine
cup, and in a voice broken by emotion, he said, "Today's success is the
merit of the Imperial Guardian. I regret that he is not here to share our
rejoicings."
In Wu, Sun Xi, General
of the Flying Cavalry, went away from the court and wailed, facing the south.
"Alas, ye blue
heavens! What manner of man is this Sun Hao to yield thus the heritage of his
family, won by the sword of General Sun Jian the Martially Glorious in the brave
days that are past?"
Meantime the victors
marched homeward, and Sun Hao went to Luoyang to present himself at court. In
his capacity of minister, he prostrated himself at the feet of the Emperor of
the Jin Dynasty in the Hall of Audience. He was allowed a seat.
"I set that
seat for you long since," said the Ruler of Jin.
"Your servant
also set a seat for Your Majesty in the south," retorted Sun Hao.
The Ruler of Jin
laughed loudly.
Then Jia Chong
turned to Sun Hao and said, "I hear, Sir, that when you were in the south,
they gouged out people's eyes and flayed their faces. What crimes were so
punished?"
"Murders of
princes and malicious speech and disloyal conduct were so punished!"
Jia Chong was
silenced, for he was ashamed.
Sun Hao was created
Lord of Guiming. His sons and grandsons received minor ranks and other grades
were conferred upon his ministers who had followed him in his surrender. The
sons and grandsons of the late Prime Minister of Wu, Zhang Ti, who had perished
in battle, were given ranks. The victorious leader, Wang Jun, was rewarded with
the title General Who Upholds the State. And many other ranks were conferred to
the Jin officers.
The three states now
became one empire under the rule of Sima Yan of the Jin Dynasty. That is domains
under heaven, after a long period of union, tends to divide; after a long
period of division, tends to unite.
Liu Shan, the
Emperor of Shu-Han, passed away in the seventh year of Great Beginning, in Jin
calendar (AD 271). Cao Huang, the Emperor of Wei, passed away in the first year
of Magnificent Peace (AD 302). And Sun Hao, the Emperor of Wu, passed away in
the fourth year of Prosperous Peace (AD 283). All three died of natural causes.
A poet has summed up
the history of these stirring years in a poem:
|
It was the dawning of a glorious day |