[Martial Arts Classics][Anecdotes of the Three Kingdoms (Part 5)]

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V. Leading the young lord Zhao Yun in a bloody battle at Changban Slope, and displaying overwhelming power, Zhang Fei roared at Dangyang Bridge
… Xuande, having gained Zhuge Liang's favor, treated him with great respect, always regarding him with the courtesy due to a teacher. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were displeased: "Zhuge Liang is merely a scholar, unlikely to possess much talent. Why must you be so insistent, brother?" Liu Bei replied: "Wisdom relies on Zhuge, and courage depends on my two brothers. Zhuge Liang is like water to me; my worthy brothers, say no more." Zhuge Liang also knew that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were not convinced, and so, amidst laughter and conversation at Bowang Slope, he decisively defeated Xiahou Dun's 100,000 troops. Only then did the people of Xinye realize that his talent was no less than that of Lü Wang and Zhang Liang, and dared not disobey Zhuge Liang's orders.
Cao Cao, knowing that Zhuge Liang had joined Liu Bei and had recently defeated Xiahou Dun; and that Liu Biao and Sun Quan held sway over Jingzhou and Xiangyang, were truly a thorn in his side. He immediately ordered an army of 500,000 to sweep across Jiangnan: Cao Ren and Cao Hong were appointed as the first force, Zhang Liao and Zhang He as the second, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun as the third, Yu Jin and Li Dian as the fourth, and Cao Cao himself led the generals as the fifth,
each force with 100,000 troops. He also appointed Xu Chu as General of the Vanguard, leading 3,000 troops to attack Fuzhou. At this time, Liu Biao was already ill. Upon
hearing the news, he was greatly alarmed and wanted Liu Bei to assist his eldest son Liu Qi as the ruler of Jingzhou. Lady Cai and Cai Mao conspired to close the inner gates to conceal their presence, while guarding the outer gates to imprison Liu Qi. Liu Qi wept bitterly outside the gates and returned to Jiangxia; Liu Biao, not seeing his eldest son arrive, cried out several times and died—a pitiful fate for Liu Biao and his son Liu Qi, who had lived in Jingxiang for generations, ultimately lost their decades-long legacy to others due to their weakness and incompetence!
After Liu Biao's death, Cai Mao then installed his second son, Liu Cong, as emperor and discussed with Lady Cai the possibility of surrendering Jingzhou. Cao Cao's army was nearing Xiangyang, and Liu Cong had already sent a letter of surrender. Cao Cao, deeply troubled by Liu Bei, ordered Cao Ren and Cao Hong to go to Xinye first. Kongming used the same tactic again, employing fire attack, routing Cao Cao's troops and forcing them to flee to Fancheng. Cao Cao was furious, saying, "Zhuge Liang, you village bumpkin, how dare you do this!" He mobilized his army, filling the mountains and fields, and set up camp at Xinye. He ordered his soldiers to search the mountains and fill the Baihe River.
He then ordered the army to divide into eight routes and attack Fancheng. Kongming said to Xuande, "The situation is urgent! We should take advantage of Cao Cao's unstable foothold, quickly abandon the isolated city, and take Xiangyang to settle down. Those people who wish to follow can cross the river together." The next day, he ordered Yunchang to arrange boats, and the people of the two counties wept as they crossed. Alas! Look at this:
the old and the young, men and women, surging across the river, the cries of weeping echoing on both banks; crying for their fathers and mothers, protecting their wives and children, the surging river a scene of tragic war! For the sake of one man, they raised an army to slaughter, causing the deaths of millions and the separation of families!
This is the grave crime of Cao Cao and Liu Bei!
Xuande cried out in great sorrow, "For the sake of one man, the people have suffered such a calamity; what is the point of my life!" He wanted to throw himself into the river to die, but his attendants stopped him. When the boat reached the south bank, he looked back at the people; some who had not yet crossed were weeping as they looked south. Xuande hurriedly ordered Yun Chang to urge the boat to ferry them across before he mounted his horse. There were over 100,000 soldiers and civilians, thousands of carts of all sizes, and countless people carrying loads and bags.
Suddenly a scout reported, "Cao Cao's army has already encamped at Fancheng, and has sent men to prepare boats and rafts; they will cross the river and pursue us immediately." The generals all said, "Jiangling is a strategic location, easily defensible. We now have tens of thousands of people, traveling only ten li a day. At this rate, how long will it take to reach Jiangling? If Cao's army arrives, how will we defend ourselves? It would be better to temporarily abandon the people and proceed first." Xuande wept, saying, "Those who undertake great things must prioritize the people. Now that the people have come to us, how can we abandon them?" "That Liu Bei, why doesn't he die sooner? He still puts on such a hypocritical act! Although Cao Cao is cunning and ruthless, he wouldn't indiscriminately kill the innocent.
But the people are following Liu Bei; once the pursuers arrive, everything will be destroyed. As the saying goes, 'When the nest is broken, how can the eggs remain intact?' Liu Bei wants to appear benevolent to the world, but in reality, he's just seeking fame and fortune, buying people's hearts, completely disregarding the lives of the people! Does Liu Bei not know this? His cruelty is evident!" That day, Xuande traveled with Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, and Mi Fang. It was already dusk when they arrived at Jingshan, where Xuande ordered them to camp. Around four in the morning, a deafening roar came from the northwest. Liu Bei was greatly alarmed, knowing that Cao Cao's army had arrived, and hurriedly mounted his horse. With only two thousand men, how could Liu Bei withstand the overwhelming force of Cao Cao's army? He was utterly defeated and fled. Cao Cao's army pursued relentlessly. Fortunately, Zhang Fei fought his way through from the side, protecting Xuande as they fled eastward, stopping briefly at a dense forest near Changban Bridge. Looking around, he saw no trace of Lady Gan, Lady Mi, Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Zhao Yun, or the others.
Xuande was overwhelmed with grief and exclaimed, "Ten thousand lives have been lost because of me! Even a plant cannot help but grieve!" "How laughable! Liu Bei knew that with Cao Cao's army arriving, the people would inevitably suffer, yet he claimed he 'couldn't bear to abandon them'—was he perhaps knowing he couldn't escape this calamity and deliberately using the people as scapegoats? Furthermore, as the ancients said: 'Cultivate your family, govern your state, and then bring peace to the world.'"
When Liu Bei suffered a great defeat, he abandoned his wife and family. How could such a villain protect 100,000 people? He is not worthy of pity; this is Liu Xuande's sin! Just then, Mi Fang came with arrows, shouting wildly, "Zhao Zilong has gone to surrender to Cao Cao!" Xuande was also shocked and said, "Don't talk nonsense! With a formidable enemy at hand, how can we disrupt the morale of the army?" Mi Fang said, "I saw him defect to the north with my own eyes." Zhang Fei said urgently, "He saw that we were exhausted and isolated, so he surrendered to Cao Cao to seek wealth and honor." Xuande sighed, "Zilong has followed me through thick and thin. His heart is as hard as iron and stone. He cannot be moved by wealth and honor. There must be a reason. You must not speak recklessly." Yide would not listen and shouted, "Brother, sit for a while. Let me go find Zilong. If he has really surrendered to Cao Cao, I will kill him with one spear!" Xuande pleaded bitterly but to no avail. He led thirty or forty remaining soldiers to Changban Bridge. Fei pondered a plan and ordered his men to cut tree branches, tie them to the horses' tails, and ride back and forth, raising dust to create a diversion.
Meanwhile, Zilong fought from the fourth watch until dawn, but failed to find Xuande and the two ladies. He thought to himself, "My elder brother entrusted his mistress and young master to me, and now they are lost in the chaos of war. How can I face my master? I must risk my life to find them; even if I die, I will have no regrets." His army numbered only fifty-odd men. Yun then headed north. After traveling only a few miles, he found Jian Yong lying in the grass, severely wounded.
Yun immediately ordered his soldiers and horses to escort Jian Yong to find Xuande.
Zilong said, "If you see the lord, please tell him: I have searched high and low, doing everything I can to find the mistress and young master; if I cannot find them, I will die in the chaos of war, and I will have no face to see my elder brother!" Jian Yong was startled and tried to stop him, but Yun was already far away. Yong had no choice but to hurry back to Changban Bridge.
Zhao Yun fought his way to Changban Slope, where he found Lady Gan. Upon seeing Zilong, Lady Gan burst into tears, crying, "Lady Mi and I were separated by Cao Cao's army. Fortunately, we hid among the people and escaped. Lady Mi, carrying A Dou, is nowhere to be found!" Zilong was also deeply saddened.
Suddenly, Chunyu, a general under Cao Ren, escorted Mi Zhu past. Zhao Yun quickly killed him and escorted the two to Changban Bridge. There stood Zhang Fei, shouting, "Zilong, how dare you betray my brother?" Zhao Yun replied, "I was searching for my young master and couldn't find him, so I fought my way through several battles. How can you say I'm rebelling?" Lady Gan said, "Third brother, don't act recklessly! If it weren't for Zilong, Brother Mi Zhu and I would have been captured by Cao Cao's army!" Zhao Yun entrusted Lady Gan and Mi Zhu to Zhang Fei and returned to the original route to find Lady Mi and A Dou.
"How pitiful! Such a loyal and valiant hero as Zilong is slandered! Mi Fang, a petty and shameless man, later betrayed Jingzhou! He
almost sent Zhao Yun to his death. Zhang Fei, a reckless brute, is not worth mentioning: he is like a brother to Zilong, yet he is so suspicious, blaming him without any explanation; if it weren't for Zilong's loyalty, how could Lady Gan and Mi Zhu have escaped death? How could A Dou have returned? Liu Bei's inability to conquer the world is fate—his subordinates are not of one mind, they are all wary of each other, just like Xuande's illness. Why didn't Liu Bei stop with Zhang Fei? Although he said, 'Zilong will never betray me,' he was actually worried, hence his decision not to stop with Zhang Fei." Zhao Zilong returned to Changban Slope and saw a Cao general carrying a sword. He killed him and seized the sword (the Qinggang Sword).
He found Lady Mi behind an earthen wall. Lady Mi had been wounded by Cao soldiers and was weeping while holding A Dou. Zilong rescued A Dou and helped Lady Mi onto her horse. Lady Mi said, "To tell you the truth, General, my sister-in-law and I were just raped by Cao Cao's army! My sister-in-law has fallen into Cao Cao's hands, and I have no face to see my lord. General, please take A Dou away quickly. I am willing to die for you." Zhao Yun cried out in great sorrow, "To cause my lady such great shame, I would rather die than suffer such a fate! But I have already found my lady and cannot save her. I cannot die in peace! I beg my lady to mount her horse quickly, and I will fight to the death to save her!" After several attempts, Lady Mi still refused to mount her horse.
Yun shouted, "What will we do if the pursuers arrive?" Lady Mi replied, "Stop talking! You should leave quickly; I have a way to escape." Zilong yelled, "Does Lady Mi intend to frame me for disloyalty?" Lady Mi also yelled, "I have no intention of turning back. You can tell our lord that I am willing to serve Cao Cao and be his servant!" Zhao Yun was furious, "What nonsense! How dare you utter such unjust words! Fine, I'll leave now!" He then abandoned Lady Mi and took A Dou with him.
Not long after, Cao Cao's troops arrived, captured Lady Mi, and handed her over to Cao Cao. Lady Mi had been annoyed by Liu Bei's constant hiding and lack of enjoyment of wealth and glory, so she flattered Cao Cao and gained his favor. To protect her reputation, Cao Cao only ordered his soldiers to spread the word that Lady Mi was dead and buried in a dry well; Zhao Yun, also fearing to dishonor Liu Bei, had no choice but to keep it a secret—this is the top-secret anecdote from the Battle of Changban!
Meanwhile, Zhao Yun, carrying A Dou in his arms, was running when a general blocked his path. It was Yan Ming, a general under Cao Hong. After less than three exchanges, Yan Ming was killed by Zhao Yun's thrust. Clearing a path, he found himself blocked by another army, this time Zhang He. Without a word, Zhao Yun charged forward with his spear. After about ten exchanges, Zhao Yun dared not linger and fled. Zhang He pursued him, but Zhao Yun turned and shot an arrow that struck his horse, causing it to fall to the ground. Zhao Yun spurred his horse and escaped. [Note: This part differs from the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. The novel's description was considered too fantastical, so it has been changed to the current version.] Zhao Yun spurred his horse and galloped to Jingshan. Cao Cao's army swarmed forward, quickly surrounding Zhao Yun. A general in front, brandishing his axe, shouted, "Zhao Yun, don't run! Xu Huang is here!" Zhang He also arrived with his troops, and the two attacked Zhao Yun from both sides.
The drums thundered, and the soldiers, seeing Zhao Yun surrounded, swarmed forward, eager to capture him alive and claim the reward. Zhao Yun swiftly drew his Qinggang sword, and with a single stroke, armor was slicing through the air, blood gushing forth like a fountain. Those who came close were beheaded and limbs flew off like melons and vegetables; those who were fearless had their armor and weapons shatter like tiles and porcelain, scattered across the ground.
What a fine sword! It could cut a hair with a breath, and slice iron like mud. Not a drop of blood stained its blade; even after many battles, it seemed as if it had never been used, spotless. This was truly a treasure paired with a hero, revealing its unparalleled power!
Seeing that the soldiers could not defeat him, Xu Huang and Zhang He, one wielding a great axe and the other a long spear, fought Zhao Yun together. At that moment, A Dou suddenly cried in Zhao Yun's arms. Zhao Yun was terrified, fearing for the safety of the young lord. In desperation, he roared and charged at Xu Huang and Zhang Fei with overwhelming force. His spear danced wildly, like clusters of brocade, impervious to arrows, stones, crossbow bolts, and water! A flurry of spear thrusts and sword strikes rained down, a relentless barrage! Xu Huang, too slow, had his helmet slashed off by Zhao Yun's sword. Terrified, the two fled in disarray. Zhao Yun seized the opportunity, charging left and right, breaking through the encirclement. The enemy dared not resist, trampling each other, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.
Cao Cao, seeing this, exclaimed in surprise to his generals, "Who is this man?" Cao Hong rode down the mountain, shouting, "Heroes of the army, please reveal your names!" Zhao Yun responded sharply, "I am Zhao Yun, Zilong of Changshan!" His courage surged, and he became invincible.
Cao Cao sighed, "A tiger general! I cannot bear to harm him." He then ordered his men not to shoot him with arrows, but to capture him alive. Zhao Yun thus gained his life, killing over fifty of Cao Cao's generals in succession, breaking through the enemy lines and heading straight for Dangyang.
"Zhao Yun escaped from the midst of thousands of troops, not solely due to his unparalleled martial prowess, but also because, though possessing strength comparable to ten thousand men, there are times when he is outnumbered. Moreover, it is difficult to guard against hidden arrows, and he was inevitably wounded. Because Cao Cao greatly admired Zilong's bravery and could not bear to harm him, although he ordered his generals to capture him alive, he truly wished to save Zilong's life! Therefore, both Zhao Yun and A Dou were able to survive because of Cao Cao's profound sense of righteousness." Having escaped the encirclement, Zhao Yun, knowing Cao Cao's actions, turned back and shouted, "The Prime Minister's righteousness is such, I dare not forget it! I thank the Prime Minister on behalf of my young master!" With that, he rode away on horseback.
Cao Cao, observing this, sighed, "Serving his lord with unwavering gratitude, he is truly a righteous man! Zhao Yun's character is no less than Yun Chang's!" A later poem says, "Blood stains his battle robe
, red through his armor; who dares challenge him at Dangyang! Throughout history, only Zhao Yun of Changshan has charged into battle to protect his lord in peril." Zhao Yun left Changban Slope and rushed to Dangyang Bridge, shouting, "Yide, help me!" Fei, already aware that his wife had become a concubine of Cao Cao's army, was enraged: "Zilong, hurry! I will slaughter all of Cao Cao's soldiers to avenge this!" Zilong found Liu Bei in the dense forest, prostrating himself and weeping. Xuande also wept. At this time, Zhao Yun was covered in blood, his body as red as if he had just emerged from a dye vat, torn from his armor and wounded by arrows. Yun removed his armor and carried out A Dou.
Xuande, knowing that Lady Mi was dead, was deeply grieved; seeing Zilong so devoted to his cause, and realizing his own suspicions, he felt truly ashamed. Finding no way to comfort him, he abandoned his infant son!
Zilong hurriedly caught him. Xuande cursed, "You wicked beast, you almost ruined one of my great generals! What use are you!" Zhao Yun knelt and wept, "I would give my life to repay my lord!" "This is just Liu Bei's pretense! Zilong, how could you not know this!" Meanwhile, Wen Ping led his army to pursue Zhao Yun to Changban Bridge. There they saw Zhang Fei, his beard bristling, his eyes wide and round, holding a spear, standing on the bridge. They also saw a cloud of dust rising from behind the woods to the east of the bridge, suspecting an ambush, so they reined in their horses and dared not approach. Soon after, Cao Ren, Li Dian, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Yue Jin, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Xu Chu, and others arrived.
Upon seeing Cao's soldiers, Zhang Fei remembered his wife being raped, and his anger flared up. He shouted fiercely, "Hey! You beast who raped another man's wife, I am Zhang Yide of Yan! Who dares to fight me to the death?" His voice was like thunder.
Many of Cao Cao's soldiers had raped women, and they all suspected that the woman they had raped was Zhang Fei's wife. Hearing this, they all trembled with fear. Cao Cao hastily pulled off his umbrella and turned to his men, saying, "Who is this shameless person who dares to defile a woman and ruin my reputation?" Before he finished speaking, Zhang Fei opened his eyes and shouted again, "Zhang Yide of Yan is here! Whoever raped my wife, come and fight to the death!" Seeing Zhang Fei's imposing manner, Cao Cao was somewhat tempted to retreat. Seeing Cao Cao's rear guard shift, Zhang Fei raised his spear and shouted again,
"You raped her, so why don't you admit it?!" Before the shout had even finished, Xiahou Jie, standing beside Cao Cao, was so terrified that his liver and gall bladder shattered, and he fell from his horse—it was this very man who had been secretly plundering women behind Cao Cao's back. He had taken Zhang Fei's wife, finding her beautiful, for his own pleasure.
Later, Cao Cao, upon hearing this, had also taken her for his own pleasure, finding it very satisfying. Now, after being shouted at by Zhang Fei, his guilty conscience was pricked, and Xiahou Jie fainted from fright. Cao Cao also turned his horse and fled. So all the soldiers and generals fled westward. It was truly a case of: "The yellow-faced lecherous bandit, how could he hear the thunderous roar; the sickly whore, how could he bear the tiger's roar?" In an instant, countless men threw down their spears and helmets, the crowd surged like a tide, the horses collapsed like a mountain, trampling each other.
Zhang Fei spat, "Ha! You've got it easy! That woman's honeyed cave is like a snake, even I couldn't resist, but now you can enjoy it. Let's see what you can do!" As a result, Xiahou Jie died from excessive indulgence with Zhang Fei's wife, unable to resist her lust—but that's another story. The anecdote of Changban Slope ends here; see the next chapter.

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[Martial Arts Classics][Anecdotes of the Three Kingdoms (Part 5)]

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