As Sun Quan was marshaling his forces at Ruxu, word arrived that Cao Cao was leading 400,000 troops from Hanzhong to relieve Hefei. Sun Quan convened his advisors. First, he deployed Dong Xi and Xu Sheng with fifty large warships to lie in ambush at Ruxu, while Chen Wu was ordered to patrol the riverbanks with his men. Zhang Zhao advised, "Cao Cao has come from afar. We must blunt his edge at the very start." Sun Quan asked his officers, "Cao Cao marches from a distance. Who dares to strike first and break his spirit?" Ling Tong stepped forward. "I will go." Sun Quan asked, "How many men will you take?" "Three thousand will suffice," Ling Tong replied. Gan Ning interjected, "A mere hundred horsemen can break the enemy—why waste three thousand?" Ling Tong flushed with anger, and the two began to argue before Sun Quan. "Cao Cao's army is vast," Sun Quan said. "Do not underestimate them." He ordered Ling Tong to take three thousand men out of Ruxu to scout; if they encountered Cao's troops, they were to engage. Ling Tong accepted the command and led his force out of the Ruxu stockade. Dust rose on the horizon as Cao's vanguard arrived. Zhang Liao, the enemy's vanguard commander, clashed with Ling Tong. They fought fifty bouts to a draw, neither gaining the upper hand. Fearing Ling Tong might be lost, Sun Quan ordered Lü Meng to go to his aid and bring him back to camp.
When Ling Tong returned, Gan Ning immediately appealed to Sun Quan: "Let me take only a hundred men tonight to raid Cao Cao's camp. If I lose a single man or horse, count it no merit." Sun Quan, impressed by his boldness, assigned him a hundred elite cavalry from his own guard, along with fifty jars of wine and fifty catties of mutton as rewards for the men. Back in his camp, Gan Ning had the hundred men sit in rows. Filling a silver goblet, he drank two cups himself, then addressed them: "Tonight, I am ordered to raid the enemy camp. I ask each of you to drain a cup and fight with all your might." The men exchanged uneasy glances, their faces betraying reluctance. Seeing their hesitation, Gan Ning drew his sword and roared, "I am your commander, and I do not value my own life. Why do you waver?" Startled by his fury, the men rose and bowed. "We will fight to the death!" They feasted on the wine and meat until nearly the second watch. Then Gan Ning ordered each man to fasten a white goose feather to his helmet as a mark. They donned their armor, mounted their horses, and galloped straight for Cao Cao's stockade. Tearing aside the defensive stakes, they raised a great shout and burst into the camp, driving straight for the central command to kill Cao Cao. But the central camp was ringed by wagons and carts linked together like an iron wall, and they could not break through. Gan Ning and his hundred riders charged left and right, striking terror into Cao's troops, who had no idea how many enemies they faced and began to fall into confusion among themselves. The hundred horsemen rampaged through the camp, cutting down anyone in their path. Drums rolled, torches flared like stars, and the din of battle rose to the heavens. Gan Ning burst out through the southern gate, and no one dared to block him. Sun Quan ordered Zhou Tai to lead a force to meet him. Gan Ning brought his hundred riders back to Ruxu. Cao Cao's men, fearing an ambush, did not dare to pursue.
A poet of the time recorded: "The war drums thundered, shaking the earth as they came; the soldiers of Wu struck terror even into the ghosts. A hundred plumed riders pierced straight through Cao's camp, and all proclaimed Gan Ning a tiger among generals."
Gan Ning led his hundred riders back to the stockade, not a single man or horse lost. At the camp gate, he ordered the hundred to beat drums and play flutes, shouting "Long live the lord!" with joyful clamor. Sun Quan himself came out to greet him. Gan Ning dismounted and knelt in homage. Sun Quan raised him and took his hand. "Your raid tonight will strike terror into that old villain's heart. It was not that I begrudged you more men—I wanted to see your courage!" He immediately bestowed upon Gan Ning a thousand rolls of silk and a hundred fine swords. Gan Ning accepted the gifts and then distributed them among his hundred men. Sun Quan said to his generals, "Mengde has Zhang Liao; I have Gan Xingba. We are evenly matched."
The next day, Zhang Liao led his troops to challenge the Wu forces. Ling Tong, seeing Gan Ning's success, declared with renewed vigor, "I wish to face Zhang Liao." Sun Quan agreed. Ling Tong marched out of Ruxu with five thousand men. Sun Quan himself led Gan Ning to the front lines to watch. When the two armies arrayed themselves, Zhang Liao rode out, flanked by Li Dian on his left and Yue Jin on his right. Ling Tong spurred his horse forward, blade in hand. Zhang Liao sent Yue Jin to meet him. They fought fifty bouts without either gaining the upper hand. Cao Cao, hearing of the duel, rode to the battle standard to watch. Seeing the two generals locked in combat, he ordered Cao Xiu to loose a hidden arrow. Cao Xiu slipped behind Zhang Liao, drew his bow, and struck Ling Tong's horse square in the flank. The beast reared, throwing Ling Tong to the ground. Yue Jin lunged forward with his spear, but before the blow could land, a bowstring sang, and an arrow struck Yue Jin in the face, sending him tumbling from his saddle. Both armies rushed forward, each rescuing their general and withdrawing to the sound of gongs signaling a truce. Back in camp, Ling Tong knelt to thank Sun Quan. Sun Quan said, "The one who saved you with that arrow was Gan Ning." Ling Tong prostrated himself before Gan Ning. "I never imagined you would show me such grace!" From that day forward, Ling Tong and Gan Ning became sworn brothers, and their old enmity was buried forever.
As for Cao Cao, he had Yue Jin carried to his tent for treatment. The next day, he divided his forces into five columns to attack Ruxu: he himself led the center; the left wing was commanded by Zhang Liao and Li Dian; the right wing by Xu Huang and Pang De. Each column numbered ten thousand men, and they advanced toward the riverbank. Dong Xi and Xu Sheng, aboard their towering warships, saw the five columns approaching. Fear gripped many of the soldiers. Xu Sheng said, "We eat the lord's grain; we must serve his cause. What is there to fear?" He led several hundred elite troops across the river in small boats and charged into Li Dian's ranks. Dong Xi, remaining on the flagship, ordered the crews to beat drums and shout encouragement. Suddenly, a fierce gale swept across the river. Whitecaps towered, and waves crashed violently. The sailors, seeing the great ship about to capsize, scrambled into the smaller boats to flee. Dong Xi drew his sword and bellowed, "I have received the lord's command to guard this post. How dare you abandon the ship!" He cut down more than ten of the fleeing sailors. But moments later, the wind capsized the vessel, and Dong Xi drowned in the river's mouth. Meanwhile, Xu Sheng was fighting fiercely within Li Dian's ranks.
Chen Wu, hearing the clash from the riverbank, led his troops to the scene and encountered Pang De. The two armies became locked in a chaotic melee. Sun Quan, hearing from his Ruxu stockade that Cao's forces had reached the river, personally led Zhou Tai to join the battle. He saw Xu Sheng locked in a desperate struggle with Li Dian's men and drove his own force in to help. But Zhang Liao and Xu Huang closed in, trapping Sun Quan at the center of the battlefield. Cao Cao, watching from a high vantage point, saw Sun Quan surrounded and urgently ordered Xu Chu to gallop into the fray with his blade. Xu Chu's charge split Sun Quan's army in two, cutting off any hope of reinforcement.
Zhou Tai fought his way out of the melee and reached the riverbank, only to realize Sun Quan was missing. He wheeled his horse and plunged back into the enemy ranks, demanding of his own men, "Where is our lord?" A soldier pointed to the thickest press of the fighting. "The lord is surrounded and in dire peril!" Zhou Tai threw himself into the fray and found Sun Quan. "My lord, follow me and I will cut a path out," Zhou Tai said. With Zhou Tai in front and Sun Quan behind, they fought desperately. Zhou Tai reached the river, but when he turned, Sun Quan was gone. He charged back into the encirclement and found him again. Sun Quan said, "Their arrows fly thick and fast. I cannot break free. What can we do?" Zhou Tai replied, "My lord, ride ahead. I will guard your rear." Sun Quan spurred his horse forward, and Zhou Tai shielded him left and right, sustaining numerous spear wounds and arrows that pierced his heavy armor. Thus he saved Sun Quan. At the riverbank, Lü Meng arrived with a naval force to take them aboard. Sun Quan said, "I owe my escape to Zhou Tai's three charges into the enemy. But Xu Sheng is still trapped. How can he break free?" Zhou Tai said, "I will go back for him." He seized his spear and plunged once more into the encirclement, rescuing Xu Sheng. Both generals emerged with severe wounds. Lü Meng ordered his archers to rain arrows on the shore, pinning down Cao's troops, and brought the two generals aboard.
Chen Wu, meanwhile, was locked in a desperate battle with Pang De. With no reinforcements coming, Pang De drove him into a wooded ravine. As Chen Wu tried to turn and fight, his sleeve caught on a tree branch, leaving him unable to defend himself. Pang De cut him down. Cao Cao, seeing Sun Quan had escaped, personally led a cavalry charge to the riverbank, where both sides exchanged volleys of arrows. Lü Meng's arrows were nearly spent, and he was growing anxious, when a fleet of ships appeared on the river. At their head was Lu Xun, Sun Ce's son-in-law, arriving with 100,000 fresh troops. A single volley drove back Cao's forces, and Lu Xun's men landed and pursued, recapturing several thousand horses and inflicting countless casualties on Cao Cao's army, which retreated in defeat.
In the chaos, Sun Quan's men found Chen Wu's body. Learning that Chen Wu had fallen and Dong Xi had drowned, Sun Quan was overcome with grief. He ordered divers to retrieve Dong Xi's corpse from the river and gave both generals lavish burials. To honor Zhou Tai's heroic rescue, he held a feast in his honor. Sun Quan personally filled his cup, touched Zhou Tai's back, and wept. "Twice you have saved my life, risking your own without hesitation. You have suffered dozens of wounds, and your skin is scarred like carved leather. How could I not treat you as a brother and entrust you with the weight of command? You are my greatest hero. I will share glory and shame, joy and sorrow with you." He ordered Zhou Tai to remove his armor and show his scars to the assembled generals. His flesh was crisscrossed with wounds, like a map carved in living skin. Sun Quan pointed to each scar and asked how it was received. Zhou Tai recounted each battle where he was injured. For every scar, Sun Quan made him drink a goblet of wine. That day, Zhou Tai drank until he was deeply drunk. Sun Quan bestowed upon him a blue silk umbrella, granting him the honor of having it held over him wherever he went, a mark of supreme distinction.
Sun Quan held his position at Ruxu for over a month, but could not gain a decisive victory. Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong advised him, "Cao Cao's power is too great to overcome by force. A prolonged war will only exhaust our soldiers. It would be better to sue for peace and preserve the people." Sun Quan accepted their counsel and sent Bu Zhi to Cao Cao's camp to negotiate terms, offering annual tribute. Cao Cao, seeing that the south could not be conquered quickly, agreed, but demanded, "Let Sun Quan withdraw his forces first; then I will order my army to return." Bu Zhi reported back, and Sun Quan left Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai to guard Ruxu while embarking the bulk of his army and sailing back to Moling.
Cao Cao left Cao Ren and Zhang Liao to garrison Hefei and led his army back to Xuchang. His civil and military officials all proposed that Cao Cao be made King of Wei. The Imperial Secretary Cui Yan argued vehemently against it. The officials said, "Have you forgotten what happened to Xun Wenruo?" Cui Yan replied angrily, "The times! The times! A change is coming. Do as you will!" Someone who bore Cui Yan a grudge reported his words to Cao Cao. Enraged, Cao Cao had Cui Yan arrested and thrown into prison for interrogation. Cui Yan, with his tiger-like eyes and bristling beard, only cursed Cao Cao as a traitor and usurper. The imperial secretary reported this to Cao Cao, who ordered Cui Yan beaten to death in his cell.
History records a verse: "Cui Yan of Qinghe, born with a will of iron. With his tiger's eyes and bristling beard, his heart was stone. He drove back the wicked and treacherous; his voice and integrity shone bright. Loyal to the Han sovereign, his name resounds through a thousand years."
In the summer of the twenty-first year of the Jian'an era, in the fifth month, the court officials presented a memorial to Emperor Xian, praising Duke Cao Cao's virtue as boundless as heaven and earth, surpassing even the legendary Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou, and urging that he be advanced to the rank of king. Emperor Xian ordered Zhong Yao to draft an edict, formally establishing Cao Cao as the King of Wei. Cao Cao thrice submitted a written refusal, but each time the emperor refused to accept it. At last, Cao Cao accepted the title. He donned the twelve-tasseled crown, rode in the golden chariot drawn by six horses, and assumed the full regalia and ceremonial of a Son of Heaven—with outriders clearing the way and guards sounding the alarm. In Ye Commandery, he built a magnificent palace for the King of Wei and began deliberations on naming his heir. Cao Cao's principal wife, Lady Ding, had borne him no children. His concubine, Lady Liu, had given him a son, Cao Ang, who had died at Wancheng during the campaign against Zhang Xiu. Lady Bian had borne him four sons: the eldest, Cao Pi; the second, Cao Zhang; the third, Cao Zhi; and the fourth, Cao Xiong. Cao Cao now set aside Lady Ding and elevated Lady Bian to be his queen. His third son, Cao Zhi—styled Zijian—was exceptionally brilliant, able to compose essays at the drop of a brush. Cao Cao wished to make him his heir. But Cao Pi, the eldest, fearing he would be passed over, sought counsel from Jia Xu, a palace counselor. Jia Xu taught him a certain method. From then on, whenever Cao Cao went on campaign and his sons saw him off, Cao Zhi would recite eloquent verses praising his father's achievements, while Cao Pi would only weep and bow, moving all who witnessed it. Cao Cao began to suspect that Cao Zhi's cleverness was mere artifice, and that Cao Pi's sincerity was the truer quality. Cao Pi also bribed the attendants around Cao Cao, all of whom spoke of his virtue. When Cao Cao tried to decide on an heir, he remained uncertain. He asked Jia Xu, "I wish to name my successor. Whom should I choose?" Jia Xu did not answer. Cao Cao asked why. Jia Xu replied, "I was just thinking, and could not answer at once." "What were you thinking about?" Cao Cao pressed. Jia Xu answered, "I was thinking of Yuan Benchu and Liu Jingsheng—and their sons." Cao Cao burst into laughter and named his eldest son, Cao Pi, as his heir.
In the tenth month, the King of Wei's palace was completed. Cao Cao sent men to all regions to gather rare flowers and exotic fruits for the rear gardens. One envoy reached Wu lands and, after delivering the king's command to Sun Quan, proceeded to Wenzhou to procure tangerines. Sun Quan, who was then deferring to the King of Wei, ordered forty loads of the finest tangerines from the city and dispatched them day and night to Ye Commandery. On the road, the porters grew weary and rested at the foot of a mountain. There, they encountered a Taoist priest—one-eyed, lame, wearing a white rattan cap and a tattered blue robe—who greeted them. "You have labored hard carrying these loads. Let me take a turn for each of you," he said. The men were delighted. The priest carried each load for five li, and every load he touched grew lighter. The men were astonished. Before departing, the priest said to the official in charge of the tangerines, "I am an old acquaintance of the King of Wei. My surname is Zuo, my given name Ci, my style name Yuanfang, and my Taoist name is Black-Horned Immortal. When you reach Ye Commandery, tell him Zuo Ci sends his regards." With that, he flicked his sleeve and vanished.
When the tangerine convoy reached Ye Commandery and presented the fruit to Cao Cao, he personally cut one open—only to find it hollow, empty of flesh. Startled, Cao Cao questioned the envoy, who told him of the encounter with Zuo Ci. Cao Cao was skeptical. Just then, the gatekeeper announced, "A priest calling himself Zuo Ci seeks an audience with the king." Cao Cao summoned him. The envoy said, "This is the very man we met on the road." Cao Cao barked, "What sorcery did you use to steal the flesh from my fruit?" Zuo Ci laughed. "How could such a thing be?" He took a tangerine and cut it open—it was full of sweet flesh. But any fruit Cao Cao himself cut was hollow. Cao Cao grew even more alarmed. He offered Zuo Ci a seat and questioned him. Zuo Ci asked for wine and meat. Cao Cao ordered them brought. The priest drank five measures of wine without getting drunk and ate an entire goat without being sated. Cao Cao asked, "What arts do you possess to achieve such things?" Zuo Ci replied, "I studied the Way for thirty years in the mountains of Jia Ling and Emei in western Shu. One day, I heard a voice calling my name from within a stone wall. I looked, but saw nothing. This happened for several days. Then a thunderclap shattered the stone, and I found three volumes of a celestial book called The Art of Escaping by Concealment. The first volume is 'Heavenly Escape,' which allows one to ride the clouds and winds and ascend to the void. The second is 'Earthly Escape,' which lets one pass through mountains and stone.
The third is 'Human Escape,' which enables one to wander the four seas, hide one's form, change appearance, and fly swords and daggers to take men's heads. Your Majesty has reached the pinnacle of human power. Why not step back and follow me into the Emei Mountains to cultivate the Way? I will give you the three volumes." Cao Cao said, "I have long thought of withdrawing while the current is favorable, but the court lacks a worthy man to take my place." Zuo Ci laughed. "Liu Xuande of Yi Province is a scion of the imperial house. Why not yield your position to him? If not, I will send a flying sword to take your head." Cao Cao erupted in fury. "This man is clearly a spy for Liu Bei!" He ordered his guards to seize Zuo Ci. The priest only laughed. Cao Cao ordered a dozen jailers to beat him. They struck with all their might, but Zuo Ci only snored, fast asleep, feeling no pain. Furious, Cao Cao ordered a great cangue and iron chains to bind him, and had him thrown into a dungeon under heavy guard. But when they looked, the cangue and chains had fallen off, and Zuo Ci lay on the ground, unharmed. They starved him for seven days, giving him nothing to eat or drink. When they checked, Zuo Ci sat upright, his face even ruddier. The jailers reported to Cao Cao, who had him brought out for questioning. Zuo Ci said, "I can go decades without food and suffer no harm. Or I could eat a thousand goats in a single day." Cao Cao was at a loss.
That day, all the officials gathered for a grand banquet at the palace. As the wine was being passed, Zuo Ci appeared before the feast in his wooden clogs. The officials were shocked and alarmed. Zuo Ci said, "Today, the king has prepared delicacies from land and sea and feasts his ministers. Rare treasures from all directions are abundant. But if anything is missing, I will fetch it." Cao Cao said, "I want dragon liver for my soup. Can you get it?" "What difficulty is there?" Zuo Ci replied. He took an ink brush and painted a dragon on the white wall. Flicking his sleeve, the dragon's belly opened of its own accord. Zuo Ci reached in and pulled out a dragon's liver, still dripping with fresh blood. Cao Cao did not believe it. "You must have hidden it in your sleeve!" he scoffed. Zuo Ci said, "Now that winter has come, the grass and trees are withered. But if Your Majesty desires any fine flower, I can produce it at will." Cao Cao said, "I want peonies." "Easily done," said Zuo Ci. He ordered a large flowerpot brought before the feast. He sprinkled water on it, and in an instant, a peony plant sprouted and burst into two blossoms. The officials were astounded. They invited Zuo Ci to sit and eat with them. Soon, the cooks brought in sliced fish. Zuo Ci said, "For sliced fish to be truly fine, it must be perch from the Song River." Cao Cao said, "A thousand li separate us. How can you get it?" "What difficulty is that?" Zuo Ci replied. He called for a fishing rod and cast it into the ornamental pond beneath the hall. In moments, he pulled out dozens of large perch and laid them on the dais.
Cao Cao said, "My pond has always had such fish." Zuo Ci replied, "Why does the king mock me? Perch from all other rivers have only two gills; only Song River perch have four. This is how they are distinguished." The officials looked and saw that the fish indeed had four gills. Zuo Ci said, "To cook Song River perch, one must use purple ginger sprouts." Cao Cao said, "Can you get those as well?" "Easily done," said Zuo Ci. He called for a golden basin, covered it with his robe, and in a moment, the basin was filled with purple ginger sprouts, which he presented to Cao Cao. As Cao Cao reached for them, he found a book in the basin, titled The New Book of Mengde. Cao Cao picked it up and saw that it matched his own work word for word. Deeply suspicious, Cao Cao watched as Zuo Ci took a jade cup from the table, filled it with fine wine, and offered it to him. "Drink this wine, Your Majesty, and you will live a thousand years." Cao Cao said, "Drink it first." Zuo Ci plucked the jade hairpin from his cap, drew it across the cup, and divided the wine in two. He drank one half and offered the other to Cao Cao. Cao Cao cursed him. Zuo Ci tossed the cup into the air. It transformed into a white dove that circled the hall. As the officials looked up, Zuo Ci vanished. A guard reported, "The priest has left the palace gate." Cao Cao said, "Such a sorcerer must be eliminated, or he will surely cause harm." He ordered Xu Chu to lead three hundred armored cavalry to capture him.
Xu Chu mounted his horse and led his men to the city gate, where he saw Zuo Ci walking slowly ahead in his wooden clogs. Xu Chu spurred his horse to a gallop, but could not catch up. He chased him into the mountains, where a shepherd boy was driving a flock of sheep. Zuo Ci disappeared into the flock. Xu Chu loosed an arrow, and Zuo Ci vanished. Xu Chu slaughtered the entire flock and returned. The shepherd boy wept over his dead sheep, when suddenly a severed head on the ground spoke to him: "Place all the heads back onto the bodies of the dead sheep." Terrified, the boy covered his face and fled. Then he heard someone call from behind: "Do not run. I will give you back your living sheep." The boy turned and saw Zuo Ci gathering the dead sheep, reattaching their heads, and driving them toward him. Before the boy could ask anything, Zuo Ci flicked his sleeve and departed, moving like the wind, disappearing in an instant.
The boy returned and told his master, who dared not conceal the matter and reported it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao ordered portraits of Zuo Ci to be drawn and posted everywhere, and a manhunt launched. Within three days, throughout the city and its outskirts, three or four hundred priests were captured—all one-eyed, lame, wearing white rattan caps, tattered blue robes, and wooden clogs, identical in appearance. The streets were in an uproar. Cao Cao ordered his generals to douse them with pig and sheep blood and march them to the training ground south of the city. Cao Cao himself led five hundred armored soldiers to surround them, and every last one was beheaded. From each severed neck rose a wisp of green vapor, which gathered in the sky into a single form—Zuo Ci himself. He summoned a white crane, mounted it, clapped his hands, and laughed. "The earth rat follows the metal tiger; the treacherous hero will soon be done for!" Cao Cao ordered his men to shoot him with arrows. Suddenly, a great wind arose, hurling stones and sand. The decapitated corpses all sprang up, holding their severed heads in their hands, and charged the reviewing stand to attack Cao Cao. The civil and military officials, terrified, fell to the ground, each caring only for himself. Truly: "The treacherous hero's power could topple a kingdom, but the Taoist's immortal schemes were stranger still." Whether Cao Cao survived or not, the next chapter will reveal.