Now, as the First Sovereign (Liu Bei) prepared to raise an army for an eastern campaign against Wu, Zhao Yun stepped forward to counsel him: “The true traitor to the Han is Cao Cao, not Sun Quan. Now that Cao Pi has usurped the throne, both gods and men are enraged. Your Majesty should first secure the Guanzhong region, station troops along the upper reaches of the Wei River, and then march against the usurper. The loyal men east of the passes will surely gather their provisions and race to greet the royal army. But if you abandon the campaign against Wei to attack Wu, once the armies clash, how will you quickly disentangle yourself? I beg Your Majesty to consider this carefully.” Liu Bei replied, “Sun Quan murdered my brother. And Fu Shiren, Mi Fang, Pan Zhang, and Ma Zhong are all enemies I hate with a gnashing of teeth. Only by devouring their flesh and exterminating their clans can I wash away my vengeance! Why do you obstruct me?” Zhao Yun answered, “The enmity against the usurper of Han is a public duty; the enmity against your brother is a private grief. I beg you to put the realm first.” The First Sovereign responded, “If I do not avenge my brother, what value is there in possessing ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains?” Thus he rejected Zhao Yun's counsel and ordered the army to mobilize for the attack on Wu. He also sent envoys to the Five Streams region to borrow 50,000 tribal troops for support, and dispatched a messenger to Langzhong to promote Zhang Fei to General of Chariots and Cavalry, with the post of Colonel Director of Retainers, enfeoffed as Marquis of Xixiang, and also as Governor of Langzhong. The messenger carried the imperial edict and departed.
Now, Zhang Fei, stationed in Langzhong, heard that Lord Guan had been murdered by the Eastern Wu. Day and night he wailed, and his tears soaked his garments until they were stained with blood. His officers tried to console him with wine, but when drunk, his fury only intensified. Inside and outside his tent, anyone who offended him was flogged, and many were beaten to death. Each day, he faced south, gnashing his teeth and glaring with rage, weeping bitterly without cease. Suddenly, a messenger arrived. Zhang Fei hastily welcomed him, opened the edict, and read it. After receiving his new titles and paying homage to the north, he set out wine to entertain the envoy. Zhang Fei said, “My elder brother has been murdered—this enmity is deeper than the sea. Why haven't the court officials urged an early mobilization?” The envoy replied, “Many have advised first destroying Wei, then attacking Wu.” Zhang Fei roared in anger, “What kind of talk is that! In the past, we three swore the oath in the Peach Garden, vowing to live and die together. Now, by ill fortune, my second brother has perished halfway. How can I alone enjoy wealth and honor? I must see the Son of Heaven in person and beg to serve as the vanguard commander. In mourning, I will attack Wu, capture the rebel leaders alive, and offer them as sacrifices to my second brother, fulfilling our covenant!” With these words, he immediately set out with the envoy for Chengdu.
Meanwhile, the First Sovereign drilled his troops daily at the training grounds, setting a date for the imperial expedition in person. All the high ministers then went to the Chancellor's residence to see Zhuge Liang and said, “Now that the Son of Heaven has just ascended the throne and intends to lead the army himself, this is not a way to treat the state with due weight. You, Chancellor, hold the balance of power—why do you not remonstrate with him?” Zhuge Liang replied, “I have bitterly advised him several times, but he will not listen. Today, you all will accompany me to the training grounds to counsel him again.” So Zhuge Liang led the hundred officials to petition the First Sovereign: “Your Majesty has just mounted the throne. If you wish to campaign north against the traitor to Han and uphold great righteousness in the realm, then it is fitting to lead the six armies in person. But if you only wish to attack Wu, you may order a senior general to lead the campaign—why must you personally trouble the imperial carriage?” The First Sovereign's resolve began to waver under Zhuge Liang's earnest entreaties. Just then, Zhang Fei was announced, and the First Sovereign hastily summoned him. Zhang Fei entered the drill hall, prostrated himself on the ground, and, clutching the First Sovereign's feet, wept. The First Sovereign wept as well. Zhang Fei said, “Now that you, Your Majesty, have become emperor, have you forgotten the Peach Garden oath? Why do you not avenge the enmity against our second brother?” The First Sovereign answered, “Many officials have obstructed me, so I dare not act rashly.” Zhang Fei retorted, “How can others understand our covenant of old? If Your Majesty will not go, I will sacrifice this body to avenge our second brother! If I cannot succeed, I would rather die than see Your Majesty again!” The First Sovereign said, “I will go with you. You lead your own troops from Langzhou, and I will command the elite forces to join you at Jiangzhou. Together, we will attack Eastern Wu and wash away this hatred!” As Zhang Fei was about to depart, the First Sovereign warned him, “I have long known that when you are drunk, you become violently angry and flog your soldiers, yet you keep them by your side. This is a path to disaster. From now on, you must be lenient and not act as before.” Zhang Fei bowed and took his leave.
The next day, as the First Sovereign was preparing to march, the scholar Qin Mi submitted a memorial: “Your Majesty is abandoning the person of the Son of Heaven to pursue a minor grievance—this is something the ancients would not do. I beg Your Majesty to consider this.” The First Sovereign said, “Yunchang (Guan Yu) and I are as one body. Great righteousness still demands action—how can I forget it?” Qin Mi prostrated himself on the ground and refused to rise, saying, “If Your Majesty does not heed my words, I truly fear there will be a grievous loss.” The First Sovereign flew into a rage: “I am about to raise an army, and you dare utter such inauspicious words!” He ordered the guards to drag Qin Mi out and behead him. But Qin Mi's face did not change color; he turned back to look at the First Sovereign and laughed, saying, “I die without regret, but it is a pity that this newly founded enterprise will soon be overturned!” All the officials pleaded for Qin Mi's pardon. The First Sovereign said, “Imprison him for now. When I return from avenging my vengeance, I will decide his fate.” When Zhuge Liang heard of this, he immediately submitted a memorial to save Qin Mi. The memorial read in part:
“Your subjects, Liang and others, humbly consider that the Wu rebels have employed treacherous schemes, leading to the disaster of Jing Province's fall. A general's star has fallen in the region of the Dipper and Ox constellations; a pillar of heaven has broken in the land of Chu. This grief is deeply felt and truly unforgettable. Yet we must reflect that the crime of overturning the Han tripod lies with Cao Cao, and the fault of shifting the Liu ancestral line does not belong to Sun Quan. We humbly suggest that once the Wei usurper is eliminated, Wu will naturally submit. May Your Majesty accept Qin Mi's words of gold and stone, conserve the strength of the soldiers, and devise a better plan—then the altars of the state will be fortunate indeed! The realm will be fortunate indeed!”
After reading the memorial, the First Sovereign flung it to the ground and said, “My mind is made up. No more remonstrations!” He then ordered Chancellor Zhuge Liang to protect the heir and guard the Two Rivers region; the Swift General Ma Chao and his younger brother Ma Dai to assist the General Who Pacifies the North, Wei Yan, in defending Hanzhong against the Wei forces; the Tiger Might General Zhao Yun to serve as rear guard and oversee provisions; Huang Quan and Cheng Ji as strategists; Ma Liang and Chen Zhen to manage documents; Huang Zhong as the vanguard commander; Feng Xi and Zhang Nan as his deputies; Fu Tong and Zhang Yi as central army protectors; and Zhao Rong and Liao Chun as the rearguard. With several hundred Sichuan generals, along with the tribal commanders of the Five Streams, the total force numbered 750,000 men. They selected the day of the Bingyin cycle in the seventh month of the first year of the Zhangwu era (221 AD) to begin the campaign.
Now, Zhang Fei returned to Langzhong and issued an order to his army: within three days, they were to prepare white banners and white armor, for all three armies would wear mourning as they attacked Wu. The next day, two junior officers under his command, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, entered his tent and reported, “White banners and white armor cannot be prepared so quickly—we must request an extension of the deadline.” Zhang Fei flew into a rage: “I am burning to avenge my brother, and I wish I could reach the enemy's territory by tomorrow! How dare you defy my orders!” He ordered the guards to bind the two men to a tree and flog each fifty strokes on the back. After the flogging, he pointed at them and said, “Everything must be ready by tomorrow! If you miss the deadline, I will have you both executed as a warning!” The two men were beaten until their mouths bled. Returning to their camp, they conferred. Fan Jiang said, “Today we have been punished and humiliated. How can we possibly prepare everything? That man's temper is like fire. If we cannot complete the task by tomorrow, we will both be killed!” Zhang Da said, “Rather than let him kill us, it would be better for us to kill him.” Fan Jiang replied, “But we cannot get close to him.” Zhang Da said, “If we are not fated to die, he will be drunk and asleep in his bed. If we are fated to die, he will not be drunk.” Having settled their plan, they waited.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fei, inside his tent, felt his mind in turmoil and his movements unsteady. He asked his officers, “My heart is pounding and my flesh is trembling. I cannot sit or lie in peace. What does this mean?” His officers replied, “It is because you, lord, are thinking of Lord Guan, which has brought this about.” Zhang Fei ordered wine and drank with his officers. Before long, he was thoroughly drunk and lay down to sleep in his tent. The two villains, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, spied out the situation. At the first watch of the night, each concealed a short dagger and secretly entered the tent, pretending they had urgent and confidential matters to report. They approached the bed. Now, Zhang Fei was known for sleeping with his eyes open. That night, as he lay in his tent, the two villains saw his beard bristling and his eyes wide open, and they dared not act at first. But when they heard his thunderous snoring, they finally ventured closer and stabbed Zhang Fei in the abdomen with their daggers. Zhang Fei gave a great cry and died. He was fifty-five years old. A poet of later times lamented:
He was once known for flogging the Inspector at Anxi, and for sweeping away the Yellow Turbans to aid the flame of Liu. His voice first thundered at the Pass of Hulao, and at Changban Bridge, he made the river flow backward. He released Yan Yan in righteousness to pacify Shu, and outwitted Zhang He to secure the central provinces. But before he could conquer Wu, he perished, leaving eternal sorrow in the autumn grasses of Langzhong.
That very night, the two villains cut off Zhang Fei's head, and leading several dozen men, they fled through the night to Eastern Wu. The next day, when the army learned of this, they raised troops to pursue them, but could not catch them. At that time, Zhang Fei's subordinate officer, Wu Ban, had previously come from Jing Province to see the First Sovereign, who had appointed him as a Gate General and sent him to assist Zhang Fei in guarding Langzhong. Wu Ban first sent a memorial to inform the emperor, then ordered Zhang Fei's eldest son, Zhang Bao, to prepare a coffin and enshroud the body. He ordered Zhang Fei's younger brother, Zhang Shao, to guard Langzhong, while Zhang Bao himself went to report to the First Sovereign. The First Sovereign had already selected the day to begin the campaign. All the high and low officials accompanied Zhuge Liang ten li out of the city before returning. Zhuge Liang returned to Chengdu, deeply disheartened, and said to the assembled officials, “If Fa Xiaozhi were still alive, he would surely have been able to prevent the sovereign from marching east.”
That night, the First Sovereign felt his heart pound and his flesh tremble, and he could not sleep. He went out of his tent and gazed up at the heavens, where he saw a star in the northwest, as large as a dipper, suddenly fall to the earth. The First Sovereign was greatly alarmed and sent a man that very night to seek an explanation from Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang replied in a memorial, “It means that a senior general will be lost. Within three days, there will certainly be alarming news.” The First Sovereign therefore halted his troops. Suddenly, a court attendant reported, “Wu Ban, a subordinate officer of the General of Chariots and Cavalry from Langzhong, has sent a man with a memorial.” The First Sovereign stamped his foot and cried, “Alas! My third brother is lost!” When he read the memorial, it indeed reported the tragic death of Zhang Fei. The First Sovereign wailed loudly and fell to the ground in a faint. The officials revived him.
The next day, a man reported that a troop of horsemen had arrived like a whirlwind. The First Sovereign went out of his camp to look. After a long while, he saw a young general in a white robe and silver armor dismount and prostrate himself on the ground, weeping. It was Zhang Bao. Zhang Bao said, “Fan Jiang and Zhang Da murdered my father and took his head to Wu!” The First Sovereign's grief was so profound that he could not eat or drink. All the officials earnestly advised him, “Your Majesty is about to avenge your two brothers—how can you first harm your own dragon body?” Only then did the First Sovereign begin to take food. He said to Zhang Bao, “You and Wu Ban—dare you lead your own troops as the vanguard to avenge your father?” Zhang Bao replied, “For the state and for my father, I would face ten thousand deaths without hesitation!” The First Sovereign was about to dispatch Zhang Bao to raise troops when another troop of horsemen was reported to be approaching like a wind. The First Sovereign ordered an attendant to investigate.
In a moment, the attendant led a young general in a white robe and silver armor into the camp. He prostrated himself on the ground and wept. When the First Sovereign looked at him, it was Guan Xing. At the sight of Guan Xing, the First Sovereign was reminded of Lord Guan and wailed loudly again. All the officials earnestly urged him to stop. The First Sovereign said, “I recall that when I was a commoner, I swore an oath with Guan and Zhang to live and die together. Now that I have become the Son of Heaven, I wished to share wealth and honor with my two brothers, but by ill fortune, they have both met unnatural deaths! Seeing these two nephews, how can my heart not break?” With these words, he wept again. The officials said, “Let the two young generals withdraw for now, and allow His Majesty to rest his dragon body.” An attendant said, “Your Majesty is over sixty—you should not grieve so excessively.” The First Sovereign replied, “Both my brothers are dead—how can I bear to live alone!” With these words, he beat his head on the ground and wept.
The many officials discussed among themselves: “Now that the Son of Heaven is so distressed, how can we console him?” Ma Liang said, “The sovereign personally leads a great army to attack Wu, weeping day and night—this is not good for the army.” Chen Zhen said, “I have heard that to the west of Qingcheng Mountain in Chengdu, there lives a hermit named Li Yi. The world says this old man is over three hundred years old and can know the fortune and misfortune of men's lives—he is a living immortal of our age. Why not report this to the Son of Heaven and summon this old man to ask him about the fortunes of the campaign? His words would be worth more than ours.” So they went in to petition the First Sovereign. The First Sovereign agreed and immediately sent Chen Zhen with an imperial edict to Qingcheng Mountain to summon him. Chen Zhen traveled day and night to Qingcheng. He asked the locals to guide him deep into the mountain valley. Looking into the distance, he saw an immortal dwelling, with clear clouds faintly visible and an extraordinary auspicious aura. Suddenly, a young boy came out to greet him and said, “Are you not Chen Xiaoqi (Chen Zhen)?” Chen Zhen was astonished and asked, “How did you, immortal boy, know my name and style?” The boy replied, “My master said yesterday that today an imperial edict would surely arrive, and that the envoy would be Chen Xiaoqi.” Chen Zhen exclaimed, “A true immortal! What people say is indeed not false!” He then followed the boy into the immortal dwelling, paid his respects to Li Yi, and proclaimed the imperial edict. Li Yi declined on account of his age and refused to go. Chen Zhen said, “The Son of Heaven urgently wishes to see the immortal elder in person. I beg you not to begrudge your crane-like presence.” After repeated earnest invitations, Li Yi finally agreed to go.
When they arrived at the imperial camp, he was brought before the First Sovereign. The First Sovereign saw that Li Yi had a crane-like white hair and a childlike complexion, with blue eyes and square pupils that shone brightly, and a body like an ancient cypress tree. Knowing he was no ordinary man, Liu Bei treated him with great courtesy. Li Yi said, “I am but an old man from a desolate mountain village, without learning or knowledge. Unworthy of Your Majesty's summons, I know not what command you have for me.” The First Sovereign said, “I have a bond of life and death with my two brothers, Guan and Zhang, for over thirty years. Now that they have been murdered, I am leading a great army in person to avenge them. I do not know whether the outcome will be good or ill. I have long heard that you, immortal elder, understand the mysteries of heaven. I beg you to instruct me.” Li Yi said, “This is a matter of Heaven's decree—it is not something I, an old man, can know.” The First Sovereign pressed him repeatedly for an answer. Li Yi then asked for paper and a brush, and drew over forty pictures of horses, soldiers, and weapons. After drawing them, he tore them all to pieces one by one. Then he drew a picture of a great man lying face-up on the ground, with another man beside him digging a hole to bury him. Above it, he wrote a large character for “white” (bai). Then he bowed and departed. The First Sovereign was displeased and said to his officials, “This is a mad old man! Not to be trusted.” He burned the drawings and ordered the army to advance.
Zhang Bao came in and reported, “Wu Ban's troops have arrived. I beg to serve as the vanguard.” The First Sovereign admired his ambition and immediately took the vanguard seal and gave it to Zhang Bao. As Zhang Bao was about to hang the seal on his belt, another young general leaped forward and shouted, “Leave that seal for me!” Looking at him, it was Guan Xing. Zhang Bao said, “I have already received the imperial command.” Guan Xing replied, “What ability do you have to dare take this post?” Zhang Bao said, “I have studied martial arts since childhood, and my arrows never miss their mark.” The First Sovereign said, “I wish to see the martial skills of my two nephews to determine who is superior.” Zhang Bao ordered a soldier to set up a flag a hundred paces away, with a red heart painted on it. Zhang Bao took up his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot three arrows in succession, all hitting the red heart. Everyone praised him. Guan Xing took his bow and said, “Hitting a red heart is nothing remarkable!” As he spoke, a flock of wild geese flew overhead. Guan Xing pointed and said, “I will shoot the third goose in that flock.” He loosed an arrow, and the goose fell from the sky, struck by the string. All the civil and military officials cheered in unison. Zhang Bao flew into a rage, mounted his horse, and brandishing his father's eighteen-foot steel-tipped spear, he shouted, “Do you dare to compare martial skills with me?” Guan Xing also mounted his horse, seized his family's large broadsword, and charged out, saying, “Just because you can use a spear, do you think I cannot use a sword?”
The two generals were about to clash when the First Sovereign shouted, “You two, show no discourtesy!” Guan Xing and Zhang Bao hastily dismounted, dropped their weapons, and prostrated themselves, begging forgiveness. The First Sovereign said, “I formed a bond of brotherhood with your fathers in Zhuo Commandery, becoming as close as flesh and bone. Now you two are also like brothers, and you should work together with one heart to avenge your fathers. Why do you quarrel among yourselves, losing sight of great righteousness? Your fathers' deaths are still fresh, and yet you act like this—what will it be like in the future?” The two young men prostrated themselves again and confessed their fault. The First Sovereign asked, “Which of you is older?” Zhang Bao said, “I am one year older than Guan Xing.” The First Sovereign then ordered Guan Xing to bow to Zhang Bao as his elder brother. The two young men broke an arrow in front of the tent as an oath, vowing to protect each other forever. The First Sovereign then issued a decree appointing Wu Ban as the vanguard commander, with Zhang Bao and Guan Xing to guard the imperial person. The army advanced by both water and land, with ships and horsemen moving together, a mighty host surging toward the kingdom of Wu.
Now, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da presented Zhang Fei's head to the Marquis of Wu (Sun Quan), relating the entire affair in detail. After hearing them, Sun Quan accepted the two men into his service and then said to all his officials, “Now Liu Xuande has ascended the imperial throne and leads an elite army of over 700,000 men on a personal campaign. His momentum is immense. What shall we do?” All the officials turned pale and looked at each other in dismay. Zhuge Jin stepped forward and said, “I have long enjoyed the bounty of Your Lordship without any way to repay it. I am willing to sacrifice this remnant of a life and go to see the Lord of Shu, to persuade him with arguments of gain and loss, so that the two states may make peace and jointly punish Cao Pi for his crime.” Sun Quan was greatly pleased and immediately sent Zhuge Jin as an envoy to persuade the First Sovereign to halt his army. Truly:
When two states are at war, they send envoys to communicate; to resolve a crisis, they rely on a traveler's words.
Whether Zhuge Jin would succeed on this mission, and what would happen next, must be left for the following chapter to explain.