“The fortune of war,” said Cao Cao. “But I should like to know who laid Liu Bei's plans.”
“That was San Fu,” said Cao Ren.
“Who is he?” asked Cao Cao.
Cheng Yu said, “The man is not San Fu. When young this man was fond of fencing and used to take up the quarrels of other men and avenge their wrongs. At the end of Emperor Ling, he killed a man to avenge his friend, and then he let down his hair, muddled his face, and was trying to escape when a lictor caught him and questioned him. He would not reply. So they carted him through the streets beating a drum and asking if any one recognized him. Nobody dared own to knowing him, if they did so. However, his comrades managed to release him secretly, and he ran away under some other name. Then he turned to study and wandered hither and thither wherever scholars were to be found. He was a regular disputant with Sima Hui. His real name is Xu Shu and he comes from Yingchuan. San Fu is merely an assumed name.”
“How does he compare with yourself'“ asked Cao Cao.
“Ten times cleverer.”
“It is a pity. If able people gather to Liu Bei, his wings will soon grow. What is to be done?”
“Xu Shu is there now; but if you wanted him, it would not be difficult to call him,” replied Cheng Yu.
“How could I make him come?” said Cao Cao.
“He is noted for his affection for his mother. His father died young, leaving his mother a widow with one other son. Now that son is dead, and his mother, Lady Xun, has no one to care for her. If you sent and got his mother here and told her to write and summon her son, he would surely come.”
Cao Cao sent without loss of time and had the old lady brought to the capital, where he treated her exceedingly well.
Presently he said, “I hear you have a very talented son, who is now at Xinye helping on that rebel Liu Bei against the government. There he is like a jewel in a muck-heap; it is a pity. Supposing you were to call him, I could speak of him before the Emperor, and he might get an important office.”
Cao Cao bade his secretaries bring along the “four precious things of the study,” with which Lady Xun could write to her son.
“What sort of a man is Liu Bei?” asked she.
Cao Cao replied, “A common sort of person from Zhuo, irresponsible enough to style himself Imperial Uncle, and so claiming some sort of connection with the Hans. He is neither trustworthy nor virtuous. People say he is a superior man as far as externals go, but a mean man by nature.”
Lady Xun answered in a hard voice, “Why do you malign him so bitterly? Every one knows he is a descendant of one of the Han princes and so related to the House. He has condescended to take a lowly office and is respectful to all people. He has a reputation for benevolence. Every one, young and old, cowherds and firewood cutters, all know him by name and know that he is the finest and noblest man in the world. If my son is in his service, then has he found a fitting master. You, under the name of a Han minister, are really nothing but a Han rebel. Contrary to all truth you tell me Liu Bei is a rebel, whereby you try to induce me to make my son leave the light for darkness. Are you devoid of all sense of shame?”
As Lady Xun finished speaking, she picked up the inkstone to strike Cao Cao. This so enraged him that he forgot himself and the need for caution and bade the executioners lead off the old woman and put her to death.
Adviser Cheng Yu, however, stopped this act, saying, “This old lady wished to die. But if you kill her, your reputation will be damaged and hers enhanced. Beside that will add a keen desire for revenge to the motives which led Xu Shu to labor in the interest of Liu Bei. You would better keep her here so that Xu Shu's body and his thoughts may be in different places. He can not devote all his energies to helping our enemy while his mother is here. If you keep her, I think I can persuade the son to come and help you.”
So the outspoken old lady was saved. She was given quarters and cared for. Daily Cheng Yu went to ask after her health, falsely claiming to being a sworn brother of her son's, and so entitled to serve her and treat her as a filial son would have done. He often sent her gifts and wrote letters to her so that she had to write in reply. And thereby he learned her handwriting so that he could forge a “home” letter. When he could do this without fear of detection, he wrote one and sent it by the hand of a trusty person to Xinye.
One day a man arrived inquiring for one San Fu; he claimed to have a letter from home for him. The soldiers led the man to San Fu. The man said he was an official carrier of letters and had been told to bring this one. San Fu quickly tore it open and read:
