Now after Sun Quan succeeded to the heritage of his father and brother, he sent far and wide to invite people of ability to aid him. He established lodging places for them in Kuaiji in Wu, and directed Gu Yong and Zhang Hong to welcome and entertain all those who came. And year by year they flocked in, one recommending another. Among them were Kan Ze of Kuaiji; Yan Jun of Pengcheng; Xue Yong of Beishan; Cheng Bing of Runan; Zhu Huan of Wujun; Lu Ji of the same place; Zhang Wen of Wucheng; Luo Tong of Kuaiji; and Wu Can of Wushang; and all these scholars were treated with great deference.
Many able leaders came also. Among them were Lu Meng of Runan; Lu Xun of Wujun; Xu Sheng of Langye; Pan Zhang of Dongjun; and Ding Feng of Lujiang. Thus Sun Quan obtained the assistance of many poeple of ability both in peace and war and all went well with him.
In the seventh year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 202), Cao Cao had broken the power of Yuan Shao. Then he sent a messenger to the South Land ordering Sun Quan to send his son to court to serve in the retinue of the Emperor. Sun Quan, however, hesitated to comply with this request, and the matter was the subject of much discussion. His mother, Lady Wu, sent for Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao and asked their advice.
Zhang Zhao said, “Cao Cao wishes a son to be present at court as a hostage whereby he has a hold upon us, as formerly was the case with all the feudal chiefs. If we do not comply with this request, he will doubtless attack the territory. There is some peril.”
Zhou Yu said, “Our lord has succeeded to the heritage and has a large army of veterans and ample supplies. He has able officers ready to do his bidding, and why should he be compelled to send a hostage to any perosn? To send a hostage is to be forced into joining Cao Cao, and to carry out his behests, whatever they be. Then we shall be in his power. It would be better not to send, but rather to wait patiently the course of events and prepare plans to attack.”
“That is also my opinion,” said the Dowager.
So Sun Quan dismissed the messenger but did not send his son. Cao Cao resented this and had since nourished schemes against the South Land. But their realization had been delayed by the dangers on the north and, so far, no attack had been made.
Late in the eighth year (AD 203), Sun Quan led his armies against Huang Zu and fought on the Great River, where he was successful in several battles. One of Sun Quan's leaders, Ling Cao, led a fleet of light vessels up the river and broke into Xiakou but was killed by an arrow of Gan Ning, a general of Huang Zu. Ling Cao left a son, Ling Tong, fifteen years of age, who led another expedition to recover his father's corpse and was so far successful. After that, as the war was inclined to go against him, Sun Quan returned again to his own country.
Now Sun Quan's younger brother, Sun Yi, was Governor of Dangyang. He was a hard man and given to drink and, in his cups, very harsh to his people, ordering the infliction of severe floggings. Two of his officers, Military Inspector Gui Lan and Secretary Dai Yuan, bore their chief a grudge and sought to assassinate him. They took into their confidence one Bian Hong, of the escort, and the three plotted to kill their master at a great assembly of officials at Dangyang amid the banquets.
Sun Yi's wife, Lady Xu, was skilled in divination, and on the day of the great banquet she cast a most inauspicious lot. Wherefore she besought her husband to stay away from the assembly. But he was obstinate and went. The faithless guardsman followed his master in the dusk when the gathering dispersed, and stabbed him with a dagger.
The two prime movers at once seized Bian Hong and beheaded him in the market place. Then they went to Sun Yi's residence, which they plundered. Gui Lan was taken with the beauty of the dead Governor's wife and told her, “I had avenged the death of your husband, and you must go with me.”
Lady Xu pleaded, saying, “It is too soon after my husband's death to think of remarriage; but as soon as the thirty-day mourning sacrifices are over, I will be yours.”
She thus obtained a respite, which she utilized to send for two old generals of her husband, Sun Gao and Fu Ying. They came and she tearfully told her tale. “My husband had great faith in you. Now Gui Lan and Dai Yuan have compassed his death and have laid the crime on Bian Hong. They have plundered my house and carried off my servants. Worse than this, Gui Lan insists that I shall be his wife. To gain time I have pretended to favor this proposal, and I pray you now send the news to my husband's brother and beg him to slay these two miscreants and avenge this wrong. I will never forget your kindness in this life or the next.”
And she bowed before them.
They wept also and said, “We were much attached to our master; and now that he has come to an untimely end, we must avenge him. Dare we not carry out your behests?”
