A burst of applause greeted the song. By this time it was getting late, and the guest begged to be excused.
“The wine is too much for me,” said Jiang Gan.
His host bade them clear the table; and as all the others left, Zhou Yu said, “It has been many a day since I shared a couch with my friend, but we will do so tonight.”
Putting on the appearance of irresponsible intoxication, he led Jiang Gan into the tent and they went to bed. Zhou Yu simply fell, all dressed as he was, and lay there emitting uncouth grunts and groans, so that to the guest sleep was impossible.
Jiang Gan lay and listened to the various camp noises without and his host's thunderous snores within. About the second watch he rose and looked at his friend by the dim light of the small lamp. He also saw on the table a heap of papers, and coming out and looking at them furtively, he saw they were letters. Among them he saw one marked as coming from Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, Cao Cao's Supreme Admiral and Vice-Admiral. He read it and this is what it said:
“Those two were connected with the South Land in the beginning,” thought Jiang Gan, so he secreted the letter in his dress and began to examine the others. But at that moment Zhou Yu turned over, and so Jiang Gan hastily blew out the light and went to his couch. Zhou Yu was muttering as he lay there as if dreaming, saying, “Friend, I am going to let you see Cao Cao's head in a day or two.”
Jiang Gan hastily made some reply to load on his host to say more. Then came, “Wait a few days; you will see Cao Cao's head. The old wretch!”
Jiang Gan tried to question him as to what he meant, but Zhou Yu was fast asleep and seemed to hear nothing. Jiang Gan lay there on his couch wide awake till the fourth watch was beating.
Then some one came in, saying, “General, are you awake?”
At that moment as if suddenly awakened from the deepest slumber, Zhou Yu started up and said, “Who is this on the couch?”
The voice replied, “Do you not remember, General? You asked your old friend to stay the night with you; it is he, of course.”
“I drank too much last night,” said Zhou Yu in a regretful tone, “and I forgot. I seldom indulge to excess and am not used to it. Perhaps I said many things I ought not.”
The voice went on, “A man has arrived from the north.”
“Speak lower,” said Zhou Yu, and turning toward the sleeper, he called him by name. But Jiang Gan affected to be sound asleep and made no sign.
Zhou Yu crept out of the tent, while Jiang Gan listened with all his ears. He heard the man say, “Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, the two commanders, have come.”
But listening as he did with straining ears, he could not make out what followed. Soon after Zhou Yu reentered and again called out his companion's name. But no reply came, for Jiang Gan was pretending to be in the deepest slumber and to hear nothing. Then Zhou Yu undressed and went to bed.
As Jiang Gan lay awake, he remembered that Zhou Yu was known to be meticulously careful in affairs, and if in the morning Zhou Yu found that a letter had disappeared, he would certainly slay the offender. So Jiang Gan lay there till near daylight and then called out to his host. Getting no reply, he rose, dressed, and stole out of the tent. Then he called his servant and made for the camp gate.
“Whither are you going, Sir?” said the watchmen at the gate.
“I fear I am in the way here,” replied Jiang Gan, “and so I have taken leave of the Commander-in-Chief for a time. So do not stop me.”
He found his way to the river bank and reembarked. Then, with flying oars, he hastened back to Cao Cao's camp. When he arrived, Cao Cao asked at once how he had sped, and he had to acknowledge failure.
