Then Xun You proposed a ruse, saying, “The two strategists on the side of the enemy are Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, two men most difficult to get the better of. Let us send some one who shall pretend to surrender to them but really be a spy on our behalf and a helper in our schemes. When we know what is doing, we can plan to meet it.”
“I had thought of that myself,” replied Cao Cao. “Whom do you think the best person to send?”
“Cai Mao has been put to death, but all his clan and family are in the army, and his two younger brothers are junior generals. You have them most securely in your power and may send them to surrender. The ruler of the South Land will never suspect deceit there.”
Cao Cao decided to act on this plan, and in the evening summoned Cai Zhong and Cai He to his tent, where he told them, saying, “I want you two pretend to surrender to the South Land so that you can gather intelligence and sent it back. When all done, you will be richly rewarded. But do not betray me.”
“Our families are in Jingzhou, and that place is yours,” replied they. “Should we dare betray? You need have no doubts, Sir. You will soon see the heads of both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang at your feet.”
Cao Cao gave them generous gifts; and soon after the two men, each with his five hundred soldiers, set sail with a fair wind for the opposite bank.
Now as Zhou Yu was preparing for the attack, the arrival of some northern ships was announced. They bore the two younger brothers of Cai Mao, who had come as deserters.
They were led in and, bowing before the general, said, weeping, “Our innocent brother has been put to death, and we desire vengeance. So we have come to offer allegiance to you. We pray you appoint us to the vanguard.” Zhou Yu appeared very pleased and made them presents. Then he ordered them to join Gan Ning in leading the van. They thanked him and regarded their scheme as already a success.
But Zhou Yu gave Gan Ning secret orders, saying, “They have come without their families, and so I know their desertion is only pretense. They have been sent as spies, and I am going to meet their ruse with one of my own. They shall have some information to send. You will treat them well, but keep a careful guard over them. On the day our soldiers start the offense, they shall be sacrificed to the flag. But be very careful that nothing goes wrong.”
Gan Ning went away; and Lu Su came to tell Zhou Yu, saying, “Every one agrees in thinking the surrender of Cai Zhong and Cai He feigned and they should be rejected.”
“But they wish to revenge the death of their brother,” said the General. “Where is the pretense? If you are so suspicious, you will receive nobody at all.”
Lu Su left much piqued and went to see Zhuge Liang to whom he told the story. Zhuge Liang only smiled.
“Why do you smile?” said Lu Su.
“I smile at your simplicity. The General is playing a game. Spies cannot easily come and go, so these two have been sent to feign desertion that they may act as spies. The General is meeting one ruse with another. He wants them to give false information. Deceit is not to be despised in war, and his scheme is the correct one to employ.”
Then Lu Su understood. That night as Zhou Yu was sitting in his tent, Huang Gai came to see him privately.
Zhou Yu said, “You have surely some wise plan to propose that you come at night like this.”
Huang Gai replied, “The enemy are more numerous than we, and it is wrong to delay. Why not burn them out?”
“Who suggested that to you?”
“I thought of it myself, nobody suggested it,” replied Huang Gai.
“I just wanted something like this, and that is why I kept those two pretended deserters. I want them to give some false news. The pity is that I have no one to feign desertion to the other side and work my plan.”
“But I will carry out your plan,” said Huang Gai.
“But if you cannot show some injury, you will not be believed,” said Zhou Yu.
“The Sun family have been very generous to me, and I would not resent being crushed to death to repay them,” said Huang Gai.
The General thanked him saying, “If you would not object to some bodily suffering, then our country would indeed be happy.”
“Kill me; I do not mind,” repeated Huang Gai as he took his leave. Next day the drums called all the officers together to the General's tent, and Zhuge Liang came with the others.
Zhou Yu said, “The enemy's camps extend about one hundred miles so that the campaign will be a long one. Each leader is to prepare supplies for three months.”
Scarcely had he spoken when Huang Gai started up, crying, “Say not three months; be ready for thirty months, and even then it will not be ended. If you can destroy them this month then all is well. If you cannot, then it were better to take Zhang Zhao's advice, throw down your weapons, turn to the north and surrender.”
