Then he smacked the table, opened his eyes wide with anger, saying, “Huang Gai is trying to play the personal injury trick on me, is he? And you are in it as the intermediary to present the letter. How dare you come to sport with me?”
Cao Cao ordered the lictors to thrust forth the messenger and take off his head. Kan Ze was hustled out, his face untroubled. On the contrary, he laughed aloud. At this Cao Cao told them to bring him back and harshly said to him, “What do you find to laugh at now that I have foiled you and your ruse has failed?”
“I was not laughing at you; I was laughing at my friend's simplicity.”
“What do you mean by his simplicity?”
“If you want to slay, slay; do not trouble me with a multitude of questions.”
“I have read all the books on the art of war, and I am well versed in all ways of misleading the enemy. This ruse of yours might have succeeded with many, but it will not do for me.”
“And so you say that the letter is a vicious trick?” said Kan Ze.
“What I say is that your little slip has sent you to the death you risked. If the thing was real and you were sincere, why does not the letter name a time of coming over? What have you to say to that?”
Kan Ze waited to the end and then laughed louder than ever, saying, “I am so glad you are not frightened but can still boast of your knowledge of the books of war. Now you will not lead away your soldiers. If you fight, Zhou Yu will certainly capture you. But how sad to think I die at the hand of such an ignorant fellow!”
“What mean you? I, ignorant?”
“You are ignorant of any strategy and a victim of unreason; is not that sufficient?”
“Well then, tell me where is any fault.”
“You treat wise people too badly for me to talk to you. You can finish me and let there be an end of it.” “If you can speak with any show of reason, I will treat you differently.”
“Do you not know that when one is going to desert one's master and become a renegade, one cannot say exactly when the chance will occur? If one binds one's self to a fixed moment and the thing cannot be done just then, the secret will be discovered. One must watch for an opportunity and take it when it comes. Think: is it possible to know exactly when? But you know nothing of common sense; all you know is how to put good humans to death. So you really are an ignorant fellow!”
At this Cao Cao changed his manner, got up, and came over to the prisoner bowing, “I did not see clearly; that is quite true. I offended you, and I hope you will forget it.”
“The fact is that Huang Gai and I are both inclined to desert to you; we even yearn for it as a child desires its parents. Is it possible that we should play you false?”
“If you two could render me so great a service, you shall certainly be richly rewarded.”
“We do not desire rank or riches; we come because it is the will of Heaven and the plain way of duty.”
Then wine was set out, and Kan Ze was treated as an honored guest. While they were drinking, some one came in and whispered in Cao Cao's ear. He replied, “Let me see the letter.”
Whereupon the man pulled out and gave him a letter, which evidently pleased him.
“That is from the two Cai brothers,” thought Kan Ze. “They are reporting the punishment of my friend, and that will be a proof of the sincerity of his letter.”
Turning toward Kan Ze, Cao Cao said, “I must ask you to return to settle the date with your friend; as soon as I know, I will have a force waiting.”
“I cannot return; pray, Sir, send some other one you can trust.”
“If some one else should go, the secret would be discovered.”
Kan Ze refused again and again but at last gave way, saying, “If I am to go, I must not wait here; I must be off at once.”
Cao Cao offered him gold and silks, which were refused. Kan Ze started, left the camp, and reembarked for the south bank, where he related all that had happened to Huang Gai.
“If it had not been for your persuasive tongue, then had I undergone this suffering in vain,” said Huang Gai.
“I will now go to get news of the two Cai brothers,” said Kan Ze.
“Excellent,” said Huang Gai.
Kan Ze went to the camp commanded by Gan Ning; and when they were seated, Kan Ze said to his host, “I was much distressed when I saw how disgracefully you were treated for your intercession on behalf of Huang Gai.”
Gan Ning smiled. Just then the two Cai brothers came, and host and guest exchanged glances. Gan Ning said, “The truth is Zhou Yu is over confident, and he reckons us as nobody. We count for nothing. Every one is talking of the way I was insulted.”
And he shouted and gritted his teeth and smacked the table in his wrath.
Kan Ze leaned over toward his host and said something in a very low voice, at which Gan Ning bent his head and sighed.
Cai He and Cai Zhong gathered from this scene that both Gan Ning and Kan Ze were ripe for desertion and determined to probe them.
“Why, Sir, do you anger him? Why not be silent about your injuries?” said they.
“What know you of our bitterness?” said Kan Ze.
