Then rose Xu Huang and said, “O Prime Minister, you have a large force here, and the enemy are strongly posted beyond the Pass. This means that on the west side of River Wei they are unprepared. If you can get an army secretly across the river and block the ferry, you will cut off their retreat; and if you can smite them on the north side of the river, they can get no reinforcements and must fail.”
“What you propose is just what I think,” said Cao Cao.
So Xu Huang was placed over four thousand troops, and with Zhu Ling, marched to the west of River Wei and hid in the gullies. They were to wait till Cao Cao crossed the river to the north so that both could strike together. Then Cao Cao ordered Cao Hong to prepare boats and rafts at the Reed Ferry. Cao Ren was left in command of the camps.
Cao Cao himself crossed River Wei, and when Ma Chao heard of the new military movements, he said, “I understand. The Pass is left, rafts are being prepared; that means that he is going to cross to the north side and cut off my retreat. I must coast along the river and keep him off. If I can do that, his food will run short within twenty days, and that will cause a mutiny. I will travel along the south bank and attack.”
Han Sui did not approve this plan. He quoted the military maxim to strike when troops were half over the river.
“Attack from the south bank when his army is in the act of crossing, and his army will be drowned in the river,” said he.
“Uncle, your words are good,” replied Ma Chao. And the spies went forth to find out the time of crossing the river.
When Cao Cao's preparations were complete and all was ready, he sent three parties of soldiers over the river first. They reached the ferry at the first sign of dawn, and the veterans were sent over first and lay out a camp. Cao Cao and his guard took up station on the south bank to watch the crossing.
Very soon the sentinels reported, “A general dressed all in white is approaching.”
Everyone knew it must be Ma Chao. This terrified them and they made a rush to get into the boats. The river bank became a scene of shouting men struggling who could first embark. Cao Cao sat watching and never stirred. He only issued orders to stop the confusion. Meanwhile, the yelling of the troops and the neighing of the horses of the approaching army came nearer and nearer. Suddenly a general jumped out of one of the boats and shouted to Cao Cao: “The rebels are close! Get into a boat, O Prime Minister.”
“The rebels are near; why not?” replied Cao Cao simply to the speaker, who was Xu Chu. And he turned round to look at them.
As a fact Ma Chao was very close, not a hundred paces away, and Xu Chu laid hold of Cao Cao and dragged him down the bank. The boat had already pushed off and was ten spans from the bank, but Xu Chu took Cao Cao on his back and leaped on board. The boat was small and in danger of being overturned, wherefore Xu Chu drew his sword and chopped away at the hands clinging to the side so that the soldiers fell back into the water.
The boat went down stream, Xu Chu standing in the prow poling as hard as he could. His master crouched out of sight at his feet.
When Ma Chao saw tile boat in midstream drifting down with the current, he took his bow and arrows and began to shoot. He also ordered his brave generals to go along the river and shoot so that a shower of arrows fell about the boat. Xu Chu fearing Cao Cao would be wounded, protected him with a saddle which he held over him with his left hand, for Ma Chao's shooting was not in vain. Many of the soldiers working the boat were wounded. Some had fallen overboard, while more lay in the bottom of the boat. The boat itself got out of control and was whirled hither and thither by the current. Xu Chu straddled over the tiller and tried thus to guide the boat while he poled with one hand and with the other held the protecting saddle over Cao Cao's head.
Then the Magistrate of Weinan, Ding Fei, who from a hill top saw that Cao Cao was very closely pressed, even in danger of his life, drove out from his camp all the cattle and horses there, so that they scattered over the hillside. This was too much for the born Qiang herdsmen of the plains. At sight of the beasts, they left the river and ran off to secure the cattle. Nor had they any inclination to pursue their enemy.
And so Cao Cao escaped. As soon as they reached the northern shore, the boat was scuttled. The rumor had spread that Cao Cao was on the river and in danger, so all his officers came to his aid. But he was now safe on shore. Xu Chu's double armor was stuck full of arrows. The officers escorted Cao Cao to the camp where they made their obeisance and expressed the hope that he had not suffered seriously.
“The rebels very nearly caught me today,” said he smiling.
“They would have got across the river had they not been enticed away by the freeing of the cattle and horses.” said Xu Chu.
“Who was it that drew them off?” said Cao Cao.
