But just as the ships were starting, a voice was heard, shouting, “Do not start yet; let me bid my lady farewell.”
The voice was Zhao Yun's; he had just returned from an inspection trip, and they had at once told him of Lady Sun's sudden departure. As soon as he had recovered from his surprise, he dashed down to the river bank like a whirlwind, with only half a dozen followers. He arrived only just in time; the boat was starting, and Zhou Shan stood in the prow, a long spear in his hand.
“Who are you that you dare hinder the movements of your mistress?” cried Zhou Shan.
Zhou Shan bade his soldiers cast off and get under way, and also to prepare their weapons to fight. The ship moved off with a fair wind and a strong current beneath her keel.
But Zhao Yun followed along the bank.
“My lady may go or not as she pleases,” cried he, “but I have one word to say to her.”
Zhou Shan turned a deaf ear and only urged his soldiers to get greater speed on the ship. Zhao Yun followed down the bank for some three or more miles. Then he saw a fishing boat made fast to the bank. He at once dismounted, cast off the rope, took his spear, and leaped into the boat. Then he made the two men row him toward the vessel in which sat Lady Sun.
As he approached, the soldiers of the South Land threatened him with their spears. Thereupon he threw his spear into the bottom of the boat, drew the glittering steel blade he wore, dashed aside the opposing spears, and leaped upon the larger vessel. The guards of the South Land fell back in surprise and fear, and Zhao Yun went down into the body of the ship. There sat Lady Sun with little Liu Shan in her arms.
“Why this rude intrusion?” said she angrily.
The warrior sheathed his sword and said humbly, “Whither may my mistress be going, and why goes she privily?”
“My mother is ill and on the point of death; I had no time to inform any person of my departure,” said Lady Sun.
“But why take the young master if you are going merely to see a sick person?” said Zhao Yun.
“Liu Shan is my son, and I would not leave him behind to be neglected.”
“Mistress, you have acted wrongly. My lord has but this one son of his body, and I rescued the child lord from among many thousand troops of Cao Cao in the great battle at Long Slope Bridge in Dangyang. There is no reason for you to take him away.”
Lady Sun took refuge in anger. “You leave my family affairs alone, you common soldier!” cried she. “My lady, if you will go, then go, but leave the young master behind.”
“You are a rebel, jumping on board the ship like that!” cried Lady Sun.
“If you will not leave the young lord behind, I refuse to let you go, come what may,” said Zhao Yun.
Lady Sun called in her maids to seize him, but he just pushed them off. Then he took the boy from her arms and ran out to the prow of the ship. He tried to get the vessel in to the bank, but no one would aid him, and he thought it would be wrong to begin to slay indiscriminately. He knew not what to do in such a quandary. And Lady Sun was screaming to her maids to take the boy away from him. But he kept too firm a grip on the child, and the good sword in his other hand kept every one at bay.
Zhou Shan was at the helm, giving all his attention to getting the ship out into the current and away down the river. He steered for the middle of the stream, where the wind was strong. Zhao Yun, one hand taken up with holding the boy, was quite unable to get the vessel in toward the shore.
Just as things looked most desperate, Zhao Yun saw a string of ships filing out from a creek lower down the stream, flags fluttering and drums beating. He thought that certainly all was over and he was about to fall a victim to a stratagem of the South Land, when he noticed a mighty warrior standing in the prow of the leading craft. He was armed with a long spear, and it was Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei also shouted, “Sister-in-Law! Leave the child lord.”
Zhang Fei had been out scouting when he heard the news of his sister-in-law's sudden departure, and he at once made for the River Yu with the intention of intercepting her flight. He had arrived just in the nick of time to cut off the ships of the South Land. Very soon, sword in hand, he had boarded the vessel. As Zhang Fei came on board, Zhou Shan drew his sword and advanced toward him, but one sweep of Zhang Fei's blade laid him on the deck dead. And the grim warrior hung his head at the feet of Lady Sun.
“Why this very unseemly behavior?” cried Lady Sun, now quite frightened.
“Sister,” said Zhang Fei, “you thought very little of my brother when you set out on this mad journey. That was behaving rudely.”
“My mother is very ill; it is a matter of life and death,” cried she. “If I had waited for your brother's permission to go, I should have been too late. If you do not let me go now, I will throw myself into the river.”
