When they drew near the county of Bazhou, the scouts of the Western Land of Rivers sent out by the Governor of that place informed their master, Yan Yan. This Yan Yan was one of the famous generals of Yiazhou, and even then, although he was rather old, he had lost none of his boldness and could still pull the stiffest bow and wield the heaviest sword. Being so famous, Yan Yan was not the man to surrender at the first approach of an enemy. So when Zhang Fei came near, he cautiously encamped about three miles from the city. Thence he sent a messenger to summon the Governor to surrender.
Zhang Fei said, “Tell the old fool to give in, or I will trample down his walls and leave no soul alive.”
Yan Yan had never favored inviting Liu Bei into Yiazhou. When he had first heard of the Imperial Protector's intention, he said, “This is like calling a tiger to protect one when one is alone on a bare hill side.” When he heard of the seizure of River Fu Pass, he was very angry and offered again and again to lead an army and drive out the aggressors. He had feared that his city would be attacked along this very road, so he had prepared his army, and when Zhang Fei's message came, he mustered them, five thousand or so, to oppose him.
Then a certain person said to Yan Yan, “You must be careful how you oppose a man who by the mere sound of his voice scared the many legions of Cao Cao at Long Slope Bridge. Even Cao Cao himself was careful to keep out of his way. Your safety is in defense, lying behind your ramparts and within your deep moats till hunger shall have vanquished your enemies. This Zhang Fei has a very violent temper; and if he is provoked, he vents his anger in flogging his soldiers. If you avoid battle, he will be irritated; and his cruelty to his soldiers will cause them to mutiny. Then you can attack and will succeed.”
Yan Yan thought the advice good. He therefore resolved only to defend, and he set all his soldiers on the walls. When one of Zhang Fei's soldiers came up to the gate and shouted for them to open, Yan Yan gave orders to open the gate and admit the man. When the soldier had come within, he gave the message as has been related before.
But the Governor was exceedingly angry and said, “Fool that you are! How dare you speak thus to me? Think you that I, General Yan Yan, will surrender to such as him. By your mouth indeed will I send a message.”
Then Yan Yan bade the executioner cut off the man's ears and nose. And thus mutilated he returned to Zhang Fei. When Zhang Fei heard of it, his wrath boiled up and he cursed the defender of the city. Grinding his teeth and glaring with rage, he put on his armor, mounted his steed, and went up close to the walls with a few mounted followers, and challenged those on the ramparts to fight him. But the defenders on the walls only replied with shameful abuse, and none accepted the challenge. Zhang Fei galloped again and again to the drawbridge, only to be driven off each time with flights of arrows. But not a man came outside the walls. As the day closed in, the warrior, still fuming with wrath, returned to his own camp.
Next day Zhang Fei again led his troops to the foot of the wall and challenged; again the challenge was refused. But Yan Yan shot an arrow from the tower that struck Zhang Fei's helmet. This angered him still more, and pointing the finger of disdain at his enemy, Zhang Fei cried, “I will capture you yet, you old fool, and then I will devour your flesh!”
So again at eventide the troops of Jingzhou returned to camp bucking their desire. On the third day Zhang Fei and his troops made the circuit of the city along the edge of the moat, hurling insults at their enemies.
It so happened that the city was set on a hill with rugged heights all round, so that going around it the assailants were sometimes on hill tops and sometimes on the level. While standing on one of the hills, Zhang Fei noticed that he could see clear down into the city. There stood the defenders in their ranks, all ready for battle although none of them came out. And the common people went to and fro carrying bricks and bringing stones to strengthen the defenses. Then Zhang Fei ordered his horsemen to dismount and his footmen to sit down so that they could not be seen from the city. He hoped thus to cheat the defenders into thinking that there were none to attack and so induce them to come out. But this also was vain, for still the defenders declined battle, and another day was lost. The army once more returned to camp.
