This also was agreed to. Next morning Zhang Ren went out to offer the challenge, his troops waving flags and shouting lustily. At once Zhang Fei took up the challenge and rode out. He stayed not to parley, but galloped up to Zhang Ren and engaged him. After about ten bouts Zhang Ren seemed to be getting worsted, so he turned and fled, taking the way around the north of the city. Zhang Fei pursued him with all speed. Then as he passed the gate, Wu Yi made a sortie so that Zhang Fei was between two forces and unable to get clear. Zhang Ren turned back to attack.
Zhang Fei seemed in a parlous state. But at this very moment a body of soldiers came up from the river-side and a fierce warrior rode straight for Wu Yi, and in the first bout made him prisoner; his troops were then forced back, and Zhang Fei was free. It was Zhao Yun who had so opportunely appeared.
“Where is the Directing Instructor?” asked Zhang Fei.
“He has arrived; I think he has already seen our lord,” replied Zhao Yun.
The prisoner was carried to the camp where Zhuge Liang was. Zhang Fei dismounted and went in to greet him.
Zhuge Liang was surprised, and said, “How comes it that you arrived before me?”
Liu Bei told the story of Zhang Fei's prudence and sagacity in dealing with Yan Yan.
Zhuge Liang congratulated Zhang Fei and said, “When Zhang Fei behaves with such skill, my lord's good fortune is indeed ample.”
When the prisoner was taken in, Liu Bei asked him if he would surrender.
Wu Yi replied, “Why not, seeing I am a prisoner?”
Thereupon Liu Bei himself loosed his bonds. Zhuge Liang began to question him upon the defense.
Wu Yi told him the names of the officers, saying, “The son of the Imperial Protector, Liu Xun, and his generals Liu Gui and Zhang Ren are the defenders. Liu Gui does not count for much, but Zhang Ren is a man to be avoided.” “Then before we can get the city we must capture Zhang Ren,” said Zhuge Liang. “There is a bridge on the east; what is it called?”
“It is known as the 'Bridge of the Golden Goose.'“
Zhuge Liang rode over to the bridge and scrutinized the neighborhood.
After his return to camp, he summoned Huang Zhong and Wei Yan for orders.
To them he said, “On the east of the city is a bridge called the Bridge of the Golden Goose, and about two miles south of this I saw a dense growth of reed and sedge which would afford excellent shelter. Wei Yan is to lead a thousand spearmen to the left and attack, but only attack horsemen. Huang Zhong will lead a thousand swordsmen who are to cut the horses. When Zhang Ren has lost most of his troops and horses, he will flee by the hill road, where he will fall into an ambush of Zhang Fei.”
Next Zhao Yun was called and sent to lie in ambush close to the bridge, which he was to destroy as soon as the enemy had crossed. That done, Zhao Yun was to take up a position beyond the bridge to prevent the enemy from getting away to the north. Forced to the south, their destruction would be inevitable.
These arrangements made, Zhuge Liang himself went to challenge the enemy and try to bring them to battle.
Imperial Protector Liu Zhang had sent two generals, Zhang Yi and Zhuo Ying, to reinforce Zhang Ren. Zhang Ren sent Zhang Yi to the help of Liu Gui in the city, while Zhuo Ying was to march second with Zhang Ren himself to encounter the enemy.
Zhuge Liang led across the bridge a mob of disorderly looking soldiers, all in disarray, whom he drew up as if they were a fighting force. He himself, dressed in a simple robe and toying with a fan, took his seat in a small four-wheeled carriage. A few horsemen caracoling gaily to and fro formed his escort.
Having crossed the bridge, Zhuge Liang halted and pointed to Zhang Ren, saying, “Dare you withstand me and not surrender when Cao Cao's million troops fled at my name?”
But the enemy leader was rather occupied with inspecting the disorderly lot of soldiers he saw in front, all standing anyhow and not drawn up into formation at all.
With a cynical smile, Zhang Ren said, “People talk of Zhuge Liang's superhuman military genius; I say his reputation is false.”
With that Zhang Ren whirled his spear about his head, and he dashed forward with all his troops. As he came, Zhuge Liang left his carriage, mounted a horse, and retired to the far side of the bridge. Zhang Ren impetuously pursued and rushed over the Bridge of the Golden Goose. It was only when he had reached the other side that he saw a body of soldiers on either hand. Then he knew that he had been led into a trap.
