“But if you fail, what then?”
“Then I shall be content to pay the penalty according to military rules.”
Cao Hong made him put his undertaking in writing, and then Zhang He marched to the attack.
The following chapter will tell how Zhang He fared.
Zhang He's army, with which he felt so sure of victory, consisted of thirty thousand troops, and they were in three camps — Camp Dangqu, Camp Mengtou, and Camp Dangshi — which were protected by the hills. When Zhang He marched, he left half the soldiers in each camp as defenders.
The news soon reached Baxi, and Zhang Fei called in his colleague Lei Tong to give his opinion.
Lei Tong said, “The country is bad and the hills full of danger in the area of Langzhong; let us lay an ambush. You, O General, go out to give battle, and I will help you by a sudden and unexpected attack. We ought to get Zhang He.”
Whereupon Zhang Fei gave five thousand troops to Lei Tong, and himself led out ten thousand troops to a point ten miles from Langzhong. Having set them in order, he rode out and challenge Zhang He to single combat. Zhang He galloped out to meet him.
After the thirtieth or so bout, Zhang He's ranks suddenly began to shout and soon showed signs of confusion. The reason was the appearance of the banners of Shu from the cover of some hills. Zhang He dared not continue to fight, and he fled. Zhang Fei pursued him. Lei Tong also appeared in his road and attacked, and so, with enemies on both sides, Zhang He forced his way out and lost the day. Both Zhang Fei and Lei Tong continued to smite him, even into the night, till he got back to his camp at Dangqu.
Zhang He reverted to his old plan of defending the three camps, rolling down logs and hurling stones. But he remained behind his defenses. Zhang Fei made a camp three miles off.
Next day Zhang Fei went forth and offered battle, but Zhang He took no notice. Zhang He ascended to the summit of the hill and drank wine to the accompaniment of trumpets and drums, but he would not fight. Zhang Fei bade his soldiers shout insults, but these had no effect. Lei Tong was sent up the hill, but the rolling logs and hurtling stones forced him to retire. Then the defenders of the other two camps came out to the attack, and Lei Tong was discomfited.
Next day Zhang Fei again offered battle, but there was no response. Again the soldiers yelled every form of insult, but Zhang He from the hill top only replied by similar abuse.
Zhang Fei was at his wits' ends; and this game was played for more than fifty days.
Then Zhang Fei made a strong stockade just in front of the hill, and therein he sat day after day drinking till he became half drunk. And when he was so, he reviled his opponent.
About this time Liu Bei sent gifts to the army, and when the messenger went back, he told Liu Bei that his brother was giving himself over to wine. This made Liu Bei anxious, so he lost no time in asking advice from Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Liang was jocular, saying, “Since that is so, let us send him fifty vessels of the best brew of Chengdu. He probably has but poor stuff in the camp.”
“But he has always had a weakness for wine, and he has failed because of it. Yet you would encourage him to drink by sending him more wine?”
“My lord, is it that you do not understand your brother even after all these years? He is brave and steady, yet when we first invaded the Western Land of Rivers, he released Yan Yan, which was not what a mere brave would have done. He is face to face with Zhang He, and has been for nearly two months, and day after day he drinks and rages and insults his enemy openly. He treats Zhang He with most perfect contempt. But this is not only the wine-cup; it is a deep plan to get the better of Zhang He.”
“This may be so,” replied Liu Bei, “but let us not rely upon it too much. Let Wei Yan go to help him.”
Zhuge Liang sent Wei Yan with the wine, and the carts set out, each flying a yellow flag with a writing in large characters: “Fine Wine for the Frontier Army”.
When Wei Yan reached the army, he handed over the wine, which he said was a gift from the Lord of Shu. And Zhang Fei received it with due respect.
Zhang Fei told Wei Yan and Lei Tong each to take a thousand troops and move out on the two wings, ready to act when they saw a red flag displayed. And then he had the wine laid out and called up some soldiers to drink with a great display of flags and a rolling of drums.
The spies reported all these doings on the hill-top, and Zhang He came out to look for himself. There he saw his opponent drinking, and two of the soldiers were boxing before Zhang Fei for his amusement.
“He despises me too much,” said Zhang He.
