As day dawned, Guan Yu and his marines came along in large boats with flags flying and drums beating. Yu Jin saw no way of escape, and his following was reduced to about fifty or sixty soldiers. They all said they must surrender. Guan Yu made them strip and then took them on board.
After that he went to capture Pang De, who was standing on a hillock with Dong Heng, Dong Chao, Cheng He, and his five hundred troops, all unarmed. Pang De saw his archenemy approach without a sign of fear, and even went boldly to meet him. Guan Yu surrounded the party with his boats, and the archers began to shoot. When more than half the troops had been struck down, the survivors became desperate. Dong Heng and Dong Chao pressed their chief to give in, saying, “We have lost more than half of our men. Surrender is the only course.”
But Pang De only raged, saying, “I have received great kindness from the Prince; think you that I will bow the head to any other?”
Pang De cut down Dong Heng and Dong Chao right in the battlefield and then shouted, “Anyone who says surrender shall be as these two.”
So the survivors made a desperate effort to beat off their enemies, and they held their own up to midday. Then Guan Yu's marines redoubled their efforts, and the arrows and stones rained down upon the defenders, who fought desperately hand to hand with their assailants. “The valorous leader fears death less than desertion; the brave warrior does not break faith to save his life,” cried Pang De. “This is the day of my death, but I will fight on to the last. And you, General, should fight to your end, too.”
So Cheng He pressed on till he fell into the water by an arrow of Guan Yu, and then the soldiers yielded.
Pang De fought on. Then one of the boats happened to close in to the bank. With a tremendous leap Pang De lighted on it and slashed at the marines, killing ten of them. The others jumped overboard and swam away. Then Pang De one hand still holding his sword, tried to maneuver the boat across the river to Fankou. Then there came drifting down a raft, which collided with and upset his boat so that he was struggling in the water. But a general on the raft jumped into the water, gripped him, put him on the boat again.
The captor was Zhou Cang, a skillful waterman who, having lived in Jingzhou for many years, was thoroughly expert in boat navigation. Beside, he was very powerful and so was able to make Pang De a prisoner.
In this flood perished the whole of the seven armies, except the few that saved themselves by swimming; these latter, having no way of escape, surrendered to the victors.
Guan Yu then returned to the higher ground, where his tent was pitched and therein took his seat to receive his prisoners. The lictors brought up Yu Jin, who prostrated himself humbly.
“How dared you think to oppose me? To execute you would be like killing a hog. It would be soiling weapons for nothing,” said Guan Yu, stroking his beard.
Yu Jin was hound and sent to the prison in Jingzhou.
“I will decide your fate when I return,” said Guan Yu.
The general having thus dealt with the chief, Pang De was sent for. He came, pride and anger flashing from his eyes; he did not kneel but stood boldly erect.
“You have a brother in Hanzhong, and your old chief was Ma Chao, also in high honor in Shu. Would you not better join them?”
“Rather than surrender to you, I would perish beneath the sword,” cried Pang De.
He reviled his captors without ceasing till, losing patience at last, Guan Yu sent him to his death. Pang De was beheaded. He stretched out his neck for the headsman's sword. Out of pity he was honorably buried.
The floods were still out, and taking advantage of them, the troops of Jingzhou boarded the boats to move toward Fankou, which now stood out as a mere island with waves breaking against the walls.
The force of the waters being great, the city wall was beginning to give way, and the whole population, male and female, were carrying mud and bricks to strengthen it. Their efforts seemed vain, and the leaders of Cao Cao's army were very desperate.
Some of the generals went to see Cao Ren, who said, “No ordinary person's strength can fend off today's danger. If we can hold out till nightfall, we may escape by boat. We shall lose the city, but we shall save our skins.”
