But Man Chong interposed before the boats could be got ready. He said, “No! No! Though the force of these mountainous waters is great, we only have to wait ten days or so, and the flood will have passed. Though Guan Yu has not assaulted this city, yet he has sent another army to Jiaxia, which indicates he dares not advance lest we should fall upon his rear. Remember, too, that to retire from this city means the abandonment of everything south of the Yellow River. Therefore I decide that you defend this place.”
Cao Ren saluted Man Chong as he concluded his harangue, saying, “What a tremendous error I should have committed had it not been for you, Sir!”
Then riding his white charger he went up on the city walls, gathered his officers around him, and pledged himself not to surrender.
“The Prince's command being to defend this city, I shall defend it to the last. And I shall put to death anyone who even mentions abandonment,” said he.
“And we desire to defend it to out last gasp,” chimed in his officers.
Then they saw to it that the means of offense were good. Many hundreds of archers and crossbowmen were stationed on the wall and kept watch night and day. The old and the young of ordinary people were made to carry earth and stones to strengthen the wall.
After some ten days the flood was at an end. Then the news of Guan Yu's success against the Wei campaign got abroad, and the terror of his name spread wider and wider. About the same time, too, his second son, Guan Xing, came to visit his father in camp. Guan Yu thought this a good opportunity to send his report of success to Capital Chengdu and entrusted to Guan Xing a dispatch mentioning each officer's services and requesting promotion for them. Guan Xing accordingly took leave of his father and left.
After Guan Xing's departure, the army was divided into two halves, one under Guan Yu to attack Fankou, and the other to go to Jiaxia. One day Guan Yu rode over to the north gate. Halting his steed, he pointed with his whip toward the defenders on the wall, and called out, “You lot of rats will not give in then! What are you waiting for?”
Cao Ren, who was among his soldiers on the wall, saw that Guan Yu had no armor on, so he ordered his men to shoot. The archers and bowmen at once sent a great flight of arrows and bolts that way. Guan Yu hastily pulled the reins to retire, but an arrow struck him in the arm. The shock of the blow made him turn in the saddle, and he fell from his horse.
What further befell Guan Yu will be told in the next chapter.
At the sight of Guan Yu falling from his charger, Cao Ren led his army out of the city to follow up with an attack, but Guan Ping drove him off and escorted his father back to camp. There the arrow was extracted, but the arrow head had been poisoned. The wound was deep, and the poison had penetrated to the bone. The right arm was discolored and swollen and useless.
Guan Ping consulted with the other leaders and proposed, saying, “As fighting is impossible for the moment, we should withdraw to Jingzhou, where my father's wound can be treated.”
Having decided upon this, they went to see the wounded warrior.
“What have you come for?” asked Guan Yu when they entered.
“Considering that you, Sir, have been wounded in the right arm, we fear the result of the excitement of battle. Moreover, you can hardly take part in a fight just now, and we therefore propose that the army retire till you are recovered.”
Guan Yu replied angrily, “I am on the point of taking the city, and if I succeed, I must press forward to Capital Xuchang, and destroy that brigand Cao Cao, so that the Hans may be restored to their own. Think you that I can vitiate the whole campaign because of a slight wound? Would you dishearten the army?”
Guan Ping and his colleagues said no more, but somewhat unwillingly withdrew.
Seeing that their leader would not retire and the wound showed no signs of healing, the various generals inquired far and near for a good surgeon to attend their general.
One day a person arrived in a small ship and, having landed and come up to the gate of the camp, was led in to see Guan Ping. The visitor wore a square-cut cap and a loose robe. In his hand he carried a small black bag.
He said, “My name is Hua Tuo, and I belong to Qiao. I have heard of the wound sustained by the famous general and have come to heal it.”
“Surely you must be the physician who treated Zhou Tai in the South Land,” said Guan Ping.
“I am.”
