This was Ding Feng's army, and the First Ruler was between two foes. In his terror he saw no possibility of safety, no road was open. Just at this moment another cohort broke through to his side and rescued him. The leader was Zhang Bao, and he led the Imperial Guards, who fled, taking the First Ruler with them. As they marched along, they fell in with another force of Shu; the leader was Fu Tong, and he joined up with them. The Wu army was still following when the fugitives reached Saddle Hill. The two leaders, Zhang Bao and Fu Tong, were urging their lord to go to the top of this out of immediate danger. Soon Lu Xun arrived with his army and began to surround the hill. Zhang Bao and Fu Tong held the road up the hill and kept the enemy from ascending. From the summit could be seen flames all around, and the First Ruler witnessed the corpses of his soldiers lay about in heaps or floated in the streams.
Next day, the soldiers of Wu set themselves to firing the hill. The First Ruler's remaining escort fled for their lives like rats, and their lord was in despair. Suddenly he saw a general followed by a few horsemen cutting an arterial alley through and coming up the hill. As he drew nearer the Emperor recognized Guan Xing.
Guan Xing quickly leapt down, prostrated himself and said, “Your Majesty, the fire is gaining all round, and this place is not safe. I request you to try to reach Baidicheng, and as many as possible will gather there.”
“Who will dare stay behind to keep off the enemy?” said the First Ruler.
Fu Tong volunteered, saying, “I will fight to death to guard the rear!”
It was dusk when they started. Guan Xing led the way. They got their lord safely down the hill and away. As soon as the troops of Wu noticed the flight, they pressed forward, each anxious to gain kudos by the capture of the Emperor's person. Great armies of Wu, blotting out the sky and hiding the earth, went westward in pursuit.
The First Ruler ordered his soldiers to make fires of their clothing and other things in the road so as to hinder pursuit.
Zhu Ran marched up from the river to try to intercept the flight, and the noise of his drums was terrifying. The First Ruler thought there was no possibility of escape from this force, and cried, “This is the end!”
His two nephews dashed to the front to try to cut a way through, but returned wounded and bleeding. And the noise of the pursuers came constantly nearer as they found their way along the valleys. About the first glimpse of dawn the case seemed quite desperate. But just at the worst they saw Zhu Ran's soldiers suddenly begin to break up and scatter, tumbling into streams and rolling down precipices. Soon the reason was evident: a fearsome general leading a cohort came to their relief.
Once again the First Ruler was rescued from pressing danger, and this time the rescuer was Zhao Yun. He had been in Jiangzhou, and news of the straits of his lord had reached him there. He had set out forthwith. Then he had seen the glow of the burnings and had marched toward it. And thus he had arrived just at the moment to save his master when danger was most imminent.
As soon as Lu Xun heard that Zhao Yun had appeared, he ordered his troops to stop pursuit and retire. Zhao Yun happening upon Zhu Ran, engaged him forthwith and in the first encounter slew Zhu Ran with a spear thrust. And so the army of Wu were dispersed and retired, and the First Ruler got safely to the wall of Baidicheng.
But on the way thither his thoughts went back to his companions in misfortune, and he inquired after them anxiously.
“Though I am safe, how about the other generals and soldiers?” asked the First Ruler.
“The pursuers are close upon us, and we cannot wait for anything,” said Zhao Yun. “I wish Your Majesty to get into the city as quickly as possible; and while you are reposing yourself, we may try to rescue some of the leaders.”
When the First Ruler entered Baidicheng, he was in sore straits, only having about a hundred men left.
But Fu Tong, who commanded the rearguard, was surrounded by the enemy in all eight directions.
Ding Feng shouted to him, “You would better surrender. Many of the soldiers of Shu have fallen, more have surrendered, and your lord is a prisoner. You have no hope against us with your scanty force.”
But Fu Tong replied, “Shall I, a servant of Han, give in to the cure of Wu?”
