The plan of the attack upon Yangzhou was the next matter for discussion. The Imperial Protector, Liu Yao, was of Donglai, a scion of the imperial family and brother of the Imperial Protector of Yanzhou, Liu Dai. Liu Yao had long ruled in Yangzhou and headquartered in Shouchun. But Yuan Shu had forced him to flee to the southeast of the Great River. He retired to Que and now was battling with Wu Jing in Linyang.
Hearing of the meditated attack on him, Liu Yao summoned his generals to take counsel.
Said General Zhang Ying, “I will take an army and entrench at Niuzhu. No army can get past that, whatever its strength.”
Zhang Ying was interrupted by another who shouted, “And let me lead the van!”
All eyes turned to this man; it was Taishi Ci who, after helping Kong Rong raise the siege of Beihai, had come to serve Liu Yao.
Hearing him offer to undertake the hazardous post of van leader, Liu Yao said, “But you are still young and not yet equal to such a charge. Rather stay by my side and await my orders.”
Taishi Ci withdrew in disappointment. Soon Zhang Ying led his army to Niuzhu, where the stores of grain located. When Sun Ce approached, Zhang Ying went to meet him, and the two armies faced each other above the Bullock Rapid. Zhang Ying roundly abused his opponent, and Huang Gai rode out to attack him. But before the combat had proceeded far, there arose an alarm of fire in Zhang Ying's camp. Zhang Ying turned back, and then Sun Ce advanced in full force, compelling the enemy to abandon their possession. The defeated general fled to the hills.
Now the incendiaries who had brought about this result were two, named Jiang Qin from Shouchun and Zhou Tai from Jiujiang, who in these turbulent times had got together a band of kindred spirits and lived by plundering the country along the Great River. They knew Sun Ce by reputation as a man who treated able people very liberally and wished to join him. So they came with their band, three hundred strong, and helped him in this way as an introduction. Sun Ce welcomed them and gave the leaders rank. After taking possession of the stores of all kinds abandoned by the runaways, and enlisting four thousand of those who surrendered into his own ranks, Sun Ce moved forward to attack Shenting.
After his defeat Zhang Ying returned to his master and told his misfortune. Liu Yao was going to punish his failure by death, but listened to his advisers, who asked for mercy for the unfortunate man, and sent him to command the garrison in Lingling. Liu Yao himself set out to meet the invaders. He camped south of the Sacred Hills. Sun Ce camped on the opposite side of the hills.
Sun Ce inquired the natives, “Is there a temple of Liu Xiu the Founder of Latter Hans in the vicinity?” They said, “There is a temple to the south on the summit of the hills.”
“I dreamed last night that Liu Xiu called me, so I will go and pray there,” said Sun Ce.
But Counselor Zhang Zhao advised, “My lord, you should not go as the enemy is on the other side, and you may fall into an ambush.”
“The spirit will help me; what need I fear?”
So Sun Ce put on his armor, took his spear and mounted, taking with him twelve of his commanders as an escort. They rode up the hills, dismounted, burned incense, and they all bowed in the shrine.
Then Sun Ce knelt and made a vow, saying, “If I, Sun Ce, succeed in my task and restore the authority of my late father, then will I restore this temple and order sacrifices at the four seasons.”
When they had remounted, Sun Ce said, “I am going to ride along the ridge and reconnoiter the enemy's position.”
His commanders begged him to refrain, but he was obstinate, and they rode there together, noting the villages below.
A soldier of the other side going along a bye road quickly reported the presence of horsemen on the ridge, and Liu Yao said, “It is certainly Sun Ce trying to inveigle us to battle. But do not go out.”
Taishi Ci jumped up, saying, “What better chance to capture him?”
So, without orders he armed himself and rode through the camp, crying, “If there be any valiant people among you, follow me!”
No one moved save a subaltern who said, “He is a valiant man and I will go with him.”
So he also went. The others only laughed at the pair.
Now having seen all he wished, Sun Ce thought it time to return and wheeled round his horse. But when he was going over the summit, some one shouted, “Stay, Sun Ce!”
Sun Ce turned; two horsemen were coming at full speed down the next hill. Sun Ce halted and drew up his little escort right and left, he himself with his spear ready.
“Which is Sun Ce?” shouted Taishi Ci.
“Who are you?” was the reply.
“I, Taishi Ci of Laihuang, come to take him prisoner.”
“Then I am he,” said Sun Ce, laughing. “Come both of you together; I am not afraid of you. If I were, I should not be Sun Ce.”
