But Liu Bei was far from feeling comfortable. They arrived and the ships were made fast. This done, the time had come for the first of the silken bags to be opened. And so it was; and thereupon Zhao Yun gave each of his five hundred guards his instructions, and they went their several ways. Next Zhao Yun told Liu Bei what he was to do: to pay his visit first to the State Patriarch Qiao, who was the father-in-law of Sun Ce and of Zhou Yu.
The State Patriarch Qiao resided in Nanxu and to his house, leading sheep and bearing wine jars, went the bridegroom elect. Having made his obeisance, Liu Bei explained that as Lu Fan had arranged, he had come to marry a wife.
In the meantime the five hundred guards, all in gala dress, had scattered over the city place buying all sorts of things, as they said, for the wedding of Liu Bei with the daughter of the Sun House. They spread the news far and wide and the whole town talked about it.
When Sun Quan heard of Liu Bei's arrival, he bade Lu Fan wait upon him and take him to the guest-house. Meanwhile the State Patriarch Qiao went to the Dowager Marchioness, mother of Sun Quan, to congratulate her on the happy event.
“What happy event?” ejaculated the old lady.
“The betrothal of your beloved daughter to Liu Bei. And he has arrived too, as surely you know.”
“My poor old self does not know;” said the Dowager, “I have heard nothing of all this.”
She at once summoned her son and also sent her servants out into the town to see what was going about. They quickly returned to say: “The whole city know of the coming wedding, and the bridegroom is now at the guest-house. Moreover, he has come with a large escort, and they are spending freely, buying pork and mutton and fruits, all in readiness for the wedding feasting. Lu Fan and Sun Qian are the intermediaries on each side, and they are in the guest-house too.”
The Dowager Marchioness was terribly taken aback and upset so that, when Sun Quan arrived, he found his mother beating her breast and weeping bitterly.
“What has disturbed you, Mother?” asked he.
“What you have just done,” said she. “You have treated me as a nonentity. When my elder sister lay dying, what did she tell you?”
Sun Quan began to be frightened, but he said boldly, “Please speak out plainly, Mother; what is this great sorrow?”
“When a son is grown he takes a wife, and when a girl is old enough she goes to her husband. And that is right and proper. But I am the mother, and you ought to have told me that your sister was to become the wife of Liu Bei. Why did you keep me in the dark? It was my place to promise her in marriage.”
“Whence comes this story?” said the Marquis, really much frightened.
“Do you pretend ignorance? There is not a soul in the city who does not know! But you have succeeded in keeping me in the dark.”
“I heard it several days ago,” said the State Patriarch Qiao. “And I came just now to offer my felicitations.”
“There is no such thing,” said Sun Quan. “It is just one of the ruses of Zhou Yu to get hold of Jingzhou. He has used this means to inveigle Liu Bei here and hold him captive till Jingzhou is restored to us. And if they will not give it back, then Liu Bei will be put to death. That is the plot. There is no real marriage.”
But the Dowager was in a rage and vented her wrath in abusing Zhou Yu.
She said, “Zhou Yu is a pretty sort of governor over the six territories and eighty-one counties if he cannot find any means of recovering one region except making use of my child as a decoy. Truly this is a fine deed, to spoil the whole of my child's life and condemn her to perpetual widowhood, because he wants to use the fair damsel ruse to slay a man! Who will ever come to talk of marriage with her after this?”
Said the State Patriarch Qiao, “By this means you may indeed recover Jingzhou, but you will be a shameful laughing stock to all the world. What can be done?”
Sun Quan had nothing to say; he could only hang his head, while the Dowager abused his general.
The State Patriarch Qiao tried to soothe her, saying, “After all Liu Bei, the Imperial Uncle, is a scion of the reigning family. You can do nothing better now than to welcome him as a son-in-law and not let this ugly story get abroad.”
“I am afraid their ages do not match,” interposed Sun Quan.
“Liu Bei is a very famous man,” said the State Patriarch Qiao. “There can be no shame in having such a son-in-law.”
“I have never seen him,” said the Dowager. “Arrange that I may get a look at him tomorrow at the Sweet Dew Temple. If he displeases me, you may work your will on him. But if I am satisfied with him, then I shall simply let the girl marry him.”
Now Sun Quan was above all things filial and at once agreed to what his mother said. He went out, called in Lu Fan, and told him to arrange a banquet for the morrow at the temple so that the Dowager Marchioness might see the bridegroom.
“Why not order Jia Hua to station some men in the wings of the temple? Then if the Dowager be not pleased, we can call them out and fall upon him,” said Lu Fan.
Accordingly the ambush was prepared and five hundred ruffians posted to act as the Dowager's attitude might determine.
When the State Patriarch Qiao took his leave and had reached his house, he sent to tell Liu Bei, saying, “Tomorrow the Marquis and the Dowager Marchioness wished to see you. So be careful!”
Liu Bei and his faithful henchman discussed their plans.
Zhao Yun said, “The morrow bodes rather ill than well. However, your escort shall be there.”
Next day the Dowager Marchioness and the State Patriarch Qiao went to the Temple of Sweet Dew as had been arranged. Sun Quan came with a number of his strategists; and when all were assembled, Lu Fan was sent to the guest-house to request Liu Bei to come. He obeyed the summons, but as a precaution he put on a light coat of mail under his brocaded robe. His followers too took their swords upon their backs and followed close. He mounted his steed, and the cavalcade set out for the temple. At the door of the temple he met Sun Quan on whom the visitor's brave demeanor was not lost. After they had exchanged salutations, Sun Quan led Liu Bei into the presence of his mother.
“Just the son-in-law for me!” said the Dowager delighted with the appearance of Liu Bei.
“He has the air of an emperor and a look like the sun,” remarked the State Patriarch Qiao. “When one remembers also that his fair fame has spread over the whole earth, you may well be congratulated on getting such a noble son-in-law.”
Liu Bei bowed, in acknowledgment of his reception. Soon after they were all seated at the banquet in the temple, Zhao Yun entered and took his place beside Liu Bei.
“Who is this?” asked the Dowager.
“This is Zhao Yun of Changshan.”
“Then he must be the hero of Dangyang, who saved the little Liu Shan.”
“Yes; this is he,” replied Liu Bei.
“A fine general!” said the Dowager, and she gave him wine.
Presently Zhao Yun said to his master, “I have seen a lot of armed ruffians hidden away in the purlieus of the temple. They can be there for no good, and you should ask the Dowager to get them sent away.”
Thereupon Liu Bei knelt at the feet of the Dowager and, weeping, said, “If you would slay me, let it be here.” “Why do you say this?” asked she.
“Because there are assassins in hiding in the wings of the temple; what are they there for if not to kill me?”
The Dowager wrathfully turned on Sun Quan, “What are armed men doing there today when Liu Bei is to become my son-in-law and the pair are my son and daughter?”
Sun Quan said he did not know and sent Lu Fan to inquire. Lu Fan put the blame on Jia Hua. The Dowager summoned him and upbraided him severely. He had nothing to say, and she told them to put him to death.