At these tidings Zhou Yu's excitement became so intense that he fell to the ground with a great cry, and the old wound reopened.
The game was now too deep; in vain he sought
A countermove; his efforts came to nought.
Later chapters will show what was Zhou Yu's fate.
CHAPTER 57. Sleeping-Dragon Mourns At Chaisang; Blooming-Phoenix Intervenes At Leiyang.
In the last chapter it was said that a sudden rage filled the bosom of Zhou Yu, and he fell to the ground. Then he was carried to his boat. It only added to his rage and mortification to be told that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang could be seen on the top of one of the hills apparently feasting and enjoying some music. He lay grinding his teeth with vexation.
“They say I shall never be able to get Yiazhou! But I will; I swear I will.”
Soon after Sun Quan's brother Sun Shao arrived, and Zhou Yu told him his vexations.
“My brother sent me to assist you,” said Sun Shao.
Zhou Yu ordered Sun Shao to press the army forward for Yiazhou, and they got to Baqiu. There they stopped, for the scouts reported large forces under Liu Bei's generals — Liu Feng and Guan Ping — barring the water route in the Great River. This failure did not make the Commander-in-Chief any calmer.
About this time a letter from Zhuge Liang arrived, which ran like this:
“Since our parting at Chaisang I have thought of you often. Now comes to me a report that you desire to take the
Western Land of Rivers, which I regret to say I consider impossible. The people there are strong, and the country is precipitous and defensible. Imperial Protector Liu Zhang may be weak within, but he is strong enough to defend himself.
“Now indeed, General, you would go far and you would render great services, yet can any one foretell the final result? No; not even Wu Qi the Great General could say for certain, nor could Sun Zi the Famed Strategist be sure of a successful issue. Cao Cao suffered severe defeat at the Red Cliffs; think you he will ever cease to hope for revenge? Now if you undertake a long expedition, will he not seize the occasion to fall upon the South Land and grind it to powder? Such a deed would be more than I could bear, and I venture to warn you of the possible danger if haply you may condescend to regard it.”
The letter made Zhou Yu feel very sorrowful, and he sighed deeply. He called for paper and ink and wrote to the Marquis of Wu and, having done this, he said to his assembled officers, “I have honestly tried to do my best for my country, but my end is at hand. The number of my days is accomplished. You must continue to aid our master till his end shall be achieved—”
He stopped; for he had swooned.
Slowly he regained consciousness; and as he looked up to heaven, he sighed heavily, “O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?”
Soon after he passed away; he was only thirty-six.
The battle at the Red Cliffs made him famous;
Though young in years he gained a veteran's reputation.
Deep feeling, his music declared its intensity;
Subtle, with excess hospitality he foiled a plot;
Persuasive, he obtained a large gift of grain from Lu Su;
Capable, he led an army of millions.
Baqiu was his deathbed, there his fate met him.
Sadly indeed they mourned him.
After his death his generals sent his dying memorial to the Marquis of Wu, who was most deeply affected and wept aloud at the sad tidings of his death. When Sun Quan opened the letters, he saw that Lu Su was named as the dead general's successor, This is the letter:
“Possessing but ordinary abilities, there was no reason why I should have been the recipient of your confidence and
high office, but I have not spared myself in the leadership of the great army under my command that thereby I might prove my gratitude. Yet none can measure life and the number of our days is ordained by fate. Before I could achieve even my poor intentions, my feeble body has failed me. I regret it without measure. I die with Cao Cao threatening and our northern borders disturbed, and with Liu Bei in your family as though you were feeding a fierce tiger. None can foretell the fate of the empire in these nervous days of stress and of peculiar anxiety for you.
“Lu Su is most loyal, careful in all matters and a fitting man to succeed to my office. When a person is near death, his words are wise; and if I may haply retain your regard, I may die but I shall not decay.”
“Zhou Yu should have been a king's counselor,” cried Sun Quan, amid his tears. “He has left me alas! too soon, and whom have I to lean upon? But he recommends Lu Su, and I can do nothing better than take that advice.”
Whereupon Sun Quan appointed Lu Su to the vacant command, Commandership-in-Chief. Sun Quan also saw that the coffin of his beloved general was sent to Chaisang ready for the funeral sacrifices.
The night of Zhou Yu's death, Zhuge Liang was gazing up at the heavens when he saw a star of a general fall to the earth.
“Zhou Yu is dead,” said he with a smile.
At dawn he sent to tell Liu Bei, who sent people to find out, and they came back to say it was true Zhou Yu had died.
“Now that this has come to pass, what should we do?” said Liu Bei.
“Lu Su will succeed,” said Zhuge Liang. “And I see in the heavens signs of an assembly of generals in the southeast, so I shall go there. The mourning for Zhou Yu will serve as a pretext. I may find some able leaders there to be of help to you.”
“I am afraid lest the generals of the South Land harm you,” said Liu Bei.
“While Zhou Yu lived, I did not fear; is there anything to dread now that he is gone?”
However, Zhuge Liang took Zhao Yun as commander of his escort when he embarked for Baqiu, and on the road he heard of Lu Su's succession to the late general's post. As the coffin of Zhou Yu had been sent to Chaisang, Zhuge Liang continued his journey thither and, on landing, was kindly received by Lu Su. The officers of the South Land did not conceal their enmity, but the sight of the redoubtable Zhao Yun, always close at hand, kept them from trying to hurt Zhuge Liang.
The officers brought by Zhuge Liang were arranged in order before the bier, and he himself poured the libation. Then he knelt and read this threnody:
“Alas, Zhou Yu! Hapless are you in your early death. Length of days is in the hands of God, yet do humans suffer
and my heart is deeply grieved for you. I pour this libation that your spirit may enjoy its fragrance.
“I lament you. I lament your younger days passed in the companionship of Sun Ce, when, preferring eternal principles to material wealth, you abode in a humble cottage.
“I lament your ripe strength when you guarded distant Baqiu, putting fear into the heart of Liu Biao, destroying rebels and ensuring safety.
“I lament the grace of your manhood. Married to a fair maid of the Qiao family, son-in-law of a great minister, you were such as would add luster to the Han Court.
“I lament your resolute purpose when you opposed the pledge-giving to Cao Cao. As in the beginning your wings drooped not, so in the end your pinions spread wide.
“I lament your abandon, when your false friend, Jiang Gan, came to you at Poyang Lake. There you manifested your lofty ideals.
“I lament your magnificent talents, proved in civil administration as in military science. With fire attacking the fierce enemy at the Red Cliffs, you brought his strength to weakness.