“It is a tablet of Cao E, or the fair Lady Cao. In the time of the Emperor He (AD 100), in the Xiongnu State there was a certain magician named Cao Xu, who could dance and sing like the very Spirit of Music. On the fifth of the fifth month he was out in a boat, and being intoxicated, fell overboard and was drowned. He had a daughter, Cao E, then fourteen years of age. She was greatly distressed and sought the body of her father for seven days and nights, weeping all the while. Then she threw herself into the waves, and five days later she floated to the surface with her father's body in her arms. The villagers buried them on the bank, and the magistrate reported the occurrence to the Emperor as a worthy instance of daughterly affection and remarkable piety.
“A later magistrate had the story inscribed by Handan Chun in memory of the event. At that time Handan Chun was only thirteen, but the composition of the inscription was so perfect that neither jot nor tittle could be added, and yet he had written it impromptu without revision. The stone was set up beside the grave, and both inscription and story were the admiration of all the people of that day. My father went to see it. It was evening, but in the obscurity he felt out the inscription with his fingers. He got hold of a pencil and wrote eight large characters on the reverse of the stone and, later, some person recutting the stone engraved these eight words as well.”
Cao Cao then read the eight words; they formed an enigma. Literally they read, “yellow silk, young wife, a daughter's child, pestle and mortar.”
“Can you explain?” asked Cao Cao of his hostess.
“No; although it is a writing of my father's, thy handmaid cannot interpret it,” she replied.
Turning to the strategists of his staff, Cao Cao said, “Can any one of you explain it?” But no one made any reply. Suddenly, they heard one voice, “I have grasped the meaning of it.”
The man who said he had fathomed the meaning was First Secretary Yang Xiu.
“Do not tell me yet; let me think it out,” said Cao Cao.
Soon after they took leave of the lady, went out of the farm, and rode on. About one mile from the farm, the meaning suddenly dawned upon Cao Cao, and he laughingly turned to Yang Xiu, saying, “Now, you may try.”
“This is the solution of the enigma,” said Yang Xiu. “'Yellow silk' is silk threads of natural color, and the character for 'silk' placed beside that for 'color' forms a word meaning 'finally, decidedly;' the 'young wife' is a 'little female,' and the character for 'female' with 'little,' or 'few,' placed beside it forms a word meaning 'admirable, fine;' the 'daughter's child' is 'daughter' and 'child,' which side by side make the word 'good;' and a 'pestle and mortar' suggest pounding together the five bitter herbs in a receptacle: the character for 'receptacle' and 'bitter' form a word meaning 'to tell.' So the four words are 'Decidedly fine and well told.'“
Cao Cao was astonished at Yang Xiu's cleverness, and said, “Just what I made it.”
Those around greatly wondered at Yang Xiu's ingenuity and knowledge.
In less than a day they reached Nanzheng, where Cao Hong welcomed them. He told the tale of Zhang He's misfortunes.
“To suffer defeat is no crime;” said Cao Cao, “that and victory are things that happen constantly in war.”
“Liu Bei has sent Huang Zhong to take Dingjun Mountain,” said Cao Hong. “Xiahou Yuan, hearing you were coming, O Prince, has been defending the position and not going out to give battle.”
“But standing always on the defensive is showing weakness,” said Cao Cao.
Thereupon he bade a man carry an authority flag to the Mountain Commander and so order him to attack the enemy.
“Xiahou Yuan is very stern and inflexible, and he may be carried too far and fall victim to some vile ruse,” said Liu Ye.
Wherefore the Prince wrote a letter to him to accompany the authority flag. And when the messenger arrived and the letter was opened, it read:
“Every leader must exercise a combination of inflexibility and yielding. Boldness is not the only thing that counts; if
he makes it so, then is he a mere creature to fight. Now I am camped at Nanzheng ready to watch the deeds of your admirable prowess and capacity, and all I have to say is, 'Do not disgrace your previous reputation.'“
The letter pleased the Commander mightily. Having sent away the bearer, Xiahou Yuan called in Zhang He to consult.
“The Prince has a great army at Nanzheng ready to destroy Liu Bei. We have been on the defense here long enough, and it is time we rendered some solid service. Tomorrow I am going out to battle, and hope to capture Huang Zhong.”
“Your opponent combines ready resource with boldness and prevision,” said Zhang He. “Beside, he has Fa Zheng to aid him; and you must be cautious, for the country is very difficult and dangerous. You would better keep on the defensive.”
“How shall we be able to look our prince in the face when other leaders render good services? However, you just keep the hill, and I will go out to battle.”
Then an order was issued asking who would go out to reconnoiter and provoke a battle. Xiahou Shang volunteered.
Xiahou Yuan said to him, “You are not to make a real stand, but merely to begin the fight. You are to lose and not win, for a grand ruse is ready for the enemy.”
He explained his plans, and Xiahou Shang went away with a small column.
Now Huang Zhong and his helper Fa Zheng were camped quite close to the Dingjun Mountain. They had endeavored to entice Xiahou Yuan out into the field to fight, but failed to attack him as he stood in that difficult, mountainous country. So thus far no advance had been made. But as soon as Xiahou Shang's troops appeared and seemed to offer battle, Huang Zhong was ready to march out to meet them at once. But General Chen Shi, offered his services.
“Do not trouble yourself to move, O General,” said Chen Shi, “for I will go out to fight them.”
Huang Zhong consented, and placed three thousand troops under Chen Shi, who went out of the valley and set his army in array. And when Xiahou Shang came up and, as arranged, merely fought a few bouts and ran away. Chen Shi followed to take advantage of his success. But he was soon brought to a standstill by the rolling of logs and hurling of stones on the part of his opponents. As he turned to retire, Xiahou Yuan brought out his troops and attacked. Chen Shi had no chance against them and was quickly made prisoner. Many of his soldiers joined the enemy, but a few escaped to their own side and told Huang Zhong of the misfortune.
Huang Zhong at once asked advice from Fa Zheng, who said, “This Xiahou Yuan is easily provoked to anger, and being angry he is bold without discretion. Your way now is to work up the enthusiasm of your soldiers, then break camp and advance. Do this in a series of marches, and you will excite him up to the point of giving battle, when you can capture him. They call this the 'Ruse of the Interchange of Host and Guest.'“
So Huang Zhong collected all the things his soldiers liked, and made them presents, till the sound of rejoicing filled the whole valley and the men were hot to fight. Then camp was broken, and the army marched forward a certain distance. Then they encamped. After some days' rest the march was repeated; and then again.
When tidings of the advance reached Xiahou Yuan, he proposed to go out and fight.
“No, no,” said the prudent Zhang He. “This is a well known ruse, and you should remain on the defensive. You will lose if you fight.”
Xiahou Yuan was not the man to stomach this moderate advice, so he sent out Xiahou Shang to give battle. As soon as this force reached the camp of Huang Zhong, the Veteran General mounted and rode out to fight. In the very first bout he captured Xiahou Shang. Those who escaped told how their leader had been captured, and Xiahou Yuan at once sent to offer an exchange of prisoners. This was agreed to, to be effected the following day in front of both armies. So next day both sides were arrayed in a spot where the valley widened, the two leaders on horseback beneath their respective standards. Beside each stood his prisoner. Neither was encumbered with robe or helmet, but each wore thin, simple dress. At the first beat of the drum each started to race over to his own side. Just as Xiahou Shang reached the ranks of his own side, Huang Zhong shot an arrow and wounded him in the back. The wounded man did not fall, but went on.