Free The Three Kingdoms Volume 2 by Luo Guanzhong

Zu.
    “We will certainly defeat him as his army will be tired out after a long expedition,” he continued. “Then we can push home the attack and capture his districts.”
    Sun Quan saw the advice was wise so he gave up the city and led his army back to the east.
    Now Su Fei was still confined, but he secretly got someone to ask Gan Ning to save him. Gan Ning told the messenger that he would not forget to plead mercy for him, even if he had said nothing.
    When the army got back Sun Quan gave orders for Su Fei’s execution so that his head might be offered as sacrifice with that of Huang Zu. Then Gan Ning went in to his lord and said in tears: “If it had not been for Su Fei, my bones would have been rotting in some ditch. How then could I have rendered service under your banner? Now I know he deserves death, but I cannot forget his kindness to me and I am willing to return to you the honors you have bestowed on me as payment for his crime.”
    Sun Quan replied, “Since he once showed kindness to you, I will pardon him for your sake. But what if he runs away?”
    “If he were pardoned he would be immeasurably grateful and would not dream of escaping. If he should, then I will offer my life in exchange.”
    So the condemned man escaped death and only Huang Zu’s head was offered as sacrifice. After the sacrificial ceremony was over a great banquet was spread in celebration of the victory. As the festivities progressed, suddenly one of the guests burst into loud lamentation, drew his sword, and rushed upon Gan Ning, who hastily rose and defended himself with the chair on which he had been sitting. Sun Quan, surprised, looked at the assailant and saw it was Ling Tong, whose father had been killed by Gan Ning. The son was now burning for revenge.
    Hastily leaving his place, Sun Quan checked the angry young man. “He did slay your noble father,” said Sun Quan, “but at that time he was serving his lord and was bound to exert himself to the utmost. But now that you two are under one flag you must not recall an old injury. I hope you will forget this for my sake.”
    Ling Tong struck his head upon the floor and cried, “But how can I not avenge this? It is a blood feud and we cannot both live under the same sky.”
    The other guests also intervened, beseeching the young man to forgo his revenge, and at last he ceased from his murderous intention. But he sat glaring wrathfully at his enemy.
    That very day Gan Ning was dispatched with 5,000 men and a hundred ships to guard Xiakou, where he was beyond the reach of his enemy’s wrath. Then Sun Quan promoted Ling Tong to appease him and the young man had to acquiesce, although hatred still burned in his heart.
    From then on Sun Quan enlarged his fleet and sent officers to guard various points of the riverbanks. His uncle was placed in command at Wuhui and he himself, with a large army, camped at Caisang. Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of the forces, was on Poyang Lake training the navy in general preparations for defense and attack.
    Here our story will digress to follow the adventures of Liu Bei. From his spies he had tidings of the war and learned of the death of Huang Zu, so he consulted Zhuge Liang as to what he should do. While they were discussing the matter, there arrived a messenger from Liu Biao, asking Liu Bei to go to see him. Zhuge Liang said, “This call is to consult you about avenging Huang Zu. I will go with you and good plans will evolve as the circumstances direct.”
    Leaving Guan Yu to guard Xinye, Liu Bei set forth, taking Zhang Fei at the head of 500 soldiers as his escort. On the way he asked his advisor what he should say to Liu Biao. Zhuge Liang said, “First, you must thank him for having saved you from the plot against you at Xiangyang. But if he asks you to undertake an expedition against Sun Quan, you must not agree. Say you have to return to Xinye to put your army in good order.”
    Bearing this admonition in mind, Liu Bei came to Jingzhou