Now, Chong Houhu and his son, wounded, had fled all night and were utterly spent. They hurried to gather up the remnants of their beaten army, but of every ten parts only one was left, and every man of them badly wounded. At the sight of his troops Chong Houhu was overcome with grief. Huang Yuanji came forward and said, “Why does my lord lament? ‘Victory and defeat are all in a soldier’s day.’ Last night we happened to be off our guard and fell into their treacherous trap. Let my lord halt the troops that are left here for the time being and send a dispatch to Xiqi, urging the Lord of the West to bring up his men and horses at once, so that we can cut the enemy off. That way, for one thing, we will have more troops to help us; for another, we can avenge today’s defeat. What does my lord think?” Chong Houhu pondered this and said, “Lord Ji keeps his troops idle and sits back to see who wins and who loses. If I go and hurry him along now, I’ll only be doing him a favour — it would let him off the charge of evading the royal decree.” As he wavered, they heard a great host of men and horses coming toward them. Not knowing whose troops these were, Chong Houhu was frightened out of his wits: his soul fled his body and hovered in the air. He hurriedly mounted and looked ahead. Two banners parted, and he saw an officer with a face like the bottom of a cooking pot, a red beard under his chin, two white eyebrows and eyes like gilt. He wore a crown of nine clouds, blazing flames and flying beasts, a coat of linked chain mail, a robe of deep red and a belt of white jade at his waist. He rode a fiery-eyed, golden-pupilled beast and fought with two burnished-gold axes. This was Chong Houhu’s brother, Chong Heihu2, who held the rank of Marquis of Caozhou. When Chong Houhu saw that it was his own brother Heihu, his heart was at last at ease. Heihu said, “I heard that you had been defeated, elder brother, and came on purpose to help. I never expected to meet you here — what great good fortune!” Chong Yingbiao, too, bowed in the saddle and thanked him: “Uncle, you have come a long way for us.” Heihu said, “Your younger brother has come to join forces with you, elder brother, and go back to Jizhou. I know how to deal with this.” So they joined their forces into one. Chong Heihu had only his three thousand Flying Tiger Soldiers in the van, with more than twenty thousand following behind. The army came back below the walls of Jizhou and pitched camp, and the Caozhou troops in front raised a shout and called for battle.

A rider from Jizhou galloped in to report to Su Hu: “Chong Heihu of Caozhou has brought his troops below the city. We await my lord’s orders.” At the news Su Hu lowered his head and said nothing. After a long while he said, “Heihu is a master of arms and deeply versed in the mysteries. Not one of the officers in this whole city is a match for him. What are we to do?” The officers about him heard Su Hu’s words but did not know the whole story. Then his eldest son, Quanzhong, stepped forward and said, “‘When soldiers come, generals stop them; when water comes, earth dams it.’ What is there to fear from one Chong Heihu!” Su Hu said, “You are young and know nothing of the world, and you are too proud of your own valour. You don’t know that Heihu once met a strange master who taught him Daoist arts. He can take the head of a commanding general from the midst of a million men as easily as taking something out of his own pocket. Don’t take him lightly.” Quanzhong cried, “Father, you are puffing up his spirit and tearing down your own! I’m going out now, and if I don’t take Heihu alive, I swear I won’t come back to look you in the face!” Su Hu said, “You are courting defeat. Don’t come to me with regrets.” But Quanzhong would not be held back. He swung himself into the saddle, had the city gates opened, rode out alone ahead of his men and shouted in a harsh voice, “You there, scout! Go into your command tent and report: tell Chong Heihu to come out and talk with me!”

The blue-flag runner hurried to report to the two commanders: “Su Quanzhong is outside, demanding battle.” Heihu was secretly pleased. “I came here,” he said to himself, “for one thing because my elder brother had been defeated, and for another to raise the siege for Su Hu and so keep faith with our friendship.” He had his attendants make ready his mount, swung himself up and rode out before the lines. There was Quanzhong on his horse, flaunting his prowess. Heihu said, “Quanzhong, my good nephew, go back and ask your father to come out. I have something to say to him.” Quanzhong was young and knew nothing of the world, and having heard his father say how fierce Heihu was, he was hardly going to turn back meekly. He shouted boastfully, “Chong Heihu, you and I are enemies now! What friendship has my father to talk over with you? Throw down your arms and pull back your troops at once, and I’ll spare your life. If not, you’ll be sorry when it’s too late!” Heihu was furious. “You little beast, how dare you be so insolent!” He raised his burnished-gold axes and hacked at Quanzhong’s face. Quanzhong quickly parried with the halberd in his hand and struck back. Beast and horse closed, and a fierce battle followed. And how fierce was it?

The two generals fought a great battle below the walls of Jizhou. Su Quanzhong did not know that as a boy Chong Heihu had taken an Immortal of the Interception Sect4 for his master and been secretly given a gourd, which he carried strapped to his back and which held boundless magic powers. Quanzhong relied only on the strength and daring he had always had, and seeing besides that Heihu fought with short axes, he paid him no mind. Thinking no one his equal, he showed off his own prowess; he meant to capture Heihu, and so he brought out every feat of arms he had ever practised. His halberd had its point and its bite: nine times nine, eighty-one advancing steps and seventy-two openings — leaping and shifting, dodging and feinting, slow and fast, drawing in and lashing out. And how fine was this halberd?

Su Quanzhong put every ounce of his strength into the fight, until Chong Heihu was bathed in cold sweat. “What a son Su Hu has!” Heihu sighed. “A fine boy indeed. Truly, a general’s house breeds true!” He feinted with his axe, wheeled his mount and fled. At that Su Quanzhong laughed so hard in the saddle that his back went weak and his bones turned soft. “If I’d listened to my father, he’d have led me astray. I swear I’ll take this man and put an end to my father’s talk!” He gave his horse its head and came after him, refusing to let him go. When Heihu rode fast, he chased fast; when Heihu rode slow, he followed slow. Quanzhong was set on winning, and he kept up the chase for a long while. When Heihu heard golden bells jingling behind his head, he looked back and saw that Quanzhong would not give up. Quickly he lifted the cap off the red gourd on his back and muttered a spell. A column of black smoke poured out of the gourd and spread like a net, and out of the smoke, large and small, came a shrieking of “Yi-ya!” Blotting out the sky and hiding the sun, they came flying: iron-beaked divine hawks. Opening their beaks, they came pecking straight at his face. Quanzhong knew only how to be a hero on horseback; what did he know of Heihu’s strange arts? He hastily swung up his halberd to shield his body and face, but already a hawk had struck at the horse beneath him and pecked out its eyes. The horse reared and threw Su Quanzhong — gold cap upside down, armour clear of the saddle — and he crashed to the ground. “Seize him!” Heihu ordered. His men swarmed forward and bound Su Quanzhong’s arms. Heihu had the drums of victory beaten and returned to camp, where he dismounted at the camp gate. A scout reported to Chong Houhu: “The Second Master has won! He has taken the rebel Su Quanzhong alive and awaits your orders at the camp gate.” “Ask him in!” Chong Houhu ordered. Heihu came into the tent, greeted Chong Houhu and said, “Elder brother, your younger brother has captured Su Quanzhong. He is at the camp gate.” Chong Houhu was beside himself with joy and gave the order: “Bring him in!” Before long Quanzhong was shoved in before the tent. Su Quanzhong stood and would not kneel. Chong Houhu cursed him: “You young villain! Now you’re taken, what have you to say for yourself? And still you dare stand there stiff-necked and refuse to bow! What a hero you were at Wugang the night before last — but today the measure of your crimes is full. Take him out, cut off his head and show it to the troops!” Quanzhong cursed back in a harsh voice: “If you’re going to kill me, kill me! Why put on this show of power? I, Su Quanzhong, hold death as light as a goose feather. What I cannot bear is that a pack of traitors like you should bewitch His Majesty’s judgement and bring ruin on the people, and that Cheng Tang’s great inheritance should be thrown away by the likes of you. My only regret is that I can’t eat your flesh raw!” Chong Houhu flew into a rage and cursed: “Yellow-beaked brat! Taken prisoner, and still you wag that glib tongue!” He gave the order at once: “Take him out and behead him!” They were about to carry out the sentence when Chong Heihu stepped forward and said, “Elder brother, still your thunder for a moment. Su Quanzhong has been taken, and he deserves to be beheaded, it is true. But he and his father are both offenders against the court, and we heard earlier that the decree was to seize them and send them to Zhaoge, so that the law of the land might be upheld. Besides, Su Hu has a daughter, Daji, who is a great beauty. If in the end the Son of Heaven grows fond of her and one day pardons their disloyalty, won’t the blame fall on us then? What should have been to our credit would count for nothing. And Lord Ji has not arrived yet; why should we brothers take the blame on ourselves? Better to keep Quanzhong prisoner in the rear camp for now. When we have taken Jizhou and seized Su Hu and his whole household, we can send them to Zhaoge and ask for His Majesty’s decision. That is the best plan.” “Excellent advice, worthy brother,” said Chong Houhu. “Only it lets this rebel off lightly, that’s all.” He gave the order: “Lay a banquet to celebrate your Second Master’s victory.” But let us leave them there.

Our story turns to Jizhou, where scouts reported to Su Hu: “The young lord went out to fight and has been taken.” Su Hu said, “No need to say more. The boy would not listen to his father and trusted in his own prowess; that he was taken today is only to be expected. But I have played the hero all my life, and now my own son is taken, a strong enemy presses on my borders, and before long Jizhou will belong to someone else. And what has brought it to this? Only that I fathered Daji and the benighted king listened to slanderers and flatterers, so that my whole household is struck by disaster and the common people suffer. It all comes of my fathering this unworthy daughter, that I should meet with this endless misfortune. If one day this city falls and my wife and daughter are seized and taken to Zhaoge, their faces bared to every eye and their dead bodies cruelly used, the lords of the realm will laugh at me for a man without a plan. Better to kill my wife and daughter first and then cut my own throat. Then at least I shall not fall short of what a man should do.” Sick at heart, Su Hu took up his sword and went into the rear hall. There was the young mistress, Daji, her face all smiles, her red lips parting a little. “Father,” she said, “why have you come in with a sword?” When Su Hu saw Daji — his own flesh and blood, and no enemy of his — how could he raise the sword? Before he knew it his eyes filled with tears. He nodded and said, “You bane of my life! Because of you, your brother is a prisoner in other men’s hands, our city is besieged by other men, your father and mother will die at other men’s hands and our ancestral temple will be other men’s. Bringing you alone into the world has destroyed the whole house of Su!” As he lamented, his attendants struck the cloud-shaped gong: “Will my lord please come to the hall? Chong Heihu is demanding battle.” Su Hu gave the order: “Guard every city gate closely and be ready for an assault.” Chong Heihu had strange arts — who would dare go out against him? Su Hu quickly sent his officers up onto the walls to set up bows and crossbows and to mount signal guns, lime pots6, logs for rolling down and the like, until all was in readiness.

Below the walls, Heihu thought to himself, “Brother Su, if you would come out and talk it over with me, I could withdraw my troops. Why are you so afraid of me that you won’t even come out to fight? What does this mean?” There was nothing for it; he withdrew his troops for the time being. Scouts reported to Chong Houhu, who said, “Ask him in.” Heihu came into the tent, sat down and told him that Su Hu had shut his gates and would not come out. Chong Houhu said, “We can bring up scaling ladders and storm the city.” Heihu said, “No need to storm it; that would only waste our strength. We need only cut off their supply roads so that the people inside get no relief, and the city will fall of itself without an attack. Elder brother, you can rest at your ease while they wear themselves out. When the Lord of the West’s army comes, we can decide what to do.” But no more of that.

Our story turns to Su Hu inside the city. He had not a single plan to try nor a single road to take; truly, he could only fold his hands and wait for death. As he sat in gloom, word suddenly came: “My lord, the supply officer Zheng Lun awaits your orders.” Su Hu sighed. “The grain may have come, but it does no good now.” Then, quickly: “Send him in.” Zheng Lun came to the foot of the eaves, bowed and made his salute. “On the road,” he said, “this humble officer heard that my lord had broken with the Shang and that Chong Houhu had been sent by royal decree to punish you. So, with my heart torn two ways, I hurried back by night under the stars. But how has my lord fared — victory or defeat?” Su Hu said, “When I went to the Shang court lately, the benighted king listened to slander and wanted to take my daughter as his consort. I remonstrated with him in plain words and so offended the benighted king that he meant to try me for it. To my surprise, Fei Zhong and You Hun turned this to their own ends: they had me pardoned and sent home so that I would present my daughter myself. In a moment of fury I wrote a poem and broke with the Shang. Now the Son of Heaven has sent Chong Houhu against me. I beat him two or three times running; he lost men and officers, and we won a great victory. But then, unexpectedly, Chong Heihu of Caozhou captured my son Quanzhong. As I see it, Heihu has strange arts, and his courage is unmatched in any army; I am no match for him. There are eight hundred lords in the realm, and I, Su Hu, do not know which of them to turn to. My nearest and dearest are only four, and now my eldest son has been taken. Better to kill my wife and daughter first and then take my own life, so that the realm and the ages to come will not laugh at me. You officers may pack your things and go elsewhere; each of you gentlemen must make his own way.” When he had finished, Su Hu wept as if his heart would break. At these words Zheng Lun cried out, “Are you drunk today, my lord? Befuddled? Out of your mind? Why say such shameful things? The famous lords of the realm — Ji Chang, Lord of the West; Jiang Huanchu, Lord of the East; E Chongyu, Lord of the South — let all eight hundred of them come to Jizhou together, and I, Zheng Lun, would not spare them a glance from the corner of my eye. Why think yourself so lowly and weak? This humble officer has followed my lord since boyhood, and thanks to your patronage a jade belt7 hangs at my waist. Let this humble officer do what a poor nag can and serve you like a faithful dog or horse!” When Su Hu heard him, he said to his officers, “This man must have met with some evil influence on the road while bringing in the grain; he is talking wildly. Never mind the eight hundred lords of the realm — this Chong Heihu alone once studied under a strange master, and the Daoist arts he was taught make gods and ghosts tremble. He carries strategy in his breast, and ten thousand men could not stand against him. How can you make light of him?” Zheng Lun heard him out, gripped his sword and cried, “My lord, hear me! If this humble officer does not bring Heihu back alive, I will lay my own head before the officers!” With that, without waiting for orders, he turned and strode out of the headquarters, mounted his fiery-eyed, golden-pupilled beast, took up his two demon-quelling pestles8, fired a cannon and had the gates opened, then drew up his three thousand Crow Soldiers, who rolled across the ground like a black cloud. When he reached the enemy camp, he shouted in a harsh voice, “I want Chong Heihu! Tell him to come out and face me!”

A scout from Chong’s camp hurried into the command tent to report: “My lords, an officer from Jizhou asks the Second Master to come out and talk.” Heihu half rose. “Your younger brother will go.” He called out his own three thousand Flying Tiger Soldiers. A pair of banners parted, and Heihu rode out alone ahead of them. Below the walls of Jizhou he saw a body of men and horses drawn up after the fashion of the north, the water of ren and gui9: they looked like one great black cloud. Their officer had a face like a purple jujube and a beard like golden needles. He wore a crown of nine clouds and blazing flames, a robe of deep red, golden chain armour and a jade belt, and he rode a fiery-eyed, golden-pupilled beast, with two demon-quelling pestles. Zheng Lun saw that Chong Heihu was strangely dressed: a crown of nine clouds and four beasts, a robe of deep red, linked-ring armour and a jade belt; he too rode a golden-pupilled beast, and he carried two burnished-gold axes. Heihu did not know Zheng Lun and shouted, “Officer from Jizhou, tell me your name!” Zheng Lun said, “I am Zheng Lun, supply general of Jizhou. And would you be Chong Heihu of Caozhou? You took my commander’s son, trusting in your strength and violence. Hand over my commander’s son at once, then get down and be bound! Say half a word against it, and I’ll grind you to powder!” Chong Heihu was furious. “You churl!” he cursed. “Su Hu has broken the laws of Heaven and will have his bones smashed and his body ground to dust. You are all rebels and traitors’ accomplices — how dare you be so bold as to spout such wild talk!” He urged on the beast beneath him, and the axes in his hands flew at Zheng Lun. Zheng Lun quickly parried with the pestles in his hands and struck back. The two beasts met, and a great battle followed. This is what one saw:

The two beasts closed, and they fought until red clouds hung grim and white mists drifted thick. Each had met his match, a master against a master; back and forth they went for twenty-four or twenty-five bouts. Zheng Lun saw the red gourd on Chong Heihu’s back and thought to himself, “My commander said this man had been taught secret arts by a strange master. This must be his magic. As the saying goes, ‘In a fight, nothing beats striking first.’” (Zheng Lun, too, had once studied under the Immortal Du’e of West Kunlun. The Immortal knew that Zheng Lun was one of those whose names stood on the Investiture List12, and so he taught him the two breaths in his nostrils, which suck away men’s souls: any officer he met in battle, he could take on the spot. That was why the Immortal had sent him down the mountain to serve Jizhou, to win himself a jade belt and enjoy the blessings and rewards of this world.) Now, in today’s battle, Zheng Lun flourished the pestle in his hand in the air. Behind him his three thousand Crow Soldiers raised a shout and came on in a long-snake column, every man with a hooked pole in his hand and an iron chain trailing crosswise, as swift as flying clouds and lightning. To Heihu it looked as if they meant to catch someone, but he could not see why. Then out of Zheng Lun’s nostrils came a sound like the ring of a bell, and two beams of white light shot from them, sucking away men’s souls. The moment Chong Heihu heard the sound, his eyes went dim and his sight blurred before he knew it, and he tumbled — gold cap upside down, armour clear of the saddle, his two battle boots kicking wildly in the air. The Crow Soldiers took him alive and bound his arms with ropes. Only after a long while did Heihu come to, and when he looked about him, he was already tied up. “What a trick this villain plays on the eyes!” Heihu said angrily. “How did he take me, without my even knowing how?” On both sides the drums of victory were beaten, and they went back into the city. A poem says:

Our story turns to Su Hu. He was in his hall when he heard drums beating outside the city. “Zheng Lun is done for!” he sighed, full of misgiving. Then a scout came galloping in to report: “My lord, Zheng Lun has taken Chong Heihu alive. We await your orders.” Su Hu did not know how it had come about, and he thought to himself, “Zheng Lun is no match for Heihu. How can Heihu have been taken by him instead?” He quickly gave the order: “Send him in.” Zheng Lun came before the hall and told him how Heihu had been taken. Then the soldiers crowded Heihu forward to the foot of the steps. Su Hu hurried down from the hall, sent the guards away with a sharp word and untied the ropes with his own hands. Then he knelt and said, “I, Su Hu, have now offended the whole realm; I am a criminal subject with nowhere in the world to lay my head. Zheng Lun knows nothing of what is fitting and has offended the royal majesty. I, Su Hu, deserve death for it!” Chong Heihu replied, “You and I, my good brother, are sworn brothers; I have never dared forget the bond between us. Now I have been taken by one of your men, and I am so ashamed I do not know where to put myself. And you treat me with such courtesy besides — I, Heihu, am more grateful than I can say!” Su Hu respectfully seated Heihu in the place of honour and ordered Zheng Lun and the other officers to come and pay their respects. Heihu said, “General Zheng’s Daoist arts are marvellous indeed. Having been taken by him today, I, Heihu, shall admire him all my life.” Su Hu had a banquet laid, and the two of them drank merrily together. Su Hu told Heihu point by point all about the Son of Heaven wanting his daughter presented at court. Heihu said, “Your younger brother came here, for one thing, because my elder brother had been worsted, and for another, to raise the siege for you, my good brother. I never expected that your son, being so young and trusting in his own strength, would refuse to go into the city and ask you to come out and talk. That is why I took him and brought him back to my rear camp. I did it truly for your sake, my good brother.” Su Hu thanked him. “Such kindness, such friendship — how could I ever forget it!”

We will say no more of the two lords drinking in the city. Our story turns to a rider who came in through the camp gate to report: “My lord, the Second Master has been taken by Zheng Lun. Whether he is alive or dead we do not know. We await your orders.” Chong Houhu thought, “My brother has Daoist arts of his own. How could he be taken?” Then the officer who had been watching over the fight said, “While the Second Master was fighting Zheng Lun, Zheng Lun waved his demon-quelling pestle, and his three thousand Crow Soldiers all came at once. Then two beams of white light came out of Zheng Lun’s nose with a ring like a bell, and the Second Master came crashing down from the saddle. That is how he was taken.” Chong Houhu was astonished. “How can there be such strange arts in the world? Send out more scouts and find out the truth of it.” Before he had finished speaking, a report came: “An officer sent by the Lord of the West has dismounted at the camp gate.” Chong Houhu was displeased, but he gave the order: “Send him in.” In came San Yisheng13, in plain dress with a horn belt. He came up into the tent and made his bows. “Your humble servant San Yisheng pays his respects to my lord.” Chong Houhu said, “Counsellor, why does your master sit idle at his ease and do nothing for his country, keeping his troops at home and evading the court’s decree? Your master does not behave at all as a subject should. Now that you are here, counsellor, what have you to say?” Yisheng replied, “My master says: weapons are instruments of ill omen, which a ruler uses only when he must. Now, over a small matter, the people are being worn out and their wealth wasted, and ten thousand households are thrown into alarm. In every province and prefecture, county and circuit the army passes through, money and grain of every kind are requisitioned, and on the long, hard march the common people are harried with levies and taxes, while officers and men bear the hardship of armour and arms. So my master has sent your humble servant to deliver a letter, to put out the beacon fires: to have Su Hu present his daughter at the king’s court, so that both sides lay down their arms and we who serve one court as the king’s arms and legs keep faith with one another. If Su Hu will not comply, then when the great army arrives it will crush the rebel and root out the traitor, and his crime will deserve the destruction of his whole clan. Then Su Hu will die with only himself to blame.” At this Chong Houhu burst out laughing. “Lord Ji knows he is guilty of evading the court’s decree, so he uses this evasive talk to excuse himself. I came here first, lost officers and men and fought several bitter battles. Will that villain hand over his daughter at the sight of a letter? Well, counsellor, I shall watch how you fare when you go into Jizhou to see Su Hu. If he will not agree, we shall see how your master answers to the king! Go on, then!” Yisheng left the camp, mounted his horse and went straight to the foot of the city wall to call at the gate: “You up on the wall! Tell your lord that the Lord of the West has sent an officer with a letter.” The soldiers on the wall hurried to report in the hall: “My lord, an officer sent by the Lord of the West is below the wall. He says he has brought a letter.” Su Hu and Chong Heihu had not yet finished their wine. Su Hu said, “Lord Ji is the worthy man of Xiqi. Open the gates at once and ask him in to see me.” Before long Yisheng came before the hall and made his bows. Su Hu said, “Counsellor, what have you come to my humble domain to tell me?” Yisheng said, “Your humble servant comes at the command of the Lord of the West. Last month you, my lord, wrote a rebel poem in anger and offended the Son of Heaven, who at once ordered troops raised to punish you. My master has always known how loyal and true you are, my lord, and so he has held back his troops and has not dared to invade. Now he sends a letter up to my lord, and hopes that my lord will consider it carefully and act on it.” Yisheng took the letter from a brocade pouch and presented it to Su Hu, who took it and broke it open. The letter said:

“Ji Chang, Lord of the West, bowing a hundred times, to Lord Su, Marquis of Jizhou, beneath his banner. I have heard it said: ‘To the shores of all the land14, there is none who is not the king’s subject.’ Now the Son of Heaven wishes to choose beautiful consorts, and no family, whether of duke or minister, scholar or commoner, may hide its daughters from him. You have a daughter of virtue and good conduct, and the Son of Heaven wishes to choose her for the palace, which is a fine thing in itself. Yet you set yourself against the Son of Heaven. That is to defy your sovereign. And what did you mean by writing a poem on the Meridian Gate? Your crime is already beyond pardon. You know only the small scruple: out of love for one daughter, you have thrown away the great duty between ruler and subject. I have always heard that you are loyal and true, and I cannot bear to sit by and watch; so I venture a word by which disaster may be turned to good fortune. I hope you will deign to hear it. If you present your daughter at the king’s court, there are truly three benefits. Your daughter will enjoy the favour of the palace, and you, her father, the honours of the pepper chamber15; you will rank as the king’s kin, with a stipend of a thousand measures of grain: that is the first benefit. You will hold Jizhou for ever, and your whole household will live free of alarm: that is the second. The common people will be spared the misery of mud and ashes, and the army the horror of slaughter: that is the third. But if you persist in your folly, three harms will be upon you at once. Jizhou will fall and the altars of your state will be no more: that is the first harm. Your own flesh and blood will meet with the destruction of your whole clan: that is the second. Soldiers and people alike will suffer the ravages of war and fire: that is the third. A true man should set small scruples aside to keep the great duty whole; how can you follow the example of petty, ignorant men and bring destruction on yourself? You and I are both subjects of the Shang, and so I cannot help speaking plainly and troubling you with it. I hope, worthy lord, that you will take it to heart. Written in haste; I await your decision forthwith. Respectfully submitted.”

When Su Hu had finished reading, he said nothing for a long while, only nodded. Seeing him silent, Yisheng said, “My lord need not hesitate. If you agree, one letter will put an end to the fighting. If you will not, your humble servant will report back to my master, and he will call out his men and horses. All he wants is to obey Heaven’s will above, keep the lords in harmony between, and spare the army its sufferings below. This is my master’s goodwill toward you; why does my lord keep his lips sealed and say nothing? I beg you to give your orders quickly, so that they can be carried out.” At this Su Hu said to Chong Heihu, “Worthy brother, come and look at this. Lord Ji’s letter truly makes sense. He really does have the country and the people at heart; he is a humane and righteous gentleman. How could I dare not do as he asks!” So he had wine served to entertain San Yisheng at the guesthouse. The next day he wrote a reply, gave him gold and silks and sent him back ahead to Xiqi: “I will follow shortly and present my daughter at the Shang court to atone for my crime.” Yisheng bowed, took his leave and went. Truly, one letter was worth an army of a hundred thousand. There is a poem to prove it. It says:

When Su Hu had seen San Yisheng off to Xiqi, he talked things over with Chong Heihu. “Lord Ji’s advice is very good. I must get my baggage ready quickly and go to the Shang court, and not let things drag on until some new objection arises.” The two of them were glad. And what would become of his daughter? To learn what happened next, read the next chapter.