{"id":1089,"date":"2008-11-11T10:52:20","date_gmt":"2008-11-11T02:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=1089"},"modified":"2025-09-14T10:10:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T02:10:24","slug":"xiongliang_cat_20081111","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2008\/11\/11\/xiongliang_cat_20081111\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ori\u00adgin of the Sto\u00adry of Chang\u00adban\u00adpo and Two Types of Ping\u00adshu"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u300a\u957f\u5742\u5761\u300b\u7684\u6545\u4e8b\u6765\u6e90\u4e0e\u8bc4\u4e66\u4e24\u79cd\"<\/a>
\nChang\u00adban\u00adpo Site in Dan\u00adgyang Dis\u00adtrict, Yichang City, Hubei Province<\/i>
\nWatch online:Yuan Kuocheng\u2019s sto\u00adry\u00adtelling seg\u00adment from \u201cRomance of the Three King\u00addoms\u201d titled \u201cZhang Yide Drinks and Breaks the Chang\u00adban Bridge\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

   
\nThe sto\u00adry of \u201cChang\u00adban\u00adpo\u201d is record\u00aded in his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal books, but most of the details were added by lat\u00ader nov\u00adels and sto\u00adry\u00adtelling.
\n   
\nThe most excit\u00ading parts of this sto\u00adry are twofold: first, Zhao Zilong of Chang\u00adshan charg\u00ading into Cao Cao\u2019s army and retriev\u00ading Adou sev\u00aden times; and sec\u00adond, Zhang Yide of Yan, sin\u00adgle-hand\u00aded\u00adly repelling Cao Cao\u2019s mil\u00adlion-strong army with his spear and horse. Is this real\u00adly so mirac\u00adu\u00adlous?
\n   
\nThe Biog\u00adra\u00adphy of Zhang Fei in the Records of the Three King\u00addoms reads as fol\u00adlows:
\n   
\nAfter Liu Biao\u2019s death, Cao Gong entered Jingzhou, and the First Lord fled south. Cao Gong pur\u00adsued him for a day and a night, even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly reach\u00ading Chang\u00adban in Dan\u00adgyang. Upon hear\u00ading Cao Gong\u2019s troops were approach\u00ading, the First Lord aban\u00addoned his wife and chil\u00addren and fled, send\u00ading Fei with twen\u00adty cav\u00adal\u00adry\u00admen to hold off the rear. Stand\u00ading atop a bro\u00adken bridge, Fei, glar\u00ading, held his spear in hand and declared, \u201cI am Zhang Yide. Come and fight to the death!\u201d None of the ene\u00admy dared approach, and the First Lord escaped.
\n   
\nAlthough the words are few, the majesty is vivid. Zhang Fei led 20 men to scare off Cao\u2019s troops, which seems to be a true sto\u00adry. Whether or not he also scared Xia Hou\u00adjie to death is not impor\u00adtant. There is also a cor\u00adre\u00adspond\u00ading sen\u00adtence in \u201cThe Biog\u00adra\u00adphy of Zhao Yun\u201d:
\n   
\nWhen the First Lord was pur\u00adsued by Cao Gong at Chang\u00adban in Dan\u00adgyang, he aban\u00addoned his wife and chil\u00addren and fled south. Yun per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adly held the young son, who was the Lat\u00ader Lord, and pro\u00adtect\u00aded Lady Gan, who was the Lat\u00ader Lord\u2019s moth\u00ader, and they all escaped dan\u00adger.
\n   
\nThe man Zhao Yun res\u00adcued was Liu Chan, son of Liu Bei and Lady Gan. Lady Gan died of ill\u00adness while Liu Bei was in con\u00adtrol of Jingzhou, but before he could even take con\u00adtrol of Xichuan. Liu Bei then mar\u00adried Princess Sun Shangx\u00adi\u00adang. The Romance of the Three King\u00addoms empha\u00adsizes that Liu Bei val\u00adued Lady Gan the most, and there\u00adfore placed high hopes on A Dou.
\n   
\nLat\u00ader nov\u00adels, sto\u00adry\u00adtelling, and dra\u00admas all men\u00adtioned anoth\u00ader Mrs. Mi, espe\u00adcial\u00adly the sto\u00adry of her jump\u00ading into the well, which is the most shock\u00ading and trag\u00adic scene. This should prob\u00ada\u00adbly be clas\u00adsi\u00adfied as artis\u00adtic pro\u00adcess\u00ading by lat\u00ader gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions.
\n   
\nThe Romance of the Three King\u00addoms tells this sto\u00adry in Chap\u00adters 41 and 42. I have select\u00aded a sec\u00adtion relat\u00aded to Chang\u00adban Bridge for your review:<\/p>\n

  
\nZhang Fei refused to lis\u00adten and led over twen\u00adty rid\u00aders to Chang\u00adban Bridge. See\u00ading a forest\u00aded area east of the bridge, he devised a plan: he instruct\u00aded his twen\u00adty-odd rid\u00aders to cut down branch\u00ades, tie them to their hors\u00ades\u2019 tails, and gal\u00adlop back and forth through the woods, kick\u00ading up a cloud of dust to con\u00adfuse the ene\u00admy. Zhang Fei him\u00adself, how\u00adev\u00ader, stood on the bridge, his spear in hand, and gazed west\u00adward.<\/b><\/p>\n

    \u2026
\n   
\nZhao Yun escaped and head\u00aded towards Chang\u00adban Bridge when he heard a loud shout from behind. It was Wen Pin lead\u00ading his troops. Zhao Yun arrived at the bridge, exhaust\u00aded. See\u00ading Zhang Fei stand\u00ading on his horse with his spear point\u00aded, Zhao Yun shout\u00aded, \u201cYide, help me!\u201d Zhang Fei replied, \u201cZilong, hur\u00adry up! I\u2019ll take on the pur\u00adsuers myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u2026
\n   
\nWen Pin led his troops in pur\u00adsuit of Zhao Yun to Chang\u00adban Bridge. They saw Zhang Fei, his whiskers erect, eyes wide open, his spear in hand, stand\u00ading on the bridge. He saw a cloud of dust ris\u00ading from the woods east of the bridge, sus\u00adpect\u00ading an ambush. He reined in his hors\u00ades, not dar\u00ading to approach. Soon, Cao Ren, Li Dian, Xia\u00adhou Dun, Xia\u00adhou Yuan, Le Jin, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Xu Chu, and oth\u00aders arrived. See\u00ading Zhang Fei stand\u00ading on the bridge with his glar\u00ading eyes and spear in hand, they feared it was Zhuge Kong\u00adming\u2019s plan and dared not approach. They set up their posi\u00adtions in a line on the west side of the bridge and sent a mes\u00adsen\u00adger to report to Cao Cao. Upon hear\u00ading this, Cao Cao quick\u00adly mount\u00aded his horse and retreat\u00aded from the bat\u00adtle line. Zhang Fei, eyes wide open, could vague\u00adly dis\u00adcern the blue silk umbrel\u00adlas, hal\u00adberds, and ban\u00adners of the rear guard approach\u00ading. He guessed that Cao Cao, sus\u00adpi\u00adcious, had come in per\u00adson. Zhang Fei roared, \u201cI am Zhang Yide of Yan! Who dares to fight me to the death?\u201d His voice was like thun\u00adder, and the Cao army trem\u00adbled in fear. Cao Cao hur\u00adried\u00adly ordered his umbrel\u00adla to be removed, and look\u00ading back at his left and right, he said, \u201cI once heard Yun\u00adchang say: Yide can take the head of a gen\u00ader\u00adal in a mil\u00adlion-strong army as eas\u00adi\u00adly as tak\u00ading some\u00adthing from a bag. When we meet today, we must not under\u00ades\u00adti\u00admate the ene\u00admy.\u201d Before he fin\u00adished speak\u00ading, Zhang Fei opened his eyes and shout\u00aded again, \u201cZhang Yide of Yan is here! Who dares to fight to the death?\u201d See\u00ading Zhang Fei\u2019s courage, Cao Cao was quite tempt\u00aded to retreat. See\u00ading that Cao Cao\u2019s rear army had moved, Fei raised his spear and shout\u00aded again, \u201cYou don\u2019t want to fight, and you don\u2019t want to retreat, why!\u201d Before the shout\u00ading end\u00aded, Xia\u00adhou Jie beside Cao Cao was so fright\u00adened that his liv\u00ader and gall\u00adblad\u00adder were shat\u00adtered that he fell off his horse. Cao then turned his horse and ran away. So all the gen\u00ader\u00adals of the army ran west\u00adward togeth\u00ader. It is exact\u00adly:<\/p>\n

   
\nHow can a young child hear the sound of thun\u00adder? How can a sick wood\u00adcut\u00adter hear the roar of tigers and leop\u00adards?
\n   
\nCount\u00adless peo\u00adple threw away their guns and hel\u00admets at once. Peo\u00adple surged like a tide and hors\u00ades like a land\u00adslide, tram\u00adpling on each oth\u00ader. Lat\u00ader gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions wrote a poem in praise of them:
\n   
\nAt the Chang\u00adban Bridge, a mur\u00adder\u00adous aura rose. With a roar like thun\u00adder, he sin\u00adgle-hand\u00aded\u00adly drove back a mil\u00adlion Cao Cao sol\u00addiers.<\/p>\n

    
\nThe nov\u00adel Romance of the Three King\u00addoms is very well writ\u00adten, with con\u00adcise lan\u00adguage, just like a his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan who was very fru\u00adgal with words, but there was no spare time to \u201cadd fuel to the fire\u201d where nec\u00ades\u00adsary, so it is as fun to read as a sto\u00adry\u00adtelling.
\n   
\nHow\u00adev\u00ader, the Three King\u00addoms sto\u00adry\u00adtelling remains the most enter\u00adtain\u00ading. It\u2019s arguably the most clas\u00adsic long-form sto\u00adry\u00adtelling to have sur\u00advived to this day, with writ\u00adten records dat\u00ading back to the North\u00adern Song Dynasty. Of course, dif\u00adfer\u00adent dynas\u00adties, dif\u00adfer\u00adent places, and even dif\u00adfer\u00adent sto\u00adry\u00adtelling artists have inter\u00adpret\u00aded the Three King\u00addoms in dif\u00adfer\u00adent ways.
\n   
\nOf all the Three King\u00addoms sto\u00adry\u00adtelling avail\u00adable today, I believe Mr. Yuan Kuocheng\u2019s is the best, and per\u00adhaps even the best of his own inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtions. He con\u00adsult\u00aded exten\u00adsive sources for this sto\u00adry, apply\u00ading the rig\u00ador\u00adous approach of a schol\u00adar. Con\u00adse\u00adquent\u00adly, his work boasts a rig\u00ador\u00adous inter\u00adnal log\u00adic and few omis\u00adsions. His fre\u00adquent paus\u00ades to com\u00adment on the char\u00adac\u00adters of the Three King\u00addoms, from the nov\u00adel to his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal sources, quot\u00ading from clas\u00adsic texts, and adding the sto\u00adry\u00adteller\u2019s reflec\u00adtions on life and his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal events, are tru\u00adly cap\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading. I pon\u00addered how this kind of sto\u00adry\u00adtelling tran\u00adscends the ordi\u00adnary sto\u00adry\u00adtelling of ordi\u00adnary folk artists, bring\u00ading to mind Liu Jingt\u00ading and his mas\u00adter, Mo Houguang, the renowned schol\u00adar-sto\u00adry\u00adteller.
\n   
\nBut then again, Yuan Kuocheng\u2019s sto\u00adry\u00adtelling is all about show\u00ading off his knowl\u00adedge, so few peo\u00adple would lis\u00adten. The essence of his style lies in the folk sto\u00adry\u00adtelling art, with its inter\u00adest\u00ading spo\u00adken lan\u00adguage, detailed char\u00adac\u00adter por\u00adtray\u00adals, and elab\u00ado\u00adrate events. If you don\u2019t believe me, just lis\u00adten to the \u201cChang\u00adban Bridge\u201d sec\u00adtion. It basi\u00adcal\u00adly fol\u00adlows the plot of \u201cRomance of the Three King\u00addoms,\u201d but the nov\u00adel\u00ad\u2019s 600 words become a long para\u00adgraph when told by the sto\u00adry\u00adteller, and it\u2019s much more enter\u00adtain\u00ading. Even chil\u00addren love it:<\/p>\n

   
\nWatch online:Yuan Kuocheng\u2019s sto\u00adry\u00adtelling seg\u00adment from \u201cRomance of the Three King\u00addoms\u201d titled \u201cZhang Yide Drinks and Breaks the Chang\u00adban Bridge\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

   
\nNext, I found anoth\u00ader book: \u201cThe Three King\u00addoms\u201d by Zhang Guo\u00adliang, a mas\u00adter of Suzhou sto\u00adry\u00adtelling. Orig\u00adi\u00adnal\u00adly, sto\u00adry\u00adtelling flour\u00adished in Yangzhou. The Jiang\u00adnan region was orig\u00adi\u00adnal\u00adly called \u201cpinghua.\u201d Lat\u00ader, as the north\u00adern region gained pop\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adi\u00adty, it sur\u00adpassed the Jiang\u00adnan region, so the term \u201cping\u00adshu\u201d is now com\u00admon\u00adly used. Here\u2019s a pas\u00adsage (it\u2019s quite long, so bear with me) from Zhang Guo\u00adliang\u2019s sto\u00adry\u00adline \u201cThe Three King\u00addoms,\u201d which shares the same sto\u00adry. You can com\u00adpare it with Yuan Kuocheng\u2019s pre\u00advi\u00adous pas\u00adsage:<\/p>\n

   
\nBy then, Zhang Fei could see Cao Cao\u2019s army, boom\u00ading with artillery fire, march\u00ading towards Chang\u00adban Bridge. He thought, \u201cShould I leave?\u201d No! If I leave, Cao Cao will seize the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty and pur\u00adsue me, leav\u00ading Big Broth\u00ader no time to escape. If I don\u2019t leave, I\u2019ll just have to do what Zilong did: charge into the camp and slaugh\u00adter them, dri\u00adving them back while I run for\u00adward to pro\u00adtect Big Broth\u00ader, which would allow me to escape fur\u00adther. But that would\u00adn\u2019t work either. First, my most impor\u00adtant task is to hold the bridge. What if I charge and they cross it, Big Broth\u00ader won\u2019t even know, and that would put him in even greater dan\u00adger? Sec\u00adond, Zhao Yun stormed the camp to res\u00adcue the mis\u00adtress and the young lady, a des\u00adper\u00adate charge forced upon him. Now, as long as we hold this bridge, there\u2019s no need to fight. We need to devise a two-pronged strat\u00ade\u00adgy: defend the bridge while simul\u00adta\u00adne\u00adous\u00adly repelling Cao\u2019s mil\u00adlion-strong army. Zhang Fei thought, \u201cWhen I was on my own at the Fancheng sus\u00adpen\u00adsion bridge, I had a hun\u00addred sol\u00addiers and a dozen tree stumps with me, ready to use my tac\u00adtics. Now I have noth\u00ading, and I\u2019m com\u00adplete\u00adly help\u00adless.\u201d Cao Cao\u2019s army was get\u00adting clos\u00ader and clos\u00ader. What should we do? \u2014 \u201cOh, this is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nWhen the Third Gen\u00ader\u00adal was get\u00adting anx\u00adious, he heard some\u00adone call\u00ading him, \u201cThird Gen\u00ader\u00adal, Third Gen\u00ader\u00adal.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei looked up and saw a squad of twen\u00adty-five cav\u00adal\u00adry\u00admen charg\u00ading towards him. They were his own broth\u00aders. Zhang Fei won\u00addered, \u201cMy eldest broth\u00ader has been defeat\u00aded so bad\u00adly, where did he find such a dis\u00adci\u00adplined squad of cav\u00adal\u00adry?\u201d It turned out that this squad had been attacked by the ene\u00admy on a moon\u00adlit night, some of them killed in bat\u00adtle, oth\u00aders fled. See\u00ading the ene\u00admy\u2019s supe\u00adri\u00ador num\u00adbers, they knew they could\u00adn\u2019t defeat the ene\u00admy with few\u00ader men, so they took shel\u00adter in Bal\u00ading Vil\u00adlage. They wait\u00aded until today to search for the Emper\u00ador\u2019s uncle\u2019s main force. See\u00ading a riv\u00ader block\u00ading their way, they searched along the river\u00adbank for a bridge. They found it, and they also spot\u00adted Zhang Fei on it.<\/p>\n

   
\nWhen Zhang Fei saw a group of cav\u00adal\u00adry com\u00ading, he came up with a plan and shout\u00aded, \u201cCome on!\u201d to them.<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cWhat are your orders, Gen\u00ader\u00adal Three?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cLis\u00adten, Cao Cao is com\u00ading from the front\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cThen, Gen\u00ader\u00adal Three, let\u2019s leave quick\u00adly.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei: \u201cYou must under\u00adstand that my elder broth\u00ader is over there in the woods. If we hur\u00adry, we will be pur\u00adsued by the old ban\u00addits.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cThen, Gen\u00ader\u00adal, what if you don\u2019t leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cLao Zhang planned to scare off Cao\u2019s sol\u00addiers before leav\u00ading.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nThe sol\u00addier did\u00adn\u2019t under\u00adstand what he meant and asked, \u201cThen, Gen\u00ader\u00adal, how did you scare off Cao\u2019s troops?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cOld Zhang is using a trick!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cWill the three gen\u00ader\u00adals use a trick?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cOld Zhang has always been cun\u00adning.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei was about to boast again. The sol\u00addier won\u00addered what trick he was going to use to scare off a mil\u00adlion Cao sol\u00addiers. He was prob\u00ada\u00adbly think\u00ading of his teacher, Mr. Zhuge Liang, and could\u00adn\u2019t think of one right away. So he asked, \u201cGen\u00ader\u00adal, what\u2019s your plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly ordered them to cross the bridge and go to a small woods two miles away. Each per\u00adson had to break off a branch. The branch should not be too long or too short, as it would break, and if it was too short, it would be use\u00adless. They had to hold on to the end, even if they had to uri\u00adnate or defe\u00adcate, and not dis\u00admount. If Cao Cao saw through their plan and attacked them, every\u00adone would be killed.<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei\u2019s plan could indeed be called a good one. He instruct\u00aded his sol\u00addiers to tie one end of a bro\u00adken branch to the hors\u00ades\u2019 tails and drag the oth\u00ader, thin\u00adner branch on the ground, like a small broom. Then, each sol\u00addier mount\u00aded their horse, whip in hand, and gal\u00adloped back and forth through the woods. Twen\u00adty-five hors\u00ades, one hun\u00addred horse hooves, and twen\u00adty-five branch\u00ades drag\u00adging along the ground\u2014it was late autumn. With these cav\u00adal\u00adry\u00admen run\u00adning back and forth, the twen\u00adty-five branch\u00ades sweep\u00ading the ground kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured the sky. From Chang\u00adban Bridge, the view must have been of falling leaves and thick smoke, like a gal\u00adlop\u00ading army.<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei fin\u00adished mak\u00ading these arrange\u00adments and told them to pro\u00adceed imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly. A sol\u00addier asked Zhang Fei, \u201cExcuse me, Gen\u00ader\u00adals, what is this plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cThis is a great plan to scare Cao Cao!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s it called, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei thought about it and said, \u201cMy teacher always said that Cao Cao was sus\u00adpi\u00adcious through\u00adout his life. This strat\u00ade\u00adgy is called \u2018the strat\u00ade\u00adgy of con\u00adfus\u00ading the ene\u00admy\u2019. Go and pre\u00adpare quick\u00adly.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nThe sol\u00addiers imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly crossed the bridge, walked two miles, and entered the woods. They fol\u00adlowed the three gen\u00ader\u00adals\u2019 instruc\u00adtions, tying branch\u00ades, mount\u00ading their hors\u00ades, and whip\u00adping their hors\u00ades. In a short while, the woods were filled with smoke and dust, and fall\u00aden leaves were fly\u00ading. At first, every\u00adone thought this plan was sim\u00adple and inter\u00adest\u00ading, so they were full of ener\u00adgy and rode faster. As time went on, sand and stones came fly\u00ading over\u00adhead, and the air was filled with mud, mak\u00ading it suf\u00adfo\u00adcat\u00ading. In the end, every\u00adone was run\u00adning breath\u00adless\u00adly and sweat\u00ading. Every\u00adone knew the three gen\u00ader\u00adals\u2019 tem\u00adpers, so no one dared to dis\u00admount with\u00adout orders. As they ran, they cursed Zhang Fei: \u201cShort-lived Zhang Fei, you came up with this plan, you will def\u00adi\u00adnite\u00adly end your descen\u00addants!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nThey cursed, \u201cGo back!\u201d and \u201cRun away!\u201d Zhang Fei, stand\u00ading on the long plank bridge, wait\u00aded for the cav\u00adal\u00adry to leave. Soon, he saw thick smoke ris\u00ading from the grove behind. He thought to him\u00adself, \u201cZeng Cao, you have a mil\u00adlion-strong army, and I only have twen\u00adty-five twigs. Let\u2019s have a duel to see who\u2019s stronger.\u201d He braced him\u00adself and wait\u00aded on the bridge for Cao Cao\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Yan\u2019s sol\u00addiers, who had fled back, saw Cao Cao and his large army approach\u00ading and hur\u00adried to report, \u201cReport to the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the news?\u201d
\n    <\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cOn the bridge ahead, the black-faced Zhang Fei stands on horse\u00adback, spear drawn, block\u00ading our path. Gen\u00ader\u00adal Zhang Yan has been stabbed by him. Please let the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cIs there Zhang Fei block\u00ading the way on the bridge ahead?\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cyes!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Cao Cao thought, Kong Ming, you first sent the white-faced Zhao Yun to charge my camp for a day and a night, and now you\u2019ve sent the black-faced Zhang Fei to guard the bridge. You\u2019re try\u00ading to teach me a les\u00adson. What are you up to, Zhuge Liang? I\u2019ve nev\u00ader encoun\u00adtered this kind of fight\u00ading style before, and it\u2019s com\u00adplete\u00adly baf\u00adfling. Ever since Cao Cao fell for Zhang Fei\u2019s trick on the Fancheng Bridge, he\u2019d real\u00adized Zhang Fei was\u00adn\u2019t being fool\u00adish late\u00adly. I also heard he\u2019d become Kong Ming\u2019s appren\u00adtice and had learned how to use juice. Be care\u00adful this time.<\/p>\n

   
\nAlthough Zhang Fei\u2019s strat\u00ade\u00adgy was poor, it was always adapt\u00adable to Cao Cao. Today\u2019s trick was not too big or too small.<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao ordered the sol\u00addiers to with\u00addraw and the main force to advance. As they neared, he looked up and saw, as expect\u00aded, the dark-faced Zhang Fei, firm\u00adly seat\u00aded on his horse, stand\u00ading alone at the bridge\u00adhead. He ordered the troops to halt. At the sound of can\u00adnon fire, the entire force, front and back, halt\u00aded, swords, spears, and ban\u00adners falling one after anoth\u00ader.<\/p>\n

    \u201cGen\u00adtle\u00admen!\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cFol\u00adlow me and take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter, please! Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter, please!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao, lead\u00ading his civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcials and a hand\u00adful of atten\u00addants, rode to the foot of the long plank bridge. Though they were still some dis\u00adtance from Zhang Fei, and unable to reach him for a fight, they could still hear him clear\u00adly. The prime min\u00adis\u00adter and his civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcials mount\u00aded their hors\u00ades. Cao Cao leaned side\u00adways on his horse, his eyes glanc\u00ading at Zhang Fei from behind his tri\u00adan\u00adgu\u00adlar robe. He thought, \u201cWe\u2019re old acquain\u00adtances, we\u2019ve dealt with each oth\u00ader often. No intro\u00adduc\u00adtions need\u00aded.\u201d He raised his hands and bowed to Zhang Fei, \u201cI was won\u00adder\u00ading who it was on the bridge. It\u2019s Gen\u00ader\u00adal Yide III. I\u2019m hon\u00adored to meet you. Ha\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei ignored Cao Cao\u2019s greet\u00ading. I was going to call you Ah Man, so a return of the greet\u00ading is fine. Today, you defeat\u00aded my eldest broth\u00ader at Chang\u00adban\u00adpo and left him with no place to hide. My sec\u00adond sis\u00adter-in-law also com\u00admit\u00adted sui\u00adcide by jump\u00ading into a well. I wish I could rush down the bridge and kill you imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly to relieve the hatred in my heart! How\u00adev\u00ader, in order to defend the bridge today, I have a plan. There is no need to fight you head-on. Whether this plan suc\u00adceeds or not, I still need your help. If the plan suc\u00adceeds, you retreat; if it fails, it\u2019s up to you. Any\u00adway, I will defend this bridge to the death, and I am ready to fight you to the death like Zhao Yun. Don\u2019t even think about a sin\u00adgle Cao sol\u00addier cross\u00ading the bridge. Zhang Fei changed his mind and cursed Cao Cao under the bridge: \u201cHey! You old thief under the bridge!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cAh! You wretch!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao, hear\u00ading Zhang Fei\u2019s rude words, showed no weak\u00adness and quick\u00adly respond\u00aded. \u201cI polite\u00adly called you \u2018Third Gen\u00ader\u00adal,\u2019 show\u00ading cour\u00adtesy, but instead of return\u00ading the greet\u00ading, you called me \u2018old thief.\u2019 You\u2019re such a cow\u00adard! I\u2019m going to kill myself! I won\u2019t both\u00ader with him today. Let me find a way to deal with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nThe three gen\u00ader\u00adals stood on the bridge, fac\u00ading Cao Cao, their eyes wide with anger. They glanced at the woods on the oth\u00ader side of the bridge, where dust cov\u00adered the sky and smoke bil\u00adlowed. Great! Cao Cao, I\u2019m invit\u00ading you to watch a show. \u201cLis\u00adten up, old thief! Old Zhang, under the orders of my mil\u00adi\u00adtary advi\u00adsor, has set an ambush and set fire to the woods on the oth\u00ader side of the bridge. We\u2019re going to burn all the troops you brought with you to a crisp, leav\u00ading no one alive. I\u2019ve been wait\u00ading for you here for a long time. Come with me! Look over there!\u201d Zhang Fei said, then point\u00aded toward the bridge.<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cFire attack?\u201d Cao Cao was ter\u00adri\u00adfied when he heard about anoth\u00ader fire attack. Ever since Zhuge Liang appeared, every bat\u00adtle had involved a fire attack. The fires at Bowang and Xinye burned hun\u00addreds of thou\u00adsands of our troops, and now there\u2019s anoth\u00ader fire attack. I\u2019m real\u00adly con\u00adfused as to whether it\u2019s real or not. He looked up in the direc\u00adtion Zhang Fei point\u00aded and said, \u201cOh my!\u201d He saw \u201cwhoosh!\u201d Black smoke bil\u00adlowed in the air, and it seemed as if he could see armies com\u00ading and going in an end\u00adless stream, just like a thou\u00adsand hors\u00ades gal\u00adlop\u00ading. \u201cThis\u2026\u201d Cao Cao could\u00adn\u2019t real\u00adly tell the truth, so he asked the civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcials on both sides: \u201cGen\u00adtle\u00admen.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter. Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cIs there an ambush?\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nSee\u00ading the thick smoke, the civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcials were ter\u00adri\u00adfied. They were also dis\u00adcussing whether there was a fire attack or not. They were not sure. Although Liu Bei was defeat\u00aded mis\u00ader\u00adably at Chang\u00adban\u00adpo, most of his gen\u00ader\u00adals had not been seen, and he still had great strength. In par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar, his mil\u00adi\u00adtary advi\u00adsor Zhuge Liang had been nowhere to be seen, and he was elu\u00adsive. Now that we are advanc\u00ading straight ahead, it is unknown why he has set up a fire attack in the woods ahead. It is also pos\u00adsi\u00adble that Zhang Fei is using the pow\u00ader of the mil\u00adi\u00adtary advi\u00adsor to intim\u00adi\u00addate us and force us to retreat with\u00adout a fight. Every\u00adone heard the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter ask\u00ading, and they had to speak out. If they were wrong, how could we bear the con\u00adse\u00adquences if a mil\u00adlion sol\u00addiers were buried in the sea of fire? They all thought to them\u00adselves, \u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter, you are also very smart. It is up to you to decide whether there is a fire or not.\u201d So they all said, \u201cAh! Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter, I am incom\u00adpe\u00adtent\u2026\u201d \u201cI am incom\u00adpe\u00adtent\u2026\u201d \u201cPlease see for your\u00adself, Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao also knew that it was dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to pre\u00addict the out\u00adcome at the moment, so he gave up the dis\u00adcus\u00adsion. Xu Shu, who was stand\u00ading near\u00adby, knew at a glance that Zhang Fei\u2019s plan was a lie. Zhao Yun had res\u00adcued A Dou from the camp. If Liu Bei had gone far away, Zhang Fei would not be able to stop him here. Liu Bei must be right across the way, or not far away yet. So Zhang Fei came up with a trick to deceive Cao Cao and then with\u00addraw with Liu Bei. Xu Shu thought of this, rode his horse to Cao Cao, and cupped his hand: \u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter, in my opin\u00adion, if the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter crossed the bridge and the fire start\u00aded, it must have been a fire attack. If the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter did not cross the bridge and the fire did not start, then there was no fire attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao looked at Xu Shu and thought, \u201cYou\u2019re the most elo\u00adquent speak\u00ader, but you\u2019ve been talk\u00ading for so long it\u2019s as if you haven\u2019t said any\u00adthing. It seems you\u2019re also unsure, so you have to say this.\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao pon\u00addered it again and under\u00adstood. Fire or not, Liu Bei was over there. To ensure Liu Bei\u2019s safe escape, Kong Ming had Zhang Fei ambush him there. But was there a fire or not? Remem\u00adber when Xia\u00adhou Dun\u2019s troops entered Bowang\u00adpo and were caught in a fire, their entire army of 100,000 men was anni\u00adhi\u00adlat\u00aded. Zhang Liao led 100,000 troops to attack Quewei Moun\u00adtain three times, claim\u00ading there was a fire, but it turned out to be just a scare tac\u00adtic. Lat\u00ader, when his troops entered Xinye, a mas\u00adsive fire con\u00adsumed all 100,000 sol\u00addiers. The last time I per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adly vis\u00adit\u00aded Fancheng, I met Zhang Fei. He said there was a fire attack, and I believed him, but it turned out to be false. Today\u2019s\u2026 Cao Cao was ter\u00adri\u00adfied at the thought. If fire attacks fol\u00adlow this pat\u00adtern, then today\u2019s should be a real fire attack.<\/p>\n

   
\nAre there any rules for fight\u00ading war? If Zhuge Liang\u2019s mil\u00adi\u00adtary tac\u00adtics were mere\u00adly so sim\u00adple, how could he have helped Liu Bei con\u00adquer three king\u00addoms? It\u2019s no won\u00adder Cao Cao was afraid of Kong Ming. For decades, he had con\u00adsis\u00adtent\u00adly won bat\u00adtles, pos\u00adsess\u00ading his own set of strate\u00adgies and tac\u00adtics. Sud\u00adden\u00adly, with the recent series of fires and set\u00adbacks, he still could\u00adn\u2019t com\u00adplete\u00adly destroy Liu Bei. Fur\u00adther\u00admore, Kong Ming pos\u00adsessed a wealth of tal\u00adent, the abil\u00adi\u00adty to gov\u00adern a nation, and pos\u00adsessed the Six Strate\u00adgies and Three Strate\u00adgies, as well as a deep under\u00adstand\u00ading of astron\u00ado\u00admy and geog\u00adra\u00adphy. While he was no mediocre per\u00adson, he was ulti\u00admate\u00adly infe\u00adri\u00ador to him. So, Cao Cao became obsessed with this.<\/p>\n

   
\nSince it\u2019s a real fire attack, then retreat. Cao Cao did\u00adn\u2019t want to, fear\u00ading that oth\u00aders would laugh at him. Then he thought again, and he got it! Let me charge your troops onto your bridge? It seemed like I had seen through the trap and was just bluff\u00ading to test him. If it\u2019s a real fire attack, Zhang Fei will sure\u00adly be hap\u00adpy when my troops charge, think\u00ading I\u2019ve fall\u00aden for a trick. See\u00ading you hap\u00adpy, I\u2019ll retreat: If the fire attack is fake, see\u00ading my 830,000 troops charg\u00ading, you are a brave man after all, not a cow\u00adard, so you will have to show your true col\u00adors. Wait until then, I\u2019ll take advan\u00adtage of the sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion and charge. Right. Cao Cao imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly ordered: \u201cCome! Charge for\u00adward with the boss!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nCao Cao, hold\u00ading the com\u00admand flag in his left hand, flicked his right robe sleeve for\u00adward, sig\u00adnal\u00ading a false charge. Though fake, the dis\u00adplay was pow\u00ader\u00adful. The gen\u00ader\u00adals pre\u00adpared their weapons, long and short, with their heads in a tan\u00adgle, and opened the four gates. Swords and spears had been low\u00adered, but in an instant, from front to back, swords, spears, and ban\u00adners were raised high. The cav\u00adal\u00adry\u00admen pulled their hors\u00ades, and they raised their heads and neighed, ready to charge.<\/p>\n

   
\nThe infantry pre\u00adpared to march. It was just then: horns blew, drums beat, can\u00adnons roared, and a cho\u00adrus of cries, \u201cCharge!\u201d It was earth-shak\u00ading and deaf\u00aden\u00ading. Cao Cao stood beneath the bridge, observ\u00ading Zhang Fei intent\u00adly.<\/p>\n

   
\nAlthough it was a feint, the impos\u00ading pres\u00adence of a mil\u00adlion-strong army was over\u00adwhelm\u00ading. Zhang Fei believed Cao Cao had seen through his plan: but how? He thought, per\u00adhaps a branch had fall\u00aden from the tail of one of the cav\u00adal\u00adry\u00admen in the woods, or per\u00adhaps one of them had dis\u00admount\u00aded to relieve him\u00adself, allow\u00ading Cao Cao to see through them; or per\u00adhaps the shout\u00ading of Cao\u2019s sol\u00addiers had fright\u00adened them, reveal\u00ading their weak\u00adness. If they rushed across the bridge, my broth\u00ader, his wife, the civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcers would be cap\u00adtured in one fell swoop. Zilong would be exhaust\u00aded from fight\u00ading and unable to resist. How could I bear to watch my eldest broth\u00ader\u2019s utter destruc\u00adtion? If you, Cao Cao, were to charge the bridge, I, Zhang Fei, would not flee. I would sim\u00adply charge down and anni\u00adhi\u00adlate you, leav\u00ading you com\u00adplete\u00adly defeat\u00aded. Zhang Fei\u2019s brows were furi\u00adous, his beard erect, his hair and whiskers stand\u00ading tall, his awe-inspir\u00ading face intim\u00adi\u00addat\u00ading the ene\u00admy. Zhang Fei also made a ges\u00adture ready to charge down: If you don\u2019t come up, I won\u2019t go down either. After all, Zhang Fei was alone, with\u00adout any\u00adone to cheer him on. So he held the Wen Ba Snake Spear in his hand and roared, \u201cWow\u2026!\u201d like a tiger\u2019s roar and a drag\u00adon\u2019s roar, and imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly the birds fell to the ground and the beasts stum\u00adbled.<\/p>\n

   
\nZhang Fei him\u00adself had not yet real\u00adized the pow\u00ader of the shout. He saw Xia Hou\u00adjie, Cao Cao\u2019s nephew, stand\u00ading beside him. He was not very skilled and was hold\u00ading a Ruyi crutch on his horse. He was so fright\u00adened by Zhang Fei\u2019s roar that his heart and courage shat\u00adtered. His mount was not a vet\u00ader\u00adan of the bat\u00adtle\u00adfield, so when it heard the beast-like roar, its horse\u2019s butt lift\u00aded up and with a back sheep\u00adskin, Xia Hou\u00adjie fell off the horse and rolled right in front of Cao Cao\u2019s horse. Although Cao Cao\u2019s horse was not bad, it was very ner\u00advous when it heard the shout, with its ears erect. Sud\u00adden\u00adly, some\u00adthing rolled at its feet. It was so star\u00adtled that it tried to tight\u00aden its hoof, but when it put it down, it stepped on Xia Hou\u00adjie\u2019s chest, killing him on the spot. Cao Cao was watch\u00ading Zhang Fei\u2019s expres\u00adsion close\u00adly. When he heard Zhang Fei\u2019s cry, he felt the front hoof of his horse move. He looked down and saw that his nephew was dead. He lost his com\u00adpo\u00adsure and shout\u00aded, \u201cAh!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\nAll the gen\u00ader\u00adals were ter\u00adri\u00adfied by Zhang Fei\u2019s heart-wrench\u00ading cry, and they were instant\u00adly remind\u00aded of an inci\u00addent from years ear\u00adli\u00ader: Guan Yu had behead\u00aded the renowned Hebei gen\u00ader\u00adal Yan Liang at White Horse Slope. Upon return\u00ading to camp, Cao Cao lav\u00adish\u00adly praised Guan Yu\u2019s prowess. Guan Yu then retort\u00aded, \u201cAlthough I am a capa\u00adble gen\u00ader\u00adal, I am no match for my third broth\u00ader.\u201d Cao Cao inquired, \u201cHow capa\u00adble is your broth\u00ader?\u201d Guan Yu replied, \u201cMy third broth\u00ader\u2019s roar increas\u00ades his strength by a thou\u00adsand pounds. In a host of mil\u00adlions, he can take a gen\u00ader\u00adal\u2019s head as eas\u00adi\u00adly as tak\u00ading some\u00adthing from a bag.\u201d Cao Cao had instruct\u00aded every\u00adone to lis\u00adten care\u00adful\u00adly and nev\u00ader for\u00adget, and he had writ\u00adten these words on his bat\u00adtle robe. Hear\u00ading this cry, every\u00adone shud\u00addered with fear. If he charged, we would be no match for him, let alone pro\u00adtect you, the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter. Hear\u00ading the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter\u2019s cry of \u201cAh!\u201d, every\u00adone mis\u00adun\u00adder\u00adstood Cao Cao\u2019s fear and tried to escape. See\u00ading this, his men imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly cir\u00adcled Cao Cao\u2019s horse, prepar\u00ading to flee. See\u00ading the Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter\u2019s horse move, the civ\u00adil and mil\u00adi\u00adtary offi\u00adcials took it as an order and seized the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to re-mount their hors\u00ades. Sud\u00adden\u00adly, a scram\u00adble ensued, with weapons pierc\u00ading the hors\u00ades\u2019 but\u00adtocks. Cao Cao\u2019s sil\u00adver-maned horse, struck by the weapons, sprang for\u00adward, dart\u00ading for\u00adward. Thus, the rear guard became the front, the front the rear, and the army retreat\u00aded in chaos, with the front and rear swarm\u00ading in the pro\u00adces\u00adsion.<\/p>\n

   
\nXu Shu was secret\u00adly delight\u00aded. As he fled, he took the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to threat\u00aden Cao Cao: \u201cPrime Min\u00adis\u00adter! Prime Min\u00adis\u00adter, this is bad! Zhang Fei is catch\u00ading up with us!\u201d<\/p>\n

   
\n\u201cOuch!\u201d Cao Cao ran away in a hur\u00adry.<\/p>\n

   
\nAt this moment, Zhang Fei him\u00adself was stunned: Why would Cao Cao\u2019s mil\u00adlion-strong army retreat? Zhang Fei had nev\u00ader roared like this before on the bat\u00adtle\u00adfield, and today, when he did, he had\u00adn\u2019t real\u00adized how much of an impact it would have. Sud\u00adden\u00adly, as if awak\u00adened from a dream, he real\u00adized: Oh! Cao\u2019s troops had been fright\u00adened away by me. A sin\u00adgle roar could have thrown Cao Cao\u2019s mil\u00adlion-strong army into dis\u00adar\u00adray! In fact, it was\u00adn\u2019t just a mil\u00adlion Cao sol\u00addiers that were fright\u00adened away; even the east\u00adward-flow\u00ading Chang\u00adban Riv\u00ader was stopped by Zhang Fei\u2019s shout, rolling west\u00adward. Hence the say\u00ading \u201cdrink\u00ading water caus\u00ades it to flow back\u00adwards.\u201d Just how pow\u00ader\u00adful was Zhang Fei\u2019s roar? Ancients praised it: \u201cBy the Chang\u00adban Bridge, mur\u00adder\u00adous intent ris\u00ades, spears drawn, hors\u00ades fixed, eyes wide open. A sin\u00adgle roar, like thun\u00adder, sin\u00adgle-hand\u00aded\u00adly dri\u00adves back Cao Cao\u2019s mil\u00adlion-strong army.\u201d These words are enough to pon\u00adder. It\u2019s clear how pow\u00ader\u00adful it was!<\/p>\n

   
\nThis sto\u00adry\u00adtelling is rich\u00adly spiced, and while cer\u00adtain\u00adly enter\u00adtain\u00ading, it\u2019s cer\u00adtain\u00adly not bad. How\u00adev\u00ader, the log\u00adic and causal rela\u00adtion\u00adships are so tan\u00adgled that they seem a bit chaot\u00adic. This sec\u00adtion, in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar, focus\u00ades on the hero\u00adism of the char\u00adac\u00adters and the tense atmos\u00adphere of the scene. The exces\u00adsive use of gags and jokes makes it seem glib, pet\u00adty, and lack\u00ading in mas\u00adculin\u00adi\u00adty. Of course, this asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion is based sole\u00adly on the text, with\u00adout the sto\u00adry\u00adteller\u2019s voice, so it\u2019s not enough to make a defin\u00adi\u00adtive assess\u00adment.
\n\u3000<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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