CHAPTER XLVI.

K'UNG-MING "BCRROWS" SOME ARROWS:

HUANG KAI ACCEPTS A PUNISHMENT.

The gossip Lu Su departed on his mission and found K'ung

ming seated in his little craft.

"There has been so much to do that I have not been able to come to listen to your instruction," said Lu Su.

"That is truly so," said K'ung-ming, "and I have not yet congratulated the Commander-in-Chief."

"What have you wished to congratulate him upon?"

"Why Sir, the matter upon which he sent you to find out whether I knew about it or not. Indeed I can congratulate him on that."

Lu Su turned pale and gasped. But how did you know, Master?"

"The ruse succeeded well thus played off on Chiang Kan. Ts'ao has been taken in this once, but he will soon rise to it. Only he will not confess his mistake. However, the two men are gone and your country is freed from a grave anxiety. Do you not think that a matter for congratulation? hear Mao Chieh and Yü Chin are the new admirals, and in their hands lie both good and evil for the fate of the Anot."

I

Lu Su was quite dumbfounded; he stayed a little time longer passing the time in making empty remarks, and then took his leave. As he was going away K'ung-ming cautioned him. against letting Chou Yü know that his new rival had guessed his ruse. "I know he is jealous and he only seeks some chance tc dc me harm."

Lu Su promised; nevertheless he went straight to his chief anrelated the whole thing just as it happened.

"Really he must be got rid of," said Chou Yü, "I have quite decided to put the man out of the way."

"If you slay him, will not Ts'ao Ts'ao laugh at you?"

"Oh, no; I will find a legitimate way of getting rid of him so that he shall go to his death without resentment."

"But how can you find a legitimate way of assassinating him?"

"Do not ask too much; you will see presently."

Soon after all the officers were summoned to the main tent and K'ung-ming's presence was desired. He went contentedly enough. When all were seated Chou Yü suddenly addressed

K'ung-ming, saying, "I am going to fight a battle with the enemy soon on the water: what weapons are the best?"

"On the great river arrows are the best," said K'ungming.

"Your opinion and mine agree. But at the moment we are short of them. I wish you would undertake to supply about a hundred thousand for the naval fight. As it is for the public service you will not decline, I hope!"

"Whatever task the Commander-in-Chief lays upon me I must certainly try to perform," replied K'ung-ming. "May I enquire by what date you require the hundred thousand arrows?"

"Could you have them ready in ten days?"

"The enemy will be here very soon; ten days will be too late," said K'ung-ming.

"In how many days do you estimate the arrows can be ready?"

"Let me have three days; then you may send for your hundred thousand."

"No joking, remember," said the General. "There is no joking in war time."

"Dare I joke with the Commander-in-Chief? Give me a formal military order and if I have not completed the task in three days I will take my punishment.

Chou Yü, secretly delighted, sent for the secretaries and prepared the commission then and there. Then he drank to the success of the undertaking and said, "I shall have to congratulate you most heartily when this is accomplished."

"This day is not to count," said K'ung-ming. "On the third from to-morrow morning send five hundred small boats to the river side to convey the arrows."

They drank a few more cups together and then K'ung-ming took his leave. After he had gone, Lu Su said, "Do you not think there is some deceit about this?"

"I think he has signed his own death warrant," said Chou. "Without being pressed in the least he asked for a formal order in the face of the whole assembly. If he grew a pair of wings he could not escape. Only I will just order the workmen to delay him as much as they can, and not supply him with materials, so that he is sure to fail. And then, when the certain penalty is incurred, who can criticise? You can go and enquire about it all and keep me informed."

So off went Lu Su to seek K'ung-ming, who at once reproached him with having blabbed about the former business, "He wants to hurt me, as you know, and I did not think you could not keep my secret. And now there is what you saw to-day and how do you think I can get a hundred thousand arrows made in three days? You will simply have to rescue me."

"You brought the misfortune on yourself and how can I rescue you?" said Lu.

"I look to you for the loan of a score of vessels, manned each by thirty men. I want blue cotton screens and bundles of straw lashed to the sides of the boats. I have good use for them. On the third day I have undertaken to deliver the fixed number of arrows. But on no account must you let Chou Yü know, or my scheme will be wrecked."

Lu Su consented and this time he kept his word. He went to report to his chief as usual, but he said nothing about the boats. He only said K'ung-ming was not using bamboo or feathers or glue or varnish, but had some other way of getting

arrows.

"Let us await the three days' limit," said Chou Yü, puzzled though confident.

On his side Lu Su quietly prepared a score of light swift boats, each with its crew and the blue screens and bundles of grass complete and, when these were ready, he placed them at K'ung-ming's disposal. His friend did nothing on the first day, nor on the second. On the third day at the middle of the fourth watch, K'ung-ming sent a private message asking Lu Su to come to his boat.

"Why have you sent for me, Sir?" asked Lu Su. "I want you to go with me to get those arrows. "Whither are you going?"

"Do not ask: you will see."

Then the twenty boats were fastened together by long ropes and moved over to the north bank. The night proved very foggy and the mist was very dense along the river, so that one man could scarcely see another. In spite of the fog K'ungming urged the boats forward.

There is a poem on these river fogs:

Mighty indeed is the Yangtse River!

Rising far in the west, in the mountains of Omei and Min,
Ploughing its way through Wu, east flowing, resistless,

Swelled by its nine tributary streams, rolling down from the far

north,

Aided and helped by a hundred rivulets swirling and foaming,
Ocean receives it at last welcoming, joyful, its waters.

Therein abide sea-nymphs and water gods,

Enormous whales a thousand fathoms long,
Nine-headed monstrous beasts yclept t'ien-wu,
Demons and uncouth creatures wondrous strange.

In faith it is the home and safe retreat

Of devils black, and sprites, and wondrous growths,
And eke the battle ground of valiant men.

At times occur strange strife of elements,

When darkness strives on light's domain t'encroach,
Whereat arises in the vaulted dome of blue
White wreaths of fog that toward the centre roll.
Then darkness falls, too dense for any torch
T'illumine; only clanging sounds can pass.
The fog at first appears, a vaprous wreath

Scarce visible. But thickening fast, it veils
The southern hills, the painted leopard's home.
And spreads afar, until the northern sea
Leviathans are mazed and lose their course.
And denser yet it touches on the sky,

And spreads a heavy mantle o'er the earth.
Then, wide as is the high pitched arch of heaven,
Therein appears no single rift of blue.

Now mighty whales lead up their wives to sport
Upon the waves, the sinuous dragons dive

Deep down and, breathing, swell the heaving sea,
The earth is moist as with the early rains,

And spring's creative energy is chilled.

Both far and wide and high the damp fog spreads,
Great cities on the eastern bank are hid,

Wide ports and mountains in the south are lost,
Whole fleets of battle ships, a thousand keels,
Hide in the misty depths; frail fishing boats
High riding on a wave are seen-and lost.
The gloom increases and the domed sky
Grows dark and darker as the sun's light fails.
The daylight dies, dim twilight's reign begins,
The ruddy hills dissolve and lose their hue.
The skill of matchless Yü would fail to sound
The depth and height; and Li Lou's eye, though keen,
Could never pierce this gloom. Now is the time,
O sea and river gods, to use your powers.
The gliding fish and creeping water folk
Are lost; there is no track for bird or beast.
Fair P'ênglai Isles are hidden from our sight,
The lofty gates of heaven have disappeared.
Nature is blurred and indistinct, as when
A driving rain storm hurries o'er the earth.
And then, perhaps, within the heavy haze
A noisome serpent vents his venom foul
And plagues descend, or impish demons work
Their wicked wills.

Ills fall on men but do not stay,

Heaven's cleansing breath sweeps them away,

But while they last the mean ones cry,

The nobler suffer silently.

The greatest turmoil is a sign

Of quick return to state benign.

The little fleet reached Ts'ao Ts'ao's naval camp about the fifth watch and orders were given to form line lying prows west, and then to beat the drums and shout.

"But what shall we do if they attack us?" exclaimed Lu Su. K'ung-ming replied with a smile, "I think the fleet will not venture out in this fog; go on with your wine and let us be happy. We will go back when the fog lifts."

As soon as the shouting from the river was heard by those in the camp the two commanders ran off to report to their chief, who said, "Coming up in a fog like this means that they have prepared an ambush for us. Do not go out, but get all the force together and shoot at them."

He also sent orders to the soldier camps to despatch six companies of archers and crossbowmen to aid the marines.

The naval forces were then lined up on the bank to prevent a landing. Presently the soldiers arrived and a legion and more men were shooting down into the river, where the arrows fell like rain. By and bye K'ung-ming ordered the boats to turn round so that their prows pointed east and to go closer in so that many arrows might hit them.

The drums were kept beating till the sun was high and the fog began to disperse, when the boats got under way and sailed down stream. The whole twenty boats were bristling with arrows on both sides. As they left, all the crews derisively shouted, "We thank you, Sir Minister, for the arrows."

They told Ts'ao Ts'ao, but by the time he came the light boats helped by the swift current were a long way down river and pursuit was impossible. Ts'ao Ts'ao saw that he had been duped and was very sorry, but there was no help for it.

On the way down K'ung-ming said to his companion, "Every boat must have five or six thousand arrows and so, without the expenditure of an ounce of energy, we must have more than ten myriad arrows, which to-morrow can be shot back again at Ts'ao Ts'ac's army to his great inconvenience."

"You are really superhuman," said Lu Su. "But how did you know there would be a thick fog to-day?"

"One cannot be a leader without knowing the workings of heaven and the ways of earth. One must understand the secret gates and the inter-dependence of the elements, the mysteries of tactics and the value of forces. It is but an ordinary talent. I calculated three days ago that there would be a fog to-day and so I set the limit at three days. Chou Yü would give me ten days, but neither artificers nor material, so that he might find occasion to put me to death as I knew, but my fate lies with the Supreme and how could Chou Yü harm me?"

Lu Su could not but agree. When the boats arrived half a company were in readiness on the bank to carry away the arrows. K'ung-ming bade them go on board the boats, collect them and bear them to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief. Lu Su went to report that the arrows had been obtained and told Chou Yü by what means.

Chou Yü was amazed and sighed sadly, saying, "He is better than I; his methods are more than human.'

Thick lies the fog on the river,

Nature is shrouded in white,
Distant and near are confounded,
Banks are no longer in sight.
Fast fly the pattering arrows,

Stick in the boats of the fleet.
Now can full tale be delivered,

K'ung-ming is victor complete.

When, shortly after his return, K'ung-ming went to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief he was welcomed by Chou Yü, who