The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 56
Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:13AM The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 56:
Cao Cao Feasts in the Bronze Bird Tower;
Zhuge Liang Provokes Zhou Yu a Third Time.
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WARNING: THE SANGUO YANYI ITSELF CONTAINS SPOILERS...ABOUT OUR OWN FUTURE. LEARN IT. BE PREPARED. UGLINESS IS COMING...
Chapter 56 of the Sanguo Yanyi sees a continuance of the almost tragically comical striving of Zhou Yu against Zhuge Liang, two of the great minds of the late Han. Seriously, these two are almost like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Zhou Yu, obviously, is Daffy, since, as you might have noticed in previous chapters, things just don't seem to go well for him when he tries to scheme against Zhuge Liang. This is like "Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season! Rabbit season! Rabbit season! Duck season! Fire!"
BANG!!!!
But more on Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang later. For the time being, let's talk about Cao Cao. Cao Cao, as has been told earlier, was defeated at the Red Cliffs, his massive Southern Expedition was stopped in its tracks, and he fled back north to lick his wounds. This chapter finds him throwing a party, probably a "Oh my Gawd, I can't believe I'm still alive after I got my ass handed to me in the Southland" party, at the Bronze Pheasant Tower, which you might remember he ordered to built by his son, Cao Zhi, shortly before embarking upon his disastrous expedition to the South.
The author(s) probably wrote the first half of this chapter to demonstrate the various talents of Cao Cao's officers, both civil and martial, since the festival at the Bronze Bird Tower pretty involves competitions between them in both archery and poetry. However, the true value of this little scene at the Bronze Pheasant Tower is not so much the actions of Cao Cao's assembled officers, as awesome as they are. The true value here is in the monologue that Cao Cao delivers afterward, where he attempts to rationalize his actions in power by explaining the importance of all he has done for the Empire. Whether or not he is telling the truth, Cao Cao appears to sum up his major actions throughout the first half of the story pretty well. As we are approaching the halfway point in but a few chapters, I find this particular monologue of Cao Cao to be quite an appropriate summary.
And intrigue is afoot! Remember that in a tripartite power structure, such as that which developed between Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, one of the three tends to hold the balance of power, as a fulcrum to a lever. Currently, the balance of power is held by Cao Cao, because Liu Bei and Sun Quan, though they are now related by marriage, have settled into a bit of a "Cold War" type situation, each maneuvering for advantageous position vis-a-vis the other. Both, also, know that if they are the first to make an overt move against the other, Cao Cao the opportunistic would not be long in swooping down to swallow their territory.
Thus, it was somewhat shrewd of the Southland to send an emissary to the north to make peace with Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang, of course, was intelligent and perceptive enough to understand immediately what was being done. And it is true that the first step to avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence. But Zhuge Liang was only one man, after all, and there would come a time when Zhuge Liang would not be in position to act decisively against the secret collusion of Liu Bei's enemy and "ally".
But for Zhou Yu, the collusion of Cao Cao cannot save him, no matter how much such a proverbial Deal with the Devil might have represented a genuine threat to Liu Bei's forces. Zhou Yu had been wounded in the assault on Cao Ren's forces in the Jing Province, and though he was healing, reopening the wound could would prove fatal. And Zhou Yu...well, he was brilliant, but according to the tale being related in the Sanguo Yanyi, he was not fully in control of his emotions, and thus was his downfall...
Zhou Yu, it has been mentioned, is, by Chapter 56, falling prey to the same sort of folly which previously laid low Yuan Shao, Lu Bu, Wang Yun...it appears that, in the tale of the Sanguo Yanyi, the ancient Han concept of Heaven is itself a character of note, and Heaven makes its displeasure known to those who violate its will, by robbing them of their better judgment. It is even thus with Zhou Yu, who, almost desperate to discover a way to overtake Zhuge Liang, has made several blunders, each one worse than the last, and now, he embarks upon his final...and fatal blunder. Zhuge Liang calls Zhou's ploy "Borrow a Road to Destroy the Host". Unfortunately for Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang knew a thing or two about deception himself, and he recognized the ruse...
Poor Zhou Yu...if he had set himself against any other person, he might have been able to triumph. But it turned out that facing off against the great Zhuge Liang was a huge mistake.
But enough commentary. Some of you have been waiting a very long time for me to release a new Sanguo Yanyi episode, so here you go. Listen to it, already. Enjoy Chapter 56, folks! Oh, and Long Live the Revolution...until the Victory is Forever.
Reader Comments (3)
awesome, more audio sanguo! welcome back!
Ive been waiting over a year...what's up :(
Yay! keep them coming!