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“Haste makes slow going; you can postpone your fight with him,” said Yu Jin.

Pang De, though ignorant of the real reason why he was made to miss success at the critical moment, was still very vexed.

Guan Yu went back to camp, and the arrow-head was puled out of the wound. Happily it had not penetrated very deeply, and the usual remedies against injuries by metal were applied.

Guan Yu was very bitter against his enemy and declared, “I swear I will have my revenge for this arrow.”

“Never mind anything but recovering now,” said his officers. “Rest and get well; then you may fight again.

Before long, Pang De renewed his challenge, and Guan Yu was for going out to fight; however, he yielded to the entreaties of his officers. And when Pang De set his soldiers to reviling the warrior, Guan Ping saw to it that his father never heard it. After ten days of challenges hurled uselessly at an army that ignored them, Pang De took council with Yu Jin.

“Evidently Guan Yu is helpless from the effects of that arrow-wound. We ought to advance all our seven armies against him while he is ill and destroy his camp. Thereby we shall relieve Fankou.”

Thus spoke Pang De, but jealousy of the glory that might accrue to his next in command again made Yu Jin urge caution and obedience to the command of the Prince of Wei. Yu Jin refused to move his army in spite of Pang De's repeated persuasion; still more, Yu Jin led the army to a new camping ground behind the hills some three miles north of Fankou. There his own army prevented communication by the main road, while he sent Pang De into a valley in the rear so that Pang De could do nothing.

To Guan Ping's great joy, Guan Yu's wound soon healed. Soon after they heard of Yu Jin's new camp, and as Guan Ping could assign no reason for the change, and suspected some ruse, he told his father, who went up to a high place to reconnoiter. Looking round, Guan Yu noted that there seemed much slackness about everything — from flags to soldiers — in Fankou, that the relief armies were camped in a valley to the north, and that River Xiang seemed to run very swiftly. After impressing the topography on his mind, he called the guides and asked the name of the gully about three miles north of the city.

“Zengkou Stream,” was the reply.

He chuckled.

“I shall capture Yu Jin,” said he.

Those with him asked how he knew that.

He replied, “Why, how can any fish last long in such a trap?”

Those in his train gave but little weight to what he said, and presently he went back to his own tent. It was just then the time for the autumn rains, and a heavy downpour came on, lasting several days. Orders were given to get ready boats and rafts and such things. Guan Ping could not think what such preparations meant in a dry land campaign. So he asked his father.

“Do you not know even?” replied his father. “Our enemies have camped in difficult ground instead of the open country and are crowded in the dangerous valley there. After some days of this rain, River Xiang will swell, and I shall send people to dam up all the outlets and so let the water rise very high. When at its highest, I shall open the dams and let the water out over Fankou. That valley will be flooded too, and all the soldiers will become aquatic animals.”

The Wei armies had camped in the gully, and after several days of heavy rain, Army Inspector Cheng He ventured to speak to his commander.

He said, “The army is camped near the mouth of a stream in a depression. There are hills around us, but they are too far off to keep the water away. Our soldiers are already suffering from these heavy rains, and, moreover, they say the Jingzhou troops have moved to higher ground. More than that, at River Han they are preparing boats and rafts so that they can take advantage of the floods if there are any. Our army will be in great danger, and something should be done.”

But Yu Jin scoffed at his words, saying, “You fool! Do you want to injure the spirit of our soldiers? Talk no more, or your head will be fallen.”

Cheng He went away greatly ashamed.

Then he went to Pang De, who saw the force of his words and said, “What you said is excellent. If Yu Jin will not move camp tomorrow, I myself will do so.”

So Cheng He left it at that.

That night there came a great storm. As Pang De sat in his tent, he heard the sound as of ten thousand horses in stampede and a roar as of the drums of war seeming to shake the earth. He was alarmed, left his tent, and mounted his charger to go and see what it meant. Then he saw the rolling waters coming in from every side and the seven armies flying from the flood, which speedily rose to the height of ten spans. Yu Jin, Pang De, and several other officers sought safety by rushing up the hills.