Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

Taking with him the other generals, Guan Ping went in to see his father. Guan Yu was engaging in a game of chess with Ma Liang, although his arm was very painful. But Guan Yu kept up appearances so as not to discourage the troops. When they told him that a physician had come, he consented to see him.

Hua Tuo was introduced, asked to take a seat and, after the tea of ceremony, was shown the injured arm. “This was caused by an arrow,” said the doctor. “There is poison in the wound, and it has penetrated to the bone. Unless the wound is soon treated, the arm will become useless.”

“What do you propose to do?” asked Guan Yu.

“I know how to cure the wound, but I think you will be afraid of the remedy.”

“Am I likely to be afraid of that when I am not even afraid of death? Death is only a return home after all.”

Then Hua Tuo said, “This is what I shall do. In a private room I shall erect a post with a steel ring attached. I shall ask you, Sir, to insert your arm in the ring, and I shall bind it firmly to the post. Then I shall cover your head with a quilt so that you cannot see, and with a scalpel I shall open up the flesh right down to the bone. Then I shall scrape away the poison. This done, I shall dress the wound with a certain preparation, sew it up with a thread, and there will be no further trouble. But I think you may quail at the severity of the treatment.”

Guan Yu smiled.

“It all sounds easy enough;” said he, “but why the post and the ring?”

Refreshments were then served; and after a few cups of wine, the warrior extended his arm for the operation. With his other hand he went on with his game of chess. Meanwhile the surgeon prepared his knife and called a lad to hold a basin beneath the limb.

“I am just going to cut; do not start,” said Hua Tuo.

“When I consented to undergo the treatment, did you think I was afraid of pain?”

The surgeon then performed the operation as he had pre-described. He found the bone much discolored, but he scraped it clean. When the knife went over the surface of the bone and made horrible sounds, all those near covered their eyes and turned pale. But Guan Yu went on with his game, only drinking a cup of wine now and again, and his face betrayed no sign of pain. When the wound had been cleansed, sewn up and dressed, the patient stood up smiling and said, “This arm is now as good as it ever was; there is no pain. Indeed, Master, you are a marvel.”

“I have spent my life in the art;” said Hua Tuo, “but I have never seen such a patient as you, Sir. You are as if not from the earth but heaven.”

Here as surgeons, there physicians, all boast their skill;

Bitter few are those that cure one when one's really ill.

As for superhuman valor rivals Guan Yu had none,

So for holy touch in healing Hua Tuo stood alone.

When the cure was well advanced, Guan Yu gave a fine banquet in honor of Hua Tuo and offered him a fee of a hundred ounces of gold. But Hua Tuo declined it, saying, “I had come to treat you, O General, from admiration of your great virtue and not for money. Although your wound is cured, you must be careful of your health, and especially avoid all excitement for a hundred days, when you will be as well as ever you were.”

Then Hua Tuo, having prepared dressings for the wound, took his leave, refusing fees to the very last.

Having captured Yu Jin and accomplished the death of Pang De, Guan Yu became more famous and more fear-inspiring through the whole empire than even before. Cao Cao called together his advisers to help him decide upon what he should do.

Said Cao Cao, “I must acknowledge this Guan Yu as the one man who, in skill and valor, overtops the whole world. Lately he has obtained possession of Jingzhou and the territory near it, and has so become very terrible. He is a tiger with wings added. Pang De is no more; Yu Jin is his prisoner; the armies of Wei have lost their morale; and if he led his armies here, Xuchang, we should be helpless. I can only think of avoiding the peril by removal of the capital. What think you?”

“No; do not take that step,” said Sima Yi, rising to reply. “Yu Jin and all the others you lost were victims of the flood and slain in battle. These losses do no harm at all to your great plan. The Suns and Lius are no longer friends since Guan Yu has accomplished his desire. You may send a messenger into Wu to foment the quarrel and cause Sun Quan to send his armies to attack the army of Guan Yu from the rear, promising that, when things are tranquil, you will reward the south to Sun Quan. In this way you will relieve Fankou.”

Here Minister Jiang Ji said, “Sima Yi speaks well, and the messenger should lose no time. Do not move the capital or send an army.”