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The day of departure had already come, and the First Ruler had left the capital. Zhuge Liang and many officers had escorted him out of the city for three miles and taken leave.

Returning to Chengdu, Zhuge Liang felt ill at ease, and he remarked to his colleagues, “If Fa Zheng had been alive, he would have been able to interdict this expedition.”

One night the First Ruler felt nervous and shuddered from time to time. He could not sleep, so he went out of his tent and looked up at the stars. Suddenly he saw a bright meteor fall in the northwest, and began to wonder what the portent meant. He sent at once to ask Zhuge Liang to tell him.

Zhuge Liang sent back the reply: “This means the loss of a great leader, and there will be bad news in a few days.”

So the army was halted and did not march. Then the arrival of a message from Wu Ban of Langzhong was announced. The First Ruler's foreboding increased, and he stamped his foot, saying, “Alas! My other brother is gone!”

Opening the letter he found it was indeed so. As he read the news of the assassination, he uttered a loud cry and fell in a swoon. He was raised, and presently they brought him back to life.

Next day they reported a body of horsemen coming. The First Ruler went out of the camp to look at them and presently saw a young general, dressed all in white armor, sweeping forth in quite a terror. The First Ruler recognized that was Zhang Bao.

As soon as he reached the First Ruler's presence, he dismounted and bowed to the earth, weeping, “My father has been killed by Fan Jiang and Zhang Da. They have gone over to Wu, taking my father's head with them.”

The news was very grievous, and the First Ruler burst into tears and even refused food.

His officers remonstrated, saying, “Now Your Majesty has the loss of two brothers to avenge, and you must not destroy yourself.”

So after a time he began to eat and drink, and he then offered the leadership of the van to Zhang Bao, saying, “Are you and Wu Ban willing to lead your troops to attack Wu and to avenge your father?”

“For my country or for my father, I would shrink from no sacrifice,” said the young man.

Just as the force for the young man's leadership was being organized, another party of horsemen approached, also dressed in white armors. This was a small force under Guan Xing, son of Guan Yu. The youth also threw himself to the ground and wept.

At sight of him, thoughts stirred in the First Ruler's breast, and he burst into tears. Neither reason nor persuasion could stop them.

“I think of the plain and simple days of long ago when we pledged ourselves one to the other. Now I am Emperor. How I should rejoice to share my good fortune with them! But they have met violent deaths, and the sight of these two youths wrings my heart to the very core.”

“Young gentlemen, please retire,” said the officers to the two youthful generals, “and let our Sacred One repose his dragon body.”

They went. Said the attendants, “Your Majesty is no longer young; you are over sixty, remember, and it is not fitting that you give way to such extreme sorrow.”

“But my brothers — dead,” wailed the First Ruler. “How can I live without them?” He broke into a fresh paroxysm and beat his head on the ground.

“What can be done?” asked the officers one to another. “He is in such trouble! How can we comfort him?”

Ma Liang said, “Sire, it is bad for the army to spend whole days in wailing and tears when leading against the enemy.”

And then Chen Zhen said, “There is a certain hermit living among the Blue Mountains, near Chengdu, who is said to be three hundred years old. He is called Li Yi, and people say he is a seer. Let us tell His Majesty and let him send for this old man that he may know what the future may have in store. It will have more weight than anything we can say.”

They went to the First Ruler and told him; he agreed to summon the seer and sent Chen Zhen with the command. Soon the messenger reached the town near the hills and asked the people where the prophet dwelt. They led him far into a secluded valley like a fairy village, very unlike any ordinary spot. Soon a lad came to receive the visitor.

“You are surely Chen Zhen.”

Chen Zhen was startled that the lad knew him, and still more so at the familiar address, and said, “O superhuman boy, how do you know my name so well?”

“Last evening my master told me that a messenger with an imperial command would come today and mentioned your name.”

“Truly he is more than wise;” said Chen Zhen, “and people have not believed him.”

So the two proceeded to the old man's abode, and Chen Zhen declared his errand. The old man said he was too aged to travel.

“But the Emperor anxiously desires to see you face to face, if haply you would not mind making the effort.”