chinese story - 11

　“How could I hesitate after your discourse？” said Sima Yan.
　　thereupon he returned to the council chamber and issued his commands. Du Yu was made
Commander-in-Chief and, with one hundred thousand troops, was to attack Jiangling； Sima
Zhou, Prince of Langye and General Who Guards the East, was to attack Tuzhong； Wang Hun,
General Who Conquers the East, to go up against Hengjiang； Wang Rong, General Who Exhibits
Prowess, to move against Wuchang； Hu Fen, General Who Pacifies the South, to attack Xiakou.
And all divisions, fifty thousand troops each, were under the orders of Du Yu. In addition
to the land forces, two large fleets were to operate on the river under Wang Jun, General
Who Shows Dragon Courage, and Tang Bin, General Who Possesses Martial Bravery. Marines and
lands troops amounted to more than two hundred thousand. A separate force under Yang Ji,
General Who Holds the South, was sent away to Xiangyang to coordinate all forces.
　　the Ruler of Wu was GREatly alarmed at the news of such armies and fleets, and he called
to him quickly his Prime Minister Zhang Ti, Minister of the Interior He Zhi, and Minister of
Works Teng Xun, to consult how to defend his land.
　　Zhang Ti proposed： “Send Commander of the Flying Chariots Wu Yan to meet the enemy at
Jiangling； Commander of the Flying Cavalry Sun Xin to Xiakou； I volunteer to take command
of a camp at Niuzhu, together with the General of the Left Army Shen Zong and General of the
Right Army Zhuge Xing, ready to lend help at any point.”
　　the Ruler of Wu approved his dispositions and felt satisfied that he was safe by land.
But in the privacy of his own apartment he felt miserable, for he realized that no
preparations had been made against an attack by water under the Wei leader Wang Jun.
　　then the favorite eunuch Cen Hun asked the Emperor why he bore a sad countenance, and
Sun Hao told him of his dread of the enemy navy.
　　“the armies of Jin are coming, and I have deployed troops for general defense. Only the
water front, by which Wang Jun and his several thousand battleships sail east along the
tide, makes me feel so worried.”
　　“But I have a scheme that will smash all Wang Jun's ships！” cried Cen Hun.
　　“What is it？” asked the Ruler of Wu, pleased to hear this.
　　“Iron is plentiful. Make GREat chains with heavy links and stretch them across the
river at various points. Also forge many massive hammers and arrange them in the stream, so
that when the enemy's ships sail down before the wind, they will collide with the hammers
and be wrecked. Then they will sail no more.”
　　Blacksmiths were soon at work on the river bank welding the links and forging the
hammers. Work went on day and night, and soon all the chains were placed in different
points.
　　As has been said Du Yu was to attack Jiangling, and he sent General Zhou Zhi with eight
hundred sailors to sail secretly along the GREat River to capture Yuexiang. There they were
to make an ambush in the Bashan Mountains and a great show of flags along the bank and among
the trees. Drums were to be beaten and bombs exploded during the day and many fires lighted
at night to give the appearance of a great army.