T‘aishih Tzŭ withdrew in high dudgeon. Soon Chang Ying led his army to Niuchu, leaving his stores of grain at Tiko. When Sun Ts‘ê approached, Chang Ying went to meet him and the two armies faced each other above Niuchut‘an, (Bullock Island Rapid). Chang Ying roundly abused his opponent and Huang Kai rode out to attack, but before the combat had proceeded far there arose an alarm of fire in Chang Ying’s camp. Chang Ying turned back and then Sun Ts‘ê advanced in full force, compelling the enemy to abandon their possession. The defeated general filed to the hills.
Now the incendiaries who had brought about this result were two, named Chiang Ch‘in and Chou T‘ai, both from the Kiukiang district, who in these troublous times had got together a band of kindred spirits and lived by plundering the country along the Yangtse River. They knew Sun Ts‘ê by reputation as a man who treated able men very liberally and wished to join him. So they came with their band, three hundred strong, and helped him in this way as an introduction. Sun Ts‘ê welcomed them and gave the leaders rank. After taking possession of the stores of all kinds abandoned by the runaways, and enlisting a large number of those who surrendered into his own ranks, he moved forward to attack Shênt‘ing.
After his defeat Chang Ying returned to his master and told his misfortune. Liu Yu was going to punish his failure by death, but listened to his advisers, who asked for mercy for the unfortunate man, and sent him to command the garrison in Lingling. He himself set out to meet the invaders. He camped under the hills at Lingnan. Sun Ts‘ê camped on the opposite side of the hills.
Sun Ts‘ê enquired if there was a temple to Kuang-Wu, of the Hans, in the vicinity, and was told there was a temple on the summit of the hills.
“I dreamed last night that he called me so I will go and pray there,” said Ts‘ê.
He was advised not to go as the enemy was on the other side and he might fall into an ambush.
“The spirit will help me; what need I fear?”
So he put on his armour, took his spear and mounted, taking with him twelve of his officers as an escort. They rode up the hills, dismounted, burned incense and they all bowed in the shrine. Then Ts‘ê knelt and made a vow saying, “If I, Sun Ts‘ê, succeed in my task and restore the authority of my late father then will I restore this temple and order sacrifices at the four seasons.”
When they had remounted he said, “I am going to ride along the ridge and reconnoitre the enemy’s position.”
His followers begged him to refrain but he was obstinate and they rode away together, noting the villages below. A
