Barbarians at the Wall by John Man

Author:John Man
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473554191
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2019-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

When he came to, his colleagues ‘broke down and wept’, and carried him back to their camp. Chedihou was so moved – or perhaps just plain astonished – by Su Wu’s act that he sent messengers every few hours to learn the details of his recovery, but had his colleagues arrested as accomplices in the plot. One was executed; the other chose to join the Xiongnu. When Su Wu had recovered, Wei Lu, the one-time defector and now royal aide, tried to get him to defect also. Surrender, he said, or go to prison. But, countered Su Wu, I am entirely innocent, so ‘why should I be incarcerated?’

There followed another piece of high drama:

Wei Lu thrusts a sword at Su Wu, and says (in this pared-down version of Sima Guang’s account): ‘I turned my back on the Han court. My lord the chanyu has been most benevolent. I preside over several tens of thousands of men. I own thousands upon thousands of cattle, horses and sheep that cover the entire landscape. If only you will give me just a nod, you will receive similar treatment tomorrow. On the other hand, if we execute you and expose your corpse to the elements, who will know or care?’

Su Wu remains silent.

Wei Lu tries again: ‘Consider – if you surrender, we will be the best of friends, like brothers. If you don’t accept my offer, you won’t be given a second chance.’

At last Su Wu responds: ‘You, who were once a subject of His Majesty, are but a slave of the Xiongnu. You have no shame. Why should I want to see you again? The chanyu may allow you to preside over life and death, but you do so with injustice. You incite two kingdoms to engage in warfare.’ He goes on to quote several instances of what happens when Han envoys are killed – war and annihilation for the perpetrators. ‘However,’ he finishes, ‘if you are bent on eternal war, please start with me.’

Wei Lu gives up his attempt at conversion and retreats to tell the chanyu what happened. The chanyu, while admiring Su Wu’s fortitude and loyalty, is even more determined to break him. He has Su Wu shut up in a cave, deprived of food and water, with a wall separating him from the bitter snows outside. After a few days, Su Wu eats the wool from his leather jacket and reaches through the window for ice and snow to make water. ‘Totally astounded’ at his survival, the chanyu grants him his life, but banishes him and a few servants to the shores of Lake Baikal with a herd of rams and a backhanded promise: ‘On the day your male sheep produce milk, you will be set free.’ For that to happen, of course, he has to be kept alive, so the chanyu promises to send food to him and his entourage.

How do we know all this? Because nineteen years later he returned, in circumstances we will get to shortly.

In 99 BC, another campaign ended in a total and very famous catastrophe.

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