This is a story from the Three Kingdoms period. After suppressing the separatist forces in the north and consolidating his power at court, Cao Cao led his 830,000-strong army to the north bank of the Yangtze River, intent on defeating his rivals Sun Quan and Liu Bei on the opposite shore.
It was the fifteenth day of the eleventh month in the thirteenth year of the Jian'an era. The weather was clear, the wind calm, and the waves still. Cao Cao ordered a feast with entertainment for his commanders that evening. Under a bright moon, the great river lay placid, like an unrolled bolt of white silk. On board the ship, all attendants wore damask coats and embroidered jackets.
Cao Cao addressed the assembly: "We have raised this force to purge evil, dispel threats to the ruling house, and bring peace to the empire. Only the Southland remains beyond our reach. I invite you to join me today. Once the Southland submits and the empire is at peace, we shall share together the enjoyments of wealth and glory." The audience rose as one to thank him.
Gratified, Cao Cao made a libation to the river. He then quaffed three full goblets of wine, leveled his spear, and declared to his commanders: "This is the weapon that broke the Yellow Turbans, captured Lü Bu, eliminated Yuan Shu, subdued Yuan Shao, penetrated the northern frontier, and conquered the east as far as Liaodong. Across this vast land, no man has withstood me. My ambitions have always been those of a man of action, a leader among men. This scene before us stirs my soul with profound passion. I shall sing a song, and you must join me."
Cao Cao then recited:
Here before us, wine and song!
For man does not live long.
…
A southbound crow circles thrice a tree,
That offers him no haven.
The mountaintop no height eschews,
The sea eschews no deep.
And the Duke of Zhou spat out his meal,
An empire's trust to keep.
As Cao Cao finished, an imperial inspector named Liu Fu pointed out what he considered ominous words in the ode. Cao Cao, already inebriated, impaled Liu Fu with his spear, killing him. Liu Fu's warning was later proven true at the Battle of Red Cliffs (Chibi), where Cao Cao nearly lost his life.