Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/144

 Lü Pu had six opponents. These proved really too many for him so he turned his horse and rode back to the city.

But when the members of the T‘ien family saw him coming back beaten they raised the drawbridge. Pu shouted to open the gates, but the T‘iens said, “We have gone over to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao.” This was hard to hear and the beaten man abused them roundly before he left. The faithful Ch‘ên Kung got away through the east gate taking with him the general’s family.

Thus Puyang came into Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s hands and for their present services the T‘ien family were pardoned their previous fault. However, Liu Hua said that savage Lü Pu left alive was a great danger and he should be hunted down. Wherefore Ts‘ao Ts‘ao determined to follow Lü Pu to Tingt‘ao whither he had gone for refuge.

Lü Pu and many of his captains were assembled in the city, but certain of them were out foraging. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s army arrived but did not attack for many days and presently he withdrew a long way and made a stockade. It was the time of harvest and he set his men to cut the wheat for food. The spies having reported this to Lü Pu he came over to see, but when he saw that Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s stockade lay near a thick wood he feared an ambush and retired. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao heard that he had come and gone and guessed the reason.

“He fears an ambush in the wood,” said he. “We will set up flags there and deceive him. There is a long embankment near the camp but behind it there is no water. There we will lay an ambush to fall upon Lü Pu when he comes to burn the wood.”

So he hid all his soldiers behind the embankment except half a hundred drummers, and he got together many peasants to loiter within the stockade as though it was empty.

Lü Pu rode back and told his adviser what he had seen. “This Ts‘ao Ts‘ao is very crafty and full of wiles,” said the adviser; “great care in necessary.”

“I will use fire this time and burn out his ambush,” said Lü Pu.

Next morning he rode out and there he saw flags flying everywhere in the wood. He ordered his men forward to set fire on all sides. But to his surprise no one rushed out to make for the stockade. Still he heard the beating of drums and doubt filled his mind. Suddenly he saw a party of soldiers move out from the shelter of the stockade. He galloped over to see what it meant.

Then the signal-bombs exploded; out rushed the men and all their leaders dashed forward. Lü Pu was at a loss and fled into the open country. One of his captains was killed by an arrow. Two thirds of his men were lost and the beaten remainder went to tell Ch‘ên Kung what had come to pass.