Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/178

 victorious. Their opponents scattered in all directions. T‘aishih alone made a determined stand and as he could not withstand a whole army he fled with a few followers to Chingshien.

Now Sun Ts‘ê acquired a new adherent in the person of Ch‘ên Wu. He was a soldier of middle height, sallow of complexion and dark eye, an odd looking man. But Sun held him in high esteem, gave him rank and put him in the van for the attack on Hsüeh Li. As van-leader he and half a score horsemen made a dash into the enemy’s formation, where they slew half a hundred men. So Hsüeh Li would not fight but remained within his defences. As Sun was attacking the city a spy came in with the news that Liu Yu and Chai Jung had gone to attack Nuichu, which made Sun move thither in haste. His two opponents were ready for battle.

“I am here,” said Sun Ts‘ê, “you had better give in.”

A horseman came out from behind the two leaders to accept the challenge. It was Yü Mi. But in third bout Sun Ts‘ê made him prisoner and carried him off to the other side.

Seeing his colleague thus captured Fan Nêng rode out to the rescue and got quite close. But just as he was going to thrust, all the soldiers shouted “There is a man behind you going to strike secretly!” At this Sun Ts‘ê turned and shouted so thunderously loud that Fan Nêng fell out of his saddle from mere fright. He split his skull and died. When Sun Ts‘ê reached his standard he threw his prisoner to the ground. And he was also dead, crushed to death between the arm and the body of his captor. So in a few moments Sun Ts‘ê had disposed of two enemies, one crushed to death and one frightened to death. Thereafter Sun Ts‘ê was called the Little Prince.

After Liu Yu’s defeat the greater portion of his force surrendered and the number of those put to death exceeded ten thousand. Liu Yu himself sought safety with Liu Piao.

An attack on Moling was the next move. As soon as Sun Ts‘ê arrived at the moat he summoned the commander, Hsüeh Li, to surrender. Some one let fly a furtive arrow from the wall which wounded Sun in the left thigh so severely that he fell from his steed. Hastily his officers picked up their wounded chief and returned to the camp where the arrow was pulled out and the wound dressed with the medicines suitable for injuries by metals.

By Sun Ts‘ê’s command the story was spread abroad that the hurt had been fatal and all the soldier set up cries of lamentation. The camp was broken up. The defender of the city made a night sortie, but fell into a carefully prepared ambush and presently Sun himself appeared on horseback shouting “Sun Ts‘ê is here still.”

His sudden appearance created such a panic that the soldiers dropped their weapons and fell on their faces. Sun gave