Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/191

 excuse to attack you openly. Beside this Yüan Shu intends to call himself Emperor, which would be rebellion, and you would be of the rebel’s family; something abominable, which the Empire would not suffer.”

Lü Pu was much disturbed to hear this. “I have been misled!” cried he.

So he hurriedly sent Chang Liao to bring the wedding party back to the city. When they had come he threw Han Yin into prison and sent a reply to Yüan Shu saying curtly that the girl’s trousseau was not ready and she could not be married till it was.

Han Yin was sent back to the capital. Lü Pu was hesitating what course to adopt, when he heard that Liu Pei was enlisting soldiers and buying horses for no apparent reason.

“He is simply doing his duty; there is nothing to be surprised at,” said Lü Pu.

Then came two officers saying, “As you ordered us we went into Shantung to purchase horses. We had got three hundred when, on our way back, on the borders of Peihsien some robbers stole half of them. We hear that the real robbers were Chang Fei and his men, who took on the guise of brigands.”

Lü Pu was very angry at this and began to prepare an expedition against Hsiaop‘ei. When Liu Pei heard that an attack threatened he led out his army to oppose it and the two armies were arrayed. Liu Pei rode to the front and said, “Elder brother, why have you brought an army against me?”

Lü Pu began abusing him saying, “That shot of mine at the yamên gate saved you from grave danger; why then did you steal my horses?”

“I wanted horses and I sent out to buy them. Should I dare to take yours?” said Liu.

“You stole a hundred and fifty in the person of your brother Chang Fei. You only used another man’s hand.”

Thereupon Chang Fei, with his spear in rest, rode out saying, “Yes; I stole your good horses, and what more do you expect?”

Lü Pu replied, “You goggled-eyed thief! You are always treating me with contempt.”

“Yes; I took your horses and you get angry. You did not say any thing when you stole my brother’s city.”

Lü Pu rode forward to give battle and Chang Fei advanced. A reckless fight began and the two warriors kept it up for a hundred bouts without a decisive stroke. Then Liu Pei, fearing some accident to his brother, hastily beat the gongs as a signal to retire and led his army into the city. Lü Pu then invested it.

Liu Pei called his brother and chid him as the cause of all this misfortune.

“Where are the horses?” said he.

“In some of the temples and courts,” replied Fei.