Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/202

 Standing out in front of the array he railed at his opponent calling him traitor and slave. Lü Pu said nothing but rode forward ready for battle and Li Fêng, one of Yüan’s leaders, advanced to take the challenge. They met, but at the third bout, Li was wounded in the hand, whereupon his spear fell to the ground and he fled. Lü Pu waved on the advance and his men prevailed. The other side fled, leaving much spoil, clothing, mail and horses.

Yüan Shu’s defeated men had not gone far when a strong troop, led by Kuan Yü, appeared barring his way.

“Traitor! why have they not slain you?” cried Kuan Yü.

Whereat Yüan Shu fled in great trepidation and his army melted into fugitives in all directions. The new army fell upon them with great slaughter. Yüan Shu and the remnant of his army retreated into Huainan.

Victory being now secure, Lü Pu, in company with Kuan Yü, Yang Fêng and Han Hsien returned to Hsüchou, where there were banquets and feastings and rewards for the soldiers. These over, Kuan took his leave and returned to his brother, while Han Hsien was appointed magistrate of Itu and his friend magistrate of Langya.

There had been a question of keeping these two in Hsüchou but Ch‘en Kuei opposed it. “Let them hold those places in Shantung, which will be all yours within a year.” So they were sent to these two cities in the meantime to await orders.

“Why not retain them here?” asked Ch‘ên Têng secretly of his father. “They would be a basis for our conspiracy against Lü Pu.”

“But if they helped him, on the other hand, we should lengthen the tiger’s claws and teeth,” said his father.

So Têng could only approve of his father’s precautions.

YuanYüan [sic] Shu returned home burning to avenge his defeat, so he sent to Chiangtung to ask a loan of men from Sun Ts‘ê. Ts‘ê said, “On the strength of holding the State Seal he secretly calls himself Emperor and rebels against the Hans. I would rather punish such a renegade than help him.”

So he refused. The letter refusing help added to Yüan’s anger. “What next from this callow youth?” cried he. “I will smite him before I deal with the other.”

But Yang Ta-chiang dissuaded him from this course.

Having refused help to his powerful rival Sun Ts‘ê thought it wise to take measures for his own safety. So he stationed an army at Chiangk‘ou. Soon after came a messenger from Ts‘ao Ts‘ao bearing his appointment as Prefect of Kueichi with orders to raise an army and reduce Yüan Shu.

Sun Ts‘ê was inclined to carry out these orders but he called a council at which Chang Chao opposed this course. Said he, “Although recently defeated Yüan Shu has many men and ample supplies. He is not to be attacked lightly. You had