Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/203

 better write to Ts‘ao Tsʻao persuading him to attack the south and we will be auxiliaries. Between the two armies Shu must certainly be defeated. If by the remotest chance we lose, we have Ts‘ao Ts‘ao to come to our rescue.”

This plan was adopted and a messenger was sent to lay it before Ts‘ao. In the meantime Ts‘ao had reached Hsütu where his first thought was to institute sacrifices to his beloved lost leader Tien Wei. He conferred rank upon his son Tien Man and took him into his own palace to be cared for.

Presently arrived Sun Ts‘ê’s messenger with letters and next came a report that Yüan Shu, being short of food, had made a raid on Ch‘ênliu. Ts‘ao thought the moment opportune, so he issued orders for the expedition south, leaving Tsʻao Jên to hold the city. The army marched, horse and foot, seventeen legions, with commissariat waggons of food to the number of over a thousand. Messages were sent to summon Sun Ts‘ê, Liu Pei and Lü Pu to assemble on the Yüchang borders.

Liu Pei was the first to arrive and he was called in to the Minister’s tent. After the usual salutations two human heads were produced.

“Whose are these?” asked Tsʻao in surprise.

“The heads of Han Hsien and Yang Fêng.”

“Why did this happen?”

“They were sent to control Itu and Langya and allowed their soldiers to plunder the people. Bitter complaints arose so I invited them to a banquet and my brothers despatched them when I gave the signal by dropping a cup. Their men gave in at once and now I have to apologise for my fault.”

“You have removed an evil, which is a grand service: why talk of a fault?”

And he praised Yüan-tê’s action.

When the joint army reached Lü Pu’s borders he came to meet it. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao spoke graciously to him and conferred upon him the title of Generalissimo of the Left, promising him a suitable seal as soon as he returned to the capital. Lü Pu was very pleased.

Then the three armies were made into one force, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao being in the centre and the other two on the wings. Hsiahou Tun and Yü Chin were leaders of the van.

On Yüan Shu’s side Ch‘iao Sui with five legions was appointed van leader. The armies met on the confines of Shouch‘un. The two van leaders rode out and opened battle. Ch‘iao Sui fell in the third bout and his men fled into the city.

Then came news that Sun Ts‘ê’s fleet was near and would attack on the west. The other three land corps took each one face and the city was in a parlous state.

At this juncture Yüan Shu summoned his officers. Yang Ta-chiang explained the case. “Shouch‘un has suffered from drought for several years and the people are on the verge of