Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/204

 famine. Sending an army would add to the distress and anger the people, and victory would be uncertain. I advise not to send any more soldiers there, but to hold on till the besiegers are conquered by lack of supplies. Our noble chief, with his regiment of guards, will move over to the other side of the river, which is quite ready, and we shall also escape the enemy’s ferocity.”

So due arrangements being made to guard Shouch‘un a general move was made to the other side of the Huai River. Not only the army went over but all the accumulated wealth of the Yüan family, gold and silver, jewels and precious stones, were moved.

Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s army of seventeen legions needed daily no inconsiderable quantity of food, and as the country around had been famine-stricken for several years nothing could be got there. So he tried to hasten the military operations and capture the city. On the other hand, the defenders knew the value of delay and simply held on. After a month’s vigorous siege the fall of the city seemed as far off as it was at first and supplies were very short. Letters were sent to Sun Ts‘ê who sent a hundred thousand measures of grain. When the usual distribution became impossible the Chief of the Commissariat, Jên Hsün, and the Controller of the Granaries, Wang Hou, presented a statement asking what was to be done.

“Serve out with a smaller measure,” said Ts‘ao. “That will save us for a time.”

“But if the soldiers murmur, what then?”

“I shall have another device.”

As ordered the controllers issued grain in a short measure. Ts‘ao sent secretly to find out how the men took this and when he found that complaints were general and they were saying that he was fooling them, he sent a secret summons to the controller. When he came Ts‘ao said, “I want to ask you to lend me some thing to pacify the soldiers with. You must not refuse.”

“What does the Minister wish?”

“I want the loan of your head to expose to the soldiery.”

“But I have done nothing wrong!” exclaimed the unhappy man.

“I know that, but if I do not put you to death there will be a mutiny. After you are gone your wife and children shall be my care. So you need not grieve on their account.”

Wang Hou was about to remonstrate further but Ts‘ao Ts‘ao gave a signal, the executioners hustled him out and he was beheaded. His head was exposed on a tall pole and a notice said that in accordance with military law Wang Hou had been put to death for peculation and the use of a short measure in issuing grain.

This appeased the discontent. Next followed a general order threatening death to the various commanders if the city