Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/213

 memorial presented asking extra honours for him. With all this a private letter was written urging upon him to attack Kungsun and promising assistance. So Yüan Shao’s army started.

In the meantime the two Ch‘êns were playing their game. At every feast and gathering in Hsüchou they uttered the most fulsome praises of Lü Pu. Ch‘ên Kung was greatly displeased and took an opportunity to talk about them to his master. “They flatter you to your face, but what is in their hearts? You ought to be most carefully on your guard.”

“Hold your tongue!” was the angry reply. “You are simply slandering them without the slightest excuse. You want to harm good men.”

“No ears for loyal words”; said Ch‘ên Kung, as he went away sad at heart, “and we shall suffer.”

He thought seriously of abandoning Lü Pu, but that would be too painful a wrench. Beside he feared people would laugh at him.

So the days passed sorrowfully for him. One day, with a few horsemen, he rode out to the country near Hsiaop‘ei to hunt. On the high road he saw a messenger galloping along in hot haste and began to wonder what it might mean. He left the hunt, rode across country and intercepted the rider.

“Where are you from? Who sent you?” asked Ch‘ên Kung.

The messenger made no reply for he knew to what party his captors belonged. But they searched him and found a letter, the secret reply to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s letter to Liu Pei. The messenger and the letter were both taken straight to Lü Pu. He questioned the man, who said he had been sent to Liu Pei with a letter and was now taking back the reply. He knew nothing more. He was ignorant of the contents of the letter. So Lü Pu tore it open and read:—“I have received your commands concerning the destruction of Lü Pu and dare I for a moment venture to disregard them? But my force is weak and I must act with extreme circumspection. If you move your main body, then I will hasten forward and in the meantime my men shall be got ready and weapons prepared. I await your command.”

Lü Pu was really alarmed. “The wretch!” said he, “To dare to act thus!”

The unhappy messenger was put to death and counter-moves planned. Ch‘ên Kung and Tsang Pa went to enlist the help of the T‘aishan bandits and take Yenchou in Shantung. Kao Shun and Chang Liao went to attack Liu Pei in P‘eich‘êng. Sung Hsieu and Wei Hsü went west to attack Juying and Lü Pu took command of a large body of men ready to afford help wherever needed.

The departure of the army under Kao Shun against Hsiaop‘ei was told Liu Pei who assembled his officers at a council.