Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/224

 “How is this?” said Shu. “Formerly he slew my messenger and repudiated the marriage; now he sends to ask for it.”

“It is all due to the vile plans of that monster Ts‘ao Ts‘ao. I pray you, Illustrious Sir, to consider it carefully,” replied Ssŭ.

“But if your master was not hemmed in by his enemy and in imminent danger he would never have thought of renewing this proposal of marriage.”

The messengers said, “You may decide not to help him, but the teeth are cold when the lips are gone. It will not make for your happiness and comfort.”

Said Shu, “Fêng-hsien is unreliable; tell him that I will send soldiers after the girl has arrived here.”

This was final and the two messengers took leave. When the party reached Yüan-tê’s camp they decided to try to get through in the darkness, the escort remaining behind to protect their rear. They tried that very night and the two messengers crept across without discovery. But the escort found themselves faced by Chang Fei. Ho Ming tried to fight but was captured in the very first bout and the men of his half company were either killed or they fled.

The prisoner was taken to Yüan-tê, who forwarded him to the main camp. There he told the story of the marriage and the scheme to save the city. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was angry and ordered the execution of the prisoner at the main gate.

Then he sent orders to each camp to exercise the greatest diligence with threats of rigorous punishment of the officers of any corps that permitted any communication between the besieged and the outer world.

Every soldier felt mightily afraid. Yüan-tê returned to camp and cautioned his brothers saying, “We are in the most important place with regard to Huainan and you must be very careful not to allow any breach of this command.”

Chang Fei was inclined to grumble, “We have just captured one of the enemy’s leaders,” said he, “and there is no word of praise or reward for us; nothing but new orders and threats. What do you make of that?”

“You are wrong to complain,” said Yüan-tê. “These are orders of the Commander-in-Chief and what would happen were there no orders? Do not disobey them, brother.”

They promised obedience and withdrew.

In the meantime the messengers had got back to Lü Pu and told him what Yüan Shu had said, that if the girl came the soldiers should go.

“But how can she be sent?” said Pu.

“That is the difficulty. Ho Ming’s capture means that Ts‘ao Ts‘ao knows the whole plan of getting help from the south. I do not see how any one but you yourself could hope to get through the close siege.”