Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/280

 T‘ien Fêng struck the ground with his staff. “It is such a pity!” cried he. “Just as an unique opportunity presents itself everything is spoiled by the illness of a child.”

He went out. Sun Ch‘ien saw that no help could be hoped for and set out to return. When he had arrived and related what he had seen Yüan-tê was quite alarmed and asked what could be done.

“Do not be troubled, brother,” said Chang Fei. “We can destroy Ts‘ao Ts‘ao merely by a sudden attack before his army shall have time to camp.”

“That would be according to the rules of war,” said Yüan-tê. “You have always been a bold warrior and that move against Liu Tai shows that you are becoming a strategist too.”

So he gave his younger brother command of enough men to carry out his plan.

Now while Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was in the midst of his march toward Hsiaop‘ei a tornado sprang up and the howling gale tore down one of the banners and broke the staff. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao called together his advisers and leaders to ask them what this portended. Hsün Yü said, “From what direction was the wind at the time and what was the colour of the flag?”

“The wind was from the south-east and the flag was blue and red.”

“There is only one interpretation; there will be a raid on the camp to-night.”

Ts‘ao nodded. At that moment Mao Chih entered and reported a similar incident. Ts‘ao asked him the portent.

“My foolishness tells me that it means a night raid,” replied he.

“This is evidently providence,” said Ts‘ao Ts‘ao and he began to make preparations. He told off nine bodies of men to take stations, leaving only one of them as if camped while he placed the others in ambush at eight points.

There was but little moonlight as Yüan-tê and Chang Fei marched their respective armies toward Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s camp. They had left Sun Ch‘ien to guard Hsiaop‘ei. Chang Fei, since he was the originator of the stratagem, led the way with some light horse. As they drew near everything seemed very quiet and no one seemed moving. Then suddenly lights flashed out all about them and Chang Fei saw he had fallen into a trap. At once from all the eight directions came out the ambushed troops.

Chang Fei, dashing this way and rushing that, guarding his van and protecting his rear, vainly tried to clear himself. The soldiers he had, being originally Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s men, soon gave