Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/310

 road, vague in my wanderings as the clouds in the sky. But we shall meet again and till then take care of yourself.”

Then Kuan Yü took leave and retook the road to Yungyang. The Prefect of this city was named Wang Chih, and he was related to Han Fu by marriage. Hearing of the death of his relative he set about a scheme to kill Kuan Yü secretly. He sent men to guard the city gates and, when he heard that Kuan Yü approached, he went himself and received him with a smiling countenance and bade him welcome. Kuan Yü told him the object of his journey.

“You, General, have been able to get some exercise on the road, but the ladies in their carriage must be cramped and fatigued. I pray you to come into the city and all of you remain the night in the official travellers’ quarters. Tomorrow you can set forth again.”

The offer was tempting and his host seemed in earnest so the two ladies went into the city, where they found everything very comfortably prepared for them. And, though Kuan Yü declined the Prefect’s invitations to a banquet, refreshments for the travellers were sent to their lodgings. Kuan Yü was fatigued from the trials of the journey and as soon as the evening meal was over he bade the ladies retire to rest while he sat down in the main room, quite alone, for he bade all to get repose while they could. His horse was given a good feed for once. He sat with his armour loosened in order to be more at ease.

Now the Prefect had a secretary named Hu Pan to whom he had entrusted the arrangements for the destruction of his guest. Said he, “This Kuan is a traitor to the Minister and a fugitive. On the road he has murdered several Commanders of Passes and is guilty of serious crimes. But he is too strong and valiant for any ordinary soldier to overcome. So this evening a whole company of men will surround his lodging, each one armed with a torch, and we will burn him. They will start the fire about midnight. Every one of the party will perish. I will come with a force to stand by and assist if necessary.”

These orders received, Hu Pan passed them on to the men, who began secretly to prepare dry wood and other combustibles which they piled up at the gate of the rest-house. Hu Pan thought within him that he would like to know what manner of man was this Kuan Yü, whose fame had spread so far, so he determined to get a peep at him. He went to the rest-house and enquired where Kuan Yü was.

“The General is the man in the main hall reading,” was the reply.

Hu Pan noiselessly made his way to the outside of the room and peeped in. He saw the famous warrior stroking his beard with his left hand while he read by the light of a lamp placed