Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/317

 was Kuo Ch‘ang’s son. The wearer of the turban called out saying, “I am one of the captains of the Celestial Duke, Chang Chio. Whoever you may be, leave that horse you are riding for me. You may then go free.”

Kuan Yü greeted the speech with a hearty laugh.

“O you mad ignoramus! If you had ever been with Chang Chio as a bandit you would have learned to know Liu, Kuan and Chang, the three brothers.”

“I have heard of the ruddy long beard called Kuan but I have never seen him. Who may you be?”

Kuan Yü then laid aside his sword, stopped his horse and drew off the bag that covered his beard thus showing its magnificence.

The turban wearer immediately slipped out of the saddle, laid an angry hand on his companion and they both bowed low in front of Kuan Yü’s steed.

“Who are you?” asked Kuan Yü.

“I am P‘ei Yüan-shao. After the death of Chang Chio I was left forlorn and I got together a few others like myself and we took refuge in the forests. This morning early this fellow came to tell us that a guest at his father’s farm had a valuable horse and proposed tome to steal it. I did not think I should meet you, General.”

The wretched youth Kuo implored that his life might be spared and Kuan Yü pardoned him for his father’s sake. He covered his face and crept away.

“You did not recognise me; how then did you know my name?” asked Kuan Yü.

P‘ei replied, “Not far from here is a mountain called the Sleeping Bull, where lives a certain Chou Ts‘ang, a very powerful man who came from the west. He has a stiff curly beard and looks very handsome. He also was a captain in the rebel army, who took to the forest when his leader perished. He has told me a lot about you but I have never had the happiness of seeing you.”

Said Kuan Yü, “Under the greenwood tree is no place for a hero’s foot. You had better abandon this depraved life and return to the path of virtue. Do not work out your own destruction.”

As they were talking a troop of horsemen appeared in the distance. They were the men of Chou Ts‘ang, as P‘ei said, and Kuan Yü waited for them to approach. The leader was very dark complexioned, tall and armed with a spear. As soon as he drew near enough to see he exclaimed joyfully, “This is General Kuan.”

In a moment he had slipped out of the saddle and was on his knees by the roadside.

“Chou Ts‘ang renders obeisance,” said he.

Said Kuan Yü, “O warrior, where have you known me?”