Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/341

 and the successful captains rode back to Kuantu, where they were richly rewarded.

As an additional safeguard Ts‘ao made a supporting outpost in front of the main camp to be the apex of a triangle of defence.

When Han Mêng returned with his woeful tidings Yüan Shao was angry and threatened to put him to death. His colleagues begged him off.

Then said Shên P‘ei, “Food is very important for an army in the field and must be defended with the greatest diligence. Wuch‘ao is our main depôt and must be carefully guarded.”

“My plans being complete,” said Shao, “you may as well return to Yehtu and undertake the control of the supplies. Let there be no shortage.” So Shên P‘ei left the army.

Then a force of two legions under six captains was told off to defend the depôt. One of these captains, Shunyu Ch‘iung, was a hard man and a heavy drinker, who in his cups was a terror to the men. Under the idle life of guarding the supply depôt the leaders gave themselves up to indulgence and drank heavily.

In Ts‘ao’s army also food was getting scarce and a message was sent to the capital to send grain quickly. The messenger with the letter, however, had not gone far when he fell into the hands of Shao’s men, who took him to the adviser Hsü Yu. Seeing from the letter that Ts‘ao was short of supplies the adviser went to his master and told him saying, “Ts‘ao Ts‘ao and we have been at grips here for a long time and the capital must be undefended. A small army sent quickly could take it and at the same moment an attack here would deliver Ts‘ao into our hands. Now is the moment to strike, for his supplies are short.”

Shao replied, “Ts‘ao is full of ruses and this letter is artfully designed to bring about a battle to suit himself.”

“If you do not take this chance he will do you some injury by and by.”

Just at this juncture in came a despatch from Yehchün in which, after some details regarding the forwarding of grain, Shên P‘ei said he had discovered that Hsü Yu had been in the habit of receiving bribes while in Ch‘ichou and had winked at his relatives collecting excess taxes. One son and nephew were then in prison.

At this Yüan Shao turned on Hsü Yu angrily and said, “How can you have the face to stand before me and propose plans, you extortionate fellow? You and Ts‘ao Ts‘ao have old likings for each other and he has bribed you to do his dirty work for him and help his base schemes. Now you want to betray my army. I ought to take off your head, but temporarily I will let your neck carry it away. Get out and never let me see you again.”