Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/344

 The defenders of the camp were then told off. Among them was Hsü Yü.

The arrangements for the raid on the grain depôt were made with extreme care to ensure success. When all was ready they set out, Ts‘ao himself in the centre. The army showed the ensigns of their opponents. The men carried bundles of grass and faggots to make a blaze. The men were gagged and the horses tied round the muzzles so as to prevent any noise. They set out at dusk.

The night was fine and the stars shone brightly. Chü Shou, still a prisoner in Yüan Shao’s camp, saw the stars were very brilliant and told his gaolers to conduct him out to the central pavilion whence he could study them. While watching he saw the planet Venus invade the quarter of the Bear and Lyra, which startled him very greatly.

“Some misfortune is near,” said he.

So although it was still night he went to see his master. But Yüan Shao was sleeping after indulgence in too much wine and was in bad humour. However, when they had roused him saying that the prisoner had a secret message to deliver, he got up.

“While I happened to be studying the aspect of the heavens,” said the night visitor, “I saw Venus, then between Hydra and Cancer, suddenly shoot into the neighbourhood of the Bear and Lyra. There is danger of a robber raid and special precautions must be taken at the grain depôt. Lose no time in sending good soldiers and vigorous leaders thither and keep a lookout on the byeways among the hills that you may escape the wiles of Ts‘ao Ts‘ao.”

“You are a criminal,” said Shao. “How dare you come with such wild nonsense to upset my armies.”

And turning to the gaolers he continued, “I bade you confine him; why did you let him come?”

Then he issued orders to put the gaolers to death and appointed others to keep the prisoner in close custody.

Chi Shou went away, wiping his falling tears and sighing deeply. “Our soldiers’ destruction is at hand and I know not where my poor corpse may find a resting place.”

Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s raiding party went along through the night. Passing one of Yüan Shao’s outpost camps they were challenged. Tsʻao sent forward a man to say, “Chiang Chi has orders to go to Wuch‘ao to guard the grain stores.”

Seeing that the raiders marched under the ensigns of Yüan Shao the guard had no suspicions and let them pass. At every post this ruse was effective and they got safely through.