Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/345

 They reached their objective at the end of the fourth watch, the straw and wood were placed in position without loss of time and the blaze started. Then the captains beat to attack.

At the time of the attack Shunyu Chʻiung and his companions were all asleep after a heavy drinking bout. However, when the alarm was given, they sprang up and asked what was the matter. The hubbub was indescribable. Very soon the fuddled officers were caught with hooks and hauled out of their camp.

Mu Yüan-chin and Chao Jui were just returning from taking grain to the camp and weeing the flames arise, they hastened to assist. Some of Tsʻao’s soldiers ran to tell him that some of the enemy were coming up in the rear and ask him to send reinforcements, but he only replied by ordering the generals to press on to the front till the enemy was actually close at hand and then face about. So the attack was pressed and they all hastened forward.

Very soon the fire gained strength and thick smoke hung all around filling the sky. When Mu and Chao drew near, Tsʻao turned about and attacked them. They could not stand this for a moment and both captains were killed. Finally the stores of grain and forage were utterly destroyed.

The commander, Shunyu Chʻiung, was made prisoner and taken to Tsʻao who ordered him to be deprived of ears, nose and hands. He was bound on a horse and sent, thus horribly mutilated, to his master.

From Yüan’s camp the flames of the burning depôt were seen away in the north and they knew what they meant. Yüan hastily summoned his officers to a council to send a rescue party. Chang Ho offered to go with Kao Lan but Kuo Tʻu said, “You may not go; it is certain that Tsʻao Tsʻao is there in person, wherefore his camp is undefended. Let loose our soldiers on the camp and that will speedily bring Tsʻao back again. This is how Sun Pin besieged Wei and thereby rescued Han.”

But Chang Ho said, “Not so; Tsʻao is too wily not to have fully prepared against a chance attack. If we attack his camp and fail and Shunyu Ch‘iung should be caught we shall all be captured too.”

Kuo Tʻu said, “Tsʻao will be too intent on the destruction of the grain to think of leaving a guard. I entreat you to attack his camp.”

So five companies under Chang Ho and Kao Lan were sent to attack Tsʻao’s camp and Chiang Chi was sent to try to recover the grain store.

Now after overcoming Shunyu, Tsʻao’s men dressed themselves in the armour and clothing of the defeated soldiers and put out their emblems, thus posing as defeated men running back to their own headquarters. And when they happened upon Chiang Chi’s rescue legion they said they had been beaten