Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/346

 at Wuch‘ao and were retreating. So they were suffered to pass without molestation while Chiang Chi hastened on. But soon he came to Chang Liao and Hsü Chu who cried out to him to stop. And before he could make any opposition Chang Liao had cut him down. Soon his men were killed or dispersed and the victors sent false messengers to Shao’s camp to say that Chiang Chi had attacked and driven away the defenders of the granaries. So no more reliefs were sent that way. However, reinforcements were sent to Kuantu.

In due course the Yüan men came down upon Ts‘ao’s camp at Kuantu and the defenders at once came out and fought them on three sides so that they were worsted. By the time reinforcements arrived Ts‘ao’s army, returning from the raid, had also come and Yüan’s men were attacked in the rear. So they were quite surrounded. However, Chang Ho and Kao Lan managed to force their way out and got away.

When the remains of the defenders of the grain stores reached their master’s camp they were mustered. Seeing the mutilated state of their one time leader, Shao asked how he had come to betray his trust and to suffer thus and the soldiers told their lord that their commander had been intoxicated at the time of the attack. So Shun-yu was forthwith executed.

Kuo T‘u, fearing lest Chang Ho and Kao Lan would return and testify the whole truth, began to intrigue against them. First he went to his lord saying, “Those two, Chang and Kao, were certainly very glad when your armies were defeated.”

“Why do you say this?” asked Yüan.

“O they have long cherished a desire to go over to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, so when you sent them on the duty of destroying his camp they did not do their best and so brought about this disaster.”

Shao accordingly sent to recall these two to be interrogated as to their faults. But Kuo T‘u, their enemy, sent a messenger in advance to warn them, as though in friendly guise, of the adverse fate that awaited them. So when the orders reached them to return to answer for their faults they asked why they were recalled. When the messenger disclaimed all knowledge of the reasons, Kao Lan drew his sword and killed him. Chang Ho was stupefied at this demonstration but Lan said, “Our lord has allowed some one to malign us and say we have been bought by Ts‘ao Ts‘ao. What is the sense in our sitting still and awaiting destruction? Rather let us surrender to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao in reality and save our lives.”

“I have been wanting to do this for some time,” replied Chang Ho.

Wherefore both, with their companies, made their way to Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s camp to surrender.

When they arrived, Hsiahou Tun said to his master, “These two have come to surrender but I have doubts about them.”