Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/352

 Yüan Shao turned to those about him saying, “Who dares go out?”

His son Shang was anxious to exhibit his prowess in the presence of his father so he flourished his pair of swords and rode forth. Ts‘ao pointed him out to his officers and asked if any one knew him and they replied that he was the youngest son. Before they had finished speaking from their own side rode out one Shih Huan, armed with a spear. The two champions fought a little while and suddenly Shang whipped up his horse, made a feint and fled. His opponent followed. Yüan Shang took his bow, fitted an arrow, turned in his saddle and shot at Shih Huan, wounding him in the left eye. He fell from the saddle and died on the spot.

Yüan Shao seeing his son thus get the better of his opponent, gave the signal for attack and the whole army thundered forward. The onslaught was heavy, but presently the gongs on both sides sounded the retire and the battle ceased.

When he had returned to camp Ts‘ao took counsel to find a plan to overcome Yüan Shao. Then Ch‘êng Yü proposed the plan of the Ten Ambushes and persuaded Ts‘ao to retire upon the river, placing men in ambush as he went. Thus would Shao be inveigled into pursuit as far as the river, when Ts‘ao’s men would be forced to make a desperate stand or be driven into the water.

Ts‘ao accepted this suggestion and told off five companies to lie in ambush on one side of the road of retreat and five on the other, while Hsü Chu commanded the advanced front.

Next day the ten companies started first and placed themselves right and left as ordered. In the night Ts‘ao ordered the advanced front to feign an attack on the camp, which roused all the enemy in all their camps. This done Hsü Chu retreated and the Shao army came in pursuit. The roar of battle went on without cessation and at dawn Ts‘ao’s army rested on the river and could retreat no farther. Then Ts‘ao shouted, “There is no road in front, so all must fight to the death.”

The retreating army turned about and advanced vigorously. Hsü Chu simply flew to the front, smote and killed a half score captains and threw Yüan Shao’s army into confusion. They tried to turn and march back, but Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was close behind. Then the drums of the enemy were heard and right and left there appeared a company, one pair of the ambushed parties. Yüan Shao collected about him his three sons and his nephew and they were enabled to cut their way out and flee. Ten li further on they fell into another ambush and here many men were lost so that their corpses lay over the country-side and the blood filled the water courses. Another ten li and they met the third pair of companies barring their road.