Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/362

 quarrels develop. When they have fully developed we can smite them and settle the matter.”

Ts‘ao approved of the plan. So leaving Chia Hsü as Prefect of Liyang and Ts‘ao Hung as guard at Kuantu the army went away toward Chingchou.

The two brothers T‘an and Shang congratulated each other on the withdrawal of their enemy, and their brother Hsi and cousin marched their armies back to their own districts.

Then the quarrels began. T‘an said to his confidants, “I, the eldest, have been prevented from succeeding my father, while the youngest son, born of a second wife, received the main heritage. My heart is bitter.”

Said Kuo T‘u, “Camp your men outside, invite your brother and Shên P‘ei to a banquet and assassinate them. The whole matter is easily settled.”

And T‘an agreed. It happened that a certain Wang Hsiu came just then from Ch‘ingchou whom T‘an took into his confidence. Wang opposed the murder plan saying, “Brothers are as one’s limbs. How can you possibly succeed if at a moment of conflict with an enemy you cut off one of your hands? If you abandon your brother and sever relationship, whom will you take in all the world as a relation? That fellow Kuo is a dangerous mischief-maker, who would sow dissension between brothers for a momentary advantage, and I beg you to shut your ears and not listen to his persuasions.”

This was displeasing to T‘an and he angrily dismissed Wang, while he sent the treacherous invitation to his brother.

His brother and Shên P‘ei talked over the matter. Shên P‘ei said, “I recognise one of Kuo T‘u’s stratagems and if you go, my lord, you will be the victim of their plot. Rather strike at them at once.”

Whereupon Shang rode out to battle. His brother T‘an, seeing him come with five legions, knew that his treachery had been discovered, so he also took the field, and when the forces were near enough T‘an opened on Shang with a volley of abuse.

“You poisoned my father and usurped the succession; now you come out to slay your elder brother?”

The battle went against T‘an. Shang himself took part in the fight, risking the arrows and the stones. He urged on his men and drove his brother off the field. He took refuge in P‘ingyüan. Yüan Shang drew off his men to his own city.

Yüan T‘an and Kuo T‘u decided upon a new attack and this time they chose Ts‘ên Pi as leader. Yüan Shang went to meet him. When both sides had been arrayed and the banners were flying and the drums beating, Ts‘ên Pi rode out to challenge and railed at his opponent. At first Shang was going to answer the challenge himself but Lü K‘uang actually went out. Lü and Ts‘ên met but had fought only a few bouts when the latter