Now Ts'ao's eldest son was named P'ei, otherwise Tzu-hêng. At the taking of the city he was eighteen years of age. When he was born a dark purplish halo hung over the house for a whole day. One who understood the meaning of such manifestations had secretly told Ts'ao that the halo belonged to the Imperial class and portended honours which could not be put into words.

At eight the lad could compose very skilfully and he was well read in ancient history. Now he was an adept at all military arts and very fond of fencing. He had gone with his father on the expedition to Ch'ichou. He led his escort in the direction of the Yüan family dwelling, and when he reached it he strode in sword in hand. When some one would have stayed him, saying that by order of the Minister no one was to enter the house, he bade them begone. The guards fell back and he made his way into the private rooms, where he saw two women weeping in each other's arms. He went forward to slay them.

Four generations of honours, gone like a dream,

Fate follows on ever surely, though slow she seem.

The fate of the two women will be told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

TS'AO P'EI FINDS A WIFE:

A PLAN FOR SETTLING LIAOTUNG.

As
As was said, Ts'ao P'ei, having made his way into the Yüan
Palace, saw two women there whom he was about to kill.
Suddenly a red light shone in his eyes, and he paused. Lower-
ing his sword he said, "Who are you?"

"Thy handmaid is the widow of the late Yüan Shao, née Liu," said the elder of the two, "and this is the wife of Hsi, his second son. She was of the Chên family. When Hsi was sent to command in Yu her family objected to her going so far from home and she stayed behind."

Ts'ao P'ei drew her toward him and looked at her closely. Her hair hung disordered, her face was dusty and tear-stained, but when, with the sleeve of his inner garment, he had wiped away these disfigurements he saw a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tender bloom of a flower petal, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom.

"I am the son of the Minister Ts'ao," said he turning to the elder woman. "I will guarantee your safety so you need fear nothing."

He then put by his sword and sat down at the upper end of the room.

As the great Minister Ts'ao was entering the gate of the conquered city Hsü Yu rode up very quickly, passed him and pointed with his whip at the gate saying, "A-man, you would not have been here but for my plans."

Ts'ao laughed, but his captains were very annoyed. When he reached the Yüan residence he stopped at the gate, and asked if any one had gone in. The guard at the gate said, "Your son is within." Ts'ao called him out and chid him, but the wife of the late Prefect interposed, saying, "But for your son we had not been saved. I desire to present to you a lady, of the Chên family, as a handmaid to your son."

Ts'ao bade them bring out the girl and she bowed before him. After looking at her intently he said, "Just the wife for him!" and he told Ts'ao P'ei to take her to wife.

After the conquest of Ch'ichou had been made quite sure, Ts'ao made a ceremonial visit to the Yuan family cemetery, where he sacrificed at the tomb of his late rival, bowed his head and lamented bitterly.

Turning to his captains he said, "Not long ago when Pênch'u and I worked together in military matters he asked me, saying, 'If this disturbance continue what districts should be held?' and I replied asking him what he thought. He said, 'To the south I would hold the river, on the north, guard against Yen and Tai and the hordes from the Shamo. Thence southward I would try for the Empire and do you not think I might succeed?' I replied saying, I depended upon the wisdom and force of the world directed by Tao; then every thing would be possible. These words seem as if spoken only yesterday, and now he is gone. Thinking over it I cannot refrain from tears."

His officers were deeply affected. Ts'ao treated the widow generously, giving her gold and silks and food to her content.

He also issued a further order that the taxes in Hopei would be remitted in consideration of the sufferings of the people during the warlike operations. He sent up a memorial and formally became Governor of Ch'ichou.

One day Hsü Ch'u, riding in at the east gate, met Hsü Yu, who called out to him "Would you fellows be riding through here if it had not been for me?"

Hsü Ch'u replied, "We fellows, those who survive and those who perished, risked our lives in bloody battle to get this city, so do not brag of your deeds."

"You are a lot of blockheads, not worth talking about," said Yu.

Ch'u in his anger drew his sword and ran him through. Then he took his head and went to tell Ts'ao the reason.

Said Ts'ao, "He and I were old friends and we could joke together. Why did you kill him?"

He blamed Hsü Ch'u very severely and gave orders that the corpse should be buried honourably.

He enquired for any wise and reputable men who were known to be living in the district and was told of a certain cavalry officer named Ts'ui Yen, of Tungwu City, who had on many occasions given valuable advice to Yüan Shao. As the advice was not followed Yen had pleaded indisposition and remained at home.

Ts'ao sent for this man, gave him an office and said to him, "According to the former registers there are three hundred thousand households in the district so that one may well call it a major district."

Yen replied, "The Empire is rent and the country is torn; the brothers Yüan are at war and the people have been stripped naked. Yet, Sir, you do not hasten to enquire after local conditions and how to rescue the people from misery, but first compute the possibilities of taxation. Can you expect to gain the support of our people by such means?"

Ts'ao accepted the rebuke, changed his policy, thanked him and treated him all the better for it.

As soon as Ch'ichou was settled, Ts'ao sent to find out the movements of Yüan T'an. He heard he was ravaging Kanling and the places near it in the south and west. Moreover, the scouts brought the news that Yüan Shang had fled to the hills. An expedition had been sent against him but Shang would not face a battle. He had gone away to Yuchou to his brother Hsi.

T'an, having surrendered with all his army, yet prepared for another attempt on Ch'ichou. Whereupon Ts'ao summoned him. T'an refused to come and Ts'ao sent letters breaking off the marriage with his daughter. Soon after Ts'ao led an expedition against T'an and marched to P'ingyüan, whereupon T'an sent to Liu Piao to beg assistance. Piao scnt for Liu Pei to consult about this and he said, "Ts'ao is very strong now that he has overcome Ch'ichou and the Yüans will be unable to hold out for long. Nothing is to be gained by helping this man and it may give Ts'ao the loophole he is always looking for to attack this place. My advice is to keep the army in condition and devote all our energies to defence."

"Agreed; but what shall we say?" said Piao.

"Write to both the brothers as peacemaker in gracious terms."

Accordingly Liu Piao wrote thus to Yüan T'an:-"When the superior man would escape danger he does not go to an enemy State. I heard recently that you had crooked the knee to Ts'ao, which was ignoring the enmity between him and your father, rejecting the duties of brotherhood and leaving behind you the shame of an alliance with the enemy. If your brother, the successor to Ch'ichou, has acted unfraternally, your duty was to bend your inclination to follow him and wait till the state of affairs had settled. Would it not have been very noble to bring about the redress of wrongs?"

And to Yüan Shang he wrote:-"Your brother, the ruler of Ch'ingchou, is of an impulsive temperament and confuses right with wrong. You ought first to have destroyed Ts'ao in order to put an end to the hatred which your father bore him and, when the situation had become settled, to have endeavoured to redress the wrongs. Would not that have been well? If you persist in following this mistaken course, remember the hound and the hare, both so wearied that the peasant got the hare."

From this letter Yüan T'an saw that Liu Piao had no intention of helping him, and feeling he alone could not withstand Ts'ao, he abandoned P'ingyüan and fled to Nanp'i, whither Ts'ao pursued him. The weather was very cold and the river was frozen, so that his grain boats could not move. Wherefore Ts'ao ordered the inhabitants to break the ice and tow the

boats. When the peasants heard the order they ran away. Ts'ao angrily wished to arrest and behead them. When they heard this they went to his camp in a body and offered their heads to the sword.

"If I do not kill you, my order will not be obeyed," said Ts'ao. "Yet supposing I cut off your heads-but I cannot bear to do that. Quickly flee to the hills and hide so that my soldiers do not capture you."

The peasants left weeping.

Then Yüan T'an led out his army against Ts'ao. When both sides were arrayed Ts'ao rode to the front, pointed with his whip at his opponent and railed at him saying, "I treated you well; why then have you turned against me?"

T'an replied, "You have invaded my land, captured my cities and broken off my marriage; yet you accuse me of turning against you."

Ts'ao ordered Hsü Huang to go out and give battle. T'an bade P'êng An accept the challenge. After a few bouts P'êng An was slain and T'an, having lost, fled and went into Nanp'i, where he was besieged. T'an, panic-stricken, sent Hsin P'ing to see Ts'ao and arrange surrender.

"He is nothing but a fickle-minded child," said Ts'ao. "He is never of the same mind two days running and I cannot depend upon what he says. Now your brother is in my employ and has a post of importance, you had better remain here also."

"Sir Minister, you are in error," said Hsin P'ing. "It is said that the lord's honour is the servant's glory, the lord's sadness is the servant's shame. How can I turn my back on

the family I have so long served?"

Ts'ao felt he could not be persuaded and sent him back. P'ing returned and told T'an the surrender could not be arranged and T'an turned on him angrily calling him a traitor. At this unmerited reproach such a huge wave of anger welled up in the man's breast that he was overcome and fell in a swoon. They carried him out, but the shock had been too severe and soon after he died. T'an regretted his conduct when it was too late.

Then Kuo T'u said, "To-morrow when we go out to battle. we will drive the people out in front as a screen for the soldiers and we must fight a winning battle."

That night they assembled all the common people of the place and forced into their hands swords and spears. At daylight they opened the four gates and a huge party with much shouting came out at each, peasantry carrying arms in front, and soldiers behind them. They pushed on toward Ts'ao's camps and a mêlée began which lasted till near midday. But this was quite indecisive, although heaps of dead lay everywhere.