able to escape through a bypath. Zu Mao, hotly pursued, tore off the headpiece and hung it on the post of a half-burned house. Then he dashed into the thick woods to hide. Seeing the turban from a distance, Hua Xiong’s men dared not approach it but instead encircled from every side and shot at it with arrows. Before long the deception was discovered and they went up to seize the turban.
This was the moment Zu Mao was waiting for. He rushed out of the woods and swinging his double swords, dashed at Hua Xiong. But his enemy was too powerful for him. With a loud yell, Hua Xiong cut him down from his horse. The killing continued till daybreak and it was only then that the victor led his men back to the pass.
Sun Jian’s three other chief officers finally joined him. They collected the remaining soldiers and encamped again. He was much grieved at the loss of the faithful Zu Mao.
When news of the disaster was reported to Yuan Shao he was greatly alarmed and called all the lords to a council. All came, with Gongsun Zan being the last to arrive. Yuan Shao invited them to sit inside his tent and said: “First it was General Bao’s brother who disobeyed the orders and rashly went to attack the enemy. He ended up getting himself slain and with him many of our soldiers. Now General Sun has also been defeated. Our fighting spirit has suffered from these two losses. What do you think we should do?”
Everyone was silent. Lifting his eyes, Yuan Shao looked from one to another till he came to Gongsun Zan and noted the three unusual-looking men behind his seat. All three were smiling cynically.
“Who are those men behind you?” he asked.
Gongsun Zan asked Liu Bei to come forth and said, “This is Liu Bei, Magistrate of Pingyuan and an old friend of mine. We used to live under the same roof.”
“He must be the Liu Bei who defeated the Yellow Turban rebels,” said Cao Cao.
“Yes, he is,” replied Gongsun Zan. And he asked Liu Bei to pay his respects to the assembly, to whom he then related in full detail Liu Bei’s services and his origin of birth.
“He should be seated since he is of the Han line,” said Yuan Shao and he bade Liu Bei sit down.
Liu Bei thanked him modestly.
Yuan Shao said, “This consideration is not for your fame or your office. I respect you as a scion of the imperial family.”
So Liu Bei took his seat at the end of the long line of lords while his two brothers stood behind him with folded arms.
Suddenly a scout came in to say that Hua Xiong and his mail-clad horsemen had left the pass and were already outside their camp. They were flaunting Sun Jian’s red turban on the end of a bamboo pole and hurling insults at people inside the stockade, challenging them to fight.
“Who dares to go out and fight?” asked the commander.
“I will,” answered Yu She, a veteran officer under Yuan Shu.
So he went out and almost immediately a messenger came back to say that he had been killed by Hua Xiong in the third bout. Fear began to lay its cold hand on the assembly. Then another lord said, “I have a brave warrior among my men. Pan Feng is his name and he can slay this Hua Xiong.” So Pang Feng was ordered to meet the foe. With his great ax in hand he mounted and rode forth. But soon came the sorrowful news that he, too, had fallen. All those present turned pale at this.
“What a pity my two able officers, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here! If but one of them was present, how could Hua Xiong defy us?”
He had hardly finished his speech when from the lower end someone cried out, “I will go and take his head! I will lay it before you here!”
All turned to look at the speaker. He was very tall of stature with a long beard. He had eyes like those of a phoenix and bushy eyebrows like sleeping silkworms. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep and resonant, like the sound of a great bell.
“Who is this man?” asked the commander.
Gongsun Zan told him that it was Guan Yu, sworn brother
This was the moment Zu Mao was waiting for. He rushed out of the woods and swinging his double swords, dashed at Hua Xiong. But his enemy was too powerful for him. With a loud yell, Hua Xiong cut him down from his horse. The killing continued till daybreak and it was only then that the victor led his men back to the pass.
Sun Jian’s three other chief officers finally joined him. They collected the remaining soldiers and encamped again. He was much grieved at the loss of the faithful Zu Mao.
When news of the disaster was reported to Yuan Shao he was greatly alarmed and called all the lords to a council. All came, with Gongsun Zan being the last to arrive. Yuan Shao invited them to sit inside his tent and said: “First it was General Bao’s brother who disobeyed the orders and rashly went to attack the enemy. He ended up getting himself slain and with him many of our soldiers. Now General Sun has also been defeated. Our fighting spirit has suffered from these two losses. What do you think we should do?”
Everyone was silent. Lifting his eyes, Yuan Shao looked from one to another till he came to Gongsun Zan and noted the three unusual-looking men behind his seat. All three were smiling cynically.
“Who are those men behind you?” he asked.
Gongsun Zan asked Liu Bei to come forth and said, “This is Liu Bei, Magistrate of Pingyuan and an old friend of mine. We used to live under the same roof.”
“He must be the Liu Bei who defeated the Yellow Turban rebels,” said Cao Cao.
“Yes, he is,” replied Gongsun Zan. And he asked Liu Bei to pay his respects to the assembly, to whom he then related in full detail Liu Bei’s services and his origin of birth.
“He should be seated since he is of the Han line,” said Yuan Shao and he bade Liu Bei sit down.
Liu Bei thanked him modestly.
Yuan Shao said, “This consideration is not for your fame or your office. I respect you as a scion of the imperial family.”
So Liu Bei took his seat at the end of the long line of lords while his two brothers stood behind him with folded arms.
Suddenly a scout came in to say that Hua Xiong and his mail-clad horsemen had left the pass and were already outside their camp. They were flaunting Sun Jian’s red turban on the end of a bamboo pole and hurling insults at people inside the stockade, challenging them to fight.
“Who dares to go out and fight?” asked the commander.
“I will,” answered Yu She, a veteran officer under Yuan Shu.
So he went out and almost immediately a messenger came back to say that he had been killed by Hua Xiong in the third bout. Fear began to lay its cold hand on the assembly. Then another lord said, “I have a brave warrior among my men. Pan Feng is his name and he can slay this Hua Xiong.” So Pang Feng was ordered to meet the foe. With his great ax in hand he mounted and rode forth. But soon came the sorrowful news that he, too, had fallen. All those present turned pale at this.
“What a pity my two able officers, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here! If but one of them was present, how could Hua Xiong defy us?”
He had hardly finished his speech when from the lower end someone cried out, “I will go and take his head! I will lay it before you here!”
All turned to look at the speaker. He was very tall of stature with a long beard. He had eyes like those of a phoenix and bushy eyebrows like sleeping silkworms. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep and resonant, like the sound of a great bell.
“Who is this man?” asked the commander.
Gongsun Zan told him that it was Guan Yu, sworn brother
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