of Liu Bei.
“And what office does he hold?”
“He is a mounted archer in the service of Liu Bei.”
“An insult to us all!” roared Yuan Shu from his seat. “Do you think we have no valiant officers of our own? How dare an archer speak thus before us ? Drive him out!”
But Cao Cao quickly intervened. “Don’t be angry. Since he talks big he must be valiant. Let him go and if he fails, you can punish him then.”
“Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight with him,” said the commander.
“He doesn’t look a common person. How can the enemy know he is but a bowman?” said Cao Cao.
“If I fail you can behead me,” persisted Guan Yu.
Cao Cao bade the attendants bring some hot wine and offered a stirrup cup to Guan Yu as he went out to fight.
“Wait until I come back to drink it,” he said.
Sword in hand, he went out and vaulted onto his horse. Then loud shouts and the fierce beating of drums could be heard as if the sky was falling and the earth sinking, mountains trembling and hills tearing asunder. All those inside the tent were gripped with fear. When they were about to send someone out to inquire, there came the gentle tinkle of a horse bell—then Guan Yu threw at their feet the head of Hua Xiong. The wine was still warm! This heroic deed was celebrated in verse:
The most brilliant deed shook the world far and wide, At the gate of the camp was heard the rolling of the battle drums. Guan Yu set aside the wine cup till his valor was displayed, And the wine was still warm when the enemy was slain.
Cao Cao was greatly pleased at this success. Just then Zhang Fei stepped forth from behind Liu Bei and shouted, “My brother has slain Hua Xiong. Why don’t we just break through the pass and seize Dong Zhuo? There could be no better time than this!”
Again arose the voice of the peevish Yuan Shu, “We high officials are modest and yielding. Here are the petty followers of a small magistrate daring to flaunt their prowess before us! Expel them from the tent, I say!’
But again Cao Cao interposed, “Should we consider the status of him who has done a great service?”
“If you hold a mere magistrate in such honor then I will simply withdraw,” answered Yuan Shu.
“We cannot allow our great cause to suffer just for one word,” said Cao Cao.
He told Gongsun Zan to take his three companions back to their own camp. Then the other lords also dispersed. That night Cao Cao secretly sent meat and wine to soothe the three brothers.
In the meantime, Hua Xiong’s men had returned to the pass and related to one of the other commanding officers the story of the defeat. He immediately wrote to his master to ask for emergency aid. Dong Zhuo called in his trusted advisors for counsel. Li Ru summed up the situation: “We have lost our senior officer Hua Xiong and the enemy has therefore become very strong. Yuan Shao is head of this confederacy and his uncle, Yuan Wei, is holding a high office in the government. If those inside the capital collaborate with those outside, we will suffer. Therefore, we must first remove the ones in the city. Then I suggest your lordship should place yourself at the head of your army and lead it to wipe out all the rebels.”
Dong Zhuo agreed and at once ordered two of his followers, called Li Jue and Guo Si, to take five hundred soldiers to surround the residence of Yuan Wei. They killed everyone in the household, no matter whether old or young, and even hung the head of the old official outside the gate as a trophy. Then Dong Zhuo commanded 200,000 soldiers to advance in two armies. The first 50,000 men were under Li Jue and Guo Si, who were to hold Sishui Pass and not to fight. The main body under Dong Zhuo himself went to Tigertrap Pass, which is about fifty li from the capital.
As soon as they arrived there, Lu Bu was ordered to take 30,000 men and make a stockade outside of Tigertrap Pass. The major force with Dong Zhuo occupied the fortress.
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“And what office does he hold?”
“He is a mounted archer in the service of Liu Bei.”
“An insult to us all!” roared Yuan Shu from his seat. “Do you think we have no valiant officers of our own? How dare an archer speak thus before us ? Drive him out!”
But Cao Cao quickly intervened. “Don’t be angry. Since he talks big he must be valiant. Let him go and if he fails, you can punish him then.”
“Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight with him,” said the commander.
“He doesn’t look a common person. How can the enemy know he is but a bowman?” said Cao Cao.
“If I fail you can behead me,” persisted Guan Yu.
Cao Cao bade the attendants bring some hot wine and offered a stirrup cup to Guan Yu as he went out to fight.
“Wait until I come back to drink it,” he said.
Sword in hand, he went out and vaulted onto his horse. Then loud shouts and the fierce beating of drums could be heard as if the sky was falling and the earth sinking, mountains trembling and hills tearing asunder. All those inside the tent were gripped with fear. When they were about to send someone out to inquire, there came the gentle tinkle of a horse bell—then Guan Yu threw at their feet the head of Hua Xiong. The wine was still warm! This heroic deed was celebrated in verse:
The most brilliant deed shook the world far and wide, At the gate of the camp was heard the rolling of the battle drums. Guan Yu set aside the wine cup till his valor was displayed, And the wine was still warm when the enemy was slain.
Cao Cao was greatly pleased at this success. Just then Zhang Fei stepped forth from behind Liu Bei and shouted, “My brother has slain Hua Xiong. Why don’t we just break through the pass and seize Dong Zhuo? There could be no better time than this!”
Again arose the voice of the peevish Yuan Shu, “We high officials are modest and yielding. Here are the petty followers of a small magistrate daring to flaunt their prowess before us! Expel them from the tent, I say!’
But again Cao Cao interposed, “Should we consider the status of him who has done a great service?”
“If you hold a mere magistrate in such honor then I will simply withdraw,” answered Yuan Shu.
“We cannot allow our great cause to suffer just for one word,” said Cao Cao.
He told Gongsun Zan to take his three companions back to their own camp. Then the other lords also dispersed. That night Cao Cao secretly sent meat and wine to soothe the three brothers.
In the meantime, Hua Xiong’s men had returned to the pass and related to one of the other commanding officers the story of the defeat. He immediately wrote to his master to ask for emergency aid. Dong Zhuo called in his trusted advisors for counsel. Li Ru summed up the situation: “We have lost our senior officer Hua Xiong and the enemy has therefore become very strong. Yuan Shao is head of this confederacy and his uncle, Yuan Wei, is holding a high office in the government. If those inside the capital collaborate with those outside, we will suffer. Therefore, we must first remove the ones in the city. Then I suggest your lordship should place yourself at the head of your army and lead it to wipe out all the rebels.”
Dong Zhuo agreed and at once ordered two of his followers, called Li Jue and Guo Si, to take five hundred soldiers to surround the residence of Yuan Wei. They killed everyone in the household, no matter whether old or young, and even hung the head of the old official outside the gate as a trophy. Then Dong Zhuo commanded 200,000 soldiers to advance in two armies. The first 50,000 men were under Li Jue and Guo Si, who were to hold Sishui Pass and not to fight. The main body under Dong Zhuo himself went to Tigertrap Pass, which is about fifty li from the capital.
As soon as they arrived there, Lu Bu was ordered to take 30,000 men and make a stockade outside of Tigertrap Pass. The major force with Dong Zhuo occupied the fortress.
News
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