Chen Deng presented his plan to Liu Bei: "The one Cao Cao truly fears is Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao holds the territories of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing like a crouching tiger, with a million armored soldiers and countless civil and military officers. Why not write a letter and send someone to him for aid?" Liu Bei replied, "Yuan Shao and I have never had dealings, and now I have just destroyed his younger brother—why would he help me?" Chen Deng smiled. "There is a man here who has been a friend of Yuan Shao's family for three generations. If you could get a letter from him to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao would surely come to your aid." Liu Bei asked who this man was. Chen Deng said, "He is the one you have always treated with the utmost respect. Why have you forgotten him?" Liu Bei suddenly realized. "Could it be Master Zheng Kangcheng?" Chen Deng laughed. "Indeed it is."
Zheng Kangcheng, whose given name was Xuan, was a man of great learning and talent. He had once studied under Ma Rong. Whenever Ma Rong lectured, he would set up a crimson curtain, with students gathered before him and musicians and beautiful maidservants arranged behind and around him. Zheng Xuan listened to his lectures for three years without ever letting his eyes stray, and Ma Rong marveled at him. When Zheng Xuan completed his studies and returned home, Ma Rong sighed, "The one who has truly grasped the secrets of my teachings is Zheng Xuan alone." Even the maidservants in Zheng Xuan's household were well-versed in the Classic of Poetry. Once, a maidservant displeased him, and he ordered her to kneel in the courtyard. Another maidservant teased her, quoting the poem, "Why are you in the mud?" The kneeling maidservant replied without hesitation, "I went to speak of my grievance, but met with his anger." Such was their refinement. During the reign of Emperor Huan, Zheng Xuan served as an Imperial Secretary, but later, due to the chaos caused by the Ten Eunuchs, he abandoned his post and retired to his home in Xu Province. Liu Bei had once studied under him when he was in Zhuo Commandery, and after becoming Governor of Xu Province, he frequently visited Zheng Xuan's cottage to seek his counsel, treating him with exceptional honor.
Now that Liu Bei had thought of this man, he was overjoyed. He went with Chen Deng personally to Zheng Xuan's home and begged him to write the letter. Zheng Xuan agreed readily and wrote a letter, which he gave to Liu Bei. Liu Bei then sent Sun Qian to deliver it to Yuan Shao's camp without delay. After reading the letter, Yuan Shao thought to himself, "Liu Bei destroyed my brother, so I should not help him. But since the letter comes from the Imperial Secretary Zheng, I cannot refuse." He then gathered his civil and military officers to discuss raising an army to attack Cao Cao. The strategist Tian Feng said, "Our army has been at war for years. The people are exhausted, and our granaries are empty. We cannot raise a large army now. It would be better to first send an envoy to the Son of Heaven to report a victory. If that is blocked, we can then submit a memorial accusing Cao Cao of cutting off our path to the throne. After that, we can station our army at Liyang, build more boats on the Yellow River, repair our weapons, and deploy elite troops along the borders. In three years, our great enterprise can be secured." The strategist Shen Pei countered, "That is not right. With your divine martial might, my lord, and the strength of the lands north of the Yellow River, raising an army to punish the traitor Cao Cao would be as easy as turning over your hand. Why delay for months and years?" Another strategist, Ju Shou, said, "The key to victory does not lie in sheer strength. Cao Cao's laws are strictly enforced, and his soldiers are well-trained. This is not like the case of Gongsun Zan, who was trapped and waiting for death. To abandon the excellent plan of sending a victory envoy and instead raise an army without just cause—I dare say this is not wise for you, my lord." Guo Tu then interjected, "That is wrong. To attack Cao Cao is not without cause. Now is the time for you to establish your great enterprise. I urge you to follow the Imperial Secretary Zheng's letter, join with Liu Bei in upholding righteousness, and wipe out the traitor Cao Cao. This will accord with Heaven's will and the people's hearts—what a fortunate thing it would be!" The four of them argued back and forth, and Yuan Shao was uncertain and could not decide.
Just then, Xu You and Xun Chen entered from outside. Yuan Shao said, "You two are men of great insight. Let us hear your opinion." After they had paid their respects, Yuan Shao said, "The Imperial Secretary Zheng has sent a letter asking me to raise an army to help Liu Bei attack Cao Cao. Should I raise the army or not?" Both men answered in unison, "My lord, you have the many to overcome the few, the strong to attack the weak. To punish the traitor of Han and support the royal house—raising the army is the right course." Yuan Shao said, "Your view matches my own." He then began to discuss the military campaign. First, he sent Sun Qian back to report to Zheng Xuan and to arrange for Liu Bei to prepare for support. Meanwhile, he ordered Shen Pei and Feng Ji to command the army, with Tian Feng, Xun Chen, and Xu You as strategists, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou as generals. He raised 150,000 cavalry and 150,000 infantry, a total of 300,000 elite troops, and marched toward Liyang. After the deployments were made, Guo Tu stepped forward and said, "Since you are attacking Cao Cao on a righteous cause, you must list his crimes and send a declaration to all commanderies, denouncing his guilt before we punish him. Then our cause will be just and our words proper." Yuan Shao agreed and ordered his secretary, Chen Lin, to draft the declaration. Chen Lin, whose style name was Kongzhang, was a man of renowned literary talent. During the reign of Emperor Ling, he served as a Registrar, but after his remonstrance to He Jin was ignored and the chaos of Dong Zhuo's rebellion erupted, he fled to Ji Province for refuge. Yuan Shao appointed him as his secretary. Now, receiving the order, Chen Lin took up his brush and completed the declaration in one sitting. Its text read:
"It is said that an enlightened ruler plans for danger to control change, and a loyal minister considers difficulties to establish authority. Thus, only with extraordinary men can there be extraordinary deeds, and only with extraordinary deeds can there be extraordinary achievements. That which is extraordinary is not, by its nature, something ordinary men can conceive.
In the past, during the decline of the mighty Qin, Zhao Gao held power, monopolizing court authority and dispensing favor and punishment at will. The people of the time were coerced and dared not speak the truth. In the end, there came the defeat at Wangyi Palace, the destruction of the ancestral temples, and a shame that has lasted to this day—an eternal warning for the ages. Later, in the final years of Empress Lü, her relatives Lü Chan and Lü Lu held sway, commanding both armies within the capital and ruling over Zhao and Liang without. They made arbitrary decisions on all state matters, issued decrees within the imperial palace, and caused the lower orders to encroach upon the higher, throwing all under Heaven into despair. Then the Marquis of Jiang and the Marquis of Zhu Xu raised their armies in fury, wiped out the rebels and tyrants, and established Emperor Wen. Thus, the kingly way flourished, and glory shone brightly. This is a clear example of a minister establishing authority.
Now, the Minister of Public Works, Cao Cao: his grandfather, the Eunuch Attendant Cao Teng, together with Zuo Guan and Xu Huang, committed monstrous evils. They were insatiable, tyrannical, and corrupt, harming the people and undermining moral teachings. His father, Cao Song, was a beggar adopted into the family, who used bribery to gain his position, transporting gold and jade to the powerful, stealing his way into the highest offices, and overturning the state's foundations. Cao Cao, this vile offspring of a eunuch's lineage, possesses no virtue from the start. He is cunning, fierce, and treacherous, delighting in chaos and calamity.
Our command, entrusted with the grand task of sweeping away rebels, encountered Dong Zhuo, who usurped authority and tyrannized the state. So we took up the sword and beat the drum, issuing orders from the eastern lands, gathering heroes and overlooking their faults to employ them. Thus, we consulted with Cao Cao and gave him command of a subsidiary army, thinking him fit to be a hawk or hound, a claw or fang we could rely on. But he proved foolish, reckless, and short-sighted, advancing rashly and retreating easily, suffering repeated defeats and losing many troops. Our command then divided our forces and sent elite troops to repair his losses, memorialized for him to be appointed Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery and Acting Inspector of Yan Province, clothed him in the tiger's stripes, and rewarded him with authority, hoping he would repay us like the Qin army that once defeated Jin. Instead, Cao Cao used this power to become arrogant and tyrannical, indulging in evil deeds, oppressing the common people, and harming the virtuous and good.
Thus, the former Grand Administrator of Jiujiang, Bian Rang, a man of outstanding talent and renown, known throughout the realm for his upright speech and refusal to flatter, had his head cut off and hung from a pole, and his wife and children were wiped out. From then on, the scholar-officials were filled with grief and anger, and the people's resentment grew ever deeper. When one man raised his arm in revolt, the entire province echoed his cry. Thus, Cao Cao was personally defeated in Xu Province and had his territory seized by Lü Bu. He wandered in the eastern borderlands, with nowhere to stand. Our command, mindful of the principle that the trunk must be strong and the branches weak, and unwilling to side with rebels, again raised our banners and donned our armor, sweeping forth to campaign. Drums and gongs thundered, and Lü Bu's forces scattered in defeat. We saved Cao Cao from death and restored him to the position of a regional lord. Thus, our command has done no kindness to the people of Yan Province, but has rendered a great service to Cao Cao.
Later, when the imperial carriage returned to the capital and the various rebels attacked, we were occupied with a northern border threat and could not leave our post. So we sent the Attendant Official Xu Xun to dispatch Cao Cao, ordering him to repair the ancestral temples and protect the young emperor. Cao Cao then gave free rein to his ambitions: he forcibly moved the capital, controlled the imperial palace, insulted the royal house, violated the laws, and threw the state into chaos. He sat in the highest offices and monopolized court authority, dispensing titles and rewards at his whim and meting out execution and punishment from his mouth. Those he loved were glorified for five generations; those he hated had their three clans exterminated. Those who spoke openly were publicly executed; those who harbored secret thoughts were secretly killed. The hundred officials sealed their lips, and on the roads, people could only exchange glances. The Imperial Secretary merely recorded the court sessions, and the high ministers were nothing more than fillers of posts.
The former Grand Commandant Yang Biao served in two high offices and held the highest position in the state. Cao Cao, nursing a personal grudge, falsely accused him of crimes, subjected him to beatings and all five forms of torture, and acted on his emotions without regard for the law. Moreover, the Court Gentleman Zhao Yan, who offered loyal remonstrances and upright words that were worthy of being heeded, had the emperor's ear and was treated with respect. Cao Cao, seeking to blind the emperor and cut off the path of remonstrance, had him arrested and killed without waiting for the imperial order.
Furthermore, King Xiao of Liang, the elder brother of the late emperor by the same mother, had a magnificent tomb that deserved reverence. Even the mulberry and cypress trees around it should have been treated with solemn respect. Yet Cao Cao led his officers and soldiers to personally dig up the tomb, break open the coffin, expose the corpse, and plunder the gold and treasures. To this day, the imperial court weeps, and the people grieve! Cao Cao even created special positions: General of the Corpses-Dug-Up and Colonel of the Gold-Touched, and wherever they passed, they destroyed everything, leaving no skeleton unexposed. He holds the position of one of the Three Excellencies, yet acts like a tyrant and a bandit, defiling the state and harming the people, poisoning both the living and the dead! To add to this, his policies are harsh and cruel; he sets up nets and traps everywhere, filling the roads with snares and pitfalls. Raise a hand, and you are caught in a net; move a foot, and you trigger a trap. Thus, in Yan and Yu provinces, there are people with no hope, and in the capital, there are sighs of resentment. Looking through all the records of history, no minister has ever been as greedy, cruel, and violent as Cao Cao!
Our command was busy interrogating external traitors and had not yet had time to discipline him. We tolerated him, hoping he could be mended. But Cao Cao has the heart of a wolf, harboring dark plots. He seeks to destroy the pillars of the state, weaken the Han house, eliminate the loyal and upright, and establish himself as a tyrant. Previously, when we beat the drum and marched north to attack Gongsun Zan, that fierce rebel resisted and held out for a year. Cao Cao, seeing that Zan had not yet been defeated, secretly sent letters to him, outwardly aiding the imperial army but inwardly plotting to ambush us. When his messenger was exposed and Gongsun Zan was destroyed, Cao Cao's scheme was thwarted and his ambition crushed. Now he has stationed his forces at Fucang, relying on the Yellow River for defense, like a mantis raising its arms to stop a chariot.
Our command, bearing the awe-inspiring power of Han, will sweep across the realm. We have a million long-spears and a thousand companies of northern cavalry. We will deploy our bravest warriors and unleash the power of our finest bows and crossbows. From Bing Province, we will cross the Taihang Mountains; from Qing Province, we will cross the Ji and Luo rivers. The main army will cross the Yellow River to attack him from the front, while Jing Province will descend upon Wancheng and Yexian to strike him from the rear. Like thunder shaking the earth and a tiger striding forth, it will be like setting a blazing fire to a pile of dry grass, or pouring the ocean over a burning coal—what could escape destruction? As for Cao Cao's officers and soldiers, those who can fight are from You and Ji provinces, or from his old camps. They are all weary and longing for home, weeping as they gaze northward. The rest are people from Yan and Yu, and the remnants of Lü Bu and Zhang Yang's forces, who were forced to surrender and are only following him temporarily. They are all wounded and nursing grudges, each one an enemy. If we turn our banners and advance, beating our drums from a high hill and raising white flags to open the way for surrender, his army will crumble like a tile collapsing, without a single drop of blood being spilled.
Now the Han house is in decline, and the fabric of governance is torn. The imperial court has not a single capable assistant; the ministers have no power to repel enemies. Within the capital, the capable officials all hang their heads and fold their wings, with no one to rely on. Even if there are loyal and righteous men, they are threatened by this tyrannical minister—how can they display their integrity? Moreover, Cao Cao keeps seven hundred of his elite soldiers surrounding the palace, outwardly on guard duty but inwardly as jailers. We fear that his treasonous plot may soon be set in motion. This is the time for loyal ministers to sacrifice their lives and for righteous men to achieve great deeds. How can we not strive! Cao Cao has also forged imperial decrees and sent envoys to raise troops. We fear that the distant provinces and commanderies may heed his orders and join him, turning against the many and siding with a rebel, thereby losing their own honor and becoming the laughingstock of the realm. Wise men would not do this.
From this day forth, the four provinces of You, Bing, Qing, and Ji will advance together. When this letter reaches Jing Province, they should immediately mobilize their troops and join forces with General Zhang Xiu. All provinces and commanderies should muster their righteous armies, array them along the borders, raise their martial might, and together restore the state. Then an extraordinary achievement will be recorded. Whoever captures Cao Cao's head will be enfeoffed as a lord of a five-thousand-household fief and rewarded with fifty million in cash. For those among his officers and soldiers who surrender, no inquiry will be made. Let grace and trust be widely proclaimed, and let rewards and honors be made known. Proclaim this to all under Heaven, so that all may know the difficulties and constraints faced by the imperial court. By imperial command!"
Yuan Shao was overjoyed when he read the declaration. He immediately ordered envoys to post it in every province and commandery, and to display it at every strategic pass and checkpoint. When the declaration reached Xuchang, Cao Cao was suffering from a headache and was lying sick in bed. His attendants brought the declaration to him. As Cao Cao read it, he felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat. His headache vanished instantly. He leaped up from his bed and asked Cao Hong, "Who wrote this declaration?" Cao Hong replied, "I hear it was the work of Chen Lin." Cao Cao laughed. "Literary talent must be complemented by martial strategy. Chen Lin's literary talent is fine, but what of Yuan Shao's lack of martial strategy?" He then gathered his strategists to discuss how to meet the enemy.
When Kong Rong heard of this, he came to see Cao Cao and said, "Yuan Shao's power is great. You cannot fight him; you must seek peace." Xun Yu said, "Yuan Shao is a useless man. Why talk of peace?" Kong Rong replied, "Yuan Shao has vast territories and a strong populace. His subordinates include Xu You, Guo Tu, Shen Pei, and Feng Ji, all men of wisdom; Tian Feng and Ju Shou are loyal ministers; Yan Liang and Wen Chou are the bravest in all armies; and Gao Lan, Zhang He, and Chunyu Qiong are all renowned generals of the age. Why do you say Yuan Shao is useless?" Xun Yu laughed. "Yuan Shao's army is large but undisciplined. Tian Feng is rigid and offends his superiors; Xu You is greedy and unwise; Shen Pei is autocratic and lacks strategy; Feng Ji is decisive but useless. These men are incompatible in temperament and will inevitably turn on each other. Yan Liang and Wen Chou are men of mere brute courage, who can be captured in a single battle. The rest are mediocre—even if there were a million of them, they are not worth mentioning." Kong Rong fell silent. Cao Cao laughed heartily. "It is all as Xun Wenruo predicted." He then summoned the forward army commander Liu Dai and the rear army commander Wang Zhong, giving them 50,000 troops to march under the Chancellor's banner to attack Liu Bei in Xu Province. Liu Dai had formerly been the Inspector of Yan Province, and when Cao Cao took over the province, Liu Dai had surrendered and was appointed a lieutenant general. Now Cao Cao sent him together with Wang Zhong to lead the army. Cao Cao himself led 200,000 troops to Liyang to confront Yuan Shao. Cheng Yu said, "I fear Liu Dai and Wang Zhong are not up to the task." Cao Cao replied, "I know they are no match for Liu Bei. I am just making a show of force for now." He instructed them, "Do not advance rashly. Wait until I have defeated Yuan Shao, then I will lead the army to crush Liu Bei." Liu Dai and Wang Zhong departed with their troops.
Cao Cao led his own army to Liyang. The two armies were separated by eighty li, and both dug deep trenches and built high ramparts, facing each other without engaging in battle. They remained there from the eighth month to the tenth month. Xu You was displeased that Shen Pei was commanding the army, and Ju Shou was resentful that Yuan Shao had not adopted his plans. The two factions were at odds and did not seek to advance. Yuan Shao himself was hesitant and did not think of attacking. Cao Cao then summoned Zang Ba, a former general of Lü Bu who had surrendered, and ordered him to guard the territories of Qing and Xu. Yu Jin and Li Dian were stationed along the Yellow River. Cao Ren was given overall command of the main army, stationed at Guandu. Cao Cao himself then led a force and returned to Xuchang.
Meanwhile, Liu Dai and Wang Zhong led their 50,000 troops and set up camp a hundred li from Xu Province. In their camp, they flew the banner of "Chancellor Cao" as a bluff, but they dared not advance, only waiting for news from north of the Yellow River. Liu Bei, for his part, did not know Cao Cao's true situation and also dared not act rashly, only sending scouts to gather intelligence about the north. Suddenly, Cao Cao sent a messenger urging Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack. The two commanders discussed the matter in their camp. Liu Dai said, "The Chancellor is pressing us to attack the city. You should go first." Wang Zhong replied, "The Chancellor sent you first." Liu Dai said, "I am the commander-in-chief. How can I go first?" Wang Zhong said, "Let's both lead the troops together." Liu Dai said, "Let's draw lots. Whoever draws the 'first' sign goes." Wang Zhong drew the "first" sign and had no choice but to take half the army and march on Xu Province.
When Liu Bei heard that the enemy army was approaching, he summoned Chen Deng to discuss the matter. "Yuan Benchu has stationed his army at Liyang," Liu Bei said, "but his strategists are at odds and have not yet advanced. I don't know where Cao Cao is. I hear there is no banner of Cao Cao at Liyang. Why is there a banner of his here?" Chen Deng replied, "Cao Cao is full of tricks. He must consider the north of the Yellow River as the most important front and is personally supervising there. He deliberately did not set up his banner there, but has set up a false one here. I believe Cao Cao is not here." Liu Bei said, "Which of my brothers can go and scout out the enemy's strength?" Zhang Fei stepped forward. "I will go, brother." Liu Bei said, "You are too impulsive. You cannot go." Zhang Fei retorted, "Even if Cao Cao himself were there, I would capture him!" Guan Yu said, "Let me go and observe their movements." Liu Bei said, "If Yunchang goes, I will be at ease." So Guan Yu led three thousand men out of Xu Province.
It was early winter, and dark clouds gathered while snowflakes drifted down. The troops arrayed themselves for battle in the falling snow. Guan Yu spurred his horse forward, holding his blade, and shouted for Wang Zhong to come out and parley. Wang Zhong emerged and said, "The Chancellor is here. Why do you not surrender?" Guan Yu replied, "Ask the Chancellor to come out. I have something to say to him." Wang Zhong said, "Do you think the Chancellor would deign to see you?" Guan Yu flew into a rage and charged forward. Wang Zhong raised his spear to meet him. As their horses crossed, Guan Yu turned his mount and fled. Wang Zhong gave chase. When they had rounded a slope, Guan Yu wheeled his horse around, let out a great shout, and swung his blade straight at Wang Zhong. Wang Zhong could not parry the blow and was about to flee when Guan Yu, holding his treasured blade in his left hand, reached out with his right and seized the belt of Wang Zhong's armor, dragged him from his saddle, and carried him across his horse. He then returned to his own camp. Wang Zhong's troops scattered in all directions.
Guan Yu brought Wang Zhong back to Xu Province in chains and presented him to Liu Bei. Liu Bei asked, "Who are you, and what rank do you hold, that you dare to falsely claim to be Chancellor Cao?" Wang Zhong replied, "I would never dare to deceive you. I was ordered to put up a false show of force as a decoy. The Chancellor is truly not here." Liu Bei ordered that Wang Zhong be given clothes, food, and wine, but be kept under guard for now, pending the capture of Liu Dai. Guan Yu said, "I knew you had thoughts of reconciliation, brother, so I captured him alive." Liu Bei said, "I was afraid that Yide would be too impulsive and kill Wang Zhong, so I did not send him. Killing such a man is of no use; keeping him alive can serve as a path to reconciliation." Zhang Fei said, "Second Brother has captured Wang Zhong. I will go and capture Liu Dai alive!" Liu Bei said, "Liu Dai was formerly the Inspector of Yan Province. At the Battle of Hulao Pass against Dong Zhuo, he was one of the feudal lords. Now he is the commander of the vanguard. Do not underestimate him." Zhang Fei said, "What is a man like that to me? I will capture him alive, just like Second Brother did." Liu Bei said, "I am only afraid you might kill him and ruin my plans." Zhang Fei said, "If I kill him, I will pay for it with my life!" So Liu Bei gave him three thousand men, and Zhang Fei led them forward.
When Liu Dai learned that Wang Zhong had been captured, he held his position and refused to come out. Zhang Fei spent days shouting insults at the camp gate. But when Liu Dai heard that it was Zhang Fei, he was even more afraid to come out. After several days of this, seeing that Liu Dai would not emerge, Zhang Fei devised a plan. He announced that he would attack the camp at the second watch that night. During the day, he pretended to be drunk in his tent, found fault with a soldier, had him beaten, and tied him up in the camp, saying, "When I march out tonight, I will use him as a sacrifice to the battle flags!" He then secretly ordered his attendants to let the soldier escape. The soldier, having escaped, stole out of the camp and went straight to Liu Dai's camp to report the planned attack. Liu Dai, seeing that the soldier was seriously wounded, believed his story. He set up an empty camp and hid his troops in ambush outside. That night, Zhang Fei divided his forces into three groups. With the central group of about thirty men, he attacked the camp and set it on fire. He ordered the other two groups to circle around behind the camp and, using the fire as a signal, to attack from both sides. At the third watch, Zhang Fei himself led his elite troops and first cut off Liu Dai's line of retreat. The thirty men of the central group stormed the camp and set it ablaze. Just as Liu Dai's ambush troops were about to charge in, Zhang Fei's two flanking forces struck simultaneously. Liu Dai's army fell into chaos, not knowing how many of Zhang Fei's men there were, and scattered in all directions. Liu Dai, leading a remnant of his shattered force, tried to cut his way out, but he ran straight into Zhang Fei. With their paths crossing in a narrow pass, there was no room to flee. In a single clash of horses, Zhang Fei captured him alive. The remaining troops surrendered. Zhang Fei sent a messenger ahead to report to Xu Province. When Liu Bei heard the news, he said to Guan Yu, "Yide has always been rough and impulsive, but now he has used strategy. I have no more worries!" He then personally rode out of the city to welcome him. Zhang Fei said, "Brother, you said I was impulsive. What do you think now?" Liu Bei replied, "If I hadn't provoked you with words, would you have used your wits?" Zhang Fei laughed heartily.
When Liu Bei saw Liu Dai being brought forward in bonds, he hurriedly dismounted and untied him, saying, "My younger brother Zhang Fei has been rude to you. I beg your forgiveness." He then welcomed Liu Dai into Xu Province, released Wang Zhong, and entertained them both together. Liu Bei said, "Previously, Che Zhou tried to harm me, so I had no choice but to kill him. The Chancellor mistakenly believed that I was rebelling and sent you two generals to punish me. I have received great kindness from the Chancellor and am only thinking of how to repay him. How would I dare to rebel? When you two generals return to Xuchang, I hope you will speak well of me and explain my case. That would be my great fortune." Liu Dai and Wang Zhong said, "We are deeply grateful for your lordship's mercy in sparing our lives. We will certainly put in a good word for you with the Chancellor, staking our families as guarantee." Liu Bei thanked them. The next day, he returned all their troops and escorted them out of the city.
Liu Dai and Wang Zhong had not traveled more than ten li when a drum roll sounded and Zhang Fei blocked their path, shouting, "My brother is too soft-hearted! Why did he let the captured enemy generals go?" Liu Dai and Wang Zhong trembled in their saddles. Zhang Fei glared and, raising his spear, gave chase. Just then, a rider galloped up from behind, shouting, "Do not be rude!" It was Guan Yu. Liu Dai and Wang Zhong were finally relieved. Guan Yu said, "Since our elder brother has released them, how dare you, younger brother, disobey his orders?" Zhang Fei said, "If we let them go this time, they will come again." Guan Yu replied, "When they come again, we can kill them then." Liu Dai and Wang Zhong repeatedly begged for mercy. "Even if the Chancellor were to exterminate our three clans, we would never come again. We beg the general to forgive us." Zhang Fei said, "Even if Cao Cao himself came, I would smash his army to pieces! For now, I will spare your heads!" Liu Dai and Wang Zhong fled with their heads in their hands.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei returned to see Liu Bei. Guan Yu said, "Cao Cao will surely come again." Sun Qian then said to Liu Bei, "Xu Province is exposed to attack. It is not safe to stay here long. It would be better to divide our forces and station some at Xiaopei and some at Pi City, forming a pincer formation to guard against Cao Cao." Liu Bei adopted this plan. He ordered Guan Yu to guard Xiapi, and he also settled his wives, Lady Gan and Lady Mi, there. Lady Gan was from Xiaopei, and Lady Mi was the sister of Mi Zhu. Sun Qian, Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, and Mi Fang were left to guard Xu Province. Liu Bei and Zhang Fei stationed their forces at Xiaopei.
When Liu Dai and Wang Zhong returned to see Cao Cao, they reported that Liu Bei was not a rebel. Cao Cao flew into a rage and cursed them, "You disgrace to the nation! What use is there in keeping you?" He ordered his guards to take them out and behead them.
Truly, it is said: A dog or a pig cannot fight a tiger; a fish or a shrimp vainly contends with a dragon. Whether these two men lived or died, let the next chapter reveal.