Whereupon he sent the family to Xuzhou with Mi Zhu to take care of them. Next Lu Bu led his army into Huashang Mountains to Yanzhou, leaving Gao Shun and Zhang Liao to guard Xiaopei.
During these troubles Sun Qian had also fled out of the city; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, each with a handful of soldiers, had got away to the hills. As Liu Bei with his few horsemen was making the best of their way from the scene of his defeat, he heard some one coming up behind him. When he got closer the person proved to be Sun Qian.
“Alas! I know not the fate of my brothers, whether they be alive or dead, and my wife and children are lost to me! What can I do?” said Liu Bei.
Sun Qian replied, “I see nothing better than getting away to Cao Cao, whence we may be able to plan our future moves.”
Liu Bei had no better plan to propose, and the two men directed their way to Xuchang, choosing by-roads rather than highways. When their small supplies ran out, they entered a village to beg. But when the people of any place heard that Liu Bei of Yuzhou was the man who needed help, they vied with each other in offering all that was required.
One day they sought shelter at a house whence a youth came out and made a low obeisance. They asked his name and he gave it as Liu An, of a well known family of hunters. Hearing who the visitor was, the hunter wished to lay before him a dish of game, but though he sought for a long time, nothing could be found for the table. So Liu An came home, killed his wife and prepared a portion for his guest.
While eating Liu Bei asked, “What flesh is it?”
Liu An told him: “Wolf.”
Liu Bei knew no better and ate his fill. Next day at daylight, just as Liu Bei was leaving, he went to the stables in the rear to get his horse and passing through the kitchen; he saw the dead body of a woman lying on the table. The flesh of one arm had been cut away. Quite startled he asked what this meant, and then he knew what he had eaten the night before. He was deeply sorry at this proof of his host's regard and the tears rained down as he mounted his steed at the gate.
“I wish I could go with you,” said Liu An, “but as my mother still lives I cannot go so far from home.”
Liu Bei thanked him and went his way. The party took the road by Liangcheng, and as they were going out they saw not far off a thick cloud of dust. When the troop came nearer, they found the troops were of Cao Cao's army, and with them they traveled to the main camp where they found Cao Cao himself. Cao Cao shed tears at the sad story of Liu Bei's distress, the loss of the city, his brothers and wives and children. When Liu Bei him of the hunter who had sacrificed his wife to feed them, Cao Cao sent the hunter a present of a hundred ounces of silver as a reward.
The march then was continued to Jibei, where Xiahou Yuan welcomed them. They heard that his brother Xiahou Dun was still ill from the wound he had received in the eye. Cao Cao went to the sick man's bedside to see him and had him removed to Xuchang for skilled treatment.
Presently scouts, sent out particularly for tidings of Lu Bu, returned, saying, “Lu Bu has allied himself with the bandits in the east, and they are attacking Yanzhou.”
At this Cao Cao dispatched Cao Ren with three thousand soldiers to take Xiaopei, while he, in conjunction with Liu Bei, moved against Lu Bu.
They went east. As they reached the Mangdang Hills near Xiao Pass, they met the a band of thirty thousand Taishan Mountains brigands barring their road. The chieftains of the bandits were Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li, and Chang Xi who rode out with their spears set. However, Xu Chu plunged into the battle and easily beat them back and chased them right up to the pass.
The scouts told Lu Bu, who was then in Xuzhou, whither he had gone to start an expedition to save Xiaopei. He left the protection of Xuzhou to Chen Gui and set out with Chen Deng. As this latter was starting, Chen Gui said to him, “Remember the words of Cao Cao, that the business of the east is in our hands. Now is our moment, for Lu Bu is about to suffer defeat.”
“Father, I can look after the outside. But when Lu Bu returns beaten, you must arrange with Mi Zhu to keep him out of the city. I shall find a means of escape,” said Chen Deng.
“His family is here, and he has many friends. How about them?”
“I also have a scheme to settle them.”
Then Chen Deng went to see Lu Bu, to whom he said, “Xuzhou is surrounded, and this city will be fiercely attacked. We ought to provide for possible retreat, and I advise storing grain and money in Xiapi. We could retreat there if the day went adversely. Why not see about this in good time?” “Your words are indeed wise. I will also send my wives and little ones thither,” said Lu Bu.
The family left under escort of Wei Xu and Song Xian, and with them was sent much grain and treasures and coins.
