Then Lu Bu ordered Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, “Get ready three thousand troops for the venture, and prepare a light carriage. I will lead the first seventy miles; thence you can escort the bride-elect the remainder of the way to her new home.”
Next evening toward the second watch, Lu Bu wrapped up his daughter in soft wadded garments, bound her about with a mailed coat, and took her on his back. Then with his mighty trident halberd in hand, he mounted Red-Hare and rode at the head of the cavalcade out of the city gate. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun followed.
In this order they approached Liu Bei's camp. The drums at once beat the alarm, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei barred the way.
“Stop!” they shouted.
Lu Bu had no desire to fight; all he wished was to get through, so he made for a side road. Liu Bei came in pursuit and the two parties engaged. Brave as he might be, Lu Bu was almost helpless now that he was hampered by a girl on his shoulders, whom he was desperately anxious to preserve from hurt. Beside other parties came up all shouting and attacking, and he had no alternative but to give up his project and return into the city of Xiapi. He reached his palace very sad at heart. The besiegers returned to camp well pleased that no one had got beyond their lines.
Lu Bu found consolation in the wine cup. The siege had gone on for two months, and still the city stood. Then they heard that Zhang Yang, Governor of Henei, had been inclined to come to the help of Lu Bu. But one of his subordinates, Yang Chou, had assassinated him and was bringing his head as an offering to Cao Cao, when he also had been slain by Kui Gu, one of the Governor's adherents. Kui Gu had then led the force to Quan.
In the camp of the besiegers, there now arose much murmuring. Cao Cao sent Shi Huan to intercept and kill Kui Gu.
Then he called a counsel, saying, “Though Zhang Yang, who meant to hurt us, is happily no more, yet we are threatened on the north by Yuan Shao, and on the east Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu are a menace. Here we meet with no success against the city of Xiapi. We are for leaving Lu Bu to his fate and returning home. What do you think?”
Among them Xun You fought against the idea, saying, “You must not act like this. Lu Bu has lost much, and his spirit is broken. The spirit of the leader expresses that of his army; and when the leader fails, his soldiers do not fight. Chen Gong is clever, but nothing is done. Lu Bu broken, Chen Gong without decision, it only needs a sharp attack, and we shall succeed.”
“I have a plan to propose—” said Guo Jia, “a plan to overcome the city at once; it is better than two hundred thousand troops.”
“I suppose you mean drowning the city by River Si and River Yi,” said Xun Yu.
“That is it,” said Guo Jia, smiling. Cao Cao accepted the suggestion with joy and set his troops to cut the banks of River Yi and River Si, and moved his army to the high ground whence they watched the drowning out of Xiapi. Only the east gate remained clear of water.
The besieged soldiers hastened to their leader.
Lu Bu said, “Why should I fear? My good horse can go as well through the water as over the land.”
And he again returned to the wine cup for consolation, drinking deeply with his wife and concubine.
The continual drinking bouts told at last, and Lu Bu began to look dissipated. Seeing himself in a mirror one day, he was startled at the change and said to himself, “I am injuring myself with wine; no more from this day forward.”
He then issued an order that no one should drink wine under penalty of death.
Now one of his generals, Hou Cheng, lost fifteen horses, stolen by one of his subordinates, Hou Cao, who intended to resell them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng found out where the horses were, went out after them, and recovered them after killing Hou Cao. And Hou Cheng's colleagues congratulated him on his success. To celebrate the occasion, Hou Cheng brewed a few barrels of wine to be drunk at the feast, But thinking his chief might find him in fault, Hou Cheng sent the bottles of wine to Lu Bu's palace with a petition explaining, “By your virtue of warlike renown, I have recovered my horses; and as my comrades come with their congratulations, I brew some bottles of wine, first to offer Your Lordship and second to ask your permission to have a little wine at the feast.”
Lu Bu took it very angrily, saying, “When I have forbidden all wine, you brew some and begin to give feasts; you are simply defying me!”
Whereupon he ordered the officer to instant execution. However, Song Xian, Wei Xu, and other officers came in and interceded, and after a time Lu Bu softened.
“You ought to lose your head for this disobedience; but for the sake of your colleagues, the punishment shall be reduced to a hundred strokes.”
They tried to beg him off this, but only succeeded in reducing the number of blows to one half.
When the sentence had been carried out and Hou Cheng was permitted to return home, his colleagues came sadly to console him.
