Cao Cao replied, “He was absolutely alone facing scores of us; he was justified in being suspicious. But my word has gone forth, and he is not to be pursued.”
Cao Cao and his escort returned, the Prime Minister very sad when he thought of the man who had gone.
Guan Yu went down from the bridge and started in the wake of the carriage carrying the two ladies, which should have gone about ten miles while this interview had been going on. He could see no signs of it and rode hither and thither looking on all sides.
Presently he heard some one shouting from a hill, calling him by name to halt. He saw a youth wearing a yellow turban and dressed in a silk robe. He held a spear in his hand and was mounted on a horse from the neck of which dangled a bloody head. Behind him were a hundred or so men on foot, and they advanced quickly.
“Who are you?” asked Guan Yu.
The young man dropped his spear, dismounted, and made a low bow. Guan Yu feared this was some ruse, so he only checked his horse and gripped his sword the more firmly, saying, “Sir, I desire you to tell me your name.”
“My name is Liao Hua. I belong to a Xiangyang family. Since these troubled times began I have been an outlaw among the rivers and lakes, and I and my comrades have lived by plunder. We are about five hundred in all. By chance my friend Du Yuan came across two ladies in a carriage just now; and, quite wrongly, he took them prisoners and brought them to the hold in the hills. I questioned the servants and so found out who they were and who was escorting them. So I wished them to be set free to pursue their journey. Du Yuan opposed this and spoke so ill-mannerly that I killed him. And here is his head. I pray you pardon me.”
“Where are the two ladies?”
“They are among the hills,” replied Liao Hua.
“Bring them down here, at once,” said Guan Yu.
In a short time a party of the brigands pushed the carriage down the hill, and the ladies sat there before him.
Then Guan Yu dismounted, laid aside his sword, and stood respectfully before them with his arms crossed.
“Sisters, have you been alarmed?” asked he.
They replied, “We should have suffered at the hands of Du Yuan had it not been for Liao Hua.”
“How did Liao Hua come to save the ladies?” asked Guan Yu of those who stood by.
They said, “Du Yuan carried off the ladies and proposed that he and Liao Hua should have one each as wife. But Liao Hua had found out they were of gentle birth and worthy, and was for treating them with respect. When Du Yuan disagreed, Liao Hua slew him.”
Hearing this Guan Yu bowed to Liao Hua and thanked him. Liao Hua then wanted to join himself and his troop to Guan Yu, but Guan Yu, seeing he was a Yellow Scarf, would have nothing to do with him. So Guan Yu simply thanked him for his kindness to the ladies. Liao Hua offered some presents, but these were also declined.
So Liao Hua took his leave and presently disappeared in a valley among the hills. Guan Yu told his sisters the story of his interview with Cao Cao and the gift of a robe, and then he urged the carriage on its way. Towards dark they came to a farm where they would rest. The farmer, an old graybeard, came out to welcome the party and asked who they were. Guan Yu described himself as the brother of Liu Bei, and said his name.
“Surely you are no other than the slayer of Yan Liang and Wen Chou,” said the venerable host.
“That is so,” replied Guan Yu.
“Come in,” said the old man, joyfully.
“My two sisters-in-law are in the carriage;” said Guan Yu, “will you let your women folks go out to receive them?” As Guan Yu remained standing there, the host asked him to be seated, but he would not sit while the women were present and remained standing in a respectful attitude till the old man's wife had returned and ushered the ladies into the inner apartments. Then the old man set to the entertainment of his guest in the guest hall. Guan Yu asked his name.
He replied, “I am called Hu Hua. In the days of the Emperor Huan, I was an officer of the court, but I resigned and retired into private life. I have a son, Hu Ban, with Governor Wang Zhi of Yingyang; and if you should be going that way, General, I should like to send him a letter by you.”
Guan Yu said he would take the letter. Next day, after an early meal, the ladies got into their carriage, the host handed his letter to Guan Yu, and the little party once more took the road. They went toward Luoyang.
Presently they approached a pass known as the Dongling Pass, guarded by Commander Kong Xiu and five hundred soldiers. When the soldiers saw a carriage being pushed toward the pass, they ran to tell their commander, who came out to accost the travelers. Guan Yu dismounted and returned the officer's salute, and Kong Xiu said, “Whither are you going?”
“I have left the Prime Minister to go into the North of Yellow River to find my brother.”
“But Yuan Shao is my master's rival. You have authority from him to go thither?”
“I left hurriedly and could not get it.”
