And turning to the gaolers Yuan Shao continued, “I bade you confine him; why did you let him come?”
Then he issued orders to put the gaolers to death and appointed others to keep the prisoner in close custody.
Cao Cao's raiding party went along through the night. Passing one of Yuan Shao's outpost camps, they were challenged. Cao Cao sent forward a man to say, “Jiang Qi has orders to go to Wuchao to guard the grain stores.”
Seeing that the raiders marched under the ensigns of Yuan Shao, the guard had no suspicions and let them pass. At every post this ruse was effective, and they got safely through. They reached their objective at the end of the fourth watch, the straw and wood were placed in position without loss of time, and the blaze started. Then Cao Cao's commanders beat to attack.
At this time Chunyu Qiong and his companions were all asleep after a heavy drinking bout. However, when the alarm was given, they sprang up and asked what was the matter. The hubbub was indescribable. Very soon the fuddled officers were caught with hooks and hauled out of their camp.
Yuan Shao's generals Gui Yuanjin and Zhao Rui were just returning from taking grain to the camp and seeing the flames arise, they hastened to assist.
Some of Cao Cao's soldiers ran to him, saying, “The enemy is coming up in the rear. Send reinforcements.”
But Cao Cao only replied, “Press on to the front till the enemy is actually close at hand and then face about.”
So the attack was pressed on and they all hastened forward. Very soon the fire gained strength, and thick smoke hung all around filling the sky. When Gui Yuanjin and Zhao Rui drew near, Cao Cao turned about and attacked them. They could not stand this for a moment, and both generals were killed. Finally the stores of grain and forage were utterly destroyed.
The commander, Chunyu Qiong, was made prisoner and taken to Cao Cao who ordered him to be deprived of ears, nose, and hands. He was bound on a horse and sent, thus horribly mutilated, to his master.
From Yuan Shao's camp, the flames of the burning depot were seen away in the north, and they knew what they meant. Yuan Shao hastily summoned his officers to a council to send a rescue party.
Zhang He offered to go with Gao Lan, but Guo Tu said, “You may not go; it is certain that Cao Cao is there in person, wherefore his camp is undefended. Let loose our soldiers on the camp, and that will speedily bring Cao Cao back again. This is how Sun Bin besieged Wei and thereby rescued Hao ((two ancient states)).”
But Zhang He said, “Not so; Cao Cao is too wily not to have fully prepared against a chance attack. If we attack his camp and fail and Chunyu Qiong should be caught, we shall all be captured too.”
Guo Tu said, “Cao Cao will be too intent on the destruction of the grain to think of leaving a guard. I entreat you to attack his camp.”
So Yuan Shao sent five thousand soldiers under Zhang He and Gao Lan to attack Cao Cao's camp, and he sent ten thousand with Jiang Qi to go to recover the grain store.
Now after overcoming Chunyu Qiong, Cao Cao's troops dressed themselves in the armor and clothing of the defeated soldiers and put out their emblems, thus posing as defeated force running back to their own headquarters. And when they happened upon Jiang Qi's rescue body, they said they had been beaten at Wuchao and were retreating. So Cao Cao's troops were suffered to pass without molestation while Jiang Qi hastened on. But soon Jiang Qi came to Zhang Liao and Xu Chu who cried out, “Stop!”
And before Jiang Qi could make any opposition, Zhang Liao had cut him down. Soon his force were killed or dispersed, and the victors sent false messengers to Yuan Shao's camp to say that Jiang Qi had attacked and driven away the attackers of the granaries. So no more relief were sent that way. However, Yuan Shao sent reinforcements to Guandu.
In due course, the Yuan Shao's force came down upon Cao Cao's camp at Guandu, and the defenders — Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong — at once came out and fought them on three sides so that they were worsted. By the time reinforcements arrived, Cao Cao's army, returning from the raid, had also come, and Yuan Shao's army were attacked in the rear. So they were quite surrounded. However, Zhang He and Gao Lan managed to force their way out and got away.
