Yuan Shang was puffed up with pride after his victory over Shi Huan and, without deigning to wait the arrival of his brothers, he marched out with thirty thousand troops to Liyang to meet the army of Cao Cao. Zhang Liao came out to challenge him, and Yuan Shang, accepting the challenge rode out with spear set. But he only lasted to the third bout when he had to give way. Zhang Liao smote with full force and Yuan Shang, quite broken, fled pell-mell to Jizhou. His defeat was a heavy shock to his father Yuan Shao, who had a severe fit of hemorrhage at the news and swooned.
Lady Liu, his wife, got him to bed as quickly as possible, but he did not rally; and she soon saw it was necessary to prepare for the end. So she sent for Shen Pei and Peng Ji that the succession might be settled. They came and stood by the sick man's bed, but by this time he could no longer speak; he only made motions with his hands.
When his wife put the formal question, “Is Yuan Shang to succeed?”
Yuan Shao nodded his head. Shen Pei at the bedside wrote out the dying man's testament. Presently Yuan Shao uttered a loud moan, a fresh fit of bleeding followed, and he passed away.
Shen Pei and some others set about the mourning ceremonies for the dead man. His wife, Lady Liu, put to death five of his favorite concubines, and such was the bitterness of her jealousy that, not content with this, she shaved off the hair and slashed the faces of their poor corpses lest their spirits should meet and rejoin her late husband in the land of shades beneath the Nine Golden Springs. Her son followed up this piece of cruelty by slaying all the relatives of the unhappy concubines lest they should avenge their death.
Shen Pei and Peng Ji declared Yuan Shang successor with the titles of Regent Marshal and Supreme Imperial Protector of the four regions of Jizhou, Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou and sent in a report of the death of the late Imperial Protector.
At this time Yuan Tan, the eldest son, had already marched out his army to oppose Cao Cao; but hearing of his father's death, he called in Guo Tu and Xin Ping to consult as to his course of action.
“In your absence, my lord,” said Guo Tu, “the two advisers of your younger brother will certainly set him up as lord, wherefore you must act quickly.”
“Those two, Shen Pei and Peng Ji, have already laid their plans,” said Xin Ping. “If you go, you will meet with some misfortune.”
“Then what should I do?” asked Yuan Tan.
Guo Tu replied, “Go and camp near the city, and watch what is taking place while I enter and inquire.”
Accordingly Guo Tu entered the city and sought an interview with the young Imperial Protector.
“Why did not my brother come?” asked Yuan Shang after the usual salutes.
Guo Tu said, “He cannot come as he is in the camp unwell.”
“By the command of my late father I take the lordship. Now I confer upon my brother the rank of General of the Flying Cavalry, and I wish him to go at once to attack Cao Cao, who is pressing on the borders. I will follow as soon as my army is in order.”
“There is no one in our camp to give advice,” said Guo Tu. “I wish to have the services of Shen Pei and Peng Ji.”
“I also need the help of these two,” said Yuan Shang. “And as I am always working at schemes, I do not see how I can do without them.”
“Then let one of these two go,” replied Guo Tu.
Yuan Shang could do no other than accede to this request, so he bade the two men cast lots who should go. Peng Ji drew the lot and was appointed, receiving a seal of office. Then he accompanied Guo Tu to the camp. But when he arrived and found Yuan Tan in perfect health, he grew suspicious and resigned.
Yuan Tan angrily refused to accept his resignation and was disposed to put him to death, but Guo Tu privately dissuaded him, saying, “Cao Cao is on the borders, and Peng Ji must be kept here to allay your brother's suspicions. After we have beaten Cao Cao, we can at once make an attempt on Jizhou.”
