Tian Chou said, “Between autumn and summer this route is under water, the shallow places too heavy for wheeled traffic, the deep parts insufficient for boats. It is always difficult. Therefore you would do better to return and at Lulong cross the Baitan Pass into the desert. Then advance to Liucheng and smite before there is time to prepare. One sudden rush will settle King Mao Dun.”
For this valuable information and plan, Tian Chou was made General Who Calms the North, and went in advance as leader and guide. Next after him came Zhang Liao, and Cao Cao brought up the rear. They advanced by double marches.
Tian Chou led Zhang Liao to White Wolf Hills, where they came upon Yuan Xi, Yuan Shang, and Mao Dun and a force of ten thousand cavalry. Zhang Liao galloped to inform his chief, and Cao Cao rode up to the top of an eminence to survey the foe. He saw a large mass of cavalry without any military formation advancing in a disorderly crowd.
Said he, “They have no formation, we can easily rout them.”
Then he handed over his ensign of command to Zhang Liao who, with Xu Chu, Yu Jin, and Xu Huang, made a vigorous attack from four different points, with the result that the enemy was thrown into confusion. Zhang Liao rode forward and slew Mao Dun, and the other generals gave in. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang with a few thousand of horse got away east into Liaodong.
Cao Cao then led his army into Liucheng. For his services, Tian Chou was conferred the rank of Lord of Liucheng and Commander of that county.
But Tian Chou declined the rank, saying with tears, “I am a renegade and a fugitive. It is my good fortune that you spared my life and how can I accept a rank for betraying Lulong? I would rather die than accept the lordship.”
Cao Cao recognized that reason was on Tian Chou's side and conferred upon him the office of Court Counselor. Cao Cao then pacified the Xiongnu Chieftains; collected a large number of horses and at once set out on the homeward march.
The season was winter, cold and dry. For seventy miles there was no water, and grain also was scanty. The troops fed on horse flesh. They had to dig very deep, three or four hundred spans to find water.
When Cao Cao reached Yizhou, he rewarded those who had remonstrated with him against the expedition.
He said, “I took some risk in going so far, but by good fortune I have succeeded; with the aid of Heaven I have secured victory. I could not be guided by your advice, but still they were counsels of safety, and therefore I reward you to prove my appreciation of advice and that hereafter you may not fear to speak your minds.”
Adviser Guo Jia did not live to see the return of his lord. His coffin was placed on the bier in a hall of the government offices, and Cao Cao went thither to sacrifice to his manes.
Cao Cao mourned for him, crying, “Alas! Heaven has smitten me; Guo Jia is dead.”
Then turning to his officers he said, “You, gentlemen, are of the same age as myself, but he was very young to die. I needed him for the future generation, and unhappily he has been torn from me in the flower of his age. My heart and my bowels are torn with grief.”
The servants of the late adviser presented his last testament, which they said his dying hand had written, and he had told them to say, “If the Prime Minister shall follow the advice given herein, then Liaodong will be secure.”
Cao Cao opened the cover and read, nodding his head in agreement and uttering deep sighs. But no other person knew what was written therein.
Shortly after, Xiahou Dun at the head of a delegation presented a petition, saying, “For a long time the Governor of Liaodong, Gongsun Kang, has been contumacious, and it bodes ill for peace that the Yuan brothers have fled to him. Would it not be well to attack before they move against you?”
“I need not trouble your tiger courage, Sirs,” said Cao Cao smiling. “Wait a few days and you will see the heads of our two enemies sent to me.”
They could not believe it.
As has been related the two Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang escaped to the east with a few hundreds of horse. The Governor of Liaodong was a son of Gongsun Du the Warlike, the General of Han. Gongsun Kang was a native of Xiangping. When he heard that Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were on their way to his territory, he called a council to decide upon his plan.
At the council Gongsun Gong rose, saying, “When Yuan Shao was alive, he nourished the plan of adding this territory to his own. Now his sons, homeless, with a broken army and no officers, are coming here; it seems to me like the dove stealing the magpie's nest. If we offer them shelter, they will assuredly intrigue against us. I advise that they be inveigled into the city, put to death, and their heads sent to Cao Cao, who will be most grateful to us.”
Said the Governor Gongsun Kang, “I have one fear; Cao Cao will come against us. If so, it would be better to have the help of the Yuans against him.”
