Hearing this, without even another glance at the speaker, Zhao Yun put his horse at full gallop toward the south. Soon he saw a small crowd of people, male and female, walking hand in hand.
“Is Lady Gan among you!” he called out.
A woman in the rear of the party looked up at him and uttered a loud cry. He slipped off his steed, stuck his spear in the sand and wept, “It was my fault that you were lost. But where are Lady Mi and our child lord?”
Lady Gan replied, “She and I were forced to abandon our carriage and mingle with the crowd on foot. Then a band of soldiers came up and we were separated. I do not know where they are. I ran for my life.”
As she spoke a howl of distress rose from the crowd of fugitives, for a thousand of soldiers appeared. Zhao Yun recovered his spear and mounted ready for action. Presently he saw among the soldiers a prisoner bound upon a horse; and the prisoner was Mi Zhu. Behind Mi Zhu followed a general gripping a huge sword. The troops belonged to the army of Cao Ren, and the general was Chunyu Dao. Having captured Mi Zhu, he was just taking him to his chief as a proof of his prowess.
Zhao Yun shouted and rode at the captor who was speedily slain by a spear thrust and his captive was set free. Then taking two of the horses, Zhao Yun set Lady Gan on one and Mi Zhu took the other. They rode away toward Long Slope Bridge. But there, standing grim on the bridge, was Zhang Fei. As soon as he saw Zhao Yun, he called out, “Zhao Yun, why have you betrayed our lord?”
“I fell behind because I was seeking the ladies and our child lord,” said Zhao Yun. “What do you mean by talking of betrayal?”
“If it had not been that Jian Yong arrived before you and told me the story, I should hardly have spared you.”
“Where is the master?” said Zhao Yun.
“Not far away, in front there.”
“Conduct Lady Gan to him; I am going to look for Lady Mi,” said Zhao Yun to his companion, and he turned back along the road by which he had come.
Before long he met a leader armed with an iron spear and carrying a sword slung across his back, riding a curvetting steed, and leading ten other horsemen. Without uttering a word Zhao Yun rode straight toward him and engaged. At the first pass Zhao Yun disarmed his opponent and brought him to earth. His followers galloped away.
This fallen officer was no other than Xiahou En, Cao Cao's sword-bearer. And the sword on Xiahou En's back was his master's. Cao Cao had two swords, one called Trust in God and the other Blue Blade. Trust in God was the weapon Cao Cao usually wore at his side, the other being carried by his sword-bearer. The Blue Blade would cut clean through iron as though it were mud, and no sword had so keen an edge.
Before Zhao Yun thus fell in with Xiahou En, the later was simply plundering, depending upon the authority implied by his office. Least of all thought he of such sudden death as met he at Zhao Yun's hands.
So Zhao Yun got possession of a famous sword. The name Blue Blade was chased in gold characters so that he recognized its value at once. He stuck it in his belt and again plunged into the press. Just as he did so, he turned his head and saw he had not a single follower left; he was quite alone.
Nevertheless not for a single instant thought he of turning back; he was too intent upon his quest. To and fro, back and forth, he rode questioning this person and that. At length a man said, “A woman with a child in her arms, and wounded in the thigh so that she cannot walk, is lying over there through that hole in the wall.”
Zhao Yun rode to look and there, beside an old well behind the broken wall of a burned house, sat the mother clasping the child to her breast and weeping.
Zhao Yun was on his knees before her in a moment.
“My child will live then since you are here,” cried Lady Mi. “Pity him, O General; protect him, for he is the only son of his father's flesh and blood. Take him to his father and I can die content.”
“It is my fault that you have suffered,” replied Zhao Yun. “But it is useless to say more. I pray you take my horse while I will walk beside and protect you till we get clear.”
She replied, “I may not do that. What would you do without a steed? But the boy here I confide to your care. I am badly wounded and cannot hope to live. Pray take him and go your way. Do not trouble more about me.” “I hear shouting,” said Zhao Yun. “The soldiers will be upon us again in a moment. Pray mount quickly.”
“But really I cannot move,” she said. “Do not let there be a double loss!”
And she held out the child toward him as she spoke.
“Take the child,” cried Lady Mi. “His life and safety are in your hands.”
Again and again Zhao Yun besought her to get on his horse, but she would not. The shouting drew nearer and nearer, Zhao Yun spoke harshly, saying, “If you will not do what I say, what will happen when the soldiers come up?”
She said no more. Throwing the child on the ground, she turned over and threw herself into the old well. And there she perished.
