He had not finished when from the lower end a voice tolled, “I will go, take Hua Xiong's head, and lay it before you here.”
All turned to look at the speaker. He was tall and had a long beard. His eyes were those of a phoenix and his eyebrows thick and bushy like silkworms. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep as the sound of a great bell.
“Who is he?” asked Yuan Shao.
Gongsun Zan told them it was Guan Yu, brother of Liu Bei.
“And what is he?” asked Yuan Shao.
“He is in the train of Liu Bei as a mounted archer.”
“What! An insult to us all!” roared Yuan Shu from his place. “Have we no leader? How dare an archer speak thus before us? Let us beat him forth!”
But Cao Cao intervened. “Peace, O Yuan Shu! Since this man speaks great words, he is certainly valiant. Let him try. If he fails, then we may reproach him.”
“Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight him,” said Yuan Shao.
“This man looks no common person. And how can the enemy know he is but a bowman?” said Cao Cao.
“If I fail, then can you take my head,” spoke Guan Yu.
Cao Cao bade them heat some wine and offered a cup to Guan Yu as he went out.
“Pour it out,” said Guan Yu. “I shall return in a little space.”
Guan Yu went with his weapon in his hand and vaulted into the saddle. Those in the tent heard the fierce roll of the drums and then a mighty sound as if skies were falling and earth rising, hills trembling and mountains tearing asunder. And they were sore afraid. And while they were listening with ears intent, lo! the gentle tinkle of horse bells, and Guan Yu returned, throwing at their feet the head of the slain leader, their enemy Hua Xiong.
The wine was still warm!
Cao Cao was greatly excited at this success. But Zhang Fei's voice was heard, shouting, “My brother has slain Hua Xiong. What are we waiting for? Why not break through the Pass and seize Dong Zhuo? Could there have been a better time?”
Again arose the angry voice of Yuan Shu, “We high officials are too meek and yielding. Here is the petty follower of a small magistrate daring to flaunt his prowess before us! Expel him from the tent, I say.”
But again Cao Cao interposed, “Shall we consider the station of him who has done a great service?”
“If you hold a mere magistrate in such honor, then I simply withdraw,” said Yuan Shu.
“Is a word enough to defeat a grand enterprise?” said Cao Cao.
Then he told Gongsun Zan to lead the three brothers back to their own camp, and the other chiefs then dispersed. That night Cao Cao secretly sent presents of meat and wine to soothe the three after this adventure.
When Hua Xiong's troops straggled back and told the story of defeat and death, Li Ru was greatly distressed. He wrote urgent letters to his master who called in his trusted advisers to a council.
Li Ru summed up the situation, saying, “We have lost our best leader, and the rebel power has thereby become very great. Yuan Shao is at the head of this confederacy, and his uncle, Yuan Wei, is holder of the office of Imperial Guardianship. If those in the capital combine with those in the country, we may suffer. Therefore we must remove them. So I request you, Sir Prime Minister, to place yourself at the head of your army and break this confederation.”
Dong Zhuo agreed and at once ordered his two generals, Li Jue and Guo Si, to take five hundred troops and surround the residence of Imperial Guardian Yuan Wei, slay every soul regardless of age, and hang the head of Yuan Wei outside the gate as trophy. And Dong Zhuo commanded two hundred thousand troops to advance in two armies. The first fifty thousand were under Li Jue and Guo Si, and they were to hold River Si Pass. They should not necessarily fight. The other one hundred fifty thousand under Dong Zhuo himself went to Tiger Trap Pass. His counselors and commanders — Li Ru, Lu Bu, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, and others — marched with the main army.
Tiger Trap Pass is fifteen miles from Capital Luoyang. As soon as they arrived, Dong Zhuo bade Lu Bu take thirty thousand soldiers and make a strong stockade on the outside of the Pass. The main body with Dong Zhuo would occupy the Pass.
News of this movement reaching the confederate lords. Yuan Shao summoned a council.
Said Cao Cao, “The occupation of the Pass would cut our armies in two; therefore, must we oppose Dong Zhuo's army on the way.”
