“Cao Cao wants you to go in to audience; there is no good intention there. Do not go,” said Huang Kui. “You lead your army up close to the city and get Cao Cao to come and review them; and when he comes, assassinate him.”
They two settled how this plan could be worked out and the messenger, still hot with anger and excitement, returned to his home.
Seeing Huang Kui so disturbed in mind, his wife, Lady Zhi, asked him what was wrong. But he would tell her nothing. However, he had a concubine, Li Chunxiang. And it happened that she had an intrigue with the wife's younger brother, Miao Ze, who much desired to marry her. The concubine who also saw her lord's displeasure, spoke of it to her paramour, and he told her she could probably draw from him what was wrong by a leading question. “Ask him what is the truth about two men, Liu Bei and Cao Cao? Who is the wicked one.”
That evening Huang Kui went to the apartments of his concubine, and she presently put the question proposed by her lover.
Her lord, still rather intoxicated, said, “You are a woman; still you know right from wrong as well as I. My enemy and the man I would slay if I could, is Cao Cao.”
“But why? And if you wish to slay him, why do you not do something?” said she.
“I have done something. I have settled with General Ma Teng to assassinate Cao Cao at the review.”
Li Chunxiang of course told her paramour, who told Cao Cao, and Cao Cao made his arrangements to defeat the scheme. He called up his trusty generals and gave them orders for the morrow and, this done, he arrested Huang Kui and all his household.
Next day, as arranged, Ma Teng and his western troops came close up to the wall, and among the flags and banners he discerned that of the Prime Minister himself, whereby he knew that Cao Cao would hold the review in person.
So Ma Teng rode forward. Suddenly a bomb exploded, and at this signal there appeared bodies of armed troops in four directions: right and left, front and rear, led by Xu Chu, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, and Xu Huang. The western forces were quite hemmed in. Ma Teng then saw the mistake he had made, and he and his two sons fought valiantly to free themselves from the trap. The youngest son — Ma Tie — soon fell in the volleys of arrows. Father and son rode this way and that, seeking a way out, but failed on every side. Both were sorely wounded; and when their steeds fell from their many arrow wounds, both were captured.
Ma Teng, Ma Xiu, and the miserable Huang Kui who could not keep his counsel, were brought before Cao Cao. Huang Kui loudly protested his innocence. Cao Cao then called in the witness Miao Ze.
“That worthless scoundrel has spoiled all my plans!” cried Ma Teng. “Now I cannot slay the rebel and purge my country. But it is the will of God.”
Father and son were dragged forth, the father uttering volleys of abuse all the time. And so three men were executed in this adventure.
“I desire no other reward than Li Chunxiang as wife,” said the betrayer, Miao Ze.
Cao Cao smiled and said, “For the sake of a woman then you have brought a whole household to death. What advantage would there be in preserving such a miscreant?”
Cao Cao did not desire to rouse the rancor of the army of Xiliang, wherefore he proclaimed to them, “The intended treachery of your leaders was theirs alone.”
However, he sent to secure the passes so that Ma Dai should not escape.
As has been said, Ma Dai led the rearguard. Before long the fugitives from the main army came and told him what had occurred at the capital. This frightened him so much that he abandoned his army and escaped disguised as a trader.
