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“The Prime Minister has sent me to request you to return as he has further matters to discuss with you.”

“When a general has once taken the field, even the royal command is of no effect. I bade farewell to the Emperor, I received the Prime Minister's commands, and there can be nothing further to talk about. You may return forthwith and take that as my reply.”

Xu Chu was undecided what action to take. He thought, “The Prime Minister cherishes a friendship with Liu Bei, and I have no orders to kill. I can only return with this reply and ask further instructions.”

So Xu Chu left. When he related what had occurred, Cao Cao still hesitated to take any action.

“This refusal to return means enmity,” said Cheng Yu and Guo Jia.

“Still, two of my people are with him,” said Cao Cao. “He will not dare do anything unfriendly, I think. Beside, I sent him and I cannot go back on my own orders.”

So Liu Bei was not pursued.

He took his arms, he fed his steed,

And fared forth willingly,

Intent to accomplish his King's behest

Deep graven on his memory.

At least he had broken out of his cage,

He heard not the tiger's roar,

He had shaken the shackles from his feet,

As a dragon on high could soar.

As soon as Ma Teng heard that Liu Bei had set forth, he reported that pressing business called him and marched back to his own region, Xiliang.

When Liu Bei reached Xuzhou, the Imperial Protector Deputy, Che Zhou, came to meet him. When the official banquet was over, Sun Qian and Mi Zhu paid their visit to Che Zhou. Then Liu Bei proceeded to his residence to greet his family.

Scouts were sent out to see what Yuan Shu was doing. They came back with the intelligence: “Yuan Shu's arrogance had driven away his generals, Lei Bo and Chen Lan, who had returned to their mountain fastness in Mount Song. His forces thus reduced, he wrote resigning the imperial style he had assumed in favor of his brother Yuan Shao, who at once commanded his presence. Thereupon he packed up the palace fittings he had made, got the remnants of his army in order, and marched west.”

When Yuan Shu neared Xuzhou, Liu Bei led out his force of fifty thousand soldiers and four generals — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhu Ling, and Lu Zhao. Yuan Shu sent out Ji Ling to force a way through. But Zhang Fei opposed him and attacked without a parley. In the tenth bout Zhang Fei cut down Ji Ling. The defeated troops fled in all directions.

Then Yuan Shu came up with his own army. Liu Bei placed Zhu Ling and Lu Zhao in command of the left wing, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei the right wing, and himself in the center, and so met Yuan Shu.

As soon as the enemy came near, Liu Bei began to abuse him, crying, “O rebellious one, and wicked, I have a command to destroy you. Yield, then, with good grace and so escape your punishment!” “Base weaver of mats and mean maker of straw sandals! How dare you make light of me?” replied Yuan Shu, and he gave the signal for an attack.

Liu Bei retired, and his generals from the flanks closed in. They smote the army of Yuan Shu till corpses littered the plain and blood flowed in streams. At the same time Yuan Shu's former generals, Lei Bo and Chen Lan from Mount Song, attacked the baggage train and completed the destruction. Yuan Shu tried to retreat to Shouchun, but Lei Bo and Chen Lan barred the road.

Yuan Shu sought refuge in Jiangling, with one thousand troops left of all his army. And these were the weakly ones able neither to fight nor flee. It was then the height of summer, and their food was nearly exhausted. The whole provision consisted of thirty carts of wheat. This was made over to the soldiers, and the members of his household went hungry. Many died of actual starvation. Yuan Shu could not swallow the coarse food that the soldiers lived on. One day he bade his cook bring him some honeyed water to quench his thirst.

“There is no water, save that tainted with blood,” replied the cook. “Where can I get honeyed water?”

This was the last straw. Yuan Shu sat up on his couch and rolled out on the floor with a loud cry. Blood gushed from his mouth and thus he died. It was the sixth month of the fourth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 199).

The last days of Han approached and weapons clashed in every quarter,

The misguided Yuan Shu, lost to all sense of honor,

Forgetful of his forefathers, who had filled the state's highest offices,

Madly aspired to become himself Emperor,

Resting his outrageous claim on the possession of the Seal,