yed warrior with uplifted sword was bearing down upon them, they heard another man galloping up and shouting, “Do not behave so disgracefully!” The newcomer was Guan Yu, and his appearance relieved the unhappy men of all fear.

“Why do you stop them since our brother set them free?” cried Guan Yu.

“If they are let go today, they will surely come back,” cried Zhang Fei.

“Wait till they do, then you may kill them,” replied Guan Yu.

The two leaders with one voice cried, “Even if the Prime Minister slay our whole clans, we will never come again. We pray you pardon us.”

Said Zhang Fei, “If Cao Cao himself had come, I would have slain him. Not a breastplate should have gone back. But for this time I leave you your heads.”

Clapping their hands to their heads the two men scuttled off while the two brothers returned to the city.

“Cao Cao will certainly come,” said Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Sun Qian said, “This is not a city that can hold out for long. We should send part of our forces to Xiaopei and guard Xiapi as a corner stone of our position.”

Liu Bei agreed and told off Guan Yu to guard Xiapi whither he also sent his two wives, Lady Gan and Lady Mi. The former was a native of Xiapi; the latter was Mi Zhu's younger sister.

Sun Qian, Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, and Mi Fang were left to defend Xuzhou, and Liu Bei with Zhang Fei went to Xiaopei.

The two released leaders, Liu Dai and Wang Zhong, hastened home to Cao Cao and explained to him that Liu Bei was not disaffected. But their master was exceeding angry with them, crying, “You shameful traitors, what use are you?”

He roared to the guards to take them away to instant execution.

How can a hare or a deer expect

To conquer in tiger strife?

Minnows and shrimps that with dragons contend

Already have done with life.

The fate of the two leaders will be told in the next chapter.