Scouts were sent out to see what Yüan Shu was doing. They came back with the intelligence that his arrogance had driven away his banditti allies, who had returned to their mountain fastnesses. His forces thus reduced he had written resigning the Imperial style he had assumed in favour of his brother Shao, who had at once commanded his presence. Thereupon he packed up the palace fittings he had had made, got the remnants of his army in order and marched west.
When he neared Hsüchou, Yüan-tê led out his captains with the five legions to meet him. Yüan sent out Chi Ling to force a way through. But Chang Fei opposed him and attacked without a parley. In the tenth bout he cut down Chi Ling. The defeated soldiers fled in all directions.
Then Yüan Shu came up with his own army. Yüan-tê placed his captains right and left, he himself being in the centre, and so met Yüan Shu. As soon as the enemy came near Yüan-tê began to abuse him. “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 Shu and he gave the signal for an attack.
Yüan-tê retired and his captains from the flanks closed in. They smote the army of Shu till corpses littered the plain and blood flowed in streams. At the same time the bandits attacked the baggage train and completed the destruction. Shu tried to retreat to Shouch‘un but the bandits barred the road.
He sought refuge in Chiangt‘ing, with the small company 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 measures of wheat. This was made over to the soldiers and the members of his household went hungry. Many died of actual starvation. Yüan Shu could not swallow the coarse food that the soldiers lived on. One day he bade his cook bring him some honey-water to quench his thirst.
“There is no water, save that tainted with blood,” replied the cook. “Where can I get honey-water?”
This was the last straw. 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 “Established Tranquillity.”
The last days of Han approached and weapons clashed in every quarter,
The misguided Yüan Shu, lost to all sense of honour,
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,
And arrogantly boasting that thus he fulfilled the design of Heaven.
Alas! Sick unto death he vainly begged for a little honey-water;
He died, alone.
