Yüan Shao received him with much pleasure and treated him exceedingly well. And they both lived in Ch‘ichou.
After the capture of Hsiaop‘ei, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao pressed on toward Hsüchou, which, after a short defence and the flight of the defenders, was surrendered by Ch‘ên Têng. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao led his army into the city, restored order and pacified the people. Next he wanted to press on to Hsiapʻi, where Kuan Yü was holding out and keeping guard of Liu Pei’s family.
Hsün Yü said, “Kuan Yü is there, in charge of his brother’s family, and he will defend the city to the last. If you do not take it quickly Yüan Shao will get it.”
“I have always loved Kuan Yü, both for his warlike abilities and his intelligence. I would engage him to enter my service. I would rather send some one to talk him into surrender.”
“He will not do that,” said Kuo Chia; “his sense of right is too solid. I fear any one who went to speak with him would suffer.”
Then suddenly a man stepped out, saying, “I know him slightly and I will go.”
The speaker was Chang Liao. Hsün Yü looked at him and said, “Though you are an old acquaintance I do not think you are equal to talking over Kuan Yü. But I have a scheme that will so entangle him that he will have no alternative; he will have to enter the service of the Minister.”
They set the fatal spring beside the lordly tiger’s trail,
They hide the hook with fragrant bait to catch the mighty whale.
How Kuan Yü was to be entrapped will be told in the next chapter.
