“Why so very thrifty?” laughed Ts‘ao.
“It is not thrift,” was his reply. “The old robe was a gift from my brother and I wear it because it reminds me of him. I could not allow the new gift to eclipse his old one.”
“How very high principled!” said Ts‘ao Ts‘ao sighing.
But he was not pleased with the man for all that he praised his conduct. One day when Kuan Yü was at home there came a messenger to say that the two women had thrown themselves on the ground and were weeping. They would not say why. Kuan Yü set his dress in order, went over and knelt by the door saying, “Why this grief, sisters-in-law?”
Kan Fu-jên replied, “In the night I dreamed that the Uncle had fallen into a pit. I woke up and told Mi Fu-jên and we think he must be dead. So we weep.”
“Dreams are not to be credited,” he replied. “You dreamed of him because you were thinking of him. Pray do not grieve.”
Just then Kuan Yü was invited to another banquet so he took leave of the ladies and went. Seeing Kuan looked sad and tearful his host asked the reason.
“My sisters-in-law have been weeping for my brother and I cannot help being sad in sympathy.”
Ts‘ao smiled and tried to cheer up his guest. He plied him with wine so that he became quite intoxicated and sat stroking his beard and saying, “What a useless thing am I! I could do no service for my country and I have parted from my elder brother.”
“How many hairs in your beard?” suddenly asked his host.
“Some hundreds, perhaps. In the autumn a few fall out, but in the winter it is fullest. Then I use a black silk bag to keep the hairs from being broken,” replied Kuan.
Ts‘ao had a bag made for him to protect his beard. Soon after when they were at Court the Emperor asked what was the bag he saw on Kuan Yü’s breast.
“My beard is rather long, Your Majesty,” said Kuan. “So the Minister gave me a bag to protect it.”
The Emperor bade him take off the bag and show his beard in all its fullness and it fell in rippling waves below his breast.
“Really a most beautiful beard!” said the Emperor.
This is why people call him “The Duke with the Beautiful Beard.”
Another time, after a banquet, Ts‘ao was seeing his guest start from the gate of his palace when he noticed that his charger was very thin.
“Why is he so thin?” said Ts‘ao.
“My worthless body is rather heavy and really too much for him. He is always out of condition.”
Ts‘ao at once told his men to wring out a certain steed and before long he appeared. He was red, like glowing charcoal, and a handsome creature in every way.
