Ts‘ao Ts‘ao marvelled at the statement and turning to those about him said, “If you meet this brother be careful.” And he bade them make a note on the overlap of their robes so that they should remember.
The beaten army returning northward met Yüan Shao on the road and told their story. “A red-faced warrior with a long beard, wielding a huge sword, broke into the army, cut off the general’s head and bore it off,” said they.
“Who was this?” asked Shao.
Chu Shou said, “It must have been Liu Yüan-te’s brother; it could be nobody else.”
Yüan Shao was very angry and, pointing to Liu Pei, he said, “Your brother has slain my beloved leader. You are in the plot too. Why should I save you alive?”
He bade the lictors take him away and behead him.
Morning saw him guest on high,
Evening, prisoner, doomed to die.
His actual fate will be told in the next chapter.
