These contingents varied in size, but each was complete in itself with its officers, civil and military, and battle-leaders, and they assembled at Loyang.
The Prefect of Peipʻing, Kungsun Tsan, while on his way with his force of a legion and a half, passed through P‘ingyüan. There he saw among the mulberry trees a yellow flag under which marched a small company. When they drew nearer he saw the leader was Liu Yüan-tê.
“Good brother, what do you here?”
“You were kind to me once and on your recommendation I was made magistrate of this district. I heard you were passing through and came to salute you. May I pray my elder brother to enter into the city and rest his steed?”
“Who are these two?” said Tsan pointing to the other two brothers.
“These are Kuan Yü and Chang Fei, my sworn brothers.”
“Were they fighting with you against the rebels?”
“All my success was due to their efforts,” said Yüan-tê.
“And what offices do they fill?”
“Kuan Yü is a mounted archer: Fei is a foot archer.”
“Thus are able men buried!” said Tsan, sighing. Then he continued. “All the highest in the land are now going to destroy the rebellious Tung Cho. My brother would do better to abandon this petty place and join us in restoring the House of Han. Why not?”
“I should like to go,” said Yüan-tê.
“If you had let me kill him that other time you would not have this trouble to-day,” said Chang Fei.
“Since things are so let us pack and go,” said Kuan Yü.
So without more ado the three brothers, with a few horsemen, joined Kungsun Tsan and marched with him to join the great army.
One after another the feudal lords came up and encamped. Their camps extended over three hundred li and more. When all had arrived Tsʻao, as the head, prepared sacrificial bullocks and horses and called all the lords to agreat assembly to decide upon their plan of attack.
Then spake the Prefect Wang saying “We have been moved by a noble sense of right to assemble here. Now must we first choose a chief and bind ourselves to obedience.”
Then said Tsʻao Tsʻao, “For four generations the highest offices of state have been filled by members of the Yüan family and his clients and supporters are everywhere. As a descendant of ancient ministers of Han, Yüan Shao is a suitable man to be our chief lord.”
Yüan Shao again and again declined this honour. But they all said, “It must be he; there is no other.” And then he agreed.
