Shen Pei saw the diggers from the city wall and noticed that they made only a shallow channel. He chuckled, saying to himself, “What is the use of such a channel to drown out the city from a deep river?”
So he made no preparations to keep out the water. But as soon as night came on, Cao Cao increased his army of diggers tenfold and by daylight the channel was deepened to twenty spans and the water was flowing in a great stream into the city where it already stood some spans deep. So this misfortune was added to the lack of food.
Xin Pi now displayed the captured seal and garments of Yuan Shang hung out on spears, to the great shame of their late owner, and called upon the people of the city to surrender. This angered Shen Pei, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Xin family who were within the city. There were eighty of them, and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Xin Pi wept exceedingly.
Shen Pei's nephew Shen Rong, one of the gate wardens, was a dear friend of Xin Pi, and the murder of Xin Pi's family greatly distressed him. He wrote a secret letter offering to betray the city and tied it to an arrow, which he shot out among the besiegers. The soldiers found it, gave it to Xin Pi who took it to his chief.
Cao Cao issued an order: “The family of the Yuans should be spared when the city should be taken and that no one who surrendered should be put to death.”
The next day the soldiers entered by the west gate, opened for them by Shen Rong. Xin Pi was the first to prance in on horseback and the army followed.
When Shen Pei, who was on the southeast of the city, saw the enemy within the gates, he placed himself at the head of some horsemen and dashed toward them. He was met and captured by Xu Huang who bound him and led him outside the city. On the road they met Xin Pi, who ground his teeth with rage at the murderer of his relatives and then struck the prisoner over the head with his whip, crying, “Murder! Blood drinker! You will meet your death.”
Shen Pei retorted, “Traitor! Seller of the city! I am very sorry I was not to have slain you before.”
When the captive was taken into Cao Cao's presence, Cao Cao said, “Do you know who opened the gate to let me in?”
“No; I know not.”
“It was your nephew Shen Rong who gave up the gate,” said Cao Cao.
“He was always unprincipled; and it has come to this!” said Shen Pei.
“The other day when I approached the city, why did you shoot so hard at me?”
“I am sorry we shot too little.”
“As a faithful adherent of the Yuans, you could do no otherwise. Now will you come over to me?”
“Never; I will never surrender.”
Xin Pi threw himself on the ground with lamentations, saying, “Eighty of my people murdered by this ruffian; I pray you slay him, O Prime Minister!”
“Alive, I have served the Yuans;” said Shen Pei, “dead, I will be their ghost. I am no flattering time-server as you are. Kill me!”
Cao Cao gave the order; they led him away to put him to death. On the execution ground he said to the executioners, “My lord is in the north, I pray you not to make me face the south.”
So Shen Pei knelt facing the north and extended his neck for the fatal stroke.
Who of all the official throng
In the North was true like Shen Pei?
Sad his fate! He served a fool,
But faithful, as the ancient humans.
Straight and true was every word,
Never from the road he swerved.
Faithful unto death, he died
Gazing toward the lord he'd served.
Thus died Shen Pei and from respect for his character Cao Cao ordered that he be buried honorably on the north of the city.
The Prime Minister then entered the city of Yejun. As he was starting, he saw the executioners hurrying forward a prisoner who proved to be Chen Lin.
“You wrote that manifesto for Yuan Shao. If you had only directed your diatribe against me, it would not have mattered. But why did you shame my forefathers?” said Cao Cao.
“When the arrow is on the string, it must fly,” replied Chen Lin.
Those about Cao Cao urged him to put Chen Lin to death, but he was spared on account of his genius and given a civil post.
Now Cao Cao's eldest son was named Cao Pi. At the taking of the cities he was eighteen years of age. When he was born a dark purplish halo hung over the house for a whole day. One who understood the meaning of such manifestations had secretly told Cao Cao that the halo belonged to the imperial class and portended honors which could not be put into words.
At eight the lad could compose very skillfully and he was well read in ancient history. Now he was an adept at all military arts and very fond of fencing. He had gone with his father on the expedition to Jizhou. When Yejun had fallen, he led his escort in the direction of the Yuan family dwelling, and when he reached it, he strode in, sword in hand. When some commander would have stayed him, saying that by order of the Prime Minister no one was to enter the house, Cao Pi bade them begone. The guards fell back and he made his way into the private rooms, where he saw two women weeping in each other's arms. He went forward to slay them.
Four generations of honors, gone like a dream,
Fate follows on ever surely, though slow she seems.
The fate of the two women will be told in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 33. A Gallant Warrior, Cao Pi Marries Lady Zhen; An Expiring Star, Guo Jia Settles Liaodong
As was said, Cao Pi, having made his way into the Yuans' palace, saw two women there whom he was about to kill. Suddenly a red light shone in his eyes, and he paused. Lowering his sword he said, “Who are you?”
“Thy handmaid is the widow of the late Yuan Shao, Lady Liu,” said the elder of the two, “and this is the wife of Yuan Xi, his second son. She was of the Zhen family. When Yuan Xi was sent to command in Youzhou, her family objected to her going so far from home and she stayed behind.”
Cao Pi drew Lady Zhen toward him and looked at her closely. Her hair hung disordered, her face was dusty and tear-stained, but when, with the sleeve of his inner garment, he had wiped sway these disfigurements, he saw a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tender bloom of a flower petal, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom.
“I am the son of the Prime Minister,” said he turning to the elder woman. “I will guarantee your safety, so you need fear nothing.”
He then put by his sword and sat down at the upper end of the room.
As Cao Cao was entering the gate of the conquered city of Yejun, Xu You rode up very quickly, passed him, and pointed with his whip at the gate, saying, “Sir Prime Minister, you would not have been here but for my plans.”
Cao Cao laughed, but his generals were very annoyed. When he reached the residence, he stopped at the gate and asked, “Has anyone had gone in?”
The guard at the gate said, “Your son is within.”
Cao Cao called him out and chided him, but the wife of the late Imperial Protector interposed, saying, “But not for your son we had not been saved. I desire to present to you a lady, of the Zhen family, as a handmaid to your son.”
Cao Cao bade them bring out the girl and she bowed before him. After looking at her intently, he said, “Just the wife for him!”
And he told Cao Pi to take Lady Zhen to wife.
After the conquest of Jizhou had been made quite sure, Cao Cao made a ceremonial visit to the Yuan family cemetery, where he sacrificed at the tomb of his late rival, bowed his head, and lamented bitterly.