Lu Bu went in pursuit but soon another force came out from the rear of some hills. These looked very imposing. As the ranks opened Lu Bu saw a leader's guard with flags bearing dragons and phoenixes and representations of the sun and moon, the stars in the four groups of the Great Bear Constellation, the five directions of the Earth, golden gourds, silver axes, yellow halberds, white yaks' tails, all imperial emblems. And beneath a yellow silken parasol sat Yuan Shu on horseback, clad in silver mail with a sword handle showing at each wrist.
Standing out in front of the array, Yuan Shu railed at his opponent calling him traitor and bastard. Lu Bu said nothing but rode forward ready for battle, and Li Feng, one of Yuan Shu's leaders, advanced to take the challenge. They met, but at the third bout, Li Feng was wounded in the hand, whereupon his spear fell to the ground, and he fled. Lu Bu waved on the advance and his men prevailed. The other side fled, leaving much spoil, clothing, mail, and horses.
Yuan Shu's defeated troops had not gone far when a strong army, led by Guan Yu, appeared barring his way.
“Traitor! Why have they not slain you?” cried Guan Yu.
Whereat Yuan Shu fled in great trepidation, and his army melted into fugitives in all directions. The new army fell upon them with great slaughter. Yuan Shu and the remnant of his army retreated into the below regions of River Huai.
Victory being now secure, Lu Bu, in company with Guan Yu, Yang Feng, and Han Xian returned to Xuzhou, where there were banquets and feasting and rewards for the soldiers and generals of five divisions. These over, Guan Yu took his leave and returned to Yuzhou, while Han Xian was appointed Governor of Yidu, and Yang Feng Governor of Langye.
There had been a question of keeping these two in Xuzhou City, but Chen Gui opposed it, saying, “Let them hold those places in Huashang Mountains, which will be all yours within a year.”
So Han Xian and Yang Feng were sent to these two cities in the meantime to await orders. “Why not retain them here?” asked Chen Deng secretly of his father. “They would be a basis for our conspiracy against Lu Bu.”
“But if they helped him, on the other hand, we should lengthen the tiger's claws and teeth,” said Chen Gui.
So Chen Deng could only approve of his father's precautions.
Yuan Shu returned home burning to avenge his defeat, so he sent to the South Land to ask a loan of troops from Sun Ce. But Sun Ce said, “On the strength of holding the State Seal, he secretly calls himself emperor and rebels against the Hans. I would rather punish such a renegade than help him.”
So Sun Ce refused. The letter refusing help added to Yuan Shu's anger.
“What next from this callow youth?” cried Yuan Shu. “I will smite him before I deal with the others.”
But his adviser, Yang Dajiang, dissuaded him from this course.
Having refused help to his powerful rival, Sun Ce thought it wise to take measures for his own safety. So he stationed an army at Jiangkou. Soon after came a messenger from Cao Cao bearing Sun Ce's appointment as Governor of Kuaiji with orders to raise an army and reduce Yuan Shu.
Sun Ce was inclined to carry out these orders, but he called a council at which Zhang Zhao opposed this course.
Said he, “Although recently defeated, Yuan Shu has large army and ample supplies. He is not to be attacked lightly. You would better write to Cao Cao persuading him to attack the South of River Huai and we will be auxiliaries. Between the two armies, Yuan Shu must certainly be defeated. If by the remotest chance we lose, we have Cao Cao to come to our rescue.”
This plan was adopted and a messenger was sent to lay it before Cao Cao. In the meantime, after the defeat at River Yu, Cao Cao had reached Xuchang where his first thought was to institute sacrifices to his beloved lost leader, Dian Wei. He conferred rank upon his son Dian Man and took him into his own palace to be cared for.
Presently arrived Sun Ce's messenger with letters, and next came a report that Yuan Shu, being short of food, had made a raid on Chenliu. Cao Cao thought the moment opportune, so he issued orders for the south expedition, leaving Cao Ren to hold the capital. The army marched, horse and foot, one hundred seventy thousand, with commissariat wagons of food to the number of over a thousand. Messages were sent to summon Sun Ce, Liu Bei, and Lu Bu.
Liu Bei was the first to welcome the grand army at his Yuzhou borders, and he was called in to the Prime Minister's tent. After the usual salutations, two human heads were produced by Liu Bei.
“Whose are these?” asked Cao Cao in surprise.
“The heads of Han Xian and Yang Feng.”
“Why did this happen?”
“They were sent to control Yidu and Langye, but they allowed their soldiers to plunder the people. Bitter complaints arose, so I invited them to a banquet and my brothers dispatched them when I gave the signal by dropping a cup. Their armies gave in at once. Now I have to apologize for my fault.”
“You have removed an evil, which is a grand service: why talk of a fault?”
And Cao Cao praised Liu Bei's action.
When the joint army reached Lu Bu's Xuzhou borders, he came to meet it. Cao Cao spoke graciously to him and conferred upon him the title of General of the Left Army, promising him an official seal as soon as he returned to the capital. Lu Bu was very pleased.
Then the three armies were made into one force, Cao Cao being in the center, Lu Bu to the left wing, and Liu Bei to the right wing. Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin were Leaders of the Van.
On Yuan Shu's side, General Qiao Rui with fifty thousand troops was appointed Van Leader. The armies met on the confines of the city of Shouchun. Qiao Rui and Xiahou Dun rode out and opened battle. But Qiao Rui fell in the third bout, and his troops fled into the city.
Then came news that Sun Ce's fleet was near and would attack on the west. The other three land corps took each one face — Cao Cao on the north, Lu Bu on the east, and Liu Bei on the south. The city of Shouchun was in a parlous state.
At this juncture Yuan Shu summoned his officers. Yang Dajiang explained the case, “Shouchun has suffered from drought for several years and the people are on the verge of famine. Sending an army would add to the distress and anger the people, and victory would be uncertain. I advise not to send any more soldiers there, but to hold on till the besiegers are conquered by lack of supplies. Meanwhile, Your Highness, with regiment of guards, will move over to the other side of River Huai, which is quite ready, and we shall also escape the enemy's ferocity.”
So due arrangements was made. One hundred thousand troops under Li Feng, Yue Jiu, Liang Gang, and Chen Ji were appointed to guard Shouchun. Then a general move was made to the other side of the River Huai. Not only the remained army went over, but all the accumulated wealth of the Yuan family, gold and silver, jewels and precious stones, were moved also.
Cao Cao's army of one hundred seventy thousand needed daily no inconsiderable quantity of food; and as the country around had been famine-stricken for several years, nothing could be got there. So he tried to hasten the military operations and capture the city. On the other hand, the defenders knew the value of delay and simply held on. After a month's vigorous siege, the fall of Shouchun seemed as far off as it was at first, and supplies were very short. Letters were sent to Sun Ce who sent a hundred thousand carts of grain. When the usual distribution became impossible, the Chief of the Commissariat, Ren Jun, and the Controller of the Granaries, Wang Hou, presented a statement asking what was to be done.