Tsʻao Tsʻao hastily drew off his men for some distance and then secretly sent a certain number to dig a pitfall and sent hookmen to lie in ambush. The following day Tien Wei was sent out with a small company of horse. His adversary nothing loth came to meet him. “Why does the defeated leader venture forth again?” cried he laughing. The swashbuckler spurred forward to join battle but Tien Wei, after a faint show of fighting, turned his horse and rode away. His adversary intent upon capture, took no care and he and his followers all blundered into the pitfall. The hookmen took them all captive, bound them and carried them before their chief. As soon as he saw the prisoners, Tsʻao advanced from his tent, sent away the soldiers and with his own hands loosened the leader’s bonds. Then he brought out clothing and dressed him, bade him be seated and asked who he was and whence he came. “I am named Hsü Chʻu, and by my near friends called Chungkʻang. I am from Chao. [4] When the rebellion broke out I and my relations built a stronghold within a rampart for protection. One day the robbers came but I had stones ready for them. I told my relatives to keep on bringing them up to me and I threw them, hitting somebody every time I threw. This drove off the robbers.” “Another day they came and we were short of grain. So I agreed with them to an exchange of plough oxen against grain. They delivered the grain and were driving away the oxen when the beasts took fright and tore off to their pens. I seized two of them by the tail, one with each hand, and hauled them backwards a hundred or so paces. The robbers were so amazed that they thought no more about oxen but went their way. So they never troubled us again.” “I have heard of your mighty exploits,” said Tsʻao Tsʻao. “Will you join my army?” “That is my strongest desire,” said Hsü. So he called up his clan, some hundreds in all, and they formally submitted to Tsʻao Tsʻao. The strong man received the rank of Tu-yü and received ample rewards. The two rebel leaders were executed. Juying being now perfectly quiet Tsʻao Tsʻao withdrew his army. His lieutenants came out to welcome him and they told him that spies had reported Yenchou to be left defenceless, all its garrison having given themselves up to plundering the surrounding country, and they wanted him to go against it without loss of time. “With these soldiers fresh from victory the city will fall at a tap of the drum,” said they. So the army was marched to the city. An attack was quite unexpected but the two leaders, Hsüeh and Li, hurried out their few soldiers to fight. Hsü Chʻu, the latest recruit, said he wished to capture these two and he would make of them an introductory gift.