“Anything the Minister wishes to do shall have my assistance,” was the reply. As a reward Tsʻao Tsʻao obtained a grant of grain for the father and a prefecture for the son, who then took his leave. As he was saying farewell Tsʻao took him by the hand saying, “I shall depend upon you in the eastern affair.” Chʻên Têng nodded acquiescence. Then he returned to Lü Pu, who asked him how he had fared. Chʻên told him of the gifts to his father, which annoyed Pu. “You did not ask Hsüchou for me, but you got something for yourself. Your father advised me to help Tsʻao Tsʻao by breaking off the marriage, and now I get nothing at all of what I asked while you and your father get everything. I have been victimised by your father.” He threatened Chʻên with his sword. Chʻên Têng only laughed saying, “O how stupid you are, General!” “I! How stupid?” “When I saw Tsʻao, I said that to keep you going was like feeding a tiger. The tiger must be kept fully fed or he would eat men. But Tsʻao laughed and replied, ‘No; not that. One must treat the marquis like a falcon. Not feed it till the foxes and hares are done. Hungry, the bird is of use; full fed it flies away.’ I asked who were the quarry. He replied ‘Yüan Shu, Sun Tsʻê, Yüan Shao, Liu Piao, Liu Chang and Chang Lu; these are the foxes and hares.’” Lü Pu threw aside his sword and laughed, saying, “Yes; he understands me.” But just about that time came news of the advance of Yüan Shu on Hsüchou and that frightened Lü Pu. When discord rose ’twixt Tsʻin and Chin, They were attacked by Yüeh and Wu, And when a promised bride ne’er came, An army marched to enforce the claim. How all this fell out will be shown in the next chapter. CHAPTER XVII. AN ARMY OF SEVEN DIVISIONS MARCHES OUT: THREE GENERALS ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER. Huainan was very fruitful, and Yüan Shu, as governor of such a large district, was very influential. He was not a little puffed up. The possession of the Imperial seal, pledged by Sun Tsʻê, added to his pride. And he seriously thought of assuming the full style. As a preliminary he assembled all his officers and addressed them thus:— “Of old Kao-Tsu, Founder of the Dynasty of Han, was only a very minor official and yet he became ruler of the Empire. The Dynasty has endured four centuries and its measure of fortune has run out. It no longer possesses authority; the cauldron is on the point of boiling over. My family has held the highest offices of State for four generations and is universally respected. Wherefore I wish, in response to the will of Heaven and the desire of the people, to assume the Imperial dignity. What think ye of the proposal, my officers?”