“Hold your tongue!” was the angry reply. “You are simply slandering them without the slightest excuse. You want to harm good men.” “No ears for loyal words”; said Chʻên Kung, as he went away sad at heart, “and we shall suffer.” He thought seriously of abandoning Lü Pu, but that would be too painful a wrench. Beside he feared people would laugh at him. So the days passed sorrowfully for him. One day, with a few horsemen, he rode out to the country near Hsiaopʻei to hunt. On the high road he saw a messenger galloping along in hot haste and began to wonder what it might mean. He left the hunt, rode across country and intercepted the rider. “Where are you from? Who sent you?” asked Chʻên Kung. The messenger made no reply for he knew to what party his captors belonged. But they searched him and found a letter, the secret reply to Tsʻao Tsʻao’s letter to Liu Pei. The messenger and the letter were both taken straight to Lü Pu. He questioned the man, who said he had been sent to Liu Pei with a letter and was now taking back the reply. He knew nothing more. He was ignorant of the contents of the letter. So Lü Pu tore it open and read:—“I have received your commands concerning the destruction of Lü Pu and dare I for a moment venture to disregard them? But my force is weak and I must act with extreme circumspection. If you move your main body, then I will hasten forward and in the meantime my men shall be got ready and weapons prepared. I await your command.” Lü Pu was really alarmed. “The wretch!” said he, “To dare to act thus!” The unhappy messenger was put to death and counter-moves planned. Chʻên Kung and Tsang Pa went to enlist the help of the Tʻaishan bandits and take Yenchou in Shantung. Kao Shun and Chang Liao went to attack Liu Pei in Pʻeichʻêng. Sung Hsieu and Wei Hsü went west to attack Juying and Lü Pu took command of a large body of men ready to afford help wherever needed. The departure of the army under Kao Shun against Hsiaopʻei was told Liu Pei who assembled his officers at a council. Sun Chʻien advised sending a message to the capital to inform Tsʻao Tsʻao of their danger and, in response to the chief’s call, Chien Yung, a fellow-townsman of Liu Pei’s, offered to take the message. Up to that moment he had served as a secretary. So a letter was written and the late secretary set out at once on his journey. Then preparations were made for defence, Yüan-tê commanding at the south gate and the two brothers and Sun Chʻien taking each a gate. Mi Chu and his brother Fang commanded the family guard. The two Mi’s were put in command of the house guard because they were Liu Pei’s brothers-in-law, he having taken a sister of Mi Chu as a second wife. Hence they were suitable men to guard the family. In due course Kao Shun came to the south gate. Liu Pei ascended the tower and said, “I have no quarrel with your master, why do you come here with an army?”