Their road led through Hsüchou where the Prefect, Tʻao Chʻien, was a sincere and upright man who had long wished to get on good terms with Tsʻao Tsʻao but, hitherto, had found no means of effecting a bond of union. Hearing that the family of the great man was passing through his district he went to welcome them, treated them with great cordiality, feasting and entertaining them for two days, and when they left he escorted them to his boundary. Further he sent with them one Chang Kʻai with a special escort. The whole party reached Huafei. It was the end of summer, just turning into autumn, and at this place they were stopped by a tremendous storm of rain. The only shelter was an old temple and thither they went. The family occupied the main rooms and the escort the two side wings. The men of the escort were drenched, angry and discontented. The leader called some of his petty officers to a secret spot and said, “We are old Yellow Turbans and only submitted to Tʻao because there was no help for it. We have never got much out of it. Now here is the Tsʻao family with no end of gear and we can be rich very easily. We will make a sudden onslaught to-night at the third watch and slay the whole lot. Then we shall have plenty of treasure and we will get away to the mountains.” They all agreed. The storm continued into the night and as Tsʻao Sung sat waiting anxiously for signs of clearing he suddenly heard a hubbub at the west end of the temple. His brother Tsʻao Tê, drawing his sword, went out to see what it was about and was at once cut down. Tsʻao Sung seized one of the concubines by the hand, rushed with her through the passage toward the back of the temple so that they might escape. But the lady was stout and could not get through the narrow doors so the two hid in one of the small outhouses at the side. However, they were seen and slain. The unhappy Prefect fled for his life to Yüan Shao. The murderers fled into Huainan with their plunder after having set fire to the old temple. Tsʻao Tsʻao, whom the ages praise, Slew the Lüs in former days; Nemesis ne’er turns aside, Murdered too his family died. Some of the escort escaped and took the evil tidings to Tsʻao Tsʻao. When he heard it he fell to the earth with a great cry. They raised him. With set teeth he muttered, “His men have slain my father: no longer can the same sky cover us. I will sweep Hsüchou off the face of the earth. Only thus can I satisfy my vengeance.” Leaving one small army to guard the east he set forth with all the remainder to destroy Hsüchou and avenge his father.