"They have come from far and cannot maintain this for long," said Chen Gong. " General, go out with your horse and foot and take up a position outside, leaving me to maintain the defense with the remainder of our troops.If he engages you, I will come out and strike at his rear ranks; if he attacks the city, you can come to our aid. In ten days their stores will fail, and we can beat them off. This will place them between the ox-horns."

"The advice seems good," said Lu Bu.

Lu Bu went back to his palace and prepared his weapons. As it was the depth of winter, he made his army take plenty of wadded clothing to keep them warm. Lady Yan, his wife, heard of it and came to ask whither he was going. He told her of Chen Gong's plan.

She said, " My lord, you are leaving an undamaged city, abandoning your wife and little ones, and going with a paltry force.Should any untoward event happen, will your handmaid and her lord ever meet again?"

Lu Bu hesitated and for three days made no move.

Then Chen Gong came to see him again and said, "The enemy are all round the city; and unless you go out soon, you will be quite hemmed in."

"I am thinking it would be better to maintain a stubborn defense," said Lu Bu.

"Our enemies are short of food and have sent for supplies to Xuchang. These will soon arrive, and you should go out with some veterans and intercept the convoy. That loss would be a heavy blow."

Lu Bu agreed and went in to tell his wife the new plan.

She wept saying, "If you go, do you think Chen Gong and others equal to the defense of the city? Should anything go wrong, you would be very sorry. You abandoned me at Changan, and it was only through the fortunate kindness of Pang Shu that I was hidden from our enemies and rejoined you. Who would have thought you would leave me again? But go, go your way as far as you wish, and do not mind your wife."

And she wept bitterly.

Lu Bu very sadly went to take leave of Diao Chan who said, "You are my lord and my life. You must not be careless and ride out alone."

"You need not fear. With my mighty trident halberd and Red Hare, who dare come near me?"

He went out. But when he met Chen Gong, he said, "That story about supplies for Cao Cao is all false, one of his many ruses. I am not going to stir."

Chen Gong sighed. He felt all was lost.