Morning　saw　him　guest　on　high。

Evening；　prisoner；　doomed　to　die。

Liu　Bei's　actual　fate　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　26　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　26

Chapter　26

Yuan　Shao　Loses　Another　Leader；

Guan　Yu　Abandons　Rank　And　Wealth。

As　the　last　chapter　closed；　Liu　Bei　had　been　condemned　to　die。

Liu　Bei　spoke　up；　however；　and　said；　〃Pray　hear　one　word；　Illustrious　Sir；　before　you　decide。　I　have　lost　sight　of　my　brother　since　my　misfortune　at　Xuzhou　and　know　not　whether　Guan　Yu　be　dead　or　alive。　There　are　many　men　in　the　world　who　resemble　him。　Is　every　red…faced　man　with　a　beard　named　Guan　Yu？　Should　you　not　rather　seek　some　evidence？〃

Now　Yuan　Shao　was　impulsive　and　facile　by　nature；　and　when　Liu　Bei　spoke　thus；　he　suddenly　turned　upon　Ju　Shou；　saying；　〃By　wrongly　regarding　what　you　said；　I　nearly　killed　an　innocent　person。〃

Then　Yuan　Shao　requested　Liu　Bei　once　more　to　resume　his　seat　in　the　tent　and　give　advice　on　how　to　avenge　Yan　Liang。

Soon　from　the　lower　end　a　voice　was　heard；　saying；　〃Yan　Liang　and　I　were　as　brothers；　and　can　I　allow　any　other　to　avenge　his　death？〃

The　speaker　was　a　man　of　eight…span　height　with　a　face　like　a　jilin；　a　famous　leader　from　the　North　of　Yellow　River；　named　Wen　Chou。

Yuan　Shao　was　pleased　and　said；　〃You　are　the　only　man　who　can　do　it。　I　will　give　you　one　hundred　thousand　troops；　and　you　can　cross　the　Yellow　River；　and　quickly　smite　that　rebel　Cao　Cao。

〃You　cannot　do　it。　Wen　Chou　will　fail；〃　said　Ju　Shou。　〃The　proper　course　is　to　hold　Yenjin　and　detach　a　force　to　Guandu。　If　you　rashly　cross　the　river　and　anything　goes　wrong；　not　a　soul　will　return。〃

Yuan　Shao　said；　〃Tha