His　defeat　was　a　heavy　shock　to　his　father　Yuan　Shao；　who　had　a　severe　fit　of　hemorrhage　at　the　news　and　swooned。

Lady　Liu；　his　wife；　got　him　to　bed　as　quickly　as　possible；　but　he　did　not　rally；　and　she　soon　saw　it　was　necessary　to　prepare　for　the　end。　So　she　sent　for　Shen　Pei　and　Peng　Ji　that　the　succession　might　be　settled。　They　came　and　stood　by　the　sick　man's　bed；　but　by　this　time　he　could　no　longer　speak。　He　only　made　motions　with　his　hands。

When　his　wife　put　the　formal　question；　〃Is　Yuan　Shang　to　succeed？〃

Yuan　Shao　nodded　his　head。　Shen　Pei　at　the　bedside　wrote　out　the　dying　man's　testament。　Presently　Yuan　Shao　uttered　a　loud　moan；　a　fresh　fit　of　bleeding　followed；　and　he　passed　away。

Born　of　a　line　of　nobles　famous　for　generations；

He　himself　in　his　youth　was　wayward　always　and　headstrong；

Vainly　he　called　to　his　side　generals　skilled　and　courageous；

Gathered　beneath　his　banner　countless　legions　of　soldiers；

For　he　was　timid　at　heart；　a　lamb　dressed　as　a　tiger；

Merely　a　cowardly　chicken；　phoenix…feathered　but　spurless。

Pitiful　was　the　fate　of　his　house；　for　when　he　departed

Brother　with　brother　strove　and　quarrels　arose　in　the　household。

Shen　Pei　and　some　others　set　about　the　mourning　ceremonies　for　the　dead　man。　His　wife；　Lady　Liu；　put　to　death　five　of　his　favorite　concubines；　and　such　was　the　bitterness　of　her　jealousy　that；　not　content　with　this；　she　shaved　off　the　hair　and　slashed　the　faces　of　their　poor　corpses　lest　their　spirits　should　meet　and　rejoin　her　late　husband　in　the　land　of　shades　beneath　the　Nine　Golden　Springs。　Her　son　followed　up　this　piece　of　cruelty　by　slaying　all　the　relatives　of　the　unhappy　concubines　lest　they　should　avenge　their　deaths。

Shen　Pei　and