d could not run。
Now the crowd of officers seeing the golden…barbed arrow sticking in the wound concluded at once that the shot was the Emperor's; so they rushed up and shouted 〃Wan shui! O King! Live forever!〃
Cao Cao rode out pushing past the Emperor and acknowledged the congratulations。
They all turned pale。 Guan Yu; who was behind Liu Bei; was especially angry。 The silkworm eyebrows stood up fiercely; and the red phoenix eyes glared as; sword in hand; he rode hastily forth to cut down the audacious Prime Minister for his impertinence。
However; Liu Bei hastily waved him back and shot at him a meaning glance so that Guan Yu stopped and made no further move。
Liu Bei bowing toward Cao Cao said; 〃Most sincere felicitations! A truly supernatural shot; such as few have achieved!〃
〃It is only the enormous good fortune of the Son of Heaven!〃 said Cao Cao with a smile。
Then he turned his steed and felicitated the Emperor。 But he did not return the bow; he hung it over his own shoulder instead。
The hunt finished with banqueting; and when the entertainments were over; they returned to the capital; all glad of some repose after the expedition。
Guan Yu was still angry of the Prime Minister's breach of decorum。
One day Guan Yu said to Liu Bei; 〃Brother; why did you prevent me from killing that rebel and so ridding the world of a scoundrel? He insults the Emperor and ignores everybody else。〃
〃When you throw stones at a rat; beware of the vase;〃 quoted Liu Bei。 〃Cao Cao was only a horse's head away from Our Lord; and in the midst of a crowd of his partisans。 In that momentary burst of anger; if you had struck and failed; and harm had e to the Emperor; what an awful crime would have been laid to us!〃