ed　upon　the　central　government　in　order　to　obtain　rank　and　appointments。　Now　remove　the　evil　by　putting　these　two　to　death　and　sending　their　heads　to　Yuan　Shu。　Then　he　will　retire　and　leave　us　in　peace。〃

Lu　Bu　acquiesced　and　had　the　two　arrested。

But　the　son；　Chen　Deng；　only　laughed；　saying；　〃What　is　this　anxiety　about？　These　seven　armies　are　no　more　to　me　than　so　many　heaps　of　rotting　straw。　They　are　not　worth　thinking　about。〃

〃If　you　can　show　us　how　to　overe　them；　I　will　spare　your　life；〃　said　Lu　Bu。

〃General；　if　you　will　listen　to　poor　me；　the　region　will　be　perfectly　safe。〃

〃Let　us　hear　what　you　have　to　say。〃

〃Yuan　Shu's　troops　are　numerous　but　they　are　only　a　flock　of　crows；　they　are　not　an　army　under　a　leader。　There　is　no　mutual　confidence。　I　can　keep　them　at　bay　with　the　ordinary　guards　of　the　place　and　could　overe　them　by　some　unsuspected　stratagem。　If　I　should　fail；　I　have　another　plan　by　which　I　can　not　only　protect　the　region　but　capture　our　enemy。〃

〃Let　us　have　it。〃

＇e＇　Han　Xian　used　to　be　a　White　Wave　rebel　leader。　Yang　Feng　had　been　a　mander　under　Li　Jue。　When　the　Emperor　fled　from　Changan　to　Luoyang；　he　enlisted　these　two　leaders　as　escorts　to　fend　off　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si's　pursuit。　（chapter　13）

Chen　Deng　said；　〃Han　Xian　and　Yang　Feng*；　two　of　the　leaders　of　our　enemies；　are　old　servants　of　the　Han　Dynasty　who　fled　from　fear　of　Cao　Cao　and；　being　homeless；　sought　refuge　with　Yuan　Shu。　He　despises　them；　and　they　are　dissatisfied　with　his　service。　A　little　letter　from　the　court　will　secure　their　help　as　our　allies；　and　with　Liu　Bei　to　help　us　on　the　outside；　we　can　certainly　overe　Yuan　Shu。〃

〃You　shall　take　the　letters　yourself；〃　said　Lu　Bu。

Chen　Deng　agreed；　and　a　memorial　detailing